Latest news with #Trump-backing
Politico
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Politico
Boston mayor's race hits the waves
CHANNEL SURFING — Boston's mayoral race is shaping up to be the sound of the summer thanks to new ads hitting the airwaves in the next few days. Josh Kraft's campaign is readying a television ad blitz with a series of 30-second spots featuring Bostonians he worked with during his more than two decades at the Boys and Girls Club of Boston. The clips feature residents from an array of backgrounds across the city – like Jonte Joseph of Charlestown, who met the mayoral hopeful at the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club when he was 9 years old, according to the campaign, and Bob Monahan, a longtime South Boston nonprofit leader who hired Kraft in the 1990s. The series addresses one of the criticisms Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has levelled against Kraft – that he's new to the city — by touting support from those who first worked with him in Boston decades ago. The campaign declined to share how much money they're putting behind the series, which is coming to broadcast television, streaming sites and digital platforms starting today. On the other side, the Bold Boston super PAC that's backing Wu is gearing up to launch a radio ad Monday that looks to tie Kraft to President Donald Trump and the recently passed congressional budget reconciliation package. The 60-second radio hit features two people talking about potential negative impacts from the congressional package, before yoking Kraft to Republicans who backed the bill. 'You know, Josh Kraft donated to Republicans who got the law passed?' one of the narrators says. 'That's right. He donated thousands to Trump-backing Republicans who want to ban abortion and cut Medicaid,' says the second narrator. It's an apparent reference to donations Kraft made a few years ago to Republicans like Reps. Glenn Grothmann of Wisconsin, Buddy Carter of Georgia and Mike Bost of Illinois. Kraft's campaign has said he made donations to those politicians solely because of their support for Israel. A spokesperson for the PAC declined to specify how much money the group plans to put behind the ad. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. A little less than two months to go before the preliminary! Tips, scoops, catch any of the ads in action? Drop me a line: kgarrity@ TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have no public events. THIS WEEKEND — Rep. Jim McGovern is on WBZ's 'Keller @ Large' at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Rep. Jake Auchincloss is on WCVB's 'On the Record' at 11 a.m. Sunday. DATELINE BEACON HILL RULE BREAKERS — Progressive groups that have been pushing for more transparency on Beacon Hill are calling out state lawmakers for bypassing the internal rules they put in place that were supposed to shed some more light on the legislative process. Progress Mass and Act on Mass say legislators are already violating rules implementing new deadlines and making testimony public. Their call is here. FROM THE HUB — Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden's office threw out disgraced prosecutor Rachael Rollins' do-not-prosecute list by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said his office seeks to divert, rather than prosecute, certain low-level shoplifting offenders but bristled when asked whether he still operates under his disgraced predecessor Rachael Rollins' do-not-prosecute list. During a Thursday press conference on an initiative his office spearheaded that aims to deter shoplifting, Hayden outlined how the DA's office aims to prosecute repeat retail theft offenders while giving a pass to first-time non-violent offenders — provided the newbie bandits take part in a voluntary diversion program.' — Stats show shoplifting spike in Boston, officials say they're working on it by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: 'According to the Boston Police Department's Part One Crime tracking data for the first six month of 2025, 'Other Larceny,' an offense that includes shoplifting and other crimes, totaled 4,185 incidents so far this year – up nearly 23% past the city's five-year average. The Boston Police Department did not immediately clarify what portion of those 'Other Larceny' incidents are shoplifting, but did say through a spokesperson 'So far this year, reports have increased 15% over last year at this time.' Asked about the figures, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said mid-year statistics are difficult to discuss and attributed the rise to increased calls to police.' MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — ICE report revealed in court shows the agency used Canary Mission information to target Rümeysa Öztürk by Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio and Shelley Murphy, The Boston Globe: 'An immigration official disclosed Thursday that the agency relied heavily on a pro-Israel website to identify international students who protested the war in Gaza, including Tufts PhD candidate Rümeysa Öztürk, as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on the pro-Palestinian movement on college campuses. Under questioning in federal court in Boston, the official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not point to any other grounds for Öztürk's detention beyond her inclusion in the blacklist from the website, known as Canary Mission, or her coauthoring of an op-ed in the student newspaper calling on Tufts to divest from companies with ties to Israel.' THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — Donahue no longer seeking reelection in Ward 2 City Council race by Matt Petry, The Newburyport Daily News: 'After four years serving as the Ward 2 city councilor, Jennie Donahue announced Thursday she will not seek reelection. Elected in 2021, Donahue made Thursday's announcement via Facebook, linking to an article she wrote.' — Josh Kraft unveils reentry after prison plan in bid for Boston mayor by Jade Lozada and Emma Platoff, The Boston Globe: 'Josh Kraft on Thursday unveiled a plan to support individuals returning from prison, a new plank in his policy platform as he seeks to unseat incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu in this fall's election. Kraft made the announcement at a press conference in South Boston, where he was surrounded by about 10 supporters, some of whom were formerly incarcerated and said Kraft has been an immense source of support. His proposal includes a 90-day countdown reentry plan to help individuals find housing, job opportunities, and mental health support before they leave prison. ENDORSEMENT ALERT — The Boston Teachers Union has endorsed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for reelection, per the Boston Herald. TRUMPACHUSETTS — UMass Chan Medical School faces shortfall of tens of millions of dollars in NIH funding by Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR: 'Leaders of UMass Chan Medical School say they've tallied the shortfall in federal funding to the school's scientists since President Trump took office. According to Chancellor Michael Collins, it's enough to imperil research across the institution. The math shows UMass Chan hasn't received nearly $42 million in expected grants from the National Institutes of Health for the school's fiscal year that just ended. That includes grants for studies and related costs that were deemed 'fundable' in the NIH review process but then stalled, Collins said.' FROM THE 413 — Easthampton council president mulls interim mayor post in wake of LaChapelle resignation by Sam Ferland, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'In the wake of Mayor Nicole LaChapelle's resignation, city councilors met Wednesday night to discuss paths forward to find an interim mayor, leaving the City Council president with a decision to make. According to the city charter, if a vacancy in the office of mayor occurs in the last nine months of their term, the president of the City Council shall become the mayor. With an election scheduled for Nov. 4, City Council President Salem Derby has not made a decision to accept the position as interim mayor.' —— Turmoil on Northampton reparations panel as council ponders future by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'The city has fired an administrative assistant of the Northampton Reparations Study Commission and the chair of the commission has resigned ahead of a City Council meeting where it will be determined whether or not to continue the commission's work on its final report. Anthony Arena-DeRosa, who served the commission in a staff support role, received a letter from Human Resources Director Charles Dunham on June 30, saying that the city intended to terminate his employment effective immediately. The cause of Arena-DeRosa's termination, according to the letter shared with the Gazette, was an email he sent June 17, using a city email address, to approximately 130 residents to advocate for a public hearing before the city accepted a final report put out by the commission.' — Hasbro's tariff response? In part it is to increase toy production in this WMass town by Jim Kinney, The Springfield Republican: 'Toymaker Hasbro is stepping up board game production at a manufacturing partner's plant in East Longmeadow, in part to maneuver around the Trump administration's tariffs. Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks described the move as a reaction to the administration's import policies Thursday morning in a broadcast segment with CNN's Audie Cornish. But Cocks said reshoring the company's products can only do so much.' THE LOCAL ANGLE — Lowell steps onto world stage as Frontrunner City by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun: 'This week, Lowell was the epicenter for a pilot program that could be transformative for the future of the city. Political, educational, business and community-based leadership welcomed a delegation from Canada that leads up the innovative Frontrunner City Initiative. 'The goal today is to look at the future of Lowell tomorrow,' City Manager Tom Golden said during a presentation at City Hall announcing the partnership with the Urban Economy Forum.' — A veterans housing project almost fell through amid funding cuts and tariffs by Sam Turken, GBH News. — Meet the designer behind Newton's new city seal by Amanda Beland, WBUR. MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TRAIL MARKERS — Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is headed to New Hampshire today to stump for Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, a move that's stoking some 2028 speculation for the former presidential candidate. HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Gintautas Dumcius will be the new editor of MASSterList. He's an alum of several Boston-area outlets and most recently was a reporter at CommonWealth Beacon. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Sen. Ed Markey, WBUR alum Jack Lepiarz, Maximos Nikitas, Angus Abercrombie, Chris Maloney, a partner at the Black Rock Group and a Mitt Romney alum, and to Noa Burke-Schlossberg. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to state Rep. Dan Ryan, Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter Scott Merzbach, Gregorio Gomez, Arlene Remz and Madeline Saunders, who celebrate Saturday, and to Sunday birthday-ers Amanda Hunter, executive director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, Nick Newburger and Barry Posen.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newsmax Host Defuses Elon Musk's Trump 'Bomb' With This Big Question
Newsmax's Carl Higbie ripped ex-White House adviser Elon Musk's 'low blow' at President Donald Trump on Thursday after the billionaire claimed the administration isn't releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files due to the president being named in them. 'Elon, if you knew he was on the Epstein client list, why did you let him board Marine One with your son? Just asking!' questioned Higbie as a clip played of Trump boarding the helicopter with Musk's 5-year-old son, X, in March. Musk — amid his explosive breakup with Trump — took to his social media platform X to accuse the president of being in a trove of documents tied to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Earlier this year, the White House shared files tied to the case with Trump-backing social media influencers but the hyped-up drop was ultimately a letdown to many, as much of the information in the documents had already been released. Trump — who once described Epstein as a 'great guy' and was seen with him on a number of occasions — has since claimed that he was never on the financier's plane, despite flight logs released by the president's own attorney general showing otherwise. Moments earlier on Newsmax, Higbie noted that he still admires both Trump and Musk before underscoring the 'really crappy scenario' they find themselves in and turning his attention to the billionaire's Epstein post — which led with the words, 'Time to drop the really big bomb.' The right-wing host argued that Musk's claim can't be 'immediately verified' and, considering the legal battles Trump has faced in recent years, the Biden administration would've 'thrown' an Epstein-related case at him. He went on to downplay Trump's ties to Epstein, claiming that the financier was at Trump's club 'once' (he wasspotted there on more than one occasion) and he was eventually kicked out due to 'bad behavior' (for reportedly hitting on the teenage daughter of a member at Mar-a-Lago). 'But the best thing for Trump to do now is to release the list, something, also, our FBI and [Attorney General] Pam Bondi have promised us!' Higbie said. Some social media users praised Higbie over his 'fair' question while others noted that Musk didn't worry about his son with Trump as Epstein's charges were tied to allegations he paid girls, some as young as 14, for sex. Elon Musk Says Donald Trump Is In The Jeffrey Epstein Files Trump And Musk's Messy Public Breakup Only Goes So Far Donald Trump Says He's 'Very Disappointed' In Elon Musk As Rift Grows
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- New York Post
Tesla shares could rally 40% on 'golden age' of robotaxis, says Wedbush analyst Dan Ives
Tesla's rollout of its robotaxi will usher in a 'golden age of autonomous' and could send the EV maker's beaten-down soaring by 40%, WedBush analyst Dan Ives predicted Friday. 'We believe the golden age of autonomous is now on the doorstep for Tesla with the Austin launch next month kicking off this key next chapter of growth for Musk & Co. and we are raising our price target from $350 to $500 reflecting this massive stage of valuation creation ahead,' Ives wrote in a note. He estimated that autonomous driving is a $1 trillion opportunity for Tesla and could push the EV maker's market cap to $2 trillion by the end of 2026. 3 Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump speak ahead of a state dinner hosted by Qatar in May. REUTERS Uber and Waymo will also benefit largely from autonomous driving opportunities, Ives added. Backlash over Musk's role as DOGE cost-cutter have weighed on Tesla stock, with shares down about 10% far this year. The President Trump-backing mogul announced he is stepping back from his White House involvement this week and committed to leading the company for five more years. Musk earlier this week confirmed that Tesla plans to have autonomous robotaxis driving on the streets of Austin, Texas, by the end of June, with future plans for rollouts in Los Angeles and San Francisco. If the launch goes smoothly, Tesla will rapidly expand the number of robotaxis in service in Austin, the world's richest person said. It's a long time coming, as Musk has been telling Tesla investors that self-driving taxis are just a year away since 2016. While Tesla currently sells vehicles with self-driving capabilities, they require human supervision. The robotaxi would mark the automaker's first fully autonomous car. Ives said his optimism on Tesla is also linked to Musk's reduced role in the White House. 3 Musk and Trump stand near a Tesla vehicle on display in the White House driveway in March. REUTERS Most recently, the billionaire tech founder said he will drop in on the White House 'for a couple days every few weeks,' a major pullback from his current proximity to the president. His role in the government agency 'created brand damage and a black cloud' over Tesla, Ives said. Protests have broken out at Tesla dealerships across the nation as demonstrators decry his intense government cuts, like slashing federal jobs and spending at the Department of Education, US Agency for International Development and National Institutes of Health. There have been arson attacks at Tesla showrooms, with Molotov cocktails tossed at cars. Investors have also grown frustrated with Musk's involvement in DOGE, viewing it as a time-suck away from his attention on Tesla. Musk also owns several other companies, including The Boring Company, SpaceX and social media platform X. 3 Demonstrators protest Musk's proximity to the White House during a 'Tesla Takedown' event in March. AFP via Getty Images While the robotaxi launch is promising, Tesla still faces several challenges, including a slump in overseas sales. Chinese rival BYD sold more electric vehicles in Europe than Tesla for the first time ever last month. Tesla reported yet another monthly drop in Europe sales, with volumes plunging 49% in April from the year before, according to a report from JATO Dynamics.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
White House Tells MAGA Justice Department Staff to STFU Online
It appears the Justice Department is taking steps to hush up a recently hired cadre of MAGA supporters who have spent a good deal of their time in new roles dissing Democrats online. Officials with the department set new limits on what officials can post on their social media accounts Monday. The directive was sent via email and prohibited DOJ staff from posting as usual on their government accounts, just as a slew of new appointees began publicly slamming critics of the president. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was the driving force behind the new policy, and Reuters reported that he was fed up with Trump-backing political appointees dissing their rivals on social media. Employees now cannot use any social platforms 'in a way that damages the efficiency of the department,' tightening the restrictions that protect the department's privacy and impartiality. Before the new order, the DOJ prohibited employees from discussing non-public investigations or making politically charged statements that could put the department's impartiality in question. Monday's order has a much broader reach. Some civil rights advocates have expressed concern for the social media crackdown, suggesting that it could suffocate free speech. The clampdown comes as new Trump appointees spend inordinate amounts of time roasting their Democratic adversaries. The policy forbids employees from 'injecting their political views into the work they perform' or making comments 'in reckless disregard for the truth' about judges or any other person the DOJ engages with. DOJ staff are also banned from posting anything that might sway a proceeding or 'heighten the condemnation of an accused.' There are several new DOJ employees that have not been shy about their MAGA loyalty. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a false claim on X on March 29, telling her followers that law enforcement arrested a 'top MS-13 national leader' when in reality investigators had only found some signs of MS-13 association. The department has since moved to drop the charges and deport the 24-year-old suspect. She frequently calls out 'activist' judges, targeting the federal jurists who oppose Trump's policies. Leo Terrell, a senior counsel in the Civil Rights Division and leader of the DOJ's antisemitism task force, reposted remarks from a white nationalist that said Trump could 'revoke someone's Jew card.' Terrell posts almost daily on X about his support of Trump, including a repeated post that reads: 'President Trump: 77 million voters and I continue to support you! #GodBlessAmerica #GodBlessPresidentTrump." He posted the same message again early Wednesday. He also regularly reposts Democrat-slamming videos from far-right commentator Charlie Kirk. On Monday Terrell wrote: 'Democrats are jealous of President Trump! Moreover, they are extremely jealous of Trump's popularity with the American people!' Aaron Reitz, the DOJ's head of the Office of Legal Policy, on April 8 accused 'Dem-appointed judges' of siding with gangs to interfere with Trump's 'authority to conduct foreign policy.' Reitz also regularly posts White House 'memes' that depict border patrol officers deporting individuals. 'Illegal alien and MS-13 monster from El Salvador burrows into American soil. He rightfully gets deported. Delusional Dems clutch pearls, saying *ackchyually* he's Dad of the Year, and media gins up sympathy campaign,' he wrote on April 6, adding: 'Americans are happy to see AG Bondi clean out deep-state lawyers and bring discipline to the ranks of DOJ.' Civil rights advocates like former DOJ lawyer Stacey Young are worried about the new orders. She told Reuters: 'The new policy represents another unwarranted attack on DOJ employees - one that stifles their free speech in their private lives and creates new ways for the administration to oust career public servants who don't toe the party line.' The Daily Beast has reached out to the Trump administration for comment.
The Guardian
08-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the US immigration crackdown: what began with foreign nationals won't end there
While running for president, Donald Trump promised voters 'the largest deportation operation in American history'. Now he wants to deliver. Thousands of undocumented migrants have been rounded up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials since he returned to the White House. On Monday, the US supreme court lifted a judge's ban on deporting alleged gang members to Venezuela under an 18th-century law, though it said deportees had a right to judicial review. Even the Trump-backing podcaster Joe Rogan has described as 'horrific' the removal of an asylum seeker – identified as a criminal because he had tattoos – under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. What's truly new is that the administration is also targeting those who arrived and remained in the US with official approval, such as the Palestinian activist and student Mahmoud Khalil. Normally, green card holders would be stripped of their status if convicted of a crime; he has not even been accused of one. But Mr Trump had pledged to deport international students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests that his administration has deemed antisemitic, and Mr Khalil was a leading figure in the movement at Columbia University. The president crowed that his arrest last month was 'the first of many'. Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish student at Tufts, was detained by masked agents in the street, reportedly for an opinion piece she co-wrote with other students. Unrelated to the protests, dozens if not hundreds more students have had visas revoked, often for minor or non-criminal offences. This crackdown is exploiting legislation in ways that were never intended. The Alien Enemies Act was previously invoked only in wartime – but Mr Trump casts mass migration as an 'invasion'. Mr Khalil and others are targeted under a rarely used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows deportations when the secretary of state determines that a foreign national's presence 'would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States'. And while this campaign is indiscriminate in many regards, Mr Trump's offer of asylum to white Afrikaners facing 'unjust racial discrimination' in South Africa speaks volumes about who is and is not wanted in his America. The current fear among migrants, with all its social costs, is not a byproduct of this drive, but the desired result. The Trump administration is trying to push undocumented individuals into 'self-deporting', which is cheaper and easier than using agents to hunt people down. It reportedly plans to levy fines of up to $998 a day if those under deportation orders do not leave – applying the penalties retroactively for up to five years. Fairness, never mind mercy, is not relevant. The administration admits an 'administrative error' led to the expulsion to El Salvador of Kilmar Abrego Garcia – who is married to a US citizen and was working legally in the US – but fights against righting that wrong. This crackdown should frighten US nationals too, both for what it says about their nation's character and for what it may mean for their own rights. The Trump administration wants to remove birthright citizenship and is ramping up denaturalisation efforts. 'I love it,' said Mr Trump, when asked about El Salvador's offer to jail US citizens in its infamous mega-prisons – though at least he conceded that he might have to check the law first. The chilling effect of Mr Khalil's arrest on dissent is already being felt by US nationals too: the first amendment's protection of free speech is not exclusive to citizens. 'The friendless alien has indeed been selected as the safest subject of a first experiment; but the citizen will soon follow,' Thomas Jefferson wrote when the alien and sedition laws were passed. That warning now looks more prescient than ever.
