02b U.S. Politics – Progressive

New Yorkers have been betrayed': can Zohran Mamdani become the ...

Mayor to Mayor: A Conversation Between Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani– www.thenation.com

pgnewser September 18, 2025 0

New Yorkers have been betrayed': can Zohran Mamdani become the ...

Mayor to Mayor: A Conversation Between Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani– www.thenation.com
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US Senator Bernie Sanders started his career in electoral office in 1981, as the democratic socialist mayor of Burlington, Vermont. His surprise election victory attracted national attention and considerable skepticism among political insiders during what was the first year of Republican Ronald Reagan’s presidency. But Sanders proved to be a highly successful municipal leader, winning three reelection bids before his eventual election to the US House.

Now, 44 years after Sanders won his first mayoral term, Zohran Mamdani seeks to become the democratic socialist mayor of New York City. As the Democratic nominee in an overwhelmingly Democratic town, Mamdani leads in the polls and was just endorsed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Sanders endorsed Mamdani before New York City’s June Democratic primary and has been an enthusiastic supporter ever since. When the senator from Vermont came to New York in early September to campaign with Mamdani, they had a few spare minutes to talk. A conversation about municipal politics and governance ensued, as the 33-year-old mayoral candidate quizzed the 84-year-old former mayor about campaigning in very different cities in very different times—and about the challenges, and the possibilities, that go with leading an American city in an era when the White House is anything but friendly. Mamdani and Sanders shared their conversation with The Nation, and we present it here.

Democrats unveil funding alternative to counter GOP in shutdown brawl– www.politico.com

pgnewser September 18, 2025 0

Democrats unveil funding alternative to counter GOP in shutdown brawl– www.politico.com
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Congressional Democrats released bill text Wednesday night for their own stopgap spending proposal as they dig in against a House Republican-backed measure that would fund the government until late November.

The new Democratic proposal links funding the government through Oct. 31 to two of the party’s other priorities: health care assistance and placing limits on President Donald Trump’s ability to unilaterally roll back funds previously approved by Congress.

The Democratic stopgap bill has virtually no chance of passing the Senate — much less getting to Trump’s desk before the end-of-the-month deadline to avert a shutdown. But it allows Democrats to rally behind a plan that will win a broad swath of support among their members in the House and Senate.

“We invite Republican leadership to finally join Democratic leadership at the negotiating table, which they have refused for weeks to do, to prevent a shutdown and begin bipartisan negotiations to keep the government funded,” Congress’ top Democratic appropriators, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Washington Sen. Patty Murray, said in a joint statement.

The Democrats’ bill would extend boosted Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies that will otherwise expire on Dec. 31. It also would reverse cuts to Medicaid and other health programs that Republicans enacted as part of their party-line megabill this summer.

ABC Disgracefully Caves To Trump And Suspends Jimmy Kimmel– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser September 18, 2025 0

ABC Disgracefully Caves To Trump And Suspends Jimmy Kimmel– www.politicususa.com
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First, Stephen Colbert, and now Jimmy Kimmel. There is a clear pattern at work here.

ABC has announced that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has been suspended, and his show has been taken off the air indefinitely, all because Kimmel made a remark during his program on Monday.

Kimmel said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

FCC Chair Brendon Carr went on a right-wing podcast and threatened ABC by saying:

This appears to be an action by Jimmy Kimmel to play into the narrative that this was somehow a MAGA or Republican-motivated person. What people don’t understand is that the broadcasters … have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest. When we see stuff like this, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.

ABC affiliates announced that they would be replacing Kimmel’s show after the Carr threat, and the network responded by announcing that Kimmel was indefinitely suspended.”

Trump UK Visit: Anti-Trump Protesters Flood London Streets– crooksandliars.com

pgnewser September 18, 2025 0

Trump UK Visit: Anti-Trump Protesters Flood London Streets– crooksandliars.com
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Thousands of protesters flooded the London streets today protesting Donald Trump’s visit to the UK.

The protests followed after the Brits welcomed Trump with Epstein photos projected onto Windsor Castle.

CBC reported:

“Protesters filled London streets, calling Trump a fascist and a racist.”

UK Anti-Trump Protests

The new photos and video of the British protesting Trump are something else, considering the UK is America’s strongest ally.

COVID-19 is still a threat, but getting a vaccine is harder for many people– www.sciencenews.org

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

COVID-19 is still a threat, but getting a vaccine is harder for many people– www.sciencenews.org

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Traveling across state lines in search of an available shot. Scrambling to get a doctor’s prescription. Showing up for a pharmacy vaccination appointment only to be denied. Those are some of the stories people have been describing to journalists and on social media as they share whether or not they could get the latest COVID-19 vaccine, updated to better match coronavirus strains in circulation.

This reality contradicts Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s testimony in a Sept. 4 congressional hearing that everybody can get the vaccine. In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration placed restrictions on who is eligible for the COVID-19 shot. Previously, the Moderna and Pfizer formulations were available for anyone 6 months and older, with Novavax OK’d for those 12 and up. Now, the FDA has stated, those 6 months to 64 years old can receive the vaccine only if they have a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 disease.

House passes two bills overhauling DC sentencing policies– thehill.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

House passes two bills overhauling DC sentencing policies– thehill.com
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The House passed two bills on Tuesday to assert congressional control over the District of Columbia’s sentencing policies, the first portion of a slate of legislation coming to a vote this week aimed at overhauling Washington, D.C.’s criminal justice system.

The first bill is the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or DC CRIMES Act, which would prohibit the District’s local officials from changing sentencing laws and restrict the ability of local judges to be more lenient with younger criminals.

And the second bill, H.R. 5140, lowers the age for which youth offenders can be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses, changing the threshold to 14 years of age.

The DC CRIMES Act passed 240-179, while H.R. 5140 passed 225-203.

Republicans are set to vote on several other bills relating to D.C. crime later this week as they carry on Trump’s crusade against crime in the nation’s capital after his 30-day takeover of the city’s police force expired.

The DC CRIMES Act amends the D.C. Home Rule Act to prohibit the council from enacting any changes to sentencing laws, as well as changing a provision that allows for lighter sentences for some convicts younger than 25 — lowering the threshold to 18.

Schumer And Jeffries Flat Out Reject Mike Johnson’s Partisan CR– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Schumer And Jeffries Flat Out Reject Mike Johnson’s Partisan CR– www.politicususa.com
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House Republicans offered up a seven-week CR that would keep the government open until November 21 and contains some funding for additional security for lawmakers, but did nothing to restore Obamacare subsidies or replace planned Medicaid cuts.

Johnson is planning a vote in the House on Friday on his CR.

The lack of anything in the CR to address healthcare meant that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer outright rejected it.

Schumer and Jeffries said in a joint statement:

The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis. At a time when families are already being squeezed by higher costs, Republicans refuse to stop Americans from facing double-digit hikes in their health insurance premiums.

By refusing to work with Democrats, Republicans are steering our country straight toward a shutdown. President Trump called the play last week when he told Congressional Republicans to jam a partisan spending bill down the throats of the American people without Democratic support.

Instead of governing, Republicans are once again taking orders from Donald Trump, hurting the American people and recklessly marching our nation to the brink of a shutdown.

Sen. John Fetterman Calls Out Democrat Party Over Violent Rhetoric– wltreport.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Sen. John Fetterman Calls Out Democrat Party Over Violent Rhetoric– wltreport.com
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Democrat Sen. John Fetterman is calling out his own party for spewing out hateful propaganda that incites violence.

During an appearance with Fox News‘s Bret Baier and Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, Fetterman took aim at the radical left’s dangerous rhetoric.

“Do not ever, ever, ever compare anyone to Hitler,” Fetterman warned.

He went on, “If you do, then you will incite somebody to say, well, now I feel like I have to stop, to stop that and take them out.”

Watch:

Transcript from RealClearPolitics:

BRET BAIER: Well tonight, in our Common Ground segment, a conversation on bringing the nation together, or trying to, to restore civility in politics. Joining me, Pennsylvania Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman. Pennsylvania, by the way, is one of only three states with a Democrat and Republican split in the U.S. Senate. Senators, thanks for being here. You all called me. Usually we reach out. You wanted to do this together. Why?

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Well, I mean, we thought it was just a great idea. I think it’s an important idea right now. I mean, the trauma after the Charlie Kirk assassination, and now, as things continue now, it’s like, I feel like it’s important that people can witness, you know, a Democrat and a Republican having a conversation after this. It’s absolutely horrific, and it’s entirely necessary to allow people to grieve for that. I mean, everyone’s seen the video.

SEN. DAVE MCCORMICK (R-PA): Yeah, it’s just the, the heartbreak, you feel for Charlie Kirk’s family, Eric and their children, and all the students across the country, the people across the country that were huge followers. And I think the Senator and I agreed that, and we, we do agree that there, there’s just no place in this country, for political violence. It, it’s absolutely something, it runs counter to the very idea of free, free speech and freedom, and that when you see, dangerous rhetoric, like fascist and Nazism and authoritarianism, that’s a, and, and the end of democracy, that’s a, that’s a permission. That takes us down a path where the inevitable next step is, is violence, and, and that’s what we see.

BRET BAIER: And Senator Fetterman, you’ve talked about that recently, calling somebody Hitler, calling somebody Nazis.

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Exactly, this idea, it’s like, do not ever, ever, ever compare anyone to Hitler. If not, go online and you can read up on exactly what he’s responsible for, you know, 75 to 80 million lives lost in World War II, and you don’t compare him to anyone. And if you do, then you will incite somebody to say, well, now I feel like I have to stop, to stop that and take them out.

Fox News Hosts: Universities Turn Students Against Christians– crooksandliars.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Fox News Hosts: Universities Turn Students Against Christians– crooksandliars.com
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Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy spread false information about Charlie Kirk’s shooter and then blamed college education for making students hate Christians and conservatives.

Rachel Campos-Duffy is one of the most prolific spreader of lies and hyperbolic conspiracies on Fox News. Her husband has been taking a page out of her book as Demented Donald’s Transportation Secretary.

I want to point something else out. You heard the family members say that this man became more political, this young man became more political in recent years.

What did he do in recent years?

He went to college. That’s where kids are getting radicalized, it’s not just online. Our campuses are where a lot of radicalization, hate and intolerance starts from.

And so when he says it’s an attack on all of us, I’m going to say this, no, it’s an attack on conservatives.

It’s an attack on Christians.

Man in custody after allegedly damaging Charlie Kirk memorial at Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix– boingboing.net

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Man in custody after allegedly damaging Charlie Kirk memorial at Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix– boingboing.net
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I recently ventured to the Charlie Kirk memorial at the Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix Arizona. I was there on Sunday afternoon, so I missed the arrest that happened earlier in the day. While I was there I did see some presence of officers and cars from the Phoenix Police Department, but hadn’t yet heard about the events that happened earlier Sunday morning. — Read the rest

Both the Left and the Right are Targeted by Political Violence. Who Perpetrates It? – Mother Jones– www.motherjones.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Both the Left and the Right are Targeted by Political Violence. Who Perpetrates It? – Mother Jones– www.motherjones.com
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Excerpt:

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s gruesome killing last week was both a striking visual of our nation’s intensifying polarization and, by some counts, a catalyst for it to intensify more. Even before a suspect had been identified, there was a knee-jerk reaction among some Republicans to blame the Democratic Party for his death. Some even called for retribution.

Importantly, we do not yet—and may never—know the motive, or constellation of motivations, that drove Kirk’s alleged shooter, who has been identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. But we do know that targets of political violence exist across the political spectrum.

Consider some of the recent events of political violence:

  • Just three months ago, Democratic Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were assassinated in their home. Another member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and his wife were also repeatedly shot and wounded; the suspect apprehended for these crimes had a list of dozens of potential targets, including other Democrats and abortion rights advocates.
  • In August, a law enforcement officer died amid a shooting that was directed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the shooter had blamed his depression on the Covid vaccine.
  • In May, two staffers of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, were fatally shot; the suspect in that case previously expressed strong opposition to Israel’s aggression in Palestine.
  • In April, the residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was set on fire in what prosecutors are calling an attempted murder. The fire took place a few hours after Shapiro, a Jewish Democrat, celebrated Passover.
What If Kathy Hochul Is Violating New York's Climate Law ...

New York Gov Kathy Hochul Endorses Radical Socialist Zohran Mamdani for NYC Mayor– slaynews.com

pgnewser September 16, 2025 0

What If Kathy Hochul Is Violating New York's Climate Law ...

New York Gov Kathy Hochul Endorses Radical Socialist Zohran Mamdani for NYC Mayor– slaynews.com
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has endorsed far-left Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race.

After three months of silence, Hochul is now throwing her weight behind a radical candidate who has openly attacked police, pushed communist communal homes schemes, and made controversial remarks about Israel.

In a Sunday evening post on social media, Hochul declared:

“New York City deserves a mayor who will stand up to Donald Trump and make life more affordable for New Yorkers. That’s @ZohranKMamdani.”

The move is a major boost for Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist from Queens.

Mamdani shocked the political establishment in June by defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other rivals to capture the Democrat nomination.

He now holds a commanding double-digit lead in the polls ahead of November.

 

Bill Ackman took a Wall Street tactic to an Ivy League fight in ...

Billionaire Bill Ackman convened stormy Israel ‘intervention’ with Charlie Kirk, sources say– thegrayzone.com

pgnewser September 16, 2025 0

Bill Ackman took a Wall Street tactic to an Ivy League fight in ...

Billionaire Bill Ackman convened stormy Israel ‘intervention’ with Charlie Kirk, sources say– thegrayzone.com
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A month before Charlie Kirk’s killing, billionaire pro-Israel moneyman Bill Ackman arranged an intervention in the Hamptons during which sources say he and others “hammered” Kirk for the conservative leader’s growing criticism of Israeli influence in Washington. Kirk came away fretting about Israeli “blackmail,” sources say, as he contemplated a Catholic conversion.

On September 11, one day after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, billionaire pro-Israel moneyman Bill Ackman took to Twitter/X to trumpet his relationship with the late conservative operative. “I feel incredibly privileged to have spent a day and shared a meal with @charliekirk11 this summer. He was a giant of a man.”

The Grayzone has spoken to five people with intimate knowledge of Kirk’s meeting with Ackman, which was held in early August. According to one source, Kirk was left upset after the gathering turned into an “intervention” where he was “hammered” for his increasingly skeptical views on the US special relationship with Israel, and for platforming prominent conservative critics of Israel at his TPUSA events.