Saturday, May 24, 2025

Eric Adams beefs up re-election fundraising as Cuomo, Mamdani boast top coffers heading into Dem mayoral primaryNew Foto - Eric Adams beefs up re-election fundraising as Cuomo, Mamdani boast top coffers heading into Dem mayoral primary

Mayor Eric Adams has seen a significant surge in campaign fundraising, butex-Gov. Andrew Cuomoandsocialist Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdanihead into the final stretch of the Democratic primary boasting the biggest war chests with millions in hand,records show. Adams, a Democrat skipping the mayoral primary and running as an independent in November, is showing signs of life after hiscampaign barely had a pulse earlier this yearwith just a skeleton crew as top allies abandoned Hizzoner to help Cuomo. Adams pocketed 192 donations totaling $155,134 during the most recent filing period of March 14 through May 19 – including 51 donors who gave $2,100, the maximum allowed in the race. While not the huge haul he's had in past election cycles, it still far exceeds the meager $18,967 Adams raised from Jan. 12 to March 13. "This latest filing makes it crystal clear – this campaign is alive, aggressive, and already laying the groundwork for victory," said Adams campaign spokesman Todd Shapiro. "We've collected thousands of petitions from every borough, raised a strong early war chest, and are fully engaged on the ground with voters at political, civic, and government events across this city." Adams has raised $4.5 million in total for his re-election bid and has $2.7 million in hand. However, he's fighting the city's Campaign Finance Board to allow him to tap into another $4 million through the public matching fund program — which provides candidates $8 for each buck donated by New Yorkers up to the first $250 contributed. The board has refused to release the funds over lingering suspicions that Adams is a campaign finance crook — despite hisfederal corruption case being tossed. Cuomo raised nearly $2.4 million through 3,224 donations since March 14 – the most of any candidate in the race over the period – leaving him with nearly $3.5 million in hand heading into the June 24 primary. The latest donors funding his political comeback include allies of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, including daughter Emma Bloomberg who gave $2,100,The Post previously reported. Cuomo has raised $3.9 million in private money and another $1.5 million in public matching funds since announcing his campaign March 1. However, his camp projects overall fundraising will swell to roughly $8.28 with additional public matching funds he expects to qualify for later this month. If so, he'd join Mamdani and City Comptroller Brad Lander as the only candidates in the race to reach the city's $7.9 million spending cap for the mayoral primary – and in record time. "We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support," said Cuomo's campaign chairman Bill Mulrow. Mamdani pulled in $192,935 since March 14, and his overall haul is nearly $8.4 million with public matching funds. He currently sits with the most cash in hand: $4.5 million. Other Democratic mayoral candidates include City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who raised $394,590 during the most recent election cycle and has $293,944 in hand. The speaker, who isn't related to Mayor Adams, expects to qualify for more than $2.3 million in public matching funds. Lander has $1.5 million in hand after his campaign spent $4.7 million the past few months – much of it on TV ads. Former Comptroller Scott Stringer raised $100,769 for his mayoral bid since March 14 while spending nearly $1 million on ads and other expenses. He has $2.8 million in hand. Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, the presumptive Republican mayoral nominee, is not facing a primary fight. He's raised $223,182 and has $160,969 in hand.

Eric Adams beefs up re-election fundraising as Cuomo, Mamdani boast top coffers heading into Dem mayoral primary

Eric Adams beefs up re-election fundraising as Cuomo, Mamdani boast top coffers heading into Dem mayoral primary Mayor Eric Adams has seen a...
Rubio warns court order blocking deportations to South Sudan causes 'irreparable harm' to foreign policyNew Foto - Rubio warns court order blocking deportations to South Sudan causes 'irreparable harm' to foreign policy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that a federalcourt orderrequiring the U.S. government to maintain custody of deportees on a flight meant for South Sudan will cause "significant and irreparable harm to U.S. foreign policy." The Trump administration late Friday filed two court documents after U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts saidthe deportationflight violated his previous April injunction that allows deportees time to challenge an order to be sent to a country other than their own. "This Department of Justice believes that this situation urgently requires judicial intervention to restore President Trump's full Article II authority to conduct foreign policy," a U.S. Department of Justice official told Fox News Digital. Rubio noted the order has already complicated U.S. diplomacy with Libya, South Sudan and Djibouti and presents a serious threat to the president's Article II authority to conduct foreign policy. Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration To Track Deported Immigrants To South Sudan Rubio said in his filing that the court's orders had "already interfered with quiet diplomatic efforts and exacerbated internal political and security divisions" in Libya. Read On The Fox News App The order also threatens to "derail efforts to quietly rebuild a productive working relationship with Juba," the capital of South Sudan, he said. Rubio said before the court's intervention that the South Sudan government had refused to accept a South Sudanese national but had since "taken steps to work more cooperatively with the U.S. government." Dhs Exposes Crimes By Migrants Deported To South Sudan As Judge Threatens To Order Their Return Thirdly, Rubio said the order "causes harm" in Djibouti, which is "strategically located in the Horn of Africa" with the only U.S. military base on the African continent. The deportees are being temporarily held at a U.S. Naval base in Djibouti. In the second filing, the administration asked the court to "reconsider" its order and "highly burdensome requirements." "Because of this Court's Orders, [the U.S. government is] currently detaining dangerous criminals in a sensitive location without clear knowledge of when, how, or where this Court will tolerate their release," the filing said. Judicial Halt Of Deportation Flights Puts Us Foreign Policy At Risk, Career State Dept Official Claims "This development has put impermissible, burdensome constraints on the President's ability to carry out his Article II powers, including his powers to command the military, manage relations with foreign nations, and execute our nation's immigration authorities." The deportees "enjoyed the benefit of full process under the laws of the United States and were lawfully removed from the country," the filing claimed, calling for a stay if not a reconsideration of the order. "These criminal aliens needed only state that they had a fear of removal to South Sudan to receive the other procedures required by the Court's April 18, 2025 injunction," the administration wrote. "The aliens did not do so. Therefore, DHS attempted to remove these aliens — who have committed the most reprehensible violations of our nation's laws — to a place where they no longer pose a threat to the United States." The flight left from Texas earlier this week with eight migrants from Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cuba, Mexico and South Sudan. Murphy issued the ruling Tuesday night after lawyers for the immigrants from Myanmar and Vietnam accused the Trump administration of illegally deporting their clients to third-party countries. They argue there is a court order blocking such removals. Murphy's ruling said the government must "maintain custody and control of class members currently being removed to South Sudan or to any other third country, to ensure the practical feasibility of return if the Court finds that such removals were unlawful." Rubio announcedin April that the U.S. would revoke visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and no others would be issued, attributing the change to "the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner," according to a statement posted on X at the time. The U.S. has third-party deportation agreements with a handful of countries, the most prominent being El Salvador, which has accepted hundreds of Venezuelan deportees from the Trump administration. Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report. Original article source:Rubio warns court order blocking deportations to South Sudan causes 'irreparable harm' to foreign policy

Rubio warns court order blocking deportations to South Sudan causes 'irreparable harm' to foreign policy

Rubio warns court order blocking deportations to South Sudan causes 'irreparable harm' to foreign policy Secretary of State Marco Ru...
Kim Jong Un's fury after watching North Korea's new navy destroyer crippled in botched launchNew Foto - Kim Jong Un's fury after watching North Korea's new navy destroyer crippled in botched launch

North Korea's newest warship was severely damaged during a recent launch ceremony, with leader Kim Jong Un, who witnessed the accident, saying it brought shame to the nation's prestige and vowing to punish those found responsible, state media reported. In a rare admission of failure, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said a malfunction in the launch mechanism caused the stern of the as-yet unnamed 5,000-ton destroyer to slide prematurely into the water on Wednesday, crushing parts of the hull and leaving the bow stranded on the shipway. Kim called the launch failure "a criminal act" and blamed it on "absolute carelessness" and "irresponsibility" by multiple state institutions - including the Munitions Industry Department, Kim Chaek University of Technology and the central ship design bureau. Law enforcement have detained three people "for legal investigation" over the incident, including the chief engineer of the shipyard, state media KCNA reported Sunday, citing the group in charge of investigating the botched launch. Satellite imagery showed the vessel lying on its side, the stern in the water, and the bow still on land. State media did not immediately release images of the accident. Naval analysts said the damage incurred by a vessel in such a launch malfunction could be "catastrophic." "If the ship does not move together, the stresses will tear the hull apart," Sal Mercogliano, a professor at Campbell University in North Carolina and a maritime expert, told CNN. Naval analyst Carl Schuster in Hawaii, after reviewing the KCNA account, said he thinks the stresses would "warp the hull, induce cracks and (possibly) snap the keel depending on where the greatest stress falls." The launch failure marks a setback for what analysts have viewed as North Korea's most ambitious naval modernization effort in decades. The ship was to be the second major navy surface vessel revealed in quick succession byNorth Korea. In April, Kim unveiled the Choe Hyon, the country's first newly constructed destroyer in decades, and declared his ambition of building more destroyers and various cruisers and frigates. The Choe Hyon, described as a "new generation" warship, was presented with significant fanfare with state media saying it would strengthen naval readiness amid what Pyongyang calls rising threats from the United States and South Korea. Western defense analysts noted that the Choe Hyon marked a departure from the aging Soviet-era vessels that dominated the Korean People's Navy. While details remain scarce, satellite imagery and footage suggested the Choe Hyon could share design elements with similar Russian navy ships. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesperson Lee Sung-joon said the vessel damaged on Wednesday was thought to be equipped like the Choe Hyon. Wednesday's incident could cast doubt on the country's ability to scale its navy. Kim said the damage would be addressed not only through technical repairs, but political accountability. He ordered the destroyer to be restored before the late June plenary session of the ruling Workers' Party, calling the matter one of national honor. KCNA reported Friday that the damage to the warship was less than North Korea's initial estimate, saying there were no holes in the hull, although it was scratched along the starboard side. It also said "a certain amount of seawater flowed into the stern section." Repairs could take about 10 days, the report said. However, considering the potential degree of damage, analysts said that it would be nearly impossible to meet Kim's late June deadline for repairs. The ship "will not be entering Korean Peoples' Navy (KPN) service anytime soon and may ultimately prove to be a complete loss," experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in theirBeyond Parallelblog alongside satellite photos of the floundering vessel. Retired South Korean Adm. Kim Duk-ki told CNN that North Korea appeared to lack the necessary infrastructure – a dry dock – to launch a 5,000-ton destroyer, let alone recover and repair it. A dry dock is a basin facility that can be filled with water to float a ship or drain out to build or repair one. "Dry dock is an expensive facility, and North Korea probably doesn't have one… It's easy to repair a ship in a dry dock after draining water, but they don't have the facility," the retired admiral said, adding that restoration could take over four to five months. South Korean lawmaker and defense analyst Yu Yong-weon said rushing the launch of the ship likely led to the problems encountered on Wednesday and warned hasty repairs could cause more problems down the line. Schuster said repairs, if possible, are more likely to take months, rather than weeks. An accident investigation group has been formed, and senior officials may face censure at the upcoming Party Central Committee meeting, an account from KCNA reported. North Korea's navy is often seen as the least developed branch of its military. The hastened pace of destroyer development has surprised some outside observers, raising questions about how much of the technology is functional versus symbolic. Mercogliano, the US professor, said it's unclear whether Pyongyang's new warships even have engines as state media has provided no images of them underway. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Kim Jong Un’s fury after watching North Korea’s new navy destroyer crippled in botched launch

Kim Jong Un's fury after watching North Korea's new navy destroyer crippled in botched launch North Korea's newest warship was s...
Venezuelan opposition figures trapped in Argentine embassy speak for first time since leaving itNew Foto - Venezuelan opposition figures trapped in Argentine embassy speak for first time since leaving it

CARACAS (AP) — Five Venezuelan opposition figures who had taken refuge in the Argentine embassy in Caracas for over a year appeared in public Saturday for the first time since leaving the diplomatic compound. Now in the United States, they described their flight from Venezuela as part of an "unprecedented" and ongoing rescue operation. The Venezuelan government denies it was a rescue, claiming instead that it was part of a negotiation. "Our rescue, our escape, was an unprecedented operation," said Magalli Meda during a press conference in Washington. Meda is a member of the opposition group Vente Venezuela, led by opposition leader María Corina Machado. Meda added that no details about the operation would be revealed, as it is "still in progress." Meda, along with Pedro Urruchurtu, Claudia Macero, Humberto Villalobos, Omar González and Fernando Martínez Mottola, took shelter in the Argentine diplomatic residence in Caracas after Venezuelan prosecutors ordered their arrest. They were accused of encouraging alleged violent acts aimed at destabilizing the government of President Nicolás Maduro which was cracking down on dissent following contested elections last year. Since late November, the group had reported being constantly watched by intelligence agents and police outside the diplomatic residence. They also accused the Maduro government of cutting off water and electricity to the compound — accusations the government has denied. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that "after a precise operation, all the hostages are now safe on U.S. soil." Meda called their exit a "miracle" after spending 412 days in the diplomatic compound. She described it as "a strategic operation involving many people and enormous risks." The Venezuelan government continues to reject the rescue narrative and Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello called the move "staged."

Venezuelan opposition figures trapped in Argentine embassy speak for first time since leaving it

Venezuelan opposition figures trapped in Argentine embassy speak for first time since leaving it CARACAS (AP) — Five Venezuelan opposition f...
Russia says it captures 3 more settlements in east UkraineNew Foto - Russia says it captures 3 more settlements in east Ukraine

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian troops advancing slowly on the eastern front of the war in Ukraine have captured two settlements in Donetsk region as well as one in Ukraine's northern region of Sumy, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday. Since their failed advance on the capital Kyiv in the first weeks of the war, Russian forces have focused on capturing the Donbas in the east, made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In recent months, Moscow has also tried to advance in Sumy region, particularly after Russia's military said it had ousted Ukrainian troops from the Russian border region of Kursk. A Russian Defence Ministry statement said its forces had captured the village of Stupochky in Donetsk region, east of Kostiantynivka, a town under recent Russian pressure. It also said it had taken control of Otradne, a village further west along the 1,000-km front and announced the capture of Loknya, a village inside the Russian border in Sumy region. The general staff of Ukraine's military acknowledged no such losses, referring to Otradne as one of several towns where Ukrainian troops had halted 18 frontline Russian attacks. It referred to Stupochky earlier this week as part of an area under Russian attack. For months, Ukraine has reported attempts by Russian forces to occupy areas of Sumy region, but has never acknowledged the capture of any of them. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts from either side. Ukraine's popular DeepState military blog, which uses open source reports, said Russian forces had for the first time "been able to take up positions" along a line of border villages. Russia's Defence Ministry on Friday announced the capture of Radkivka, a village outside the northeastern city of Kupiansk, which has been under pressure for months. On Saturday, Kupiansk Mayor Andrii Besedin said the attacks were taking a toll, including two city workers killed on Friday. "We are seeing awful losses among our people, our colleagues who give their lives so the city can go on living," Besedin told national television. "Sadly, as of now, the city is 90% destroyed." (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Ron Popeski and David Gregorio)

Russia says it captures 3 more settlements in east Ukraine

Russia says it captures 3 more settlements in east Ukraine MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian troops advancing slowly on the eastern front of the wa...

 

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