Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler to retire from Congress

Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler to retire from Congress

Longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, a liberal lion and the longest-serving member of Congress from New York, will not seek re-election. Nadler represents a significant swath of the borough of Manhattan and had served as the chair and ranking member of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, which put him at the center of three presidential impeachments. In revealing his plans toThe New York Times, Nadler admitted that his party and the country were in the midst of a generational change, and it was time for him to accept that reality. He discussed what happened to former President Joe Biden, who gave in to calls from his party to step aside in the last election after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his mental acuity. "Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that," Nadler told the Times. Despite his seniority, Nadler was bound to face a robust primary challenge from a potentially wide field of younger and more progressive challengers. Nadler's sway in Washington was already waning. He was removed from his perch as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee at the start of this Congress, a sign that the party was pushing for younger leadership. The Nadler seat is one of the bluest in the country, so it will likely remain in Democratic hands in the 2026 midterm elections. NBC has reached out to the Nadler campaign for comment.

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September 01, 2025

Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler to retire from Congress

Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler to retire from Congress Longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, a liberal lion and the longest-serving member of...

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President Donald Trump's policies spark protests in multiple US cities on Labor Day

President Donald Trump's policies spark protests in multiple US cities on Labor Day

CHICAGO (AP) — Protesters took to the streets in multiple U.S. cities on Labor Day to criticizePresident Donald Trumpand demand aliving wage for workers. Demonstrations in Chicago and New York were organized by One Fair Wage to draw attention to the struggles laborers face in the U.S., where the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Chants of "Trump must go now!" echoed outside the president's former home in New York, while protesters gathered outside a different Trump Tower in Chicago, yelling"No National Guard"and "Lock him up!" Large crowds also gathered in Washington D.C. and San Francisco. In New York, people gathered outside Trump Tower, which has become a magnet for protests and remains a prominent symbol of the president's wealth, even though the president hasn't lived in the Manhattan skyscraper for years. Demonstrators waved signs and banners calling for an end to what they said is a fascist regime. In Washington, a large crowd gathered with signs saying"Stop the ICE invasion"and an umbrella painted with "Free D.C. No masked thugs." Hundreds more gathered at protests along the West Coast to fight for the rights ofimmigrantsand workers. Multiple groups joined together at the protests in Chicago to listen to speeches and lend their voices to the chants. "We're here because we're under attack. We're here because our core values and our democracy is under attack. We are here because they are threatening to send the military into our streets," Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, told the crowd in Chicago as he urged them to stand up for workers. At one point, a woman got out of a vehicle with Iowa plates in Chicago to shout "Long liveDonald Trump" over and over again, resulting in a brief confrontation as the protesters responded with shouts of their own until the woman left a few minutes later. In the crowd, Ziri Marquez said she came out because she's concerned about overlapping issues in the U.S. and around the world, decrying anti-migrant attitudes in the U.S. and the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza. "I think especially, you know, when we're dealing with low wages and we're dealing with a stagnant economy, immigrants are largely used as a scapegoat," said Marquez, 25. Along the West Coast from San Diego up to Seattle, hundreds gathered at rallies to call for a stop to the "billionaire takeover." Groups supporting federal workers and unions marched in Los Angeles; San Francisco; and Portland, Oregon, in support of workers rights. Rally organizer May Day Strong said on its website that "billionaires are stealing from working families, destroying our democracy and building private armies to attack our towns and cities." They called on people to take collective action to stop the takeover. Portland protester Lynda Oakley of Beaverton toldOregolive.comthat her frustrations with health care, immigration and Social Security inspired her to join the march. "I am done with what's happening in our country," she said. King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who took part in a demonstration at Seattle's Cascade Playground, toldKOMO Newsthat they wanted to send a message of workers above billionaires. "Workers should be more powerful than the small billionaire class," she said. ___ Associated Press Writers Michael Sisak contributed to this report from New York and Martha Bellisle contributed from Seattle

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September 01, 2025

President Donald Trump's policies spark protests in multiple US cities on Labor Day

President Donald Trump's policies spark protests in multiple US cities on Labor Day CHICAGO (AP) — Protesters took to the streets in mul...

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Britain suspends refugees' family reunion applications to toughen rules

Britain suspends refugees' family reunion applications to toughen rules

By Muvija M LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Monday it would suspend applications from registered refugees to bring family members into the country in order to give the government time to toughen the rules, its latest attempt to cut the number of arrivals. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government is under mounting pressure to reduce the number of asylum seekers reaching Britain from France in small boats, after hotels housing migrants became a focal point for weeks of sometimes violent demonstrations. Interior minister Yvette Cooper told parliament that more and more refugees had applied to bring in family members, placing pressure on housing across the country. Many were applying to bring over families within about a month whereas, as recently as 2019, they were waiting one or two years or more. Cooper said she would suspend the system while the government looked to toughen the rules. "The system has to be controlled and managed based on fair and properly enforced rules, not chaos and exploitation driven by criminal smuggler gangs," she said. Accused of moving too slowly, the government says it is tackling a problem left by previous Conservative-led administrations by trying to speed up the processing of asylum claims and brokering return deals with other nations. But the public discontent has handed Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party a consistent lead in opinion polls, prompting the government to go further. Under the current system, an asylum seeker granted indefinite leave to remain can bring their partner if they can prove they have been in a relationship for at least two years, and children under the age of 18. Just over 29,000 people have come to Britain unofficially on small boats so far this year, up 38% on the comparable period in 2024. (Reporting by Muvija M; editing by Elizabeth Piper and Kevin Liffey)

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September 01, 2025

Britain suspends refugees' family reunion applications to toughen rules

Britain suspends refugees' family reunion applications to toughen rules By Muvija M LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Monday it would s...

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Lawmakers push for answers days after Border Patrol detains crew workers helping firefighters in Washington blaze

Lawmakers push for answers days after Border Patrol detains crew workers helping firefighters in Washington blaze

Just days aftertwo crew workers helping battleWashington's largest wildfire were arrested by Border Patrol, Washington Rep. Emily Randall — who represents the district where the men are being held — was denied entry to the facility, calling the situation "disgusting" in an interview with CNN affiliateKOMO. "This would have been my fourth visit yesterday to the ICE facility in Tacoma, there in my district," Randall told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield on Sunday. "I had done two previous announced visits and one previous unannounced visit, which is the statutory authority of Congress, the oversight body of ICE and Homeland Security." The statutepreventsthe Department of Homeland Security from using its funding to stop certain people, like members of Congress, from entering facilities where immigrants are held, if they are there to do oversight, but Randall was denied entry on Saturday. In a statement to CNN on Sunday, a DHS official said, "Rep. Randall did not follow proper protocol to schedule her visit of an ICE detention facility. This was nothing more than a political stunt to get media, clicks, and 15 minutes of fame. As ICE law enforcement have seen a surge in assaults, disruptions, and obstructions to enforcement — including by Member of Congress themselves — any requests to tour processing centers and field offices must be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security." One of the two men arrested, his attorneysaid, had been waiting for a response to a U-visa application for seven years, which protects victims of serious crimes who assist federal investigators. "Firstly, it's illegal to detain people who have applied for victim-based immigration benefits, as one of the individuals who was detained did," Washington state Rep. Shaun Scott told CNN. "Secondly, it's also illegal, according to the federal government's own policies, to conduct immigration enforcement at locations where emergency responses are happening," he added. Stephen Manning, a lawyer with Innovation Law Lab, a Portland-based nonprofit representing one of the detainees, said US Customs and Border Protection had concealed the whereabouts of his client –– blocking his access to his family and lawyers. Lawyers were able to locate the man when border officials later published a news release on the arrests. "The two individuals were arrested and transported to the Bellingham Station on charges of illegal entry and 8 US Code § 1326 - Reentry of removed aliens," aThursdayrelease read. The Department of Homeland Security told CNN on Friday the "firefighting response remained uninterrupted the entire time" and that the two arrested crew workers had been cutting logs into firewood. CNN has reached out to both companies whowerereportedly contracted to assist in the firefighting services. In a statement to CNN on Saturday, Table Rock Forestry's CEO Martin Lopez said, "None of our employees were detained." "It is important to clarify that demobilization from a fire assignment is not the same as contract termination. Our contracts remain active," Lopez said. "Table Rock Forestry is proud of the professionalism and integrity of our crews, and we remain committed to supporting wildfire suppression efforts and serving the communities that depend on us." DHS hadsaidin a Thursday release that contracts with Table Rock Forestry "were terminated following the conclusion of a criminal investigation" by the Bureau of Land Management. Randall said many questions remain about the raid. She also cited the sameDepartment of Homeland Security policyas Scott, which restricts immigration enforcement within disaster response zones. "Make no mistake about it, the federal government right now is pursuing a policy of disobedience with respect to its own stated immigration policies," Scott told CNN. Randall said the visits she does are essential to carry out constitutional oversight, especially as the centers become increasingly crowded due to the administration's nationwide raids. "In previous visits, we've seen a stark increase in the individuals being detained inside. We've seen struggles with staffing up to keep up with the demand and the health services at the facility, and so it's my plan to continue going back and visiting," Randall told CNN's Whitfield on Sunday. CNN's Michelle Watson contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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September 01, 2025

Lawmakers push for answers days after Border Patrol detains crew workers helping firefighters in Washington blaze

Lawmakers push for answers days after Border Patrol detains crew workers helping firefighters in Washington blaze Just days aftertwo crew wo...

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Alabama town’s first Black mayor, who had been locked out of office, wins election

Alabama town's first Black mayor, who had been locked out of office, wins election

The first Black mayor of a tiny Alabama town has overwhelmingly won an election, four years after White residents locked him out of the town hall and refused to let him serve. Incumbent Mayor Patrick Braxton was elected as the mayor of Newbern last week, winning 66 votes to his opponent's 26, according to results posted by the town. His victory puts a punctuation mark in the dispute over control of the town government thatdrew national attention. "The people came out and spoke and voted. Now, there ain't no doubt what they want for this town," Braxton said in a telephone interview Wednesday night. The election Tuesday was the town's first since at least the 1960s, held under a federal settlement. Black residents had sued, challenging what they called the town's "hand-me-down governance" and refusal to let Braxton serve after he ran unopposed for mayor in 2020. Newbern's residents number just 133 people. A library,the town hall, a mercantile and a flashing caution light anchor the downtown, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Selma. What the town had been without is elections. Newbern's mayor-council government had not been put to a vote for six decades. Instead, town officials held "hand-me-down" positions, with each mayor appointing a successor who appointed the council members, according to the lawsuit filed by Braxton and others. The result was an overwhelmingly White government in a town where Black residents outnumber White residents 2-1. Braxton, a volunteer firefighter, qualified in 2020 to run for the nonpartisan position of mayor, and since he was the only candidate, he became the mayor-elect without an election. He then appointed a new town council, as other mayors have done. But the locks were changed at the town hall, and Braxton was denied access to the town's financial accounts. His lawsuit also alleged that outgoing council members held a secret meeting to set up a special election and "fraudulently reappointed themselves as the town council." "I didn't get a chance to serve but one year out of the five years," said Braxton, who finally occupied the office last year after a three-year legal battle. Town officials had denied wrongdoing, arguing in court filings that Braxton's claim to be mayor was "invalid." The settlement agreement included a promise to hold a mayoral election in 2025. Braxton had one challenger this time — a White auctioneer and Realtor, Laird Cole. "Mayor Braxton's election represents a turning point for Newbern, restoring democratic governance, ensuring fair representation, and reaffirming that every resident has a voice in their local government," Madison Hollon, program manager of political campaigns for the SPLC Action Fund, said Thursday. The group endorsed Braxton in the race. The mayor said his lopsided victory should eliminate any "doubts people had hanging in their heads on if people want me." "It feels good the second time," Braxton said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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September 01, 2025

Alabama town’s first Black mayor, who had been locked out of office, wins election

Alabama town's first Black mayor, who had been locked out of office, wins election The first Black mayor of a tiny Alabama town has over...

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