Author: Andrew Rogers

President Donald Trump is poised to gain political leverage regardless of who wins New York City’s mayoral race. If Zohran Mamdani wins, Trump gains a hard-left target to criticize and could use federal authority to challenge city policies. If Andrew Cuomo returns, Trump gains leverage over an old rival facing potential federal scrutiny. Trump has already influenced the race. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams’ federal corruption charges were dropped this year after aligning with the White House, which deepened his unpopularity and removed him from the contest. “Trump is in a good position no matter what happens on Nov. 4,” said…

Republican efforts to stop California Proposition 50 have nearly vanished one week before voters head to the polls. The Democratic-backed ballot measure, which would reshape California’s congressional districts, now appears on track for an easy victory. The California Prop 50 campaign once promised a fierce political battle over redistricting. Early polls suggested a close race, and Republican leaders spoke confidently about raising millions to defeat the initiative. But as the election nears, the campaign’s funding, leadership, and visibility have all but disappeared. Governor Gavin Newsom’s “Yes on 50” movement continues to flood television and social media with ads, while opposition…

A US federal appeals court has agreed to reconsider a ruling that temporarily allowed President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard in Portland, Oregon. The decision keeps a ban in place while a larger panel of judges reviews the case. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced on Tuesday that it would hear the issue “en banc,” meaning before 11 judges instead of the usual three. This move voids last week’s decision from a smaller panel that briefly sided with the Trump administration. The case centers on whether a sitting president has the authority to federalize state National Guard…

Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza late Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of breaking the ceasefire agreement. The strikes marked the biggest challenge to the 18-day truce brokered by the United States. Witnesses in Gaza reported multiple explosions in Gaza City and Khan Younis shortly after Netanyahu’s order for “powerful strikes.” Medical workers confirmed at least seven people were killed, including two children. The Israeli government said the airstrikes were a direct response to what it called a “clear violation” of the ceasefire by Hamas. The attack came hours after reports of a gun battle between Israeli…

Tensions between Iran and Israel remain high, raising concerns about a possible new war. Following a 12‑day conflict in June, both sides are now preparing for further clashes, according to analysts. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated he may strike Iran if provoked, while Iran’s leadership insists it does not want a new war but is fully prepared to defend itself. Nader Entessar, a professor at the University of South Alabama, said Netanyahu appears willing to increase tensions with Tehran, suggesting Israel could act aggressively if it perceives a threat. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, have stressed…

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has found that Russian forces have been using drones to chase and bomb civilians near frontline areas, forcing thousands to flee, in what it calls a crime against humanity. The report, based on interviews with 226 victims, witnesses, aid workers, and officials, and hundreds of verified videos, documents attacks in three southern regions near the Dnipro River over more than a year. “These attacks were committed as part of a coordinated policy to drive out civilians from those territories and amount to the crime against humanity of forcible transfer of population,”…

Hamas has delivered the remains of an Israeli hostage in Gaza with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) acting as a neutral intermediary. The return comes under the US-brokered ceasefire, which requires Hamas to return all Israeli hostages in exchange for the transfer of Palestinian bodies to Israel. Under the ceasefire, effective from 10 October, Israel agreed to hand over 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli returned. Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam brigades, announced it would deliver the deceased hostage’s remains on Monday evening, coordinated with the Red Cross and the Israeli Defense Forces. So far, Hamas has…

A group of New Yorkers has filed a lawsuit against the state elections board, arguing that its congressional map illegally reduces the voting power of Black and Latino residents in Staten Island. The complaint targets the 11th congressional district, represented by Republican Nicole Malliotakis, and challenges the map approved by the Democratic-majority legislature less than two years ago. The lawsuit is the latest in an ongoing battle over redistricting as both parties try to draw districts favorable to their candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republican efforts in states like Texas to redraw maps have prompted Democrats in New…

The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that blocked the firing of Shira Perlmutter, director of the U.S. Copyright Office. The appeal comes after months of legal back-and-forth over whether the president can dismiss a top official who operates within the Library of Congress. The emergency appeal, filed by Solicitor General D. John Sauer, follows a Washington appeals court decision that barred the White House from unilaterally removing Perlmutter. The full District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals also declined to reconsider that ruling earlier this month. Perlmutter, who has served as…

China has stepped up its messaging to the United States ahead of the bilateral summit between Trump and Xi scheduled in South Korea. The warnings cover multiple fronts — from trade to Taiwan to global trade norms. At the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Chinese Premier Li Qiang spoke against rising unilateralism and protectionism in global trade. He warned nations not to revert to a “law of the jungle” approach and defended economic globalization as irreversible. At the same time, Beijing announced that its strategic bombers had conducted drills near Taiwan, signaling resolve ahead of the meeting with Washington. The…