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From reality TV to city hall? Trump-backed Spencer Pratt soars in LA mayor race as Californians vote
Republicans are aiming to break longtime losing streaks by taking first steps toward winning elections for governor and Los Angeles mayor as voters in Democrat-dominated California head to the polls on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's clout over the GOP will once again face a ballot box test, in a gubernatorial showdown in Iowa, while the Hawkeye State's Democratic Senate nomination is the latest battle between the establishment and progressive wings of the party.
California and Iowa are two of the six states holding primary contests from coast to coast during the first week of June, in elections that will impact November's midterms, when the GOP's slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities will be up for grabs.
The election arguably grabbing the most headlines nationally is in Los Angeles, where it's been three decades since a Republican won a mayoral contest in the nation's second most populous city. Spencer Pratt, a reality TV star and online influencer-turned-mayoral candidate, is gaining traction, thanks in part to his populist pitch and viral videos.
THE CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS BOOSTING SPENCER PRATT IN THE LOS ANGELES MAYOR SHOWDOWN
Pratt, a Republican running as an independent in the left-leaning city, is backed by Trump. His rise is also fueled in part by his well-known status as one of the victims who lost their homes in last year's devastating wildfires, when over 17,000 homes in Los Angeles County were destroyed, as well as his right-leaning focus on homelessness, crime and government accountability in a city long run by Democrats.
"I keep saying I become the mayor because of moms. Moms are getting me elected. Moms do not feel safe in Los Angeles. Not just feel safe, they are not safe. Nobody's safe really in LA unless you're the drug dealer. The drug dealers and the people giving them the needles, the city, our taxpayer money, the needle givers, they're safe, the meth pipe givers. They're safe. Everyone else is not safe in LA," Pratt argued this past weekend in an interview on Fox News' "Saturday In America with Kayleigh McEnany."
Pratt is targeting Mayor Karen Bass, a former Democratic congresswoman seeking a second four-year term steering Los Angeles. Bass, who has been endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California senator and state attorney general, as well as the state's two Democratic senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, last week landed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom's backing.
IS THERE A 'GROWING REVOLT' AGAINST CALIFORNIA'S ONE-PARTY RULE?
Bass is attempting to fend off challenges from the right from Pratt and on the left from progressive City Council member Nithya Raman. If no candidate tops 50% in Tuesday's nonpartisan mayoral election, the top two finishers will face off in November.
In the race for governor, a whopping 61 candidates are running to succeed Newsom in steering the nation's most populous state and the world's fourth-largest-economy.
But heading into the jungle primary, where all candidates regardless of party affiliation appear on the same ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election, only a handful of contenders have a good chance of making the cut.
Among them are Democrats Javier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton.
Becerra, a former longtime congressman and California attorney general who later served as a Cabinet secretary in former President Biden's administration, would become the first Latino Golden State governor in modern history. Steyer, meanwhile, is a billionaire hedge fund founder turned environmental activist who unsuccessfully ran for his party's 2020 presidential nomination.
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Hilton is a one-time British political strategist turned American conservative commentator and former Fox News Channel host who is backed by Trump.
Also in the race is Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican. Hilton and Bianco are both hoping to become the first California Republican win a gubernatorial election since then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006 re-election two decades ago.
Bianco has argued that he's the most conservative candidate in the race.
But Hilton, in an interview on Fox News' "The Big Weekend Show," reiterated his argument that "Chad is just too far behind. He can't make it into the top two. So every vote for him actually helps the Democrats. We have got to make sure of this. We can't let this opportunity for change slip away."
Democratic candidates former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, are among the other better-known contenders.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla mulled launching Democratic bids for governor, but both last year announced they would take a pass. That resulted in the lack of a clear Golden State gubernatorial frontrunner for the first time in more than a quarter century.
And the race was overshadowed for much of last year, as the devastation from the LA wildfires and Trump's immigration raids grabbed headlines in California.
But the showdown for governor entered the spotlight earlier this year when one of the leading candidates, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, dropped out of the race and then resigned from Congress following a political implosion after facing multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that he continues to deny.
Swalwell's exit from the race opened the door for first Steyer and then Becerra to rise in the polls. Steyer shelled out more than $200 million of his own money to blanket the airwaves and the internet with ads.
Bianco, who launched his campaign for governor in April of last year, was among the top contenders in the race until Trump's endorsement of Hilton in early April blunted his momentum.
In Iowa, the retirements of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and GOP Sen. Joni Ernst along with the rough political midterm climate facing Republicans, have Democrats optimistic they can flip the seats in a one-time battleground state that turned red the past decade.
Trump, who carried Iowa by 13 points in his 2024 presidential election victory, last week weighed in on the competitive GOP gubernatorial primary,
The president endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra in a race that also includes entrepreneur and private school co-founder Zach Lahn, who is backed by the influential conservative group Turning Point USA, state Rep. Eddie Andrews, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former state administrative services director Adam Steen.
The winner will face Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand, who is unopposed in his primary. Sand is the only Democrat currently elected to statewide office.
The brute force of the president's endorsement power and the immense grip he has on the Republican Party has been on display in GOP primaries the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas.
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa is the overwhelming frontrunner to secure her party's Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring Ernst.
Hinson, a former TV news anchor who is in her third term representing Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, is facing a long-shot challenge from former state senator and former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Carlin. Hinson is backed by Trump, Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the campaign arm of the Senate GOP. Hinson, who in 2020 flipped a Democratic-held seat that covers the northeastern portion of Iowa, is seen as a rising star in the party.
The Republican-controlled seat in Iowa is a top target for Democrats and the race is one of about a dozen crucial showdowns in this year's midterm elections that will determine whether the Republicans hold on to their current 53-47 majority in the chamber.
Hinson will face off in the general election against the winner of an expensive and contentious Democratic Senate primary between state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympian, and state Sen. Zach Wahls.
Wahls, a progressive who Republicans have likened to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has the backing of liberal champion Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Turek, the more moderate Senate contender who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022, is backed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He also has the tacit support of longtime Senate Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. And VoteVets, an establishment-aligned outside group, has spent big bucks on behalf of Turek.
Primaries in Iowa's 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts will set up general election showdowns in crucial GOP-held seats that Democrats are aiming to flip.
It's the same story in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, another purple seat Democrats are eyeing as they try to regain the House majority.
The Republican incumbent, Rep. Tom Kean Jr., has been in the national headlines after being absent from Congress and the campaign trail for three months due to a "a personal medical issue."
In New Mexico, the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is taking top billing.
Former Rep. Deb Haaland, who served as Interior Secretary in former President Joe Biden's administration and made history as the nation's first Native American woman to serve as a Cabinet secretary, who's to make history again as the first Native American woman elected as governor. She faces off against Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. Three major Republicans are seeking their party's gubernatorial nomination.
Montana voters will select nominees in Tuesday’s primary to replace departing Republican incumbent Sen. Steve Daines.
The senator and Trump are backing former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who jumped into the race in March immediately after Daines announced his retirement just ahead of the state's filing deadline, in what appeared to be a carefully choreographed move. Alme faces two longshot rivals for the nomination.
Former state Rep. Reilly Neill appears to be the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in the solidly Republican state.
The Republican and Democratic nominees will face off in the general election against former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar, who is running as an independent and has outraised everyone else in the race.
In GOP-dominated South Dakota, Gov. Larry Rhoden faces a crowded and competitive field as he seeks a full term as governor.
Rhoden was lieutenant governor in early 2025 when he assumed the top job after then-Gov. Kristi Noem stepped down to become Department of Homeland Security secretary in the Trump administration.
Battle between Bari Weiss and ‘60 Minutes’ explodes as Scott Pelley accuses her of murdering the show
If you thought there was an uproar at "60 Minutes," that was pattycake compared to what happened yesterday.
Bari Weiss has been under assault by journalists and commentators since becoming editor-in-chief of CBS, mostly from liberals and left-leaners who are convinced she’s a crazy conservative. That’s not true, and I’ve mostly defended her, but she has made some rookie mistakes as someone who never worked in television.
So even as the headlines swirled around President Donald Trump’s decision to drop the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund – made possible because many Republicans joined Democrats in openly criticizing the fund aimed at the Jan. 6 rioters – Weiss is facing a rebellion of her own.
First she fired "60 Minutes" correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi (whose story on a Salvador prison she held, but ran intact after Trump officials wouldn’t appear), along with executive producer Tanya Simon.
Ratings for "CBS Evening News" have plunged under new anchor Tony Dokoupil, though not all is his fault – CBS failed to get him a visa for Trump’s trip to Beijing, and he had to report from Taiwan.
But "60 Minutes" has always been different, the crown jewel of the onetime Tiffany network. It operates from a separate building, across Manhattan’s 10th Avenue. Its ratings have been terrific, and the show also makes money, over $200 million in advertising for the network.
After 58 years on the air, it’s averaging an impressive 9.1 million viewers, a 9% jump over last season, and has a substantial digital presence.
But this is why I think Weiss, who I’ve interviewed, made a major mistake in hiring tech journalist Nick Bilton to run the newsmagazine.
He may be a great guy, but he, too, has never worked in the broadcast business. It’s almost like that’s a disqualification in the Weiss era.
Bilton has worked for the New York Times and Vanity Fair. He met Weiss while working on some documentary projects together.
"When you take an insider and put them inside a company, nothing changes," Bilton told the Times. "I’m not saying that we’re going to change the show completely and drastically."
"If you don’t disrupt, you yourself will be disrupted," he says, according to Variety. "There is nothing I love more than picking a fight."
But yesterday a leading member of the "60" crew, Scott Pelley, fought back hard, his voice breaking at times.
During an angry staff meeting, Pelley, a former evening news anchor, said of Weiss: "She is murdering ‘60 Minutes.’ She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that."
That’s according to a recording of the meeting obtained by the Times.
Pelley was just getting started: "She has no qualifications for her job; you have slender qualifications for this job. The changes that she’s made at the ‘Evening News’ have been catastrophic, so why should we expect that any of this is going to be any better?"
Bilton responded that "I will show you…I’ll be meeting with everyone. I’m very excited to meet with everyone, yourself included."
Pelley pressed the show’s new boss on why he accepted the job, "knowing that you will never be welcome here."
That drew some pushback: "I have been a journalist for 25 years, Scott. I’ve sat across from incredibly powerful people like you have, and none of it intimidates me."
Weiss apparently was asked to stay away from the meeting.
Look, Bilton may have some good ideas. In the past, the network created "60 Minutes II," which ran for seven seasons but folded after a Dan Rather segment on George W. Bush and the National Guard that turned out to be based on forged documents, and both CBS and the anchor apologized.
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So here’s the dilemma. Pelley and Lesley Stahl are the most prominent of the show’s anchors.
If Weiss fires Pelley over his comments, it will look like she can’t take criticism and is retaliating over free speech. The media will frame it as sheer intolerance on her part.
If she keeps Pelley, she’ll have to accept working with someone who has been so openly critical of her and his new boss at the show.
This battle inside CBS News over its most successful franchise is far from over.
Trump makes late-night endorsements in six states ahead of Tuesday primaries, including California
President Trump has issued a series of endorsements ahead of Tuesday’s primary elections in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, including in gubernatorial, congressional and Senate races.
Among the candidates Trump has thrown his support behind is U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, who is seeking to become his state's next governor.
"As your next Governor, Randy will fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Champion our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Empower Ethanol, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our incredible Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement, Advance Election Integrity, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In California—a state Trump and Republicans have routinely criticized over its majority Democratic leadership and are hoping to make gains in despite Democrats’ statewide dominance—Trump has endorsed Steve Hilton in the gubernatorial race. California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot and the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party.
PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE: 'HE WILL BE A GREAT GOVERNOR'
"He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell. Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job," Trump said of current Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent Trump critic.
"Crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World," Trump added. "Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so! With our Administration, working alongside a Great Governor like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before."
He also endorsed California GOP Assemblyman James Gallagher, who is running for Congress, as well as San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who is also seeking a seat in the House.
TRUMP ENDORSES HINSON IN 2026 RACE TO KEEP KEY SENATE SEAT RED
Others in California who received endorsements include Reps. Tom McClintock, Jay Obernolte, and Vince Fong, along with Kevin Lincoln, a former Stockton mayor who is running for a seat in the newly redrawn 13th Congressional District.
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., also received a nod from Trump.
Other congressional endorsements included Reps. Tom Kean Jr., Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith, all of New Jersey, as well as Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont. Trump also endorsed Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, in her U.S. Senate bid.
Trump also endorsed Aaron Flint, who is running to represent Montana; South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley; and Greg Cunningham, a former police officer from New Mexico.
Trump had previously endorsed Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
In May, Trump touted victories by several candidates he had backed in GOP primaries or runoff elections.
Florida beach toll booth worker killed after driver rams structure before getting stuck in sand, sheriff says
A toll booth attendant at a Florida beach was killed Monday when the driver of a pickup truck rammed into the structure before getting stuck in the sand.
The fatal crash happened around 12:40 p.m. at the Dunlawton Avenue beach access ramp in Daytona Beach Shores, the Volusia Sheriff's Office said. The employee inside, Tammy Jo Baker, was just a few weeks shy of her 63rd birthday, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at the scene.
The driver was "probably doing about 40 mph," the sheriff said. "And it crushes the toll taker's booth."
Baker, a longtime employee with Volusia County who recently began working for the beach parking contractor, was pronounced dead at the scene after lifeguards attempted to perform CPR.
"I think she was probably close to being killed on impact," Chitwood said. "That booth isn’t made of anything, if you look at it. And you hit that thing at 40 miles an hour; there’s really nowhere to go. And it flipped the booth around, the force of that."
After the vehicle struck Baker, the driver, identified as 35-year-old Deanna Harrell, continued toward the water before authorities said she attempted before attempting to turn around and became stuck in the sand.
Bystanders ran to the truck to pull Harrell out, authorities said. She was being tested for possible impairment while driving, Chitwood noted, adding that there was a "heavy odor of alcohol" coming from the vehicle.
"It's just senseless," Chitwood said of Baker's death.
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Rick Adelman, architect of some of the NBA's best offenses and Hall of Famer, dead at 79
Rick Adelman, who ranks 10th in NBA history with 1,042 wins, died on Monday. He was 79.
The National Basketball Coaches Association announced his passing. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Adelman spent 23 seasons as an NBA head coach, leading the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He compiled a 1,042-749 regular-season record and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Before coaching, Adelman played seven seasons as an NBA point guard after being drafted by the San Diego Rockets in 1968.
After taking over the Trail Blazers during the 1988-89 season, Adelman led a Clyde Drexler-led roster to NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992.
In 1998, Adelman became the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. The Kings reached the playoffs in all eight of his seasons in Sacramento and advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2002.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement Monday honoring Adelman's legacy.
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"Rick Adelman was one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in the history of the NBA," Silver said.
"Following his NBA playing career, Rick turned to coaching where his leadership, innovation and genuine love for basketball left a lasting impression on generations of players and fellow coaches over his nearly 30-year run. He was a brilliant strategist and teacher of the game, and an even better person. I send my deepest condolences to Rick's family and many friends throughout the league."
Adelman is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary Kay, their six children (including Nuggets coach David Adelman) and 12 grandchildren.
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Steph Curry signs 10-year deal with Chinese brand Li-Ning, raising questions about NBA's ties to China
The biggest sneaker free agent in basketball history didn't sign with Nike or Adidas.
Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry just signed with a Chinese brand.
After mutually parting ways with Under Armour in 2023 and ending a 13-year partnership, the four-time NBA champion has signed a massive 10-year deal with Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning.
Curry announced the move on his social media on Monday. The deal represents more than a major win for Li-Ning.
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But the agreement highlights a broader shift in the basketball apparel market, where Chinese labels are becoming increasingly influential players in a space once dominated by Western brands.
Curry's move shines a spotlight on an uncomfortable contradiction the NBA has struggled to address for years: the tension between the league's public commitment to social activism and its extensive financial ties to China.
Landing the greatest shooter in NBA history gives Li-Ning a marquee athlete and further strengthens China's growing presence in the league.
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The NBA and many of its players have built a reputation as some of the most outspoken figures in American sports on issues ranging from racial justice to voting rights.
Players wear social justice messages, speak openly on political issues, and frequently use their platforms to advocate for social causes. Yet discussions surrounding China's human rights record, including the crackdown in Hong Kong and allegations of forced labor involving Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, have often been met with far less public criticism from the league and its biggest stars.
Economic incentives help explain why.
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Chinese brands such as Li-Ning, Anta and Rigorer are no longer niche alternatives looking for overlooked talent.
They are aggressively pursuing some of the NBA's most recognizable players.
All-NBA guard Kyrie Irving signed a major deal with Anta and was later named the company's chief creative officer, while Lakers guard Austin Reaves partnered with Rigorer to launch a signature shoe line.
These companies frequently offer athletes significant creative input and business opportunities alongside lucrative endorsement contracts.
The trend extends well beyond a handful of stars.
Anta's roster includes Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward, Alex Caruso and Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.
And as more players align themselves with Chinese brands, the NBA's financial relationship with China continues to deepen.
China is home to an estimated 450 million NBA fans, giving brands and athletes access to a consumer market larger than the entire population of the United States.
For players with global ambitions, success in China can be every bit as important as success at home. That economic reality has shaped how many NBA figures approach politically sensitive topics involving China.
One of the most notable examples came when former MVP James Harden publicly criticized then-Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey after Morey's support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong triggered a backlash from Chinese officials and business partners.
To critics, Harden's comments illustrated how economic incentives can outweigh public commitments to free expression when China is involved.
Now Curry's reported move to Li-Ning sends another message about where the league's business interests are headed.
The NBA can paint social justice slogans on its courts and release statements about equality, but the reality of its global business model tells a more convoluted story.
The league has spent years telling fans what it stands for. Its growing embrace of Chinese money continues to reveal what it won't stand up to.
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Californians fleeing to red states are driving up home prices and rents in their new cities, data shows
People leaving Los Angeles and California are raising the cost of living in some red states after years of relocating from the left-leaning state.
A new Los Angeles Times report on Sunday found that of the top 10 cities people have relocated to from Los Angeles and California, all 10 have seen the median rent and home prices increase faster than they have in Los Angeles, though prices overall were still cheaper.
The cities on the list included Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Phoenix and Atlanta from traditionally right-leaning states Tennessee, Texas, Arizona and Georgia. However, some blue cities such as Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas and Denver were also included in the data.
TAX AND RUN: HOW NY AND CALIFORNIA ARE BLEEDING PEOPLE AND PROSPERITY
According to research developed by the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER), all 10 cities saw a larger cost of living increase between 2020 and 2025 compared to Los Angeles, with some cities experiencing twice as much of an increase.
In a comment to the Los Angeles Times, Evan White, co-founder of the California Policy Lab, noted that "people were going to dramatically less expensive locations," though the affordability gap appeared to be shrinking.
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"White’s research showed that those who leave California are much more likely to become homeowners in their new states. As homes in popular destinations for those fleeing California appreciate more quickly, selling a home in California to move elsewhere becomes less profitable," the article read.
Data from Zillow was less conclusive, finding that only five out of the 10 cities saw a median rent increase by more than Los Angeles' 29%. Zillow also showed that only six out of the 10 cities saw median home price increases higher than Los Angeles' 45%, with Phoenix and Nashville home prices increasing by about 70%.
However, the report noted that all 10 cities were still considered more affordable than Los Angeles, with some by a wide margin.
AMERICANS CONTINUE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET AS HIGH-TAX CITIES STRUGGLE TO RECOVER
Meanwhile, city planners, such as Austin architect Chris Gannon, are hoping to balance out the population boom from incoming Californians with rising home costs for in-state residents.
"If there’s less Californians coming," Gannon told the Los Angeles Times, "that’s probably better for the folks here because that means less competition."
Fox News Digital reached out to the California Policy Lab for comment.
California continues to see large swaths of people moving out of the state, with Los Angeles County losing more than 54,000 residents between 2024 and 2025 alone. With higher prices and a looming billionaire wealth tax, the Golden State continues to see both working-class residents and wealthy business owners leaving for more affordable cities.
Jared Kushner's overseas luxury resort project faces anti-corruption investigation amid violent protests
Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors are investigating changes to the protected status of a coastal wetland where a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, has drawn environmental opposition and protests, according to Politico.
SPAK, Albania’s special anti-corruption prosecution office, has opened a probe into changes made to the status of the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape in Zvërnec, Politico reported. The coastal wetland area is home to flamingos, Mediterranean monk seals, and sea turtle nesting sites, Politico reported.
In 2024, Kushner publicly discussed plans for his firm, Affinity Partners, to develop luxury tourism projects in Albania, including in the Zvërnec area. Earlier this year, he visited the area with his wife, Ivanka Trump.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama recently confirmed to Politico that talks were ongoing between the government and Kushner over the deal, which is expected to include roughly 10,000 hotel rooms and villas.
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"I want to make Albania a country that is a destination to be envied in the region, and this project is part of this effort," Rama said Monday.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Affinity Partners and SPAK for comment.
Protests by Albanian citizens and nonprofit groups began in May when large, barbed-wire-topped fences were erected at the proposed site, preventing locals and tourists from accessing the beach. On Sunday, protesters assembled outside government offices to demand an end to the project as well as Rama's resignation.
Following Sunday's protests, footage emerged showing private security guards appearing to assault and drag a protester along a cliff. Some guards allegedly threatened other demonstrators who were attempting to remove fences and halt construction.
The licenses of two private security companies were revoked following the incident. Meanwhile, around 15 protesters have been charged, and the local police chief has been stripped of his duties.
Carville advises Talarico 'to deal with' past culture war comments if he wants to win Texas
Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville and his co-host Al Hunt agreed last Thursday that Texas’ Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico needs to walk back his past comments if he wants to win in the Lone Star State.
Talarico, the co-hosts agreed, is in a strong position to score a historic victory in Texas if he plays his cards right. They previously cheered his victory over Rep. Jasmine Crockett, to be the Democrat's nominee, saying he would likely push the same policies as Crockett but without sharing her history of controversial comments.
However, some of his past statements on race, gender ideology, abortion, and religion are now causing headaches for his campaign.
"I think Talarico has to be smart, and he has to be aggressive. As you just suggested, the GOP already aired an ad accusing him of saying all kinds of weird things," Hunt said.
"Some of it is true," Carville agreed, before adding, "He's got to deal with it."
"Yeah, but he said there's six genders. Well, I don't know whether he said it or not, but if he said it, God d--- it, he better walk it back right now or explain it," Hunt said. "But most importantly, I think James, what he has to do is say, ‘Hey, I may have said some dumb things, but Ken Paxton has committed dumb, corrupt acts that hurt Texas citizens.’"
Hunt went on to argue that Texas has a 50% chance of electing him.
"If he stays on the offensive and Hispanic and Black voters are energized, I may not be quite as — I mean, I think Texans — I think Talarico has a 50/50 shot."
"On that, we can agree," Carville said. "It's a pure tossup."
Carville argued that all the key ingredients for a superb Democratic comeback are there.
"First, you would have a bruising, expensive, negative, drawn-out Republican primary. Check. It would need a Democrat who would defeat an urban progressive in a Democratic primary to at least give a patina of moderation. Check!" Carville said.
He continued, "You would need to have a political climate where Democrats would be consistently overperforming. Check. You would have to raise an inordinate amount of money for a Texas Democrat because they have no power. Check."
"In other words," Carville concluded, "everything that you would say in a lab had to happen to get this thing to the point that here we are, almost post-Memorial Day, saying it's a 50/50 race."
In a recent CBS interview, Talarico blasted Paxton’s campaign for clipping his past controversial statements, even as he admitted he regrets some of them.
"There are some statements that I have made that I certainly regret. There are statements that I have made where I have missed the mark. I will be the first to admit that," Talarico said. "But Ken Paxton is intentionally clipping my cringey comments to distract from his career of corruption."