INTERNACIONAL
‘DSA jihadi’: LA mayoral candidate torched after defending ‘genocide’ comment during Jewish forum
Nithya Raman, the far-left Los Angeles mayoral frontrunner, defended her appearance on controversial streamer Hasan Piker’s program and stood by her use of the term «genocide» to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza when pressed by a Jewish audience Tuesday night, raising alarm among some Jewish voters.
Raman’s appearance before hundreds of attendees at a Jewish community mayoral forum quickly turned into a series of pointed exchanges over Israel, antisemitism and her past comments on the war in Gaza. Pressed over her appearance on Piker’s show, Raman said candidates need to «meet people where they’re at» and rejected the suggestion that appearing on his platform signaled an endorsement of his views.
She also reaffirmed her use of the word «genocide» to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying she relied on unnamed «experts» who have used the same terminology.
Both Raman and current Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass attended a candidate forum hosted by several Jewish organizations Tuesday evening, during which they were questioned on a range of topics but largely about antisemitism, public safety, homelessness, Israel and other issues of particular concern to the Jewish community ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
FAR-LEFT STREAMER HASAN PIKER CALLED OUT BY MS NOW HOSTS IN FIERY EXCHANGE OVER HIM BEING A DRAG FOR DEMOCRATS
«Nithya Raman’s remarks should alarm every Jewish voter in Los Angeles,» StopAntisemitism founder and Executive Director Liora Rez told Digital, arguing that «‘meeting people where they’re at’ is not a defense» for appearing on Piker’s program.
The Wednesday night forum’s moderator noted that many in the audience viewed Raman’s appearance on Piker’s show as «deeply hurtful,» citing the streamer’s past remarks about Jews and praise for groups including Hamas, Hezbollah and al Qaeda. Asked why she chose to appear and whether she worried it could be perceived as an endorsement of his views, Raman said she has consistently spoken out against antisemitism but believed candidates should engage voters across different platforms.
ABDUL EL-SAYED DISMISSES QUESTIONS ABOUT HASAN PIKER TIES ON ‘FACE THE NATION,’ PIVOTS TO GROCERIES
«I do believe that as an elected representative who’s seeking higher office, you have to go and speak to voters,» Raman said. «I think it’s important for us as elected officials and as people running for office to go and speak to them even when you disagree with parts of those individuals… and meet them where they’re at.»
Raman’s explanation echoes a rationale Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed offered when defending his own appearances with Piker, arguing candidates should engage audiences on platforms where voters already are.
DEM SENATE NOMINEE APOLOGIZES TO JEWISH VOTERS AFTER ‘GENOCIDE’ REMARK SPARKED BACKLASH
The moderator then shifted to Raman’s broader views on the Israel-Gaza war, noting that she had repeatedly described Israel’s actions as «genocide» and asking her to define the term and address Jewish voters who viewed the language as deeply inflammatory.
Raman acknowledged that «the word ‘genocide’ is a deeply painful word» and said she understood its historical significance, but maintained she used the term because other experts had done so and because she felt compelled to speak out after seeing «the targeting of hospitals» and «the deaths of children.»
FAMILY MEMBER OF LAWYER WHO COINED ‘GENOCIDE’ SEEKS TO STRIP NAME FROM GROUP ACCUSING ISRAEL OF ATROCITY
«I have used that term, and I’m not an expert on these issues, and so I have looked to experts on these issues — international experts, Israeli experts — who have used that language, and that is what guided me in using that term in describing what’s happening in Gaza,» Raman said.
But, in comments to Digital, Rez said «that charge is not supported by the facts,» arguing «casualty figures supplied by Hamas-controlled authorities, often presented without distinguishing civilians from combatants, do not establish a deliberate campaign to destroy the Palestinian people.»
LA MAYORAL RACE HEADS TO NOVEMBER RUNOFF AS KAREN BASS FACES MAMDANI-STYLE SOCIALIST
During the Tuesday night forum, Bass offered a sharply different view on the term and rejected its use in regard to the war in Gaza when pressed on the matter.
Meanwhile, when asked where she differed from the anti-Israel positions of the Democratic Socialists of America, whose Los Angeles chapter has endorsed her mayoral campaign, Raman defended the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, as «a legitimate form of peaceful protest» before arguing that Israel-related issues were not part of her municipal platform and pointing to disagreements she has had with DSA on other issues.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA BACKS ‘OUR TWITCH STREAMER’ HASAN PIKER, RIPS ANTI-SOCIALISM HOUSE RESOLUTION
Rez rejected Raman’s characterization of BDS as «a legitimate form of peaceful protest,» arguing the movement «is a discriminatory movement that singles out the world’s only Jewish state for isolation and elimination.»
Local Los Angeles activist and Jewish mother of two, April Silverman, slammed Raman’s appearance at the forum on X, arguing the mayoral frontrunner is not aware of «the concept of knowing your audience and reading the room.»
ABDUL EL-SAYED PLAYS DOWN HASAN PIKER TIES AFTER STREAMER’S VIRAL ANTISEMITISM FIRESTORM
«Nithya Raman couldn’t even pretend in front of a room full of Jewish Angelenos to be anything other than an antizionist radical,» said Shana Meyerson, a podcast host who has a show called «The Unapologetically Jewish Podcast.»
«She also doubled down on her ‘genocide’ accusations despite admitting she ‘isn’t an expert,’ and could not define what genocide is,» Meyerson added. «Another DSA jihadi laughing in the face of Jewish Americans.»
politics, controversies state and local, hasan piker, anti semitism
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., described herself as a member of the «working class» who lives «paycheck to paycheck» during an interview with MS NOW host Chris Hayes on Wednesday night.
«I mean, it’s, you know, working — working class, I guess, like paycheck to paycheck still,» Omar said. «We’ve got four kids, and we live, I think, like a basic life. I have a Toyota Camry that’s from 2016.»
Omar’s characterization of her finances comes despite her $174,000 annual congressional salary and scrutiny over financial disclosures that once listed assets tied to her husband as being worth as much as $30 million.
The comments came during Omar’s first public appearance since Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents searched her Washington, D.C., residence on Oct. 12 as part of an investigation into possible immigration-related offenses.
ILHAN OMAR BELIEVES TRUMP RAID ON HOME WAS MEANT TO ‘INTIMIDATE AND SCARE PEOPLE’ FROM VOTING
Since the raid, the representative has used the investigation twice as a reason to publicly fundraise.
«That goes a long way as we fight Trump and his administration for trying to intimidate me and so many people right before the midterm elections,» Omar said in a video she uploaded to social media on Wednesday. «We know that they’re running scared. We’re not going to be intimidated. We’re not going to be silenced.»
The Democratic National Committee has also sent out its own fundraising email based on Omar’s campaign request for money.
«It’s Ilhan Omar — Trump’s DHS agents just carried out a raid and search of my home,» the email says. «This is a drastic escalation of the ludicrous, partisan investigation that they launched into my immigration status.»
ILHAN OMAR’S WEALTH SCANDAL TAKES A TURN JUST ONE DAY AFTER RAID OF HER DC HOME
Omar also acknowledged during the MS NOW interview that the federal agents who searched her home were «polite» and left the property in good condition, even folding some of her clothes.
«When they left, what did you do?» Hayes asked Omar.
«I just went back around the house just trying to make sure everything was put back,» Omar replied. «And they did a really good job in putting everything back in its place. They actually even folded some of my clothing that [was] not folded. So it was … a very bizarre [situation].»
The Minnesota Democrat added that she thought the HSI agents who raided her home were «intrusive, but polite.»
«And yeah, they, they left the house, I think, you know, in good shape,» she told MS NOW.
Omar claimed during the interview that the federal agents were searching her house for four to five hours. She added that they left the raid with more than a dozen items, including notebooks and a children’s Somali-language phrasebook.
«[That] was why I was surprised when they handed me the receipt for the items that they take in, to do that long of a search and to walk away with 17 items, of like 10 that were just notebooks and, like, old phones. Was such a bizarre, bizarre thing,» Omar said.
A separate Justice Department investigation is examining Omar’s financial disclosures, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said during an appearance on Fox News’ «America Reports.»
The disclosures previously showed that the reported value of two businesses tied to Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, rose from as much as $51,000 in 2023 to as much as $30 million in 2024, according to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.
Omar later amended the filing, saying the original figures were the result of an accounting error. The amended disclosure listed the couple’s assets at between $18,004 and $95,000. Omar has denied wrongdoing, and no criminal charges have been filed against her in connection with the disclosures.
Mynett’s businesses include eStCru, a winery, and Rose Lake Capital, an investment firm. The winery has reportedly shut down.
ILHAN OMAR RAID SPARKS OMINOUS PREDICTION FROM WATCHDOG: ‘THEY PROBABLY GOT THE GOODS’
On Fox News’ «Sunday Night in America,» Comer told host Trey Gowdy that his committee’s initial review of Omar’s disclosures identified multiple issues that could justify further investigative steps.
«First of all, not only was there a huge discrepancy in the financial disclosure form, there was the winery that was the big base of her $25 million listing on her financial disclosure form,» Comer said. «That winery has, according to the press, been shut down because of fraud.»
In a February letter to Mynett, Comer noted that Omar’s 2023 disclosure listed her stake in eStCru as being worth between $15,001 and $50,000.
«The following year, her financial disclosure form listed a stake in eStCru ‘worth between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000,’» Comer wrote. «There are serious public concerns about how your businesses increased so dramatically in value only a year after reporting very limited assets.»
A rank-and-file House member’s annual salary is $174,000. Members may also participate in the federal Thrift Savings Plan and qualify for a pension under the Federal Employees Retirement System, though eligibility and benefit amounts depend on factors including age, years of service and salary history.
The financial investigation remains ongoing.
politics, ilhan omar, donald trump, homeland security, investigations
INTERNACIONAL
El alcalde de Dajabón, en República Dominicana, advierte que las pandillas haitianas podrían atentar contra los militares de El Salvador
El alcalde de Dajabón, Santiago Riverón, sostuvo que las pandillas haitianas podrían atentar contra los militares de El Salvador si el presidente Nayib Bukele decide ampliar su respuesta tras la desaparición de cuatro técnicos salvadoreños en las afueras de Puerto Príncipe.
“Bukele puede mandar a medio Ejército de El Salvador y se lo van a matar como pollos en Haití”, afirmó Riverón, en declaraciones recogidas por Listín Diario.
El funcionario dominicano argumentó que los grupos armados conocen el terreno y cuentan con capacidad para enfrentar a fuerzas que ingresen al país.
La declaración se produjo después de que Bukele advirtiera a las pandillas haitianas que deberán entregar “vivos y sin ningún daño” a los cuatro ciudadanos salvadoreños desaparecidos. El mandatario anunció además el inicio de una operación militar para localizarlos.
Los cuatro integrantes de la Fuerza de Tarea Libertad II son aerotécnicos vinculados a la misión internacional desplegada en Haití. La Fuerza Armada de El Salvador señaló que el grupo fue atacado cuando regresaba a su campamento en un vehículo blindado.
La emboscada ocurrió el domingo 18 de octubre en Santo, una zona de Croix-des-Bouquets, comuna situada cerca de Puerto Príncipe. Hombres armados abrieron fuego contra el vehículo, que luego se incendió. Los técnicos se vieron obligados a escapar a pie y desde entonces se perdió la comunicación con ellos.
Según Bukele, los cuatro salvadoreños no cumplen funciones de combate. El mandatario indicó que, el trabajo de ellos, se concentra en tareas de aviación, evacuaciones médicas y asistencia para salvar vidas dentro de la Fuerza de Supresión de Pandillas, una misión internacional respaldada por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU).
El presidente salvadoreño explicó que los técnicos volvían de realizar compras cuando se produjo el ataque. Hasta este jueves 22 de octubre no se habían divulgado sus nombres ni se conocía públicamente información sobre su estado de salud o su paradero.
En una publicación en sus redes oficiales, Bukele dirigió un mensaje a los responsables del secuestro. El presidente sostuvo que la operación iniciada por las autoridades salvadoreñas representa una primera respuesta. “El ataque de hoy no es nada comparado con lo que viene si no entregan a los cuatro rehenes vivos”, señaló.
El mandatario vinculó la advertencia con la política de seguridad que llevó adelante contra las organizaciones criminales en su país. “Ya terminamos con las pandillas de El Salvador y podemos terminar con las de ustedes también”, expresó.
Bukele planteó una salida condicionada a la liberación de los cuatro técnicos. “Todavía tienen tiempo para evitarlo. Devuélvannos a nuestros cuatro compatriotas vivos, sin ningún daño, y todo volverá a ser como antes del secuestro”, afirmó.
La advertencia elevó la tensión en torno al operativo de búsqueda. No quedó claro si una eventual ampliación de las acciones involucraría más personal salvadoreño, fuerzas haitianas o integrantes de la misión internacional que actúa contra las pandillas.
Haití declaró prioritaria la liberación de los técnicos
El Gobierno de Haití informó que la liberación de los cuatro salvadoreños constituye una “prioridad absoluta”. Las autoridades analizaron medidas para reforzar las operaciones de seguridad junto con la Fuerza de Supresión de Pandillas.
Riverón, alcalde de una localidad de República Dominicana ubicada en la frontera con Haití, consideró que el caso podría atraer una mayor atención internacional sobre la crisis de seguridad haitiana. También mencionó la posible participación de Estados Unidos en una respuesta más amplia contra las organizaciones armadas.
El ataque contra los técnicos salvadoreños fue descrito como el primer hecho de gran magnitud contra la fuerza internacional desde el inicio de sus operaciones en territorio haitiano. La búsqueda continuaba este jueves, mientras las autoridades mantenían sin confirmar si los cuatro hombres seguían con vida.
South America / Central America,Civil Unrest
INTERNACIONAL
Supreme Court justice turns on her own court with dire warning about American democracy
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan made the case that recent rulings from the conservative-majority high court are destabilizing democracy, suggesting that it isn’t working «as well as it should.»
The remarks from the liberal justice came during a closed discussion before faculty and students at Catholic University’s law school in Washington, D.C.
The discussion between Kagan and law professor Joel Alicea Alicia, who previously clerked for Justice Samuel Alito, comes just weeks after the Supreme Court began its new term, during which it’s expected to rule in major cases that will determine the scope of gun rights and state election integrity laws, among other issues.
The conversation also comes less than two weeks before the midterm elections as President Donald Trump and Republican state lawmakers have pushed for new congressional maps drawn to favor Republicans and bolster their chances of maintaining control of the House. Democratic-led states have responded by redrawing their own maps, fueling ongoing lawsuits and court battles.
SUPREME COURT KICKS OFF NEW TERM WITH FRESH QUESTIONS OVER ITS LEGITIMACY AND ITS FUTURE
Kagan pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause, in which she dissented, as the beginning of a «race to the bottom.» She argued that the decision, which barred federal courts from invalidating maps solely because they unfairly favor one political party, deprived «masses of citizens» of their «rights to voting equality.»
Kagan suggested that the influx of gerrymandered maps is «driving people away from the center toward the wings, toward the extremes.
«Making what I think is, unfortunately, a too polarized country even more so,» Kagan said.
Kagan also criticized rulings from the previous term, including the court’s decision limiting campaign finance restrictions and its ruling that made it more difficult to draw majority-minority congressional districts under the Voting Rights Act.
«Part of the reason why the court got it wrong was a kind of lack of the appropriate concern or understanding of the consequences of their decisions,» Kagan said.
«I do think in all these areas the court has blinded itself to the very deleterious effects of their rulings on how the political system works and has created a democracy that doesn’t work as well as it should.»
DESANTIS SIGNS FLORIDA REDISTRICTING MAP TO POTENTIALLY FLIP 4 HOUSE SEATS RED
Last term, the Supreme Court struck down federal limits on how much state and national political parties could spend in coordination with their candidates.
Meanwhile, Kagan argued in dissent that the limits were necessary to prevent wealthy donors from working around direct contribution caps and that striking them down effectively allowed a political party to become an «alternative checking account» for a candidate.
«The people of America look around this political system and think that all this money chasing all these political candidates is a nightmare,» Kagan said. «And they’re right.»
Kagan, who was appointed to the court by President Barack Obama in 2010, argued that it was in a much better position when there was greater ideological balance.
«There was a period of time where the court was in a better place, and the country was in a better place because the court was more balanced, and it was unclear whether the court could push through anybody’s program.»
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«Nobody in America thought that the court was in the pocket of any one group or any one party,» she said. «And the court had a kind of legitimacy. When the court has a legitimacy of that kind, it helps to create a stable country.»
However, Kagan pushed back against the characterization that the conservative-leaning court simply rubber-stamped Trump’s entire agenda. She pointed to previous rulings by the high court rejecting birthright citizenship restrictions, tariffs and Trump’s restrictions on mail-in voting.
«It’s why the president sometimes really has not very nice things to say about the court’s decisions and some of my colleagues,» Kagan said.
supreme court, judiciary, politics, midterm elections, voting, elections, republicans elections
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