Address Newsletter
Our weekly digest on buying, selling, and design, with expert advice and insider neighborhood knowledge.
Northeast
Obama continues tradition of slow-rolled political endorsements as gubernatorial elections hit fever pitch
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Former President Barack Obama officially endorsed both Democrat candidates running in the only pair of gubernatorial elections this cycle, following the tradition of the former president holding his endorsement cards close to his chest in the lead-up to elections.
“Mikie’s integrity, grit and commitment to service are what we need right now in our leaders,” Obama said in a video endorsement ad released Friday by Democratic New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s gubernatorial campaign. “Mikie Sherrill is the right choice for your next governor.
“Mikie is a mom who will drive down costs for New Jersey families,” Obama continued in the ad. “As a federal prosecutor and former Navy helicopter pilot, she worked to keep our communities safe.”
New Jersey and Virginia are the only states holding gubernatorial elections in 2025’s off-season election year, with Sherrill and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia as the only Democrats in the running.
OBAMA ENDORSES SPANBERGER, ATTACKS REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE ADS
Former President Barack Obama continued his tradition of holding official political endorsements close to the vest, endorsing the Democrats running in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Obama endorsed Spanberger Thursday in a pair of ads that also took aim at Republicans for “attacking abortion rights.”
“Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year. We know Republicans will keep attacking abortion rights and the rights of women. That’s why having the right governor matters, and I’m proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger,” Obama said in an ad endorsing the Virginia Democrat.
“Republican policies are raising costs on working families so (that) billionaires can get massive tax cuts,” he said in another ad endorsing Spanberger.
Following Obama’s endorsement of Spanberger, the Republican challenger in the race, current Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign told Fox Digital Thursday, “Abigail Spanberger is scared, and it shows.”
THE ONLY GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES RUNNING IN 2025 ELECTIONS LEAN INTO TRUMP’S MAGA CAMPAIGN TACTICS
“After losing support across Virginia, she’s leaning on liberal elites to try and save her collapsing campaign,” Earle-Sears’ press secretary, Peyton Vogel, said. “This is a desperate play from a candidate who’s run out of support, out of ideas and out of time. Voters see through it, and that’s why Winsome Earle-Sears is surging.”
New Jersey Republican Jack Ciattarelli’s campaign also blasted the Obama endorsement in a comment to Fox News Digital Friday.
“If anything underscores the lack of enthusiasm around Mikie Sherrill’s arrogant, out-of-touch campaign, it’s that she thinks that endorsements by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton actually matter to middle and working-class New Jerseyans who have been kicked in the teeth by eight years of one-party Democrat rule making our state more expensive and less safe,” Ciattarelli campaign strategist Chris Russell told Fox News Digital. “Spoiler alert: They don’t. If anything, it energizes our voters even more.”
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended fundraising events for both Democratic gubernatorial candidates in October.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., launched gubernatorial bids for their respective states in the 2025 election. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Since leaving the Oval Office, Obama typically has held his endorsement card close to his chest.
He endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in June 2016 following months of signaling support for Clinton without formally offering his endorsement.
THE ONLY TWO DEMS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR IN 2025 ARE FORMER ROOMMATES WITH MIRRORING POLITICAL CAREERS
Obama remained coy during the 2020 election about whom he would endorse, saying he would not back anyone during the primary. As Democratic contenders such as former Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race, Obama officially endorsed his former vice president, Joe Biden, after he became the party’s presumptive nominee.
Obama notably got more involved with the 2020 Biden campaign in its final weeks, holding his first in-person event amid the pandemic in Pennsylvania just days before the election.
The 44th president called on Democrats to “chill out” during the 2020 primary season and wait to see which candidate would emerge successful in the primary process. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The 44th president called on Democrats to “chill out” during the 2020 primary season and wait to see which candidate would emerge successful in the primary process.
“There will be differences, but I want us to make sure that we keep in mind that relative to the ultimate goal, which is to defeat a president and a party that has, I think, taken a sharp turn away from a lot of the core traditions and values and institutional commitments that built this country,” Obama said in 2019 at a Democrat fundraiser in California. “Compared to that goal, the differences we’re having right now are relatively minor.
“Everybody needs to chill out about the candidates,” he added, “but gin up about the prospect of rallying behind whoever emerges from this process.”
OBAMA, PELOSI, OTHER TOP DEMS RESISTED INSTANT HARRIS ENDORSEMENT CITING NEED TO ‘EARN IT,’ ‘HIKING’ EXCUSE
During the unprecedented 2024 election cycle, Obama did not offer a formal, new endorsement of Biden’s re-election run but did join him for campaign events. Biden ultimately dropped out of the race as concerns over his mental acuity and age mounted, with Obama again staying mum for days whether he would endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee.
Former President Barack Obama speaks with President-elect Donald Trump before the state funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter in Washington Jan. 9, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden dropped out of the race July 21, 2024, and endorsed Harris to run in his place that same day in a separate social media post. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama endorsed Harris in a video message July 26, 2024, as party members and political pundits awaited the Obamas’ support with bated breath.
TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT, BUT PRESIDENT FRONT AND CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS
Harris published a memoir, “107 Days,” in September that detailed her short 2024 campaign cycle and noted in her book that Obama did not offer an immediate endorsement, instead advising that she has to “earn” the nomination and consider the “timing” of it.
“Saddle up! Joe did what I hoped he would do. But you have to earn it,” Obama said when Harris spoke to him, according to the book. “Michelle and I are supportive but not going to put a finger on the scale right now. Let Joe have his moment. Think through timing.”
Obama also endorsed former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s failed 2021 re-election campaign at the end of October 2024, as that election began losing ground to Republican Glenn Youngkin as education issues took center stage.
The 2025 gubernatorial elections have teed up the two Democrats as potential leaders of the party if they prove fruitful in their races, following the Democrat Party’s disarray from the losses at the 2024 ballot boxes that handed President Donald Trump a victory.
Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s office for additional comment on the gubernatorial endorsements Friday but did not immediately receive a reply.
Read the full article from Here
Surprise: Another weekend and there’s more rain on the way. It’s bad enough we’ve had to post a First Alert.
For now, we’ll watch as clouds thicken today. We’ll squeeze out some drops later this afternoon and evening.
A weather maker is winding up in Canada, wrapping in cold air. All of that is going to dive down to New England.
We’re in the thick of it tomorrow. Rain will be coming at us in bursts with some dry time in between. Winds will likely push past 50 mph in Boston.
Those winds will eat away at temperatures; with wind chills barely above freezing. And no – not just in the morning – but the afternoon, too!
It’s so cold there’s the threat of snow as that rain bumps into colder air over the Berkshires, Worcester Hills and southern New Hampshire right up to Mount Washington.
The snow isn’t going to pile up but just know there could be some flakes flying over our highest hills.
The blue on our Futurecast map marks the spots where snow could mix with rain.
Rain spins out by Saturday evening but not before dumping about half an inch over Boston.
We’ll try to salvage the rest of the weekend with temperatures in the upper 60s by Sunday. Still, there’s the threat of bits and pieces of rain.
By the way, this isn’t any weekend, it’s the last weekend of spring. Meteorological summer starts on June 1.
The first day of summer remains drab and dreary with more rain chances and temperatures in the low 60 on Monday.
With America celebrating its 250th birthday this summer, a major landmark in Pittsburgh will celebrate its 100th birthday.
Allegheny County announced a 100th Birthday Bash for the Andy Warhol Bridge on Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato made the event official on Friday morning and said it will feature art, music, games, and more.
“Allegheny County’s history is filled with innovation and creativity, beautiful architecture, and talented homegrown artists, and the Andy Warhol Bridge encapsulates all of that in one iconic structure,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. “I hope everyone will come down for a fun day of art, community, and a shared celebration of our history on June 27.”
Part of the celebration will be art projects hosted and led by the Andy Warhol Museum and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Local artist Strawberry Luna will also create a special, commemorative poster celebrating the bridge’s history.
The Andy Warhol Bridge is the only bridge in the country to be named for a visual artist, according to Allegheny County.
“As our nation commemorates the U.S. Semiquincentennial, it is fitting that we recognize the oldest of the three Sister Bridges, which represent Pittsburgh’s tradition of innovation, ingenuity, and ‘we can do it’ spirit,” said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Senator John Heinz History Center. “These iconic bridges, painted in ‘Aztec Gold’ as an homage to the city’s official colors, are symbols of Pittsburgh’s vibrancy, culture, and most importantly, its people.”
Formerly known as the Seventh Street Bridge, it was renamed the Andy Warhol Bridge in 2005 to honor the famous artist as well as the 10th anniversary of the Andy Warhol Museum, which is two blocks away.
Luxury Homes
Kathie Lee Gifford and her late husband, football legend Frank Gifford, purchased the house in 1994.
Former “Today” show host Kathie Lee Gifford is selling her sprawling 13,163-square-foot Connecticut home. The asking price? $100,000,000.
Dubbed “Cedar Cliff,” the Greenwich estate at 108 Cedar Cliff in the Riverside section of town, was once owned by railroad tycoon Henry F. Shoemaker. Kathie Lee Gifford and her late husband, football legend Frank Gifford, purchased the house in 1994 for $7.8 million . The 13,163-square-foot, 29-room estate has eight bedrooms and 14 bathrooms (nine full, five half).
“They added a substantial addition to the house to make it work for their lifestyle,” listing agent Leslie McElwreath of Sotheby’s International Realty said. That addition is the east wing of the house, constructed in the early 2000s, which includes a private theater and wine cellar.
The eight bedrooms are similarly sized and have views of Greenwich Cove. The primary bedroom and two guest bedrooms have a balcony as well. The estate has a greenhouse, a screened porch, a sun room, a tennis court, and a billiards room currently containing Frank Gifford memorabilia. There are 10 fireplaces throughout the house.
Within the 2.91-acre gated peninsula is a spa, pool, and pool house.
McElwreath said “empty nester” Gifford is selling the property because “her children are grown and are married with their own children. Kathie Lee spends most of her time in Tennessee and is no longer using the house full-time.”
The house has a recently installed Ludowici terra cotta roof, sun decks that have been rebuilt, and there is access to a full-property generator as well as a private beach.
McElwreath said there are additional aspects that make this property worth the monstrous price tag.
“The setting is extraordinary. Elevated high above the water with over 1,250 feet of frontage, the property offers the rare combination of commanding panoramic views and direct waterfront access via a private pier and deep water dock,” she said.
McElwreath said the kind of buyer looking at this property is attracted to Greenwich for its high quality of life and proximity to Midtown Manhattan.
”High net-worth buyers do not compromise. They seek exceptional properties in prime locations. Cedar Cliff is a one-of-a-kind opportunity and will attract buyers looking for privacy and resort-like amenities,” McElwreath said.
The task of selling the estate was entrusted to McElwreath by Gifford after McElwreath represented the seller of Copper Beech Farm in Greenwich, which sold for just under $139,000,000 in 2023.
“[Copper Beach] is still the highest sale ever in Greenwich and the state of Connecticut. I plan to use the full resources of Sotheby’s International Realty to find the buyer for Cedar Cliff,” McElwreath said. “I also represented the seller of 100 Field Point Circle, the second highest sale in Greenwich at $50 million. My proven track record, combined with the marketing expertise of Sotheby’s, will prove to be a winning combination.”
-
News24 minutes agoWhich first lady feared her husband might be having a stroke? The quiz knows
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoRescued sea lion pups released in Manhattan Beach
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoSunda New Asian brings bold flavors to Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoDriver Arrested After Pedestrian Killed, Three Injured In Mission District Crash
-
Dallas, TX3 hours agoMcAllen Welcomes Texas Hockey | Dallas Stars
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoPair arrested in connection with armed home invasion robbery in Miami, cops say
-
Boston, MA3 hours agoSaturday storm will bring bursts of rain, strong winds, and… snow?
-
Denver, CO3 hours agoVon Miller lobbying Broncos to bring him back (here’s the latest update)
