Washington
Mr. Suozzi goes back to Washington: Return to Congress for a sensible moderate
The Daily News was glad to endorse Tom Suozzi and repeat our support many times over the past few days and even gladder that our neighbors in Nassau and Queens agreed with us and returned the centrist Democrat to Congress to provide real representation after the aberration of Con(gress)man George Santos.
Suozzi squashed the unknown Santos in 2020, but in 2022, the fraudster snuck in when Suozzi made a failed run for the governorship.
Back in the House, Suozzi has the right priorities: bringing some sense to our busted immigration system with reasonable reforms, urgently needed military aid for democratic allies Ukraine and Israel fending off barbaric invasions from Russia and Hamas and fairness for New Yorkers by repeal of the unfair Trump-era limits on the deductibility of state and local and taxes (called SALT).
His victory also boosts the Democratic strength in the narrowly divided House, hopefully curbing some of the nuttier notions of Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s crazy caucus, which has made horrible history already by decapitating a speaker for the first time ever and impeaching a wholly innocent cabinet secretary, also a first.
Indeed, Johnson jammed through the impeachment of President Biden’s homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, on Tuesday night because he feared Suozzi’s win would have made it impossible.
Suozzi bested Mazi Pilip (a Democrat running on the Republican line) because he was a better candidate who ran a better campaign with a better message. He didn’t win because the district lines were rigged to favor one party over the other. During our endorsement interview, Suozzi told us that if he won the special election, he would run for a full term this November. So that means that he’ll have to start collecting petition signatures for the June 25 primary in just 12 days, on Feb. 27, and won’t even be sworn into office until Feb. 28.
The shape of the district for the next eight years will be decided by the bipartisan state Independent Redistricting Commission and the Democrats in the Legislature because the courts blundered badly. The IRC meets today. They should just leave the current lines alone. In 2022, the Albany Dems bypassed the IRC and drew an ugly ungainly district running around the shores of the Long Island Sound from Suffolk across Nassau, Queens, the Bronx and Westchester all the way to the Connecticut border, an unconstitutional gerrymander.
And it’s not just Suozzi’s constituents who benefit from keeping the current maps in place, all New Yorkers do.
We’d like to note that both the Nassau Board of Elections and the New York City Board of Elections, which runs the show in the Queens slice of the district, use the same voting machine, the DS200, manufactured by Election Systems & Software. Yet on Tuesday night, by 9:15, Queens had 46% of their vote counted and reported to the public, while Nassau had 0% counted. At 9:47, Queens was 99% complete; Nassau was still at 0%. Hey, Nassau, learn a lesson from the city board (we can’t believe we are saying that).
As for Suozzi, he’ll be collecting petition signatures on Feb. 27, but on Feb. 28, his first act when he’s sworn in should be to sign a discharge petition organized by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to force a floor vote on aid for Ukraine and Israel.
DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Foyesade Oluokun, TE Brenton Strange, S Eric Murray, and S Antonio Johnson speak with the media after practice on Thursday ahead of the Wild Card Matchup vs. Bills.
0:00 – 2:28 – DE Dawuane Smoot
2:29 – 6:24 – LB Foyesade Oluokun
6:25 – 9:25 – TE Brenton Strange
9:26 – 11:32 – S Eric Murray
11:33 – 13:46 – S Antonio Johnson
DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional U.S. military bases as “legitimate targets”, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament.
Sign up here.
Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by William Mallard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Washington
Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics
The Washington National Opera on Friday announced it is parting ways with the Kennedy Center after more than a decade with the arts institution.
“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.
The decoupling marks another high-profile withdrawal since President Donald Trump and his newly installed board of trustees instituted broad thematic and cosmetic changes to the building, including renaming the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The opera said it plans to “reduce its spring season and relocate performances to new venues.”
A source familiar with the dynamic told CNN the decision to part ways was made by the opera’s board and its leadership, and that the decision was not mutual.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who was appointed by Trump’s hand-picked board, said on X, “Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”
Grenell added, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”
Since taking the reins at the center, Grenell has cut existing staff, hired political allies and mandated a “break-even policy” for every performance.
The opera said the new policy was a factor in its decision to leave the center.
“The Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance—a requirement incompatible with opera operations,” the opera said.
Francesca Zambello, the opera’s artistic director, said she is “deeply saddened to leave The Kennedy Center.”
“In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision,” she said.
The New York Times first reported the opera’s departure.
Founded in 1956 as the “Opera Society of Washington,” the group has performed across the district, taking permanent residency in the Kennedy Center in 2011.
The performing arts center has been hit with a string of abrupt cancellations from artists in recent weeks including the jazz group The Cookers and New York City-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers who canceled their performances after Trump’s name was added to the center – a living memorial for assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
The American College Theater Festival voted to suspend its relationship with the Kennedy Center, calling the affiliation “no longer viable” and citing concerns over a misalignment of the group’s values.
American banjo player Béla Fleck withdrew his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying that performing at the center has become “charged and political.”
The Brentano String Quartet, who canceled their February 1 performance at the Kennedy Center, said they will “regretfully forego performing there.”
CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center on the additional cancellations.
The opera said, “The Board and management of the company wish the Center well in its own future endeavors.”
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.
When will the big nor’easters return? Boston in midst of second-longest streak without hefty snowfalls. – The Boston Globe
Broncos healthy compared to Bills
UPDATE: Another incident reported near ‘the curve’ toward southwest end of westbound West Seattle Bridge
Morning Report: Newsom Pumps the Brakes on Homelessness Funding
Milwaukee County gets $25M federal grant for 67 road safety projects
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
San Antonio ends its abortion travel fund after new state law, legal action
UN top court set to open Myanmar Rohingya genocide case
Arson engulfs Mississippi synagogue, a congregation once bombed by Ku Klux Klan
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from enforcing mail-in voting rules in executive order
Four killed, 20 injured in overnight Russian strikes across Ukraine
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology6 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX4 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Delaware3 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Dallas, TX1 week agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Iowa6 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Montana2 days agoService door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says
-
Health1 week agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits