Adams, potential NYC mayoral challengers to rally support at Puerto Rico conference day after Election Day
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday he intends to attend an annual political conference in Puerto Rico the day after Election Day, as potential rivals of the incumbent Democrat mayor also will be in attendance to lobby for support in 2025. At his weekly press conference, Adams, who endorsed Vice President Harris for president and was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, was asked who he was voting for and if he planned on attending the SOMOS conference. “I always look forward to going to SOMOS. I think I’ve missed a couple of years. I’m planning on going, I’m not 100% sure. I would like to go,” Adams said. “It’s a good time to convene with folks in Puerto Rico. So, I have plans on going.” “But, you know, I got a lot of stuff going on I have to do in the city,” the mayor added a day before the Nov. 5 election. “And if I can get a lot done before next week, then I’ll definitely go. But I’m not going to stay long, no matter what. I made it clear who I endorse, and who I endorse is who I’m voting for. Made that very clear. I was a delegate in Chicago.” TRUMP DENIES KNOWING COMEDIAN WHO TOLD CRUDE JOKE ABOUT PUERTO RICO: ‘I HAVE NO IDEA WHO HE IS’ Last week, Adams raised eyebrows after repeatedly declining to criticize former President Trump, refusing to say when he last spoke with the Republican nominee or whether he was angling for a pardon should Trump win re-election. Trump has suggested that the DOJ indicted Adams for criticizing the federal government’s response to the migrant crisis. Trump also mentioned Adams by name at his Madison Square Garden rally, thanking the Democratic mayor for saying Trump should not be comparedto German dilator Adolf Hitler or be called a “fascist.” The annual SOMOS conference begins Wednesday in San Juan. Adams attended in 2021 and 2022. He did not go last year. Days before the conference was scheduled to start in 2023, the FBI seized Adams’ cell phone in connection to a federal corruption investigation. The Justice Department indicted Adams in September on bribery, campaign finance, and conspiracy offenses. The indictment accuses Adams of accepting flight upgrades and other luxury travel perks valued at $100,000 along with illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals looking to buy his influence. In exchange, prosecutors say, Adams performed favors benefiting the Turkish government, including pressuring the fire department in 2021 to approve the opening of a consulate that it deemed unsafe. Adams held a different elected position at the time, Brooklyn borough president, but by then it was clear that he would become mayor. Adams has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His federal trial will begin next April, a judge ruled Friday, right in the thick of his promised reelection campaign. ANDREW CUOMO FACES DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION AS RUMORS GROW THAT HE WILL MOUNT NYC MAYORAL BID: REPORT The SOMOS conference will provide an opportunity for any of Adams’ potential primary challengers to court support in Puerto Rico ahead of the 2025 mayoral election, City & State New York reported. Mayoral hopefuls already held their first candidate forum in the Bronx on the first day of early voting, according to the outlet. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, city Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sens. Jessica Ramos and Zellnor Myrie, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer and Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani were among those at that meeting. Rumors suggest former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will mount a mayoral bid. It’s unclear if he’ll attend SOMOS. U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho set the mayor’s trial date on Friday, as Adams returned to Manhattan federal court for a hearing on his bid to eliminate a key charge in the indictment that threatens his political future. Ho said he’s confident the April 21, 2025, date will hold, “assuming nothing unexpected comes up.” At the same time, prosecutors said they still haven’t been able to crack a potentially crucial piece of evidence: Adams’ personal cellphone. According to his indictment, Adams changed his password just before giving the phone to authorities, then claimed he forgot it. Adams’ lawyers are fighting to throw out a bribery charge, one of five counts against the first-term Democrat. They argued the charge doesn’t meet the U.S. Supreme Court’s recently narrowed threshold for the crime and shouldn’t apply to Adams because it involves allegations dating to before he became mayor.
Battleground states’ recount rules vary widely, here’s a look at how they work
Each of the seven major battleground states has different rules governing how – and when – candidates can request ballot recounts in the event of a close election. Now, as voters continue to cast their ballots this Election Day, here’s a rundown of the rules each of the seven swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – use before ordering a recount, and the various types of recount requests candidates can legally submit. Arizona: Arizona law allows for an automatic recount if the candidate with the most votes leads the closest competitor by half of 1% or less of total votes cast for both contenders. Georgia: Georgia law does not require any automatic recounts – however, a recount can be requested by either candidate if the winner’s margin of victory is 0.5% or less. The request must be made within two days of the state’s certification of the results. Michigan: Michigan law allows candidates to request a recount on the grounds of “suspected fraud or error” within a precinct. The law requires candidates to submit their request – as well as a deposit – for each precinct where they are seeking a recount within six days of the conclusion of the canvassing process. Nevada: Nevada allows candidates to send a written request for a recount within three business days of its state result certification. Like Michigan, candidates must pay the advance deposit ahead of time to cover any estimated recount costs. The recount also must begin within five days of the Nevada Secretary of State’s office receiving the request. SUPREME COURT TEMPORARILY HALTS LOWER COURT RULING ORDERING 1,600 VOTERS BACK ON VIRGINIA VOTER ROLLS North Carolina: Candidates may submit a written recount request if the margin of victory is “less than or equal to half of 1% of the vote, or fewer than 10,000 votes,” according to the North Carolina General Assembly. The request must be made by noon on the second business day after the county canvas process concludes. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania law allows three separate types of recounts: statewide automatic recounts ordered by the secretary of the commonwealth; recounts ordered by a county election board; and recounts that are ordered by the court. An automatic recount occurs if a candidate’s margin of victory is no more than 0.5% of total votes cast. In this case, a recount submission must be submitted to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s office no later than 5 p.m. on the second Thursday after Election Day. Any request for a court-ordered recount must be filed by at least three qualified electors within five days of the end of canvassing, according to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s office. An advance deposit is also required. In the case of any fraud, state laws allows relevant parties to have five additional days to continue counting ballots. Read more on Keystone State recounts here. Wisconsin: Wisconsin law allows candidates to file a sworn recount petition with the state clerk or local officer, stating both the areas they are seeking a recount in and their basis for requesting a recount. Candidates must indicate belief of mistake or fraud. The request must be made by 5 p.m. on the third business day after the board of canvassers certifies the election results, according to the Wisconsin State Election Board. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Asia’s export-driven economies brace for upheaval under Trump
Taipei, Taiwan – Asia is bracing for disruption should American voters return Donald Trump to the White House, with his plans for sweeping tariffs threatening to hobble the region’s export-driven growth. Trump, who ran neck-and-neck with Vice President Kamala Harris in polls before Tuesday’s presidential election in the United States, has pledged to impose tariffs of 60 percent or more on Chinese imports and tariffs of 10 to 20 percent on all other foreign goods. The trade measures would come on top of tariffs on $380bn worth of Chinese goods that Trump imposed during his first term and current President Joe Biden kept in place. Trump’s duties could result in a particularly serious economic fallout in Asia, home to many of the world’s most trade-dependent economies. The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have an average trade-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio of 90 percent, double the global average, according to the Hinrich Foundation, a trade-focused philanthropic organisation based in Singapore. Emerging East Asia’s trade-to-GDP ratio is higher still, at 105 percent, according to the Brookings Institution, a Washington, DC-based think tank. “We can expect that there will be some type of move to turn US policy more protectionist, and that’s bad for Asia because most of the region’s economies, if not all the economies, are incredibly reliant on external demand – specifically demand coming from the US,” Nick Marro, principal economist for Asia at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told Al Jazeera. Former US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan [Evan Vucci/AP] While parts of Asia benefited from the initial US-China trade war as companies shifted production away from China, the broad-based tariffs Trump has proposed this time around would inflict economic damage across the region, analysts said. Oxford Economics has said that “non-China Asia” would be a net loser with the region’s exports and imports predicted to fall 8 percent and 3 percent, respectively. Last week, Trump’s plans prompted a rare warning from the head of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, Rohit Sipahimalani, who said the tariffs could “create uncertainty” and “impact global growth”. “He’ll do what he said he’s going to do. He’ll impose tariffs, and he’ll impose them quickly,” Steve Okun, the founder and CEO of Singapore-based APAC Advisors, told Al Jazeera. “This is not going to be like the first term, where it’s going to be a year or two before he does anything.” With Chinese companies likely to divert more production to Southeast Asia to circumvent higher tariffs, Trump could also ramp up measures targeting exports from countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, Marro said. “These all point to a pretty worrisome outlook when it comes to the wider region,” he said. Asia could also potentially move to impose tariffs of its own to combat dumping by Chinese companies seeking markets to replace the US. Such concerns in January prompted Malaysia to impose a 10 percent tariff on certain low-value goods while Indonesia last month banned ultra-cheap Chinese e-commerce site Temu in a bid to protect domestic companies. In a number of cases, Trump has singled out particular economies over what he alleges are their unfair trade practices. Trump has, for example, repeatedly accused Taiwan of “stealing” the global chip industry from the US. Like China and Vietnam, Taiwan has a large trade surplus with the US, which is a source of aggravation for Trump, said Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation. “Not only is Trump obsessed with goods, but the metric that he uses for assessing whether the United States is winning or losing is a trade deficit in goods,” Elms told Al Jazeera. “If you are on the wrong side of that metric, … you’re going to be in trouble.” Despite many of these concerns, Trump may be no worse for the region than Harris if Biden’s protectionist policies are any guide to how his vice president might govern, said Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. While Biden is seen as less unpredictable than Trump, he not only kept his predecessor’s tariffs on Chinese goods but also imposed new tariffs affecting $18bn worth of imports including steel, semiconductors and electric vehicles. Biden has also implemented protectionist policies through legislation such as the CHIPS Act, which aims to boost semiconductor production in the US and keep advanced chips out of Chinese hands. Harris is widely expected to continue or expand Biden’s policies towards trade and industry although she has gone into little detail during the presidential campaign. “At the moment, it looks like from a purely protectionist stance Harris will be more protectionist, but there’s not that element of uncertainty and anti-globalisation that comes with Trump that can get out of control,” Menon told Al Jazeera. Shipping containers at a port in Singapore [Wong Maye-E/AP] Julien Chaisse, an expert in international economic law at the City University of Hong Kong, said that while Harris may be more of a team player than Trump on economic issues, she is likely to follow many of the same protectionist principles. “Harris may also pursue deeper cooperation with Asian allies on AI and cybersecurity to protect supply chains and counter Chinese influence in tech. Though less confrontational than Trump, Harris’s policy would likely maintain some scrutiny on Chinese investments in critical infrastructure across Asia,” Chaisse told Al Jazeera. Other observers in the region, such as Liew Chin Tong, Malaysia’s deputy minister of investment, trade and industry, have voiced similar sentiments. In an interview with The Straits Times this week, Liew said the difference between Trump and Harris was a matter of “intensity” rather than “direction”. “Trump will definitely take a far more isolationist and America First approach, but it doesn’t mean Harris will be able to take the world back to 1995 when the WTO [World Trade Organization] was formed,” Liew told the newspaper. Another difference between Trump and Harris could be simple timing. While Trump would be likely to take advantage
French court jails 18 members of English Channel people-smuggling network
The longest sentence of 15 years is given to Iraqi national Mirkhan Rasoul, who was accused of leading the network. A French court has found 18 people guilty in a major people-smuggling trial that has shed light on the often deadly business of transporting migrants and refugees on small boats across the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom. The defendants were swept up in a pan-European police operation in 2022 that led to dozens of arrests. The longest sentence of 15 years in prison was handed down on Tuesday to Iraqi national Mirkhan Rasoul, 26, who was accused of being the leader of the network and coordinating its actions from his French prison cell after previous convictions. The sentences issued by the court in the northern city of Lille for the other 17 accused, who included one woman, ranged from two to 10 years in prison. “These sentences are obviously very severe,” Kamel Abbas, a lawyer who represented one of the defendants already imprisoned in France, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press news agency. “That’s a testimony of the scale of the case and of the intention to severely punish the smugglers.” Most of the defendants were not in court for the verdicts and sentencing. Some attended the trial remotely from various prisons in northern France while others are not in custody. Arrest warrants have been issued for nine of the other defendants who were convicted in absentia. Fourteen of the 18 defendants are from Iraq, and the others come from Iran, Poland, France and the Netherlands. “The defendants are not volunteers helping their fellow humans but merchants of death,” the prosecutor said during the trial, describing how boats were loaded with passengers “up to 15 times their theoretical capacity”. An investigation found that this particular network from 2020 to 2022 had great control over crossings from France to the UK, which have cost dozens of lives in recent years. More than 50 searches led to the seizure of 1,200 life jackets, nearly 150 inflatable boats and 50 boat engines during operations carried out jointly by France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Britain and coordinated by the Europol and Eurojust agencies. People who made the crossing from France are brought into port after being picked up in the channel by a British border force [File: Matt Dunham/AP] ‘Sole motive was profit’ Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said in a statement that one of the men convicted had been arrested by British authorities and extradited to France for the trial. Kaiwan Poore, 40, was detained by British officers at Manchester Airport as he tried to board a flight to Turkey in July 2022. He was given a five-year sentence by the Lille court. The NCA said each single crossing of migrants and refugees from France to England stood to net the criminal network about 100,000 euros ($109,000) in profit. The trial was held during what has been a particularly deadly year for attempted crossings of the English Channel, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. More than 31,000 people have made the perilous crossing so far this year, more than in all of 2023, though fewer than in 2022. At least 56 people have died in the attempts this year, according to French officials, making 2024 the deadliest year since the crossings began surging in 2018. British and French authorities are seeking to improve cooperation to stop the people-smuggling networks after several years during which post-Brexit tensions appeared to hamper attempts to tackle the problem. The NCA said a number of those convicted in the trial had been identified thanks to the Joint Intelligence Cell, a specialist British-French unit based in northern France set up to target people smugglers. “Their sole motive was profit, and they didn’t care about the fate of migrants they were putting to sea in wholly inappropriate and dangerous boats,” NCA Deputy Director Craig Turner said. He said the network was “among the most prolific we have come across” in terms of the number of crossings. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to “smash the gangs” behind the trade and said people smuggling should be put on a par with global “terrorism”. Adblock test (Why?)
Software glitch hits Pennsylvania county forcing extension of voting hours
NewsFeed Officials say a software issue which stops ballots being scanned has delayed many people from casting their vote in a county in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. Published On 5 Nov 20245 Nov 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Obama releases Election Day video saying ‘this is going to be close’
Former President Barack Obama released a new video on Tuesday telling Americans that “this election is going to be close.” “In some states, just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner. So, you need to get out there and vote,” Obama said in an Election Day message posted on X. “So tell your family, talk to your neighbors, make a plan — go to the polls with your friends and vote. Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Obama added. His remarks come after Michelle Obama warned Americans to “vote like your lives depend on it.” ELECTION DAY 2024: LIVE UPDATES “If there’s someone in your life you’ve been meaning to talk to, now is the time. Send your loved ones a text or give them a call to make sure they’ve voted,” she wrote on X. “Time is running out for us to make an impact on this election — so if you’re feeling anxious or worried, get out there and do something!” she added. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris also have posted messages on their X accounts asking Americans to head to polling places. TRUMP CASTS VOTE IN PALM BEACH, SAYS ‘THIS WAS THE BEST CAMPAIGN WE RAN’ “TODAY is our last chance to defeat the corrupt establishment. GET OUT AND VOTE!” Trump said in one message. “Voter enthusiasm is THROUGH THE ROOF because people want to Make America Great Again. That means lines are going to be long!” Trump said in another. “I need you to deliver your vote no matter how long it takes. STAY IN LINE! The Radical Communist Democrats want you to pack up and go home.” Harris described today as “your last chance to make an impact in this election” and that Americans should “help reach every last voter before polls close.”
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Harris spends last few campaign moments with ‘Squad’ member AOC
Vice President Harris used her remaining campaign time before Election Day to make a stop in Pennsylvania alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a member of the progressive “Squad.” Harris visited Old San Juan Café in Reading with Ocasio-Cortez and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday night. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn., and Reading Mayor Eddie Moran also joined. Supporters chanted “Sí, se puede” and “Kamala” as the vice president’s motorcade pulled up to the café. Harris chatted with some diners inside and later ordered cassava, yellow rice and pork, saying, “I’m very hungry” as she noted that she has been too busy campaigning to find time to eat. Diana de La Rosa, owner of the café, told the Reading Eagle that she was glad the vice president took the time to visit her business. HARRIS GREETS PENNSYLVANIA FAMILY ON PORCH, SUGGESTS STAGING ‘DOOR KNOCK’ “[Harris] said she was very proud of me, that my restaurant is beautiful, and that she is very proud of women in business,” de La Rosa told the outlet. While in Reading, Harris also canvassed with supporters, knocking on doors. LIBERTY BELLWETHERS: FIVE PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES TO WATCH ON ELECTION NIGHT Harris stopped at the café between campaign rallies in Allentown, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Trump started his final day campaigning in North Carolina before finishing in Michigan, though he spoke in Reading and Pittsburgh in between. Pennsylvania has the most Electoral College votes of any battleground state, making it the top prize of the campaign. A victory there would clear a path to White House for either candidate. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump casts vote in Palm Beach, says ‘this was the best campaign we ran’
Former President Donald Trump declared on Election Day that he has no regrets and “this was the best campaign we ran” after casting his ballot in Palm Beach, Florida. “I ran a great campaign. I think it was maybe the best of the three,” Trump said, referring to his victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 and his loss to President Joe Biden four years later. “We did great in the first one. We did much better in the second one, but something happened. And, this was the best, I would say this was the best campaign we ran,” Trump said. Trump also told the media that “I’m hearing the same things you are hearing” when asked if he foresees a scenario in which he doesn’t declare victory tonight. ELECTION DAY 2024: LIVE UPDATES “I’m hearing states where I’m up by a lot, but they won’t have a final number for a long time,” the Republican said. “I’m hearing in Pennsylvania they won’t have an answer until two or three days from now. I think it’s an absolute outrage if that is the case, now maybe it will be later [tonight],” he added. When asked if he has any speeches ready, Trump says he does not. “I did speeches last night. All day long. All night long. At 2:00 in the morning, we left, we did a lot of speeches,” Trump said. “I’m not a Democrat. I’m able to make a speech on pretty quick notice – if I win, I know what I’m going to say. And I don’t even want to think about the losing part,” Trump told reporters. FBI WARNS VOTERS ABOUT FABRICATED VIDEOS AIMED AT ELECTION DAY DECEPTION Trump said people who are concerned that he won’t concede if he loses the election are “crazy.” “If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I’d be the first one to acknowledge it,” Trump said. Trump also said “I think we are going to have a very big victory today.” “We have a great country, but we have a country that’s in trouble. That’s in big trouble in many ways. And we have to straighten it out,” he added.