East Wing demolition highlights loopholes in preservation law

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s decision to demolish the East Wing of the White House without consulting preservation agencies and organizations is a reflection in part of the unusual position the building has in historical preservation law.

And when it comes time to jump through bureaucratic hoops to construct the actual 90,000-square-foot ballroom, President Donald Trump has stacked the deck of the local planning commission in such a way as to make approval all but a foregone conclusion.

Sara Bronin, who chaired the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation during the Biden administration, said she’s looking at possible legal remedies, including who may have a cause of action.

“There’s a sense that protections on one of the country’s most important buildings should have been a lot stronger from the start,” Bronin added. “And as we look to what is going to happen next, including plans for construction, I do think we need to get a better understanding about every step that the White House didn’t take this time and must take next time.”

—CQ-Roll Call

Mamdani decries ‘racist’ attacks from mayoral opponents as Cuomo calls him an ‘actor’

NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani condemned “Islamophobic” attacks on his candidacy in an impassioned speech outside a Bronx mosque Friday, accusing his opponents of using “racist, baseless” attacks to undermine his front-runner status.

The candidate, who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, has spoken out about being a target of hate throughout his campaign. He said his opponents — naming Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa — have added to the hateful rhetoric.

His speech came a day after Cuomo came under fire over his role in an exchange during which conservative talk show host Sid Rosenberg said Mamdani would be “cheering” for a second 9/11.

“I thought that if I could build a campaign of universality, I could define myself as the leader I aspire to be, one representing every New Yorker, no matter their skin color or religion, no matter where they were born,” Mamdani said. “... I was wrong. No amount of redirection is ever enough.”

—New York Daily News

Americans agree political violence is rising — but not on the reason why, poll finds

Americans of all stripes agree: Political violence is on the rise. But, the consensus ends there. When it comes to which groups are to blame and what underlying factors are at play, views are splintered, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

The poll — conducted Sept. 22-28 with 3,445 U.S. adults — comes six weeks after Charlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist, was assassinated in Utah, sparking a renewed debate over political violence.

The vast majority of respondents, 85%, said that politically motivated attacks are increasing in the U.S. Meanwhile, 12% said they are remaining steady, while just 3% said they are decreasing.

Nearly identical proportions of Democrats and left-leaning independents (85%) and Republicans and right-leaning independents (86%) said that violence is growing. This popular perception is supported by evidence, experts previously told McClatchy News, pointing to recent assassination attempts on President Donald Trump and the shootings of Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

—Miami Herald

Israel must feel 'comfortable' with Gaza peacekeepers, Rubio says

TEL AVIV — The U.S. government is giving Israel a say in the composition of an international peacekeeping force for the Gaza Strip, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.

The force must be made up of states with which "Israel must feel comfortable," Rubio said on Friday during a visit to the coordination center in Israel that is to monitor the ceasefire.

According to reports, Israel does not want Turkey to send troops into the Palestinian territory. A plan drawn up by the U.S. government for an end to the Gaza war envisages the deployment of international soldiers to secure peace.

Rubio did not want to comment on which states Israel might disagree with. "I just want to say that many countries are expressing interest right now," the U.S. Secretary of State explained. "We have not yet formed this force."

—dpa