How NY lawmakers split on bill to cut aid to Israel

NEW YORK — New York City-area Democratic lawmakers split on a failed measure that would have cut off all U.S. aid to Israel, which for the first time ever garnered the support of half the Democrats in the House of Representatives.

With many moderates and longtime backers of Israel switching sides, Hudson Valley Rep. Pat Ryan voted in favor of cutting off aid and fiercely denounced the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

“Sending $3.3 billion of our taxpayer dollars to Netanyahu’s government (is) wrong on every level,” tweeted Ryan, who had previously received some support from AIPAC. “I expect groups like AIPAC will not support me in my future elections and frankly, I don’t want their support.”

Brooklyn Rep. Hakeem Jeffries led the opposition to the move and kept most other local Democrats in line to oppose the amendment, which won 103-98 among Democrats but failed due to overwhelming opposition from Republicans.

—New York Daily News

California voters still care about the environment, but affordability concerns are rising, poll says

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Even as cost of living concerns rise, and addressing affordability becomes the primary talking point for politicians of both parties, California voters continue to place a high value on environmental issues as they weigh who to vote for in November’s elections, a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California reveals.

The survey, conducted from June 29 to July 6, found that 48% of likely California voters say environmental concerns were very important and 37% said they were somewhat important in shaping their vote for California’s next governor in November.

That sentiment was bipartisan, with 95% of Democrats, 67% of Republicans and 84% of independent voters telling PPIC’s pollsters the environment was very or somewhat important in determining their pick for governor.

Of those voters, 48% called a candidate’s position on the environment “very important,” and 37% said it was somewhat important. That number does not trail too far behind how voters view cost of living concerns. In February, the PPIC found that 61% of voters considered affordability very important when choosing who to vote for.

—The Sacramento Bee

A Tampa mother was awarded millions for her son’s death. She may never see it

Deanna Joseph’s house, once full of life, is now full of boxes. She slips into the past as she packs clothes that belonged to her husband and son. It’s easy to remember Andrew Jr.’s endless jokes, or the way Andrew “Peewee” III loved to wrestle with his dad. They shared the same sense of style, the same laugh, the same spirit.

Now, they lie side by side in a New Orleans cemetery. Joseph III died 12 years ago, when he was struck by an SUV on Interstate 4 after deputies kicked him out of the Florida State Fair.

His parents founded a nonprofit in their son’s name to advocate for policy change that might have saved his life. They also sued the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for wrongful death, enduring six years of litigation before a jury awarded them $15 million.

Joseph Jr. never saw that money. The jury’s verdict has been tied up in an Atlanta appeals court since 2024, and he died in May.

—Tampa Bay Times

Election of new Ukrainian PM overshadowed by defense minister row

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian lawmakers on Thursday confirmed Serhii Koretskyi as the country's new prime minister, amid rare protests in Kyiv over President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's controversial dismissal of his defense minister.

Koretskyi, the former head of the state-run energy company Naftogaz, received 289 votes in parliament, well above the necessary 226. The reshuffle marks the second change of prime minister since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, with Koretskyi replacing the outgoing Julia Svyrydenko.

One of Koretskyi's most important tasks will be to prepare Ukraine for a fifth winter at war with Russia, after strikes on energy infrastructure left millions without heating and water amid months of freezing temperatures earlier this year.

Zelenskyy said last week he was planning a Cabinet reshuffle to strengthen relations with key international partners. The new prime minister's election was overshadowed by Zelenskyy's dismissal of defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Fedorov's sacking sparked unusual wartime demonstrations in the capital and several other cities on Thursday, with hundreds of principally young protesters taking to the streets.

—dpa