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An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood thought to have originated in contaminated cooling towers has killed five people and put 14 in the hospital, health officials said on Monday.”The NYC Health Department is currently investigating a community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem,” the New York City health department said in a statement.”As of August 18, there are 108 confirmed cases, five deaths, 14 currently hospitalized.”Legionnaires’ disease, which is not directly contagious from person to person, is caused by bacteria that can multiply in water and air conditioning systems.Spreading through contaminated droplets, the bug can cause fever and pneumonia, especially among people with weak immune systems.The disease takes its name from the first known outbreak, which occurred in 1976 at a hotel in Philadelphia where the American Legion military veterans’ association was holding a conference.More than 220 people fell ill, of whom 34 died.”The Health Department has sampled and tested water from cooling towers in the investigation zone. Any cooling towers with initial positive results for Legionella bacteria have completed the treatment required by the Health Department,” New York’s health department said in its statement. “This community outbreak is not related to a building’s hot or cold water supply.”

Law enforcement used excessive force and deliberate brutality against Los Angeles protesters and journalists during demonstrations against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in June, a Human Rights Watch report said Monday.Scores of people were injured as officers fired hard foam rounds, flash-bang grenades, pepper balls and tear gas from close range, during the largely peaceful response to a dramatic increase in immigration arrests across Southern California.”Law enforcement officers…used brutal, excessive, and unnecessary force against people standing up for human rights and those reporting on the protests,” said Ida Sawyer, the rights group’s crisis, conflict and arms director.The protests erupted on June 6, in anger at raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has been ordered by the Trump administration to target undocumented migrants across the sprawling, heavily Latino city.The demonstrations were mainly confined to a small section of downtown Los Angeles. Largely non-violent, they at times spiraled into chaotic scenes that Trump pounced on to send 4,000 National Guard and 700 Marines into the city — a move loudly protested by local officials.Compiling the report, Human Rights Watch staff observed protests, visited locations of immigration raids in mid-June, and interviewed dozens of people.The report documented 65 cases in which law enforcement officers injured protesters and journalists but warned that the “actual number is most likely much higher.”On one occasion, a police officer shot three people at “very close range with kinetic impact projectiles,” leaving them in serious pain for days.”Before shooting one of them in the groin, the officer said: ‘I’m going to pop you, as you are taking up my focus,'” the report found.Other reported injuries included broken bones, concussions, an amputated finger, and severe eye damage.In a statement, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it “does not deploy less-lethal tools indiscriminately.” “Such tools are used only when all de-escalation efforts have been exhausted,” it added. The law enforcement agency said any time a deputy uses force, they are required to report it to a supervisor and undergo “a thorough, fair, and objective review,” including analyzing evidence and video footage to determine “that the actions taken were objectively reasonable and fully aligned” with policy.An Agence France-Presse photographer was shot in the face with a rubber bullet by law enforcement while covering a protest in downtown Los Angeles on June 14. At least three other journalists were also injured.The US Constitution guarantees the right to free speech and peaceful assembly, and protects against the use of excessive force by law enforcement. California has laws restricting the use of “less lethal weapons” during protests, and protecting the rights of journalists.

Russian and Ukrainian presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky looked set for a peace summit after fast-moving talks Monday between Donald Trump and European leaders that focused on the key issue of long-term security guarantees for Kyiv.Hopes of a breakthrough rose after Trump said he had spoken by phone with Russian counterpart Putin — whom he met in Alaska last week — following a “very good” meeting with the Europeans and the Ukrainian president at the White House.It would be the first meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders since Moscow’s brutal invasion nearly three and a half years ago, and comes as Trump tries to live up to his promise to quickly end the war.Trump, 79, wrote on his Truth Social network that “everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine.””At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky,” Trump said.Trump said he would then hold a three-way summit with the Ukrainian and Russian leaders.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Putin had agreed to the bilateral meeting within the next two weeks, but there was no confirmation of a date or location.- Zelensky ‘ready’ to meet Putin -Zelensky confirmed to reporters outside the White House he was “ready” for a bilateral with bitter foe Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine has led to tens of thousands of deaths.In Moscow, a Kremlin aide said that Putin was open to the “idea” of direct talks with Ukraine.The Ukraine war has ground to a virtual stalemate despite a few recent Russian advances, but Trump’s summit with Putin last Friday failed to produce any ceasefire.Zelensky then rushed to the White House to meet with Trump after the US president increasingly pushed the Ukrainian leader to make concessions to Russia.The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission and NATO then announced that they would be coming too, in a pointed show of support.Zelensky also met one-on-one in the Oval Office with Trump in their first encounter in the heart of the US presidency since their acrimonious blow-up there in February.The Ukrainian president said the meeting was their “best” yet, with little of the tensions that erupted when Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated him in front of TV cameras for not being “grateful” for US support.Trump even complimented Zelensky on his black jacket, after the Ukrainian was criticized by right-wing media because he failed to change his trademark war-leader’s outfit for a suit during the February visit.- ‘Security guarantees’ -The US president meanwhile said he had discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, adding that Putin had agreed to them despite ruling out Kyiv’s long-held dream of joining the NATO alliance.Trump said the guarantees “would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America.” NATO chief Mark Rutte told reporters at the White House it was a “very successful meeting” with “the president really breaking the deadlock.””Today was really about security guarantees, the US getting more involved there, and all the details to be hammered out over the coming days,” he said.The Financial Times, citing a document seen by the newspaper, said Ukraine had undertaken to buy $100 billion of US weapons financed by Europe in return for US guarantees for its security.Zelensky later spoke to reporters about a $90 billion package, and said Ukraine and its allies would formalize the terms of the security guarantees within 10 days.The presence of the European leaders however also underscored continuing nervousness about whether Trump will pivot towards Putin as he has on a number of occasions.Trump had pushed Ukraine ahead of the meeting to give up Crimea and abandon its goal of joining NATO — both key demands made by Putin.French President Emmanuel Macron called Monday for stepping up sanctions against Russia if Putin does not move forward on peace with Ukraine.Finnish President Alex Stubb said Putin was not “to be trusted.”Germany’s Merz meanwhile said Ukraine should not be forced to surrender its Donbas region to Russia in talks.”The Russian demand that Kyiv give up the free parts of Donbas corresponds, to put it bluntly, to a proposal for the United States to have to give up Florida,” Merz told reporters.

The fates of nations have rarely, if ever, been decided by sartorial choices.But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was certainly hoping that a spot of fashion diplomacy Monday could get US counterpart Donald Trump to help his country reach a peace deal with Russia.Despite the life-and-death matters unfolding in Ukraine, much of the speculation among the White House press corps was about whether Zelensky would wear a suit.In February, Ukraine’s wartime leader was ridiculed by a right-wing US reporter for wearing military-style garb instead of a business suit when he visited the Oval Office.That mocking exchange set the tone for an astonishing blow-up a few minutes later when Trump and Vice President JD Vance proceeded to berate Zelensky for not being “grateful” for US support against Russia’s invasion.What a difference six months makes.”I can’t believe it, I love it!” said Trump, 79, as he admired Zelensky’s smart black jacket and collared black shirt upon the Ukrainian leader’s arrival at the White House.”It’s the best I had,” joked Zelensky, a former television comedian before turning president.- ‘You look fabulous!’ -The light-hearted appreciation for the 47-year-old’s outfit continued inside the Oval Office itself — the scene of Zelensky’s earlier humiliation.”President Zelensky, you look fabulous in that suit!” said Brian Glenn, the reporter for Real America’s Voice who had asked the original question back in February.Trump joined in, saying “I said the same thing” — and telling Zelensky that “that’s the one that attacked you last time.””I remember,” deadpanned the Ukrainian, before adding to the American reporter that “you are wearing the same suit” as six months ago.Zelensky also turned on the charm for Trump — a billionaire who is rarely seen in anything except one of his trademark tailored blue suits — in other ways.He brought a letter for Melania Trump from his wife Olena thanking the US first lady for writing to Putin and urging him to save children’s lives.The focus on Zelensky’s outfit — instead of the nitty-gritty of peace negotiations to end a war that has killed tens of thousands of people — may seem bizarre to some.But it also underscores the extent to which foreign leaders have had to woo a notoriously capricious US president.- ‘Do I look ok?’ -Zelensky in particular has had to work hard to win over Trump, who has long been skeptical about US support for Ukraine and its multi-billion-dollar war cost.Trump has also openly expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, not least during their extraordinary cordial greetings during their summit in Alaska last week.The US leader had also echoed several of Putin’s talking points about the war, including in recent days on the need for Ukraine to give up Crimea and its ambitions of joining NATO.Hence the multi-pronged diplomatic offensive at the White House on Monday — beginning with Zelensky and his black jacket, and followed up with a posse of European leaders.The Europeans paid homage to what they said were Trump’s efforts to reach a peace deal, but their visit was also designed as a show of support for Kyiv against any call for too many concessions.The Ukrainian was reportedly given training on how to deal with Trump by European leaders, especially Finnish President Alexander Stubb — who himself wore a double-breasted suit and won praise from the American president for his youthful vigor.Zelensky was notably less pugnacious than in February — and even thanked Trump for a map that showed how much territory Russia had taken from Ukraine.NATO chief Mark Rutte meanwhile made light of the debate about Zelensky’s attire.”Do I look OK?” the Dutchman said to Trump’s protocol chief with a laugh as he buttoned up his suit jacket on arrival at the White House.

Newsmax is to pay $67 million to a voting technology firm over false claims the pro-Trump cable television channel made about the 2020 US presidential election.The settlement of the defamation case brought by Dominion Voting Systems was announced in a filing by Newsmax on Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).Under the settlement agreement, Newsmax said it had paid Dominion $27 million on Friday and would pay $20 million in 2026 and the final $20 million in 2027.Fox News settled a similar defamation lawsuit with Dominion in 2023 for $787.5 million and the Rupert Murdoch-owned television network has also been sued by another voting technology company, Smartmatic.Dominion filed a defamation suit against Newsmax in 2021 over false claims that its voting technology was used to rig the 2020 election, in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican Donald Trump.Dominion sought $1.6 billion in damages over baseless allegations aired on Newsmax that the company’s software had altered vote counts.Newsmax settled a defamation suit with Smartmatic for $40 million last year, averting a trial. In a statement, Newsmax said it had agreed to settle with Dominion because it did not believe it could receive a fair trial from the Delaware judge presiding over the case.”The pattern of judicial rulings that consistently denied Newsmax due process left the Company to believe it would not receive a fair trial,” Newsmax said. “Faced with these rulings and other constraints, Newsmax chose to settle.”Newsmax has always maintained that its reporting was not defamatory and that its coverage was consistent with accepted journalistic standards,” the company said.”We stand by our coverage as fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism,” it added.Dominion, in its complaint against Newsmax, had accused the conservative TV channel of “feeding its audience a torrent of lies that supported the false narrative that President Trump won the election.””Newsmax helped create and cultivate an alternate reality where up is down, pigs have wings, and Dominion engaged in a colossal fraud to steal the presidency from Donald Trump by rigging the vote,” Dominion said.

Mississippi will send some 200 National Guard personnel to Washington, its governor said Monday, where they will join hundreds more from other Republican-led states to double the number of troops in the US capital.US President Donald Trump last week ordered the deployment of National Guard forces in Washington as part of what he has billed as a crackdown on crime in the city, despite statistics showing violent offenses are in fact down.”I’ve approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard soldiers to Washington, DC, to support President Trump’s effort to return law and order to our nation’s capital,” Governor Tate Reeves said in a statement.The announcement followed others over the weekend from the governors of Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina who said they would send troops from their states.Ohio will provide 150 and South Carolina around 200, while West Virginia will send approximately 350, some of whom have already begun to arrive, according to a statement from the joint task force responsible for the mission.They will join 800 troops from the DC National Guard who have already been mobilized for the mission. It was not immediately clear why forces from other states were being sent instead of additional personnel from Washington.The overwhelmingly Democratic US capital faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged.However, data from Washington police shows significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, although that was coming off the back of a post-pandemic surge.The deployment of troops in Washington comes after Trump dispatched the National Guard and Marines to quell unrest in Los Angeles, California, that was spurred by immigration enforcement raids.That deployment marked the first time since 1965 that a US president deployed the National Guard against the wishes of a state governor.

Dozens of Democratic legislators who fled Texas to halt an aggressive redistricting drive ended their two-week standoff on Monday, clearing the way for a new electoral map pushed by President Donald Trump.As the Republican-led Texas House reached a necessary quorum to get back to business and address proposed congressional maps, Democratic-ruled California confirmed it would punch back with electoral map changes of its own.With the Democrats’ return to Austin, the Texas House began its moves towards approving a map that carves out five new Republican-friendly US congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.Trump on Monday posted the proposed map of Texas on his Truth Social platform, calling it “one of the most popular initiatives I have ever supported” and calling on Republicans to “Please pass this Map, ASAP.”More than 50 Texas Democrats had stalled legislative business with their walk-out, making national headlines as they visited blue strongholds New York, Illinois and California and sought to draw attention to the rare mid-decade redistricting push.”When Republicans tried to silence minority voters through racist gerrymandering, Texas House Democrats answered the call,” the Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement on the legislators’ return.”After rallying Americans to join this existential battle for democracy, we’re returning to Texas on our terms — ready to build the legal record needed to defeat these unconstitutional maps in court. The fight continues.”The Texas moves triggered an escalating redistricting battle across the country, with Republican governors in several states exploring new maps aimed at protecting the party’s razor-thin majority in the US House of Representatives.Politico reported that Republicans could draw as many as 10 new seats and are targeting Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, Indiana, South Carolina and Florida.- ‘Choice to fight back’  -On Monday, California state lawmakers introduced their own legislative package, with three bills to create a voter referendum this year for a new congressional map that would effectively counteract any new Republican  Texas congressional seats.If approved in the state of 39 million residents, the referendum would appear on California’s November 4 ballot.”California and Californians have been uniquely targeted by the Trump Administration, and we are not going to sit idle while they command Texas and other states to rig the next election to keep power — pursuing more extreme and unpopular policies,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement Monday. “This proposal would give Californians a choice to fight back — and bring much needed accountability and oversight to the Trump Administration.”Districts are usually redrawn every 10 years after the national census and are supposed to be based on its findings, so that districts accurately represent the people who live there.New York Democrats may follow suit, with Governor Kathy Hochul calling the Texas redistricting plan nothing short of a “legal insurrection.”The Texas Democrats amassed daily fines of $500 each during their absence and were slapped with lawsuits from Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who tried to remove them from office. State House speaker Dustin Burrows issued civil arrest warrants.But the group only agreed to return after denying a vote on the new map during a first special legislative session, and after California lawmakers agreed to redraw their own maps.Abbott called a second special session that began on Friday.

US President Donald Trump said Monday he had started arranging a peace summit between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, after intensive talks with Zelensky and European leaders at the White House.Trump said he had spoken by phone with Putin — whom he met in Alaska last week — following a “very good” meeting with the Europeans and the Ukrainian president in the White House.”At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.Trump, 79, said that he himself would then hold a three-way summit with the Ukrainian and Russian leaders.”Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” Trump wrote.Putin told Trump that he was ready to meet Zelensky, a source familiar with talks told AFP.The US president also said he had discussed security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace deal with Russia, with Europe taking the lead and coordinating with Washington.Trump said earlier that Putin had agreed to Western security guarantees for Ukraine, despite the Russian leader ruling out Kyiv’s long-held dream of joining the NATO alliance.”During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America,” Trump said on Truth Social.- Zelensky hails ‘best’ meeting -The White House was the venue for an extraordinary — and pointed — meeting gathering Trump with Zelensky plus the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission and NATO.Zelensky also met one-on-one in the Oval Office with Trump in their first encounter in the heart of the US presidency since their acrimonious blow-up there in February.The Ukrainian president said the meeting was their “best” yet.This time the atmosphere was far calmer than when Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky in front of TV cameras less than six months ago for not being “grateful” for US support.Trump even complimented Zelensky on his black jacket, after the Ukrainian was criticized by right-wing media because he failed to change his trademark war-leader’s outfit for a suit during the February visit.The US president meanwhile expressed optimism over the chances of ending Russia’s invasion .”In a week or two weeks, we’re going to know whether or not we’re going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue,” Trump said as he opened the meeting.The presence of the European leaders however also underscored continuing nervousness about Trump’s pressure on Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow.- ‘Exchanges of territory’ -Trump had pushed Ukraine ahead of the meeting to give up Crimea and abandon its goal of joining NATO — both key demands made by Putin.Trump said that during the White House talks on Monday they also “need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory” between Russia and Ukraine.Reports had said Putin was pushing for Ukraine to cede its eastern Donbas region, much of which is still partly in Kyiv’s hands, in exchange for freezing the frontline elsewhere.Ukraine has rejected any such move.The Europeans nevertheless lined up to praise Trump as they called for a lasting peace to end Russia’s invasion.”I’m really excited. Let’s make the best out of today,” NATO chief Mark Rutte said as the US president went round the table asking them to comment.French President Emmanuel Macron, however, called for a separate four-way meeting including Europeans to deal with a grinding conflict that is on their doorstep.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meanwhile contradicted Trump’s call to go straight for a full peace deal instead of an immediate ceasefire, calling for a truce before any leaders’ summit.He also sounded a note of caution after the talks, saying Ukraine must not be forced to give up territory to Russia.Russian strikes overnight killed at least seven people in Ukraine, including two children.

A dealer dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” has agreed to plead guilty to supplying the drugs that killed “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, the US Department of Justice said Monday.Jasveen Sangha, 42, will admit several charges, including one of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury in relation to the late star.A dual citizen of the United States and Britain, she is expected to formally enter her pleas in the coming weeks. She has been in federal custody since August 2024.Sangha will become the fifth person to admit playing a part in the death of the beloved actor, who had openly struggled for decades with substance addiction.Perry, 54, was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home in October 2023.A criminal investigation was launched soon after an autopsy discovered he had high levels of ketamine — an anesthetic — in his system.Last month, Dr Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine in the weeks before Perry’s death.Another doctor, Mark Chavez, admitted last year to conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry.Plasencia allegedly bought ketamine off Chavez and sold it to the American-Canadian actor at hugely inflated prices.”I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia wrote in one text message.According to her plea agreement, Sangha worked with a middleman, Erik Fleming, to sell 51 vials of ketamine to Perry’s live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that Sangha supplied, including on October 28, 2023, when he administered at least three shots of Sangha’s ketamine, which killed the actor.The Justice Department said when Sangha heard news reports about Perry’s sudden death, she tried to cover her tracks.”Delete all our messages,” she instructed Fleming.When investigators raided Sangha’s home they found methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and counterfeit Xanax pills, as well as a money counting machine, a scale, and devices to detect wireless signals and hidden cameras, according to the Justice Department.- ‘Mostly sober’ -Sangha is expected to plead guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.”She’s taking responsibility for her actions,” her lawyer Mark Geragos told AFP.Sangha could face decades in prison when sentenced.The other people involved in the supply of drugs to Perry are expected to appear in court over the coming months to learn their fates.Perry had been taking ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression.But prosecutors say that before his death he became addicted to the substance, which also has psychedelic properties and is a popular party drug.”Friends,” which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive following and made megastars of previously unknown actors.Perry’s role as the sarcastic man-child Chandler brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon and underwent multiple surgeries.In his 2022 memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry described going through detox dozens of times.”I have mostly been sober since 2001,” he wrote, “save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps.”

US President Donald Trump said Monday he would lead a “movement” against mail-in balloting as he seeks to eliminate a voting method used by nearly a third of the country ahead of next year’s midterm elections.Trump — who has spent years railing against postal ballots, even though they have benefited his Republicans and he has voted by mail — said he would sign an executive order to help bring “honesty” to the midterms. “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly Inaccurate, Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.Mail-in and absentee ballots can be counted after Election Day in 18 states so long as they’re postmarked on or before that date, and just over 30 percent of those cast in the 2024 election were submitted by mail.There is no evidence that postal voting is less secure than other methods and pro-democracy groups say ending it could disenfranchise millions of Americans with disabilities and other difficulties turning out in person.But Trump repeatedly spread misinformation about the practice as he campaigned in 2020 and 2024. After his defeat in 2020, he falsely claimed that tens of thousands of fraudulent mail-in ballots had helped Democrat Joe Biden beat him.Trump said Friday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin — whom US investigators found interfered on the Republican’s behalf in the 2016 election — agreed with him that letting voters send in ballots by mail risked election integrity.”You know, Vladimir Putin said something, one of the most interesting things,” Trump told Fox News.”He said, ‘Your election was rigged because you have mail-in voting.’ He said, ‘Mail-in voting, every election.’ He said, ‘No country has mail-in voting. It’s impossible to have mail-in voting and have honest elections.'”Trump claimed falsely in his Truth Social post and again at an Oval Office press event on Monday that America is the only country in the world that uses postal voting.- ‘Dead on arrival’ -In fact, data compiled by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance shows there are 34 countries worldwide allowing in‑country postal voting — including Germany, Britain, Denmark and US neighbor Canada.Trump issued an executive order in March directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take all necessary action” against states counting absentee or mail-in ballots received after the election, even if they were postmarked by Election Day.A judge ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose state election rules and blocked the edict.The US constitution is clear that the “times, places and manner” of congressional elections is up to the legislatures in each state and not the business of the president. Despite his criticism, Trump cast mail ballots twice in Florida in 2020 primary elections and used absentee ballots in New York in 2018 and 2017. But he voted in-person in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.His critics suspect his main concern in seeking to end mail-in voting is that it benefits Democrats, who outnumber Republicans using absentee or postal ballots.The president was asked about his new “movement” during a press event in the White House on Monday and repeated his claims about mail-in voting being more susceptible to fraud — but also confirmed that he is motivated by the political realities.”It’s time that the Republicans get tough and stop it, because the Democrats want it,” he said. “It’s the only way they can get elected.” Chuck Schumer, who leads the Democratic minority in the US Senate, accused Trump of seeking a return to the “Jim Crow” era of the late 1870s to mid-1960s, when many states enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans.”Senate Democrats will make sure that any and every measure that would make it even more difficult for Americans to vote will be dead on arrival in the Senate and will continue to fight to protect our democracy,” he said.