USA ESTA Travel Pass News

Of the six ballot initiatives submitted to the New York City General Election on the 4th, five passed, with one exception.

According to unofficial tallies from the New York City Board of Elections on the 5th, only Proposition 6, which proposed “moving New York City elections to the even-numbered years of the presidential election,” was defeated by 53.03% of the vote.

Propositions 2 through 4, on which the New York City Council and the New York City Mayor were locked in a tight race, all passed, and with the mayor’s landslide victory, affordable housing development and minor modification projects in New York City are expected to be further streamlined without going through the City Council’s approval process.

Proposition 2, which passed with 58.32% of the vote, establishes a fast track to expedite affordable housing development without going through the City Council’s approval process. Proposition 3, which aimed to streamline the review process for minor housing and infrastructure projects, passed with 56.75% of the vote.

Proposition 4, which established a three-member Affordable Housing Appeals Board comprised of the City Council President, Borough President, and Mayor, also passed with 58.30% of the vote.

Meanwhile, Proposition 5 (creating digital city maps for each borough to modernize city operations) and Proposition 1 (an amendment allowing the development of an Olympic sports complex within the Essex County Forest Preserve (Adirondacks)) both passed with overwhelming approval.

The Donald Trump administration has stated that military action against Venezuelan drug cartels is an executive authority that does not require congressional approval.

The Washington Post reported on the 1st that Justice Department General Counsel Elliot Guyger made these remarks during a recent closed-door meeting with members of Congress.

According to sources, Guyger argued that military action against Venezuelan drug cartels does not constitute hostilities under the War Powers Act, which requires congressional authorization. He also announced that the Trump administration does not need to request Congress’s approval for an extension or additional military action against Venezuelan drug cartels.

Currently, the Trump administration is deploying US ships and fighter jets to the Caribbean and sinking drug trafficking vessels, aiming to block the flow of drugs from Venezuela to the United States. Specifically, the US military has deployed nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines and Aegis destroyers to the Caribbean, as well as missile cruisers and littoral combat ships. There is considerable speculation that the US may launch military operations aimed at regime change in Venezuela.

In this regard, there is a growing view in US political circles, particularly among the opposition Democratic Party, that the Trump administration’s military operations without reporting to Congress constitute an abuse of executive power.

While the president, as commander-in-chief, possesses extensive military authority, military action without congressional approval is difficult to justify legally. Article 2 of the US Constitution stipulates that the president serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. However, the power to declare war remains with Congress.

Accordingly, Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a resolution reaffirming Congress’ authority to declare war and other actions. However, the Trump administration maintains that the War Powers Act does not apply to the use of force against Venezuelan drug cartels.

A senior White House official argued, “The War Powers Act only applies to situations that expose American soldiers to danger,” and “The current operation involves precision strikes using drones launched from naval vessels in international waters, so US soldiers are not directly exposed to danger.”

The Trump administration’s tariff policies could significantly increase the amount of gift spending American consumers make during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, according to an analysis.

Online lending company LendingTree applied the Trump administration’s tariff programs to data on gift purchases made by American consumers at the end of last year and estimated that the total cost burden on consumers and retailers would increase by $40.6 billion, CNBC reported on the 2nd. Consumers are estimated to shoulder about 70% of this, or $28.6 billion.

If the current tariff levels had remained in effect last year, each American consumer would have spent an additional $132 (approximately 190,000 won) on gifts. Electronics were found to have incurred the largest increase, with an average increase of $186 (approximately 266,000 won) per person, while clothing and accessories were estimated to have increased by $82 per person. Retailers are estimated to bear the remaining $12 billion (approximately 17 trillion won) of the increased costs due to the tariffs. Although the analysis mechanically applies the current tariff effects to last year’s consumption data, it is seen as suggesting that tariffs could have a significant impact on American consumers and businesses ahead of this year’s holiday shopping season.

Matt Schultz, chief consumer finance analyst at LendingTree, said, “For most Americans, an additional $132 in holiday gift spending is significant.” “Even if the additional costs aren’t enough to shake household finances, they could have a real impact on many families,” he said.

“Consumers may cut back on gift spending this year or take on additional debt.”

Experts assess that the impact of tariffs on US inflation is already visible. Following the interest rate cut decision on the 29th, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in a press conference, “Higher tariffs are pushing up the prices of some goods, which in turn is pushing up the overall price index.”

While Powell believed the tariffs’ impact on inflation would be a one-time effect, he did not rule out the possibility that they could continue to accelerate inflation.

New York City has launched a crackdown on e-bikes exceeding 15 mph.

According to the city, the speed limit for e-bikes will be lowered from 25 mph to 15 mph starting on the 24th. The crackdown applies to e-bikes, pedal-assist bicycles, and e-scooters. Regular bicycles, which use only pedals and do not have an electric motor, are exempt from the speed limit.

Violators caught violating the regulations face a minimum fine of $100. Repeat violators may also be subject to criminal summonses, including confiscation of the e-bike and removal from the delivery platform.

In June, New York City reached an agreement with Lyft, the operator of the bike-sharing service Citi Bike, to lower the speed limit for Citi Bike electric bikes (e-bikes) to 15 miles per hour. According to the city, this e-bike speed limit change led to an 18% decrease in traffic fatalities in New York City between January and September of this year, with 159 fatalities compared to 194 in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, according to MTA data, from 2021 to 2024, six people died and 923 were injured in collisions involving e-bikes and pedestrians.

The defense workers’ union at Boeing, the U.S. aircraft manufacturer that has been on strike for nearly three months, recently rejected the company’s proposed wage negotiations, the union announced on the 26th.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 837, the union representing Boeing’s defense workers, announced in a statement that day that members voted to reject the company’s proposed wage increases. This marks the fourth time the union has rejected a company-proposed wage increase.

The latest wage increase proposal from Boeing, which includes a 24% base pay increase over the next five years, is largely unchanged from the negotiated offer made last month.

Boeing has repeatedly indicated that the company will not make meaningful improvements to the wage increase plan during the strike.

“Boeing has claimed to listen to its employees, but today’s vote proves they are not listening,” said IAM union president Brian Bryant in a statement.

The 3,200 union members at a Boeing defense plant near St. Louis, Missouri, have been on strike for nearly three months since August 4, demanding higher wages and severance pay. This is the first strike at Boeing’s St. Louis plant in 29 years, since 1996.

Boeing’s defense division produces aircraft such as the F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets, the T-7A trainer jet, and the MQ-25 drone tanker, as well as missiles. Boeing’s defense, space, and security divisions account for more than a third of the company’s total revenue.

Boeing was already facing a management crisis due to the series of accidents involving the 737 Max, and last year, a seven-week strike by unionized commercial aircraft workers in the Seattle area further exacerbated the company’s financial difficulties, disrupting aircraft production and deliveries.

President Donald Trump’s abrupt announcement on the 15th that he would halt construction of a new Hudson River train tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey has sparked fierce controversy.

At a White House press conference that day, Trump stated, “Russell Bott, the White House Budget Director, is effectively killing many of the Democrats’ projects,” adding, “The Manhattan Project and the New York Project are both finished.”

Trump mentioned Senator Charles Schumer, a vocal supporter of the Gateway Project, saying, “That’s a multi-billion-dollar project Schumer has been trying to secure for 20 years. Tell him it’s stopped.”

It remains unclear why President Trump made this decision, and whether the Manhattan Project he referred to specifically included the Gateway train tunnel and the Second Avenue subway extension, another major infrastructure project in New York.

Senator Schumer, however, vehemently condemned President Trump’s abrupt termination, calling it “a reckless and foolish decision.”

He added, “The Gateway is the most important infrastructure project in America. President Trump’s sabotage of it is a petty political retaliation that will devastate hundreds of thousands of New York and New Jersey commuters and choke our economy.”

Democratic politicians, including New York Governor Kathy Hokul and New Jersey Senator Andy Kim, also expressed criticism and concern. The current Hudson River Tunnel, the sole rail route between New York and New Jersey, is 116 years old and suffering from serious aging issues.

The need for a new train tunnel to improve service for hundreds of thousands of daily passengers has long been emphasized, and construction finally began in 2023 and is currently underway. However, if the $11 billion in federal funding, which accounts for about 70% of the total $16 billion construction cost, is cut off, the project is virtually impossible to complete.

Construction continued the 16th, a day after President Trump’s abrupt announcement of the suspension. The Gateway Development Committee stated that it had not heard anything from the federal government. Furthermore, according to a Politico report, a Department of Transportation official, requesting anonymity, said there were no plans to halt the Gateway project. The White House and the Department of Transportation did not respond to requests for comments.

The fate of the Gateway project has emerged as a key issue in the New Jersey gubernatorial election, which is 18 days away. Democratic candidate Mikey Sherrill said he would “fight tooth and nail to get the funding back,” while his Republican rival, Jack Ciartarelli, said he would “urge the restoration of federal funding” and that “New Jersey needs a governor who can work with the president while also having the stature to disagree when necessary.”

The Republican Party criticized the “No Kings” protests held across the country on the 19th against President Donald Trump’s governance, saying “there was a lot of hate messaging, and it wasn’t pro-American.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said in an ABC interview that day, “The groups that I listed were definitely part of those protests.”

In a press conference on the 15th, three days before the “No Kings” protests, Johnson had claimed that the protests would “have a lot of Hamas supporters, people from Antifa (anti-fascist groups), Marxists.”

Speaker Johnson said of the peaceful nature of the protests, “We congratulate them for exercising their right to free speech without violence,” but added, “The irony in their message is clear.”

He continued, “If President Trump were truly a king, the government would be operating normally by now. If President Trump were a king, they wouldn’t be exercising that freedom of speech on the Mall (the National Mall in Washington, D.C.).”

This means that if President Trump had exercised the power of a tyrant as the protesters claimed, not only would the anti-Trump protests never have taken place, but there would have been no government shutdown due to Congress’ failure to pass the budget bill.

Johnson targeted the Democrats regarding the background of the protests, saying, “They needed a stunt. (Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.) needs a political shield right now. That’s why he shut down the government, and this (rally) is part of that.”

Speaker Johnson then said of the Democratic Party’s nomination of Zoran Mamdani, a radical leftist, as the mayor of New York City, “They’re trying to elect an openly socialist and Marxist as mayor of America’s largest city,” and that “Marxism is spreading within the Democratic Party.”

Speaker Johnson repeatedly criticized the Democrats for opposing the Republicans’ stopgap budget bill, which calls for extending Obamacare subsidies, saying, “The Democrats are trying to restore free health care to illegal immigrants at our taxpayer’s expense.”

Appearing on the same program, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “We will not support the Republicans’ partisan budget proposal. As a result of the Republicans’ refusal to extend Obamacare subsidies, tens of millions of Americans have seen their insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs skyrocket, leaving them unable to see a doctor when they need it.”

President Donald Trump said on the 12th that “the war is over,” referring to the cessation of fighting between Israel and Hamas following the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

While visiting Israel and Egypt, Trump met with reporters aboard Air Force One that day and made his remarks when asked, “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasn’t said the war is over yet. What is your position?” Hethen responded to a question about whether he was confident the ceasefire would last, saying, “Yes.”

President Trump said, “This (the Middle East conflict) has been going on for centuries; it’s not just a recent thing,” adding, “People are really tired of it.”

He added, “The ceasefire will remain, and the international stabilization force will play a wonderful, powerful supporting role.”

This is interpreted as referring to the joint military task force dispatched to the Middle East by the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to support the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

President Trump also announced that a peace committee, an international governing body to support the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, will be formed “very quickly.”

According to the White House, President Trump will meet with the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Tel Aviv, Israel, the following morning, the 13th.Later that day, he will attend a Middle East peace ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where the signing of the Gaza ceasefire agreement is expected.

Israel and Hamas, which have been at war in the Gaza Strip for two years, have agreed to the first phase of the “Gaza Peace Initiative” spearheaded by President Trump. Accordingly, Hamas will release 20 surviving Israeli hostages on the morning of the 13th, and Israel will also release Palestinian prisoners.

Meanwhile, President Trump has stated that if the Russia-Ukraine war, which has lasted well over three years, continues, he may provide Ukraine with Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles. President Trump stated that Ukraine wants Tomahawk missiles and that he may need to talk to President Vladimir Putin about this issue.

He said, “I may have to tell Putin, ‘If the war isn’t resolved, I’ll send them Tomahawks,'” but added, “Russia doesn’t need Tomahawks. I want the war to be resolved.”

This is interpreted as an announcement that he would prioritize dialogue with Russia over immediately providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

A total of six ballot proposals, including one that would effectively eliminate the City Council’s approval process for affordable housing development, will be placed on the New York City general election next month on the 4th.

The 2025 ballot initiatives that have already been printed on the New York City general election ballot and are only awaiting a vote include five city-wide and one statewide initiative. According to the New York City proposals, the first is the Affordable Housing Development Streamlining Proposal, which eliminates the New York City Council’s approval process and establishes a fast-track to expedite development.

The fast-track is centered around a review process for affordable housing and infrastructure projects, streamlined expedited land use reviews, and the establishment of an appeals board for denials and modifications to affordable housing applications.

However, the New York City Council has expressed strong opposition to this. City Council President Adrianne Adams criticized the mayor’s proposal, saying it was a solution to the city’s housing crisis, but it was actually a ploy to take away voters’ power.

“If this proposal passes, the City Council will lose its authority to approve new housing developments in the city,” she said.

Other New York City initiatives include the creation of digital city maps for each borough to modernize city operations and the move of New York City elections to even-numbered years (the presidential election year). The proposed change to even-numbered years for New York City elections (including mayoral, city advocate, city comptroller, borough president, and city council) is attracting attention as a measure designed to increase voter turnout.

However, even if the proposed change to the New York City election year was to pass, the actual election year change would require an amendment to the New York State Constitution. Therefore, even if the proposed change passes in this year’s general election, it will require additional constitutional amendment procedures by the State Legislature.

Meanwhile, a statewide initiative would allow the development of an Olympic sports complex within the Essex County Forest Preserve (Adirondacks). If approved by a majority of voters, this would allow the construction of new ski courses (including Nordic and biathlon courses).

New York State has issued a statewide burn ban.

According to New York State, the ban, which runs from the 2nd to the 15th, was implemented amidst the state’s prolonged drought and the peak of fall foliage season. The ban prohibits campfires, cooking fires, and weed burning without fire pits. However, backyard fire pits and enclosed fire pits less than 3 feet (90 centimeters) high and 4 feet (120 centimeters) long, wide, or in diameter are permitted. Cooking is also permitted in small, enclosed fire pits.

New York State currently has a ban on burning garbage and leaves outdoors.

“With the start of fall foliage season, outdoor activities are on the rise,” said New York Governor Kathy Hokul. “However, careless outdoor fires can endanger homes, businesses, and first responders. I hope this ban will help keep our forests and nature safe.”