عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Harris Is Holding Her First Fundraiser as the Likely Democratic Nominee as Donors Open Their Wallets

Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris waves before boarding Air Force Two at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, US, July 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris waves before boarding Air Force Two at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, US, July 27, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Harris Is Holding Her First Fundraiser as the Likely Democratic Nominee as Donors Open Their Wallets

Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris waves before boarding Air Force Two at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, US, July 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris waves before boarding Air Force Two at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, US, July 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Vice President Kamala Harris is holding her first fundraiser since becoming the Democrats' likely White House nominee, looking to build on a record week of contributions since President Joe Biden ended his campaign for reelection.

Harris was traveling to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday in anticipation of raising more than $1.4 million, her campaign announced, from an expected audience of about 800 people. That would be $1 million-plus more than the original goal set for the event before Biden dropped out of the race.

Plans called for musician James Taylor to introduce Harris at a fundraiser that was to feature many of the state's Democratic heavyweights, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, former Gov. Deval Patrick, and Rep. Richie Neal.

Harris took in more than $100 million in donations in the first 48 hours after Biden quit the race, a presidential record, and aides said she has continued to raise money at a steady clip.

Most Viewed

 
World

US State Department Unveils Massive Overhaul of Agency with Reduction of Staff and Bureaus

US Vice President JD Vance (L) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a meeting with El Salvador president in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 14 April 2025. (EPA)
US Vice President JD Vance (L) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a meeting with El Salvador president in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 14 April 2025. (EPA)
TT
20
TT

US State Department Unveils Massive Overhaul of Agency with Reduction of Staff and Bureaus

US Vice President JD Vance (L) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a meeting with El Salvador president in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 14 April 2025. (EPA)
US Vice President JD Vance (L) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a meeting with El Salvador president in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 14 April 2025. (EPA)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a massive overhaul of the State Department on Tuesday, with plans to reduce staff in the US by 15% while closing and consolidating more than 100 bureaus worldwide as part of the Trump administration's "America First" mandate.

The reorganization plan, announced by Rubio on social media and detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is the latest effort by the White House to reimagine US foreign policy and scale back the size of the federal government.

"We cannot win the battle for the 21st century with bloated bureaucracy that stifles innovation and misallocates scarce resources," Rubio said in a department-wide email obtained by The AP. "That is why, under the leadership of President Trump and at my direction, I am announcing a reorganization of the Department so it may meet the immense challenges of the 21st Century and put America First."

Plans include consolidating 734 bureaus and offices to 602 as well as transitioning 137 offices "to another location within the Department to increase efficiency," according to a fact sheet obtained by The AP.

It is unclear if the reorganization would be implemented through an executive order or other means. The plans come a week after The AP learned that the White House’s Office of Management and Budget proposed gutting the State Department’s budget by almost 50% and eliminating funding the United Nations and NATO headquarters.

The budget proposal was still in a highly preliminary phase and not expected to pass muster with Congress.

Ahead of the changes at the State Department, the Trump administration has slashing jobs and funding across agencies, from the Education Department to Health and Human Services.

On foreign policy, it’s already dismantled the US Agency for International Development and moved to defund so-called other "soft power" institutions like media outlets delivering objective news, often to authoritarian countries, including the Voice of America, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Radio Free Asia and Radio/TV Marti, which broadcasts to Cuba.