New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday that the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be honored, directly contradicting an assurance from President Donald Trump earlier the same day that Netanyahu would face no arrest while in the United States.
Speaking at a press conference, Mamdani reiterated his position on the warrant in direct terms. “If someone is charged with a warrant by the International Criminal Court for these kinds of crimes, that’s something I believe should be honored. And I’ve also said that we will follow our local laws,” Mamdani said.
Trump’s assurance to Netanyahu
Mamdani’s comments came hours after Trump posted on Truth Social that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.” Trump’s post did not name Mamdani directly, though it came amid the mayor’s continued public statements about the ICC warrant, and credited Israel with assisting the United States in its ongoing military conflict with Iran.
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Trump later told reporters that he had no tension with Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, despite having ordered a halt to trade with Madrid and criticizing Spain as a partner within NATO, remarks made during the same public appearance in which he addressed the Netanyahu situation.
Mamdani’s escalating rhetoric
Mamdani went further in describing the basis for his position, characterizing Netanyahu in stark terms tied to the war in Gaza. “We’re speaking about someone who’s the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. And he’s the subject of this arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, for war crimes, and he’s the architect of the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as Israel’s prime minister,” Mamdani said.
The mayor’s comments Monday represented a continuation of positions he first articulated during his mayoral campaign, when he said he would direct police to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader set foot in New York City, framing the move as straightforward enforcement of the existing ICC warrant. Since taking office, Mamdani has confirmed that his administration’s legal department is actively reviewing whether the city has legal authority to act on the warrant, particularly given that Netanyahu typically travels to New York each September to address the United Nations General Assembly.
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In an earlier interview published Saturday, Mamdani had used even more direct language regarding where he believes Netanyahu should ultimately face justice. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said at the time.
A position rooted in international law, Mamdani says
In prior public comments, including a Fox News interview with anchor Martha MacCallum, Mamdani has framed his position as grounded in a broader commitment to international law rather than a personal grievance against Netanyahu specifically. “I’ve said that this is a city that believes international law, and this is a city that wants to uplift and uphold those beliefs,” Mamdani told MacCallum, who noted in response that the United States itself does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. Mamdani acknowledged that the U.S. has not signed the treaty establishing the court, but maintained that New York should nonetheless honor the warrant, comparing it to a separate ICC warrant issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mamdani has said he does not intend to create new local laws to facilitate any arrest, but rather to exhaust existing legal options available to the city.
The ICC warrant’s origins
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The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The ICC, established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, operates under jurisdiction that Israel rejects, and neither Israel nor the United States is a member of the court.
Israel’s response
Israel has firmly rejected both the ICC’s authority and Mamdani’s remarks. In a statement reposted by Netanyahu himself over the weekend, his office described the ICC as “a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis.” The statement went on to characterize the warrant against Netanyahu as “bogus,” attributing it to what it described as a discredited former ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, who the statement said issued the warrant shortly before allegations of sexual misconduct against him became public, characterizing the move as an attempt by Khan to divert attention from scrutiny of his own conduct.
Netanyahu’s office also accused Mamdani directly of using the arrest threat to distract from what it characterized as his own failed policies as mayor. The Trump administration has separately imposed sanctions on Khan and roughly a dozen other ICC staff members, in what officials have described as retaliation for the warrants issued against senior Israeli officials over the Gaza war, as well as separate ICC investigations involving U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.
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A clash with national implications
Monday’s exchange underscores a broader and increasingly public divide between Mamdani’s administration and the Trump administration over how the United States should engage with the International Criminal Court and its rulings involving allied foreign leaders. With Netanyahu expected to travel to New York in September for the UN General Assembly, as he has in previous years, the dispute over whether the city could or would attempt to act on the ICC warrant is likely to remain a closely watched flashpoint in the coming months.
With Trump having now publicly guaranteed Netanyahu’s safety from arrest while in the United States, and Mamdani continuing to insist that the ICC warrant should be honored under international law, the two leaders’ starkly opposing positions appear likely to remain unresolved heading into the fall, when Netanyahu’s anticipated UN visit could bring the dispute to a more concrete test. For now, both sides have shown no indication of backing away from their respective positions, leaving the question of how, or whether, any attempt to enforce the warrant in New York City might actually unfold as one of the more unusual open legal and political questions facing the incoming mayoral administration.
Kaylee Hottle, the young actress best known for playing Jia in the “Godzilla vs. Kong” films, died early Tuesday following a car accident in Maryland. Here are 10 things to know about her life, her career and the trailblazing role she played in bringing authentic deaf representation to a major Hollywood franchise.
1. She was born into a multi-generational deaf family
Hottle was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 1, 2007, into an all-deaf family with four generations of deaf relatives on her father’s side, according to Variety. She was fluent in American Sign Language from an early age, a skill that would later become central to her acting career.
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2. Her career began in commercials advocating for the deaf community
Hottle got her start in commercials promoting support for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. At age 9, she appeared in a widely viewed public service announcement for Glide, a live video messaging app commonly used within the deaf community. In 2017, she appeared in an advertisement for Convo, a video relay and ASL translation service, an appearance that would later prove pivotal to her acting career.
3. A casting director discovered her through that Convo ad
According to Wikipedia, casting director Sarah Halley Finn was searching for a deaf actress to portray the deaf character Jia in “Godzilla vs. Kong” and was connected to Hottle through an assistant director from the earlier film “Kong: Skull Island,” who had seen her in the Convo commercial and believed she matched the character’s description.
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4. “Godzilla vs. Kong” marked her feature film debut
Hottle made her feature film debut in 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong,” playing Jia, a deaf orphan native to Skull Island who forms a close bond with Kong and is taken in by Dr. Ilene Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall. Early in the film, Jia presents a handmade doll to Kong, marking the beginning of a relationship that becomes central to the story.
5. Her co-stars learned sign language to work with her
Starring actors Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård both learned American Sign Language specifically so they could communicate with Hottle on set outside of scenes being filmed, according to Wikipedia. Skarsgård later praised Hottle’s remarkable talent and professionalism in the role, according to Forbes.
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6. She reprised the role in the franchise’s 2024 sequel
Hottle returned as Jia in the 2024 sequel, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” once again portraying the character’s evolving bond with Kong. For that performance, she received a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
7. She spoke openly about the importance of deaf representation
Ahead of the 2024 sequel’s release, Hottle spoke with Digital Spy about what it meant to bring a deaf character to a major franchise. “Jia being a Deaf person in this world, it’s so amazing to see her on the big screen,” Hottle said. “In general, I hope that Deaf people see her and they think the same thing, that she is as amazing as I think she is.”
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Hottle also reflected on Jia’s emotional connection to Kong, describing it as central to the character’s journey. “I think Jia grew up not having anybody and now she’s able to connect with King Kong, they have such a caring relationship for each other,” she said. “Both of them are able to find their own paths and where they’re from and where their home is, but that also brings them together. They are able to get to that place they want to call home.”
8. She also appeared in the “Magnum P.I.” reboot
Beyond the Godzilla franchise, Hottle appeared in the “Magnum P.I.” reboot series, playing a character named Joon in a Season 4 episode, adding television credits to her growing filmography alongside her feature film work.
9. She was a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf
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At the time of her death, Hottle was a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf, according to Forbes. The school confirmed her death in a public statement, writing: “It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland. Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.” The school also asked the public to respect the family’s privacy and refrain from speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
10. Her father announced her death through a livestream in ASL
Hottle’s father, Joshua Hottle, who is also deaf, shared news of his daughter’s death through a nearly 23-minute Facebook livestream delivered in American Sign Language. He explained that he was flying from Texas to Maryland to claim her body, describing the shock of learning that his daughter had been involved in a severe crash. According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 2:52 a.m. Tuesday to a single-vehicle collision on Windsor Road in Ijamsville, Maryland. A preliminary investigation found that a 1995 Honda Accord left the roadway and struck a culvert, with authorities saying excessive speed is believed to have contributed to the crash. The driver, a 19-year-old Frederick man, was hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening, while another passenger declined treatment at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
A legacy of representation
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Hottle’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief across the entertainment industry and the deaf community alike, with tributes highlighting both her groundbreaking on-screen representation and the promise of a career and education that ended far too soon.
Seeking Alpha’s transcripts team is responsible for the development of all of our transcript-related projects. We currently publish thousands of quarterly earnings calls per quarter on our site and are continuing to grow and expand our coverage. The purpose of this profile is to allow us to share with our readers new transcript-related developments. Thanks, SA Transcripts Team
General Motors Company (GM) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 21, 2026 8:30 AM EDT
Company Participants
Ashish Kohli – Vice President of Investor Relations Mary Barra – Chairman & CEO Paul Jacobson – Executive VP & CFO
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Conference Call Participants
Joseph Spak – UBS Investment Bank, Research Division Dan Levy – Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division Andrew Percoco – Morgan Stanley, Research Division Itay Michaeli – TD Cowen, Research Division Michael Ward – Citigroup Inc., Research Division Emmanuel Rosner – Wolfe Research, LLC Gautam Narayan – RBC Capital Markets, Research Division Mark Delaney – Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division Rajat Gupta – JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Presentation
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Operator
Good morning, and welcome to the General Motors Company Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call.
[Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference call is being recorded, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. I would now like to turn the conference over to Ashish Kohli, GM’s Vice President of Investor Relations.
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Ashish Kohli Vice President of Investor Relations
Thanks, Julie, and good morning, everyone. We appreciate you joining us as we review GM’s financial results for the second quarter of 2026. Our conference call materials were issued this morning and are available on GM’s Investor Relations website. We are also broadcasting this call via webcast.
Joining us today are Mary Barra, GM’s Chair and CEO; along with Paul Jacobson, GM’s Executive Vice President and CFO. Susan Sheffield, President and CEO of GM Financial, will also be joining us for the Q&A portion.
On today’s call, management will make forward-looking statements about our expectations. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the factors identified in our filings with the SEC. Please review the safe harbor statement on the first page of our presentation as the content of this call will be
US President Donald Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on a wide range of goods imported from Canada, in retaliation for what he called “unequal treatment” of US cars, dairy and alcohol. On Tuesday, he said the tariffs are a response to how Canada has treated US farmers. The White House said the duties would take effect in 30 days. It marks a major escalation in trade tensions between the North American neighbours.
Leading contract manufacturer of healthy snack bars, Wholebake, is investing £3m in new high-speed production lines at its factories in North Wales.
The company has two manufacturing sites in Wrexham and one in nearby Corwen, Together they employ 425.
The investment will see two new high-speed production lines launching later this year. They will have capacity to run at 360 bars per minute compared with 120 on its existing lines – a threefold increase in output.
The new lines add capacity on top of current production rather than replacing it, giving Wholebake’s customers the headroom to grow. To support the expansion, Wholebake is recruiting for 15 skilled operators and engineers.
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Latest data from NIQ EPOS show that total cereal bars market is now worth £819m having grown 3% over the last year. Protein bars are worth £261m having achieved a year-on-year growth rate of of 8.3% and account for 83% of the category’s value growth.
John McMullen, chief executive of Wholebake, said:“The way Britain snacks is undergoing a structural shift. People aren’t snacking more, they’re snacking better, trading traditional confectionery for healthier alternatives made with ingredients they recognise.
” The data makes clear this is not a passing fad but a lasting change in behaviour, and one where consumers are willing to pay more for snacks that fit their lifestyle.
“As a manufacturer, our job is to help brands and retailers keep pace with that demand. That’s exactly why we’re investing in new high-speed production lines this year, to give our customers the capacity, quality and flexibility they need to grow in one of the fastest-moving parts of the food industry.
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“Wholebake has spent more than 25 years building expertise in healthy snacking, and the shift we have seen in that timeframe has been monumental.”
Wholebake has been backed by private equity firm Elysian Capital following its investment into the firm in 2021.
Rachel Reeves has been sacked as chancellor in one of Andy Burnham’s first acts as prime minister, and the new occupant of No 10 wasted little time signalling where the tax burden could shift next: a possible income tax cut for lower earners, no promise to spare higher earners a 50p rate, and billions more borrowed for infrastructure.
Reeves, who does not appear to have taken another Cabinet job, departed with a defence of her record. “It has been the privilege of my life to serve as the Chancellor of the Exchequer,” she said. “The economy today is stronger, fairer and more resilient because of the choices we have taken as a Labour Government over the past two years.”
She added: “I said when I was appointed Chancellor that I would judge my time in office if the lives ordinary working class people have been improved. I’m proud to say that they have.
“And to every young woman and girl let my time in office show there should be no ceilings on your ambitions, your hopes or your dreams.”
Her successor has yet to be confirmed, with the runners and riders for No 11 ranging from Wes Streeting to Ed Miliband. Whoever gets the job will inherit a Budget in-tray already half written by their new boss.
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Burnham said he will look at cutting income tax for lower earners in the autumn Budget, singling out the personal allowance, frozen at £12,570 for the past five years, as a priority.
“I heard issues related to the personal allowance more than anything on doorsteps in Makerfield,” he said, arguing the freeze “has dragged more people in”, pensioners among them, and “has become a growing issue”.
He is not wrong about the drag. HMRC figures last year showed the freeze had pulled 420,000 more pensioners into the income tax net in a single year. For employers, any thaw would put more take-home pay in staff pockets without adding a penny to the payroll bill, a rare Budget measure SMEs could cheer.
The picture is less comfortable at the top of the income scale. Asked whether he could raise the top rate of income tax from 45p to 50p, as he has previously proposed, Burnham declined to rule it out. “I think that would be just premature to say that. I’ve barely got my feet under the table,” he said.
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That ambiguity leaves higher-earning owner-directors guessing until the autumn, and it sits alongside his earlier pledge of a 20 per cent business rates cut for pubs and high street firms, funded by higher levies on online retailers’ warehouses. The direction of travel is clear: relief at the bottom, and the bill sent elsewhere.
On borrowing, Burnham said he will use “any flexibility” in the government’s fiscal rules to fund infrastructure investment. Experts say a change in the definition of public debt could free up an extra £16 billion, because the National Wealth Fund and other institutions can now lend or take stakes in companies without affecting the debt target.
“I’ve said we’ll stick to the fiscal rules and by that I mean the existing fiscal rules and use obviously any flexibility within them,” he said. “But we will stick to the existing rules and I’ve made that very clear in Downing Street. So none of this is about taking risks with the economy. I’ve never done that in any role that I’ve had.”
For construction, engineering and supply-chain SMEs, £16 billion of infrastructure spending is a pipeline worth watching. For everyone else, the message from the new prime minister is to keep an eye on the autumn Budget, and perhaps on the 50p rate he has conspicuously declined to bury.
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Paul Jones
Harvard alumni and former New York Times journalist. Editor of Business Matters for over 15 years, the UKs largest business magazine. I am also head of Capital Business Media’s automotive division working for clients such as Red Bull Racing, Honda, Aston Martin and Infiniti.
The acquisition of 80% of the share capital of Caruna Group strengthens the Spanish utility’s position in Finland, which it called “a market with high credit quality and a stable and attractive regulatory framework.”
According to the RMT, EMR has been sending trains into service that are “likely to fail and require a full reset which leaves the train with no active safety systems”.
The BBC has seen an operational briefing, which informs control, signalling and operations staff about undertaking an Aux Off / Aux On reset on EMR class 810 units – which may be required to recover certain faults.
“The process takes approximately 20 minutes and results in the temporary loss of several safety-critical systems, creating an increased risk of an uncontrolled evacuation and removing the driver’s normal means of communication with the signaller,” it states.
Eddie Dempsey, RMT general secretary, said RMT reps at EMR had been “extremely patient” and tried to engage with management.
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“The company has even put out safety notices with no involvement, consultation or negotiation with our reps who represent those most at risk.
“RMT is demanding that whilst these faults exist and until these trains are shown to be operating properly, they should be taken out of service,” he said.
An EMR spokesperson said the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet entered passenger service after “successfully completing all required testing and meeting rigorous safety standards”.
“We recognise the Class 810 fleet has encountered performance and reliability issues in service and are working with the manufacturer, Hitachi Rail, to resolve these issues as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson added.
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EMR said the rollout of the new Class 810 fleet would continue “in a controlled manner” throughout the rest of the year and 2027.
A Hitachi Rail spokesperson said: “The Class 810 fleet has been in passenger service with East Midlands Railway since December 2025, and more than a third of the fleet has now been delivered.
“Hitachi Rail continues to work closely with all industry partners during the entry-into-service phase of the Class 810 fleet, implementing improvements and supporting the transition from the existing fleet to new Aurora trains.
“We remain focused on delivering the remainder of the fleet and supporting East Midlands Railway as more new trains enter passenger service. As part of this commitment, we are investing in additional testing activity at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to improve fleet introduction and delivery of the remaining trains.”
An image of the proposed new indoor market on Vaughan Street, Llanelli(Image: Carmarthenshire Council)
Images of a new indoor market planned in Llanelli have been released.
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The plan is for 14 retail units on the ground floor of the Vaughan Street complex, 80 stalls on the first floor, and a central glass atrium above. There’d be bike racks and escalators and all toilets would be on the first floor. Deliveries would be via Mincing Lane at the rear along with a few parking spaces close by.
The current market building with its multi-storey car park above dated from the 1970s and contained a material called reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete which is less durable than standard concrete and can fail when exposed to moisture.
It said the council undertook significant work in 2013 to maintain the building’s structural safety along with ongoing maintenance.
Options were explored such as distributing stalls and units throughout the town and reusing the existing site once the car park was demolished. The council’s preferred option is a new-build market between 8-14 Vaughan Street extending a long way to the rear. Six of the ground-floor retail units would face onto Vaughan Street and the market’s total area would be 3,312sq m.
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How the market could look inside(Image: Carmarthenshire Council )
An image of the proposed new indoor market on Vaughan Street, Llanelli(Image: Carmarthenshire Council)
“Internally each floor has a distinct identity and character,” said the design and access statement. “The internal route is deliberately meandering, encouraging visitors to explore past retail and market stalls. the first floor is more informal and accommodates the majority of market stalls. It also features a large café, visible from the entrance, which naturally draws visitors through the building and up to the first floor.”
The new plans had split opinions amongst stallholders.
Miriam Phillips, who runs a fruit and veg stall at the current market by St Elli Shopping Centre, said of the plans: “They look all right so far. It’s still early days.” She said traders had a meeting with council representatives about them last week.
Parvez Akhtar, of Parvez Fashions, said he was “totally against” the proposals and called on the council to upgrade the current market and focus on filling empty shops in Llanelli. He felt the new market would be “very small” and deter people from visiting. “We need space and to display our products,” he said.
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Fellow trader Gabor Hetesi, of IT repair business Gabe’s IT Repair, was optimistic about the plans but wondered about timescales and what the new rental arrangements would be. “The plans are looking good, it looks promising,” he said.
The council is asking for people’s views on the proposals by August 7 ahead of a full planning application being submitted.
Night-time image of the planned market(Image: Carmarthenshire Council )
(Image: Carmarthenshire Council )
Cllr Hazel Evans, deputy council leader and cabinet member for regeneration, leisure, culture, and tourism, said: “These proposals represent an exciting opportunity to create a modern new home for Llanelli Market and further strengthen Llanelli town centre.
“Through the pre-application consultation process we want to hear the views of residents, businesses, and stakeholders to help shape the proposals before a planning application is submitted.”
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She added: “It is important to emphasise that Llanelli Market will remain open and continue trading throughout this process with any future relocation carefully planned to support traders and customers.
“Our ambition is to create a vibrant destination that supports traders, attracts visitors, and builds on Llanelli Market’s proud history at the heart of the community.”
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