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Leonard Lauder's $400 million legacy comes up for auction

admin - Latest News - November 18, 2025
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For one top Sotheby’s executive, this year’s auction season feels like destiny.“This is the season I’ve waited for my whole life,” Lisa Dennison told NBC News, standing near the radiant Gustav Klimt canvases soon to be auctioned.“To be in this building and to have the collections we have this season — it’s everything,” said Dennison, the auction house’s executive vice president and chairman of the Americas



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Nov. 18, 2025, 5:00 AM ESTBy Babak Dehghanpisheh and Monica AlbaWhether viewed as a visionary reformist or a murderous despot, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, will be taking a huge step toward rejoining the international community when he meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.Bin Salman, 40, became an international pariah after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a fierce critic of his government, in 2018, though Trump defended the Saudi government even after the CIA concluded that the crown prince himself ordered the killing.Then-President Joe Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and controversially fist-bumped bin Salman, an image that went viral, at a time when most leaders had shunned the crown prince. Bin Salman said in 2019 that he took “full responsibility” for the Khashoggi killing since it happened on his watch, but denied ordering it. But it is bin Salman’s trip Tuesday, his first during Trump’s second term, that will be seen more broadly as a move toward acceptance back into the diplomatic fold. Trump attends lavish welcome ceremony at Saudi Royal Court00:53“He’s a different kind of figure now. Obviously, the questions about the manner of his rule and internal repression, those things haven’t gone away. But he’s a changed figure; it’s a changed moment. And, I think, important symbolically in that sense,” said Michael Wahid Hanna, the U.S. program director at the International Crisis Group, a global nonprofit organization based in Brussels that works to prevent conflicts.He added: “He’s central to what this administration wants to do in the region.”Trump and bin Salman are expected to sign economic and defense agreements, a White House official told NBC News. Even before bin Salman had set foot in the United States, Trump confirmed at an Oval Office event Monday that he would be willing to sign off on the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the kingdom, a contentious move that could shift the balance of power in the Middle East, where Israel has been the primary recipient of America’s cutting-edge military technology.Trump’s announcement of the sale may not actually lead to Saudi Arabia’s receiving the F-35s anytime soon, analysts say. “The devil will kind of be in the details there,” said Andrew Leber, a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who has done extensive research on Saudi Arabia, noting that a similar deal announced with the United Arab Emirates fell through. He added, “That deal ultimately ran aground on a combination of U.S. concerns with maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge and concerns about the extent to which U.S. security technology might leak to China.”The possibility of Saudi Arabia’s normalizing relations with Israel will be a key part of the talks, according to the White House official. The official said Trump “hopes” the kingdom will soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 U.S.-brokered agreement that led a number of regional countries to establish formal diplomatic ties with Israel, though analysts are skeptical about a breakthrough.“There’s no near-term horizon for normalization at the moment,” said Hanna of the ICG. “The risks for Mohammed bin Salman are extremely high if he joins the Abraham Accords,” agreed Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics. He noted that the Saudis had made clear they would need some form of Israeli commitment to a path to a Palestinian state — something the Israelis have publicly dismissed. The crown prince’s strategy was generally “to minimize the risks to his rule,” said Gerges.Even if bin Salman does not announce the establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel, he has won favor with Trump as one of the regional leaders who helped pull together the current ceasefire between the Israel Defense Forces and the militants of Hamas. Trump has long touted his deal-making abilities, and, according to a senior administration official, a number of deals are expected to be announced Tuesday, including a multibillion-dollar Saudi investment in America’s artificial intelligence infrastructure, enhanced cooperation on civil nuclear energy and fulfillment of the Saudis’ $600 billion investment pledge via dozens of targeted investments.Critics have raised questions about Trump’s affinity for mixing personal business and diplomacy. His properties have for years hosted tournaments for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. And The New York Times reported this weekend that the Trump Organization is looking at a huge real estate deal with Saudi Arabia.“There’s some massive ethical questions in here,” said Leber of the Carnegie Endowment. “It’s very obvious that all of the Gulf states have realized that the way you get to Trump is to find some way to enrich his family members, enrich his friends, promise to enrich them down the line.”Governments dealing with Saudi Arabia, human rights groups have long said, should also push the country’s leaders on its dismal human rights record. In August, a report from Human Rights Watch noted an “unprecedented surge” in executions in 2025, with 241 people killed as of Aug. 5. Still, the restrictions on women, another regular criticism leveled at the kingdom, have been eased, and bin Salman has tried to open up the society to Western exports, like Ultimate Fighting Championship matches and comedy shows, though the comedians who recently appeared at a comedy festival in Riyadh, including Louis C.K. and Bill Burr, were blasted for performing there. “This hasn’t been political reform in the sense of creating space for real politics, but he’s absolutely, fundamentally reoriented Saudi society and changed the role of the religious authorities,” said Hanna of the ICG. “There’s incredible social change that has happened partly because he’s operating without any real constraints.”Babak DehghanpishehBabak Dehghanpisheh is an NBC News Digital international editor based in New York.Monica AlbaMonica Alba is a White House correspondent for NBC News.Abigail Williams and Freddie Clayton contributed.
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Nov. 4, 2025, 5:01 PM EST / Updated Nov. 4, 2025, 5:05 PM ESTBy Stephanie PerryIn the first major elections of President Donald Trump’s second term, voters in Virginia, New Jersey, California and New York City are expressing broad dissatisfaction with Trump — and with both political parties, according to early results from the NBC News Exit Poll. Most voters in those elections are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today, and they continue to express concern about financial issues and the economy.The governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as a closely watched mayoral election in New York City and the redistricting ballot measure in California, highlight the first big Election Day of Trump’s second term. The results of Tuesday night’s elections will offer an early, though limited, window into how voters feel about his efforts to reshape Washington and the country, providing clues for candidates on both sides ahead of pivotal midterm elections next year.How is Trump handling his second term in office? The president’s overall job approval is underwater among voters casting ballots for governor in New Jersey and Virginia — two states that have voted against Trump each time he’s run for president. Majorities of voters who turned out for these 2025 contests disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job as president: 55% in New Jersey, 56% in Virginia. In the New York City mayoral race, just 29% of voters approve of Trump, according to the exit poll, as do 36% in California. There, the Proposition 50 ballot measure will decide whether the state will change its congressional map in response to Republican-led redistricting pushed by Trump in Texas and other states. How do voters see the Democratic and Republican Parties? Beyond views of the current president, neither the Republican nor Democratic Party are seen in particularly positive terms among voters who cast ballots in this years’ races.In Virginia, New Jersey, and California, more voters expressed unfavorable than favorable views of the Democratic Party. Views of the Republican Party are not quite as negative, but still, the party was not seen in favorable terms by a majority in any state surveyed. A grim national outlook Voters picking new governors in New Jersey and Virginia also expressed concern about the way things are going in the country these days.In New Jersey, 65% said they are angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country and only 33% said they are satisfied or enthusiastic.In Virginia, 63% said they are angry or dissatisfied about the direction of the country, compared with just 35% who had a positive view of the country. Economic concerns and the cost of livingVoters in each of the states surveyed over the last several weeks said economic issues — or the cost of living — were the most important issues facing their state. In Virginia and California, the economy topped the list of voters’ concerns. And in New York City, 56% of voters said the cost of living was the most important issue facing the city. In New Jersey, taxes and the economy both ranked high on voters’ list of concerns. Financial worries came through as voters described their own family’s personal financial situations. In each state surveyed, most voters said they were either “holding steady” or actively falling behind financially. Far smaller shares in any state or locality said they were “getting ahead.” In several states, voters point to specific financial pains In New Jersey, a majority of voters said property taxes and electricity costs were “major” problems in their state. Overall, 60% said the state’s economy is not so good or poor. Only 38% said the state economy was good or excellent.In Virginia, where the government shutdown and federal government cuts affected many families this year, 6-in-10 said federal government cuts this year affected their family’s finances a lot (20%) or a little (39%).A large majority of New York City voters said the cost of living was the most important issue facing the city: 72% said the cost of housing was a major problem, and 65% said the city’s economy was not so good or poor. Trump on immigrationTrump said he won in 2024 because of the border and grocery prices. But voters today are divided on Trump’s actions on immigration.A slim majority of voters in New Jersey and Virginia said that the Trump administration’s actions on immigration enforcement have gone too far, while far smaller shares say they have been about right or not gone far enough. Still, many voters are divided on how their state’s government should cooperate with the federal government on immigration. In New Jersey, voters were more likely to say the next governor should not cooperate with Trump — though these views were divided by candidate preference. In New York City, 61% said the next mayor should not cooperate with Trump on immigration enforcement. In California, 59% said Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democrat leading the Proposition 50 fight, should not cooperate with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement. The NBC News Exit Poll is conducted by SSRS, an independent research company, on behalf of ABC, The Associated Press, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC. The networks together prepare the questionnaire. More information about SSRS can be obtained by visiting www.ssrs.com.The 2025 poll, conducted from October 22nd -November 4th, includes representative samples of registered voters in California (n=~4,000), New Jersey (n=~4,000), New York City (n=~3,700), and Virginia (n=~4,000). The Voter Poll combines data collected from verified registered voters online and by telephone, with data collected in-person from Election Day voters at 30 precincts per state/city, excluding California. Respondents can complete the poll in English or Spanish. The overall margin of sampling error for voters, accounting for design effects, is expected to be approximately plus or minus 2 percentage points in California, 2.1 percentage points in New Jersey, 2.2 percentage points in New York City, and 2.1 percentage points in Virginia.Stephanie PerryStephanie Perry is the manager of exit polling at NBC News.
November 16, 2025
Savewith a NBCUniversal ProfileCreate your free profile or log in to save this articleNov. 16, 2025, 4:31 PM ESTBy Megan LebowitzWASHINGTON — The U.S. military carried out another strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, killing three people, according to a Sunday post to X from the U.S. Southern Command.The latest strike is at least the 21st that the military has conducted on alleged drug boats during the second Trump administration, prompting concerns from some lawmakers.The U.S. Southern Command’s post said the strike was at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The post alleged that the boat was “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization” and was “trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific,” adding that the strike took place in international waters.“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” the post said.NBC News has not independently confirmed the military’s account of the strike. The administration has not provided evidence supporting its allegations about the vessel or the people on board.Video released by U.S. Southern Command appears to show the strike causing a large wave to spike up next to the boat, which is then engulfed in flames.The announcement came days after NBC News previously reported that the Trump administration carried out its 20th such attack, according to a Pentagon official. That strike took place in the Caribbean Sea. Previous attacks took place in both the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, and they have killed more than 75 people, according to officials.Sunday’s announcement came the same day the USS Gerald R. Ford, a major aircraft carrier, arrived in the Caribbean.The strikes have generated controversy in Congress, as Democrats and some Republicans paint the administration’s moves as heavy-handed overreach that circumvents lawmakers.But in October, the Senate rejected a resolution requiring Trump to obtain congressional approval for military strikes in the Caribbean. Earlier this month, the Senate voted down a similar resolution that would require the president obtain congressional approval for any military action against Venezuela.Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky sided with Democrats to push for a congressional authorization requirement.Paul previously said in an October interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that the strikes “go against all of our tradition.” He raised concerns over people being killed without the administration providing evidence of a crime, noting the possibility that some of those killed could be innocent.Megan LebowitzMegan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.Mosheh Gains, Courtney Kube and Frank Thorp V contributed.
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