A Staten Island judge temporarily blocked the rollout of New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s controversial pied-à-terre tax on Monday. 
Judge Wayne Ozzi <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/us-news/ny-judge-approves-temporary-pause-of-mamdanis-pied-a-terre-tax-rollout/">issued</a> a temporary restraining order requiring the city to remove its published tax roll, which contains more than 900,000 properties, and barring officials from taking further action on approximately 17,000 warning notices already sent to property owners. The order also pauses related deadlines while a lawsuit challenging the tax&#8217;s implementation moves forward.
The surcharge applies to certain New York City properties that are not used as primary residences worth at least $5 million and condominiums and co-ops valued at $1 million or more.
The homeowners behind the lawsuit are not challenging the tax itself. Instead, they argue that the city’s Department of Finance is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/new-york-city-homeowners-sue-over-mamdanis-pied-a-terre-tax-rollout-1795d9a5">improperly</a> placing the burden on property owners to prove they do not owe the tax rather than requiring city officials to determine which properties are subject to it. The lawsuit claims the city placed “homeowners in an untenable position in the dead of summer.”
The lawsuit was brought by three homeowners, Rachel O’Brien, Carmine Morano, and Simon Hedley, who say they were forced to gather documents proving their properties are their primary residences.
“The rollout of this surcharge is a debacle,” said Randy Mastro, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. 
The city also published a searchable tax roll containing information on roughly 900,000 properties, prompting privacy complaints from homeowners. The Department of Finance has said that the vast majority of properties on the roll are not subject to the surcharge and that only roughly 17,000 property owners who received warning letters are potentially subject to it.
Mamdani <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/10/us/nyc-pied-a-terre-tax-lawsuit">said</a> Monday that his administration would “vigorously defend” the city’s implementation of the tax in court. His administration has maintained that the surcharge is legal and can be implemented fairly.
When Mamdani first promoted the tax, he released a controversial video featuring him outside the home of Citadel CEO Ken Griffin. 
Griffin responded by saying Citadel would add more jobs in Florida following what he called Mamdani&#8217;s “creepy” video. 
“We will add far more jobs in Miami over the next decade as an immediate and direct consequence of the mayor’s poor decision here with respect to his posting of that video,” Griffin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-doxxes-his-own-constituents-days-after-terror-attack">said</a>. 
The next hearing in the homeowners&#8217; lawsuit is scheduled for August 31.  
&nbsp;

Mayor Mamdani And Governor Hochul Make FIFA World Cup Announcement

Judge Puts Mamdani’s Pied-à-Terre Tax On Ice

Democratic socialists

Ken Griffin

New York City

pied-à-terre tax

Zohran Mamdani

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent honored the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in their home state of South Carolina on Monday as Joint Base Charleston was renamed in the senator&#8217;s honor.
“Lindsey Graham believed that the first obligation of the federal government is to keep its people safe,” Bessent said. “To place his name upon a base dedicated to our defense is to join Lindsey’s memory to the cause that animated his entire life.”
Bessent said Graham’s legacy belonged at the newly renamed Joint Base Lindsey Graham precisely because the senator “never outgrew the people or the places that first claimed him as our own.”
“Few men have traveled greater distances without ever leaving home behind,” Bessent said.
Bessent described Joint Base Lindsey Graham as the backbone of the Air Force’s C-17 fleet, calling the aircraft &#8220;the workhorse of our air defense.&#8221; He drew a comparison to Graham’s work in the Senate.
“From today forward, these planes will have Joint Base Graham on their tails,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;A reminder that Senator Graham was the American people&#8217;s workhorse.” 
Bessent was joined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who echoed his tribute and emphasized Graham&#8217;s battles against left-wing ideology in the military.
“Lindsey spent his final years taking on a radical leftist ideology that had run rampant in the media, in academia, and even among a few members of Congress,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth argued that left-wing ideology had “killed&#8221; military recruiting efforts. 
Graham <a href="https://www.ngaus.org/magazine/conversation-sen-lindsey-graham?utm_source=chatgpt.com">linked</a> the military’s recruiting and retention struggles to the armed forces’ increasingly “woke” reputation. Graham backed a defense bill that banned the military from paying for gender-affirming healthcare for its soldiers, imposed a hiring freeze on all individuals tied to DEI initiatives, redirected $50 million in DEI programming to countering the flow of narcotics, and swapped DEI onboarding training for comprehensive training on the U.S. Constitution. 
For most of his career, Graham traveled to international hot spots to immerse himself in foreign policy and national security. His political career built on his distinguished record in the United States Air Force, where he served on active duty as an Air Force lawyer. Graham was stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany before later joining the South Carolina Air National Guard.
A memo signed by Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink said the base was renamed after Graham to honor his “decades of distinguished service to the United States Congress and the United States Air Force.” 
Graham remained focused on foreign policy until the final days of his life. Shortly before his death, he traveled to Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and pushed for tougher sanctions aimed at pressuring Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham’s Military Legacy Gets A Lasting Tribute

Pete Hegseth

Scott Bessent

South Carolina

Tribute

Shake Shack is facing backlash after a viral video appeared to show a self-service kiosk raising the price of a customer&#8217;s milkshakes after he declined to leave a tip. 
TikToker B.D. Powell ordered three milkshakes at a Shake Shack in the Salt Lake City airport. Two were priced at $5.99 each, while a third cost $6.48 with added whipped cream. After Powell declined to leave a tip, the kiosk displayed a “calculating total” message before alerting him that there had been &#8220;a pricing update on one or more of your cart items.” The price of each shake had increased by 50 cents. 
“Everything just went up 50 cents. Every item went up by 50 cents, just making sure that everybody knows,” Powell said.
Shake Shack said the price increase was not company policy and that it was investigating the incident with HMSHost, the company that operates the airport location and its kiosk system.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This is not a Shake Shack policy, and we’re currently looking into it with our licensee, HMSHost, that operates the Salt Lake City airport location and kiosk system,” the company said. 
HMSHost attributed the price change to a technology error with the kiosk and said the problem had been resolved.
The video amassed millions of views on TikTok and X as frustration with tipping expectations continues to grow in the United States. 
A Popmenu survey released in April found that <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/fed-consumers-cut-tips-restaurants-091000239.html?guccounter=1">78%</a> of customers believe tipping practices “have become ridiculous,&#8221; while 44% reported tipping less this year than last year. 
“People are being asked to tip more than ever,” Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst Ted Rossman said. “There are crazy examples that you would have never even thought of 10 years ago. It’s getting harder and harder to avoid.” 
Rossman made the comments after encountering a tip prompt while purchasing a sandwich from a self-service airport kiosk.
“Tipping in America is truly out of control,” said Kashif Ahmed, a financial planner with American Private Wealth. “I understand many folks get most of their pay from tips, but businesses have started to ask for tips when no extra work was done. And in some cases, no human was even present.”

Shake Shack Restaurant at Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets Mall

WATCH: Shake Shack Kiosk Raises Customer’s Prices After He Selects No Tip

Fast-Food

shake shack

tip culture

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million yacht was the closest vessel to a stranded 21-foot skiff in Alaskan waters, but after an unanswered call for help, a small cruise ship ultimately came to the skiff’s rescue. 
A chorus of boos followed the cruise ship captain’s announcement that Zuckerberg’s yacht had “refused” to help the skiff, according to a <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/elkmovie.bsky.social/post/3mscqsxfulk26">passenger</a>. 
The Coast Guard, which heard the call just after 9:30 p.m. Monday, determined about 26 minutes later that the skiff — which had run out of fuel — was not in distress and issued a marine assistance request broadcast on its behalf. Monday. Zuckerberg&#8217;s 387-foot yacht, Launchpad, was reportedly the closest vessel but did not respond, according to the Alaska Beacon. The Wilderness Legacy, a cruise ship operated by UnCruise Adventures, ultimately came to the skiff&#8217;s aid.
“Mark and his family were not on board at the time of the incident,” a spokesperson for Zuckerberg told the Beacon. “As the Coast Guard noted, the boat was not in distress, and by the time the crew reviewed the Coast Guard contact on a different radio channel from the one they were operating on, the assist was already underway. We’re grateful all parties are safe,” he added. 
On its way to rescue the skiff, the Wilderness Legacy passed Zuckerberg&#8217;s yacht. 
Zuckerberg and his family spend much of their time at their primary residential <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-has-scooped-up-11-palo-alto-homes-in-14-years-whats-it-like-to-be-his-neighbor">compound</a> in Palo Alto, California, about a ten-minute drive from Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park. Over the years, Zuckerberg has purchased 11 homes in the affluent neighborhood and has an estate featuring guest homes, gardens, a pickleball court, and an unoccupied building used for outdoor parties.

Tourists in Sicily as Heat Wave Scorches Italy

Zuckerberg’s $300M Yacht ‘Refused’ To Help Stranded Boat

Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg

Stranded Ship

Yacht

Since 1953, an Italian bank has accepted wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano as collateral for loans — but the heatwave sweeping across the region is causing the bank to second-guess its decision.
About $350 million in cheese is sitting in two warehouses operated by Credito Emiliano, where a European heatwave is quickly threatening profitability.
“This is the Fort Knox of Cheese. Instead of gold bars, you have gold wheels. Every wheel is 700 euros,” a spokesperson for the bank <a href="https://x.com/CBSNews/status/2086617056254775392">told</a> CBS News. “Outside the temperature is very high and so we need a lot of energy to maintain humidity and temperature for the cheese.”
The bank has had to improve cooling systems and boilers, upgrade building insulation, and increase renewable energy production in order to keep the cheese stored at proper temperatures.
&#8220;If extreme events become longer-lasting and more intense, they will certainly have an impact on both the quantity and quality of milk, but above all they will lead to higher costs,&#8221; <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/extreme-heat-threatens-italys-parmesan-heartland-2026-07-13/">added</a> Paolo Ganzerli, the international sales director at food group GranTerre.
As a whole, the Parmigiano Reggiano industry generates $5.15 billion in revenue a year, with exports of the cheese in 2025 accounting for more than 50% of Parmigiano Reggiano’s global sales. But rising temperatures don’t just affect the bank’s profitability margin as energy costs take a large share of operating costs. They also impact the amount of cheese available in the first place.
High temperatures cause cows to spend more time lying down — and therefore eating less — causing them to produce 10% less milk, which is one of Parmigiano’s key ingredients alongside salt and rennet. “The cow has less milk, and the quality of the wheel cheese [is] different. So it’s an important question for farmers, the producers, and also us to maintain an excellent level of conservation of cheese,” explained a spokesperson for the bank.
Italy is one of the European countries to reverse course on its closure of coal-fired power plants amid rising energy costs. Former Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni pledged coal-fired plants would be permanently closed by <a href="https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/04/09/italy-pushes-coal-exit-back-after-gas-prices-rise/">2025</a> as the country shifted to renewable energy sources.
The permanent closure has since been shifted to 2038, giving Italy more time to secure alternative energy sources before taking coal-fired plants offline — a reversal that reflects a broader debate over whether Europe’s transition to renewable energy has moved faster than its energy infrastructure can accommodate.
Mike Sommers, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, has <a href="https://www.wral.com/archive/19907542/">argued</a> that the continent moved too quickly. “In Europe there has been a very fast rush to the energy transition. I would argue too fast,” <a href="https://www.wral.com/archive/19907542/">said</a> Mike Sommers.
Not everyone in Europe agrees. European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera argued that accelerating the transition to clean energy, rather than slowing it down, is the answer to Europe’s energy challenges. “The real risk is not moving too fast on clean energy, but too slowly,” Ribera <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-what-does-the-iran-war-mean-for-the-energy-transition-and-climate-action">said</a> earlier this year.

gettyimages-2225389028-594×594

A Heatwave Gives ‘Liquid Assets’ A New Meaning For The European Bank Using Cheese As Collateral

Collateral

Credito Emiliano

Heatwave

Italian Cheese

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joked that her and other socialist politicians&#8217; calls to ‘defund the police’ were just a “crazy, Woke 1” era.
&#8220;I have a local city councilman that has this saying, &#8216;Woke 1 was crazy,'&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFwAnMLBSOw">said</a> in an interview with ABC. “What’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now.&#8221;
ABC News host Jon Karl had asked the congresswoman about the latest socialist backtrack, involving Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong and her comments that called for prisons to be abolished and for Thanksgiving to be canceled.
The radical statements from the Left’s self-proclaimed “Woke 1” era ranged from calls to &#8220;defund the police&#8221; to declarations like &#8220;no one is illegal on stolen land,&#8221; &#8220;homeownership is a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-landlords-blast-mamdani-official-who-calls-property-ownership-weapon-of-white-supremacy">weapon</a> of white supremacy,&#8221; and “all <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vox/videos/i-still-believe-that-all-deportations-are-wrongnew-york-congressional-candidate-/4441164026124427/">deportations</a> are wrong.”
Ocasio-Cortez explained that those statements led to &#8220;fruitful&#8221; conversations. “I think that the doors were really open in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place. And I actually think that the discussions that were had in that time were quite fruitful,&#8221; she said.
She tried to put some distance on that line of thinking, however, claiming that rhetoric is not the rhetoric used today. “I think that when we talk about crime today, it’s fundamentally different than the way that we talked about crime in bringing crime down, right? And I think that we all share the goals of having as low a crime rate as possible. I think that during lockdown, of course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today.”
So far, past radical comments have not stopped self-described democratic socialists — many of whom do still embrace the rhetoric Ocasio-Cortez appears ready to abandon — from winning primaries and advancing to the general election. In New York City, democratic socialists Darializa Chevalier and Claire Valdez swept their primaries and defeated incumbent establishment Democrats, Melat Kiros won in Colorado, and Abdul El-Sayed won in Michigan.
Their success may not stop at the primaries. Prediction market Kalshi currently forecasts a Chevalier win in the general election at <a href="https://kalshi.com/tag/new-york-elections">98%</a>, a Valdez victory at 76%, a Kiros win at 97%, and an El-Sayed win at 55%. Increasingly, more and more Americans hold a positive view of socialism — with nearly <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/694835/image-capitalism-slips.aspx">40%</a> reporting they have a positive view of socialism.
Democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani proved in his 2025 election that radical statements can be successfully walked back before a general election. Mamdani had previously <a href="https://apnews.com/article/59f6a66cd40d4c2b750fdfd06a4f5da1?utm_source=chatgpt.com">advocated</a> for seizing the means of production, refused to condemn globalizing the intifada, and had described the New York City Police Department as a &#8220;racist, anti-queer, and a major threat to public safety.&#8221;
The thirty-four-year-old mayor <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/zohran-mamdani-fox-news-interview/6405385/">chalked</a> up his comments to his own emotional reaction to &#8220;the year George Floyd was killed,&#8221; saying that at the time &#8220;it felt like safety and justice had never been further apart.&#8221;
Mamdani&#8217;s win proved socialism could win a major election in the United States. And while socialism’s popularity is on the rise, capitalism’s popularity has declined, dropping 6% since 2021 to just over half — <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/694835/image-capitalism-slips.aspx">54%</a> — of Americans viewing capitalism in a favorable light.

AOC Has An Excuse For The Left’s Most Radical ‘Woke 1’ Era

Abolish the police

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Defund The Police

Media

Politics

Woke Culture

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is facing backlash after trashing a beloved Michigan vacation spot in a resurfaced video — and doubled down when confronted.
“I don’t think the most American place in Michigan is a place that…bans cars,” he said. 
Mackinac Island banned motor vehicles in the 1890s, leaving the island to horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and foot traffic. It&#8217;s a rule generations of Michigan families have treated as part of the island&#8217;s charm. But El-Sayed sees it differently.
“I hate Mackinac so much,” in a resurfaced documentary from his failed 2018 gubernatorial campaign. “Every time I’ve ever come here I’ve hated it. Why am I here?” 
The island has also hosted the governor&#8217;s official summer residence since 1945 — a fact El-Sayed jokes about in the clip, noting that a win would have made Mackinac his own summer home.
El-Sayed will face off against Republican nominee Mike Rogers, a former U.S. representative, who has already taken two digs at El-Sayed.
“There’s no place like Mackinac,” Rogers <a href="https://x.com/MikeRogersForMI/status/2085799879905771713">said</a>, sharing personal photos of him enjoying his time on the island. The other swipe occurred when Rogers put out a campaign video where he looked directly into the camera and said, “If you are among the majority of Democratic voters who woke up on Wednesday feeling well, hopeless, because the person who won does not represent your values then just know there is still hope.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My message to Democratic voters in Michigan: <a href="https://t.co/Jluml1RepW">pic.twitter.com/Jluml1RepW</a>
— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) <a href="https://x.com/MikeRogersForMI/status/2085694224285212728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
El-Sayed has embraced the party&#8217;s far-Left flank, campaigning alongside communist influencer Hasan Piker — who declared in a 2019 stream that &#8220;America deserved 9/11,&#8221; a remark he later characterized as a criticism of U.S. foreign policy. On Friday, <a href="https://x.com/Tectone/status/2085718952563392798?s=20">another clip</a> circulated of Piker circulated telling viewers, &#8220;We want more immigrants to come into your countries and then they&#8217;re going to f*ck your sisters and then your daughters,&#8221; before adding, &#8220;We&#8217;re here to destroy the white race.&#8221;
Asked on CNN Tuesday night whether we was comfortable with El-Sayed&#8217;s association with piker given the 9/11 remark, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/04/politics/video/bernie-sanders-abdul-el-sayed-progressives-nn-digvid">admitted</a> he was not — &#8220;I think that&#8217;s a dumb statement&#8221; — but quickly pivoted to defending the streamer. &#8220;He has a whole lot of followers and there&#8217;s a lot of things that he&#8217;s saying that make sense to a lot of people,&#8221; Sanders said. &#8220;I think we have to get above cancel culture. You know, when you&#8217;re doing radio, whatever they do — podcasts three hours a day — you say dumb things.&#8221; Sanders has not been asked publicly about the clip that resurfaced Friday.
Piker&#8217;s involvement with the campaign has been no obstacle to party leaders, who have rallied behind El-Sayed since Tuesday. The streamer, who traveled to Havana in March with a delegation organized in part by the Democratic Socialists of America — a trip now under Treasury Department scrutiny for possible sanctions violations — has appeared alongside El-Sayed at a series of campaign events. Former Vice President Kamala Harris nonetheless <a href="http://detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/07/kamala-harris-endorses-michigan-u-s-senate-race-el-sayed-rogers-lobbies-democrats/91214121007/">endorsed</a> El-Sayed on Friday.
&#8220;Abdul knows that we need bold solutions to the crises facing America&#8217;s working families, and he is ready to take on this fight,&#8221; Harris said. &#8220;I proudly stand with him to ensure we win a Democratic Senate majority in November.&#8221;
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer endorsed El-Sayed on Wednesday in a joint statement with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee — this despite El-Sayed campaigning opening on replacing Schumer as Democratic leader.
&#8220;If I have anything to do about it, the next Senate majority leader — Chris Van Hollen,&#8221; El-Sayed said at a rally introducing the Maryland senator. Schumer, for his part, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/05/top-democrats-embrace-abdul-el-sayed">waved off</a> the challenge. &#8220;Democrats are united by a common purpose: putting a check on Donald Trump by defeating his Republican enablers and taking back the Senate,&#8221; he and Gillibrand said.

Michigan Democrats Brace For Tectonic Shift In Key Senate Race

El-Sayed Doubles Down After He’s Blasted For Disparaging Historic Michigan Destination

Abdul El-Sayed

Mackinac Island

Michigan

Mike Rogers

Senate

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was narrowly confirmed by the Senate on Saturday to officially serve in the role, clearing a vote that divided the Republican Party. 
The Senate voted 50 to 49, with two Republicans — Sen. Susan Collins (ME) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK) — siding with Democrats to oppose to Blanche’s nomination. Collins said her opposition stemmed from a Justice Department she believes &#8220;has become increasingly political.&#8221; 
&#8220;Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department&#8217;s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation,&#8221; she said in a <a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-statement-on-nomination-of-todd-blanche-to-serve-as-attorney-general">statement</a> earlier this week.
Collins argued against Blanche&#8217;s approval of an IRS order to &#8220;shield[ed]&#8221; the Trump family and its businesses from audits, along with the creation of a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund. Murkowski <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/second-gop-senator-comes-out-against-blanche-confirmation">echoed</a> those concerns and separately criticized the department&#8217;s handling of the Epstein files release.
The Senate voted to confirm Blanche in a late-night session that ended at 4:00 a.m. After his confirmation, the attorney general <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2086015509821038750">said</a> he was &#8220;deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice.&#8221;
 On Friday, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who had previously opposed Blanche&#8217;s nomination, announced he would vote to confirm Blanche in what would become the deciding vote in the 50-49 outcome.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” Cassidy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/todd-blanche-gets-guarantee-from-key-senator-on-confirmation-vote">said</a>. “But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche.”
Cassidy voiced some concern but said he believed that a confirmed attorney general would have more authority to resist political pressure than someone serving only in an acting capacity. Blanche thanked the Senate for staying late to complete the vote and thanked President Donald Trump. 
“I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General,” he said. 
Blanche&#8217;s path to the job began outside government entirely; he served as Trump&#8217;s personal defense lawyer before nominating him as deputy attorney general upon returning to office. He was appointed to acting attorney general by the president after former Attorney General Pam Bondi was ousted from the department in April.

Todd Blanche

Senate Confirms Todd Blanche As Attorney General In Razor Thin, Late-Night Vote

Attorney General

Department of Justice

A 14-year-old boy killed five people and injured more than <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/two-dead-gunman-school-shooting-thailand-officials-say-rcna591309">30</a> others when he opened fire at his school in Thailand on Friday. 
The attack marks one of Thailand’s deadliest school shootings in recent years. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/two-dead-gunman-school-shooting-thailand-officials-say-rcna591309">confirmed</a> that five individuals were killed at Debsirin Nonthaburi School before the gunman took his own life. 
Police identified the suspect as a student at the school and said he fired at least 26 rounds and still had more than 30 rounds of ammunition remaining. The handgun is believed to have belonged to the boy’s grandfather.
Police said the teen shot and killed his grandparents at their home earlier that day before going to the school, bringing the number of victims killed in the attacks to seven. 
One student <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c980j3j578do">told</a> the BBC that she “had to climb over the school fence to escape.” 
Another student said he thought he heard firecrackers. 
“Then it started getting more frequent, like ‘bang, bang, bang’ and then it went quiet at one point,” he said. “And the shooting started again.”
The attack is the latest in a string of deadly mass shootings in Thailand. 
In 2025, a man opened fire at a Bangkok market, killing five people before taking his own life. In 2023, a 14-year-old opened fire at a luxury mall in Bangkok, killing two people and injuring five others.
In 2022, a former police officer killed 36 people, including 24 children, in a gun-and-knife attack centered on a day care center.

Relieved yet deeply shaken parents burst into tears as they

High School Shooting Takes Even Darker Turn As Gunman’s Path Is Revealed

gunman

Mass Shooting

School Shooting

Thailand

Michigan&#8217;s Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed ranted about one of the state&#8217;s most beloved vacation spots and complained about being forced to travel there for his campaign. 
“I hate Mackinac so much,” he said in a 2020 documentary that followed his failed run for governor. “Every time I’ve ever come here I’ve hated it. Why am I here?”
In the clip, which was posted by <a href="https://x.com/Th_Midwesterner/status/2085731486158708741">The Midwesterner</a> on Friday, El-Sayed added that if he won the gubernatorial race, Mackinac Island would become his summer home. The car-free island is home to the Michigan governor’s official summer residence, a property the state has used to host political events since 1945. With no motor vehicles allowed on the island, travel is restricted to horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and on foot. 
El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment on why he dislikes one of Michigan’s most beloved and historical landmarks. 
Last year, Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer pitched the island as a film location for HBO&#8217;s popular series &#8220;The White Lotus.&#8221;
“If HBO is looking for the perfect location for season 4…Mackinac Island is ready to check you in,” she wrote over a video featuring beautiful scenery from the island. Whitmer regularly visits the island for political events, including for the Mackinac Policy Conference, which hosts Michigan’s political and business establishment each year. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If <a href="https://x.com/HBO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HBO</a> is looking for the perfect location for season 4…Mackinac Island is ready to check you in 🪷 <a href="https://t.co/JHUjlqXSvX">pic.twitter.com/JHUjlqXSvX</a>
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) <a href="https://x.com/GovWhitmer/status/1898857658100158693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
It&#8217;s not the first time a Democratic candidate has trashed the place he or she is vying to represent. During a special election for Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional District, Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn was criticized for comments she made about Nashville. 
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it,” she said.
El-Sayed now faces Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers in the general election. After El-Sayed’s win, Rogers released a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-rogers-makes-his-pitch-for-dem-support-in-michigan-after-el-sayeds-divisive-victory">direct message</a> to Democratic voters who are concerned about the rise of the far-Left in Michigan. In a campaign video released after El-Sayed edged out Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) 48.5% to 47.5%, Rogers told Michigan Democrats of all ages, &#8220;You have a home with us.&#8221;
&#8220;Over the next 90 days I am going to work hard to earn your trust, to earn your support, and earn your vote,&#8221; Rogers said. &#8220;We have a state to save, Michigan. Let&#8217;s get to work.&#8221;

Michigan Democratic Senate Primary Winner Abdul El-Sayed Holds News Conference Day After Primary Win

El-Sayed Once Trashed Beloved Michigan Vacation Destination

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A North Carolina man with a lengthy criminal history filmed himself on social media as he attacked random women on the street. 
Di-Quan Schafar Hunt, 32, is now facing <a href="https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/cmpd-arrests-man-for-assaulting-woman/275-c2e1f0ba-fa12-4423-a560-c4241112eb8a?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook_WCNC_Charlotte">charges</a> after assaulting a woman in Charlotte, North Carolina, on camera, WCNC reported. The disturbing video that Hunt recorded and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diquan1/">posted</a> to Instagram shows him walking past a woman on the street and saying, “Nah don’t wave at me,” then knocking her to the ground. She became unconscious after she hit the sidewalk. 
“You still talking?” the criminal said as he stood over her.
He slapped her again as she lay unconscious on the ground. Authorities <a href="https://www.charlottenc.gov/cmpd/News-Information/Newsroom/Assault-Investigation-in-the-Providence-Division-08.06026">said</a> the assault was reported on July 30 and that the victim “was transported to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”
In another video that was <a href="https://x.com/mattvanswol/status/2085506462529237191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">obtained</a> by political commentator Matt Van Swol on Thursday, Hunt is seen stopping a woman on the sidewalk and then chasing her. The woman, visibly frightened, runs into the road with cars passing by to escape. “You run again motherf*cker,” Hunt shouted. “You said something else? You said something?” He finally walked away as the terrified woman hid behind a car that stopped in the street. As Hunt walked away, he continued to yell profanities. 
Paper Skyscraper, a business in the background of the attack video, <a href="https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/cmpd-arrests-man-for-assaulting-woman/275-c2e1f0ba-fa12-4423-a560-c4241112eb8a?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook_WCNC_Charlotte">issued</a> a statement saying, “We are grateful to the officers, first responders, and community members who have been assisting the victim and supporting the ongoing investigation.” Paper Skyscraper turned over additional video footage to law enforcement and urged its neighbors to do the same. 
Hunt has a long rap sheet and has been arrested in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 14 times. The first time occurred in 2012, when the case was dismissed after he was arrested for assault on a female. His past charges have included assault on a female, domestic violence, and assault with a deadly weapon. Between October 2023 and December 2025, Hunt was arrested <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/07/dont-wave-me-man-charged-after-police-say-social-media-video-shows-him-punch-woman-sidewalk/">nine</a> times. 
Hunt was taken into custody after an investigation by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. His first stop is a medical facility for treatment, and then he will face charges for assault with a deadly weapon when he is discharged from the facility.  
The attacks targeting women in Charlotte come around a year after Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, fatally stabbed Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the city&#8217;s train. Brown had a criminal record that goes back to 2007, which includes <a href="https://cbs12.com/news/nation-world/who-is-decarlos-brown-jr-the-man-accused-of-murdering-ukrainian-refugee-lightrail-charlotte-north-carolina-career-criminal-arrested-first-degree-murder-armed-robbery">14 arrests</a>, including felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault, shoplifting, and others.

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Repeat Criminal Records Video As He Attacks Random Women On The Street

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After Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed rode Michigan&#8217;s far-Left to a primary victory earlier this week, Republican nominee Mike Rogers released a video on Friday reaching out to the state&#8217;s moderate Democrats.
Rogers is attempting to capture some of the 728,000 voters who chose Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) over El-Sayed. El-Sayed squeaked out a victory over Stevens by less than 16,000 votes after polls suggested he would win in a landslide.
“If you are among the majority of Democratic voters who woke up on Wednesday feeling well, hopeless, because the person who won does not represent your values then just know there is still hope,” Rogers said. He then issued a message to voters from baby boomers to Gen Z. 
“To Grandparents across Michigan who are heartbroken from watching their kids and grandkids leave this state, you have a home with us,&#8221; he said. &#8220;To young people who are looking for real solutions to solve our housing affordability crisis, you have a home with us. To working families who don’t want higher taxes and lower paychecks, well you have a home with us. And to the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence, and the views that are out of touch with your values, then you have a home with us.&#8221;
Rogers positioned his campaign as not just a fight between the Left and Right, but a “fight for the very soul of our nation.” 
Rogers pointed to the rift between establishment Democrats and the party’s new far-Left socialist movement. But the Democratic establishment, including Rep. Haley Stevens and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, endorsed El-Sayed after his primary victory. He even received Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer&#8217;s (D-NY) endorsement despite pushing for Schumer to be replaced. El-Sayed advocated for Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen to become the party&#8217;s new Senate leader. 
Rogers hopes to lure moderate Democratic voters who do not share the extremist viewpoints of the far-Left of the party, which calls for canceling all medical and student debt, abolishing ICE, and defunding the police.
While El-Sayed does not claim to be a democratic socialist, he was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America and holds many of the radical party&#8217;s viewpoints. El-Sayed has also campaigned with communist influencer Hasan Piker, who said, “America deserved 9/11.” 
In an attempt to run from his past radicalism, El-Sayed wiped social media posts, including some he used to advocate for defunding the police. He also pushed to resume lockdowns over a year after COVID first began spreading in the United States.

Screenshot 2026-08-07 at 11.45.11 AM

Mike Rogers Makes His Pitch For Dem Support In Michigan After El-Sayed’s ‘Divisive’ Victory

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