The man accused of killing the mother of a former top Trump Middle East adviser is believed to be behind a series of anti-Jewish hate crimes in the days preceding her death. 
Cara Trager was walking home with her husband in Queens, New York, on May 25 when Dawood Faisal sped through two red lights and crashed into multiple vehicles, sending one into the crosswalk and fatally wounding her, authorities say. The incident happened just two days after he allegedly vandalized the kosher Bagels &amp; Co. restaurant for the second time.
The timing has left Trager’s family questioning whether her death could have been prevented if the earlier antisemitic attacks had been addressed. Instead, Faisal is accused of getting behind the wheel in the heavily Jewish neighborhood, doing donuts in the street, and driving twice the speed limit before triggering the fatal chain-reaction crash. 
Trager’s family was already deeply connected to the fight against antisemitism: her son, Eric, was appointed by President Donald Trump as a senior director for Middle East and North Africa on the National Security Council from January to May 2025, where he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us-proposes-bridge-extend-gaza-ceasefire-white-house-says-2025-03-14/">worked closely</a> with Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff on Middle East policy and the war in Gaza.
According to authorities, on May 25 Faisal was driving a 2013 Toyota Prius southbound on Francis Lewis Boulevard at approximately 7:48 p.m. when he surpassed 75 mph in a 35 mph zone and ran at least two red lights.
He first allegedly slammed into a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon traveling through the intersection before striking a Nissan Rogue, sending it into the crosswalk where it hit Trager and her husband, Michael, who had been married for 47 years and were walking home from dinner.
Trager suffered severe head trauma and died four days later. Her husband suffered a shoulder injury, lacerations to his hands, and bruising to his face.
After the collision, Faisal allegedly got out of his vehicle and attempted to flee before picking up a stick to fight off good Samaritans who detained him until police arrived.
Video footage from the scene shows Trager face down on the pavement while her husband kneels down next to her along with debris and cars scattered through the intersection. 
<div id="attachment_1155059" style="width: 699px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1155059" class="size-large wp-image-1155059" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-11-at-11.23.54-AM-689x576.png" alt="" width="689" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-11-at-11.23.54-AM-689x576.png 689w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-11-at-11.23.54-AM-300x251.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-11-at-11.23.54-AM-768x642.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-11-at-11.23.54-AM.png 1094w" sizes=" (max-width: 689px) 100vw, 689px" />@bukhariancommunity via Instagram</div>
Michael recalled the moment he realized his wife had been struck in an interview with The Daily Wire, describing himself as “dazed” and struggling to understand what had happened.
“The first thing I did was I started punching myself to say, ‘Oh, gee, I’m still alive here,’” Michael recalled. “Then I saw that my wife was dead. I couldn’t believe it happened because I didn’t do anything wrong. We were crossing the street, and next thing I know, I’m on the ground with my wife.”
Faisal, 22, was arrested after the incident and indicted in June on second-degree manslaughter, assault, and other charges. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded into custody without bail. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. 
Michael attended Faisal’s arraignment just days after the crash, while Trager was hospitalized and dying from her injuries. 
“I was afraid that my wife was going to officially die when I’m at the arraignment, but I went,” Michael said, adding that Faisal’s family was also present at the proceeding and that his mother repeatedly cried while sitting in the courtroom.
“I&#8217;m thinking to myself, ‘What are you crying for? Are you crying for your son, or are you crying because your son killed my wife? Why are you crying?’&#8221; Michael said.
On July 31, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Faisal had been arraigned on separate hate-crime charges stemming from two prior incidents at Bagels &amp; Co., which openly displays itself as kosher and has Israeli flags in its storefront. The shop is located in the heavily Jewish Fresh Meadows neighborhood, close to the Tragers’ home and the area where Trager was killed.
Prosecutors allege that on May 15 around 6:18 p.m., Faisal knocked over nine metal plant stands outside the business, causing dirt and plants to spill onto the sidewalk, before allegedly picking up dirt and throwing it at the storefront twice.
Eight days later, at approximately 1 a.m. on May 23 — early Saturday morning, when religious Jews observe a day of rest for Shabbat — prosecutors allege Faisal returned to the store and pushed and kicked 11 metal plant stands, causing more dirt and plants to spill onto the sidewalk. He allegedly picked up the stands and emptied their remaining contents onto the sidewalk before attempting to kick over a large clay pot. When he was unable to knock it over, prosecutors say he ripped the plants out of the pot and other containers.
The vandalism was not the first time Bagels &amp; Co. had been targeted over its Israeli flags. In November 2021, a man recorded himself threatening to burn down the store unless employees removed the Israeli flags, prompting condemnation from local officials, reported <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/the-scroll/articles/scroll-aug-7-intifada-comes-for-queens">Tablet Magazine</a>.
Video of the second alleged vandalism shows Faisal smashing furniture and the pots while wearing what appears to be traditional Muslim garb. Faisal is now being held at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center, where Department of Correction records list his country of “nativity” as Pakistan.
Authorities said that Faisal is not working or in school and that he was not on drugs or drunk during the manslaughter incident, according to Michael.
“As alleged, this defendant repeatedly targeted a Jewish-owned business and destroyed property in a vile act of antisemitism,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
If convicted, Faisal faces up to seven years in prison, according to Katz.
Faisal’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 8. Michael said he has been warned that Faisal could eventually be released on bail, a prospect that has left him fearful for his own safety.
Trager was aware of the bagel shop incidents, having spoken to her daughter Rachel Sales about them just two days before the fatal crash, Sales recounted in a piece for the <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/08/06/from-antisemitic-crimes-to-manslaughter/">New York Daily News</a>.
Sales said the subsequent discovery that the same man was accused of both the vandalism and the reckless driving that killed her mother had transformed the family’s grief into anger.
“This has turned our existing nightmare into a greater nightmare, showing us that my mother’s death may have been prevented,” Sales wrote. “The antisemitic vandalism crimes were known and widely publicized. Yet, this hateful dangerous man remained on the loose and soon killed my mother.”
Although authorities are not investigating the crash as a hate crime, Michael believes the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death deserve scrutiny, particularly given the heavily Jewish neighborhood where the crash occurred and Faisal’s alleged attacks on the Jewish business days earlier.
“My contention is that the area itself is very, very Jewish,” Michael told The Daily Wire. “It’s Bukharian, it’s a Russian Jewish area, and most of the people who were eyewitnesses, the people who detained him, were Bukharian Jews.”
Michael said the circumstances made it more likely that the victims would be Jewish, even if he does not believe that proves his wife was specifically targeted.
“If you’re going to do that kind of act in that area, at that time, you’re more than likely, if you’re going to kill somebody, to kill a Jew,” he said.
Trager was a longtime Queens journalist who was active in her Jewish community throughout her life. She wrote for publications including Newsday, the New York Post, Crain’s New York Business, and also produced publications and marketing materials for Jewish organizations including UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Theological Seminary. 
<div id="attachment_1155283" style="width: 1030px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1155283" class="size-large wp-image-1155283" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/IMG_1180-1296x732-1785791421-1020x576.jpeg" alt="" width="1020" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/IMG_1180-1296x732-1785791421-1020x576.jpeg 1020w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/IMG_1180-1296x732-1785791421-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/IMG_1180-1296x732-1785791421-768x434.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/IMG_1180-1296x732-1785791421.jpeg 1296w" sizes=" (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px" />Cara Trager (Courtesy)</div>
Trager served on the board of Solomon Schechter School of Queens, a Jewish day school, and held leadership positions at her synagogue, Etz Hayim at Hollis Hills Bayside. Her husband described her as deeply committed to Israel and Judaism.
New NYPD data show that <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/jews-targeted-in-70-of-all-nyc-hate-crimes-last-month-nypd-data-shows/">Jews were the targets</a> in 70% of confirmed hate crimes reported in New York City in July, despite making up roughly 10% of the city’s population.
Queens has been particularly affected, with a string of unsolved antisemitic incidents in recent months. In early May, four people allegedly spray-painted swastikas and other antisemitic messages on synagogues, Jewish homes, and a car in Flushing and Forest Hills, followed days later by the discovery of nearly a dozen swastikas at two Queens parks on Mother’s Day.
On May 18, Albert Itzkowitz, a 75-year-old former kosher bakery owner and rabbi, was found <a href="https://www.jns.org/news/u-s-news/exclusive-sweetest-kindest-man-family-says-of-orthodox-man-gunned-down-in-broad-daylight-in-nyc">shot to death</a> in Kissena Park. Police have ruled his death a homicide but have not identified a suspect or motive, and his family has urged investigators to consider whether he was targeted because he was Jewish. The NYPD and Itzkowitz’s family have offered a combined $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The incidents continued into July, when two Orthodox synagogues in Queens were vandalized with feces and motor oil in attacks the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating as potential hate crimes.

Bebas Neue

Man Charged With Killing Mom Of Ex-Trump Adviser Is Linked To Series Of Hate Crimes

antisemitism

eric trager

hate crime

new york city police department

queens

Jews were the targets in 70% of all hate crimes recorded in New York City last month, according to NYPD <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/PR012/nypd-fewest-shooting-incidents-shooting-victims-murders-recorded-history-the">data</a> released Monday. Of the 33 confirmed hate crimes citywide in July, 23 were antisemitic.
That figure is 53% higher than the 15 antisemitic incidents logged in July 2025. Jews have been targeted more than every other group combined every month for the past several years. In July, the imbalance was sharper than usual.
Since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office on January 1, overall hate crimes in the city are up 9.4% compared with the same stretch last year, rising from 329 to 360. Confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes stand at 205 so far in 2026, an 8.5% increase from the 189 recorded during the same period in 2025. 
That works out to one antisemitic hate crime every 25 hours on average. Jews make up roughly 10% of New York City&#8217;s population, yet 57% of all hate crimes recorded this year have targeted Jews, which is nearly identical to the share last year before Mamdani entered office.
Hate crimes against Asians, black people, and white people declined this year. Incidents targeting Hispanic people and Muslims rose, according to the NYPD.
Among the July cases: a Jewish man was stabbed with a screwdriver on the Upper West Side; an Asian man who is not Jewish was also injured in that attack. In Brooklyn, an assailant shoved a 64-year-old Jewish man to the ground while shouting antisemitic slurs. In Queens, a suspect threw bags of motor oil and feces at two synagogues.
Mamdani addressed the numbers at a Monday press conference, saying, &#8220;The work to uproot antisemitism out of this city is one that will continue until we see hate crimes come to an end in the city.&#8221;
City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who is Jewish and has pushed efforts against antisemitism in city government, said she remains “deeply concerned and very troubled by the unacceptable spike in all hate crimes, particularly driven by those targeting Jewish New Yorkers.”
Major crimes such as shootings, murders, robberies, and assaults are generally down in the city. The rise in hate crimes presents a challenge for Mamdani, who took office promising to combat hatred and has increased funding for hate crimes prevention. New York has the largest Jewish population of any city outside of Israel.
Jewish leaders have repeatedly warned that the mayor’s anti-Israel rhetoric risks fueling more antisemitism. Last month, several prominent Jewish leaders and groups criticized a video in which Mamdani called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” while noting that as mayor he lacked the power to arrest him during any visit to New York.
A global report covering <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/2025-was-deadliest-year-for-antisemitic-violence-since-1994-new-report-finds?author=Leona+Salinas&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=2025+Was+Deadliest+Year+For+Antisemitic+Violence+Since+1994%2C+New+Report+Finds">2025</a> found that year was the deadliest for antisemitic violence since 1994, with 20 people killed in attacks across seven countries that together hold more than 90% of the Jewish population outside Israel. More than 23,000 antisemitic incidents were documented in those countries alone.

Protesters Rally In New York During United Nations General Assembly

New York City Records Rising Number Of Antisemitic Hate Crimes

new york city

nypd

zohran mamdani

The Canadian Parliament is poised to pass a bill that would ramp up restrictions on so-called hate speech and remove religious protections in a move that concerns conservatives and Christians whose worldview stands in opposition to the LGBT ideology. 
Canada&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/45-1/bill/C-9/third-reading">Combatting Hate Act</a>,&#8221; or Bill C-9, targets so-called hate crimes such as the public display of the Nazi swastika and other terrorist symbols, and it also increases the punishment for “intimidation” around places of worship and safe places. But also buried inside the bill is a controversial section that removes Canada&#8217;s religious exemption for so-called hate speech. Some worry that the bill could be used to silence Christian expression that opposes gay marriage.
The bill passed the country&#8217;s House of Commons in March and was adopted by the Senate last week. It was then sent back to the House of Commons to resolve amendments made in the Senate, and it is expected to be accepted without opposition and be signed into law by the governor general.
Canada&#8217;s Liberal government made an <a href="https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/proposed-restrictions-on-religious-freedom-bill-c-9/">agreement</a> with the secular Bloc Quebecois, a party devoted to Quebecois nationalism, to include in the bill a section that removes the religious exemption clause to hate speech that is currently in Canadian law code. With the removal of the religious exemption, people can be prosecuted for hate speech even if “the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text.” 

Josh Dehaas from the Canadian Constitution Foundation <a href="https://theccf.ca/bill-c-9-has-passed-heres-what-you-need-to-know/">warned</a> that the bill could even target the reading of certain scripture passages due to the removal of this religious protection. 
“It is unlikely passages from religious texts read on their own will lead to criminal charges,” Dehaas stated. “The Crown would need to believe that the intention of reading the text was to incite hatred, promote hatred or promote antisemitism.”
&#8220;However, with the defence now removed, certain passages from religious texts could now lead to charges depending on the context including when they are read, where they are read, and what other words are used when they are read,&#8221; he added. 
The Canadian Supreme Court has made a test for hate speech by looking for &#8220;hallmarks of hatred.&#8221; The &#8220;hallmarks&#8221; include calling a specific group a “powerful menace,” accusing “a group of carrying out secret conspiracies to gain global control or that they are plotting to destroy western civilization,” calling a group “liars, cheats, criminals and thugs,” labeling a people group “subhuman,” or blaming a group for the problems of society. 

The bill does include at least one protection against abuse, requiring the approval of the provincial attorneys, so the charge cannot be weaponized by local police.
Hillsdale assistant professor Dr. John Petrakis, an expert in comparative political systems and Canadian and American law, told The Daily Wire that the Canadian Supreme Court would likely defend bill if it becomes law, following its decision in Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission) v. Whatcott, in which the court upheld a penalty for a man who spread anti-gay pamphlets.
&#8220;It is difficult to predict exactly how these legal changes will operate in practice, and whether people might be able to challenge them on constitutional grounds (freedom of speech and freedom of religion,)&#8221; Petrakis declared. &#8220;I will say that the Court&#8217;s Whatcott decision should make one pessimistic. The courts are likely to dismiss constitutional challenges by saying that the laws and their application to specific cases are &#8216;reasonable&#8217; limitations to constitutional rights.&#8221; 

Petrakis said that with the advent of this new legislation, Canada will likely emulate countries such as Great Britain in their crackdown on reported hate speech.
&#8220;My overall take is that Canadian free speech law and culture is much less robust than the U.S., though more robust than Western Europe, but that this new law will reinforce our trend away from American-style speech culture towards the European version,&#8221; Petrakis said.
The Senate sponsor of the bill, the Honorable Kristopher Wells, <a href="https://theprogressives.ca/in-the-senate/speeches/third-reading-of-bill-c-9-an-act-to-amend-the-criminal-code-hate-propaganda-hate-crime-and-access-to-religious-or-cultural-places/">described</a> his experience working with the “Jewish, Muslim, Asian, black, indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ communities,” stating that their universal plea to the government is that “they do not feel safe, do not feel seen and do not feel the law is there to help them at their time of greatest need.” 

“Bill C-9 is our answer to those responses,” Wells stated. “It is an opportunity for Parliament to say, with unwavering moral clarity and with the strength of criminal law, that our country sees you, Canada will stand with you and hate will not be tolerated in this country.”
One section of the bill creates a separate hate crime offense for an “offense &#8230; motivated by hatred based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, color, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.” Previously, the charge of a hate crime could only be used to extend the sentence for a crime, but this bill creates it as a separate, punishable offense.
Wells argued that Canada needs a separate hate crime offense after claiming to witness a rise in so-called hate crimes against the LGBT community. 
“Drag storytimes are protested; pride flags are burned or removed from municipalities and schools; and 25% of adolescents in Canada have experienced at least one form of cyberbullying, with trans and non-binary adolescents almost twice as likely to be targeted,&#8221; Wells said. 
“Bill C-9 corrects this by creating a dedicated hate crime offence, ensuring that when someone wilfully commits a criminal act motivated by hatred against an identifiable group, that motivation is recognized as the very essence of the wrongdoing,” he added.
The bill also prohibits the public display of a symbol that “is principally used by, or principally associated with, a listed entity.&#8221; This bans hosting the flags for <a href="https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-en.aspx#2025-02-20-7">designated</a> terror organizations, such as the Palestine Liberation Front, the Taliban, and Al Qaida, and gangs such as La Mara Salvatrucha, along with far-Right groups such as the Proud Boys.
The bill seeks to prevent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-hamas-protesters-chant-allahu-akbar-as-they-tear-down-and-burn-american-flags-hamas-is-coming">terrorist demonstrations</a> like the pro-Hamas demonstrations in the United States, where Left-wing rioters shouted “Allahu Akbar&#8221; and burned the American flag in response to a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

LGBTQ2S+ Protest In Edmonton

Canada Poised To Escalate Crackdown On Christian Resistance To LGBT Ideology

canada

free speech

Freedom of Religion

hate speech

Earlier this month, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood at One Police Plaza and acknowledged that anti-Jewish hate crimes comprise more than half of all hate crimes in his city, even though Jews are only about 10% of the population. Yet when asked what message he wanted to send, he offered nothing more than a platitude about everyone belonging and everyone being cherished.
That gap between data and response is not merely political. It may become legal, and could become deadly.
Mamdani has staked his public safety reputation on precision policing, a data-driven strategy that deploys resources where the numbers point. It is a sensible approach, and the overall crime figures reflect it. But precision policing has a logical corollary: if the data shows one community absorbing 55% of hate crimes – more than five times their share of the population — a generic response is not neutral. When a strategy is explicitly driven by data about where crime is concentrated and who is being victimized, a deliberate decision to not respond with equivalent precision begins to look less like oversight and more like selective indifference. Mamdani’s approach presents three overlapping legal problems for the city.
The first is Equal Protection. Although the government may exercise discretion in enforcing the law, it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment when a motivating factor in its failure to protect people from crime is invidious discrimination against a protected group, such as Jews or Israelis.
Mamdani’s public record already evinces a pattern and practice of such discrimination.
From the first days of his administration, Mamdani made a series of choices all pointing in the same direction: reduced protection for Jews and Israelis against rising antisemitic hate crimes. Mamdani deleted official statements about protecting Jewish New Yorkers, rescinded the city’s IHRA-based antisemitism order, and folded the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes into a broader Office of Community Safety. He also offers a constant drumbeat of anti-Israel propaganda, complete with false claims of genocide, apartheid, and racism, having the purpose and effect of fomenting hatred against both Jews and Israelis.
The Mayor insists that antisemitism be viewed in tandem with a purportedly equivalent threat to Muslims, his favored religious constituency, while touting a 140% rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes. But that is a false equivalence, reflecting deliberate indifference to the magnitude of the peril faced by Jews in New York. In the first quarter of 2026, Muslims were the targets of 12 (8.4%) confirmed hate crimes, representing an estimated 10% share of the population of New York City. The share of hate crimes did increase for Muslims, but from only five incidents in the first quarter of 2025. In all of 2025, according to the NYPD, Jews in New York were the victims of 324 hate crimes — over six per week — constituting 57.6% of the total, while 26 hate crimes targeted Muslims, 4.6% of the total. To insist that these are equivalent threats bespeaks sectarian bias not fairness.
The second problem for the city is municipal liability for that discriminatory failure to protect under Monell v. Department of Social Services. Under the Monell doctrine, a city can be sued directly when a constitutional violation flows from an official policy or custom. Monell cases are usually slow to build, because a pattern and practice of deliberate indifference usually takes a while to develop. Mamdani is an exception. He is constructing a record against the city, in public, in real time. Every statement minimizing antisemitism, every decision to dilute targeted protections, every press conference where he recites the numbers and then changes the subject, is a tile in the Monell mosaic. The evidentiary foundation for a Monell claim against the city is being delivered from the Mayor&#8217;s podium.
The third looming implication for the city is federal liability. Under 34 U.S.C. §12601, the Department of Justice has authority to investigate and sue local law enforcement agencies for engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives persons of constitutional rights. This statute has been used for decades to go after cities that over-police minority communities. There is no legal reason it cannot work in the opposite direction, against a city that systematically under-protects one. The federal government could also withdraw funding from the city for law enforcement programs (or even more broadly), or seek refunds of prior grants, on the grounds that the city is violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which applies to all federal grant recipients.
A formal complaint to the DOJ Civil Rights Division, grounded in the NYPD&#8217;s published hate crime data, calling for an investigation into New York City&#8217;s response to antisemitic hate crimes, would be unprecedented. It would also be legally sound. The data and public course of conduct by Mamdani are more than enough to suggest the sort of pattern and practice that warrants the federal scrutiny of an in-depth DOJ investigation.
Of course, the NYPD does not ignore these crimes entirely. Commissioner Tisch, to her credit, has often spoken about the issue. But when the policymaker at the top repeatedly signals that anti-Jewish targeting will be met with indifference and abstraction rather than attention and action or raises “concerns” about even modest efforts to stop protesters from besieging Jewish worshippers, or announces that if he cannot get the Commissioner to agree to dismantle the Strategic Response Group he will simply overrule her, that travels down the chain of command to impact how scenes are policed, and how cases are classified, investigated, prioritized, and deterred.
Nor must the legal record wait until the worst facts arrive. Thankfully, where plaintiffs can show a cognizable threat of ongoing unequal treatment, declaratory and injunctive remedies may be available before irreparable harm is inflicted. If we build the record now, there is still time for a course correction before even more crimes occur.
Mayor Mamdani said the numbers tell an indisputable story. He is right. The story they tell is that Jewish New Yorkers are the most targeted minority in the city he governs, that hate crimes are a rising threat, and that his response has been at best, generic, and at worst, corrosively hostile.
Equal protection means something. Monell means something. Federal authority over civil rights means something. The law does not wait for a mayor to get around to caring, and neither should we.
* * *
Dr. Mark Goldfeder is the CEO of the National Jewish Advocacy Center and a professor at Touro Law School.
Alan Scheiner is Senior Litigation Counsel at the National Jewish Advocacy Center.

New NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Makes An Announcement In Brooklyn

The Numbers Tell One Story. The Mayor’s Response Tells Another

14th Amendment

democratic socialism

discrimination

DW Opinion

israel

Jews

New York Police Department (NYPD)

California Governor Gavin Newsom excels at failing, as a cringe-worthy example involving his “First Partner,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom, reveals. With the confidence of a Pacific Heights wine mom, Siebel Newsom told former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in a 2023 interview that she had deliberately taken her children to Alabama, Florida, and other Red states so they could witness bullying, misogyny, and racism firsthand. It was educational poverty tourism for the Bay Area set. 
Siebel Newsom embarked on a fact-finding mission to discover she was missing the facts. Too bad the Sunshine State’s governor failed to intercept her on the way out — it would’ve saved the first couple a lot of time and frequent flyer miles — because the data exists and it starts in their own backyard.
Since 2015, <a href="https://data-openjustice.doj.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/Hate%20Crime%20In%20CA%202024.pdf#:~:text=From%202015%20to%202024%2C%20hate%20crime%20events,2023%20to%202%2C023%20in%202024%20(Table%2011).">hate</a> crime events in California have increased by 141.7%. In 2024 alone, hate crime offenses rose nearly 9%, with anti-LGBTQ incidents up over 13% and anti-Jewish bias events reaching 310. Meanwhile, California’s own Civil Rights Department estimates that roughly 1 in 11 Californians directly experienced an act of hate in 2024 — approximately 3.1 million people. That is not a Red State statistic. That is the state Siebel Newsom’s husband governs, with runaway hate crime statistics and a blatant failure of public safety. 
The racial inequality picture inside California is no more flattering. The black homeownership rate in California stands at just 36.6% — nearly 28 percentage points below the rate for white households, the second-lowest homeownership rate of any state in the nation. According to the most recent census data, the gap between white and black homeownership rates in California has actually widened — from 20 points in 1980 to 27 points in 2020. A UCLA analysis found that closing the racial <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/persistent-gaps-black-californians-would-take-over-248-years-close">gap</a> between black and white Californians at the current rate of progress would take over 248 years.
Contrast those findings with the targets of Siebel Newsom’s red-state &#8220;racism safari.&#8221; Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana — the very states she treated as cautionary tales for her children — consistently rank among the lowest in per-capita hate crime rates nationwide. Far from being the racist hellscapes her narrative requires, these states are, statistically, among the least likely places in America for a bias-motivated crime to actually occur.
Black Americans are noticing. They are leaving California and <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/do-southern-states-offer-black-families-best-opportunities-build-wealth#:~:text=/-,Do%20Southern%20States%20Offer%20Black%20Families%20the%20Best%20Opportunities%20to,segregation%20and%20continuing%20discrimination%20today.">relocating</a> to the South in significant numbers, drawn by lower costs of living, genuine economic opportunity, and the basic dignity of being able to afford a home. The states Siebel Newsom used as props for her children’s moral education — Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas — have historically led the nation in both the number and percentage of black elected officials. These are not Jim Crow relics preserved in amber. They are places where black Americans hold real, consequential political power, and increasingly, real economic opportunity.
On the other hand, California lost over <a href="https://usafacts.org/answers/is-the-population-growing-or-shrinking/state/california/">200,000</a> residents to other states in the last year alone. These are people escaping not Republican cruelty, but Democratic policy outcomes: soaring taxes, pervasive homelessness, brazen property crime, and a cost of living that has rendered the middle class functionally extinct in most major cities. 
What Siebel Newsom failed to address was her own house.
Just last week, her husband — the former mayor of the most gay-friendly city in America, San Francisco — used homosexuality as a <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2036864339722875380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fmedia%2Fnewsom-team-mocks-conservative-snowflakes-after-gay-dating-app-insults-spark-homophobia-claims">slur</a>. Also last week, a scheduled debate among Democrats vying for the California gubernatorial nomination had to be canceled because the candidate field was too <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/2028-so-white-why-californias-canceled-debate-shows-democrats-incoming-race-problem?author=Ben+Domenech&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=2028+So+White%3A+Why+California%E2%80%99s+Canceled+Debate+Shows+Democrats%E2%80%99+Incoming+Race+Problem">white</a>. In California, the state is lecturing the rest of the country on racial inclusivity. And who could forget Gavin Newsom’s recent attempt to connect with black voters by informing them that he, too, can’t read. These aren’t exactly the types of things one would include in the equal rights “W” column.
Then there is the misogyny. Siebel Newsom built her public identity around Miss Representation, a documentary that explicitly condemns the objectification and exploitation of women in Hollywood. It is her brand and the moral foundation of her platform as First Partner. So it is worth noting that, even after Weinstein&#8217;s lawyers <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/defense-attorney-jennifer-newsom-transactional-sex-weinstein/">described</a> their relationship as &#8220;transactional sex,&#8221; she still kept in <a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/11/18/ufgj-n18.html">contact with him</a>, and asked Weinstein — the very face of the exploitation she built a career opposing — for PR help regarding her husband&#8217;s extramarital affair. This was all after the alleged assault took place.
And when it became public that her husband cheated on his first wife with the wife of his then-campaign manager, she reportedly called the other woman the &#8220;culprit.&#8221; The woman who made a film about how women are blamed and diminished for being victims called the woman her husband pursued the culprit.
For someone who has built a career performing progressive virtue, the optics aren’t ideal.
If Jennifer Siebel Newsom wanted to show her children what intolerance and moral failure look like, she did not need to book flights south. She could have opened the door of her $9 million gated estate and schlepped through the state her husband governs. All the tent cities, crumbling schools, and public disorder are on full display.
The most corrosive thing about performative progressivism is not the hypocrisy itself — hypocrisy is often a human constant. Rather, it&#8217;s the confidence. The certainty that the lesson is always somewhere else, in someone else’s state, in someone else’s home, even as the governor’s policy failures are undeniable.

California Governor Gavin Newsom Interview On The Circuit

Hey Jennifer Newsom, Is The Racism In The Room With You Right Now?

Blue States

california

gavin newsom

governance

public policy

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Wednesday afternoon that the bureau is investigating the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis &#8220;as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.&#8221;
Two children — ages 8 and 10 — were killed and 17 other people, including 14 children, were wounded when trans-identifying shooter Robin Westman fired into the building where students and staff were attending Mass on Wednesday morning. The wounded <a href="https://x.com/BrianEntin/status/1960793755067539714">include</a> 14 children between the ages of 6 and 15 and three adults in their 80s.
&#8220;The shooter has been identified as Robin Westman, a male born as Robert Westman,&#8221; Patel posted on X. &#8220;The FBI will continue to provide updates on our ongoing investigation with the public as we are able.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Updates on the shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota:
The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.
There were 2 fatalities, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old. In addition, 14 children and 3 adults were injured.
The… <a href="https://t.co/ErFZpSieKS">https://t.co/ErFZpSieKS</a>
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1960785108996112782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
The FBI <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism">defines</a> domestic terrorism as &#8220;violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.&#8221; The bureau <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes">defines</a> a hate crime as &#8220;a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.&#8221;
The Minneapolis shooter showed political and religious messages in videos posted Wednesday morning under an account connected to him. Some of the messages, which were written on firearms, said, &#8220;Where is your God?&#8221; &#8220;For the children,&#8221; &#8220;Kill Donald Trump,&#8221; and &#8220;Why so Queerious?&#8221; In one video, the shooter also showed a notebook that had writings filling multiple pages. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O&#8217;Hara <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1960793806468415855">confirmed</a> that the YouTube video showed Westman&#8217;s manifesto.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/1960790030630224038">said</a> in a post on X, &#8220;This deeply sick murderer scrawled the words ‘For the Children’ and ‘Where is your God?’ and ‘Kill Donald Trump’ on a rifle magazine.&#8221;
&#8220;This level of violence is unthinkable,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Our deepest prayers are with the children, parents, families, educators, and Christians everywhere. We mourn with them, we pray for healing, and we will never forget them.&#8221;
Westman&#8217;s mother worked at Annunciation, according to Twin Cities local news station KARE 11. His mother also reportedly signed off on his name change in 2020, since Westman was still a minor when he began to identify as a female.
Two years ago, Minnesota Catholic leaders asked Democratic Governor Tim Walz for more help to protect their schools from shootings, but to no avail, as extra funding for security was never authorized, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-catholic-school-leader-warned-tim-walz-of-urgent-and-critical-need-to-secure-schools?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Minnesota+Catholic+School+Leader+Warned+Tim+Walz+Of+%E2%80%98Critical%E2%80%99+School+Safety+Threats.+He+Did+Nothing.">reported</a>.

Shooting At Annunciation School Church In Minneapolis Leaves Multiple Children Dead And Many Injured

FBI Investigating Minneapolis Shooting As Domestic Terrorism, Hate Crime Against Catholics

mass shooting

minneapolis

minnesota

school shooting

terrorism

U.S. Attorney General for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced on Thursday that the government is weighing seeking the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez, the man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim earlier this year.
“This begins the statutory process of whether to seek the death penalty,” Pirro said. “This is a weighty decision. It takes time.”
Pirro said Attorney General Pam Bondi will decide whether to seek the death penalty after getting advice from a special unit that reviews such cases.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 U.S. Attorney <a href="https://twitter.com/JudgeJeanine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudgeJeanine</a> Pirro unseals a 9-count indictment against Elias Rodriguez for the heinous murders of two Israeli Embassy staff outside D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum. <a href="https://t.co/YQSMoVzJdr">pic.twitter.com/YQSMoVzJdr</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1953481283612414175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
Lischinsky, 30, and Milgrim, 28, were allegedly shot and killed by Elias outside of an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in May. Lischinsky was a German-Israeli dual citizen and devout evangelical Christian. He immigrated to Israel at 16, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and began working as a political analyst at the embassy in 2022.
He was planning to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/friends-family-react-to-murder-of-israeli-embassy-staffers-by-keffiyeh-wearing-terrorist">propose</a> to Milgrim, who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs and was a full-time employee at the embassy’s Department of Public Diplomacy.
Rodriguez, 31, from Chicago, was detained by police and shouted “Free Palestine,” according to law enforcement and a viral video of him in custody. He allegedly told a police officer near the scene that he “did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.” He also pre-scheduled his “explication” to be published on his X account, where he advocated for violence against Israelis.
“This Justice Department will not tolerate violence motivated by hatred of faith or national origin, and we will enforce our federal civil rights laws accordingly,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice.
According to the DOJ, Rodriguez fired approximately 20 shots at Lischinsky and Milgrim.
Pirro unsealed a nine-count indictment against Rodriguez, including two new counts of committing a hate crime and two counts of assault with intent to kill. Rodriguez was previously charged on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charges-revealed-in-d-c-terror-attack-shooter-did-it-for-palestine-fbi-says">May 22</a> with the murder of a foreign official, firearm offenses, and first-degree murder.
“This office will leave no stone unturned in its effort to bring justice to the innocent victims of Elias Rodriguez,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “The hate charges shed further light on his evil intent in the killing of innocent victims.”
&nbsp;

Milgrim and Lichinsky

Death Penalty On The Table For Killer Of Israeli Embassy Staffers

crime

death penalty

jeanine pirro

U.S.

washington dc

More than 100 House Democrats voted on Monday against a resolution condemning the recent fire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terror-in-colorado-pro-israel-demonstrators-attacked-in-firebombing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attack</a> in Boulder, Colorado, on people demonstrating in support of hostages kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7, 2023, assault on Israel.
The <a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20250609/H%20Res%206.8.25.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measure</a>, which denounces the &#8220;antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado&#8221; and offers a critique of the U.S. immigration system because the suspect was an illegal immigrant, <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025158" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> with strong bipartisan support from 205 Republicans and 75 Democrats. However, 113 Democrats opposed the resolution, leaving them open to broadsides from Republicans.
&#8220;House Democrats just sided with terrorists over cops and couldn’t even bring themselves to condemn antisemitism. They&#8217;re officially the antisemite and anti-cop caucus,&#8221; Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Republican Jewish Coalition posted a list on X of all the Democrats who voted against the resolution, calling their opposition &#8220;shameful.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here are the names of the 113 House Democrats who just voted AGAINST <a href="https://twitter.com/repgabeevans?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepGabeEvans</a>’ resolution denouncing the antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado.
Shameful. <a href="https://t.co/jBOZXcRjBF">pic.twitter.com/jBOZXcRjBF</a>
— RJC (@RJC) <a href="https://twitter.com/RJC/status/1932214951583621208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The resolution notes Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who is now facing hate crime and many other <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/06/mohamed-soliman-boulder-attack-hate-crime-charges/84065930007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charges</a> in connection to the June 1 firebombing in Boulder, allegedly shouted &#8220;Free Palestine&#8221; and spoke about wanting to kill all the Zionists.
In addition, it mentions Soliman is an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa and his case &#8220;demonstrates the dangers of not removing from the country aliens who fail to comply with the terms of their visas.&#8221; The resolution also expresses gratitude to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — a federal agency <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-biden-comes-out-against-abolishing-ice-ice-is-not-the-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">derided</a> by some Democrats.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) chided Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), who introduced the resolution, during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/znhJ3NB434E?t=218s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> before the vote.
&#8220;Who is this guy? He&#8217;s not seriously concerned with combating antisemitism in America. This is not a serious effort. This guy&#8217;s going to be a one-term member of Congress. He&#8217;s a complete and total embarrassment,&#8221; Jeffries said. The top Democrat also <a href="https://x.com/NRCC/status/1932166132691083613" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the resolution and Evans a &#8220;joke.&#8221;
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) fired back at Jeffries in a <a href="https://x.com/SteveScalise/status/1932172219494342769" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X.
&#8220;Only radical Democrats would call it a joke to denounce antisemitic terrorism and express gratitude to law enforcement for detaining the terrorist here illegally who perpetrated the Boulder attack,&#8221; Scalise said. &#8220;Appreciate [Evans] — a veteran and former law enforcement officer &#8211; for leading on this important resolution.&#8221;
Evans, a first-term congressman who is a former Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot and police officer, also delivered a retort.
&#8220;I served our nation in uniform in the Middle East, as a cop in Colorado, &amp; now as a Congressman,&#8221; Evans <a href="https://x.com/repgabeevans/status/1932192483510759662" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;This wildly offensive sentiment from Democrat’s Leader is why antisemitism persists. The Left is unserious about finding real solutions. Condemning terrorism is not a joking matter.&#8221;
Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), who represents Boulder, had pushed for the House to go with his own <a href="https://neguse.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/neguse.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/neguse_085_xml_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> condemning the attack and criticized the measure from Evans. Among his complaints were that it contained small &#8220;inaccuracies&#8221; and failed to recognize the Boulder Police Department or FBI for their response to the firebombing — only ICE, &#8220;the one agency that was not in Boulder that day.&#8221;
Still, Neguse ended up voting to pass the measure from Evans, which did affirm &#8220;that free and open communication between State and local law enforcement and their Federal counterparts remains the bedrock of public safety and is necessary in preventing terrorist attacks.&#8221;
A Democrat who voted against the resolution, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do7FZ00kQIo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">griped</a> about how arguing the Boulder attack is a &#8220;reflection&#8221; of the U.S. immigration system &#8220;uses Jews as a partisan pawn.&#8221;
Nearly all House Republicans and Democrats joined together to pass another <a href="https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> from Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) condemning antisemitic violence across the United States — including the Boulder firebombing — in the midst of a &#8220;disturbing pattern of targeted aggression&#8221; that also encompasses the recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-condemn-evil-murder-of-israeli-embassy-staffers-antisemitic-terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killing</a> of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., and an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arsonist-arrested-for-attack-on-josh-shapiro-hated-israel-911-call-reveals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arson attack</a> on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/suspect-in-custody-to-be-charged-with-terrorism-after-arson-attack-on-josh-shapiros-home?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Suspect+In+Custody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">home</a> of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish.

Prayer Vigil in Boulder

More Than 100 Democrats Vote Against Resolution Denouncing Antisemitic Boulder Fire Attack

Anti-Semitism

colorado

congress

politics

U.S. House of Representatives

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus walked back statements he previously made about his department finding “no evidence whatsoever” that actor Jonathan Joss’ death was a hate crime.
Social media and mainstream media lit up following the death of the “King of the Hill” voice actor on Sunday. At first, news reports were saying that the Texas native was shot following a dispute with his neighbor. Soon after, a man claiming to be Joss’ husband said Joss was really the victim of anti-LGBT bigotry.
While San Antonio police originally ruled out a hate crime, now McManus is walking back those statements. “That was way, way, way premature,” he <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SanAntonioPD/videos/1356101808802458/">said</a> during a Thursday press conference. “Shouldn’t have done it. It was way too soon before we had any real information, and I will own that and simply say, again, that we shouldn&#8217;t have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued.”
“We understand that many in the LGBTQ+ community are feeling anxious and concerned,” he continued. “A lot of it has to do with that premature statement that we released, and again, I own that, shouldn&#8217;t have done it. The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic and most, most heavily felt by the LGBTQ+ community.”
Just two days earlier on June 3, the SAPD said that they “thoroughly reviewed all available information” and said there was no reason to believe Joss’ death “was related to his sexual orientation.”
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As some people have pointed out, the post from Joss’ alleged husband following the incident is full of extreme, unsubstantiated accusations, including one about angry neighbors burning down their home several months ago. But <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lgbt-activists-have-found-their-next-hate-crime-hoax-and-its-the-most-insane-one-yet">news reports</a> from the time state that Joss admitted to using a propane heater, which may have caused the fire.
According to a report from local station WFAA, Joss also had a long history of getting into altercations with his neighbors and was reported to have been causing a disturbance on the night he was killed.
“Neighbors [said that Joss] was at the site Sunday night checking his mail, which he did regularly, when something went terribly wrong. A video shared by a neighbor who was present shows a man, who they identified as Joss, pacing up and down the street with a pitchfork and screaming,” the outlet reported.
It went on, “The neighbors say it was common behavior over the years for Joss to scream while carrying weapons, and even though they say they didn’t like it, several neighbors said they were surprised when a man who lives just 50 yards away responded to the situation with a gun around 6 p.m. Sunday.”
One person claiming to be a neighbor of Joss posted on Facebook saying the voice actor “started gun fights constantly” and “constantly threatened his surrounding neighbors.”
Footage of Joss behaving aggressively at an event for the &#8220;King of the Hill&#8221; revival two days before his death also started circulating online. The voice actor had to be escorted from the premises by security.
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 56, who is described as a former neighbor of Joss, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. His is currently under house arrest on $200,000 bond.

Johnathan Joss

San Antonio Police Chief Walks Back Statement That Jonathon Joss’ Murder Wasn’t A Hate Crime

San Antonio Police Chief Walks Back Statement That Jonathon Joss' Murder Wasn't A Hate Crime

Celebrities

entertainment

lgbtq

murder

San Antonio

A black media personality was convicted last week of faking a hate crime against Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade to gin up votes for him, with the ringleader Derrick Bernard testifying that Mobolade was in on the hoax, and the FBI testifying that the mayor misled agents about his contact with Bernard.
Mobolade, who is Nigerian, won the election as a left-leaning independent in the traditional Republican stronghold in 2023 after the n-word was scrawled on one of his campaign signs and a cross set ablaze in front of it. Video of the scene was sent to the media, resulting in a swell of sympathy.
At the five-day trial in federal court for Bernard and his wife, Ashley Blackcloud, that concluded May 23, FBI agent Ethan Doherty testified that the mayor falsely denied contact with Bernard, despite records showing the pair was in contact before, the day of the hate crime, and afterward. Doherty testified that when the FBI interviewed the mayor, Mobolade said he was “120% sure” he did not have a phone call with Bernard three days after the incident, and that Mobolade seemed “nervous,” according to <a href="https://www.koaa.com/news/news5-investigates/fbi-agent-defendant-testify-in-election-hate-crime-hoax-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KOAA</a>. Doherty also revealed that Mobolade began using a <a href="https://gazette.com/news/courts/bernard-blames-colorado-springs-mayor-other-politicians-in-hate-crime-hoax-trial/article_2f4a6ffe-07be-4d4b-ae28-afbaf5267596.html">new cell phone</a> the day after the hoax.
The FBI’s courtroom testimony <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayor-lied-in-hate-crime-hoax-probe-but-doj-refused-to-charge-him-fbi-official-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">corroborated</a> Daily Wire reporting from November 2024, which Mobolade denied at the time. Mobolade <a href="https://gazette.com/government/mobolade-statement-hate-crime-investigation/article_52f0bf8e-acdf-11ef-8efc-1b6a6e58dabc.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the local paper that “politically motivated websites will weigh in with no regard for accuracy or truth,” and his deputy chief of staff told the city council the article was “unfounded.” He produced a video in response, saying “I did not lie to the FBI,” and claiming he had paperwork from the Department of Justice showing he was a victim.
But a Justice Department document produced at trial said that Mobolade was at one point under investigation, that the investigation was closed but could be reopened, and that its closure should not be considered an exoneration.
The hoax began after an April 12, 2023 election in which neither Mobolade nor Wayne Williams, a white Republican, received a majority, triggering a runoff. According to court papers, the next day Bernard texted Mobolade: “Theirs [sic] a plot amidst. I’m mobilizing my squadron in defense and for the final push. Black ops style big brother. The klan cannot be allowed to run this city again.”
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayor-lied-in-hate-crime-hoax-probe-but-doj-refused-to-charge-him-fbi-official-says">Mayor Lied In Hate Crime Hoax Probe But DOJ Refused To Charge Him, FBI Official Says</a>
On April 23, Bernard, Blackcloud, and a third conspirator named Deanna West, who previously pleaded guilty, worked together to scrawl the n-word on a campaign sign at 3:00 a.m., erect a cross with twine on it, and set the twine on fire. They photographed the display and sent it to the media, suggesting that white Republican supporters of Williams were to blame.
That night, Bernard texted Mobolade, “I guarantee the finish,” referring to a request from Mobolade to help him get across the finish line. Three days later, the pair spoke on the phone for five minutes. After Mobolade won the May runoff, Bernard texted him: “We got you through it all brother&#8230; Another time though, we’ll handle business.”
Bernard, who is now serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for an unrelated killing, testified that Mobolade, along with state Rep. Regina English (D-El Paso), helped plan the hoax, according to <a href="https://krdo.com/news/2025/05/23/couple-found-guilty-of-threatening-yemi-mobolade-with-hate-crime-hoax-during-2023-mayoral-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KRDO</a>. He said Mobolade was to have steered city money to Bernard’s radio station in return. Blackcloud did not testify, but told the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cross-burning-hoax-colorado-springs-black-mayor-1900f7765e9fe5693d5df2a5ea50ffee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> that the mayor was in on it from the beginning.
<blockquote>
<h1>“Theirs [sic] a plot amidst. I’m mobilizing my squadron in defense and for the final push. Black ops style big brother. The klan cannot be allowed to run this city again.”</h1>
</blockquote>
There was evidence that the mayor did not seem to want a thorough investigation into the incident. He waited until the Monday after the news broke to contact the local police chief, whom he told “I don’t want to make a big deal about this,” according to <a href="https://www.koaa.com/news/news5-investigates/mayor-mobolade-testimony-continues-in-hate-crime-hoax-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testimony</a>. After the FBI identified Bernard as a suspect, Mobolade did not tell investigators that he had been in contact with him, testifying at trial that he was waiting for the FBI to <a href="https://krdo.com/news/2025/05/20/mayor-yemi-mobolade-and-wife-take-the-stand-in-colorado-springs-hate-crime-hoax-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take the lead</a> by asking questions, according to KRDO.
That seemed to contradict the fact that when the FBI did ask him, he denied the contact. At trial, Mobolade said he didn’t recall denying his phone call with Bernard to the FBI, until he was presented with a transcript of his FBI interview.
&#8220;At the time I was confident,&#8221; Mobolade testified, according to the <a href="https://gazette.com/news/courts/colorado-springs-mayor-grilled-on-day-2-of-hate-crime-hoax-trial/article_ce378cbc-adde-4547-a91a-0625bce9b6db.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Colorado Springs Gazette</a>.
The Gazette reported that “Mobolade appeared flustered as he fielded questions from the defense about the timeline of events and specific details about his communication with Bernard. He often was not able to provide an answer.” He could still not explain what the five-minute phone call was about.
Bernard testified that the five-minute call was about the “hoax,” and that Mobolade “promised to ‘squash’ the story when Bernard expressed concern over backlash,” the <a href="https://gazette.com/news/courts/bernard-blames-colorado-springs-mayor-other-politicians-in-hate-crime-hoax-trial/article_2f4a6ffe-07be-4d4b-ae28-afbaf5267596.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gazette</a> reported.
The day after the call, KRDO ran a story quoting the Mobolade campaign asking people not to give the incident “<a href="https://krdo.com/news/2023/04/24/colorado-springs-mayoral-candidates-sign-painted-with-a-racial-slur-in-front-of-burning-cross-springs-mayoral-candidates-sign-painted-with-a-racial-slur-in-front-of-burning-cross/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">any oxygen</a>.” At trial, Mobolade acknowledged that “he tried to keep the story under wraps at the time, saying he ‘didn&#8217;t want that to be the story of Colorado Springs,’” the Gazette reported.
Emails obtained by The Daily Wire show that, after he became mayor, Mobolade used city employees to deter the local media from picking up The Daily Wire’s report that Mobolade had given false information to the FBI.
When The Daily Wire notified spokeswoman Vanessa Zink about the allegation that Mobolade lied to the FBI, the mayor’s chief of staff, Jamie Fabos, intervened to encourage her to take an ad hominem approach, calling the Wire a “bizarre far right” outlet whose reporters “don’t actually qualify as journalists.”
When the Gazette asked for comment about The Daily Wire’s story, Zink wrote: “Use caution in perpetuating gossip and rumors from politically biased outlets.”
“I guess I had hoped that our community could rise above what appears to be political bait from a source that doesn’t even have the decency to blur out racial slurs on its graphics, but, sadly, it seems that is not possible,” she wrote.
When media outlets used a blurred version of the photo to obscure the n-word, the blurring also concealed the fact that the fire was clearly coming not from the wooden cross, but from a small amount of twine wrapped around it. That was strong evidence from the beginning that it was a hoax, since twine would only burn for a few seconds, meaning the people who took the photo and sent it to the media were likely the same people who set the fire, rather than passersby. At trial, security camera footage confirmed that the fire only burned for 20 seconds.
City Councilman Dave Donelson said Zink resigned her job shortly after the trial, though he doesn’t know the reason.
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An FBI official told The Daily Wire in November 2024 that Mobolade repeatedly concealed his contacts with Bernard from the FBI, despite scrolling through his phone in the interview room. The official said the Department of Justice under President Joe Biden refused the bureau’s request to indict the mayor for false statements because “we can’t indict the first black mayor of Colorado Springs,” instead telling agents to interview him again so he could change his story.
When the Justice Department indicted the trio, it issued a press release that falsely said that one of Bernard’s incriminating messages — that he was “mobilizing my squad” for “black ops” — was sent to his co-defendants, when it was actually sent to Mobolade.
A Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney for Colorado has still not been confirmed, and under Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell, a career Justice Department lawyer, the federal government has portrayed Mobolade, not the Republican candidate Williams, as the victim. That&#8217;s despite the fact that the culprits, in their anonymous message to the media, explicitly used the burning cross to frame supporters of the white Republican and harm Williams’ candidacy, and Williams ultimately lost the race.
Prosecutors charged the trio using a legal theory that seemed to require making it seem like Mobolade had no knowledge of the stunt in order to secure convictions against Bernard and his accomplices for making “threats” to him.
The defendants said it was “political theater” designed to win an election, not a threat, since the black left-wing operatives obviously did not intend to actually harm the black left-wing candidate because of his race.
But the trio was charged with “Willfully making a threat to kill, injure or intimidate by fire” and “Maliciously conveying false information concerning a threat to kill, injure or intimidate by fire, knowing the information to be false.”
As a result, the <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cod.238660/gov.uscourts.cod.238660.178.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">judge’s instructions</a> said in order to secure a conviction, prosecutors “must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants willfully meant the cross burning not as political hyperbole or political theater but rather, for Candidate 1 to fear a real possibility that violence would follow.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Candyce Cline said in the prosecution’s opening argument that the burning cross was not “political theater,” but rather a “threat of violence,” according to the Gazette. “Lead U.S. Attorney Bryan Fields argued the incident was not a hoax to the Mobolade family, but rather their worst nightmare,” it <a href="https://gazette.com/news/courts/hate-crime-hoax-trial-jury-returns-guilty-verdict-on-all-counts-after-4-hour-deliberation/article_94cc53e8-55c4-4109-b9d5-904240bee57d.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Mobolade cried on the witness stand and, despite evidence that the Mobolade campaign suspected that a black person was behind the hoax at the time, claimed that the defaced sign left him living in fear.
His wife “Abbey Mobolade testified she bought a fire ladder and trauma kit in the weeks after the incident, adding that she doesn&#8217;t let her kids outside alone anymore,” the Gazette reported.
The convicts have not yet been sentenced, but West, who pleaded guilty, is expected to receive only probation.
Mobolade issued a statement after the convictions that cast the hoax as a reminder of the importance of anti-racism.
“This moment brings a sense of closure and relief, not only for our family, but for the Colorado Springs community as a whole. We deeply appreciate the work of the judicial system, federal prosecutors, law enforcement, and everyone who worked diligently to bring this case to justice. Moments like this remind us that hate has no home in our city. As we move forward, we do so with gratitude, healing, and a commitment to the values that make Colorado Springs a safe, just, and united community,” he said.
Councilman Donelson told The Daily Wire that the statement painting Mobolade as the victim was unseemly. He said now that the trial is over, Mobolade is out of excuses to stay mum. “For this councilman, something doesn’t add up. If I were the mayor, I’d want to clear this up,” he said.
He said new Justice Department leadership should examine whether the false-statements case into Mobolade was closed for political reasons, and whether it should be reopened. He questioned whether the DOJ’s strategy showed a bias towards protecting Mobelade. “The DOJ charges were that this was truly a threat to Mobelade. If he knew about it, then their case falls apart,” he said.
He said at a city council meeting: &#8220;I call for an investigation into these accusations and actions.  The citizens of Colorado Springs deserve answers about the mayor’s involvement.”
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prosecutors-indict-trio-for-staging-hate-crime-to-elect-left-wing-colorado-mayor">Prosecutors Indict Trio For Staging Hate Crime To Elect Left-Wing Colorado Mayor</a>

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Colorado Springs’ First Black Mayor Implicated In Hate-Crime Hoax At Federal Trial

department of justice

A Muslim man who hated America and Christianity was convicted of targeting multiple churches with fake bomb threats while collecting bomb-making materials, the Justice Department announced.
The DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/arizona-man-convicted-crimes-arising-out-plot-targeting-christian-churches" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Friday that 45-year-old Zimnako Salah was convicted of targeting four churches across Arizona, California, and Colorado with fake bomb threats. At the same time, the FBI said it found evidence that Salah was constructing an actual bomb in a storage crate he was renting, according to a criminal complaint.
Salah was convicted last week of making a bomb threat hoax, obstructing the free exercise of religion, threatening the use of a dangerous weapon or explosive, and targeting Christians because of their religion.
“This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment.”
At one church in Roseville, California, in November 2023, Salah tied a backpack to a toilet in the men’s restroom before leaving with the intent to scare congregants into thinking they may be the victims of a bombing, the DOJ said. One woman who handled the backpack believed that she &#8220;might meet Jesus today&#8221; because of the package.
“Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs.”
In another incident, Salah left a backpack in the sanctuary of a Christian church in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Salah attempted to conduct a similar hoax at two other churches — one in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and the other in La Mesa, California — but was questioned by church security.
According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Salah is a Northern Iraqi who has lived in Arizona for about 20 years. 
In his interactions with others, the FBI found that he expressed his hate for America, telling people, “F*** this country. I hate America. This country went to Iraq and killed a lot of people.&#8221;
And at the same time he was carrying out the bombing hoaxes, the FBI discovered that Salah was renting a storage unit near Greenwood Village where he had materials like duct tape with nails, red and white wires attached to a battery, nails and bolts, a box of ignition coils, and multiple propane tanks.
<div id="attachment_904293" style="width: 1179px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-904293" class="size-full wp-image-904293" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM.png" alt="" width="1169" height="700" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM.png 1169w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM-300x180.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM-962x576.png 962w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM-768x460.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1169px) 100vw, 1169px" />FBI criminal complaint.</div>
At the time, the FBI said in its criminal complaint that the evidence indicated that the materials were “possibly being used to attempt to make a viable explosive device.” The DOJ later determined that Salah had “been building a bomb capable of fitting in a backpack.”
On the wall of the storage unit were spray-painted words in Arabic derogatory toward Jewish people and about Muhammed. Video records showed that Salah had searched for videos of “Infidels dying” and watched videos of ISIS murdering Christians, according to the DOJ.
<div id="attachment_904295" style="width: 1214px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-904295" class="size-full wp-image-904295" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM.png" alt="" width="1204" height="728" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM.png 1204w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM-300x181.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM-953x576.png 953w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM-768x464.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1204px) 100vw, 1204px" />Salah&#8217;s Storage unit: FBI criminal complaint.</div>
Salah could face up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine if sentenced to the maximum penalty.
President Donald Trump has made targeting anti-Christian bias a major priority for his administration. He signed an executive order in February to create a task force aimed at protecting Christians and religious liberty.

MixCollage-07-Apr-2025-03-05-PM-1154

‘Hate Crime Against Christians’: Iraqi Man Convicted Over Bomb Threats Targeting Churches

Bombings

christianity

Churches

isis

islam

Law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania arrested an employee of Allentown City after they say that she staged a hate crime hoax.
The Allentown Police Department alleges that LaTarsha Brown contacted the department on January 10, 2025, just after 7:30 a.m. to report that she had found what she claimed was &#8220;a noose on her desk upon arriving at work,&#8221; police say.
Numerous law enforcement entities quickly became engaged in the criminal investigation, including the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Lehigh County District Attorney&#8217;s Office.
Police used building video surveillance and access control records to whittle down the list of potential suspects who were present on the third floor of the building where her desk was located between the time she left for work the previous day and the morning that she called police.
&#8220;Those employees were interviewed, and each was asked if they would provide a buccal swab for DNA testing if needed. Every city employee agreed, except for Ms. Brown,&#8221; police said in a statement. &#8220;Initially cooperative, Ms. Brown later requested that the investigation be discontinued.&#8221;
Officials said that the Forensic DNA Division of the Pennsylvania State Police issued a written report on March 10 indicating that Brown&#8217;s DNA &#8220;matched the DNA profile obtained from the swabs of both the outer surface and the inner knotted portion of the noose after taken apart.&#8221;
&#8220;No other person&#8217;s DNA profiles was found on the evidentiary items involved in this investigation,&#8221; police said.
Brown was subsequently charged by the Allentown Police Department on two criminal charges, including Tampering With Or Fabricating Physical Evidence (a misdemeanor of the second degree) and False Reports To Law Enforcement Authorities (a misdemeanor of the third degree).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Allentown city hall employee charged with planting noose on her own desk in January. LaTarsha Brown charged with fabricating physical evidence &amp; false report to law enforcement. Allentown Police say Brown asked “the investigation be discontinued” after city employees on her… <a href="https://t.co/FLPToNmh7x">pic.twitter.com/FLPToNmh7x</a>
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeeleyFox29/status/1904213825064468907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote>

Allentown Police Department

Pennsylvania Police Arrest Woman For Alleged Hate Crime Hoax Involving ‘Noose’

Hoax

pennsylvania

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