New York Governor Kathy Hochul&#8217;s <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-new-york-new-jersey-energy/2025/01/06/congestion-pricing-arrives-00196531">first-in-the-nation</a> “congestion pricing” system charges residents and out-of-state commuters in Midtown Manhattan a whopping $9 toll, officially ticking off everyone left in the state (and even New Jersey!) who wasn&#8217;t already wildly displeased with Hochul. 
Congestion pricing kicks in anywhere south of 60th Street during “<a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/congestion-pricing-toll-begins-nyc-drivers-entering-center-manhattan/15757042/">peak hours</a>,” which are pretty much all day long. On weekdays, “peak hours” are considered 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on weekends 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. And there&#8217;s still a toll for off-hours, though it’s reduced. 
Not to mention, the $9 tax is just the starting off point: by 2028, the toll jumps to $12, and by 2031, drivers are looking at a $15 charge. For those who regularly drive in the area, the toll could shake out to thousands of dollars a year. Some New Jersey commuters will be paying around $5,700 in tolls with the added &#8220;congestion pricing,&#8221; a FOX 5 analysis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbG8GhRgViA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calculated</a>. 
Hochul argues that congestion pricing is needed to reduce carbon emissions and traffic, and to fund New York’s troubled public transportation — specifically the <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/mta-is-far-more-broke-than-previously-expected-state-comptroller-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke</a> MTA, which is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-09/nyc-s-mta-needs-25-billion-for-capital-plan-comptroller-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> short a stunning $25 billion. The state wants to bring in $500 million per year during its first three years, and eventually $1 billion dollars when the toll hits $15. 
Interestingly, Hochul was once opposed to the tax. Back in June, she argued that the toll was too burdensome for New Yorkers, especially given rising inflation.
That&#8217;s because, behind the scenes, the governor was <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/05/hochul-manhattan-toll-plan-trump-00196489">responding</a> to vulnerable New York Democrats who were worried that the unpopular toll would be used against them in upcoming elections. So, Hochul paused it. 
Her change of heart just so happened to come after the November elections.
And when she announced her flip, Hochul gave some of the most unconvincing spin ever witnessed in politics. She argued that she was saving New Yorkers thousands of dollars by imposing the $9 toll. After all, they&#8217;re lucky it&#8217;s not a $15 toll (yet).
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovKathyHochul</a>: &#8220;We’re saving you 40%&#8221; by starting to charge $9 to enter Manhattan instead of $15 as we originally planned; &#8220;this lower toll will save daily commuters nearly $1,500 annually.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/rOWLY963j8">pic.twitter.com/rOWLY963j8</a>
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1857891563776487434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
The spin did not work. Currently, it&#8217;s some climate activists, the MTA, and Hochul, versus just about everybody else. 
New Jersey’s Democrat Governor Phil Murphy, for example, gave Hochul a <a href="https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562024/approved/20241114c.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tongue-lashing</a> for the move, which he likened to a bailout for the MTA. He&#8217;s even sued to try to stop the toll program from going into effect. 
“I am firmly opposed to any attempt to force through a congestion pricing proposal in the final months of the Biden Administration. All of us need to listen to the message that voters across America sent last Tuesday, which is that the vast majority of Americans are experiencing severe economic strains and still feeling the effects of inflation,&#8221; Murphy blasted, referring to the November election. &#8220;There could not be a worse time to impose a new $9 toll on individuals who are traveling into downtown Manhattan for work, school, or leisure.&#8221;
“New Jersey has never been meaningfully consulted on the design of this plan, either in its initial iteration or the version that was announced today,&#8221; the Democrat continued. &#8220;Perhaps that is because this effort has always simply been a way to take money from the pockets of New Jersey residents to bail out the MTA from a mountain of debt.&#8221;
“I urge Governor Hochul to reconsider the plan, and I urge all elected officials in the region — including those set to take office in January — to speak out against this proposal,&#8221; Murphy said in November. &#8220;Meanwhile, my administration will continue the fight to block this plan in court.”
Separately, the United Federation of Teachers, typically a strong Democrat ally, has also filed suit. The <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/articles/2024/anthony-h-palumbo/new-york-state-senators-union-leaders-farmers-rally-oppose">New York Farmers Bureau</a> has spoken out against the toll, and Manhattan residents have filed a class action lawsuit. 
Additionally, Congressional Republicans have found some Democrat support for an effort to try to stop the toll program. 
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovKathyHochul</a>’s congestion pricing scheme is nothing more than a massive new tax on working families.
She thinks YOU should bail out the MTA for their crappy budgeting.
Visit <a href="https://t.co/BsnvjNW7kn">https://t.co/BsnvjNW7kn</a> and let Hochul know you&#8217;re against her congestion pricing cash grab! <a href="https://t.co/nxTJtyHls4">pic.twitter.com/nxTJtyHls4</a>
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) <a href="https://twitter.com/lawler4ny/status/1857780704848818618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
And President-elect Donald Trump vowed this past summer to rescind the federal approval for the &#8220;congestion pricing&#8221; program. 
Firefighters are against the toll, too, despite Hochul and the MTA specifically <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hrw2sSaUJA">arguing</a> that it will cut down on traffic and therefore reduce emergency response times. Firefighter unions say the tax will unfairly cost firefighters, as well as all other residents, and actually slow response times. The president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, Andrew Ansbro, publicly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hrw2sSaUJA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> Hochul for not even considering an exemption for firefighters. 
“All we were asking for was an exemption for our members bringing their vehicles into the zone,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Those vehicles are regularly used to transport firefighters to and from their detail to another firehouse when there’s a shortage in one spot, and they need them somewhere else. We were denied at every turn.”
Union leaders say firefighters frequently use their personal vehicles for transporting their heavy equipment, too. They say that if they’re forced to buy additional fire trucks to avoid those personal costs, it will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. 
Despite all this, Hochul has not budged on the issue, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams likewise has not offered them support. His office said in a statement that they &#8220;don’t expect&#8221; the tax to impact emergency responses.  
Suffice it to say, New Yorkers and New Jersey residents are not happy with Hochul. And it doesn&#8217;t matter if you&#8217;re a Republican or a Democrat, a firefighter or a teacher or a farmer, non-union or union, or a hyper-liberal Manhattanite.
Everybody hates Kathy.

Kathy Hochul

Everybody Hates Kathy

Everybody Hates NY Gov. Kathy Hochul 

Carbon Emissions

New York

New York City

Taxes

It’s great to be back after a long Christmas break. Much has happened in the world since my last post. Today, however, I’d like to begin with a story that’s unfolding in New York. 
There’s one thing we know: Government officials, whether they&#8217;re elected politicians in this country or despots in the third world, do not like being reminded of their failures. This is why the greatest crime in any dictatorship is noticing. You aren’t supposed to notice things that are embarrassing to the ruling regime. It’s also why comedy and satire are banned in places like North Korea, just like they&#8217;re banned on late-night talk shows in this country. Petty, corrupt and ineffective people can&#8217;t stand it when their incompetence is exposed. They&#8217;re willing to take extreme measures to prevent that from happening. Right now, in the city of New York, we&#8217;re getting a very clear sense of what those &#8220;extreme measures&#8221; look like, in practice.
If you&#8217;ve seen the news lately, you know that the subway system is one of the most obvious and unavoidable signs of New York&#8217;s decline. It&#8217;s a monument to the many failures of the city government. As of late last year, ridership on New York&#8217;s subway system is <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-subway-ridership-hits-new-milestone-but-still-far-short-of-pre-pandemic-levels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">down</a> more than 25% from pre-pandemic levels. That means that, every day, there are at least a million fewer people riding the subway in New York, as compared to five years ago.
It&#8217;s not exactly a great mystery as to why people are avoiding it. There&#8217;s a constant stream of violent attacks on the trains and the platforms — from people being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/assailant-charged-after-allegedly-shoving-man-directly-iin-path-of-oncoming-ny-subway-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed in front of the trains</a> to a woman getting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nypd-identifies-woman-burned-to-death-on-subway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">burned alive</a>. Yes, if you didn’t hear about that, a woman was burned alive, on a train, in New York, in front of a crowd of people. This is what’s happening now in the third world country known as New York City. And that&#8217;s just within the last few weeks. These attacks are effectively endorsed and enabled by New York&#8217;s government, which has made the political decision not to incarcerate most criminals.
That explains why a man named Jamar Banks was able to use the subway the other day. The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/05/us-news/madman-accused-of-two-nyc-train-stabbings-is-busted-carrying-large-knife-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that, &#8220;A subway maniac with 87 prior arrests was just busted for two transit stabbings — carrying the large knife he allegedly used in the violence &#8230; Banks&#8217; rap sheet includes arrests for alleged attempted murder, weapons possession, assault, criminal trespassing, turnstile jumping and petty larceny.&#8221;
If politicians in New York didn&#8217;t want to destroy the city, they&#8217;d immediately throw every criminal like Jamar Banks in prison. They&#8217;d start enforcing the law. It’s actually not hard to prevent people from getting randomly stabbed, torched, or thrown in front of trains. This is a very easy issue to address. The city could effectively end all of this madness overnight, in one fell swoop, if they wanted to. All you have to do is take all the people who are already known violent criminals and put them in prison. Then you have to ban homeless people from setting up camp in the tunnels or on the trains, and arrest anyone who causes a disturbance. This could all be done in one day.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1508-the-matt-walsh-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
But none of that is happening. Instead, rather than admit they&#8217;ve failed their constituents, politicians in New York have just decided to compel citizens to use the subway. They&#8217;ve opted to make it financially untenable for most New Yorkers to avoid public transit. That&#8217;s their solution to the fact that no one in the city wants to ride the subway anymore. They&#8217;re going to force them to do it.
I&#8217;m talking about so-called &#8220;congestion pricing.&#8221; After several years of debate, this &#8220;congestion pricing&#8221; has just taken effect in Manhattan. In essence, this is a tax on anyone who wants to drive a vehicle into the heart of New York during work hours — as if it wasn&#8217;t already expensive enough to live in that diseased, rat-infested, crime-riddled, reeking, filthy, godforsaken hellhole of a city. This new tax is a very clear effort to force New Yorkers to use the subway system, which has become an international embarrassment. People don’t want to use it because they don’t want to be assaulted by schizophrenic vagrants. So the solution isn’t to get rid of the schizophrenic vagrants. Instead it’s to simply force everyone to use it, basically offering law abiding citizens up as sacrifices to the dregs of the community.
Specifically, this new tax covers the vast majority of vehicles entering Manhattan between 60th Street and the Battery, which includes Times Square, Hell&#8217;s Kitchen, the theater district, and other high-traffic areas. From 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m on weekends — which is obviously a huge block of time — the so-called &#8220;peak period toll rate&#8221; is in effect. For all &#8220;passenger and small commercial vehicles,&#8221; that toll rate is $9.00 during the peak period.
To be clear about the political dynamics here, the majority of New Yorkers oppose congestion pricing, as far as I can tell. A Sienna College <a href="https://abc7ny.com/nyc-congestion-pricing-nearly-two-thirds-of-new-yorkers-oppose-plan-siena-college-poll-finds/14721916/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from last summer found that nearly two-thirds of people living in the city didn&#8217;t want a $15.00 &#8220;congestion toll.&#8221;
In response to the outcry, the governor of New York briefly suspended the plan. Then she said she&#8217;d lower the toll a few dollars, claiming it would save New Yorkers some money. To reiterate, she claimed she was saving New Yorkers money by taking less of their money than she was originally going to take. This was a prime example of political &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUMgX7-yZZs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">girl math</a>,&#8221; as I outlined at the time. And now it&#8217;s taken effect.
Naturally, some Left-wing New Yorkers rallied in response to their government gouging them even more. But instead of rallying against it, they actually rallied to thank their overlords for the privilege of being bilked by them. Some of these scenes are so absurd that they don&#8217;t even seem like they can be real. 
Here for example is a crowd cheering as the signage for the congestion pricing is unveiled:
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&quot;3, 2, 1… Happy congestion pricing!&quot; &#8211; New Yorkers *applaud* as the MTA unveils new regulatory tolls on them <a href="https://t.co/o55GtYlw92">pic.twitter.com/o55GtYlw92</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1875782069361766504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Yes, you just heard someone shouting, &#8220;Happy congestion pricing.&#8221; They are celebrating the implementation of an unprecedented tax, as if it&#8217;s a national holiday.
 This would seem to be boot-licking taken to an unparalleled extreme, and it is. But we should also understand that really they&#8217;re celebrating the fact that, because of this tax, wealthy New Yorkers will have to contend with fewer working class people on the roads in Manhattan. The same people who celebrated the assassination of the health care CEO as some kind of twisted &#8220;victory for the little guy&#8221; are very, very happy about using a tax to keep poor people away from them.
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That&#8217;s a pretty big clue that none of these people actually care about &#8220;the little guy.&#8221; If you ask them, of course, they&#8217;ll pretend otherwise. In particular, they&#8217;ll say that congestion pricing is necessary because it will help pay for improvements to the subway system. 
For example, when the governor briefly halted the plan for congestion pricing last summer, this was the response:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Pro-congestion pricing rally held in Manhattan" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y-nnHGHfXi4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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If you want to explain to someone how cities like New York are collapsing, just show them that clip. According to the residents of New York, it&#8217;s a &#8220;great betrayal&#8221; that the government isn&#8217;t taxing them enough. That is how these people think.
To be fair, the first guy was arguably a little less pathetic. He was talking about all of the alleged benefits that will result from congestion pricing. He&#8217;s saying they&#8217;ll be able to improve the subway system to make it more &#8220;accessible,&#8221; which is a talking point a lot of these protesters used. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Parents with strollers rally in favor of congestion pricing in NYC" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qTGJf7Y3NeI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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One of the many false assumptions these people are making is that more money will improve the subway system. But that&#8217;s not true. And we know that because the New York subway system is a comically obvious example of waste and mismanagement in government.
For example, the Second Avenue subway that was recently constructed in Manhattan somehow cost more money than any other similar subway system on the planet — by a lot. As <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-23/in-nyc-subway-a-case-study-in-runaway-transit-construction-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg reports</a>: &#8220;At $2.5 billion per mile, construction costs for the 1.8-mile Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway were 8 to 12 times more expensive than similar subway projects in Italy, Istanbul, Sweden, Paris, Berlin and Spain.&#8221;
So that&#8217;s one potential way to raise revenue, right off the bat. They could stop lighting money on fire. Secondly, if you&#8217;re worried about congestion in Manhattan, you could try a lot of things besides charging people to drive their cars. You could, for example, try opening more lanes, instead of closing them for cyclists and construction. Anyone who&#8217;s ever driven through Manhattan could tell you that. Here&#8217;s one example:
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Couldn’t have said it better myself.
The city caused this “congestion”. And now anti-car activists are celebrating by taunting drivers at toll gantries.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FuckCongestionPricing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FuckCongestionPricing</a> <a href="https://t.co/nMIYOiWQLY">pic.twitter.com/nMIYOiWQLY</a>
&mdash; The Fight against Anti-Car (@NoBikeLanes) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoBikeLanes/status/1875717693355298824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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This is something no one ever mentions as a possible solution. Get rid of the stupid bike lanes. You’ll find this same thing in cities all over the country. You have to sit in traffic because the city has blocked off entire lanes so that people can ride their bicycles in the street. As I’ve said many times, they might as well block off lanes so that you can use your ab roller or bench press in the middle of the street. If you want to exercise — that’s great, I support it. But you shouldn’t be doing it in the road when everyone is trying to commute to work.
One of the arguments you&#8217;ll hear from these activists is that, somehow, this new tax will reduce carbon emissions and change the weather and save the planet. This is science, you see. Step 1: you pay a toll. Step 3: hurricanes stop happening. The problem is that Step 2 is a bit foggy. And anyway, even if you assume that reducing carbon emissions by a tiny amount will change the weather for the better, it’s a moot point, because this won’t actually reduce carbon emissions. Instead, traffic is going to move elsewhere. People living in New Jersey understand that pretty well, which is why they&#8217;re suing to stop this tax.
<h3><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH&#8217;S &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a></h3>
But regardless, even if you don&#8217;t buy any of the counter-arguments — even if you think that New York&#8217;s government urgently needs more money to improve the subway — it&#8217;s still not clear why &#8220;congestion pricing&#8221; is the best way to raise that revenue. Why not raise taxes on those evil corporations that the Left claims to hate so much? Why are they raising taxes on regular citizens instead?
It only makes sense when you realize, again, that the objective is to force more people into public transit, and get them off the roads.
Admittedly, this whole fiasco may seem irrelevant to anyone who has the good sense to not live in New York. But this sort of madness can be found, in varying degrees, wherever Democrats have power. The idea that Trump’s re-election would be some kind of wake up call for Democrats is a fantasy. They can’t be woken up because they aren’t asleep or in some sort of trance. They’re doing exactly what they want, and their policies are having precisely the effect they intend. 
Here for example is an image from the New York subway system:
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🚨 NYC subway riders are all terrified of being shoved in front of a train. <a href="https://t.co/HCXmcRJ69S">pic.twitter.com/HCXmcRJ69S</a>
&mdash; Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1876039855458979983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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You&#8217;ll notice that everyone is standing against the wall, because they don&#8217;t want to get pushed on the tracks by some psycho. It&#8217;s straight-up dystopian and you have to wonder how long people will put up with it.
If there’s any waking up that can happen and must happen, it’s among the average citizens in places like New York. If they ever come to their senses and realize that the people they put in power are actively and intentionally making their lives worse in just about every measurable way, then maybe things will start to change for the better.
Unfortunately, for everyone living in New York, based on the celebrations we&#8217;re seeing in support of &#8220;congestion pricing&#8221; — which is really a tax on using your own property and going about your daily life — it doesn&#8217;t look like that will happen any time soon.

NY Congestion Pricing Plan’s Fate Unclear After Court Ruling

2025 Just Started And Things Are Already Getting Crazy

Automobiles

Cars

Manhattan

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Subway

Traffic

In another horrifying attack in the New York City subway system, a 23-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly shoving a commuter onto the tracks just as a train arrived at the 18th Street subway station in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan.
Kamel Hawkins, 23, was taken into custody Tuesday after allegedly pushing the 45-year-old man at roughly 1:30 p.m. on the southbound No. 1 train platform, the NYPD reported.
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JUST IN: 23-year-old Kamel Hawkins charged with attempted murder after pushing a random man in front of a moving train in Manhattan.
The incident happened at the 18th Street station this afternoon. 
Police say the 45-year-old victim is expected to survive and only suffered a… <a href="https://t.co/sDMYidQXwB">pic.twitter.com/sDMYidQXwB</a>
&mdash; Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1874280225845981277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Kamel Hawkins, 23, was arrested yesterday on charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault, for allegedly shoving a 45-year-old white man in front of a moving train at the 18th Street station in Chelsea at around 1:30 p.m. yesterday.
Note that there is no… <a href="https://t.co/1s68ed5fqh">pic.twitter.com/1s68ed5fqh</a>
&mdash; Crime In NYC (@CrimeInNYC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrimeInNYC/status/1874401174109007999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Violet Paley, aboard the 1 train when it stopped, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/01/us/man-charged-attempted-murder-new-york-subway-shoving-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN:</a> “All of a sudden there was an abrupt stop and because of everything I’ve been seeing on the news, the first thing that came to my mind was that someone probably got pushed in front of the subway, which is such a dark thought.”
She added that after roughly 10 minutes, a conductor told passengers they had to evacuate the train because there was a man under the subway. She noted, “They pulled him out, and he was laying there, and I saw his hands and fingers move. I was in so much shock that he was alive. It was unbelievable.”
The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital with injuries to his head and a broken rib but was conscious and alert. He is expected to survive, a law enforcement source <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/manhattan/man-pushed-onto-subway-tracks-chelsea-nye-nyc/6090327/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed</a> NBC New York.
As recently as December 22, New York Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul boasted, &#8220;In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day. Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up.”
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In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day.  
Since deploying the <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalGuardNY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NationalGuardNY</a> to support <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDnews</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MTA</a> safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up. <a href="https://t.co/T7uRxx9nIO">pic.twitter.com/T7uRxx9nIO</a>
&mdash; Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul/status/1870932469266190412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Critics quickly pointed out that Hochul&#8217;s claims would not be well-received on the same day that a sleeping woman was burned alive on a subway in Brooklyn — while the suspect reportedly sat and watched — and in a <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/queens-deadly-subway-stabbing/15691084/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">separate incident</a> in Queens, one man was stabbed in the chest and another was stabbed in the face. The man who had been stabbed in the chest was later pronounced dead.
&#8220;Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making subways &#8216;safer.&#8217; She congratulates herself on the same day two subway riders were stabbed in Queens (one in the face and one in the chest) and another was barbarically burned alive. Has there ever been a more tone-deaf Governor in the history of New York?&#8221; Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) posted.
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Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making subways “safer.” She congratulates herself on the same day two subway riders were stabbed in Queens (one in the face and one in the chest) and another was barbarically burned alive. 
Has there ever been a more tone-deaf… <a href="https://t.co/KIPujqpKa3">pic.twitter.com/KIPujqpKa3</a>
&mdash; Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/RitchieTorres/status/1870967985344799102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Virginia Kruta contributed to this article.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kathy-hochul-brags-about-subway-safety-after-a-woman-was-burned-alive-in-nyc">Kathy Hochul Brags About Subway Safety — After A Woman Was Burned Alive In NYC</a>

New York Subway Train

Assailant Charged After Allegedly Shoving Man Directly In Path Of Oncoming NY Subway Train

Crime

Murder

U.S.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) boasted on Sunday about her efforts to make New York City&#8217;s subways safer for commuters and visitors alike — and immediately took blowback as the news of two separate murders on the subway in the last 24 hours began to circulate.
Hochul posted her statement via X, saying, &#8220;In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day. Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up.&#8221;
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In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day.  
Since deploying the <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalGuardNY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NationalGuardNY</a> to support <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDnews</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MTA</a> safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up. <a href="https://t.co/T7uRxx9nIO">pic.twitter.com/T7uRxx9nIO</a>
&mdash; Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul/status/1870932469266190412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Critics quickly pointed out that Hochul&#8217;s claims would not be well-received on the same day that a sleeping woman was burned alive — while the suspect reportedly sat and watched — and in a <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/queens-deadly-subway-stabbing/15691084/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">separate incident</a> in Queens on Saturday, one man was stabbed in the chest and another was stabbed in the face. The man who had been stabbed in the chest was later pronounced dead.
&#8220;Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making subways &#8216;safer.&#8217; She congratulates herself on the same day two subway riders were stabbed in Queens (one in the face and one in the chest) and another was barbarically burned alive. Has there ever been a more tone-deaf Governor in the history of New York?&#8221; Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) posted.
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Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making subways “safer.” She congratulates herself on the same day two subway riders were stabbed in Queens (one in the face and one in the chest) and another was barbarically burned alive. 
Has there ever been a more tone-deaf… <a href="https://t.co/KIPujqpKa3">pic.twitter.com/KIPujqpKa3</a>
&mdash; Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/RitchieTorres/status/1870967985344799102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Today, a lady was burned alive on a subway in NYC. Thank you Kathy, you&#8217;ve done a bang up job,&#8221; country music star John Rich added.
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Today, a lady was burned alive on a subway in NYC. Thank you Kathy, you&#39;ve done a bang up job. <a href="https://t.co/vSbUoIeHWo">https://t.co/vSbUoIeHWo</a>
&mdash; John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1871003958375862763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Are you kidding me??? You are really posting this after a woman was set on fire &amp; died on a Brooklyn train this morning and two people were stabbed (one killed) on a Queens train yesterday,&#8221; Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) responded.
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Are you kidding me??? You are really posting this after a woman was set on fire &amp; died on a Brooklyn train this morning and two people were stabbed (one killed) on a Queens train yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/PE3udrHxPZ">https://t.co/PE3udrHxPZ</a>
&mdash; Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) <a href="https://twitter.com/NMalliotakis/status/1870954071818989568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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New York City Council member Robert Holden added, &#8220;Unbelievable timing: just hours after a woman was senselessly burned alive, and two people were stabbed, one fatally. Kathy Hochul’s incompetence is costing lives—she needs to leave public office immediately before more New Yorkers suffer.&#8221;
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Unbelievable timing: just hours after a woman was senselessly burned alive, and two people were stabbed, one fatally. 
Kathy Hochul’s incompetence is costing lives—she needs to leave public office immediately before more New Yorkers suffer. <a href="https://t.co/P9LPIT9C0c">https://t.co/P9LPIT9C0c</a>
&mdash; Robert Holden (@BobHoldenNYC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobHoldenNYC/status/1870939058312221101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Mike Lawler commented, &#8220;It’s clearly not working. You are the single most inept Governor in the country and should be ashamed at the gross incompetence of your administration’s handling of public safety in New York.&#8221;
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It’s clearly not working. You are the single most inept Governor in the country and should be ashamed at the gross incompetence of your administration’s handling of public safety in New York.<a href="https://t.co/DHJG1QVipg">https://t.co/DHJG1QVipg</a> <a href="https://t.co/u00PZbFcLS">https://t.co/u00PZbFcLS</a> <a href="https://t.co/uN1L3tsoO5">pic.twitter.com/uN1L3tsoO5</a>
&mdash; Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) <a href="https://twitter.com/lawler4ny/status/1870937526602461222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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New York Governor Hochul Makes Announcement On Congestion Pricing Plan

Kathy Hochul Brags About Subway Safety — After A Woman Was Burned Alive In NYC

Kathy Hochul Brags About Subway Safety Measures — After A Woman Was Burned Alive In NYC

Violent Crime

Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul announced a plan that she claimed would save New Yorkers 40% on tolls paid for driving into Midtown Manhattan — but left out the fact that her proposal was also a 100% increase from the current toll rate: $0.
Hochul explained during a press conference that the new plan — which would charge drivers $9 to enter Manhattan&#8217;s central business district via roadways — represented a 40% decrease in tolls from the $15 that was initially scheduled to take effect.
WATCH:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovKathyHochul</a>: &#8220;We’re saving you 40%&#8221; by starting to charge $9 to enter Manhattan instead of $15 as we originally planned; &#8220;this lower toll will save daily commuters nearly $1,500 annually.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/rOWLY963j8">pic.twitter.com/rOWLY963j8</a>
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1857891563776487434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;From day one I have made affordability for New York families a top priority. I always have and I always will fight to put more money in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers,&#8221; Hochul said. &#8220;That&#8217;s why, back in June, I stood up on behalf of hardworking families and simply said no. No to a new $15 congestion toll that at that particular time was just too much.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Hochul went on to explain that the high cost of living due to inflation — largely caused by other Democrat policies — meant that families were already struggling to pay for groceries and rent, and adding a $15 toll had seemed excessively burdensome to her.
&#8220;Launching a toll that high really would have hurt a working mom or a working dad trying to make ends meet,&#8221; Hochul continued. &#8220;Especially someone driving in from a transportation desert or far from outside the center of the city.&#8221;
The solution, Hochul said, was to charge a $9 congestion toll instead. The goals were to simultaneously reduce traffic congestion and fund mass transit in the city, and $9 was the amount Hochul described as &#8220;no more than absolutely necessary&#8221; to accomplish those goals.
&#8220;You heard me correctly,&#8221; Hochul said of the toll set to take effect in January. &#8220;It was $15 and now it is $9, that is a 40% reduction. &#8220;This lower toll will save daily commuters nearly $1,500 annually, and that kind of money makes a big difference for our families.&#8221;
Hochul failed to mention that because the current toll is $0, the new rate will cost daily commuters more than $2000 annually.
&#8220;I was going to rob you and then kill you but I&#8217;ve decided to only rob you, which means I have saved your life,&#8221; The Daily Wire&#8217;s Matt Walsh posted.
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I was going to rob you and then kill you but I&#8217;ve decided to only rob you, which means I have saved your life <a href="https://t.co/uFctwtUGPR">https://t.co/uFctwtUGPR</a>
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1858237339723510041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Woman shopping logic applied to taxes is insane,&#8221; Joel Berry added.
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Woman shopping logic applied to taxes is insane <a href="https://t.co/694BpA2eow">https://t.co/694BpA2eow</a>
— Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelWBerry/status/1858249032692297994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;She must think NY voters are really dumb,&#8221; Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume remarked.
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She must think NY voters are really dumb. <a href="https://t.co/oxNFO11uNg">https://t.co/oxNFO11uNg</a>
— Brit Hume (@brithume) <a href="https://twitter.com/brithume/status/1858248848310735313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Hochul left out the part about this $9.00 toll charge for entering Manhattan representing a 100% INCREASE. As compared to the $0.00 toll amount charged prior to June 2024,&#8221; another added.
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Hochul left out the part about this $9.00 toll charge for entering Manhattan representing a 100% INCREASE. 
As compared to the $0.00 toll amount charged prior to June 2024. <a href="https://t.co/btxbRLR36H">https://t.co/btxbRLR36H</a>
— Tom T. ن‎ 🇺🇸 (@VRWCTexan) <a href="https://twitter.com/VRWCTexan/status/1858354369567072322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;They want you to praise them from extorting you a little less than they originally planned,&#8221; RedState&#8217;s Bonchie said.
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They want you to praise them from extorting you a little less than they originally planned. <a href="https://t.co/N2BB9GrJYe">https://t.co/N2BB9GrJYe</a>
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) <a href="https://twitter.com/bonchieredstate/status/1858265646741471432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Kathy Hochul Gaslights New Yorkers Over Manhattan Toll ‘Savings’

Kathy Hochul Gaslights New Yorkers Over Manhattan Toll 'Savings'

General

Politics

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) said over the weekend that those who vote for Republicans are &#8220;anti-American.&#8221;
Hochul&#8217;s made the extreme remarks, which come just days ahead of Tuesday&#8217;s presidential election, during a Saturday interview on MSNBC&#8217;s &#8220;PoliticsNation&#8221; with Al Sharpton.
Sharpton asked her about a joke that an insult comedian made at Trump&#8217;s rally in the state last week which Hochul claimed was &#8220;so painful.&#8221;
“You do not think in this great country that you we should have leaders who either say this themselves or will tolerate it at one of their rallies,” she said. “I think this rally backfired on him.”
She said that the incident helped her make the argument that New Yorkers should not vote for the Republican Party.
“It gave me a chance to tie the Republicans running in these seats, the incumbents, closer to Donald Trump,” she said, adding that she wanted to “remind everybody, if you’re voting for these Republicans in New York, you are voting for someone who supports Donald Trump and you’re anti-woman, you’re anti-abortion, and basically you’re anti-American.”
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) slammed Hochul on X: &#8220;Quite the closing message from the so called campaign of joy: If you don’t vote Democrat, you are Nazi, Hitler loving, anti-American garbage.&#8221;
Zeldin&#8217;s remarks come in response to Democrats and the media trying to portray Trump as a Nazi during the final days of the campaign and President Joe Biden&#8217;s &#8220;garbage&#8221; insult that was directed at tens of millions of Trump voters.
WATCH:
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Quite the closing message from the so called campaign of joy: If you don’t vote Democrat, you are Nazi, Hitler loving, anti-American garbage. <a href="https://t.co/pbz47BSOwO">pic.twitter.com/pbz47BSOwO</a>
— Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeeMZeldin/status/1852873789299716543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2024</a></blockquote>

New York Governor Kathy Hochul: If You Vote Republican You’re ‘Anti-American’

2024 Election

Media

Republicans

A former top aide to New York Democrat Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kathy-hochul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathy Hochul</a> was indicted in federal court this week for allegedly acting as a foreign agent for the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in exchange for millions of dollars.
Linda Sun was indicted on charges of violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy, the DOJ said. Her husband, Chris Hu, was charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification.
Sun allegedly acted as a spy for China and the CCP while working for Hochul and in multiple state agencies, prosecutors said.
The DOJ said, &#8220;Acting at the request of PRC government officials and the CCP representatives, Sun engaged in numerous political activities in the interests of the PRC and the CCP, including blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers; changing high-level New York State officers’ messaging regarding issues of importance to the PRC and the CCP; obtaining official New York State proclamations for PRC government representatives without proper authorization; attempting to facilitate a trip to the PRC by a high-level New York State politician; and arranging meetings for visiting delegations from the PRC government with New York State government officials.&#8221;
She allegedly provided improper benefits to Chinese and CCP officials by giving them &#8220;unauthorized invitation letters from the office of high-level New York State officers that were used to facilitate travel by PRC government officials into the United States for meetings with New York State government officials.&#8221;
Her invitation letters reportedly facilitated bringing Chinese nationals into the U.S. illegally.
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Investigators said that in return for her spying, she received &#8220;substantial&#8221; benefits, including &#8220;the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions for the PRC-based business activities of Hu; travel benefits; tickets to events; promotion of a close family friend’s business; employment for Sun’s cousin in the PRC; and Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a PRC government official’s personal chef that were delivered to the residence of Sun’s parents.&#8221;
Sun and Hu are accused of laundering the money to purchase &#8220;real estate property in Manhasset, New York currently valued at $4.1 million, a condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii currently valued at $2.1 million, and various luxury automobiles, including a 2024 Ferrari.&#8221;

Senior Aide To NY Gov Hochul Charged With Spying For China, Received Millions: Feds

Chinese Communist Party

Communist China

Democrat governors rallied behind President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> on Wednesday as the 81-year-old president faces growing calls to step aside and not run against former President Donald Trump this fall.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chair of the Democrat Governors Association, attended the Biden event in person along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. The others attended the event virtually.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://prod-i.a.dj.com/public/resources/documents/WSJ_June_2023_Partial_Results.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> in a poll released on Wednesday that Trump leads Biden 48% to 42% and 80% of voters now say that Biden is “too old” to run again for president.
&#8220;Yes, he&#8217;s fit for office,&#8221; Walz claimed to reporters after the meeting. &#8220;None of us are denying Thursday night was a bad performance, it was a bad hit, if you will, on that, but it doesn&#8217;t impact what I believe, that he&#8217;s delivering.&#8221;
&#8220;The governors have his back,&#8221; Walz added. &#8220;A path to victory in November is the number one priority and that&#8217;s the number one priority of the president.&#8221;
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after 24 Democratic governors’ meeting with President Biden: “The governors have his back.” <a href="https://t.co/PXgbrnIEIQ">pic.twitter.com/PXgbrnIEIQ</a>
— Joey Garrison (@joeygarrison) <a href="https://twitter.com/joeygarrison/status/1808650814690406888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
Moore said that the governors were &#8220;honest&#8221; with Biden about what their &#8220;feedback&#8221; was for him following the debate.
&#8220;We were honest about the concerns that we were hearing from people,&#8221; Moore said. &#8220;And we were also honest about the fact that, as the president continued to tell us and show us that he was all in, that we said we would stand with him.&#8221;
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Newsom posted on X after the meeting: &#8220;I heard three words from the President tonight &#8212; he’s all in. And so am I. @JoeBiden’s had our back. Now it’s time to have his.&#8221;
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I heard three words from the President tonight &#8212; he’s all in. And so am I.<a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a>’s had our back. Now it’s time to have his.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1808656040386285717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Joe Biden is in it to win it,&#8221; Hochul posted on social media. &#8220;The stakes this November could not be higher.&#8221;
Whitmer posted online: &#8220;Joe Biden is our nominee. He is in it to win it and I support him.&#8221;
North Carolina&#8217;s Roy Cooper said in a statement: &#8220;We had a good meeting with the President talking about what&#8217;s needed to win. Donald Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, and everyone in the room agreed that defeating him is imperative. President Biden told us he is definitely running for re-election, he is our nominee and we&#8217;ll continue doing everything we can to deliver North Carolina for him.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-ELECTION-BIDEN-VOTE-GOVERNORS

Democrat Governors Unite Behind Biden As 80% Of America Says He’s ‘Too Old’

Democratic Party

Donald Trump

Elections

Gavin Newsom

Joe Biden

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> Republican from upstate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> is calling on her state&#8217;s Democratic governor, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kathy-hochul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathy Hochul</a>, to pardon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> after the former president was recently found guilty on all counts in a hush money trial.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), a New York Bar Association member, made the request in a letter on Thursday that also urged Hochul to remove Alvin Bragg as Manhattan district attorney, saying he failed to uphold the &#8220;high ethical standards&#8221; of his role.
Bragg &#8220;used a warped version of events to push the manufactured charges&#8221; against Trump, a decision that was, &#8220;At best &#8230; legally questionable, at worst it’s criminal,&#8221; Tenney wrote in the letter, which has been <a href="https://tenney.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/tenney.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/trump%20pardon%20letter%20.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to her congressional website.
She said Bragg &#8220;neglected to prosecute other individuals&#8221; in similar cases &#8220;as his only purpose in bringing this case is to target the former President,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Targeting an individual, especially for political purposes, is unethical and unconstitutional.&#8221;
A jury returned a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guilty verdict</a> against Trump on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film star Stormy Daniel as part of a “catch-and-kill” scheme to influence the 2016 election.
Trump, who denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges, has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-race-plunges-into-uncharted-territory-trump-awaits-july-sentencing-2024-05-31/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to appeal. Sentencing is set for July 11, just four days before Trump is expected to receive the GOP presidential nomination at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.
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Hochul has given no indication that she is interested in dealing Trump a pardon as he seeks a second term in the White House. The New York governor released a <a href="https://x.com/JonCampbellNY/status/1796318381160702383" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> saying the verdict &#8220;reaffirms that no one is above the law.&#8221;
Still, there is some pressure from the Democratic Party. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who briefly challenged President Joe Biden for their party&#8217;s presidential nomination, <a href="https://x.com/deanbphillips/status/1796695686215348594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to X that Hochul &#8220;should pardon him [Trump] for the good of the country.&#8221;
Three other criminal matters hang over Trump, including two led by special counsel Jack Smith and another by Georgia&#8217;s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It is unclear whether any of those will reach the trial stage before the 2024 election.

Governor Kathy Hochul

NY Rep Calls On Governor Hochul To Pardon Trump

Alvin Bragg

Congress

Pardon

In a shocking backtrack, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul announced an indefinite delay on the controversial congestion pricing plan for drivers entering Manhattan&#8217;s central business district amid fears that it could affect Democrats&#8217; election chances.
On Wednesday, Hochul said she had directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to push back the new toll’s June 30 start date.
&#8220;After careful consideration, I have come to the difficult decision that implementing the planned congestion pricing system risked too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers at this time,&#8221; Hochul <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRVEYLjYBcg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a video announcement.
&#8220;For that reason, I have directed the MTA to indefinitely pause the program,&#8221; she said.
The governor cited the high cost of living, saying &#8220;hardworking New Yorkers are getting hammered on costs.&#8221; She added that while New York&#8217;s pandemic recovery has been faster than expected, it is &#8220;by no means complete.&#8221;
The MTA&#8217;s congestion pricing plan would charge drivers a minimum of $15 to enter Midtown Manhattan south of 60th Street. Drivers would be charged the rush hour price nearly all day every day — between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. Cars would be charged $3.75 during the remaining hours.
The toll is aimed at lessening peak-hour congestion in Manhattan. The around $1 billion raised from the toll is supposed to go towards upgrading subways, commuter railroads, and bus systems.
Hochul is also <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/congestion-pricing-nyc-kathy-hochul-start-delay/14912968/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> concerned about how the expensive toll might affect local Democrats facing uphill battles in House races in the New York City suburbs. Republicans have already started attacking Democrats over the toll.
Additionally, several lawsuits have already been filed over the congestion pricing plan.
For months, critics have slammed the idea of slapping drivers with new expensive charges.
Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican and vocal critic of the toll, celebrated the expected change.
“It is welcome news that Governor Hochul is considering delaying congestion pricing, scheduled to begin June 30, due to our pressure, the public‘s outcry and concerns it will impact Democrats in November’s election,” Malliotakis <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/05/us-news/gov-kathy-hochul-considering-delaying-congestion-pricing-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post.
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“I urge my fellow New Yorkers to continue calling their city, state and federal representatives because it is working. They are feeling the heat and this war-on-cars cash grab must be reversed!” she said.
Another critic of the toll, International Transport Workers president John Samuelsen, who serves on the MTA board, also sounded off on the reversal.
“I told the governor two years ago that if she imposed the congestion toll without increases in transit service it would be a political disaster,” Samuelson <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/05/us-news/gov-kathy-hochul-considering-delaying-congestion-pricing-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “It’s like taxation without representation. She let [MTA CEO] Janno Lieber lead her around like a stooge.”
The MTA is governed by 23 members, who are nominated by the governor, NYC mayor, and local officials.
New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams emphasized that the congestion toll should not be a &#8220;burden on everyday New Yorkers.&#8221;
&#8220;We have to get it right,&#8221; Adams said. &#8220;We have to make sure that it&#8217;s not going to impact our recovery. We got to the point of more jobs in this city than in the history of the city because of the support in the recovery effort.&#8221;

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

NY Governor Announces Delay On Congestion Pricing Plan In Shocking Backtrack

Democrats

Transportation

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) called on New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul to pardon former President Donald Trump following his conviction in the Manhattan hush-money trial.
Phillips, who ran for president in the Democratic primary and was blown out by President Joe Biden, argued that Trump&#8217;s guilty verdict will only energize the Republican candidate&#8217;s base ahead of the 2024 election. Trump was convicted on Thursday of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments sent to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
While the Democratic congressman <a href="https://x.com/deanbphillips/status/1796695686215348594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed</a> Trump as &#8220;a serial liar, cheater, and philanderer, a six-time declarer of corporate bankruptcy, an instigator of insurrection, and a convicted felon,&#8221; he argued on Friday that Hochul should pardon the former president &#8220;for the good of the country.&#8221;
After Phillips was blasted for calling on Hochul to pardon the convicted Republican candidate, he doubled down on his argument in a tweet on Saturday morning.
&#8220;You think pardoning is stupid? Making him a martyr over a payment to a porn star is stupid. (Election charges are entirely different.),&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/deanbphillips/status/1796873915073003952" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. &#8220;It’s energizing his base, generating record sums of campaign cash, and will likely result in an electoral boost.&#8221;
Hochul applauded the conviction of Trump, telling <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/05/31/nx-s1-4987264/new-york-gov-kathy-hochul-weighs-in-on-trumps-conviction-in-her-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a>, &#8220;Justice was served.&#8221; She added that she doesn&#8217;t believe the felony conviction &#8220;is going to be a factor in the election for our congressional candidates.&#8221;
In the immediate aftermath of Trump&#8217;s conviction, donations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-raises-staggering-sum-of-cash-in-24-hours-since-verdict?topStoryPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poured</a> into the Trump campaign as the former president raised over $50 million in the 24 hours after the jury&#8217;s verdict, his campaign said. The hush-money trial has been blasted by legal experts who worry that criminal prosecutions of political opponents will become the norm in the U.S.
While a pardon of Trump from a Democratic governor is highly unlikely, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee has other avenues to challenge his conviction. Legal scholar and George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/turley-weighs-in-on-what-comes-next-following-trumps-guilty-verdict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> in a blog post published on Friday that, eventually, Trump&#8217;s appeal of the verdict could reach the Supreme Court, adding that he believes “convictions will be overturned.”
“Indeed, moments like this require us to take a leap of faith in a nation that remains committed to the rule of law. Manhattan is neither the entirety of the country nor the legal system. I believe that these convictions will be overturned, but it will take time,” Turley wrote. “Judge Merchan committed, in my view, layers of reversible error. Eventually, this case may reach the United States Supreme Court.”
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Attorney and Heritage fellow Roger Severino also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-the-supreme-court-intervene-after-trumps-conviction-legal-experts-say-yes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> &#8220;Morning Wire&#8221; on Friday that Trump’s legal team could make “constitutional arguments that his right to a fair trial was violated.”
“And the Constitution means something,” Severino added. “It means, if anything, you cannot jail political opponents because you don’t like what the American people are going to vote for.”
Trump has already said he will appeal the guilty verdict, which according to New York state law, must come following the sentencing, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-guilty-verdict-trial-05-31-24/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Judge Juan Merchan scheduled Trump&#8217;s sentencing for July 11, just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention, where Trump is set to be nominated for president.

Dean Phillips

Dem Congressman Calls On Hochul To Pardon Trump, Worries Conviction Will ‘Result In An Electoral Boost’

Dem Congressman Calls On Hochul To Pardon Trump, Worries Conviction Will 'Result In An Electoral Boost'

New York Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kathy-hochul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathy Hochul</a> is facing blowback after saying that black children in the Bronx do not know what the word &#8220;computer&#8221; means.
The borough in New York City came up Monday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in California during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbT0iyO1iaA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conversation</a> with Jonathan Capehart, a black MSNBC host who was serving as a moderator, that has since gone viral online.
&#8220;Right now we have, you know, young black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word &#8216;computer&#8217; is,&#8221; Hochul said. &#8220;They don’t know, they don’t know these things. And I want the world opened up to all of them.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D): “Young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is…” 🤨<a href="https://t.co/9x9nU05YDQ">pic.twitter.com/9x9nU05YDQ</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1787829746971091145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hochul&#8217;s remarks about black children in the Bronx drew pushback from fellow politicians, including members of the Democratic Party from the Bronx, and others.
Bronx Assembly Member Amanda Septimo, a Democrat, issued a <a href="https://twitter.com/AmandaSeptimo/status/1787584438668263793" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that said the comments were &#8220;harmful, deeply misinformed, and genuinely appalling.&#8221;
She added, &#8220;Repeating harmful stereotypes about one of our most underserved communities, while failing to acknowledge the state’s consistent institutional neglect, only perpetuates systems of abuse.&#8221;
Her colleague in the State Assembly, <a href="https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Karines-Reyes/bio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longtime Bronxite</a> Karine Reyes, said she was &#8220;deeply disturbed&#8221; by Hochul&#8217;s remarks and the &#8220;underlying perception that she has&#8221; of black and brown children from the borough.
&#8220;Our children are bright, brilliant, extremely capable, and more than deserving of any opportunities that are extended to other kids,&#8221; Reyes continued. &#8220;Do better.&#8221;
Lee Zeldin, a former GOP congressman from New York who ran against Hochul in the 2022 election, <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1787859606225453334" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reposted</a> a reaction from former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines.
&#8220;It&#8217;s remarkable just how out of touch the people supposedly leading this country are,&#8221; Gaines said in her post to X, responding to a clip of Hochul&#8217;s remarks.
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&#8220;Democrats exposing their racism again… Play this video in every predominantly black neighborhood until November,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1787715029703512132" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the Libs of TikTok account run by Chaya Raichik.
&#8220;Why do white liberals think so little of African-Americans?&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1787862042889609617" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Charles Payne, a black Fox Business host, <a href="https://twitter.com/cvpayne/status/1787777922469679408" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X, &#8220;Insulting but typical.&#8221;
Hochul later released a <a href="https://twitter.com/VaughnEGolden/status/1787636911856652296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> expressing remorse for the comments, claiming she did not mean to make them.
&#8220;I misspoke and I regret it,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Of course Black children in the Bronx know what computers are — the problem is that they too often lack access to the technology needed to get on track to high-paying jobs in emerging industries like AI.&#8221;

Kathy Hochul, governor of New York

NY Governor Ripped For Saying Black Kids In The Bronx Don’t Know The Word ‘Computer’

NY Governor Ripped For Saying Black Kids In The Bronx Don't Know The Word 'Computer'

Education

Racism

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