Cassie Ventura, the prosecution’s key witness in the trial against rap artist Sean “Diddy” Combs, took the stand beginning on Tuesday and became emotional as she detailed years of alleged sexual, physical, and mental abuse.
“He controlled a lot of my life,” she said.
Combs, 55, has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September 2024 and has been awaiting trial behind bars after multiple attempts to be released on bail.
Ventura, 38, described what went on during her decade-long relationship with the disgraced rap mogul, highlighting several specific instances of abuse during her lengthy testimony. 
She described the highly publicized “freak-offs,” during which she said, “sometimes Sean — he, himself, or an escort would urinate on me.”
She recalled often choking because there was “too much urine in my mouth.&#8221;
“I don’t want anyone to urinate on me,&#8221; Ventura said from the stand. &#8220;Sean would urinate in my mouth — not super often but often enough.”
The rapper’s ex-girlfriend described the “freak-offs” as lengthy, elaborate, and exhausting sex parties. “The longest was 4 days or even more with breaks,” Ventura told the court. “Then I was recovering from the drugs, dehydration — just trying to stay awake all the time.”
&#8220;The freak-offs became a job,&#8221; she added, saying that participating made her feel “disgusting” and “humiliated.”
She said Combs was in charge of everything about the “freak-offs,” insisting on Ventura wearing her nails a particular way. She said she was forced to apply baby oil every five minutes to appear “glistening,” per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/arts/music/cassie-sean-combs-diddy-trial-takeaways.html">The New York Times</a>. 
Ventura also described times Combs would &#8220;punish&#8221; her by having members of his security team block access to her cell phone and computer. She claimed that these punishments were dictated by his mood. 
Combs’ ex said she was “naive” when they met and was impressed by the rapper and all his success. She also said she felt coerced because she had signed a 10-album deal with Bad Boy Records and saw Combs as having power over her career.
“When you’re in love with someone you don’t want to disappoint them,” Ventura said.
“I wanted to be around Sean for the same reasons as everyone else at the time,&#8221; she said, becoming emotional. &#8220;This exciting, entertaining, fun guy who also happened to have my career in his hands.”
During cross-examination, Combs’ lawyer attempted to prove that all sexual encounters between her client and Ventura were consensual. 
The judge denied a request from the defense to downplay Ventura’s current pregnancy by having her seated before the jury entered the courtroom. Ventura is currently in her third trimester, and the defense said &#8220;the visibility of her pregnancy&#8221; could unfairly prejudice the jury against Combs.
Ventura’s testimony continued on Wednesday. The entire trial is expected to last eight weeks.
Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Cassie Ventura

Diddy Trial: Combs’ Ex-Girlfriend Cassie Ventura Shares Graphic Details Of ‘Freak-Offs’

Diddy Trial: Combs' Ex-Girlfriend Cassie Ventura Becomes Emotional During Testimony

Courts

Manhattan

New York City

Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Sex Crimes

U.S.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial officially kicked off today with opening statements from both the prosecution and the defense.
While the rapper’s legal team painted him as a “complicated” man with an unorthodox but fully consensual sex life, prosecutors wasted no time sharing some sordid details from sexual encounters they say were coerced, per <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/05/sean-diddy-combs-trial-starts-opening-statements-1236393819/">Deadline</a>.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Ann Johnson provided a list of “crime after crime” during opening statements in Manhattan court Monday morning, mentioning kidnapping, arson, drugs, sex crimes, and bribery allegedly committed over the past two decades.
“He called himself the king, and he expected to be treated like one,” she said as a reference to the viral hotel surveillance footage showing him physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and “flinging her around like a rag doll.”
The prosecutor also went into detail about one specific incident which allegedly occurred at the rapper’s notorious “freak-off” parties. Johnson alleged that a male prostitute was instructed to urinate in Ventura&#8217;s mouth, which led to har saying she &#8220;felt like she was choking.&#8221;
Johnson said Combs was able to get away with it for so long thanks to his “inner circle and vast resources of his business empire.”
“Her livelihood and safety depended on keeping him happy,” Johnson said of Ventura, who is slated to take the stand at a later date.
Defense Attorney Tenny Geragos presented a different portrait of the Bad Boys Records founder.
“Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not as complicated case,” Geragos said.
“Sean Combs has a bad temper and sometimes he gets out of control,” the attorney added. “We take full responsibility for the domestic violence. Domestic violence is not sex trafficking.”
“We will not shy away from the things Mr. Comb did,” the attorney added, saying her client “has a bit of a different sex life,” but asserting that the encounters occurred between consenting adults.
Gergagos also mentioned the surveillance video, repeating the claim that it was “overwhelming evidence of domestic violence … but it is not evidence of sex trafficking.” She said the incident seen on security footage represented a “toxic relationship between two people who loved each other.”
The attorney also pointed out that Ventura stayed with Combs as a romantic partner for 11 years.
Combs, 44, has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September 2024 and has been awaiting trial behind bars after multiple attempts to be released on bail.
Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Sean “Diddy” Combs

Diddy Trial: Defense Admits He’s ‘Complicated,’ But ‘Domestic Violence Is Not Sex Trafficking’

Diddy Trial: Defense Admits He's 'Complicated,' But 'Domestic Violence Is Not Sex Trafficking'

Crime

The markets are responding positively to a vast shift in the direction of the Trump economic policy direction (a little change that I&#8217;ve been calling for since well before Liberation Day). I&#8217;m very happy about it as well.
There’s a reason that&#8217;s vitally important: Right now, the Republicans have a lot of running room, and one of the reasons they have a lot of running room is because the Democrats continue to be insane.
I don&#8217;t just mean they&#8217;re insane in terms of their policy preferences, although many of those policy preferences are quite crazy. I mean, culturally speaking, the Democrats seem determined to do ridiculous things. People on the Left in big cities continue to push ridiculous policies and imagery that is going to make them more unpopular, which gives Republicans a lot of running room.
Here&#8217;s the latest bizarre example, although it&#8217;s symptomatic of a broader crisis inside the Democratic Party, courtesy of Times Square in Manhattan.
There is a brand-new 12-foot statue in Times Square titled “Grounded in the Stars” by an artist named Thomas J Price. What is this 12-foot tall statue that is “grounded in the stars?”
It appears to be a slightly to moderately overweight black woman wearing jeans that are too tight for her, wearing a T-shirt that she apparently got at Walmart, and staring angrily at the cashier at CVS.
There&#8217;s nothing about this that is aspirational. There&#8217;s nothing about this that is inspiring. This person is completely anonymous. We have no idea what makes her a hero or heroine.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2195-member-exclusive?elementPosition=2&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Apparently, just being kind of grumpy in front of a TSA agent is enough to make you one of the heroes of American society. The statue was meant to be a stark contrast to two other statues in Duffy Square: One of Father Francis Duffy and the other of George M. Cohan, the founder of Broadway, the Great White Way. 
Father Duffy was a Canadian-American soldier, a Catholic priest and a military chaplain who served in the 69th Infantry Regiment on the Western Front in France during World War I. Duffy Square is named for him.
These are actual-heroic and world-changing figures.
But the new statue is meant to be a contrast, because this person is just a person who might need a dose of Ozempic and looks frumpy and mad and uninspiring.
According to the website for this particular work, the statue was created with the idea of “disrupting traditional ideas.” The Left is constantly attempting to disrupt traditional ideas.
But perhaps a traditional idea is good, such as, “You should have to do something heroic for us to build you a statue.” It shouldn&#8217;t just be a random black lady, although I do understand that for the Left, the basic idea is that every hero of the past is actually a villain, and the only person for whom you put up a statue is a person who is completely anonymous, has no background, no bad social media posts, and never did anything. Those are the people to whom we should build statues.
There&#8217;s nothing from the statue that makes this person in any way important to anyone else, and yet this self-centered statue is supposed to represent the future of America and the future of Western civilization.
According to the website, “Price&#8217;s work offers viewers a unique opportunity to experience Times Square in a new light and share in a moment of personal reflection and empathy amidst the hyperactivity of the district.”
That&#8217;s ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous. If you just want to see random people standing around in Times Square, you could do that with random, actual humans. You don&#8217;t need a 12-foot statue to accomplish this.
It&#8217;s silly, but that silliness has an underlying depressing message: There is no such thing as heroism. There is no such thing as iconic status that can be achieved by accomplishment. The only thing worth worshiping is a bizarre narcissism of do-nothingism.
If that&#8217;s the sort of stuff the Left wants to embrace, the Right has a lot of running room.

US-ART-PRICE

Why The Left Keeps Losing: A 12-Foot Warning In Times Square

Ben Shapiro

Democrats

Heroism

Opinion

Republicans

Statues

Times Square

World War I

A new statue of an overweight black woman placed in Times Square in New York City is inspiring a lot of reactions online, especially since it&#8217;s being compared to Michelangelo’s “David.” 
Times Square Arts recently erected the statue by artist Thomas J Price, which is called &#8220;Grounded in the Stars,&#8221; as a temporary display in the tourist-heavy area of Manhattan. There will also be a “Man Series” of billboards displayed in the area.
The Times Square website <a href="https://www.timessquarenyc.org/tsq-arts-projects/grounded-in-the-stars">says</a> of the piece: &#8220;Price’s multi-channel presentation on the screens and sculptural installation on the plaza below forms a two-part takeover in Times Square that foregrounds the intrinsic value of the individual and amplifies traditionally marginalized bodies on a monumental scale.&#8221;
The website notes that the statue depicts “a fictionalized character” who was “constructed from images, observations, and open calls spanning between Los Angeles and London.” 
“The young woman depicted in Grounded in the Stars carries familiar qualities, from her stance and countenance to her everyday clothing,” it says, noting that her “stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s David.”
The site also says, “the woman in Grounded in the Stars cuts a stark contrast to the pedestaled permanent monuments — both white, both men — which bookend Duffy Square, while embodying a quiet gravity and grandeur.”
Social media users have had overwhelmingly negative reactions to the statue.
“They tear down statues of American heroes and replace them with statues of random obese black women. That’s because the Left has no historical heroes. Everyone who was born before approximately 2005 is inherently problematic,” Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh <a href="https://x.com/mattwalshblog/status/1920116456454328758?s=43&amp;t=BDz6oekueqrSVJ50bM62xw">wrote</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
They tear down statues of American heroes and replace them with statues of random obese black women. That’s because the Left has no historical heroes. Everyone who was born before approximately 2005 is inherently problematic.
<a href="https://t.co/ypjxG1p2ZU">pic.twitter.com/ypjxG1p2ZU</a>
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1920116456454328758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“In 2021, NYC removed a statue of Thomas Jefferson from City Hall due to ‘racism.’ The city has now erected a huge statue of a rotund woman in Times Square,” conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey <a href="https://x.com/conservmillen/status/1920201578516263221">wrote</a>. 
“So, we’re taking down monuments to people who accomplished some of [the] greatest feats in human history, from which we are all still benefitting (sic), and instead honoring random people who have zero notable contributions. Doomed,” she added.
“Statues aren’t just art. they’re markers of who we are and what we stand for. But the Left doesn’t want heroes, they want a blank slate to push their woke agenda,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/OneXOneY/status/1920118030673072397">added</a>.

Grounded in the Stars

New NYC Statue Of Overweight Black Woman Touted As ‘Contrast’ To Monuments Of White Men

New NYC Statue Of Overweight Black Woman Touted As 'Contrast' To Statues Of White Men

General

History

New York

Race

The Met Gala , which means nothing to most of us, is very important to the cultural glitterati, the people who make culture.
The Met Gala is the Marie Antoinette of the modern American landscape. Every year, a bunch of very rich and very famous people get enormous attention for wearing some of the most bizarre and expensive garbage imaginable while the rest of the country tries to pay its bills.
And then we are told that those rich people are brave and groundbreaking for doing so.
Ironically, the theme of this year&#8217;s Met Gala was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” Clearly, when this year’s event was originally considered, people thought Kamala Harris was going to be president of the United States. It was designed as a celebration party for the nation&#8217;s second black president, Kamala Harris.  
And then she lost.
And so now we are in this weird nether region in which the Left continues to whine that Kamala Harris should have won the election, even though she lost.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/style/met-gala-2025-black-dandy-politics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Last October, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute announced its next fashion show, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the political landscape looked very different.
Kamala Harris, the first female vice president and the first Black woman ever to top a major-party ticket, was in the final weeks of her campaign for the White House. The show, the culmination of five years of work by Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s curator in charge, to diversify the department’s holdings and shows in the wake of the racial reckoning brought about by George Floyd’s murder, seemed long overdue.</blockquote>
Right. There was nothing that was longer overdue than a fashion show about black fashion. That is why George Floyd died, so the Met Gala could have extraordinarily rich and famous people wear bizarre outfits worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Clearly, that was necessary.
The Times continued:
<blockquote>On Monday, however, when it finally opens to the starry guests at its signature gala, the splashiest party of the year, it will do so in a very different world. One in which the federal government has functionally declared war on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as programming related to race — especially in cultural institutions.</blockquote>
The theme of this year&#8217;s Met Gala was based on an <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/superfine-tailoring-black-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exhibit</a> at the Met Museum that:
<blockquote>explores the importance of style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora, particularly in the United States and Europe. Through a presentation of garments and accessories, paintings, photographs, decorative arts, and more, from the 18th century to today, the exhibition interprets the concept of dandyism as both an aesthetic and a strategy that allowed for new social and political possibilities.</blockquote>
The apparent goal was to recreate the mood of outfits that were worn by black people in resistance to white supremacy. The Metropolitan Museum wrote:
<blockquote>Together, these characteristics demonstrate how one’s self-presentation is a mode of distinction and resistance—within a society impacted by race, gender, class, and sexuality. Together, these characteristics demonstrate how one&#8217;s self-presentation is a mode of distinction and resistance within a society impacted by race, gender, class, and sexuality.</blockquote>
You might notice that this is not the sartorial splendor for black people of the past; in fact, if you watch movies and shows that are made about the early 20th century, there was a form of black fashion and it was actually quite cool.
But that is not what this was, because the Gala had to be used to prop up the ideology that suggests that being black is equivalent to being gay, is equivalent to being transgender, is equivalent to being transgressive in virtually all of its forms.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2193-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
This Gala was race-directed. The Left is going to have to confront a backlash because the American people are tired of DEI; it was one of the main reasons why Democrats lost in the last election cycle. Americans are extraordinarily tired of thinking tribally along racial lines.
So many of the DEI traps about race are Catch-22s; on the one hand, there can be a suggestion that if a historically black area has a lot of investment and white people drive up the real estate prices, this is “gentrification” and “wrecking the neighborhood.” But if white people move out of that area, then that is called “white flight.”
The same thing holds true when it comes to things such as fashion. If white people pay tribute to black people through fashion, then that is cultural appropriation. And if they don&#8217;t, then that is neglecting the impact of black fashion on America and the West.
Let&#8217;s put it this way: If the future of the Democratic Party is re-embracing DEI through an effete fashionista sensibility, good luck to the Democrats. This is precisely the kind of crap that most Americans are ready to end. This is not a reversion to normality. It&#8217;s a reversion to Bizarre World.
The class differentiation at the Met Gala is what sets it apart, but the attempt to cut the class differentiation by reference to race is a giant failure.
The Democrats wonder why blue-collar voters of every stripe moved away from them? It’s because the actual morality that drives the Democratic Party is a snooty elitism that sneers at people who don&#8217;t have the same aesthetic tastes that they do.
I don&#8217;t have the same aesthetic taste as many Americans; I listen to classical music; I&#8217;m an Orthodox Jew, and my aesthetic and cultural tastes might not necessarily be the same as a blue-collar worker from Wisconsin. But that doesn&#8217;t mean that my aesthetic and cultural tastes are better than the blue-collar workers from Wisconsin.
What reeks from all of the pictures of the people at the Gala is a disdain for normal Americans.
And that is why Donald Trump is president.

The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” – Arrivals

The Ongoing Insanity Of The Met Gala

Blacks

Celebrities

Coastal Elites

New York Times

White Supremacy

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial began on Monday in Manhattan federal court, and the 55-year-old rapper admitted he was “nervous” during the appearance.
The recording artist was allowed to trade in his prison garb for regular clothing after he had been awaiting trial behind bars for the past seven months, despite rallying to be let out on bail. The Bad Boy Records founder could be sentenced to life in prison if he’s convicted on multiple charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking crimes.
“I’m sorry, your honor, I’m a little nervous today,” Combs told Judge Arun Subramanian after asking for a two-minute bathroom break following 90 minutes of juror questioning. Jury selection began Monday with 50 potential jurors.
The rapper pleaded not guilty to the charges and turned down a plea deal from prosecutors about 10 days ago, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/05/us-news/diddy-trial-jury-selection-kicks-off-with-rapper-admitting-hes-nervous/">the New York Post</a>.
One of the lawyers for Combs withdrew from his defense team in February, saying, “Under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs. It is respectfully but regrettably requested that the court grant the relief requested.”
But despite that hiccup, Combs has faith in his legal team to win, evidenced by his turning down the undisclosed plea deal.
Combs is charged under the Mann Act, officially the White-Slave Traffic Act, which prohibits the transport of people across state or international lines for prostitution.
The defense has called the Mann Act “racist” and historically “used to target black men and supposedly protect white women from them.”
Federal authorities allege Combs had “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others, and led a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, among other crimes,” per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. 
Prosecutors also said Combs “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals. This abuse was, at times, verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual,” as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sean-diddy-combs-trial-date-set?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Sean+%E2%80%98Diddy%E2%80%99+Combs+Trial+Date+Set">reported</a>.
There have been many headlines about the alleged “freak-offs,” or parties which included non-consensual sexual activity, and inspired Combs to stock his property with a reported one thousand bottles of baby oil. The rapper’s attorneys will argue that Combs did have sex parties, but will insist that all participants were of age and willing to participate in the events.
Combs is also facing 120 or more additional lawsuits in the near future, including complaints from at least 25 minors.

Sean Combs

Diddy Tells Judge He’s ‘Nervous’ As Sex Trafficking Trial Begins In NYC

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed late on Sunday that Mahmoud Khalil, who was a student-activist who helped lead anti-Israel protests at Columbia University last spring, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-ice-detains-anti-israel-activist-who-led-campus-protests-at-columbia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detained</a> in New York City over the weekend.
&#8220;On March 9, 2025, in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student. Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,&#8221; DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin announced in a statement given to The Daily Wire.
McLaughlin added that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is part of DHS, and the State Department &#8220;are committed to enforcing President Trump’s executive orders and to protecting U.S. national security.&#8221;
Sources said Khalil, identified in the press as a lead <a href="https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2025/03/09/palestinian-activist-mahmoud-khalil-sipa-24-detained-by-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-lawyer-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">negotiator</a> for the &#8220;Gaza Solidarity Encampment,&#8221; graduated in December. He was taken into custody overnight by ICE at his university-owned apartment in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Fox News&#8217; Alexis McAdams reported in a <a href="https://x.com/alexismcadamstv/status/1898794208296898646?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A prominent Palestinian activist &#8211; who students say was a leader of protests and encampments on the Columbia University campus for months &#8211; has been arrested by ICE, according to sources.
I’m told Mahmoud Khalil was taken into custody last night at his university-owned apartment… <a href="https://t.co/CsFU3wfmnX">pic.twitter.com/CsFU3wfmnX</a>
&mdash; Alexis McAdams (@AlexisMcAdamsTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexisMcAdamsTV/status/1898794208296898646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Khalil&#8217;s attorney, Amy Greer, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-mahmoud-khalil-ice-15014bcbb921f21a9f704d5acdcae7a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Associated Press that she was informed that the immigration authorities acted under State Department orders to revoke her client&#8217;s student visa and green card. Greer also said authorities declined to tell Khalil&#8217;s wife, who is eight months pregnant, the reason for the arrest.
&#8220;We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,&#8221; the attorney told the news outlet, adding, &#8220;This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.&#8221;
A habeas corpus petition on Mahmoud&#8217;s behalf &#8220;challenging the validity of his arrest and detention&#8221; was filed overnight, Greer said, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/ice-arrests-palestinian-activist-green-card-columbia-university/story?id=119616144" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per ABC News</a>. Greer added, &#8220;Currently we do not know Mahmoud&#8217;s precise whereabouts.&#8221;
Under a new State Department &#8220;Catch and Revoke&#8221; effort first <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/06/state-department-ai-revoke-foreign-student-visas-hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by Axios, visas of foreign nationals who appear to be &#8220;pro-Hamas&#8221; are canceled.
A State Department spokesperson told The Daily Wire that visa records are confidential under U.S. law and they &#8220;cannot comment on individual visa cases,&#8221; but Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1898858967532441945" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a> on X to the Associated Press report on Khalil&#8217;s arrest, saying, &#8220;We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.&#8221;
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) <a href="https://x.com/SenTomCotton/status/1898003982309585394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X: &#8220;A green card or student visa does not give individuals the right to break our laws, harass our students, and openly sympathize with terrorists. I commend Secretary Rubio for taking swift action and revoking the visas of those involved in criminal activity.&#8221;
Protests erupted at Columbia University and other institutions after Israel went to war against Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 terrorist attacks in 2023, leading to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-senators-demand-biden-admin-crack-down-on-campus-anti-semitism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> of harassment and acts of anti-Semitism on campuses. The Associated Press noted that when classes resumed in September, Khalil told the outlet, &#8220;As long as Columbia continues to invest and to benefit from Israeli apartheid, the students will continue to resist.&#8221;
Also on Sunday, Columbia University released a <a href="https://communications.news.columbia.edu/news/statement-ice-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that announced: &#8220;There have been reports of ICE around campus. Columbia has and will continue to follow the law. Consistent with our longstanding practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public University areas, including University buildings. Columbia is committed to complying with all legal obligations and supporting our student body and campus community.&#8221;

Mahmoud Khalil

Anti-Israel Activist Detained By ICE ‘Led Activities Aligned To Hamas,’ Trump’s DHS Says

Anti-Semitism

Columbia University

Department of Homeland Security

Hamas

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Marco Rubio

Politics

Protests

Terrorism

The Justice Department on Wednesday will argue that the Biden administration weaponized the government to prosecute New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, according to a senior DOJ official. 
U.S. District Judge Dale Ho ordered the DOJ to appear in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday afternoon to explain its reasoning behind its motion last week to drop the case against Adams. Adams, who has faced corruption charges, was directed to file a written consent form for the DOJ’s motion to dismiss and appear before the court. 
Ho <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.628915/gov.uscourts.nysd.628915.129.0_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> that the DOJ be prepared to address the “reasons for the Government’s motion” to dismiss.  
The DOJ is expected to tell the judge that the case was dropped in part because of President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/28/2025-01900/ending-the-weaponization-of-the-federal-government">executive order</a> aimed at “ending the weaponization of the federal government.” 
A senior DOJ official said during a Tuesday briefing that the case against Adams was &#8220;politically motivated&#8221; and “weak,” relying on “unprecedented legal theories.” The official compared the prosecution of Adams to the case that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought against Trump. 
“First, you had a years-long investigation where a target was picked before charges were decided,” the official said. “[Southern District New York’s Office] just decided that they were going to go after the mayor. Those efforts, just like the DA’s office, accelerated after a precipitating event.” 
The official said that the precipitating event for the Trump prosecution was his comeback presidential campaign, while for Adams, it was criticism of the Biden administration in the fall of 2022. 
On Friday, the DOJ filed a <a href="https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/6f954cd6d36e9609/760d2bec-full.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">motion</a> to dismiss the case against Adams, arguing that to continue to prosecute would violate Trump’s order against the weaponization of government by interfering with the upcoming 2025 mayoral elections.
The official said that reports of a quid pro quo between Adams and the Trump administration were “made up.” There had been speculation that the DOJ was dropping the case in return for Adams to cooperate with Trump’s immigration agenda. 
The DOJ official said the decision was made over the issue of potential interference with the 2025 election and Adams&#8217;s ability to govern NYC.
The senior DOJ official added that there was an active internal investigation into “personnel at SDNY who were involved in insubordination and other politically motivated activities” related to the Adams case. This came after there was resistance to dropping the case from inside the office and publicized resignation letters over the directive. 
“There is no room for that behavior here in President Trump’s executive branch and certainly not in this building,” the official said, describing the DOJ’s actions as a ”civics lesson for the deep state about implementing the agenda that the American people voted for.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams Visits “Fox & Friends”

DOJ To Argue Biden Admin’s Case Against Eric Adams Was ‘Politically Motivated’

Biden Administration

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

Eric Adams

The Department of Justice (DOJ) ripped a sweeping court order that ostensibly blocked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from accessing much of his department’s records and systems.
Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, an Obama appointee, issued a broad <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.636609/gov.uscourts.nysd.636609.6.0.pdf">order</a> Saturday temporarily blocking “political appointees, special government employees, and any government employee detailed from an agency outside the Treasury Department” access to vast swaths of Treasury data. The DOJ filed its <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.636609/gov.uscourts.nysd.636609.12.0.pdf">response</a> Sunday, blasting the order as overly broad and unconstitutional.
“On its face, the Order could be read to cover all political leadership within Treasury—including even Secretary Bessent. This is a remarkable intrusion on the Executive Branch that is in direct conflict with Article II of the Constitution, and the unitary structure it provides,” the DOJ filing said.
“A federal court, consistent with the separation of powers, cannot insulate any portion of that work from the specter of political accountability. No court can issue an injunction that directly severs the clear line of supervision Article II requires,” the filing continues.
“There is no sound reason that it should extend to Treasury’s leadership, who are charged with overseeing and administering the Department without interruption. To the extent the Order applies to senior political appointees at Treasury, it is an extraordinary and unprecedented judicial interference with a Cabinet Secretary’s ability to oversee the Department he was constitutionally appointed to lead,” the filing says.
Despite the strenuous objections to the order’s legality, the Trump administration’s filing makes clear that the Treasury Department is abiding by it. The department has shut off access to Treasury data containing personal information from all but career staff who have passed all background checks and security clearances.
Judge Engelmayer issued the injunction against the Treasury Department at the request of 19 Democratic attorneys general. The blue-state prosecutors filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over an audit of the department being conducted by Treasury officials in conjunction with allies of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency program.
A different judge had already limited the access of outsiders to Treasury Department data, but Engelmayer’s order took the injunction a step further. It will remain in place until February 14, when a hearing is scheduled on the issue in another court.
Trump officials publicly ripped the order over the weekend.
“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that&#8217;s also illegal. Judges aren&#8217;t allowed to control the executive&#8217;s legitimate power,” Vice President JD Vance posted on X.
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If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal.
If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that&#39;s also illegal. 
Judges aren&#39;t allowed to control the executive&#39;s legitimate power.
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1888607143030391287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Scott Bessent

‘Extraordinary And Unprecedented’: Trump Admin Blasts Judge’s Order Blocking Treasury Audit

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Treasury Department

Trump Administration

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.
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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>
&nbsp;
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>
&nbsp;
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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&nbsp;
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
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

Kathy Hochul

Matt Walsh

Subway

Traffic

A massive fire broke out at a classic Christmas village in Manhattan on Friday, leaving firefighters scrambling to put out the blaze just days after Christmas.
Bryant Park&#8217;s annual Christmas market near 42nd Street and 6th Avenue could be seen engulfed in flames Friday morning, videos taken by bystanders show.
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Bryant Park Christmas Village is on fire 🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whatisnewyork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whatisnewyork</a> <a href="https://t.co/031iZ2D6He">pic.twitter.com/031iZ2D6He</a>
&mdash; WhatIsNewYork (@whatisny) <a href="https://twitter.com/whatisny/status/1872653767713386909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Bryant Park Christmas Village, right now 🔥 New York City <a href="https://t.co/teiFCgdetC">pic.twitter.com/teiFCgdetC</a>
&mdash; NewYorkCityKopp (@newyorkcitykopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/newyorkcitykopp/status/1872660278170804232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&quot;At about 9:23 this morning, we received a report of a fire in Bryant Park. Units arrived shortly thereafter and found a fire in the kiosk, approximately six feet by 40 feet long. We had a couple of separate occupancies inside that area. There was fire in there and throughout.… <a href="https://t.co/Jfhcq0PrLT">pic.twitter.com/Jfhcq0PrLT</a>
&mdash; FDNY (@FDNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/FDNY/status/1872691966195986738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Huge plumes of smoke billowed into the air as a group of firefighters approached the fire, one video shows.
&#8220;Get out! Get out! Let&#8217;s go!&#8221; a man yells in one video.
The FDNY said they received a call about the fire shortly before 9:30 a.m. and responded to a fire that was 40 feet long and had damaged a long kiosk with four businesses inside and the roof of the ice skating rink.
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Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in &#8220;a short amount of time,&#8221; and it was under control by 10 a.m., Battalion Chief Joseph Castellano <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/27/us-news/fire-erupts-at-bryant-parks-holiday-market-in-nyc/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation by FDNY Fire Marshals,&#8221; the fire chief said.
The fire <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/27/us-news/fire-erupts-at-bryant-parks-holiday-market-in-nyc/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> may have started as a trash fire and then spread to the kiosks, although it is not clear how the trash caught fire.
“We are grateful for the FDNY’s quick response to the incident that occurred earlier today,” a Bryant Park spokesperson <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/27/us-news/fire-erupts-at-bryant-parks-holiday-market-in-nyc/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. “The Rink and The Lodge are currently open. Most of The Holiday Shops have reopened, and we expect all the Holiday Shops that were not affected by the fire to reopen later today.”
Most of the Christmas village&#8217;s shops and the ice rink had reopened by 12 p.m., <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/27/nyregion/bryant-park-holiday-market-fire.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a spokeswoman.
The park&#8217;s Christmas village is a popular destination for New Yorkers and tourists alike with around four million visitors each year. The holiday market has <a href="https://bryantpark.org/activities/holiday-shops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dozens</a> of small kiosks selling Christmas trinkets and handmade items as well as food vendors offering holiday drinks and all kinds of cuisine. The village also boasts free events like live music and a Christmas tree lighting ceremony as well as ice skating, curling, and children&#8217;s activities like puppet shows and crafts.
The holiday market will close for the season on January 5, but the ice skating rink and winter wonderland will remain open through March.
The fire came less than two weeks after another fire at Herald Square&#8217;s holiday shopping area near Broadway and West 35th Street.
“I don’t think they were a concern at all,” the fire chief said. “I just think we had two fires.&#8221;

Firefighters and neighbors greet to healthcare workers in NYC

WATCH: Massive Fire Breaks Out At Classic Manhattan Christmas Village

Massive Fire Breaks Out At Classic Manhattan Christmas Village

Christmas

Fire

New York Fire Department

In the wake of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on December 4, “Wanted” posters with names and photos of Thompson and other healthcare executives were spotted around Manhattan this week.
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Disturbing TREND pops up in Manhattan. 
Video on TikTok shows alleged &quot;wanted&quot; posters for healthcare CEOs popping up in the Big Apple. 
This comes after UHC CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in NYC. <a href="https://t.co/CkWi8PdzdB">pic.twitter.com/CkWi8PdzdB</a>
&mdash; Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ResisttheMS/status/1866864040309576084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“The posters warn that ‘HEALTH CARE CEOS SHOULD NOT FEEL SAFE’ and include ‘DENY… DEFEND… DEPOSE’ — the three words found on the bullets allegedly shot by Luigi Mangione, who is accused of gunning down Thompson outside a Midtown hotel last week,” The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/11/us-news/wanted-posters-with-name-photo-of-uhc-ceo-brian-thompson-other-execs-spotted-in-nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
A fundraiser for Mangione’s defense reportedly has <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/legalfund-ceo-shooting-suspect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised more than</a> $44,000. Not only that, a Mangione “lookalike” competition was <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/07/us-news/new-yorkers-celebrate-assassination-of-unitedhealthcare-ceo-with-shooter-look-a-like-contest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">held</a> by some people in Manhattan.
“The murder has also <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/11/us-news/amazon-yanks-deny-defend-depose-free-luigi-merch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spawned a stream of merchandise</a> sympathetic towards the 26-year-old being sold by online retailers, forcing Amazon to pull them from its website,” the Post noted. “Gifts like T-shirts, sweatshirts and other goods with ‘Deny Defend Depose’ have been popping up on websites like Amazon, TikTok and Ebay. Other Mangione-themed items with &#8216;Free Luigi&#8217; written on them have been put up for sale for the killer’s admirers.”
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Some social media comments included <a href="https://www.kbtx.com/2024/12/10/law-enforcement-upset-that-accused-ceo-killer-luigi-mangione-is-being-painted-hero-reports-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statements</a> such as, “Don’t care what anyone else thinks or says: Luigi Mangioni is a f***ing hero and I am VERY sad he got caught before he could dispense more justice. I hope someone picks up his flag and finishes his mission.” Another user wrote, “Heroes walk among us. Never forget Luigi Mangione.”
Rob D&#8217;Amico, a former FBI agent, told <a href="//7AAABAA1-4FB2-412C-8208-780701A34C50/v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a> magazine that the investigation to find the alleged shooter was set back by people sympathetic to him, saying, “It was definitely hampering it. If one person sees them and recognizes them and doesn&#8217;t make that phone call because of it, that can harm [the investigation].”
Referring to sympathy expressed for the alleged shooter, Leemore Dafny, a professor at Harvard Business School, called it “horrifying,” adding, “Some people have expressed that this is an unexpected consequence of a great dislike and distrust for the insurance industry. This is murder. This is not an expression of discontent with an industry.”

US-NEWS-NYC-CEO-MURDER-WANTED-POSTERS-NY

‘Wanted’ Posters Posted In Manhattan Showing Healthcare Execs

Brian Thompson

Luigi Mangione

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