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.
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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>
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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)

Manhattan

Marco Rubio

New York

New York City

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

Courts

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>
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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.
<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

Kathy Hochul

Matt Walsh

Opinion

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

Crime

Luigi Mangione

U.S.

Editor&#8217;s note: This article has been updated to clarify that the NYPD is now referring to the person in these photos as a &#8220;person of interest&#8221; after initially calling him a suspect. We have reached out to the NYPD for comment. 
The New York Police Department shared new images on Thursday showing the face of a &#8220;person of interest wanted for questioning&#8221; in the execution-style shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
In the new images, the person of interest is seen wearing what appears to be a green jacket with a hood. The surveillance photos were taken at a youth hostel in Manhattan where police believe the person of interest was staying before the killing, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/05/us-news/grinning-suspect-who-killed-unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-police-seen-in-newly-released-pics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. Police still have not identified the assassin as they continue to pursue leads, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/05/nyregion/brian-thompson-unitedhealthcare-news/7d839212-b689-555e-8588-1b1d85080b4d?smid=url-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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🚨UPDATE: Below are photos of a person of interest wanted for questioning regarding the Midtown Manhattan homicide on Dec. 4. This does not appear to be a random act of violence; all indications are that it was a premediated, targeted attack. 
The full investigative efforts of… <a href="https://t.co/K3kzC4IbtS">pic.twitter.com/K3kzC4IbtS</a>
&mdash; NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/1864706407985221974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The hostel where the person of interest was staying, along with a home in Manhattan, was raided in connection to the fatal shooting, <a href="https://x.com/GusSaltonstall/status/1864690583580602442" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to West Side Rag reporter Gus Saltonstall.
The NYPD is asking anyone with information about the case or the suspect to come forward, offering a $10,000 reward &#8220;for information leading to an arrest and conviction.&#8221; The suspect fled the scene of the shooting on foot before getting on a bike and riding into Central Park.
Detectives investigating the scene where Thompson was gunned down <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cryptic-messages-found-on-shell-casings-at-scene-where-health-insurance-ceo-was-gunned-down?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> shell casings with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on them, according to ABC News. Authorities said the shooting appears to be a &#8220;brazen targeted attack.&#8221; Authorities are also looking into multiple death threats Thompson received before he was killed.
Thompson&#8217;s company UnitedHealthcare — a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, one of the largest companies in the world — has been criticized for denying patients’ claims. The CEO was on his way to the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan to take part in his company&#8217;s annual Investor&#8217;s Conference.
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The shooter fired at Thompson from behind as the health insurance CEO was approaching the Hilton early Wednesday morning. Video footage shows that after Thompson fell to the ground, the shooter fired at him multiple times. Thompson was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon after the shooting.

Screenshot X: NYPD

NYPD Releases New Images Showing ‘Person Of Interest’ In Health Insurance CEO Assassination

NYPD Releases New Images Showing 'Person Of Interest' In Health Insurance CEO Assassination

Murder

NYPD

A video posted on social media shows the moment UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning.
The video, posted by New York Post reporter Jon Levine, shows the suspect walking up behind Thompson as he approached the Hilton hotel. The suspect shot Thompson in the back, causing the CEO to stumble forward and eventually fall to the ground before the suspect fired more shots at him. A person standing a few feet away from Thompson when he was shot ran past the shooter as he continued firing.
The gun used appears to have had a silencer attached to it, a person familiar with the investigation told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/04/unitedhealth-cancels-investor-day-after-reports-of-executive-shot-in-manhattan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a>. It also appears that after each round, the shooter was either reloading the gun or trying to fix a jam. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said during a press conference on Wednesday that the suspect&#8217;s gun appeared to malfunction, but the shooter fixed the jam and continued firing, showing he is likely familiar with using firearms.
*VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED* 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH —  Video shows gunman executing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at close range in New York City <a href="https://t.co/a4att9aqjX">https://t.co/a4att9aqjX</a> <a href="https://t.co/8SK6bOZLvt">pic.twitter.com/8SK6bOZLvt</a>
&mdash; Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) <a href="https://twitter.com/LevineJonathan/status/1864374704540188934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Thompson was on his way to the Hilton to take part in his company&#8217;s annual Investor&#8217;s Conference. United Healthcare is a subsidy of United Health Group, one of the largest companies in the world.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the press conference that the killing appears to be a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brazen-targeted-attack-nypd-reveals-more-info-on-fatal-shooting-of-health-insurance-ceo?topStoryPosition=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brazen targeted attack</a>.&#8221;
“I want to be clear: at this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack,” said Tisch.
The suspect arrived on foot outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan around five minutes before Thompson was seen walking alone without any security detail toward the hotel where his company was holding a conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said. The suspect, who police said appears to be a white male, fled the scene on foot before getting on a city e-bike, which he rode into Central Park, according to authorities. The shooter was wearing all black and had a backpack.
Police are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who has information on the suspect.
Thompson&#8217;s wife, Paulette, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wife-of-slain-health-insurance-ceo-says-husband-received-some-threats?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News in a phone call shortly after his death that her husband had received multiple threats.
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“There had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him,” she said.
She added, “I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children.”

Video Shows Moment Health Insurance CEO Was Gunned Down In NYC

Shooting

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:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;They want you to praise them from extorting you a little less than they originally planned,&#8221; RedState&#8217;s Bonchie said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New York Governor Hochul Makes Announcement On Congestion Pricing Plan

Kathy Hochul Gaslights New Yorkers Over Manhattan Toll ‘Savings’

Kathy Hochul Gaslights New Yorkers Over Manhattan Toll 'Savings'

General

Taxes

A judge will decide the future of President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>’s New York criminal convictions on Tuesday as he considers throwing out the entire case.
Trump’s legal team <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-judge-merchan-decide-whether-dismiss-trump-guilty-verdict-bragg-case-after-election-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has argued</a> that Judge Juan Merchan should dismiss the case and his 34 convictions on falsifying business records charges because of presidential immunity doctrine. The president-elect’s legal team has said that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg rushed the case for political reasons and did not consider presidential immunity when he brought the case to trial. 
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sentencing-delayed-until-after-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">case stems from</a> Trump being accused of improperly masking reimbursements to repay his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence on an alleged extramarital affair by classifying them as legal expenses. A Manhattan jury convicted Trump in May on the charges. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said that Bragg was engaging in politically motivated “election interference.”
The appeal from Trump’s legal team to dismiss the case refers to the Supreme Court’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-trump-has-immunity-for-official-acts-likely-delays-trial-past-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6-3 decision</a> in Trump v. United States, which said presidents cannot be prosecuted for exercising core constitutional powers and are entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for official acts. 
Todd Blanche, one of Trump’s lawyers, said that Bragg used testimony and evidence that should have been inadmissible during the trial. He <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-judge-merchan-decide-whether-dismiss-trump-guilty-verdict-bragg-case-after-election-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Bragg &#8220;violated the Presidential immunity doctrine by using similar official-acts evidence in the grand jury proceedings that gave rise to the politically motivated charges in this case.&#8221; 
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
&#8220;The Presidential immunity doctrine recognized in Trump pertains to all ‘criminal proceedings,’ including grand jury proceedings when a prosecutor ‘seeks to charge’ a former President using evidence of official acts,” Blanche wrote in a filing earlier this year.
If Merchan does not throw out the case or set a new trial, Trump is expected to be sentenced on November 26. The judge said in September that he moved sentencing until after the election to “dispel any suggestion that the Court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to give an advantage to, or to create a disadvantage for, any political party and or any candidate for any office.”
Trump has also attempted to move the case away from Merchan to a federal court but has so far been rebuffed.
In a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/10/donald-trump-new-york-hush-money-sentencing/76108866007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to USA Today on the case, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said that Trump had been given &#8220;an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again.&#8221;
&#8220;It is now abundantly clear that Americans want an immediate end to the weaponization of our justice system, so we can, as President Trump said in his historic victory speech, unify our country and work together for the betterment of our nation,&#8221; Cheung said.

Celebrity Sightings In New York City – April 04, 2023

Judge To Determine What Happens Next With Trump’s New York Criminal Case

Alvin Bragg

Juan Merchan

U.S. Politics

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> said on Friday that the sentencing in his hush-money case is being moved to after the election because he &#8220;did nothing wrong.&#8221;
Judge Juan Merchan postponed the sentencing in the Manhattan case on Friday for the second time, pushing the date back from September 18 to November 26, exactly three weeks after the presidential election. In a Truth Social post, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113092041539493827" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that Merchan delayed the sentencing &#8220;because everyone realizes that there was NO CASE, I DID NOTHING WRONG!&#8221;
&#8220;It is a political attack against me by Comrade Kamala Harris and other Radical Left Opponents for purposes of Election Interference, and is a case that should have never been brought,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Nothing like this has ever happened in the United States of America – IT IS STRICTLY THIRD WORLD, BANANA REPUBLIC &#8216;STUFF.'&#8221;
Trump was convicted in late May on all 34 counts of falsifying business records brought against him after he was accused of covering up hush-money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, which date back to the 2016 election campaign.
Merchan said that he was delaying the sentencing “to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.” Trump and his allies have alleged that the hush-money case brought against him by Manhattan Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a ploy to stop the Republican nominee from winning another term in the White House.
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Merchan shot back at those allegations with his order on Friday, arguing, “The Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution,” adding that his decision “should dispel any suggestion that the Court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to give an advantage to, or to create a disadvantage for, any political party and or any candidate for any office.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump added that the American public and &#8220;every legal scholar&#8221; &#8220;understands&#8221; that the Manhattan case is &#8220;election interference.&#8221; He argued that the case should ultimately be &#8220;terminated.&#8221;
Legal experts have said that the Supreme Court could ultimately step in. Trump&#8217;s attempt to get the case moved to a federal court before the sentencing was shot down by U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein, writing that the federal court &#8220;does not have jurisdiction to hear Mr. Trump’s arguments concerning the propriety of the New York trial.&#8221;

‘Everyone Realizes That There Was No Case’: Trump Responds After Judge Delays Sentencing

'Everyone Realizes That There Was No Case': Trump Responds After Judge Delays Sentencing

2024 Election

The legal team for former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> requested that a federal court take control of his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> criminal case ahead of potential sentencing next month for his conviction on falsifying business records.  
Trump’s legal team <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.598311/gov.uscourts.nysd.598311.46.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a motion</a> in the Southern District of New York on Thursday to remove the case from Judge Juan Merchan as Trump seeks dismissal on presidential immunity grounds. The former president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was convicted</a> in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records brought by Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 
“The ongoing proceedings will continue to cause direct and irreparable harm to President Trump—the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential election — and voters located far beyond Manhattan,” the filing said. “Post-trial removal is necessary under these circumstances to afford President Trump an unbiased forum, free from local hostilities, where he can seek redress for these Constitutional violations.”
The filing asks for the court to remove the case from the state level and confirm that Trump cannot be sentenced by Merchan while litigation over the removal motion proceeds. Sentencing is currently scheduled for September 18. 
Trump’s legal team also argued that the restrictions Merchan has placed on him regarding speaking about the case violate his First Amendment rights. 
“The continued operation of this unlawful prior restraint is causing irreparable First Amendment harm to President Trump and the American people, and it operates as a wholly inappropriate muzzle on the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential election while he is on the campaign trail and during any debate against Vice President Harris.”
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Trump previously moved to dismiss the case based on the Supreme Court’s July ruling that presidents have broad immunity from prosecution. Merchan has indicated he will rule on the motion to dismiss on September 16, two days before the sentencing is scheduled.
Upon sentencing, Trump <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-convicted-prison-sentence-new-york-criminal-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could</a> face four years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each of the 34 convictions. The filing highlighted Merchan’s ties to the Democratic party, including donations made to Joe Biden&#8217;s campaign and his daughter’s previous work for Kamala Harris&#8217;s 2020 presidential campaign. 
The House Judiciary Committee <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-08-28%20JDJ%20to%20Nellis%20re%20Authentic%20Campaigns%20subpoena.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subpoenaed</a> Authentic Campaigns this week, the leftist organization that employs Merchan’s daughter.

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