Indiana Fever played New York Liberty on Saturday night — and although Liberty walked away with the on-court win, 109-102, it was a battle between two groups of fans that made headlines.
Pro-trans activists and a number of pro-woman fans — including XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey — surrounded the Barclays Center ahead of the game, brought there by Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham.
Sey, there to support Cunningham and defend biological women in sports, told OutKick that the WNBA was consistently taking the wrong side on the issue of trans-identifying men in women&#8217;s spaces.
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“The WNBA is just one fail after the next.”<a href="https://x.com/JenniferSey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JenniferSey</a> rips the league for preaching inclusion while censoring its fans. <a href="https://t.co/Wj6OO270XM">pic.twitter.com/Wj6OO270XM</a>
— OutKick (@Outkick) <a href="https://x.com/Outkick/status/2091295254762627573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The WNBA is just one fail after the next,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They just keep stepping in it. They keep trying to censor us and our message, whether it&#8217;s yelling at a young girl at the game in Seattle or telling Riley [Gaines] and I we couldn&#8217;t have a sign or telling a woman in Atlanta she couldn&#8217;t have the shirt.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s just censorship after censorship, they&#8217;re trying to manage this message, but people aren&#8217;t having it anymore. No one&#8217;s afraid. People are emboldened. 75% of Americans agree that women&#8217;s sports are for women,&#8221; she said, adding that the WNBA needed to step up and get on the right side of the issue.
During the game, things were no different. After a message paid for by a fan of XX-XY Athletics was reportedly changed by the venue, three pro-trans messages appeared on the Jumbotron throughout the game.
&#8220;Hey trans fans! Glad you&#8217;re here! Go Liberty!&#8221; one read, and the others: &#8220;Welcome trans Liberty fans! You are loved and you belong!&#8221;; &#8220;Big welcome to the NY Liberty transgender fan community! So excited to be here with you all!&#8221;
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The New York Liberty showed three messages on the scoreboard at halftime in support of trans people. <a href="https://t.co/6TXbJPmtro">https://t.co/6TXbJPmtro</a> <a href="https://t.co/1iyBDwdKFW">pic.twitter.com/1iyBDwdKFW</a>
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) <a href="https://x.com/JackThompsonFOX/status/2091318021230825830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
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A Sophie Cunningham fan told Fox News reporter Jack Thompson that her Jumbotron message to the XX-XY founder — who was present at the game — was changed after she paid for it because Liberty only allowed &#8220;positive submissions.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Sophie Cunningham fan paid to have a message supporting <a href="https://x.com/xx_xyathletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@xx_xyathletics</a> displayed at a New York Liberty game only for the team to alter and censor her original submission.
She tells <a href="https://x.com/JackThompsonFOX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackThompsonFOX</a> the Liberty said they only allow “positive submissions” to be displayed. <a href="https://t.co/msDUuzvxGG">pic.twitter.com/msDUuzvxGG</a>
— OutKick (@Outkick) <a href="https://x.com/Outkick/status/2091133294800732254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The clash comes after weeks of similar confrontations, as Sey mentioned, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sophie-cunningham-rips-wnba-team-co-owner-for-harassing-teens-girls-with-xx-xy-shirts">two teen girls</a> being berated by a WNBA team co-owner in Seattle for wearing XX-XY Athletics clothing and a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-sophie-cunningham-fans-targeted-again">mother and daughter</a> in Atlanta being told that they needed to cover up their shirts or leave the game. In contrast, pro-trans messaging has been consistently allowed and even favored.
The protests ramped up after Cunningham defended women&#8217;s sports as a space for biological women, saying repeatedly that it was not about politics — and that she believed there was room for everyone in sports, trans-identifying or otherwise — but that women and girls deserved to be protected in sex-specific spaces.

Indiana Fever v Golden State Valkyries

WATCH: Sophie Cunningham Fans Clash With Trans Activists Outside Fever Game

Indiana Fever

Liberty

New York

Politics

Sophie Cunningham

WNBA

Women's Basketball

Socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has completed her egg-freezing journey, complaining of “big” bloating as she wrapped up a process she has said gives her more control over her personal and political life.
“When they said that the bloating the day after the procedure was real, they meant it was real. I&#8217;ve heard that it can peak up to three to four days after the procedure, so I might wake up tomorrow, and it could be even bigger than this. But we&#8217;re working with what we got,” AOC said in a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DcXi5mroEzn/">‘Day-15’ Instagram post</a> documenting her journey. 
“One of the reasons why the bloat is so big is because of the trigger shot that you receive before your procedure,” she added. “Basically, what your trigger shot does is that it puts your ovaries into overdrive, and it tells your ovaries it is time to ovulate like, big time.
Earlier this month, AOC announced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-freezes-her-eggs-after-telling-others-to-question-having-kids">she was freezing her eggs</a> and filmed herself injecting hormones into her stomach, describing the decision as a “privileged” opportunity to gain more control as she weighs a possible 2028 presidential run. 
“Normally, I keep my private life quite private. But I have made the decision to freeze my eggs. And I want to share this because I was weighing it for a very long time, and there isn’t a ton out there, and it can feel very daunting,” she said at the time. “I am aware there is, very strangely, a political ‘risk’ or ‘tax’ that could come with sharing this information.” 
The 36-year-old, who is childless, described to her millions of followers the “reflective mood” she has been in recently and the pressures that ultimately led to her decision.
“There’s also this flip side where you have to then grow up in the public eye, in a time that most people usually get to grow more privately,” she lamented. “And when you get elected later in life, you’ve made all of your mistakes in private. You’ve learned. You’ve grown in private. But when you get elected in public, and when you’re young, you have to do all of that in public.”
The move generated national headlines and injected motherhood into the political discourse, prompting some White House officials to warn that attacks on the self-described democratic socialist could alienate female voters ahead of the November elections, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/11/aoc-egg-freezing-white-house">according to Axios.</a> 
AOC, who was first elected to Congress at age 29, said she is documenting her fertility journey to help educate women about what she described as a lack of awareness surrounding women’s health, including puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.
Her decision to preserve her fertility also marks a notable shift in tone for the Bronx leftist, who has long championed feminist causes, including abortion-on-demand, while previously suggesting that young people reconsider having children because of climate change.
“Our planet is going to hit disaster if we don’t turn this ship around, and so it’s basically like, there’s a scientific consensus that the lives of children are going to be very difficult,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ocasio-cortez-people-maybe-shouldnt-reproduce-due-ryan-saavedra">February 2019 Instagram live video</a>. “And it does lead, I think, young people to have a legitimate question, you know, ‘Is it okay to still have children?’”
A woman’s fertility is closely tied to the number and quality of eggs in her ovaries, with age playing a major role in egg quality. Research has found that fertility declines significantly with age, with women in their mid-30s generally having lower chances of conceiving than women in their 20s, according to <a href="https://www.trianglen.dk/en/about-fertility/female-infertility/egg-quality-and-female-age">Trianglen Fertility Clinic</a>.
By the late 30s, fertility declines further, and after 41 years, egg quality declines rapidly. On Saturday night, AOC said she has so far avoided significant pain and that bloating has been her biggest symptom.
“So I might be looking like this for a little bit. I will say–I do feel very lucky in my process. Tylenol and ibuprofen have made a lot of the discomfort very manageable, and so my biggest symptom is the bloating. But I&#8217;m not in any huge pain right now,” AOC said. 
“It&#8217;s possible that this belly hasn&#8217;t even peaked yet. So we&#8217;ll wake up tomorrow and see what we&#8217;re working with today,” she added. “I&#8217;m really focused on recovery.

House Votes 6/11/26

AOC Completes Egg-Freezing Journey, Complains About Bloating

2028

2028 presidential election

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Congress

Democrats

Fertility

freezing eggs

News

DSA leader and rent abolitionist Gustavo Gordillo is being <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/22/us-news/embattled-nyc-dsa-leader-gustavo-gordillo-sued-for-eviction/">sued</a> for eviction after he stopped paying rent on a Brooklyn apartment, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/22/us-news/embattled-nyc-dsa-leader-gustavo-gordillo-sued-for-eviction/">according</a> to the New York Post.
The New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-chair signed a lease on a one-bedroom place in Crown Heights for $2,500 a month in May 2025. He skipped payments for months at a time and only occasionally caught up with a larger sum once the arrears reached three months, the outlet reported.
His landlord took him to housing court in March seeking $5,000 for the missed December and January payments. He did not file an answer, the Post reported, which let the landlord seek a default judgment. The case remains open and the apartment has already been rented to someone else.
His parents bought the Bedford-Stuyvesant row house in 2019 through Chucuito LLC for just under $1 million. It carries a fair market value of $1.4 million. Renovation plans filed in 2023 cover the facade, the interior, new landscaping and two decks, and work was still going on at the house this week.
Gordillo said housing court only mitigates harm and does not abolish landlords and rent which he calls the long-term socialist goals. He has also argued that no one should have a constitutional right to double digit returns on real estate investments.
Gordillo, who built a public profile as a blue-collar tradesman under the handle @unionGustavo, was terminated from his IBEW Local 3 apprenticeship in March after what the union <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/20/spoiled-brats-leadership-of-progressive-left/">called</a> &#8220;prolonged absence from and failure to participate in work and classes.&#8221; He never completed the program and is separately three months behind on his union dues.
Last month, without mentioning he had already been fired from the apprenticeship, Gordillo asked NYC-DSA members to convert his unpaid leadership role into a paid position, according to the Post. The group approved $95,000 a year plus benefits for him and co-chair Grace Mausser, both of whom took no salary in 2025.
“This should be surprising, but it isn’t,&#8221; City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino told the Post. &#8220;The entitlement of these rich DSA kids is bottomless. Even when his parents are paying his bills, he still stiffed his landlord.” 
“It’s really appalling that these brats are in charge of our city now, when they’re so quick to screw over working people and can’t even manage their own lives,&#8221; she added.
Attorney Maud Maron noted that he has a luxury home to go with his luxury beliefs while DSA policies raise costs for everyone else without rich parents.
The housing court case against Gordillo remains open.

NYC-DSA holds a rally to tax the rich

DSA Leader And ‘Rent Abolitionist’ Sued For Failing To Pay Rent

Democratic Socialism

A woman who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS was arrested after plotting to bomb the New York State Capitol in Albany, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
Jessica Bowie, 35, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization after allegedly communicating with an undercover FBI source posing as an ISIS facilitator and seeking assistance in carrying out an attack.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Bowie converted to Islam roughly five years ago and subsequently created numerous social media accounts using an Islamic honorific. Several of those accounts were allegedly suspended for violating platform rules, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-thwarts-isis-plot-bomb-new-york-capitol-building-rcna593595">NBC News</a>.
Between May and July, accounts linked to Bowie allegedly posted messages expressing support for terrorism. Beginning in July, Bowie allegedly began communicating with an FBI confidential source about her plans.
Bowie allegedly told the source that she wanted to attack the New York State Capitol because she wanted to “harm the enemies of god.” The Capitol was less than two miles from where Bowie lived, according to prosecutors.
Investigators <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-arrests-woman-who-allegedly-plotted-attack-new-york-state-capitol-building">allege</a> that Bowie conducted surveillance of the Capitol, taking photographs from multiple vantage points, including a nearby observation hall. She allegedly purchased materials that could be used to construct an explosive device from a hardware store on Aug. 5.
The complaint says Bowie wanted to carry out the attack and then escape. If she successfully avoided arrest, she allegedly planned to return and conduct additional attacks.
On Wednesday, undercover sources allegedly provided Bowie with an inert explosive device and a nonfunctional handgun, along with instructions for detonating the device according to documents reviewed by <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/new-york-state-capitol-attack-thwarted-fbi/story?id=135812339&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">ABC News</a>.
She was subsequently arrested. During an interview with federal agents, Bowie allegedly acknowledged that she was facing a lengthy prison sentence. 
“There’s no helping me, you guys know enough,” she allegedly said. “I’m … going to prison for the rest of my life.”
She allegedly added: “Material support is up to 20 years in prison, I already Googled it before, I know I’m going to jail.” 
Bowie is expected to appear in federal court Thursday afternoon. If convicted of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, she faces up to 20 years in prison.
New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul praised federal and state law enforcement for stopping the alleged plot. 
“I’m grateful to the FBI for leading this investigation and to the New York State Police for their work to apprehend this dangerous individual,” Hochul wrote on <a href="https://x.com/GovKathyHochul/status/2090505893444047191">X</a>. “While there is no immediate threat at this time, we will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect New Yorkers and keep our communities safe.”

ISIS flags

ISIS Supporter Arrested In Plot To Bomb New York State Capitol

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Bombings

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Islamic State (ISIS)

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Kathy Hochul

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The captain of a boat that capsized in New York Harbor, killing a mother and her infant, is an illegal immigrant who was just captured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE arrested Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, 46, who hails from El Salvador, after local authorities released him on August 10 on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement Wednesday. Now, the Trump administration is moving to deport him.
&#8220;Once he faces justice for his crimes, we will make sure that he is swiftly removed from our country,&#8221; Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
Hernandez-Umana claimed he entered the U.S. illegally through Texas in 2007, lying to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen to enter, according to DHS.
The illegal immigrant faces two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. The boat capsized on August 8 near Liberty Island, killing Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, according to NBC News.
Hernandez-Umana failed to register the boat and lacked the certification required to operate it in the harbor with paying customers, the outlet reported, citing charging documents. The Salvadoran national also did not have infant-sized flotation devices on board.
When the capsizing occurred, Hernandez-Umana was using a friend&#8217;s boat to tour a group near the Statue of Liberty because his vessel needed repairs, according to NBC. The boat, which had a capacity of 10, reportedly carried 14 people, including Hernandez-Umana.
The captain allegedly did not know the boat&#8217;s capacity, according to NBC.
Antonella&#8217;s parents allegedly told Hernandez-Umana that they did not have an infant-sized flotation device for their baby before they boarded the boat. The illegal immigrant then told them that he also did not have one and that one of the parents would need to wear a flotation device and hold the baby during the tour, which the mother did.
Hernandez made a U-turn about three hours and 20 minutes into the tour, sending the boat into a swell that caused the boat to capsize and toss everyone overboard, NBC reported.
“Illegal charter operations gamble with human life, and in this case, the alleged conduct led to an unthinkable tragedy,” Coast Guard Investigative Service Assistant Director Josh Packer said. “As the Coast Guard’s criminal investigative agency, CGIS brings unmatched maritime subject-matter expertise coupled with federal law enforcement authority.&#8221;

Untitled design – 2026-08-20T084032.934

Captain Who Capsized Boat Killing Mother And Baby Is An Illegal Immigrant

deportation

illegal immigrant

A Florida businessman won a chaotic Republican House primary that featured a former Trump adviser, two former congressmen from different states, and a January 6 defendant. 
Media mogul Jim Schwartzel defeated nine other candidates to win the GOP nomination to replace Rep. Byron Donalds in Florida’s 19th Congressional District on Tuesday. Schwartzel defeated the Trump-endorsed Catalina Lauf, earning 29% of the vote to the former Commerce Department adviser’s 22%. 
Other candidates in the race included former Illinois state Senator Jim Oberweis, former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, former New York Rep. Chris Collins, and January 6 defendant John Strand. The seat opened up after Donalds decided to run for governor. 
President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117090504981894603">endorsed</a> Lauf last week, saying she “has proven she has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the incredible people of her State and Nation.” Before her run for Donald&#8217;s seat, Lauf ran for Congress in Illinois twice, including once in the Republican primary against Oberweis.
Cawthorn represented North Carolina&#8217;s 11th district in Congress from 2021 to 2023, and he made national headlines for saying he was invited to cocaine-fueled orgies by fellow lawmakers. He lost in the GOP primary to Rep. Chuck Edwards, who recently announced he would not be running for re-election after the House Ethics Committee found evidence he treated female staffers inappropriately. 
Two of the other candidates in the Florida race previously received pardons from Trump. 
Collins, who represented New York in Congress from 2013 to 2019, was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-congressman-christopher-collins-sentenced-insider-trading-scheme-and-lying">convicted</a> of insider trading and lying to the FBI. He was sentenced to 26 months in prison, but was pardoned by Trump about two months into his prison sentence. 
Strand, who was sentenced to over two years in prison for protesting inside the Capitol on January 6, was pardoned shortly after Trump’s second term began. 
Many of Schwartzel&#8217;s campaign ads in the days leading up to the race focused on how the other candidates were recent transplants to Florida.
Schwartzel, who owns and operates a large conservative radio channel in Florida and runs publishing company Gulfshore Life Media, ran a pro-Trump campaign on a platform of fighting for term limits, protecting Florida&#8217;s water supply, and opposing DEI and transgender ideology. 
“Southwest Florida sent a clear message: this congressional seat belongs to Southwest Florida. We had a hard-fought, spirited primary but now it is time to unite our party and turn our focus to November and beyond. I am ready to get to work supporting President Trump and his America First agenda and delivering results for Southwest Florida,” Schwartzel said after his win. “This is my home. It always has been and it always will be. I will never forget who I represent or why I ran.”
He is expected to easily win the heavily Republican favorable seat.

MixCollage-19-Aug-2026-08-53-AM-93

Businessman Defeats 2 Felons, A Trump Endorsee, And Madison Cawthorn For GOP House Nomination

2026 Midterms

Byron Donalds

Donald Trump

Florida

Illinois

Madison Cawthorn

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A DSA national leader <a href="https://x.com/nataliegwinters/status/2089327354724388899">welcomed</a> a Chinese Communist Party delegation at an event in New York City and laid out the group’s goals in plain terms: “We try to push socialism into the masses of America,” and “China is an incredible positive vision of socialism for everyone around the world.”
Ahmed Husain, who is a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s National Political Committee, described the organization as the largest socialist group in the country, with more than 200 chapters across most states. He said it works to build up the DSA in the United States through different sites of struggle — housing, labor unions, and elections. The stated objective is to push socialism into the masses and build a positive vision for it. China, he said, offers that vision to people in the U.S. and other countries.
Husain is the same DSA leader who <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/07/us-news/dsa-calls-for-ending-us-empire-mourns-iranian-ayatollahs-extrajudicial/">spoke</a> on the group’s “Hands Off Iran” mass video call in early March. Nearly 1,000 people joined that Wednesday night meeting, which opened with a remake of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War.” Speakers on the call framed Iran’s 1979 revolution as throwing off American and Israeli influence. One participant from the National Iranian American Council spoke of deep mourning over the “extrajudicial killing of the supreme leader.”
On that call, Husain told participants the fight would not end with a rally or a vote. “This is going to end with a mass movement to put an end to the war machine,” he said. “We have to create a real cost for the warmongers.” He added that he did not believe the movement was where it needed to be to stop the war: “I don’t care if it’s your neighbor, your co-worker, your dad, your mom, your job is to get them to act. The DSA needs to act on every single front.”
He went on to say the work is cumulative and aimed at building a movement that can change the terrain permanently so the &#8220;war machine&#8221; can no longer function. “We can end the US empire here in America.”
Husain, an immigrant from Bahrain, has previously written on social media about destroying the “decaying fascist American empire” and stated that “Israel never had the right to exist.”
The same DSA national leader who called for ending the U.S. empire in March is now the one presenting China as the positive vision of socialism while welcoming a Chinese Communist Party delegation in New York.
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DSA Leader Welcomes Chinese Communists, Reveals What He Wants To Push Across America

Iran

Mayor Zohran Mamdani

NYPD officers shot and killed a man who police say charged at them with a butcher knife inside a Lower East Side apartment building Sunday afternoon, according to police.
Officers responded to the building around 4 p.m. following multiple 911 calls reporting a domestic dispute, assault, and a person armed with a weapon. When officers arrived, they found blood on the stairs inside the building, according to authorities.
As officers followed the blood trail up the stairwell, they encountered a man carrying a large butcher knife. Police repeatedly ordered the man to show his hands and drop the weapon, but he continued moving toward the officers, according to the NYPD.
Officers first deployed a Taser, which had no effect. They then fired at least four times, striking the man in the chest, police said. The man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/police-shoot-man-charged-nypd-officer-knife-lower-east-side-sources-say/19688831/">ABC7</a>. He was later identified as 54-year-old Wei Chan. Police recovered the knife at the scene.
A second man, 75-year-old Cheung Chan, was found inside the building with a laceration to the head. Police identified him as Chan&#8217;s father and said the injury was inflicted by his son. He is expected to survive. It was not immediately clear whether the wound came from the knife or another object, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/knife-wielding-nyc-maniac-shot-critically-injured-after-charging-at-cops/">per</a> the New York Post.
Four responding officers suffered minor injuries and were taken to NewYork-Presbyterian, <a href="https://pix11.com/news/local-news/nypd-involved-shooting-on-lower-east-side-sends-6-to-hospital-officials/">according</a> to police and fire officials.
A patron at a nearby bar <a href="https://www.amny.com/news/breaking-news-nypd-lower-east-side/">told</a> amNewYork that he saw crews performing CPR on a man as they carried him out of the building on a stretcher and into an ambulance.
The circumstances leading up to the confrontation remain under investigation.

Stabbing attack investigation in Manhattan

NYPD Shoots, Kills Man Who Lunged At Officers With Butcher Knife

New York City

New York Police Department (NYPD)

NYPD

Police

Violent Crime

A socialist member of the New York state Assembly said Thursday that people who steal basic necessities such as toothpaste and soap should not be arrested, arguing that prosecuting such theft punishes people for having a &#8220;biological need.&#8221;
Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, who represents Greenpoint, Williamsburg and neighboring sections of northern Brooklyn, made the remarks outside Manhattan Criminal Court alongside fellow leftist officials and criminal justice advocates with Court Watch NYC. The group said it monitored 360 arraignments over four days and found more than half involved misdemeanor charges.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No one should be arrested—much less jailed—for stealing a tube of toothpaste.
Incarceration separates people from their jobs, support services, &amp; loved ones. It perpetuates cycles of poverty &amp; crime.
That’s a fact, no matter how much fear mongering the right wing media does. <a href="https://t.co/WjyEPGIXqU">pic.twitter.com/WjyEPGIXqU</a>
— Emily Gallagher (@EmilyAssembly) <a href="https://x.com/EmilyAssembly/status/2088015972619710694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“Most of what we saw were crimes of poverty — people who are stealing things like toothpaste, people who were stealing things like, you know, soap,” Gallagher said. “And that means if you’re stealing those things, you need them.”
Gallagher then criticized the prosecution of shoplifting offenses involving major retailers. “And we are choosing to protect billion-dollar companies, like CVS and Walgreens, over the people who are struggling to get by,” she said. “So I would say that the true crime is that there is such incredible wealth disparity in this city that there are people who can be thrown in jail simply for having a biological need.”
The comments came as Gallagher and other advocates <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/critics-accuse-mayor-mamdani-push-nypd-scale-back-quality-life-crimes/19674489/">accused</a> New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of failing to deliver on his promise to redirect the NYPD away from so-called &#8220;quality of life&#8221; offenses, including low-level theft, fare evasion, graffiti and public urination. The department has continued that enforcement under NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, whom Mamdani retained from former Mayor Eric Adams&#8217; administration.
The group specifically criticized the continued use of “broken windows” policing, which focuses on enforcing lower-level offenses in an effort to prevent more serious crime. “Mayor Mamdani was elected on a promise of making New York a livable city for all — ending the criminalization of poverty, mental health, substance use and homelessness,” Sami Feliz of Freedom Agenda said at the event. Asked by ABC7 whether Tisch was carrying out his vision for policing, Mamdani <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/critics-accuse-mayor-mamdani-push-nypd-scale-back-quality-life-crimes/19674489/">said</a> he was confident in her: &#8220;I would not have someone serving our city if I was not confident in what they were doing.&#8221;
Gallagher&#8217;s claim that New Yorkers are jailed over items like toothpaste is not supported by state law. Petit larceny — the charge covering thefts under $1,000 — is <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/facts-bail-reform-new-york-how-pretrial-detention-and-release-works-now">a non-qualifying offense under New York&#8217;s 2019 bail reform</a>, meaning judges are barred from setting bail and must release defendants pending trial. First-time shoplifting arrests in the city are typically resolved with a desk appearance ticket and, in many cases, an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal that wipes that charge. Retailers, meanwhile, have increasingly moved toothpaste, soap and other personal-care items behind locked cases in high-theft stores.
Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce pushed back against calls to stop enforcing low-level offenses, particularly against repeat offenders. “Really, you have to go make those arrests,” Boyce told ABC7. “Otherwise, you’d have chaos on the street.”
Critics also warned that easing enforcement could reverse recent gains. NYPD data through August 9 showed retail theft down 14.7% and petit larceny down 5.4% compared with the same period last year, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/socialist-ny-lawmaker-emily-gallagher-says-shoplifters-have-a-biological-need-to-steal/">according</a> to the New York Post.
“People like Emily Gallagher try to obfuscate reality because they want to enable this very activity,” New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, a Republican, wrote on <a href="https://x.com/VickieforNYC/status/2088290301810983032">X</a>.
Former Queens Councilman Robert Holden, a Democrat, called Gallagher “a major dope” in response to her comments.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican representing Queens, said businesses already struggling with high operating costs could be pushed further toward closure if theft is effectively tolerated. “This is the kind of backwards, left-wing lunacy I would expect from someone who values the rights of criminals more than those of business owners,” Ariola told the Post.
Gallagher defended the remarks on X the same day, <a href="https://x.com/EmilyAssembly/status/2088015972619710694">writing</a> that &#8220;no one should be arrested—much less jailed—for stealing a tube of toothpaste&#8221; and accusing conservative outlets of fear-mongering.

NY Assemblymember Emily Gallagher. Elected officials joined

Socialist Lawmaker Says Shoplifting Is A ‘Biological Need’

Brooklyn

Crime

Democratic Socialists Of America

Poverty

shoplifting

Theft

As Republicans look to defy history in the upcoming midterm elections, they hope to pick up seats in an unexpected place: New York. 
One of the top New York House seats being targeted by the GOP is that of Rep. Laura Gillen, who represents large swaths of Long Island. The GOP is banking on Gillen’s leftist voting record and the unpopularity of Governor Kathy Hochul to open the door for them to get a win in the swing district. 
Gillen, who won New York’s 4th Congressional District by ousting incumbent Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito by about 8,000 votes in 2024, has <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2025/roll246.xml">voted</a> with her party to <a href="https://amendments-rules.house.gov/amendments/MACE_113_xml%20(2)250905102500556.pdf">force</a> the Department of War to use taxpayer dollars for transgender surgeries and wants to keep Haitian nationals from being deported. 
“Out-of-touch radical Laura Gillen has repeatedly fought to send Long Islanders’ tax dollars down the drain,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O&#8217;Toole told The Daily Wire. “Her record of pushing woke pet projects won’t fly in this district, and voters will send her packing in November because of it.”
Midterm elections historically favor the party out of the White House, and President Donald Trump is broadly unpopular in New York, but Republicans believe local trends may favor them in Gillen’s district. The district favored President Joe Biden by 15 points in 2020 but only went for Vice President Kamala Harris by one point in 2024. Last year, Republicans won all the top positions in Nassau County, where Gillen’s district is centered.
One of Gillen’s top priorities since entering Congress has been prohibiting the deportation of Haitian nationals living in the United States. She <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1689?s=1&amp;r=19">sponsored</a> legislation opposed by the Trump administration that would expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians until 2029. 
“The president has made it clear that this administration’s priority is protecting the American people and addressing the criminal threat posed by those who enter this nation with little to no vetting or overstay the visa granted them,” the White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-admin-comes-out-swinging-on-haitian-immigration-bill-backed-by-some-republicans">said</a> in a policy statement explaining its opposition. “Numerous Haitian nationals previously granted TPS have been the subject of administrative investigations for fraud, public safety, and national security.”
In one recent social media post, Gillen <a href="https://x.com/LauraAGillen/status/2087593342926254146?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet">claimed</a> that ending TPS for Haitians would burden the “healthcare system by forcing them to fire caregivers.”
Gillen voted against an amendment to keep the military’s TRICARE health coverage from being used to fund transgender procedures on gender-confused members. Additionally, she <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025203">opposed</a> $9 billion in foreign aid cuts to programs pushing LGBT and climate activism around the globe. 
The New York Democrat is a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus, which <a href="https://equality.house.gov/about-cec/mission">backs</a> a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2487/text">bill</a> pushing federal funding for transgender procedures and <a href="https://x.com/EqualityCaucus/status/1933166704680472794">opposes</a> efforts to keep drag shows off of military facilities. 
Running against Gillen is Republican Jeanine Driscoll, who is <a href="https://driscoll4congress.com/">focusing</a> on a platform of cutting taxes, backing law enforcement, and securing the southern border. Driscoll was an official in Hempstead Town, where she oversaw local taxes. 
In recent years, Republicans have performed well in the district. Long Beach, a city of about 35,000, elected all Republicans to the city council in November 2025 for the <a href="https://www.liherald.com/merrick/stories/gop-sweeps-long-beach,218435">first time</a> in over half a century. Republican Bruce Blakeman coasted to re-election as Nassau County Executive in 2025 by over 10 points. Now running for governor, one <a href="https://sri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SNY0826-Release-Crosstabs_Corrected.pdf">recent poll</a> showed Blakeman down just 10 points to Hochul, who once led by 20 points. 
The same poll showed Republicans with a 49% to 44% lead over Democrats on the generic Congressional ballot in the suburbs. 
“In New York, Republicans are in the strongest electoral position possible, because while Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani run the Empire State into the ground, Republicans are delivering,” O’Toole said. “Taxes are down, communities are safer, and New Yorkers have President Trump and Republicans to thank for it.”

New York Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, And AG James Make Announcement On ICE Actions

Republicans Make Play For House Seat Democrats Can’t Afford To Lose

Long Island

Zohran Mamdani

In a jaw-dropping courtroom confession, Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty Friday to federal stalking charges carrying a potential life sentence in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a move that could have major implications for his upcoming New York murder trial.
&#8220;After years of enduring severe pain in my back and seeing others too, I learned UnitedHealth would hold its conference,” Mangione said in a New York City courtroom. “I researched the event online. I observed the conference of the largest health care company would be attended by executives, not doctors, nurses or patients. I traveled to Manhattan and emailed leadership posing as an investor managing $58 billion.”
&#8220;Before traveling to New York, I used a 3-D printer to make a gun. I traveled to New York with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson. On the morning of December 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan. … I knew what I was doing,&#8221; he added.
The guilty plea marks a dramatic turnaround for the 28-year-old, who has long maintained his innocence and is now pursuing a legal theory that could potentially derail his separate, high-stakes murder trial set to begin September 8 in New York state court.
&#8220;Mr. Mangione is prepared to plead guilty to the indictment at this time,&#8221; Mangione&#8217;s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo told the judge. Mangione then confirmed that he is pleading guilty to the stalking charges.
Brian Thompson’s family called the plea “an important step towards justice” for the father who left behind a wife and two children.  
“While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable,” the family said in a statement. “Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.&#8221;
Mangione has never apologized for the killing or expressed remorse.
Ahead of Friday’s hearing, the DOJ was unsure whether Mangione would plead guilty but was prepared to seek a life sentence if he did, a source familiar with the matter told The Daily Wire.
In his federal case, the Maryland native faced one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death. Both charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/luigi-mangione-charged-stalking-and-murder-unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-and-use">according to the Department of Justice.</a> A judge tossed out a firearms charge that would’ve made Mangione eligible for the federal death penalty. The federal trial was scheduled to begin on January 5, 2027.
“Mangione planned his attack for months and stalked his victim for days before murdering him — methodically planning when, where, and how to carry out his crime,” then-Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said at the time.
In state court, Mangione faces eight charges, including second-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life. Following his guilty plea in federal court, his lawyers may argue that New York’s double-jeopardy protections prevent state prosecutors from trying him for murder because the state charges stem from the same criminal act as the federal case.  
The Constitution generally protects defendants from being prosecuted twice for the same offense. Still, Mangione’s state and federal cases fall under the “separate sovereigns” exception to double jeopardy, <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/luigi-mangione-federal-guilty-plea-expected-announced-friday/story?id=135608406">according to ABC News.</a> Under the doctrine, the federal government and New York are considered separate sovereigns, allowing both to prosecute the same defendant for the same conduct under their respective laws.
“If a plea in the Federal case against Luigi Mangione is indeed being announced tomorrow, it sure seems the timing is intended to block the State trial,” Rich Schoenstein, a trial lawyer, <a href="https://x.com/LawfulRiches/status/2087899313259069841?s=20">said</a> on X. “Whether that succeeds remains to be seen.” 
“The State is a separate sovereign, and the charges are arguably quite different. If New York wants the trial to go forward anyway, it has an argument, and the issue will be hotly contested,” he added. 
The legal drama comes days after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/luigi-mangione-trial-gets-anonymous-jury-over-fears-of-intimidation">The Daily Wire</a> reported that the high-profile murder case will proceed with an anonymous jury and expanded courtroom access after a judge finalized several key details ahead of the September proceedings.
Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024, leading to a five-day manhunt that ended with Mangione’s arrest in rural Pennsylvania, more than 270 miles from the shooting scene.
At the time of his arrest, Mangione possessed “fake ID used by the suspect, the gun they believe was used in the shooting and a handwritten ‘claim of responsibility,’ authorities have said,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/luigi-mangione-pleads-not-guilty-as-doj-seeks-death-penalty?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Luigi+Mangione+Pleads+Not+Guilty+As+DOJ+Seeks+Death+Penalty">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported. 
Mangione’s targeting of Thompson appears meticulously planned, according to the DOJ, and three 9mm shell casings recovered from the crime scene had the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” written on them, an apparent reference to a 2010 book criticizing insurance industry tactics, according to the NYPD.
The case has drawn widespread public attention, with supporters of Mangione continuing to gather outside the New York City courthouse nearly two years later to rally behind the accused assassin.
“I support Luigi whether or not he did it. So for me, I always knew this could be on the table. So I wouldn&#8217;t really be phased by one,” a white woman supporting Mangione <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/2088268716186169596?s=20">said</a> Friday of a possible plea. “This is about a movement. It is about Luigi, but it&#8217;s also about the conversation he started.”

Luigi Mangione

Luigi Mangione Lays Out Chilling Step By Step Plot To Kill Brian Thompson

Brian Thompson

Healthcare

Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty Friday to federal stalking charges carrying life sentences in connection with the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — a move that could have major implications for his upcoming murder trial. 
A guilty plea would mark a dramatic turnaround for the 28-year-old, who has long maintained his innocence and previously pleaded not guilty as he barrels towards a separate high-stakes murder trial in New York state court. 
The Department of Justice does not know whether Mangione will agree to plead guilty, but prosecutors would pursue a life sentence if he does, a source familiar with the matter told The Daily Wire.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/nyregion/luigi-mangione-guilty-plea-federal.html">stressed</a> that negotiations over a potential plea remain “sensitive” and could collapse at any moment. 
In his federal case, the Maryland native faces one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death. Both charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/luigi-mangione-charged-stalking-and-murder-unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-and-use">according to the Department of Justice.</a> A judge tossed out a firearms charge that would’ve made Mangione eligible for the federal death penalty.
“Mangione planned his attack for months and stalked his victim for days before murdering him — methodically planning when, where, and how to carry out his crime,” then-Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said at the time. 
In state court, Mangione faces eight charges, including second-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life. If he pleads guilty in federal court, his lawyers may argue that New York’s double-jeopardy protections prevent state prosecutors from trying him for murder because the state charges stem from the same criminal act as the federal case, the Times reported. 
“If a plea in the Federal case against Luigi Mangione is indeed being announced tomorrow, it sure seems the timing is intended to block the State trial,” Rich Schoenstein, a trial lawyer, <a href="https://x.com/LawfulRiches/status/2087899313259069841?s=20">said</a> on X. “Whether that succeeds remains to be seen.” 
“The State is a separate sovereign, and the charges are arguably quite different. If New York wants the trial to go forward anyway, it has an argument, and the issue will be hotly contested,” he added. 
The legal drama comes days after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/luigi-mangione-trial-gets-anonymous-jury-over-fears-of-intimidation">The Daily Wire</a> reported that the high-profile murder case will proceed with an anonymous jury and expanded courtroom access after a judge finalized several key details ahead of the September proceedings.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro ruled that the identities of jurors will be kept from the public during the trial, which is scheduled to begin September 8 and is expected to last roughly six weeks. 
The anonymous jury comes as prosecutors warn that Mangione’s sizable and highly vocal supporter base could pressure witnesses and potential jurors. 
“The media attention surrounding this case — and the efforts of some of the defendant’s supporters both to intimidate witnesses and to interfere with the functioning of the jury — will place extraordinary pressure on witnesses and potential jurors alike,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote in a Monday letter to Carro obtained by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/prosecutors-warn-luigi-mangione-supporters-may-intimidate-witnesses-jurors-murder-trial">Fox News</a>.
Prosecutors had asked the court to limit access to the proceedings and raised concerns that supporters could secretly record proceedings in an overflow room and distribute the footage. Carro nevertheless ordered that an overflow room be made available for members of the media and the public, after Mangione’s attorneys argued that limiting courtroom access would unfairly restrict coverage of the case.
The judge also warned that anyone who takes out a cellphone in either the courtroom or the overflow room will be removed.

Luigi Mangione Appears In Court Ahead Of September Trial For United Healthcare CEO Killing

Luigi Mangione Weighs Unusual Plea Move That Could Derail State Murder Trial

Luigi Mangione Could Plead Guilty To Federal Charges To Derail State Murder Trial

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