Are New York bagels and pizza about to deflate?
A new bill moving through Albany could change how some of the state&#8217;s most iconic foods are made, but supporters say the impact on quality will be insignificant.
The proposed legislation, called the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act, would ban potassium bromate, a flour additive often used to improve dough texture, which has been linked to cancer in some studies. The bill cleared both the state Assembly and Senate in late April and now heads to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul&#8217;s desk.    
“While the use of food additives to enhance the shelf life, taste, or texture of various commercial food products is nothing new, the science behind the health effects of increased consumption of such additives is shedding new light on just how dangerous some of them can be,” the bill memo says, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/06/us-news/new-york-could-ban-common-ingredient-found-in-pizza-and-bagels-over-health-concerns/">per</a> The New York Post. “This legislation protects New Yorkers from three of the most pervasive and harmful food additives.”
State Sen. Brian Kavanagh (D), one of the bill’s sponsors, <a href="https://people.com/new-york-senate-passes-bill-to-ban-potassium-bromate-11967407">told</a> People it addresses gaps in federal oversight.
 “Our federal food safety system has major gaps that expose people to unnecessary health risks when they eat food in our country,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I love New York pizza in particular, but the Italians seem to be doing just fine making pizza for the last more than three decades now without potassium bromate.&#8221; 
&#8220;The retailers and restaurants will have plenty of time to use up their stock of flour and get alternatives,&#8221; he added. The outlet noted that small businesses have three years to comply once the proposal becomes law.
&#8220;This is not gonna harm any retailer. It&#8217;s not gonna harm anybody who wants a good bagel,&#8221; Kavanagh added. &#8220;We don&#8217;t think this is gonna have any meaningful effect on people&#8217;s ability to make food they wanna make or buy food they wanna buy, and we don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s gonna have any meaningful effect at all on the affordability of food.&#8221;
Another co-sponsor of the bipartisan bill insisted that the measure would not affect the quality of the food.
“Any substance that is linked to cancer has no place in our food, period,” State Sen. Cordell Cleare (D) said. “Other countries have banned potassium bromate without any diminution in the quality of flour-based products and the same will happen in New York.”
If signed into law, the bill would also force companies to disclose all ingredients, including listing any that qualify as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) food ingredients. Kavanagh said the bill would remove &#8220;secrecy around chemicals that are added to our food,” adding that greater transparency will help consumers make more informed choices. 
The proposal is similar to efforts in California and aligns more closely with regulations already in place in the European Union.

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A Major Pizza And Bagel Ingredient Could Soon Be Banned

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The Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively legal drama has come to an end without the spectacle of a trial, and legal experts are saying both sides spent “an obscene amount” of money in the process.
The former co-stars settled the matter two weeks before the trial was scheduled to kick off in New York, after filing multiple lawsuits and counter suits against each other. New York-based attorney Richard Schoenstein, who does not represent either party, <a href="https://people.com/how-much-did-blake-lively-and-justin-baldoni-s-it-ends-with-us-dispute-cost-exclusive-11967317">discussed</a> the likely financial fallout with People. 
“The combined legal expense is in the multiple millions. There are around 1,500 docket entries, countless lawyers on both sides, and these are high-priced firms billing well over $1,000 an hour,” Schoenstein said, which fellow NY-based attorney Megan Thomas agreed with. She said the two parties spent “an obscene amount” over the past two years. 
“I can&#8217;t give a number, but both sides had multiple lawyers,” Thomas added.
Schoenstein added that mounting costs likely had a lot to do with Lively and Baldoni reaching a settlement. Plus, with both sides having their claims dismissed or reduced, it ended up not being worth the hassle.
“I think they settled because the case wasn&#8217;t worth it at this point for either of them,” Schoenstein told the outlet. “The case had been reduced — his counterclaims were dismissed, and her claims were substantially narrowed. There wasn&#8217;t enough to gain from going to trial given the cost, which would have been extremely high, in the millions.”
The legal drama between the former costars started in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, and attempting to “destroy” her reputation. This came after she starred opposite Baldoni in “It Ends With Us,” a film he also directed.
Baldoni fervently denied the claims, responding with a countersuit against his co-star and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. He also sued The New York Times for $250 million in a defamation claim for an article about the situation, which he says is “rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions.” The countersuit was dismissed by the judge in June 2025.
A federal judge in New York ruled in early April to dismiss 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including those related to harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. 
As both cases fell apart and attorney fees kept climbing, the former co-stars finally came to a confidential settlement on Monday, May 4. It is rumored that the only ones who got paid in the end were the lawyers. 
&#8220;The end product — the movie ‘It Ends With Us’ — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind,&#8221; a statement from Baldoni and Lively provided to Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-settlement-reportedly-ends-no-money-expert-calls-complete-disaster">said</a>.
&#8220;We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.&#8221;

Blake Lively Justin Baldoni

Hollywood’s Biggest Legal Feud Collapses After ‘Millions’ Wasted On Lawyers

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Nearly a decade ago, he led an attempted coup d&#8217;etat in the West African nation of Burkina Faso.
Zakaria Songotoua, 40, fled his country and eventually ended up in New York, and has since become a target of President Donald Trump&#8217;s mass deportation effort, The Daily Wire has learned. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers sent him back to Burkina Faso on April 22.
The one-way flight came after Songotoua was ordered deported by an immigration judge after he was found &#8220;ineligible&#8221; for immigration status.
Songotoua participated in the coup attempt which began on September 16, 2015, while he was a member of the Presidential Security Regiment (RSP). At the time, a rogue group of his force stormed the presidential palace and took the interim president, Michel Kafando, along with the country&#8217;s prime minister, Lt. Col. Isaac Zida, and several cabinet members hostage, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/world/africa/burkina-faso.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
They also fired upon protesters, resulting in an estimated 11 fatalities, while more than 100 people were injured. The overthrow attempt ultimately failed after 13 days of violence and chaos, according to The New York Times.
Songotoua fled his home country before his trial, where he was convicted in absentia of murder, assault and battery, and an attack on state security. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo said that &#8220;individuals&#8221; like Songotoua &#8220;who engage in such bloodshed anywhere in the world have no place in the United States.&#8221;
ICE did not disclose when or where he entered the United States.
“Songotoua’s role in the violent 2015 effort to overthrow Burkina Faso’s government, which included holding a national leader hostage and killing and injuring protesters, reflects a grave disregard for human life and the rule of law,&#8221; Genalo said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents investigated the case as part of the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, which focuses on targeting individuals who have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers, ICE said.
HSI has more than 190 active investigations into suspected human rights violators. The agency has also received more than 1,985 leads and removal cases involving alleged human rights violators who hail from 95 countries.
&#8220;ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] New York, with essential support from Homeland Security Investigations New York and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, will continue to identify and remove human rights violators who attempt to seek refuge in our communities,&#8221; Genalo said.

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EXCLUSIVE: Foreign Rebel Who Led Coup Attempt Booted From U.S.

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New York City&#8217;s most elite hospital gave more than a million dollars to an &#8220;anti-racist,&#8221; pro-LGBTQ+ theater company as it laid off a thousand workers, records reviewed by The Daily Wire show.
New York-Presbyterian has donated more than 1.3 million to the People’s Theatre Project since 2021, financial <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133957095/202543189349306204/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">records</a><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133957095/202413189349304986/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> show</a>. In October 2023, Dr. Steven J. Corwin, then president and CEO of the hospital system, pledged to give another million to the theater — an arts program that &#8220;centers immigrants and members of the Latine, Black, and Queer communities&#8221; — to build a state-of-the-art performance center.
As the hospital was bankrolling the &#8220;anti-racist&#8221; organization&#8217;s quest to &#8220;build a world where the oppressed can find Liberation,&#8221; it was struggling financially. In May 2025, it <a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/newyork-presbyterian-to-cut-1000-employees/">announced</a> it was slashing 2% of its workforce, laying off 1,000 people. In 2026 it <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/16/nurses-describe-escalating-tension-as-nyc-strike-continues-00734336">came under fire</a> when it offered nurses a lower-than-requested annual raise, a cut the hospital blamed on the Trump administration&#8217;s economic policies.
In October 2025, Corwin <a href="https://www.nyp.org/news/newyork-presbyterian-leadership-transition-announcement">announced</a> he would step down in early 2026.
New York-Presbyterian&#8217;s reputation took a serious hit in the final years of Corwin&#8217;s 14-year tenure. It&#8217;s financial troubles came as it became one of the <a href="https://www.centernyc.org/urban-matters-2/enough-to-make-you-sick-curbing-high-private-hospital-costs#:~:text=New%20York%20City%27s%20private%20hospitals%20are%20some,than%20one%20percent%20of%20private%20hospital%20spending.">most expensive hospitals</a> in the country. In March 2026, the Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-new-york-presbyterian-hospital-anticompetitive-contracts-increase">sued the hospital</a> for &#8220;anticompetitive contract restrictions that deny New Yorkers the choice of lower cost healthcare options.&#8221;
All the while, it was supporting the People’s Theatre Project.
In October 2023, Corwin appeared with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and &#8220;Hamilton&#8221; composer Lin-Manuel Miranda to pledge $1 million to the construction of the Centro Cultural Inmigrante, a 19,000-square-foot compound featuring multiple theaters and a gallery, meant to &#8220;amplify the voices of New York City’s diverse immigrant communities.&#8221; The State of New York contributed $4 million.
“NewYork-Presbyterian is proud to support the People’s Theatre Project, and we look forward to the future of the Centro Cultural Inmigrante,” Corwin said. “This will be a space where members of the community can come together to create meaningful social connections, build a sense of belonging, and help enrich the community and New York City through the arts.”
It is unclear if the hospital ever made the $1 million contribution. Neither NewYork-Presbyterian nor the People&#8217;s Theatre Project responded to a request for comment.
The relationship between the hospital and the radical arts organization dates back to 2009, when it was founded by Mino Lora, a leftist who has called for defunding the police and served on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s transition team. That year, New York-Presbyterian <a href="https://thepeoplestheatre.org/home/about-us/">partnered</a> with the group on &#8220;a health-focused theatre-making program for children ages 5–12.&#8221; New York Presbyterian’s Corporate Director of Community Affairs, Monica Hidalgo, serves on the theater&#8217;s board.
All told, NewYork-Presbyterian has given the People&#8217;s Theatre Project $1,312,500 since 2021. During that time, the theater has produced such plays as “The Diamond,” which “follows a group of detained immigrants who conspire against a dystopian government.” Earlier this month, it hosted a reading of the “Sombraluz,” a play about a marine whose life was “shaped by the trauma of Guantanamo Bay.”
The People&#8217;s Theater Project also hosts outright political events, including a “rapid response” and “safe space” to “share feelings, build resilience, and transform emotions into art&#8221; in the wake of President Donald Trump&#8217;s 2024 election. In January 2026, the theater hosted an “undoing racism” workshop.
&#8220;As an anti-racist organization, we believe in Equity for all,&#8221; the group&#8217;s website reads. &#8220;We see the full humanity and immense power that exists in immigrants, youth, people of color, the LGBTQIA community, and people living with disabilities. We work to build a world where the oppressed can find Liberation.&#8221;
The People&#8217;s Theatre Project<a href="https://thepeoplestheatre.org/education/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> works</a> with K-5 &#8220;young artists&#8221; to celebrate &#8220;their identities and communities&#8221; through theatre pieces and has a &#8220;social justice leadership program&#8221; for adolescents in grades 6-12. The organization also<a href="https://thepeoplestheatre.org/ptp-partnerships/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> partners</a> with elementary, middle, and high schools in New York City.
The organization views theatre &#8220;as a catalyst for change,&#8221; and its mission includes advocacy for progressive social causes such as dismantling systemic racism, immigrant rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights.
&#8220;Racial justice is an urgent priority because systemic racism persists in our society, perpetuating inequality at every turn,&#8221; the group&#8217;s <a href="https://thepeoplestheatre.org/advocacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> says. &#8220;Theatre serves as a powerful platform to confront and dismantle these injustices.&#8221;

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Hospital System That Laid Off 1,000 Staff Gave $1.3 Million To ‘Anti-Racist’ Theatre Group

Health Care

Hospitals

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Zohran Mamdani

This piece is part of MI x DW, a collaboration that brings Daily Wire readers exclusive commentary and research from the Manhattan Institute’s world-class team of scholars.
In this piece, Santiago Vidal Calvo takes a hard look at New Jersey&#8217;s plan to manage World Cup crowds by charging $150 for a train ticket. Is this a necessary move to manage large crowds for the final match, or an embarrassing scramble to solve a problem officials have known about for years? Regardless, Calvo explains how the price hike will hurt ordinary citizens, and urges lawmakers to use the World Cup to enrich Americans, not inconvenience them.
This is classic Manhattan Institute urbanism — incisive, urgent, and practical. Pieces like this are why this partnership exists. — Tim Rice
***
In less than two months, the United States will host the largest sporting event on earth.
The 2026 World Cup is expected to bring more than <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/15/opinion/nyc-doing-everything-possible-to-ruin-its-chances-for-a-huge-world-cup-windfall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 million fans</a> to stadiums across North America, and the New York-New Jersey host committee projects more than <a href="https://nynjfwc26.com/press-releases/fifa-world-cup-2026-ny-nj-final-schedule-released/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.2 million visitors</a> and <a href="https://nynjfwc26.com/press-releases/3-billion-in-economic-impact/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$3.3 billion</a> in economic impact for the region alone.
To accommodate these visitors, New Jersey is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7193375/2026/04/14/metlife-stadium-world-cup-train-tickets/?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> planning to increase the round-trip ride from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium to $150 for World Cup match days. The ride normally costs $12.90.
The Garden State says the price hike is required to keep residents from <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2026/04/100-for-nj-transit-rides-to-world-cup-prices-set-to-skyrocket-this-summer.html#:~:text=the%20cost%20for%20the%20eight%20matches%20will%20not%20be%20borne%20by%20our%20regular%20commuters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bearing the cost</a> of the tournament. But New Jersey won’t exempt commuters from the surge pricing, and plans to restrict certain heavily-trafficked boarding areas on match days.
The result is a mess of inconvenience that makes the World Cup fare hike look less like necessity and more like gouging. If New Jersey was really concerned about not burdening its residents, they wouldn’t <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nj-transit-ticket-prices-for-fifa-world-cup-matches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shove</a> these riders aside.
NJ Transit <a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/security-concerns-demand-penn-station-closures-during-world-cup-nj-transit-chief-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expects to move</a> about 40,000 riders per match, including roughly 28,000 originating from New York, with the broader event expected to draw stadium crowds of 80,000 people.
Meadowlands rail service for the World Cup will be <a href="https://www.njtransit.com/fifa#:~:text=Only%20FIFA%20World%20Cup%2026%20match%20ticketholders%20will%20be%20permitted%20on%20Meadowlands%20Rail%20service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limited to match</a> ticket holders during the tournament. That means commuters who need to go to work, pick up kids from school, or run errands are out of luck. Officials are also restricting parts of Penn Station before kickoff so that only World Cup passengers can enter certain NJ Transit boarding areas.
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Worse still, seniors, children, and people with disabilities — who normally qualify for discounted tickets — would have to pay the same inflated fare.
The political class wants Americans to believe the challenge of hosting the World Cup is mostly about scale: big crowds, big security demands, big logistics. By that logic, it makes sense that New Jersey has to do what’s necessary to meet the challenge.
But America has plenty of raw capacity to handle massive crowds. Phoenix <a href="https://www.itskrs.its.dot.gov/briefings/executive-briefing/intelligent-transportation-systems-its-planned-special-events-pse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> roughly 250,000 passengers during Super Bowl week in 2023 by expanding light rail service and treating transit as part of the event infrastructure.
New Jersey has no excuse. The state has known it was hosting the World Cup for years. It manages to shuttle crowds to MetLife <a href="https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/nj-transit-ready-kick-nfl-regular-season-metlife-stadium-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">every NFL season</a>. And if scale or cost was the issue, the Department of Transportation has already allocated <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-announces-100-million-funding-enhance-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$100.3 million</a> in federal transit support for World Cup host cities.
The issue is not capacity, but competence.
MetLife is not a secondary venue tucked away from the spotlight. It is one of the nation’s largest stadiums, and it’s hosting the World Cup final. This is where the United States tells the world that it can still execute at scale.
As I have <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2025/12/07/world-cup-2026-us-security-travel/87483594007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued elsewhere</a>, our nation’s leaders should use this global stage to posture both strength and warmth to our visitors.
The MetLife fare debacle does neither.
Host cities should not be told to accept higher fares, restricted transit, and daily disruption so officials can stage an international spectacle. Nor should we make it more difficult for visitors to move around and enjoy their stay. The World Cup should be a <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/15/opinion/nyc-doing-everything-possible-to-ruin-its-chances-for-a-huge-world-cup-windfall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">windfall</a> for the country, not a penalty on the people who live there.
A country that cannot get people to the stadium without overcharging them, <a href="https://thedigestonline.com/news/world-cup-new-jersey-commuter-disruption-penn-station/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rerouting them</a>, and walling off public infrastructure should stop boasting about being World Cup ready. Spectacle is easy. Competence is hard. And by the summer of 2026, the whole world will know whether America still has it.
***
 Santiago Vidal Calvo is a Cities policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute.

FIFA warns $150 NJ Transit fares to MetLife Stadium could deter World Cup fans

Biggest Event On Earth Comes With A $150 Gut Punch

MI x DW

New Jersey

Soccer

World Cup

It might be a coincidence — or it might not.
The New York Mets are on an 11 game skid since New York mayor Zohran Mamdani hugged the team’s mascot.
An apology seems to be in order.
Forget the Red Sox&#8217; long-dead &#8220;Curse of the Bambino&#8221;—New York has a new, much more bureaucratically efficient disaster: The Mamdani Curse. On April 9, Mayor Zohran Mamdani stepped onto the field and wrapped his arms around Mrs. Met. Since that cold-blooded act of political affection, the Mets have gone 0-11. It’s as if the Mayor’s touch carried the same administrative efficiency he brings to City Hall, successfully grinding a <a href="https://www.wfmd.com/2026/04/18/new-york-mets-500-million-team-has-lost-10-games-in-a-row-after-zohran-mamdani-meeting/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">$507 million engine of hope</a> into a stationary pile of expensive scrap metal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The New York Mets haven&#8217;t won a game since Mr &amp; Mrs Met hugged Zohran Mamdani <a href="https://t.co/VI0zqnoHRt">pic.twitter.com/VI0zqnoHRt</a>
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehoffather/status/2044420722240729143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Statistically, Mamdani is the most effective defensive player in Major League Baseball history. Since he made contact with the mascot, the Mets have scored a pathetic 1.8 runs per game. He has managed to do what no opposing pitcher could: he neutralized Francisco Lindor, turned Bo Bichette’s bat into a decorative toothpick, and sent the team’s playoff odds off a cliff, plummeting from a confident 89% to an almost certainly too hopefuly 47%.
While the mayor might be used to managing deficits, this 11-game skid is a masterclass in bankruptcy. It takes a special kind of political talent to walk into a stadium and accidentally lobby for a 100% tax on hits, runs, and basic competence. Watching the Mets right now is like watching a city council meeting on a Tuesday morning: long, painful, and ending with everyone wondering where all the money went.
Even when the team tries to fight back, the &#8220;Mamdani Curse&#8221; lingers like a bad zoning law. Against the Cubs, the Mets <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/sports/mets-drop-11th-straight-in-nightmare-extra-inning-loss-to-cubs/">managed to go</a> 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They aren&#8217;t just losing; they are failing with the kind of bureaucratic precision that suggests they’ve been ordered to stay in last place by the mayor&#8217;s office.
At this point, an apology may not be enough. For the sake of the city, the mayor needs to be banned from within 500 feet of Citi Field, and Mrs. Met needs to be dipped in holy water.
If Mamdani decides to hug the Statue of Liberty next, New Yorkers should expect the torch to go out and the harbor to freeze over by sunset.
The Mets have 27 outs to work with every game, and thanks to the mayor, they are treating every single one of them like a campaign promise: discarded, forgotten, and leaving the public in tears.

Arizona Diamondbacks v New York Mets

One Moment… Then Disaster. See The Streak Everyone’s Talking About

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The successful architect turned gruesome serial killer described before a New York court how he had murdered eight women, changing his plea to &#8220;guilty&#8221; on Wednesday.
Rex Heuermann, known as the &#8220;Gilgo Beach&#8221; serial killer, told the courtroom how he strangled and dismembered eight sex workers before dumping their bodies on barren stretches of land on Long Island, ending the mystery that haunted loved ones and the public for decades. This revelation comes after he originally pleaded not guilty to the crimes.
The guilty plea included seven women with whom Heuermann was charged with killing since 1993, in addition to an eighth victim who was only recently linked to him.
The victims are Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, Valerie Mack, and most recently Karen Vergata whose remains were identified in 2023 after being reported missing in 1996. Vergata&#8217;s feet and legs were found later that same year on Fire Island in New York, but her skull was found five years later in 2011.
As part of the plea deal, Heuermann won&#8217;t be charged for killing Vergata, but has agreed to be studied by the FBI and work with the FBI&#8217;s behavioral unit.
Audible gasps could be heard throughout the chamber as the 62-year-old recounted the heinous murders in front of the families of the victims. Heuermann then confessed that he had dismembered the women and tied them up in burlap.
&#8220;He will serve three consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole,&#8221; prosecutors said.
The now-divorced father of two was arrested in 2023 — after a three-decade search for answers — when detectives linked DNA from pizza crusts outside of Heuermann&#8217;s office to one of his victims.
After his arrest, a neighbor described Heuermann to NBC News.
&#8220;You know, the regular guy who goes to work, has kids in the local school and in a good neighborhood, but he’s killing people on the side,&#8221; the neighbor said.
Heuermann&#8217;s former wife, Asa Ellerup, was in the Suffolk County courtroom Wednesday, visibly on edge during her husband&#8217;s hearing.
Afterwards, she spoke to reporters outside the courtroom offering condolences to the families of the victims.
&#8220;My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Their loss is immeasurable,&#8221; Ellerup said.
Prosecutors told the media Ellerup and other family members weren&#8217;t around during the killings.
&#8220;She never wanted to believe the man she was married to for 27 years, the father of Victoria, was capable of these heinous acts,&#8221; Ellerup&#8217;s attorney, Bob Macedonio, said. &#8220;Rex Heuermann and Rex Heuermann alone is responsible for these crimes.&#8221;
The successful businessman went under the alias &#8220;Thomas Hawk&#8221; when communicating with dozens of sex workers and had amassed a large collection of &#8220;torture pornography,&#8221; according to <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/gilgo-beach-suspected-serial-killer-rex-heuermann-expected-plead-guilty-death-8th-woman-court/18855571/">ABC7 New York</a>.
Prosecutors said he kept a &#8220;blueprint&#8221; of his killings that included a list of supplies and the locations of where he had dumped the bodies — and his notes even included reminders to &#8220;burn gloves&#8221; and &#8220;consider a hit to the neck next time,&#8221; the outlet reported.
Heuermann will be sentenced on June 17.

Credit: James Carbone – Pool/Getty Images

Gilgo Beach Killer Rex Heuermann Enters Plea, Describes Gruesome Murders

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Long Island

News

More than six years after overstaying his tourist visa, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela allegedly tried to murder a man on a Long Island beach last month, The Daily Wire has learned.
Ruben Guanipa Ramirez, 26, allegedly drove an acquaintance to Gilgo Beach, a remote location where he attacked him from behind, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney&#8217;s office. The Venezuelan national allegedly shoved a black cloth into his victim&#8217;s mouth while stabbing him in the left side and attempting to slit his throat.
Ramirez picked up the man from his Queens home before the two ended up playing pool at Sport Billiard Pool Hall, the DA&#8217;s office said. The Venezuelan national then allegedly drove his victim to Jones Beach and then Gilgo Beach, where the attack occurred.
Ramirez attacked when the two were walking back to the car, according to prosecutors. The victim was able to wrestle the knife out of Ramirez&#8217;s hands, resulting in defensive wounds.
The victim was able to drive off in Ramirez&#8217;s car, leaving his alleged attacker on the side of the road, and call 911. He then went to his friend&#8217;s house in Queens, where he was met by police and an ambulance, which transported him to a nearby hospital.
Police arrested Ramirez later that same day after spotting him walking along the Long Island Expressway in Nassau County, prosecutors said.
Authorities later discovered three kitchen knives, one of which was covered in blood, along with rope, duct tape, blankets, plastic drop cloths, a large-wheeled bag, gloves, and a boxcutter inside Ramirez&#8217;s car.
Ramirez came to the United States in June 2019 on a B-2 tourist visa, which required him to leave the country by December of that year, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire — but he never left.
Now, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is pressuring authorities in New York not to release the illegal immigrant. The district attorney in Suffolk County, Raymond Tierney, has condemned the state&#8217;s sanctuary laws and recently used a loophole to have ICE pick up a child rape suspect from Guatemala, according to Fox News.
“Ruben Guanipa Ramirez is a dangerous criminal illegal alien who violently stabbed his victim and attempted to slit his throat,” Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement on Monday. “ICE lodged an arrest detainer requesting Long Island not release this attempted murder from jail without notifying ICE.&#8221;
&#8220;We need more state and local law enforcement to work with ICE to get criminals out of our neighborhoods. This attempted murderer will never be loose on American streets again. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, DHS has unleashed ICE to target dangerous criminal illegal aliens, like Ruben Guanipa Ramirez, to put the safety of Americans first,&#8221; Bis added.

Untitled design – 2026-04-06T150935.889

He Overstayed His Visa For Years. Now He Stands Accused Of A Brutal Attack.

Illegal Immigration

Markwayne Mullin

Murder

A U.S. District Court judge on Wednesday pushed back Luigi Mangione&#8217;s federal trial one month despite the prosecution expressing concerns that any delay could add fuel to Mangione&#8217;s cult following.
Judge Margaret Garnett said the trial&#8217;s start date will move from the beginning of September to October due to “paramount issues” related to Mangione&#8217;s ability to participate in each part of the trial, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/nyregion/mangione-weinstein-trial-manhattan.html">reported</a>. Mangione is also facing a state trial in New York over the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the suspect&#8217;s defense team raised concerns that the beginning of the federal trial would overlap with the state trial, which is set to begin in June.
Mangione&#8217;s lawyers asked Garnett to move the federal trial&#8217;s start date to January 2027, but they&#8217;ll now have to accept the one-month delay. Mangione threw a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/luigi-mangione-erupts-in-courtroom-outburst-after-judge-sets-state-trial-date?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Luigi+Mangione+Erupts+In+Courtroom+Outburst+After+Judge+Sets+State+Trial+Date">tantrum</a> in state court in February after the judge set his trial date for June.
The prosecution likely isn&#8217;t too pleased with Garnett&#8217;s decision either. Assistant U.S. attorney Dominic Gentile argued before the judge that it was necessary for the federal trial to &#8220;proceed as the court has already scheduled&#8221; because of the concerning wave of support for Mangione. Gentile told the judge that just outside of the courtroom there was a crowd of demonstrators “who follow this defendant and believe what he did was right.”
Mangione has been lifted up as a type of vigilante hero by radical leftists who are incensed by the health insurance industry. Some of Mangione&#8217;s supporters, often donning hats and costumes of the Super Mario Nintendo character Luigi, have gathered outside of the courthouse in New York for each of his court appearances.
<div id="attachment_1070767" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1070767" class="wp-image-1070767 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Supporters of Luigi Mangione gather outside of Manhattan Federal Court on January 09, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)</div>
Thompson, a 50-year-old father and husband, was in New York City for UnitedHealthcare&#8217;s annual investor conference when he was gunned down from behind on December 4, 2024. After arresting Mangione, authorities found a diary on him that included passages raging against the health insurance industry and also contained a line about taking out &#8220;the CEO at the annual parasitic bean counter convention.&#8221;
Garnett said the state trial limits the options for the federal court, stating, &#8220;Whether we like it or not, we are at the will of the state case,&#8221; NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/luigi-mangiones-federal-trial-unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-pushed-back-rcna266248">reported</a>.
&#8220;It’s the nature of dual prosecutions,&#8221; she added.
Earlier this year, Garnett threw out the federal murder charge that made Mangione eligible for the death penalty. Attorney General Pam Bondi had directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Mangione now only faces two stalking charges in the federal case. He faces a charge of second-degree murder in the state case.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Luigi Mangione

Luigi Mangione Doesn’t Get His Way And One Growing Problem Is Starting To Follow Him

trial

An aide for New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, a New York City council member, and a retired NYPD sergeant are all tied to a federal bribery investigation involving migrant shelter contracts, according to the Associated Press.
Edouardo St. Fort, a former NYPD sergeant, was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/farah-debbie-louis-edouardo-st-fort-bribery-c8037a7eb9f332b8a35e9cd05a59d119">arrested</a> in Massachusetts Tuesday. Prosecutors allege he was involved in a scheme connected to contracts awarded to provide services at the shelters.
Three others were arrested as part of the probe, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/farah-debbie-louis-edouardo-st-fort-bribery-c8037a7eb9f332b8a35e9cd05a59d119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the AP.
A March 19 search warrant also names Council Member Farah Louis, a Democrat representing part of Brooklyn; her sister, Debbie Louis, who serves as Hochul’s assistant secretary of New York City intergovernmental affairs; and Edu Hermelyn, the husband of state Assemblyman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, who is also chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
The sisters were not among the arrested, the AP reported.
Authorities are seeking information on whether the accused received improper payments tied to contracts issued to BHRAGS Home Care Inc., the AP <a href="https://apnews.com/article/farah-louis-debbie-louis-edu-hermelyn-brooklyn-democratic-73fdb7398a718efbadd5e0a9c0b4f519" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Monday. The nonprofit group expanded its services to include emergency migrant shelters in 2022 and subsequently received more than a dozen contracts. St. Fort&#8217;s company, Fort NYC Security, provided security at the shelters as a subcontractor for BHRAGS and another nonprofit serving the city&#8217;s homeless population, Bronx Family Network Inc.
Five of the six contracts handed to St. Fort&#8217;s company were issued on an emergency basis, allowing the city to bypass competitive bidding requirements, the AP reported.
Debbie Louis was placed on leave last week after Hochul got wind of the probe, a spokesperson for the governor said. Sources <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/30/us-news/federal-prosecutors-investigating-nyc-council-member-hochul-aide-for-taking-bribes-to-help-migrant-shelter-provider/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post that the probe does not involve Louis&#8217; role in the governor&#8217;s office or state funds.
St. Fort has been indicted on charges including conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, and violating a law prohibiting interstate travel for unlawful activities, according to the AP.
New York City was hit with an influx of more than 200,000 migrants during the Biden administration as millions were ushered across the southern border and released en masse. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott bused some of the migrants to New York in an effort to put pressure on sanctuary cities and draw attention to their policies. As a result, the city was forced to scramble to find housing for the newly arrived migrants, flipping hotels into shelters and erecting a tent facility on Randall’s Island to accommodate the influx.

New York City Honors Juneteenth Holiday

Bribery Probe Hits Dem Governor’s Inner Circle Over Migrant Shelter Deals

New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani is moving to cut third-party consulting contracts as he works to implement his socialist agenda and close a $5.4 billion budget deficit, adopting a cost-cutting approach similar to that of President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative.
In 2025, as part of Trump&#8217;s effort, DOGE canceled $5.1 billion in consulting services from private contractors, including Deloitte, which had more than <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/04/03/doge-private-contract-crackdown-deloitte-consultancies/">120</a> contracts eliminated. 
Mamdani <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mayor-mamdani-releases-update-on-savings-plan">said</a> the city will eliminate consulting agreements across several agencies, including the Department of Corrections, NYC Aging, the Department of Social Services, and the Office of Technology and Innovation.
&#8220;The city was paying for a lot of work from outside contractors that was costing us far too much,&#8221; he said in a <a href="https://x.com/NYCMayor/status/2036801229322412378">post</a> on X. &#8220;So we&#8217;re bringing a lot of that work in-house and saving our budget millions.&#8221;
The cuts are expected to save roughly $15 million, a small fraction of the overall deficit.
Mamdani&#8217;s move comes as he continues grappling with the city&#8217;s growing fiscal challenges. He has blamed the current fiscal crisis on financial mismanagement by the Adams administration, which came under fire for consulting spending. The city paid elite consulting firm McKinsey <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-hired-mckinsey-to-assess-the-citys-waste-needs-2024-7">$1.6</a> million to study, design, and plan a new system to keep trash off the sidewalks. Critics mocked the result, saying the firm effectively produced a redesigned trash can under the label “containerization.” 
If Mamdani is unable to secure additional revenue through Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, he has said the city may turn to a last resort: raising property taxes by 9.5% and drawing down its “rainy day fund.”
Mamdani points in part to the roughly <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2024/12/following-asylum-seeker-odyssey/382850/">$4.3</a> billion cost of housing and supporting more than <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2024/12/following-asylum-seeker-odyssey/382850/">210,000 migrants</a> who arrived in the city under his predecessor in 2022. He has argued that the situation is worse than the 2008 financial crisis.
That claim is debatable. During the financial crisis, roughly <a href="https://medium.com/@jmk9857/gfc-nyc-a-look-at-the-2008-global-financial-crisis-and-its-impact-on-new-york-city-e594402f3302">55,000</a> New Yorkers lost their jobs, and city deficits averaged about $5 billion, equivalent to about $7.6 billion today. Even as he warns of a &#8220;generational fiscal crisis,&#8221; Mamdani has downplayed recent credit outlook downgrades, calling them premature as negotiations for additional revenue continue.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Interview

Mamdani Steals Move From Trump’s Playbook To Try To Fund His Socialist Agenda

DOGE

New York Governor Kathy Hochul took to a fireside chat this week to essentially beg the wealthy &#8220;captives&#8221; she’s already chased away to come back and fund her socialist fever dreams.
Sitting down with Nick Reisman at the Politico New York Agenda summit, Hochul finally <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/video-audio-photos-rush-transcript-governor-hochul-participates-fireside-chat-politico-summit?utm_source=chatgpt.com">admitted</a> what conservatives have been saying for years: high taxes actually drive people away.
Imagine that.
After years of treating the state’s high-net-worth residents like an ATM with an infinite balance, Hochul is suddenly &#8220;conscious of the fact that I need people who are high-net-worth to support the generous social programs that we want to have in our state &#8230; cut me the checks, if you want to be supportive, but maybe the first step should be to go down to Palm Beach and see who we can bring back home because our tax base has been eroded.&#8221;
Translation? The piggy bank is empty, and the people who used to fill it have realized that Florida doesn&#8217;t have a state income tax or a Governor who views them as &#8220;captives.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kathy Hochul making a weak plea for wealthy people who have left New York (to red states like Florida) to come back to pay their high taxes to fund failing (unaccountable) social programs: 
“I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs we have in… <a href="https://t.co/7quhsFyWyn">pic.twitter.com/7quhsFyWyn</a>
&mdash; Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWhitlock/status/2034243619616391649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Remote work changed everything,&#8221; Hochul lamented, sounding like a jailer who accidentally left the cell door unlocked. &#8220;There were people who could only work in an office in Manhattan &#8230; and they were captives to our state. They were going to stay. We saw that that’s not the case.&#8221; She even admitted that Wall Street is eyeing Texas — not because of the personalities involved, but because of the cold, hard math. &#8220;They’re not going there because they have a nicer governor&#8230; they’re going there because of the tax rate.&#8221;
Despite this moment of clarity, Hochul’s solution isn&#8217;t to cut spending or scale back the &#8220;generous&#8221; programs that caused the crisis. Instead, she’s asking &#8220;patriotic millionaires&#8221; to &#8220;cut me the checks&#8221; and suggests a recruitment drive in the Sunshine State. &#8220;Maybe the first step should be to go down to Palm Beach and see who we can bring back home because our tax base has been eroded,&#8221; she said.
Good luck with that. Why would anyone trade a cabana in Palm Beach for a &#8220;late night call&#8221; from a New York politician demanding money?
The governor also spent a significant amount of time whining about the Trump administration, blaming the former President for everything from the price of gas to her own inability to meet radical climate goals. She admitted that her administration’s green energy mandates are &#8220;scaring the crap out of everybody&#8221; with skyrocketing utility costs, yet she continues to push an &#8220;all-of-the-above approach&#8221; while begging for &#8220;breathing room.&#8221;
Ultimately, Hochul is a leader in denial. She wants the &#8220;generous&#8221; spending of a socialist utopia but is realizing — far too late — that Margaret Thatcher was right: eventually you run out of other people’s money.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

Hochul Begs Rich New Yorkers To Return From Florida, Admits High Taxes Chased Them Away

Florida

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