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

New York

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

Baseball

General

New York Mets

Sports

U.S.

Zohran Mamdani

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

Crime

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

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

Court

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

Kathy Hochul

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>
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&#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

A man accused of shoving two men, including an 83-year-old Air Force veteran, onto New York City subway tracks on Sunday is an illegal immigrant who was previously deported on four separate occasions.
Bairon Posada-Hernandez first entered the country on January 2, 2008, and was subsequently deported four different times, most recently in 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed Thursday. He snuck into the country illegally a fifth time without getting caught.
The Honduran national also has a &#8220;lengthy&#8221; rap sheet of 15 prior charges, including simple assault, domestic violence, obstruction of police, possession of a weapon, drug possession, and aggravated assault, DHS said.
“Bairon Posada-Hernandez is a serial criminal and a four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras who should never have been able to walk our streets and harm innocent Americans,” Deputy Assistant Homeland Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement Thursday.
“We are praying for the victims and their families. DHS is calling upon New York sanctuary politicians to commit to this ICE detainer and not release this heinous criminal back into New York communities,&#8221; Bis added.
Posada-Hernandez allegedly shoved the elderly veteran, who has since been identified as Richard Williams, and the 30-year-old man onto the tracks in an unprovoked attack late Sunday morning, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/11/us-news/migrant-accused-of-shoving-83-year-old-another-man-onto-subway-tracks-calmly-walked-away-after-crime-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post. The illegal immigrant then fled the scene before passersby saved the two men from getting hit by the next subway train.
Disturbing cellphone footage of the attack obtained by the New York Post showed Posada-Hernandez calmly walking away.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer on March 10, requesting that local authorities hand Posada-Hernandez over to the feds, according to DHS.
Local authorities are not expected to comply due to sanctuary laws.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, doubled down on those policies with an executive order last month.
More than 7,110 illegal immigrants were in local law enforcement custody across the state of New York in February with ICE detainers, according to DHS. The inmates account for 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drugs offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses.
Authorities arrested Posada-Hernandez around 5 a.m. on Tuesday at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, according to the New York Post. He is now charged with attempted murder, attempted assault, assault, and reckless endangerment.
Williams is still clinging to life at a local hospital, the New York Post reported.
“My father, Richard, is on a respirator in the ICU in the hospital. That’s all we are going to say,” one of Williams’ daughters told the outlet Tuesday.

Untitled design – 2026-03-12T112331.085

Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Shoving Air Force Veteran Onto Subway Tracks Was Deported Four Times

deportation

New York City

Sanctuary Cities

Moody’s downgraded New York City&#8217;s financial outlook from &#8220;stable&#8221; to &#8220;negative&#8221; on Wednesday, citing a projected $5.4 billion budget deficit. 
The deficit was unveiled by Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a preliminary budget hearing in February. Mamdani has proposed increasing the city’s budget from $115 billion under his predecessor to $127 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. 
A spokesperson for Mamdani said Moody&#8217;s action is <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/moody-downgrades-nyc-financial-outlook-202000768.html">premature</a>, noting that state lawmakers are considering roughly $5 billion in additional funding for the city.
In its statement, Moody&#8217;s acknowledged that the proposed state funding “could have a stabilizing effect over time,” but cautioned that it would matter only “if enacted.” 
Without additional state funding, Mamdani has proposed raising property taxes by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-127b-budget-plan-relies-on-property-tax-increases-and-raiding-rainy-day-fund">9.5%</a> and taking <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-127b-budget-plan-relies-on-property-tax-increases-and-raiding-rainy-day-fund">$980</a> million from the city’s rainy-day fund. Moody&#8217;s warned that tapping reserves would “limit financial flexibility, especially if economic growth slows sharply or an outright downturn materializes.” 
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine described the potential property tax hike and use of reserves as having “dire consequences” and called Moody’s decision a red flag. 
“Moody’s decision to review New York City’s outlook to negative is a sobering wakeup call about the fiscal challenges ahead for us,” Levine said. 
The downgrade comes after a year in which the city posted record Wall Street revenues amid a strong local economy.
Despite revising the outlook, Moody&#8217;s left the city&#8217;s bond rating unchanged. A full downgrade would likely raise New York&#8217;s borrowing costs by signaling greater credit risks to investors.
Moody&#8217;s warned that a rating downgrade could follow if budget gaps widen to 10% of city revenue.
Mamdani has attributed the projected deficits to what he describes as mismanagement under former Mayor Eric Adams, arguing that prior budgets failed to adequately fund cash assistance, rental support, and shelter services.
During the Adams administration, the city absorbed more than <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2024/12/following-asylum-seeker-odyssey/382850/">210,000 migrants,</a> with officials estimating the cost of housing and support services at roughly <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2024/12/following-asylum-seeker-odyssey/382850/">$4.3</a> billion. Those expenses continue to strain the city&#8217;s budget.
Meanwhile, Mamdani has advanced several costly campaign proposals, including expanded childcare and transit initiatives. According to estimates cited by the New York Post, the mayor&#8217;s proposed expansion of childcare for two-year-olds could grow from $73 million in its first year to $425 million by 2027. A proposed &#8220;free and fast buses&#8221; initiative could cost the city up to <a href="https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/how-mamdani-can-delivery-free-buses-and-subways-too/#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20his%20own%20campaign,to%20be%20made%20up%20somewhere.">$800 million</a>.
&nbsp;

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Holds Press Conference At Deno’s Wonder Wheel On Coney Island

Months Into Mamdani’s Term, NYC Gets A Big Credit Warning

The Justice Department announced Monday that it may have reached a settlement in its antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment.
Though nothing is confirmed yet, the DOJ announced in Manhattan federal court that the case was likely nearing a conclusion after the term sheet was signed on Thursday, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/livenation-antitrust-justice-department-0a6ef66f497e5f626096de753bfff8ce">Associated Press</a>.
An unnamed official told the outlet that the terms included Live Nation paying a fine of up to $280 million and divesting some properties to allow for more competition in the ticket sales industry. The official said the settlement was a “win-win for everybody.”
Certain states were allegedly not on board with the proposed terms, however, and Judge Arun Subramanian called the terms “entirely unacceptable.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that the settlement “fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case.” 
“My attorney general colleagues and I have a strong case against Live Nation, and we will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry,” she said, adding that she preferred to move forward with the trial.
Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown has a similar take, saying, “[the] case against Live Nation is strong, and the state coalition is committed to holding the company accountable for its illegal behavior, protecting consumers and restoring competition to this market,” the outlet noted.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2024 under the Biden administration, as WSJ <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/live-nation-reaches-settlement-in-federal-antitrust-case-9f0c6fb7">reported</a>. About 40 states came together to sue the entertainment company.
U.S. Justice Department lawyer David Dahlquist summarized the charges during opening statements last Tuesday, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-opens-landmark-antitrust-trial-against-ticketmaster-calls-concert-ticketing-broken">reported</a>.
“This case is about power, the power of a monopolist to control competition,” Dahlquist said. “Today, the concert ticket industry is broken.”
Attorney David Marriott, who is representing Live Nation, said it wasn’t so. “We’ll let the numbers do the talking. We do not have monopoly power,” he said in response.
The complaint alleges that the company engages in “anticompetitive conduct” that results in higher fees, fewer opportunities for artists, and limited ticketing options. The filing occurred after the infamous 2022 incident when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour pre-sale tickets caused the Ticketmaster site to crash, with thousands of fans — and bots — swarming the site all at once.
This Taylor Swift incident led to congressional hearings beginning in January 2023.
Ticketmaster was founded in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010. Over the years, the company has clashed with fans and artists, with many accusing the company of having predatory prices. The rock band Pearl Jam testified before Congress on the issue all the way back in 1994, but their efforts ultimately led nowhere.

Taylor Swift

Ticketmaster Case Sparked By Taylor Swift Ticket Meltdown Enters Key Stage

Department of Justice

Lawsuit

Music

Ticketmaster

A landmark antitrust trial against Live Nation began this week in New York with the Department of Justice seeking to prove that the entertainment company, which owns Ticketmaster, maintains an illegal monopoly over the concert ticket industry.
U.S. Justice Department lawyer David Dahlquist summarized the charges during opening statements on Tuesday, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-trial-ecfd6cb3e77459412584ed002653bc8f">Associated Press</a>. 
“This case is about power, the power of a monopolist to control competition,” Dahlquist said. “Today, the concert ticket industry is broken.”
Attorney David Marriott, who is representing Live Nation, said it wasn’t so. “We’ll let the numbers do the talking. We do not have monopoly power,” he said in response.
The complaint alleges that the company engages in &#8220;anticompetitive conduct&#8221; that results in higher fees, fewer opportunities for artists, and limited ticketing options. 
Per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-trial-doj-what-to-know-rcna261400">NBC News</a>, Live Nation controls 400 musical artists and owns or controls 265 concert venues in North America. 
“Through interconnected agreements associated with Live Nation’s various roles as ticketer, promoter, artist manager, and venue owner,” the complaint states. “Live Nation has created a feedback loop that pushes ticketing and ancillary fees higher while allowing Live Nation to be on all sides of numerous transactions and thereby double-dip from the pockets of fans, artists, and venues.”
This trial, expected to last six weeks, came about after a 2024 lawsuit alleged that Live Nation unfairly dominated concert ticketing and promotion, leaving no room for competitors. The filing occurred after the infamous 2022 incident when Taylor Swift&#8217;s Eras Tour pre-sale tickets caused the Ticketmaster site to crash, with thousands of fans and bots swarming the site all at once.
This Taylor Swift incident led to congressional hearings beginning in January 2023.
“To have a strong capitalist system, you have to have competition. You can’t have too much consolidation. Something that unfortunately for this country — as an ode to Taylor Swift, I will say — we know all too well,” Minnesota Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar said at the time, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-loses-it-over-senators-quoting-taylor-swift-songs-at-ticketmaster-hearing">reported</a>.
Ticketmaster began in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010. Over the years, the company has been at odds with fans and artists at various points, with many accusing the company of having predatory prices. The rock band Pearl Jam testified before Congress on the issue all the way back in 1994, but their efforts ultimately led nowhere.
Marriott argued during the trial’s opening day that the company supports the music industry and is “all about bringing joy to people’s lives.”
He also said the amount of revenue Ticketmaster and Live Nation rake in is highly exaggerated, as AP noted.

DOJ Opens Landmark Antitrust Trial Against Ticketmaster, Calls Concert Ticketing ‘Broken’

Ticketmaster Antitrust Trial Begins Today, DOJ Says Concert Ticket Industry Is 'Broken'

Entertainment

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