Does more government involvement in the socioeconomic sphere make the life of an average New Yorker better? Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani thinks so, with big-government policies prioritizing economic redistribution, a fundamental aspect of socialist ideology.
Mamdani’s platform includes city-owned grocery stores, free buses, no-cost childcare, rent freezes, a $30 minimum wage, and small business reforms.
While the latter proposal is commendable and bipartisan, Mamdani’s solutions are, unfortunately, not. He has promised small businesses, which account for <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/smallbizfirst/downloads/pdf/small-business-first-report.pdf">98%</a> of firms in the city and employ over half of the private sector workforce, a regulatory reform package focused on improving compliance.
Mamdani alleges to be a <a href="https://www.zohranfornyc.com/platform">champion for the little guy</a>, claiming he will “cut small business fines in half, speed up permitting and make online applications easier, and increase funding for 1:1 small business support by 500%.” While his message resonates and it correctly identifies that the city’s systems can be punishingly slow, his agenda does not target root concerns for businesses.
Rather than removing any of the <a href="https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/index">6,000 regulations</a> that cost small businesses time, money, and resources, Mamdani proposes that minimally <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2022/05/mayor-adams-reduces-burdens-nyc-small-businesses-jumpstarts-city-s-economic-recovery-by">reducing compliance expenses</a> is the best strategy for making business operations faster, easier, and cheaper.
Violations such as labor non-compliance, sanitation issues, or building code infractions can cost owners <a href="https://cei.org/blog/american-small-businesses-are-paying-through-the-roof-for-regulations/">thousands of dollars annually</a>. The right solution is deregulation — to remove needless and onerous regulations and to ensure compliance with essential safeguards.
Instead, he has proposed more government bureaucracy, namely the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wuZ-s8VnnAHqHhqtHESwgzINiN7D95vy/view">“Mom and Pop Czar” Office</a>. This entity, allegedly designed to promote small business interests, will work to halve fines and eliminate fees. Leaving thousands of bad regulations on the books and simply arbitrarily reducing fees is more likely to lead to confusion, harmful non-compliance, and situations that can be easily gamed — in short, a profit for lawyers and accountants but not for workers and customers.
This is more likely to undermine local trust in regulatory fairness. Firms that have invested in compliance in the past may feel penalized, creating an environment of social decohesion. This is a politically motivated and poor substitution for deregulation.
Speeding up permitting and making online applications easier should quicken the timeline for which small businesses can begin operations. New York City’s permitting process is complex and slow, taking several months and costing owners time, money, and resources. However, the mayor-elect’s plan lacks any detail on how to achieve a simpler <a href="https://www.permitflow.com/blog/nyc-building-permits">permitting process</a> and is more likely to be a false campaign promise than a serious effort to ease the burdens of New York City’s businesses.
Increasing funding for small businesses by 500% is intended to offer personalized support for owners in the form of grants, loans, and technical assistance. Mamdani will finance and expand the <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/about/pr20220907-nycbest.page">Business Express Service Teams (BEST)</a>, which offer one-to-one support and assist small businesses with bureaucratic hurdles.
Over-reliance on government assistance may harm entrepreneurial independence as it fosters governmental dependence and crowds out numerous private sector entities that provide the same kind of support to businesses. Scaling up BEST requires hiring and training more staff, risking inefficiencies and mismanagement of funds.
Instead of <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/RedTapeReport.pdf">eliminating useless or obsolete regulations</a>, he offers <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14-aM9DKG337SDMilmfQtLRR-pDwyWSTc/view">crushing tax increases</a> and false promises mired in government bureaucracy. Mamdani’s policies do not address leading concerns for small businesses, those being the over 6,000 regulations that impede operations. He targets operational burdens and small fees, completely ignoring the primary costs for entrepreneurs — regulations.
Making compliance requirements less restrictive can best be achieved by eliminating the compliance requirement altogether. Removing the regulatory burdens that plague small business owners best fosters free market competition and economic growth.
Mamdani should recognize a simple truth: prudent deregulation is the only viable long-term solution, not government intervention.
* * *
Nicole Huyer is a Senior Research Associate in The Heritage Foundation’s Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Mamdani’s ‘Mom-and-Pop’ Plan Doesn’t Cut Red Tape

Mamdani’s 'Mom-and-Pop' Plan Doesn’t Cut Red Tape

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Daily Wire Investigative Reporter Luke Rosiak details his reporting on governmental waste and fraud before Congress, controversy swirls around Zohran Mamdani’s administration-to-be, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) gives us an inside look at Minnesota’s fraud scandal.
It’s Thursday, December 11, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251211-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dei-fraud-exposed-mamdanis-radical-moves-12-11-25/id1576594336?i=1000740820041" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Senate Digs Into DEI Fraud</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1013133" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/8a-Ate-Billions-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/8a-Ate-Billions-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/8a-Ate-Billions-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/8a-Ate-Billions-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/8a-Ate-Billions-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/8a-Ate-Billions.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The Senate is investigating a multi-billion-dollar DEI fraud scheme, as the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates, sending markets soaring. 
Senate drills into DEI: The Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program was initially intended to offer support for those deemed “socially and economically disadvantaged.” Under the Biden administration, federal agencies were instructed to ensure 15% of all contracts were given to businesses operated by minorities or women, meaning billions of taxpayer dollars were awarded based on race and gender in what became one of the largest DEI programs in the country.
Not only was the program intentionally excluding people based on race, but it was also ripe with fraud. Daily Wire Investigative Reporter Luke Rosiak documented countless cases in which minority business owners would win a contract, then outsource all the work to non-minority-owned businesses, pocketing most of the money in the process.
On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Small Business held a hearing to address the fraud, and Rosiak testified about his findings.
“8A creates a random group of influence peddlers who like lobbyists, get rich by selling their access to government insiders to the benefit of big businesses, while driving up the cost for all of us. This is the kind of thing people hate about Washington. You owe it to voters to end this program,” <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/1998848540135555157?s=20">said</a> Rosiak.
Interest rates: On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve Board voted to cut interest rates by a quarter point to the 3.5%-3.75% range. That means rates have now come down by nearly 2% over the last year and a half. They’re now at their lowest point in more than three years.
There was not unanimous agreement from the voting members of the Fed Board. For the first time in six years, three of the twelve officials cast dissenting votes, with two saying cuts weren’t needed, and one saying the cut should be bigger.
Essentially, the disagreement stems from whether the Fed should prioritize the labor market, which has slowed significantly, or inflation, which remains well above the target range of 2%. Typically, rates are raised when inflation is high, and lowered when the labor market is cool. Ultimately, the Fed Board, led by Chair Jerome Powell, viewed the labor market as a more pressing matter, and said these cuts would help with hiring and unemployment. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Mamdani’s Rule Already Stirring Controversy</h2>
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Topline: As New York City braces for a seismic shift in leadership with democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani taking the helm as mayor next month, a wave of controversy is erupting over his early moves.
Many political pundits, particularly those on the Right, warned that Mamdani would endanger public safety and undermine law enforcement, and now they say they’re seeing evidence for these claims even before he has officially taken office.
One of the most talked-about moves came just days ago, when Mamdani put out a video addressed to immigrants living in New York City. In it, he <a href="https://x.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1997801475066745259?s=20">told</a> viewers they have the right to “stand up to ICE.”
Critics argue this goes beyond merely explaining constitutional rights. Some say it could embolden illegal aliens, even those with criminal records, to resist or evade lawful ICE action.
Mamdani’s transition: The transition team has been an explosive topic as Mamdani has tapped Mysonne Linen to be a key voice on justice reform on the “Committee on the Criminal Legal System.”
Linen was once a rising hip-hop star signed to Def Jam. But in 1999, he was convicted of two armed robberies where he held up taxi drivers at gunpoint. He served seven years and was paroled in 2006.
He then rebranded as a Black Lives Matter activist and co-founded Until Freedom with Linda Sarsour, a controversial pro-Palestinian activist who has also served as a Mamdani advisor.
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The choice has driven law enforcement apoplectic. Correction officers’ union head Benny Boscio called it “disheartening and deeply disturbing.” Retired NYPD brass such as John Chell see a pattern with Mamdani filling his team with anti-cop firebrands like black nationalist Lumumba Bandele, defund-the-police guru Alex Vitale, and others.
Mamdani says he just wants a broad array of “experiences and analysis” to draw from.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">What’s Behind The Massive Somali Fraud Scandal?</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1013137" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Congressional-Minnesota-Probe-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Congressional-Minnesota-Probe-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Congressional-Minnesota-Probe-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Congressional-Minnesota-Probe-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Congressional-Minnesota-Probe-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Congressional-Minnesota-Probe.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The sweeping fraud allegations coming out of Minnesota have sparked demands for more investigations and further action from political leaders in D.C. to protect against billions more in taxpayer dollars getting funneled into the hands of fraudsters. Morning Wire spoke with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th congressional district, about the scandal. (This interview has been lightly edited.)
Morning Wire: We have this massive fraud scandal continuing to unravel this week. What do you believe were the most critical oversight failures within the Walz administration? And how should Minnesota restructure its safeguards to prevent this from happening again?
Emmer: The first thing you do is you got to get rid of [Minnesota Democratic Governor] Tim Walz and [Minnesota Attorney General] Keith Ellison and [Congresswoman] Ilhan Omar. I mean, there&#8217;s your biggest structural problem right there. Let me put some context around this for your viewers, your listeners. … The facts are this: today, there are roughly 80,000 Somali immigrants that are living in Minnesota. The vast majority of them live in Minneapolis or Hennepin County–an area called Cedar-Riverside. … Tim Walz and Keith Ellison cannot get votes in greater Minnesota. Think about this: in the last election, Tim Walz outspent the Republican candidates $15 million to $1.7 million, and he won with 52%, just over 52% of the vote. If you look a little deeper, we have 87 counties. Tim Walz only won the 13 metro counties. We&#8217;ll go a little farther. If you look at the 74 counties that he lost, he got 37% of the vote, including losing his former congressional seat by eight points. So, what is this about? This is about the fact that when he and Keith Ellison took office, Keith Ellison instantly set up a policy in his attorney general&#8217;s office that required his approval before any further investigations into fraud could go forward. Guess what? He&#8217;s never approved one of them. … And it&#8217;s not that all Somali immigrants are bad. It just so happens that 90% of the crimes we&#8217;re talking about have been committed by people that are in the Somali community. And by the way, they have been sending millions back to Somalia into the hands of Al-Shabaab, a known terrorist group. So, if you look at Keith Ellison, he won by a little less than one point in his last election. What is this all about? This is all about them getting re-elected. They need that 60 to 80,000 Somali population. They need them to be voting for them. That&#8217;s what this is all about.
Morning Wire: You mentioned the word accountability. We do have some individual actors being convicted, but what about on the government level? What about some of these officials? Is there any action being taken to hold people accountable if they looked the other way knowingly? What investigations are going on with that, and what do you hope to see pursued?
Emmer: Look, I think our U.S. Justice Department is starting to pick up where Minnesota should have been involved investigating not only the fraud but who might have been not just incompetent but actively engaged in the fraud because they should be criminally held, criminally responsible. You&#8217;ve got Dr. Oz, who&#8217;s investigating a fraud on the Medicaid program. You&#8217;ve got Kelly Loeffler, who&#8217;s investigating fraud in the SBA program. You got Kash Patel, who&#8217;s busy with his team investigating Somali gangs that have frankly been running rampant in the Twin Cities committing crimes and no one will hold them accountable for it.

MRN_251211_V2

Morning Brief: DEI Fraud Exposed, Mamdani’s Radical Moves, & Minnesota Scandal Reveals Fault Lines

Morning Brief: Senate Digs Into DEI, Mamdani Picks Stoke Controversy, And The Politics Of MN Fraud

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Jerome Powell

Keith Ellison

Minnesota

Morning Wire

Tim Walz

New York City&#8217;s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, promised on Thursday to end homeless encampment sweeps when he takes over next month.
Mamdani said he would discontinue a priority enacted by current Mayor Eric Adams, who attempted to clear out &#8220;makeshift, unsafe houses&#8221; that have popped up throughout the city, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/04/us-news/mamdani-to-stop-all-sweeps-of-homeless-encampments-as-nyc-mayor/">reported</a>. The mayor-elect will stop the sweeps despite city officials receiving more than 45,000 complaints about the homeless encampments so far this year.
Mamdani argued that the Adams administration&#8217;s policy has failed because it did not connect &#8220;homeless New Yorkers to the housing that they so desperately need.&#8221;
“We are going to take an approach that understands its mission is connecting those New Yorkers to housing,” Mamdani added. “Whether it’s supportive housing, whether it’s rental housing, whatever kind of housing it is, because what we have seen is the treatment of homelessness as if it is a natural part of living in this city, when in fact, it’s more often a reflection of a political choice being made.”
New York City currently <a href="https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-02253">urges</a> residents to &#8220;report homeless people who have established encampments on public property,&#8221; adding, &#8220;In New York City, obstructions and encampments are not allowed.&#8221;
Mamdani cruised to a landslide mayoral election victory over former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa last month in part because of his focus on affordability and housing. Mamdani vowed to build more affordable housing in the city and said he would push to freeze rents in some apartment buildings.
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He did not specify how he would address complaints about homeless encampments or if he would remove the city&#8217;s online complaint portal. New York City&#8217;s homeless population has skyrocketed in recent years, largely due to the massive influx of illegal immigrants, <a href="https://www.osc.ny.gov/press/releases/2025/01/dinapoli-numbers-homeless-population-doubled-new-york">according</a> to the New York state government. In January 2022, an estimated 45,343 people were in the city&#8217;s homeless shelters. Just two years later, there were nearly 90,000.
Mamdani&#8217;s opposition to the sweeps is partly based on a 2023 audit released by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, which found that during Mayor Adams&#8217; homeless encampment raids, only a small percentage of homeless people removed from their makeshift housing accepted temporary shelter with the city, Fox News reported.
&#8220;The evidence is clear: by every measure, the homeless sweeps failed,&#8221; Lander argued.
The Adams administration has pushed back on the audit, saying that Lander&#8217;s findings took the data &#8220;out of context.&#8221;
“Cherry-picking numbers and sharing them out of context paint a disingenuous picture as these cleanups have actually connected more than 500 New Yorkers to safe, stable housing,” City Hall said on Thursday.
“New York City continues to have the lowest rate of unsheltered homelessness of any major city in the nation,” City Hall added.

Mamdani Sides With Homeless Encampments Over NYC Taxpayers

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U.S. negotiators head to Moscow after huddling over a peace framework with Ukraine officials, Luigi Mangione arrives at a Manhattan courtroom for pre-trial hearings in his murder case, and the Supreme Court hears arguments on who is responsible for music piracy.
It’s Tuesday, December 2, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251202">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moscow-peace-negotiations-mangione-contests-evidence/id1576594336?i=1000739259937" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">U.S. Negotiators In Moscow, And Trump’s Caribbean Crackdown</h2>
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Topline: U.S. negotiators are in Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the White House faces growing scrutiny over its drug crackdown in the Caribbean. 
Ukraine peace deal: Last week, a draft of the U.S. peace plan leaked, including significant concessions from Ukraine. After outrage from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and virtually every European head of state, the White House spent the following days meeting with Ukrainian officials who lobbied for more favorable terms.
Specifically, Ukrainian officials want to remove portions of the text that hand over large swaths of land in the East and cap their military at 600,000 personnel. And perhaps most importantly, they want explicit guarantees that if Russia invades in the future, the U.S. and NATO will have their back.
Those talks concluded Sunday in Miami, where three of Zelensky’s top advisers huddled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukraine’s secretary of national security called the meetings productive and said, “The U.S. is hearing us, supporting us, and walking beside us.”
Witkoff to Moscow: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, are in Moscow on Tuesday for an expected sit-down with Putin. But he’s unlikely to sign on to the current deal if it doesn’t allow him to seize large portions of land in Eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, including some territory still in Ukrainian hands.
Speaking last week, Putin warned that “when Ukrainian troops leave the territories they hold, then the fighting will stop. If they don’t, then we’ll achieve that through military means.”
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But the reality is, even if Zelensky agreed to hand over land in exchange for peace, which seems unlikely at the moment, there are significant legal hurdles. Under the Ukrainian constitution, any change to the country’s borders must be approved by voters through a nationwide referendum.
Caribbean capers: The administration is facing increased scrutiny over White House <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/5628447-defense-secretary-authorizes-drug-boat-strike/">confirmation</a> that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth authorized, but did not order, a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel after at least two people survived the initial strike.
On Monday, Democrats continued to slam Hegseth and the president, accusing them of committing war crimes. Now, Congress is stepping in, with the Republican-led armed services committees in the House and Senate vowing to conduct “vigorous oversight” and a “full accounting” of the alleged incident.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Luigi Mangione In Court For Pre-Trial Hearings</h2>
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Topline: Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared in a New York City courtroom this week for key pre-trial hearings.
Mangione, a 27-year-old Ivy League grad, has been charged with stalking and killing Thompson in December 2024. Thompson, a father of two, was shot from behind while walking toward a New York City hotel to attend a corporate investor conference.
Prosecutors say Thompson was targeted over the suspect’s grievances with the health insurance industry, citing a “manifesto.” Recovered shell casings also had the inscriptions, “delay,” “deny,” and “depose.” Mangione is facing life in prison for the state case against him, and potentially the death penalty if he’s convicted in the federal case. Mangione has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
The state case: Mangione appeared in a New York City court on Monday to begin a pre-trial evidentiary hearing. His lawyers are asking that key evidence be suppressed at trial, arguing that it was found on Mangione without a warrant and before Mangione was read his Miranda rights.
The evidence in question is crucial to the case, including the 9 mm handgun matching the murder weapon, and a notebook that prosecutors say contains writings revealing Mangione’s motive for the assassination. The defense also wants statements Mangione allegedly made to police, which they say were made before the suspect was read his rights, tossed.
The prosecution’s case: Prosecutors say the search of Mangione’s backpack was lawful and not unreasonable, as officers needed to search the suspect’s bag for safety reasons. Officers needed to ensure there were no weapons or dangerous items on Mangione when they found him at a McDonald&#8217;s in Pennsylvania. That was after a days-long national manhunt.
As far as the statements Mangione made before being read his Miranda rights, the state says Mangione spoke to them voluntarily and before he was in formal custody, so the Miranda requirement doesn’t apply. They also note that the only statement they plan to use is when officers asked Mangione for his name, and he allegedly gave a false name in response.
Looking ahead: Pre-trial hearings in the state case could last several weeks.
As for the federal case, the next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, and a trial date may be set then. Prosecutors have filed a &#8220;notice of intent&#8221; to seek the death penalty.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">SCOTUS Hearing On Music Piracy Case</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1008297" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The Supreme Court is stepping into a billion-dollar showdown that&#8217;s pitting the music industry against internet giants. Cox Communications v. Sony Music will decide who’s responsible for illegal downloading of copyrighted content – and whether millions of Americans could lose their broadband access. 
At its core, this case asks whether an internet service provider can be held financially liable for its subscribers&#8217; illegal downloading or sharing of copyrighted material. It’s called “secondary liability.”
This began back in 2018 when major record labels like Sony, Warner Brothers, and Universal first filed a bombshell lawsuit against Cox, the third-largest broadband provider in the country. They accused Cox of ignoring rampant music piracy. This was primarily peer-to-peer file-sharing via BitTorrent. Think sites like The Pirate Bay.
In 2019, a Virginia jury ruled against Cox and awarded the plaintiffs a staggering $1 billion for allowing &#8220;habitual offenders&#8221; to steal more than 10,000 works.
But the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals tossed the damages, so Cox didn’t have to pay the $1 billion. But the Court upheld the liability. Cox appealed, and on Monday, SCOTUS heard oral arguments in the case.
The case: The main question the justices focused on was whether Cox had an obligation to terminate broadband internet provision of content thieves once the music companies had informed them of the theft.
Cox’s attorney argued they can’t set a standard here because there would be no way to isolate and punish a single user when it comes to massive accounts like universities, hospitals, and office buildings.
If the Court sides with Cox, it would reaffirm broad protections for ISPs and possibly constrain how aggressively artists and content creators can pursue copyright claims. But if the Court sides with the record labels, that could have a massive impact on millions of Americans, establishing a standard under which internet service providers are required to police user activity and cut off service to anyone found illegally downloading content.

MRN_251202_V3

Morning Brief: Moscow Peace Talks, Luigi Mangione Back In Court, & SCOTUS Piracy Case

Morning Brief: Witkoff In Moscow, Mangione In Court, And SCOTUS Case On Music Piracy

Donald Trump

Luigi Mangione

Marco Rubio

Pete Hegseth

SCOTUS

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

Dozens of fans of accused assassin Luigi Mangione flocked to a courthouse in Manhattan on Monday to catch a glimpse of their so-called hero.
Some of Mangione’s groupies arrived at court dressed in costumes of “Luigi” from the Super Mario video games. The suspect&#8217;s fans said that they support Mangione, who is accused of murdering the late CEO of UnitedHealthcare, for his stand against the U.S. health care system, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/01/us-news/luigi-mangione-arrives-in-nyc-court-for-pivotal-hearing-donning-cuffs-and-a-dapper-suit/">New York Post</a>.
Mangione has become somewhat iconic among leftists as a symbol of resistance against corporate health care, regardless of the murderous action he allegedly took. The accused assassin has even <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/15/entertainment/bill-burr-praises-luigi-mangione-in-la-fire-rant/">received</a> sympathetic treatment from figures as well-known as comedian Bill Burr. The cult of celebrity around the accused murderer has earned rebukes from those disgusted by the seeming attempts to excuse murder.
Mangione, 27, arrived at court in a gray suit and a red-and-white checkered shirt. Monday was the start of a multiday hearing over the evidence that will be allowed in Mangione’s trial.
Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. Police arrested the 27-year-old days later at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
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In court on Monday, one of Mangione’s defense attorneys, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, argued to have a manifesto found in Mangione’s backpack, as well as the gun used to kill Thompson, barred from evidence. Both items were found during a search of Mangione’s backpack at the Pennsylvania McDonald’s.
Agnifilo <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-01/luigi-mangione-tries-to-toss-gun-manifesto-from-murder-case">argued</a> in a court filing that the police officers who arrested Mangione violated his rights by searching his backpack without a warrant and before reading him his Miranda rights.
“Realizing she had made a potentially devastating mistake by thoroughly searching the backpack of a murder suspect in a significant New York press case without a warrant, Wasser suddenly stated that she was searching through the backpack at McDonald’s to make sure there ‘wasn’t a bomb or anything in here,'&#8221; Agnifilo wrote.
The most serious charge Mangione is facing is second-degree murder. If convicted, Mangione could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Supporters of Luigi Mangione

Luigi Mangione Groupies Flock To Courthouse In Support Of Alleged Assassin

Courts

Crime

U.S.

Chaos erupted in New York City on Saturday, when hundreds of anti-ICE protesters trapped federal immigration officers inside a parking garage for hours, apparently foiling an immigration raid.
Starting around 11 a.m., protesters gathered outside of a parking garage on the edge of Chinatown, after seeing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers (ICE) officers in the garage. The crowd of activists — which grew to an estimated 200 or so — shouted anti-ICE slogans, blocked the garage opening, and piled up trash bags to also stand in the way, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/nyregion/ice-raids-protests-nyc.html">according</a> to The New York Times.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ICE still FROZEN at Centre St &amp; Howard in lower Manhattan right now as calls continue circulating for people to join.
NYPD arriving with barricades. <a href="https://t.co/pCAsEyVnI9">pic.twitter.com/pCAsEyVnI9</a>
— Talia Jane ❤️‍🔥 (@taliaotg) <a href="https://twitter.com/taliaotg/status/1994815459074740371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Anti-ICE protestors currently have federal agents and vehicles BLOCKED inside a garage in NYC as they scream “ICE out of New York”
The fact they’re allowed to get away with this is why they keep doing it!
ARREST THEM ALL! <a href="https://t.co/frwdNdZug2">pic.twitter.com/frwdNdZug2</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1994809887000551879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
It wasn&#8217;t until after 1 p.m. that ICE agents left the garage in their vehicles, while being chased by protesters, who threw things like garbage cans at the vehicles.
New York Police Department officers tried to quell the riot but were generally unsuccessful, encountering physical pushback at times. According to the Times, several protesters were arrested, but an apparent ICE raid was foiled.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Utter CHAOS is breaking out against federal agents in NYC as anti-ICE rioters STORM the barricades
Their lives are in danger.
WE NEED MASS ARRESTS NOW or they will keep doing this!
<a href="https://t.co/Yo6nuMTAD3">pic.twitter.com/Yo6nuMTAD3</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1994821552316264908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
Attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents from Left-wing activists have spiked exponentially since President Donald Trump took office this term.
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Earlier this month, border patrol agents conducting immigration enforcement operations in Chicago were shot at by an unknown male driving a black Jeep, the Department of Homeland Security said at the time.
DHS also noted that an “unknown number of agitators also threw a paint can and bricks at Border Patrol’s vehicles.&#8221;
“Over the past two months, we’ve seen an increase in assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations,” DHS said. “These confrontations highlight the dangers our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement. The violence must end.”
In October, ICE officers were similarly targeted in an armed attack in Chicago. Assistant Secretary Dept. of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said officers were “rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars” and agents were forced to exit their vehicles on foot.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-violence-must-end-man-opens-fire-on-border-patrol-agents-in-chicago-chaos-erupts?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=25&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘The+Violence+Must+End’%3A+Man+Opens+Fire+On+Border+Patrol+Agents+In+Chicago%2C+Chaos+Erupts">‘The Violence Must End’: Man Opens Fire On Border Patrol Agents In Chicago, Chaos Erupts</a>

Immigration Activists In New York’s Chinatown Stage Protest Disrupting Purported ICE Raid

Anti-ICE Protesters Trap Agents In NYC Parking Garage, Foil Raid

Anti-ICE Protesters Trap Agents In NYC Parking Garage

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is calling out New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for her silence over the latest anti-police move made by far-left Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, whom Hochul endorsed.
Mamdani recently appointed Alex Vitale to his community safety committee. Vitale, a sociology professor, is the author of &#8220;The End of Policing&#8221; and has espoused radical anti-police views, such as suggesting all officers and their unions are embedded with &#8220;deep racism&#8221; and calling for the defunding and abolition of police.
“Kathy Hochul must condemn Zohran Mamdani’s appointment of Alex Vitale to his transition advisory committee,&#8221; Stefanik told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Vitale is a radical police abolitionist who will destroy New York if he gets his way,&#8221; she added.
Stefanik <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stefanik-launches-gubernatorial-bid-to-oust-empire-states-communist-loving-red-queen?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Stefanik+Launches+Gubernatorial+Bid+To+Oust+Empire+State’s+‘Communist’-Loving+Red+Queen">announced</a> her bid for New York&#8217;s next gubernatorial election in November, just days after Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, won the election as New York City’s next mayor with Hochul’s endorsement.
When Hochul endorsed Mamdani, she claimed that Mamdani told her he would maintain all police resources to ensure the safety of New Yorkers was a top priority. Vitale&#8217;s appointment seems to fly in the face of that commitment, though Hochul has so far stayed mum.
Back in 2020, Vitale strongly backed the &#8220;defund the police&#8221; movement and criticized police unions and their members for their supposed &#8220;deep racism.&#8221;
&#8220;They become, in many cities, the locus, the institutional hub, for a whole set of right-wing &#8216;thin blue line&#8217; politics that believe that policing is not only effective but it’s the most desirable way to solve our problems,&#8221; Vitale <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2020/6/8/alex_vitale_end_of_policing?">said</a>. &#8220;And embedded in this is a deep racism that says that certain populations can only be managed through constant threats and coercion.”
The professor added that this is the &#8220;logic of slavery&#8221; and &#8220;colonialism,&#8221; and activists must &#8220;take concrete steps to dismantle their political power.&#8221;
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-names-end-of-policing-author-who-called-cops-violence-workers-to-transition-team">The Daily Wire</a>, Vitale&#8217;s book, “The End of Policing,” imagines a world in which “modern policing” is broadly replaced by a combination of decriminalization and community empowerment. He argues that policing is designed to reinforce inequality, and that giving police officers diversity training is not enough to bridge the gap.
Vitale has also called for the decriminalization of offenses such as prostitution and drug use, and advocates for private corporations or government programs that would provide permanent housing for the homeless population.
Mamdani himself has espoused radical anti-police views, like calling NYPD officers &#8220;racist, anti-queer &amp; a major threat to public safety&#8221; and calling for the &#8220;wicked &amp; corrupt&#8221; department to be defunded and dismantled.
In addition to his controversial Vitale appointment, Mamdani has picked a black nationalist named Lumumba Bandele to serve on a Community Organizing committee. As <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/25/us-news/rep-elise-stefanik-challenges-hochul-after-call-to-fire-nightmare-mamdani-transition-team-pick/">noted</a> by the New York Post, Bandele previously aligned with Black Liberation Army members convicted of killing police officers in the tristate area.
“Kathy Hochul’s endorsed Mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, just picked a man who supports the killers of cops in New York and New Jersey to serve on his transition team,” Stefanik said.
“Mamdani’s vision for New York is getting very clear and it’s starting to look like a nightmare,&#8221; the Republican added. &#8220;Kathy Hochul must immediately call on Mamdani to fire Lumumba Bandele from his transition team.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-names-end-of-policing-author-who-called-cops-violence-workers-to-transition-team">Mamdani Names ‘End Of Policing’ Author Who Called Cops ‘Violence Workers’ To Transition Team</a>

Stefanik, Hochul, Mamdani

Stefanik Blasts Mamdani, Hochul Over Wild Anti-Police Appointment

Elise Stefanik

Kathy Hochul

mamdani

News

Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani (D-NYC) raised eyebrows with a recent addition to his transition team: sociology professor and author of &#8220;The End of Policing,&#8221; Alex Vitale.
Mamdani had to dial back his own anti-police rhetoric during his mayoral campaign, apologizing to New York City police officers for previous comments when prompted by Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, but his selection of Vitale appears to be a sign that he&#8217;s reverting back to his original positions.
&#8220;I&#8217;m excited to announce that I have been asked to join the Mamdani Transition Team to work on community safety issues. A New Era for NYC,&#8221; Vitale <a href="https://x.com/avitale/status/1993053108663198202">announced via X</a> on Sunday.
As critics quickly pointed out, Vitale&#8217;s position has always been decidedly anti-cop. His book, &#8220;The End of Policing,&#8221; imagines a word where &#8220;modern policing&#8221; is broadly replaced by a combination of decriminalization and community empowerment. He argues that policing is designed to reinforce inequality, and that giving police officers diversity training is not enough to bridge the gap.
He has called for the decriminalization of offenses such as prostitution and drug use, and advocates for private corporations or government programs that would provide permanent housing for the homeless population. In addition, he has repeatedly attacked Israel, claiming that Israelis are &#8220;occupying&#8221; land belonging to Palestinians — and tied that in to his negative views on policing as well, complaining that American police should not be training with Israelis: &#8220;I’m not happy with these exchanges of policing to Israel. Israel is engaged in an occupation.&#8221;
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Video circulated of Vitale, in an interview, referring to police as &#8220;violence workers&#8221; and adding, &#8220;if you don’t want racism and violence, don’t get the police involved.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 New Mamdani Transition Team Member Says Cops Are “Violence Workers” and NYPD–Israel Training Trips “Pervert American Politics”
Alex Vitale — author of The End of Policing, sociology professor at Brooklyn College, CUNY Graduate Center, and now officially part of Zohran… <a href="https://t.co/n6REJNfbjH">pic.twitter.com/n6REJNfbjH</a>
— Stu Smith (@thestustustudio) <a href="https://twitter.com/thestustustudio/status/1993101611804049914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The overall assessment, as shared by a number of people via X, is that Mamdani had simply reverted to the same anti-police, anti-Israel socialist that his opposition had spent the entire campaign warning people he was.
&#8220;The biggest risk of a Mamdani mayorship? Mass exodus from the NYPD. This occurred in SF under the radical left DA, Chesa Boudin. When police aren&#8217;t supported, they quit, retire early, or never join in the first place,&#8221; one <a href="https://x.com/michelletandler/status/1943321480466424104">posted</a>.
&#8220;Huge step backwards for Mamdani. This guy wants to defund and abolish policing. You can find him wherever prep school lefties congregate, zero working class New Yorkers adhere to these ideas,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/lhfang/status/1993123594474566090">another added</a>.

Residents Cast Ballots In New York City Mayoral Election

Mamdani Names ‘End Of Policing’ Author Who Called Cops ‘Violence Workers’ To Transition Team

Defund The Police

New York Police Department (NYPD)

Socialism

Five years ago, as a state assemblyman, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani called to defund the police. Today, he supports funding the department, but not expanding its ranks, putting himself at odds with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s repeated warnings.
&#8220;The reason I made the decision to retain commissioner Tisch is because of the importance of outcomes,” stated the 34-year-old New York City mayor-elect on Sunday&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221; &#8220;The fact that she has been able to deliver on rooting out corruption while lowering crime is something to be celebrated, and I think the commissioner and I have been very clear that what brings us together is a shared importance of public safety &#8212; I think we can do that with the officers we have.&#8221;
Tisch, however, argues the very outcomes Mamdani retained her for happened &#8220;against all odds.&#8221;
&#8220;The crime reductions we saw last year were achieved against all odds and are entirely attributable to the hard work and the grit of New York&#8217;s finest,&#8221; she said in a January press conference. &#8220;The deck has been completely stacked against our cops.&#8221;
Tisch points to low staffing levels and a justice system that &#8220;prioritizes offenders over victims,&#8221; making officers’ jobs far more difficult. Her plan to sustain the city’s gains emphasizes hiring more police and confronting what she calls &#8220;surging recidivism,&#8221; which is when repeat offenders cycle through the system.
Alongside Mayor Eric Adams in November, Tisch supported a plan to fund 5,000 additional New York Police Department officers with a goal of reaching a 40,000-member force by fiscal year 2029.
Mamdani insists the force should stay at 35,000.
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&#8220;I’ve said over the course of the campaign that I think the number we’ve had budgeted of 35,000 officers is a sufficient number,&#8221; he said. &#8220;What we have to do, however, is to allow those officers to focus on policing.&#8221;
Mamdani noted the New York Police Department responds to 200,000 mental health calls a year. He plans to build a Department of Community Safety and &#8220;task it with the mental health crisis, the homelessness crisis, and allow officers to focus on serious crimes&#8230;&#8221;
Tisch argues that lasting progress requires fixing legislation. &#8220;The key driving factor is the revolving door of our criminal justice system, created in large part by legislative changes that took effect in 2020.&#8221;
Tisch has repeatedly spotlighted high-profile cases of recidivism, including a career criminal who allegedly robbed a Queens deli at gunpoint before shooting a New York Police Department officer and an innocent bystander. The suspect had 17 prior arrests, many occurring while on lifetime parole.
&#8220;Imagine how disheartening it is for our cops to be out there arresting the same people for the same crimes in the same neighborhoods day after day,&#8221; the commissioner said.
The Trump administration backs Mamdani’s decision to keep Jessica Tisch as New York City’s police commissioner.
Trump’s National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett recently said, &#8220;We are really reassured that [Mamdani has] kept the police commissioner. In previous administrations in New York, we have seen law and order really go South.&#8221;

NYPD

NYPD Commissioner Wants More Police, Mamdani Says Current Number ‘Sufficient’

Elections

Law Enforcement

Police

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani insists that he can work with President Donald Trump for the betterment of New Yorkers despite believing Trump to be a “threat to democracy.”
Mamdani appeared on NBC News on Sunday to talk about his Friday visit to the White House. The self-described democratic socialist did not back off any of his previous attacks against the president, including calling Trump a “fascist” and a “despot,” but said that he could still work with the president for the residents of New York City.
The mayor-elect was asked about his past comments about Trump, specifically, if he still considered Trump to be a fascist. As Mamdani prepared to answer, the president <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1991974070527950896">interjected</a>, “That’s okay, you can just say it. … It’s easier than explaining. I don’t mind.”
Mamdani then said he still considered Trump to be a fascist as the two men smiled and Trump laughed. The socialist then doubled-down on his comments on Sunday while attempting to explain how he can come to work with a man who he believes is an existential threat to the United States and, presumably, New York City.
“Everything that I&#8217;ve said in the past, I continue to believe, and that&#8217;s the thing that I think is important in our politics is that we don&#8217;t shy away from where we have disagreements, but we understand what it is that brings us to that table,” <a href="https://x.com/breaking911/status/1992609352578982341">said</a> Mamdani. “I&#8217;m not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or make a stand. I&#8217;m coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers.”
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“I think working for the people of New York City demands that you work with everyone and anyone, and that you always look to find those areas of agreement while not overlooking the places of disagreement,” he added.
The two men criticized each other heavily during the campaign for New York City’s next mayor. Trump endorsed former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran against Mamdani as an independent after losing to him in the Democratic primary.
After their White House meeting, Trump <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/trump-mamdani-meeting-white-house-new-york/">offered</a> praise for the self-described democratic socialist. The president said he would “absolutely” live in New York City under Mamdani.
“We agree on a lot more than I would have thought. I want him to do a great job, and we&#8217;ll help him do a great job,” said Trump.
The president said that he was hopeful that he and Mamdani would find a way to work together on immigration.
“I think if we have known murderers, and known drug dealers, and some very bad people, we want to get them out,” said Trump. “He wants to have a safe New York. Ultimately, a safe New York is going to be a great New York.”

Zohran Mamdani, Donald Trump

Mamdani Insists He Can Work With ‘Fascist’ Trump Even Though He’s ‘Threat To Democracy’

Washington D.C.

President Donald Trump offered an optimistic view of the direction of New York City after meeting with Democratic socialist Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday.
During a press conference that followed, Trump said the two found common ground in their desires to reduce the cost of living, while also cracking down on crime. He also acknowledged that Mamdani has &#8220;views that are a little out there,&#8221; adding that he&#8217;s likely to change.
&#8220;I feel very confident that he could do a very good job. I think he is gonna surprise some conservative people, actually,&#8221; Trump told reporters from the Oval Office.
Mamdani described the meeting as &#8220;productive,&#8221; saying the discussion was &#8220;focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City, and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers &#8230; who are struggling to afford life in the most expensive city in the United States of America.&#8221;
At one point during the press conference, Mamdani was asked if he would stand by his earlier comments labeling Trump as a fascist.
Trump quickly jumped in as Mamdani danced around the question, joking that &#8220;you could just say yes.&#8221;
Mamdani said one in ten of his voters previously cast ballots for Trump, to which the president responded: &#8220;And I&#8217;m okay with that.&#8221;
<iframe class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115590382865392804/embed" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
On the campaign trail, Mamdani, a 34-year-old assemblyman from Queens, promised to institute rent control, increase taxes on the wealthy, and pull police funding for social services.
The far-left radical also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-mamdani-no-federal-cash-for-a-communist-mayor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged</a> to allocate $100 million as legal support for illegal immigrants facing deportation and to uphold the city&#8217;s sanctuary status.
During his victory speech on November 5, Mamdani took multiple jabs at Trump, calling him a &#8220;despot,&#8221; as the below excerpt shows:
<blockquote>
After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.
This is not only how we stop Trump; it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.
We will hold bad landlords to account because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks. We will stand alongside unions and expand labor protections because we know, just as Donald Trump does, that when working people have ironclad rights, the bosses who seek to extort them become very small indeed&#8230;
So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: to get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us. When we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them. A great New Yorker once said that while you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose.
</blockquote>
Despite Mamdani&#8217;s radical positions, Trump said he&#8217;s hopeful the two will &#8220;work &#8230; out&#8221; their differences when it comes to immigration raids and policing.
&#8220;If we have known murderers and known drug dealers and some very bad people, we want to get them out .. We discussed this at great length, actually, maybe more than anything else. He wants to have a safe New York, ultimately, a safe New York is gonna be a great New York.&#8221;
Additionally, he has vowed to open government-run grocery stores and free buses.
Mamdani has also faced backlash for criticizing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-antisemitic-attack-shocks-new-york-city-days-before-mayoral-election?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WATCH%3A+Antisemitic+Attack+Shocks+New+York+City+Days+Before+Mayoral+Election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel</a> and repeatedly refusing to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada.”
Trump announced Thursday that Mamdani requested to meet.

Untitled design – 2025-11-21T152624.755

Trump Embraces Mamdani At White House, Says They Both Want To Make NYC Great Again

“Gay” sheep made their fashion debut on the runway in NYC as the “I Wool Survive” collection premiered, featuring pieces made from the wool of alleged male sexually-oriented sheep.
The event aims to promote a German farmer and his plight to rescue “homosexual” sheep. Michael Stücke, who is gay, oversees a flock of these rescued rams at an organization he dubbed Rainbow Wool. The rescue’s website claims that as many as 8% of rams are sexually oriented toward other males, which leads to them being slaughtered for being non-procreative.
“Sadly, gay rams are often sent to slaughter because they can’t fulfill a farm’s ‘breeding role.’ We rescue them before that happens, giving them a safe home where they can live and love freely,” the Rainbow Wool <a href="https://rainbow-wool.com/">website</a> says, touting their inhabitants as “the world’s first gay flock of sheep.”
The “I Wool Survive” fashion collection was created to advance this cause and bring more attention to the issue. Celebrity designer Michael Schmidt teamed up with the gay dating app, Grindr, to create the collection and host a fashion show at the Altman Building in Manhattan on November 13. 
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Stücke said in a press release that the 36-piece collection “proves that being gay is part of nature itself.”
“The wool from these rams isn’t just material — it’s a message spun from animals who live freely and are loved,” he added. 
Grindr’s senior vice president of brand marketing, Tristan Pineiro, explained why the company was interested in attaching its name to the collection.
“It’s a great, feel-good story, but there’s also a message at the heart of it,” the marketing exec said, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/fashion/2025/11/20/grindr-fashion-show-gay-sheep-wool/">per</a> The Washington Post. “It’s not just a fluffy story.”
“The sheep are a kind of metaphor for all of us,” Pineiro went on. “Because they’re gay, they get discarded. They get thrown aside because they don’t conform to what they’re supposed to.”

Gay sheep

‘I Wool Survive’: Garments Spun From ‘Gay Sheep’ Receive An NYC Fashion Debut

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