New York City&#8217;s Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has, like many socialists before him, staked his reputation on fighting for the &#8220;working class&#8221; — but even when asked directly to do so, he could not define what exactly &#8220;working class&#8221; is.
Mamdani&#8217;s efforts in New York City have focused on things like rent freezes and additional taxes on the wealthy and business owners. And when the math doesn&#8217;t quite work out — largely because business owners invest where the government is less hostile — he demands a bailout from Albany and then touts his agenda as a resounding success. All of that is built around his goal of making things more affordable for the &#8220;working class&#8221; — and when <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/magazine/zohran-mamdani-interview.html">the New York Times&#8217;</a> Lulu Garcia-Navarro asked him about it directly, he struggled to define the term.
&#8220;Part of this discussion, of course, is the organization that you are part of, which is the D.S.A., and it’s having a moment, right?&#8221; Garcia-Navarro began. &#8220;They are being discussed in both good ways and bad, to put it mildly. And at the heart of it is this idea that they are fighting for the working class. And it made me wonder: How do you define the working class?&#8221;
&#8220;I think if you have to work to pay your bills, I think that that is one definition of being a part of the working class,&#8221; Mamdani replied.
&#8220;So someone making $250,000 a year is working class?&#8221; Garcia-Navarro pushed back.
&#8220;I haven’t asked myself where it starts and stops,&#8221; Mamdani said, adding, &#8220;What I would say is those who are working to try and afford the basic dignities of life and aren’t able to do so, I think that that is also working class.&#8221;
He went on to say that the &#8220;working class&#8221; — which he still had not really defined — was the only real &#8220;majority&#8221; in the United States.
&#8220;It just seems a very easy answer to what is a complicated question,&#8221; Garcia-Navarro continued to press, clearly not buying Mamdani&#8217;s spin. &#8220;Because politically, if you’re saying everyone is the working class, or anyone that gets a salary is the working class, yes, that opens up your tent. But practically speaking, we are divided by income — and especially if you want to tax people, where you draw those lines matter.&#8221;
&#8220;I’ve drawn it at about a million dollars a year,&#8221; Mamdani said.
Garcia-Navarro responded with the obvious question: &#8220;So anyone under a million dollars a year in income is working class?&#8221;
Mamdani laughed off the question, adding, &#8220;That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying, in terms of fiscal policy, I think a lot of our politics has been a debate over who you leave out. And I’m more interested in debates of how you bring more in. But yes, I do want to raise taxes on people who make more than a million a year.&#8221;
&#8220;Someone who is a janitor is going to feel some kind of way about that description if you’re lumping them in with someone who’s a lawyer. That feels like a distinction that might matter,&#8221; Garcia-Navarro tried once more.
Mamdani finally addressed the question directly, though he still failed to answer it. Instead, he argued that fixating on definitions — such as &#8220;what is a Democratic socialist?&#8221; and &#8220;what exactly makes someone working class?&#8221;— was a political distraction that kept people from getting things done.
Apparently frustrated with the question, he added, &#8220;Look, I think I’ve defined it to you as someone who works to afford their life.&#8221;

Mamdani Takes Reins Of New York City After Historic Election Win

Mamdani’s Main Goal Is Helping The ‘Working Class.’ He Can’t Define It.

Mamdani's Main Goal Is Helping 'The Working Class.' He Can't Define It.

Democratic Socialism

New York

New York City

Politics

Socialism

wealth

Zohran Mamdani

A man believed to be an anti-ICE activist armed with two airsoft rifles deployed an incendiary device outside 26 Federal Plaza in New York City on Monday morning, prompting a swift response from federal and local law enforcement.
At least two people were injured in the incident after the suspect &#8220;menaced&#8221; bystanders with the airsoft rifles, MS NOW <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/20/new-york-nyc-fbi-incendiary-device.html">reported</a>. Five law enforcement sources told MS NOW that the suspect appeared to be an anti-ICE radical.
Video <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2079203258724471267?s=20">footage</a> showed a plume of smoke rising near the building&#8217;s entrance as law enforcement officers, including ICE agents and FBI personnel, rushed out with guns drawn. Federal Protective Service officers apprehended the suspect on scene. The sidewalk was shut down, and the building was evacuated as authorities responded.
According to the FBI, the incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. ET, Fox News <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2079203258724471267?s=20">reported</a>.
&#8220;This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza. The individual has been taken into custody and the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident,&#8221; the FBI said.
FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2079219684717596752">added</a> that &#8220;two minor injuries reported thus far.&#8221;
Sources told MS NOW that the incendiary device was fireworks that were placed in a shopping cart and then doused in accelerant and lit on fire.
The New York Police Department told Fox News that a firearm was found in relation to the event, though officials could not confirm whether it was recovered from the suspect. It&#8217;s unclear if the firearm found by authorities is different from the airsoft rifles the suspect reportedly had on him.
The building at <a href="https://www.ice.gov/field-office/new-york-city-field-office">26 Federal Plaza</a> houses the ICE New York City Field Office on the 9th Floor as well as a federal immigration court. The ICE office oversees Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations across the five boroughs of New York City and several surrounding counties, including Dutchess, Nassau, Putnam, Suffolk, Sullivan, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester.
This incident comes amid a broader trend of heightened concerns regarding threats to ICE operations. The Department of Homeland Security has previously reported a significant rise in vehicle attacks against ICE officers, noting a <a href="https://dallasexpress.com/national/dhs-warns-sanctuary-rhetoric-linked-to-surge-in-ice-vehicle-attacks/">3,300% increase</a> in such incidents during a recent period compared to the prior year.
Authorities have not released additional details about the suspect or possible motives as the investigation continues. The Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes partners from the NYPD and other agencies, is handling the case.
The building, a federal facility in lower Manhattan, serves multiple government functions and is a known hub for immigration enforcement activities in the region.

Fox News/NYC fire

Armed Man Triggers Terrorism Investigation Outside ICE Office

Fire

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Terrorism

The man who breached security and confronted “Today” show host Craig Melvin in the studio on Thursday was supposed to be behind bars on felony charges.
NBC News confirmed in a statement on Thursday that Andrew Truelove, 41, “entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A” at Rockefeller Center Plaza around 9 A.M. and approached Melvin, allegedly using racial slurs and asking for TV host Al Roker. He was quickly detained by security.
“An individual entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A. The person approached anchor Craig Melvin, who alerted security,” the statement says. “The individual was detained and taken into custody by law enforcement without further incident. There was no altercation, and no one was injured.”
“Today is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate the matter. NBC and Today take the safety and security of our employees, talent, staff and guests extremely seriously,” the statement continued. “We are reviewing the incident and our security protocols and remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who works at and visits our studios.”
Court records obtained by <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/07/16/today-show-alleged-intruder-andrew-truelove-has-criminal-history/">TMZ</a> show that Truelove shouldn’t have been walking free in the first place. The “Today” show trespasser recently pleaded guilty to felony criminal mischief after being accused of damaging multiple vehicles, the outlet noted. He was sentenced in June to six months in jail and five years of probation. 
Truelove is a repeat offender with three pending criminal cases in New York, including charges of misdemeanor assault, reckless endangerment, criminal trespassing, and trespassing. He pleaded not guilty in all those cases.
The Los Angeles Times did a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-07-23/from-a-one-way-flight-to-sleeping-in-a-parking-lot-diary-of-a-california-dream-gone-sour">lengthy profile</a> in 2023 about Truelove being homeless shortly after arriving in Los Angeles. The piece details how he moved from Virginia to California after getting off probation and serving time in prison on the East Coast, noting how he has PTSD and bipolar disorder. The outlet also mentioned one of Truelove’s previous crimes, which involved stealing memorial signs erected for Sandy Hook school shooting victims. LA Times reported that Truelove believed the event was a hoax.  
For his latest trespassing incident, Truelove was charged with hate crime-burglary, hate crime-menacing, hate crime-criminal trespass, and harassment at an arraignment on Friday. The judge set bail at $10,000.
Roker addressed the incident on social media, writing, “A really heartfelt thank you to all who reached out over the last 24 hours to check in on my brother, @craigmelvinnbc. We are both okay. It’s moments like these that serve to pull us together. You all, like Craig, said: &#8216;You come after one of us, you come after all of us.&#8217; We’ll talk about it this morning on @todayshow.”

Today show

Records Reveal ‘Today Show’ Trespasser Should Not Have Been Out On The Streets

Crime

Homelessness

TODAY Show

“Sex and the City” actress Cynthia Nixon has been appointed to screen New York judges despite having no legal training or experience whatsoever.
The leftist activist and failed gubernatorial candidate was just appointed to serve on the Commission on Judicial Nomination by New York Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, as the New York Post first <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/us-news/cynthia-nixon-appointed-to-panel-that-screens-recommends-ny-judges/">reported</a>.
“The Commission’s mandate is a powerful one: the Constitution requires that the Governor choose Judges of the Court of Appeals only from the nominees of the Commission,” the panel’s website says. 
Nixon, who is a fervent supporter of “trans rights” and other radical leftist causes, ran for governor in 2018 and endorsed democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor last year. Her appointment to the commission is seen as yet another negative consequence of Mamdani’s win.
“This is part of the damage [Mamdani] will do to NYC. Long after he’s gone the effects of the leftist lunatics will continue because they will be [embedded] in public offices. F*ck everyone who voted for this snake,” one X commenter <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/2077834145141502154">wrote</a>. 
Nixon describes herself as “the mother of a proud trans man” and has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sex-and-the-city-actress-rallies-over-trans-medical-procedures-for-minors">spoken publicly</a> about the issue.
“My wife and I, our lives are filled with the most amazing, beautiful, brave trans people, young and old… but especially young,” the actress said at one New York rally last year. “My trans kid had his top surgery at NYU a number of years ago,” she continued. “…the idea that this city is filled with young people who thought they had a place to go where they could receive the highest care and that place has now been shut to them, sickens me. Sickens me to my core.” 
Nixon described President Trump’s inauguration and subsequent executive order to protect children from irreversible gender procedures as “horrific” and “an assault.” 
In the past, the “SATC” star has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cynthia-nixon-denounces-anti-shoplifting-laws-stealing-basic-necessities">denounced anti-shoplifting laws</a> and has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/candidate-new-york-governor-cynthia-nixon-calls-frank-camp">referred to</a> Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a “terrorist organization” all the way back in 2018.
Former prosecutor Saritha Komatireddy told the Post that Nixon’s appointment proves that things are going downhill in New York. “Appointing a celebrity activist with zero legal background to help shape the future of our judiciary sends the wrong message entirely,” she told the outlet.
“This is part of a broader trend in New York: politics increasingly taking precedence over public safety and common sense,” Komatireddy added. “At a deeply critical time when New Yorkers are demanding safer streets and greater confidence in our institutions, our leaders should be focused on restoring trust in the justice system and not turning judicial appointments into a political game.”

Cynthia Nixon

‘Sex and the City’ Actress Appointed To Help Pick NYC Judges

Celebrities

Entertainment

Judge

Sometimes, too much knowledge can keep a person from enjoying life. Not because of the knowledge and experience per se, but because of the responsibility one can feel in sharing it with those who have been kept in the dark at great peril to their well-being. So it is with this guiding principle that I write.
There has always been a political tug-of-war between the political parties in America, and there has long been outsiders of the Marxist communist-type using money to try to influence the culture, politicians, media, and the education system with the goal of societal infiltration. What one must remember is that a communist utopia has never succeeded nor ever will. There are many examples of these misguided, failed attempts.
But we are also contending with an education system and culture that has, through the Marxist playbook, used dialectical materialism, agitprop, linguistics, racism, and the erasure of the past to cast a foglike trance, brainwashing our youth and populace. This is through no fault of their own, but by the vaulting ambition and fetish the radical Left has with encouraging weakness, dependency, and grievance, in addition to the unfettered flood of immigrants coming to America, and encouraged to suck off the teat of government.
This Marxist infection has even infiltrated the Catholic church with &#8220;Liberation Theology,&#8221; which is slowly inundating South America with Marxism through religion.
My grandparents came from Naples and Sicily at the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, millions of Italians came to America – legally. They had to have a sponsor, a place to stay, a little money, a job, a medical exam, and learn English. They came to America, much like the Irish, Jews, and Germans.
Each ethnic group went through a difficult assimilation process, but ultimately were grateful to be embraced by this land of opportunity. As Italians, our grandparents told us to speak English, prodding us forth, saying, “This is America!” We were taught to succeed, not to blame, and not to be victims.
It is with a history lesson that I would like to give Mayor Mamdani: there were more lynchings of Italians in New Orleans in 1886 than of any other people; we were spat on and ridiculed. In 1906, a  New York Times article <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1906/09/01/archives/italians-vs-southern-negroes.html">called</a> Italians &#8220;inferior to negro laborers.” We Italians were paid less than our black brothers and sisters. Decades later, the epithets lived on: greaseball, dago, wop, criminal, and a few more colorful words that don’t need to be printed here. The difference is that we were not filled with hatred and grievance, as we see today among folks generations removed from past injustices. I refer to slavery, which was a scourge.
Slavery, even among white people, existed for centuries before America became a nation. But the agitprop of the Left creates an angry group, which we have seen boil over. President Barack Obama could have united us — all races and backgrounds. He pledged as much in a rousing speech, declaring there is no &#8220;White America or Black America.” I, too, was inspired by his soaring rhetoric. The disappointment came later, when he drove the racial wedge even deeper.
But Obama was the beginning of an explosive political era that seeped into the culture, far from his so-called vision for unity. Multiple genders with their own pronouns, stripping the importance of mothers, fathers, and the nuclear family from the culture, a youth that has been pampered, babied, and encouraged into gender “transition” before they can use proper discernment. This is the result of educators, politicians, media, and parents who have come out of the drug culture and usurped traditional values. It’s cultural and societal chaos.
In the 1960s and ’70s, Bill Ayers and Bernadette Dohrn, along with the Black Panthers, were blowing up the Pentagon, police precincts, and tearing down historic statues, crying about “American Imperialism” and inciting violence.
While many of the members of the Weather Underground were jailed, others infiltrated the educational system. They wrote textbooks and became involved in politics to take down the system from within.
One of my political mentors was the great conservative thinker David Horowitz, who was in the thick of that movement but left when he experienced the corruption from within. His brilliant book, “The Radical Son,” explains his political transformation from Left to Right. Horowitz went on to write some of the most prophetic books. One in particular called &#8220;Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left,” it was written in 2004, but is just as relevant today.
This brings us back to the Pied Marxist Piper, Zohran Mamdani, who is currently leading the radical Left, New Yorkers, and America into a utopian hell.
How did this smiling cobra of a politician get to where he is today? One must look at his parents, who are Muslims born in India, raised in Africa, and educated through the generosity of the Kennedy Airlift Foundation. Mayor Mamdani is a silver spoon-fed Marxist, thanks to parents who built lucrative careers from the generosity of the American taxpayer. He plays his pipe and attracts those who are purposely made to feel disenfranchised or have come here to game the system.
Contrast this with my family’s story, which likely sounds similar to that of many hard-working Americans. My grandfather, Franco Davi, came from Torretta, Sicily, in the early 1900s, enlisted in the U.S. Infantry during WWI, was critically wounded three times, but went back each time to continue fighting. He was murdered by a drunk who hit him over the head with a pipe.
My father, Salvatore Davi, enlisted in the U.S. Navy the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked. He was a gunner on a merchant marine ship, which was torpedoed. He lived on a raft  drifting in the ocean for three days. He was 17-years-old at the time. He was discharged as post-traumatic stress disorder set in. He went to California, became a volunteer fireman in Pasadena, and tried to break into film, oddly enough. Missing his family, he came back to Astoria, Queens, and attended Samuel Gompers Trade School, where he became a draftsman and machinist. My father worked three jobs most of his life, and volunteered at church. He died when he was 56 years old, having paid off his house on Long Island after 30 years and a savings of $100,000.
My grandfather and father, with many Italians, Jews, Germans, and Irish, built much of New York City. They were Catholics, Jews, and Protestants.
My father raised the American flag in our front yard in Dix Hills, Long Island, every Veterans’ Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and D-Day — whenever it was appropriate. He loved America and instilled that wonderful love in me. We had a large family with folks on all sides of the political spectrum, and we were encouraged to debate, discuss, and disagree, but nevertheless love this country.
Most of my cousins excel in their fields, all of them the result of Italian immigrants who barely spoke English but did so, with a Love for America and the opportunity it provided, choosing work over welfare and relying on merit over handouts, no matter how difficult. As a kid, I was taught that no matter how tough things got, anything was possible if you put in the work. There was never a thought toward grievance or entitlement that we see rampant today.
The tune Zohran Mamdani plays, and the Left propagates to corral the unassimilated immigrant, the white liberal, the angry black, and the brainwashed, misled, entitled youth, leads them to the promised land of meritless enslavement, where inventiveness is replaced by a crippling paralysis of Marxist ideology. Mamdani, AOC, Ilan Omar, Blowhard Bernie, and the rest of the bleeding-heart Left have it all wrong, joined by my Hollywood brethren and sisters who convene in their elite enclaves and pat each other on the back for their bloated, pampered proselytizing.
It is nice to be loved by your colleagues and to feel part of a group, rather than being ostracised for having a different worldview. I was brought to California in 1977 when I worked on my first film with Frank Sinatra, the son of Italian immigrants himself. Hollywood was different then.
The point is that Mamdani doesn&#8217;t know better. He has, since birth, been marinated in an intellectually toxic worldview that oppressed nations continue to encourage. They are taught to come to America, and we can take care of you from cradle to the grave.
When I see hardworking Americans being usurped by the radical Left&#8217;s Marxist takeover, it pisses me off. Of course, I have compassion, but the guiding principle of the Mamdani effect, while seemingly wonderfully compassionate, is to erase the past in order to pander and lead the ignorant into a newly created abyss, where the government is the new feudal lord.
Lastly, I wish to remind folks that radical movements always seem to get the most hold until they are subdued. What I fear we are seeing across American cities is more Islamists flocking to America to undermine our way of life. Which brings us right back to our Pied Piper. So, I challenge Mayor Mamdani to a televised debate where we discuss America — its people, way of life, history, and aspirations. Two men, two New Yorkers, two descendants of immigrants, two visions of America.
Shall we?
***
Robert Davi is an acclaimed actor, singer, filmmaker, radio host, and sharp conservative political commentator who was named the &#8220;Godfather of Pop Culture Warriors&#8221; by Human Events.

Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty

Zohran Mamdani, The Pied Marxist Piper, Will Lead The Ignorant Masses Into A Utopian Hell

DW Opinion

Italian Americans

Leftists

Marxists

Radical Left

Special Reporting

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing a firestorm of criticism after appearing to wave away New York City&#8217;s climbing rape numbers by pointing to a legal technicality.
The controversy erupted after PIX11&#8217;s Dan Mannarino pressed the mayor on rising rape and felony assault figures that City Council Speaker Julie Menin has flagged as troubling, even as the NYPD touts historic lows in murders and shootings. Rather than directly addressing the spike, Mamdani suggested a chunk of it was attributable to New York&#8217;s broadened legal definition of rape, plus survivors finally reporting decades-old attacks.
&#8220;I believe the NYPD, when they put forward their numbers, what we&#8217;re seeing are some of the lowest numbers that New York City has seen in recorded history, especially when it comes to murders and shootings,&#8221; Mamdani stated. &#8220;These are the lowest we&#8217;ve ever seen. And what I think is important to know is a lot of the increase in rape also comes from an expanded definition of what counts as rape, as well as survivors coming forward for acts that took place years prior.&#8221;
That explanation landed like a lead balloon online.
Democratic Council Member Susan Zhuang was among those turning on a fellow Democrat, warning that redefining rape under the law should never become a shield against accountability for actually reducing sexual violence.
&#8220;Expanding the legal definition of rape was an important step toward recognizing more survivors under the law. But it should never be used to deflect from the responsibility to reduce sexual violence,&#8221; Zhuang said. &#8220;Survivors deserve leadership, action, accountability, and justice. They don’t deserve deflection.&#8221;
Conservative commentators piled on with even sharper comments. Women&#8217;s sports activist Riley Gaines questioned how female voters ever got behind Mamdani.
&#8220;HOW did women vote for this guy?&#8221; Gaines <a href="https://x.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/2076743143798546787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2076743143798546787%7Ctwgr%5E1e0ac2a0303ddf562f7c2aacb4edfa12edddc0de%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1134781action%3Dedit">asked</a>.
Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy <a href="https://x.com/chiproytx/status/2076770638627303524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2076770638627303524%7Ctwgr%5E163d1d9a2b795cdcde90f8d2e61d6889127a0ed4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1134781action%3Dedit">blasted</a>, &#8220;Rapes are up. Rents are up. Foreign diseases and parasites spreading. Historic Churches burning left and right. Elect the third world, get the third world.&#8221;
In January 2024, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul signed the &#8220;Rape is Rape&#8221; Act, which went into effect that September. The law altered the old requirement that rape convictions hinge solely on non-consensual penile-vaginal penetration, expanding the definition to cover forced oral and anal contact as well — acts previously prosecuted under a separate, lesser charge of criminal sexual act. Before the change, advocates argued, survivors of those other assaults were denied the ability to see their attacks legally labeled as rape at all.
But Mamdani&#8217;s critics were <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/mamdani-roasted-over-assertion-higher-nyc-rapes-come-from-expanded-definition">quick to note</a> the legal shift doesn&#8217;t fully explain the trend. NYPD&#8217;s own CompStat figures reportedly show rape reports still climbing 6.6% year-over-year — well after the new definition had already taken hold, undercutting the notion that redefinition of the standards is driving the numbers all by itself.

Mayor Mamdani Lights the Empire State Building in Celebration of America 250

Mamdani Torched Over Explanation Of Why Rapes Are Skyrocketing In NYC

Rape

New York City’s boroughs have hit record-high market rents as Mayor Zohran Mamdani moves forward with a policy to freeze rents for roughly two million residents. 
Gary Malin, chief operating officer of real estate brokerage Corcoran Group, <a href="https://inhabit.corcoran.com/nyc-residential-rental-market-report-june-2026/">said</a> Manhattan and Brooklyn posted record median monthly rents of $5,295 and $4,350, respectively. 
“Across the board, quality apartments are commanding a premium, and renters have little room to negotiate,” Malin said, attributing the high prices to decades of supply and demand mismatches.
The record highs come after Mamdani announced that rents for one million rent-stabilized apartments will be frozen in the coming year, directly affecting roughly two million residents, following a 7-1 vote by the Rent Guidelines Board.
Arpit Gupta, the lone dissenting member of the Rent Guidelines Board and an associate professor of finance at NYU Stern, called Mamdani’s rent freeze “troubling,” warning that rising costs combined with the price ceiling would force landlords to reduce apartment quality and worsen the city’s housing crisis.
&#8220;Freezing [rent-stabilized buildings&#8217;] rents while their expenses remain uncapped is therefore a threat to their long-term financial viability,&#8221; Gupta <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mamdani-nyc-rent-freeze-explained-who-qualifies-when-starts-2026-6">said</a> Friday. &#8220;Residents might continue to enjoy low rents, but at the cost of being trapped in units that no longer fit their needs, and with few alternatives and steadily deteriorating conditions.&#8221;
Landlords have been preparing for a rent freeze since Mamdani made housing affordability and rent freezes a centerpiece of his campaign.
The rent freeze approval came after landlord representative Christina Smyth resigned from the Rent Guidelines Board before the vote, arguing the outcome had been predetermined. Landlord groups have <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/25/mamdani-delivers-promised-rent-freeze-00977449">said</a> they are considering legal action to challenge the rent freeze. 
Although the freeze applies only to rent-stabilized apartments, critics argue it could place additional pressure on New York City&#8217;s market-rate housing.

Screenshot 2026-07-13 at 10.41.53 AM

NYC Rents Hit Highest Level In History While Mamdani Moves Forward With Freeze

rent control

Renters

Zohran Mamdani has decided that Italians are not real New Yorkers.
Real New Yorkers are from Pakistan or from Bangladesh. There&#8217;s “Little Palestine” as well.
Little Palestine, by the way, sounds really terrible if in any way it mirrors the Palestinian areas in Israel.
Mayor Mamdani released a map showing immigrant enclaves, but they missed one called Little Italy, which, of course, is probably the most historically important enclave in New York City.
Instead, Mamdani put out a bunch of neighborhoods that he invented: “Little Pakistan,” “Little Senegal,&#8221; or “Little Yemen.”
Who’s in Little Yemen, the Houthis? Anyone want to visit?
These are not real names of neighborhoods. Of course, there’s no labeling of Jewish areas in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, or Borough Park.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ben-shapiro-show-ep-2462?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-981859" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner.avif" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner.avif 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner-768x128.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
In a statement, a City Hall spokesperson said the map was not designed to highlight religious enclaves in the Big Apple. Instead, they said it highlights New York City neighborhoods with substantial foreign-born populations from regions and countries around the world.
Great job. You ignored Little Italy.
And the Italians are angry.
This is where we need to insert the clip of Tony Soprano explaining that Columbus was an American hero.
Remember, Zohran Mamdani is the guy who took a picture of himself and posted it on social media in the Black Lives Matter summer of 2020, flipping off a statue of Columbus with the caption, “Take it down.”
It turns out that the inanimate statue didn&#8217;t care.
So Columbus needs to go, but we must, must, must inform visitors to New York where Little Yemen is, where Little Pakistan and Little “Palestine” are.
Sounds awesome.
Mamdani is trying to run the city of New York as though it were its own little polity — its own country. Today, City-Journal <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/city-journal-daily-newsletter-jul-10-2026#:~:text=Earlier%20this%20week%2C%20Ana%20Mar%C3%ADa,was%20directed%20to%20cancel%20it.">reported</a> that a top Mamdani official tried to meet with the Iranian government:
<blockquote>Earlier this week, Ana María Archila, commissioner of New York City’s Office for International Affairs, was scheduled to meet with Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani. Archila allegedly did not inform Mayor Zohran Mamdani of the meeting and was directed to cancel it.</blockquote>
The State Department instead met with Mamdani and his administration to say, “Guys, you are not allowed to do that. You don&#8217;t run your own foreign policy with regard to Iran, as much as Mamdani would like to think that he does.”
City-Journal noted:
<blockquote>On April 16, a message seen by City Journal was sent to staff within the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs asking them to prioritize diplomatic engagement in part based on whether foreign officials “are . . . in political alignment/leftist.&#8221;</blockquote>
So they wanted to engage diplomatically only with regimes that agree with them, and the first place they tried was Iran.
I can&#8217;t imagine why.
You mean that Zohran Mamdani and his priorities match the priorities of the Iranian ayatollahs?
That’s shocking. I just can&#8217;t believe it.
This is where the Democrats have gone at this point.
City Journal continued:
<blockquote>The administration’s international ambitions have not been limited to public comments. Last month, Mamdani <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-29/gustavo-petro-to-travel-to-new-york-to-meet-mayor-zohran-mamdani.html">intended</a> to meet with leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The meeting was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/06/10/mamdani-was-meet-with-colombias-leader-trump-made-sure-it-didnt-happen">called off</a> after the State Department declined to issue a visa following Petro’s attendance at a rally hosted by Mamdani in September. Archila’s international meetings include a two-day trip to Barcelona in April to participate in a <a href="https://www.pes.cor.europa.eu/event/local-progressive-mobilisation">conference</a> hosted by the Party of European Socialists.</blockquote>
Mamdani doesn’t need to be president. He thinks that New York is his flagship city, that he is going to run his own foreign policy, and he&#8217;s going to make it unlivable for people he doesn&#8217;t like.
I know there are a lot of Democrats saying, “He talks a big game, but he&#8217;s not going to be able to do anything.”
Famous last words.
Real estate investors are already fleeing the city.
They should. Because the city that Mamdani runs is not a city that is great for people who traditionally like our country.
It is utterly unsurprising that the same Mamdani who was flipping off a statue of Columbus is perfectly happy meeting with Iran.
It is all the same thing forever and always: The red-green alliance — the Marxist-Islamist alliance — is alive and kicking.
It also has that horseshoe aspect where they have the sympathy of people like Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Thomas Massie.
Erasing Little Italy is just the start.

Tony Soprano

Why Tony Soprano Would Be Furious Right Now

Ben Shapiro

Christopher Columbus

Foreign Policy

Little Italy

Opinion

Zohran Mamdani’s statement that the money came &#8220;straight from Albany&#8221; says it all.
New York City’s socialist mayor was caught on video chuckling alongside Governor Kathy Hochul, speaking about blowing taxpayer cash on his custom-made jacket. When Hochul asked, “Is this from my budget money?” Mamdani responded,  “Yes, straight out of Albany.”
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Socialist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani laughs alongside Governor Kathy Hochul as he brags about blowing taxpayer money on his custom-made jacket.
Hochul: “Is this from my budget money?”
Mamdani: “Yes, straight out of Albany.”
These entitled grifters aren&#39;t even hiding it anymore.… <a href="https://t.co/rXd4P6MQov">pic.twitter.com/rXd4P6MQov</a>
&mdash; I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) <a href="https://x.com/ImMeme0/status/2074868097190617353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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That little comedy routine tells you everything you need to know about how the city’s first socialist executive treats taxpayers’ hard-earned money.
While the mayor plays fashion model allegedly on the public dime, he has celebrated a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/moderate-governor-caves-to-mamdanis-4-billion-demands">massive $4 billion bailout</a> from Albany to plug a staggering $5.4 billion budget hole — a deficit largely manufactured by his own radical, pie-in-the-sky campaign promises. Hochul, desperate to appear moderate ahead of her upcoming reelection bid, caved to the socialist&#8217;s demands after months of gridlock.
To fund Mamdani’s progressive wonderland, Hochul scraped together billions by raiding public employee pensions, delaying smaller class sizes for city schoolchildren, and slapping a new &#8220;pied-à-terre&#8221; tax on luxury second homes. That gimmick balances today&#8217;s books on the backs of future generations.
But the real tragedy of Mamdani’s bloated $126 billion fiscal plan isn&#8217;t just the creative accounting — it’s who he left out in the cold.
The radical new budget <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-leaves-nypd-out-to-dry-as-city-council-reaches-massive-budget-deal">funnels</a> a massive $37.9 billion to the Department of Education and splashes tens of millions on immigration services designed to push back against federal enforcement. Meanwhile, the NYPD got a measly $6.6 billion. There is no funding to recruit new officers into a city police force that is already bleeding staff and facing severe burnout.
Mamdani totally surrendered to anti-police activists, completely walking back a prior campaign pledge to stabilize officer headcount. While rank-and-file cops log crushing overtime hours to keep the streets safe, the mayor is instead funding $1,000 college vouchers for kindergarteners and throwing cash at cultural institutions.
In a Tax Day video outside Ken Griffin&#8217;s penthouse, Mamdani said, &#8220;When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich. Today, we&#8217;re taxing the rich.&#8221;
New York City has been legally required to balance its books since the fiscal crisis of the 1970s. But instead of practicing actual fiscal responsibility, Mamdani is just leaning on Albany to keep his socialist experiment afloat.
That proves once again that when progressives run out of their own money, they just come for yours.

Celebrity Sightings In New York City – June 28, 2026

Did Zohran Mamdani Mock Taxpayers Over His Custom Jacket?

Kathy Hochul

A masked man holding a BB gun at a Queens mosque touched off a political controversy over the weekend after top New York Democrats rushed to frame the incident as an anti-Muslim hate crime — only for it to emerge that the suspect himself may be Muslim.
Police say Sheikh Haque, 33, of Buffalo, <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/07/04/masked-man-arrested-by-nypd-for-pulling-bb-pistol-during-queens-mosque-prayer-service-nyc-islamophobia/">burst</a> into the Muslim Center of New York during Friday prayers on July 3, brandishing what looked like a real firearm in front of dozens of worshippers gathered for services around 1:30 p.m. A congregant quickly wrestled him to the ground, and he was held down with help from an off-duty MTA worker, a cab driver, and an NYPD officer until police arrived. The weapon turned out to be a BB pistol. No shots were fired and no one was hurt.
Haque was charged with weapons possession and menacing. Police have not filed hate crime charges, and it remains unclear what prompted the disturbance.
That didn&#8217;t stop a wave of elected officials from immediately casting the episode as an act of bigotry against Muslims. Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani <a href="https://x.com/NYCMayor/status/2073482553235779979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2073482553235779979%7Ctwgr%5Eb25f05c7cac566c0898fcddb446637a6b73a4285%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1128909action%3Dedit">posted</a> on X that a &#8220;terrifying situation&#8221; had unfolded for &#8220;Muslim New Yorkers,&#8221; thanking the bystanders who intervened and declaring that &#8220;every New Yorker should be able to observe their religion without fear or intimidation.&#8221;
New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James went further, calling the incident &#8220;horrific under any circumstances&#8221; and urging New Yorkers, “We must stand united against Islamophobia.”
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Today, a masked individual reached into his pocket to pull out what appeared to be a deadly weapon during Friday Prayers at the Muslim Center. 
This is horrific under any circumstances, especially when a community is joining in prayer.
We must stand united against Islamophobia. <a href="https://t.co/yGdC3XdcKs">https://t.co/yGdC3XdcKs</a>
&mdash; NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) <a href="https://x.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/2073184275491377216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Grace Meng and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats, echoed similar sentiments, with Schumer saying he was troubled by what he called another possible attack targeting a house of worship.
Critics online slammed Mamdani once Haque&#8217;s background surfaced, accusing officials of jumping to conclusions and exploiting the incident for political messaging before basic facts — including the suspect&#8217;s own religious identity — were established. The backlash spread quickly across social media, with numerous commentators mocking the rush to label the episode a hate crime.
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The guy with the gun was also Muslim. Convenient fact to leave out. What a snake.
&mdash; Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) <a href="https://x.com/BuzzPatterson/status/2073636663939744127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Sunni on Shia or Shia on Sunni?
&mdash; Katya Sedgwick (@KatyaSedgwick) <a href="https://x.com/KatyaSedgwick/status/2073796710426624058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Why didn&#39;t you share the name of the attackers, Zohran? <a href="https://t.co/8qDGrIixfH">pic.twitter.com/8qDGrIixfH</a>
&mdash; Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) <a href="https://x.com/mattvanswol/status/2073503636387217637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Tell us about it. <a href="https://t.co/dK4YUq8PfF">pic.twitter.com/dK4YUq8PfF</a>
&mdash; Sarah 🥨 (@cosmopterix) <a href="https://x.com/cosmopterix/status/2073747626277720420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The flap comes months after Mamdani made fighting Islamophobia a signature issue, arguing in past remarks that anti-Muslim bigotry gets a pass in American politics that other forms of hate do not. Months after his ascension to the mayoral position, Mamdani <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CFSNVWVo77U">said</a> of Islamophobia, “I think there’s an unabashed nature to it, and it has been echoed from the highest offices in this country and they do so without any sense of shame. And what is remarkable about Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry is not that it is bigoted, for there is so much bigotry in this country, it is that there are very few who speak up in opposition to it, the manner in which it has become normalized.”
In his race for the mayoralty, Mamdani <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/zohran-mamdani-decries-racist-baseless-attacks-emotional-speech-islamo-rcna239632">said</a>, “For as long as we have lived, we have known that no matter what anyone says, there are still certain forms of hate that are acceptable in this city. Islamophobia is not seen as inexcusable.”
The incident also follows separate criticism of the mayor over his stance on Israel, after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-accuses-israel-of-religious-favoritism-trips-over-saudi-arabia-and-iran">compared</a> the Jewish state to Saudi Arabia on religious freedom grounds — a comparison that drew accusations of ignoring Israel&#8217;s protections for religious minorities and its Arab citizens&#8217; political rights, while sidestepping harsher criticism of Iran&#8217;s treatment of religious minorities.
As of Sunday, Haque&#8217;s arraignment in Queens Criminal Court remained pending.

NYPD Officer Reported Shot To The Vest In Brooklyn New York City

Mosque Scare Turns Political Firestorm After Dems Leave Out One Key Detail

Islamophobia

On October 28, 1886, then-President Grover Cleveland spoke at the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.
&#8220;The people of the United States accept with gratitude from their brethren of the French Republic the grand and completed work of art we here inaugurate,&#8221; Cleveland <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-the-unveiling-the-statue-liberty-new-york-city">began</a>:
<blockquote>This token of the affection and consideration of the people of France demonstrates the kinship of republics, and conveys to us the assurance that in our efforts to commend to mankind the excellence of a government resting upon popular will, we still have beyond the American continent, a steadfast ally.</blockquote>
Cleveland, the only president other than President Donald Trump to serve two non-consecutive terms in the White House, went on to talk about the statue itself and what it represented:
<blockquote>We are not here to day to bow before the representation of a fierce and warlike god, filled with wrath and vengeance, but we joyously contemplate instead, our own deity keeping watch and ward before the open gates of America, and greater than all that have been celebrated in ancient song. Instead of grasping in her hand thunderbolts of terror and of death, she holds aloft the light which illumines the way to man&#8217;s enfranchisement.
We will not forget that liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected. Willing votaries will constantly keep alive its fires, and these shall gleam upon the shores of our sister republic in the East. Reflected thence and joined with answering rays, a stream of light shall pierce the darkness of ignorance and man&#8217;s oppression, until liberty enlightens the world.</blockquote>
The massive copper structure, designed by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Gustav Eiffel, had been promised more than 20 years earlier in 1865 — as a gift celebrating the abolition of slavery, the end of the American Civil War, and the centennial celebrations of 1876.
Bartholdi began work on the statue in 1875, and it was officially presented to U.S. Minister to France Levi P. Morton nine years later, on July 4, 1884. It was not until late 1886 that it was finally delivered, assembled, and unveiled at its permanent home on Liberty Island.
On July 3, 1986 — 100 years after the statue was first revealed — then-President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech rededicating the statue and celebrating the lighting of Lady Liberty&#8217;s torch.
<blockquote>We are the keepers of the flame of liberty. We hold it high tonight for the world to see, a beacon of hope, a light unto the nations. And so with joy and celebration and with a prayer that this lamp shall never be extinguished, I ask that you all join me in this symbolic act of faith, this lighting of Miss Liberty&#8217;s torch.</blockquote>

Grover Cleveland, 1837-1908, 22nd and 24th President of the United States 1885_89 and 1893_97, Head and Shoulders Portrait at Home, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, Photograph by New York Herald Company, 1908

READ IT: Grover Cleveland’s Speech The Day Lady Liberty Was Dedicated

READ IT: Grover Cleveland’s Speech The Day Lady Liberty Was Inaugurated

America 250

Donald Trump

Fourth of July

Statue of Liberty

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wed Friday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, putting to bed weeks of rumors with star-studded nuptials in the heart of New York City.
The singer and Kansas City Chiefs star tied the knot in front of 1,000 guests, according to People Magazine. The &#8220;Blank Space&#8221; singer and three-time Super Bowl champion were married by comedian Adam Sandler, with whom Kelce bonded while filming the former&#8217;s movie &#8220;Happy Gilmore 2.&#8221; Following the ceremony, the jumbotrons outside the venue displayed the message: &#8220;JUST&amp;T MARRIED!&#8221;
For weeks leading up to the ceremony, rumors swirled about the lavish affair, pictures of which have yet to be released. Swift&#8217;s team <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/save-the-date-rumors-swirl-around-taylor-swifts-highly-anticipated-wedding">filed permits</a> to close the streets around the arena in the days prior to the ceremony, during which time photos showed truckloads of food and decorations being unloaded into the iconic arena.
&#8220;The bride and groom’s wedding ceremony looks have been created by Christian Dior Haute Couture,&#8221; Swift&#8217;s team said in a statement. &#8220;Their shoes were custom made by Christian Louboutin and the bride wore Cartier jewelry.&#8221;
The statement also confirmed that &#8220;Taylor &amp; Travis did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen.&#8221; Swift&#8217;s brother, Austin, served as the singer&#8217;s &#8220;Man of Honor,&#8221; while Jason Kelce — formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles — served as his brother&#8217;s best man.
Swift and Kelce announced their engagement last summer via a joint Instagram post captioned “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” The pair met after Kelce attended Swift’s Eras Tour concert in Kansas City in 2023 and tried to give her a personalized friendship bracelet — the singer&#8217;s hallmark — with his phone number, but wasn’t able to reach her. Kelce later recalled the story on a podcast, which led to the celebrities getting together.
Madison Square Garden was transformed for Friday&#8217;s ceremony, with sources close to the situation telling People they had &#8220;never seen&#8221; the venue &#8220;look so different.&#8221; The wedding decor reportedly included a castle, and Swift was reported to have performed at the ceremony. Swift and Kelce reportedly donated $26 million to charity to mark the occasion of their nuptials. Recipients included Feeding America, the ASPCA, and Dolly Parton&#8217;s Imagination Library.
Swift and Kelce hosted a welcome reception at the Garden on Thursday night for A-list guests, most of whom returned for the main event on Friday. Celebrities spotted entering the Garden or reported to attend included actors Bradley Cooper, Dakota Johnson, and Lena Dunham; late-night host Jimmy Fallon; model Karlie Kloss and her husband, Josh Kushner; and fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.
The crowd also included a host of country music stars, including Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, The Chicks, and Brad Paisley.
Notably absent from the ceremony were &#8220;Gossip Girl&#8221; star Blake Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. It&#8217;s unclear what caused a rift between Lively and Swift, longtime close friends, though it seems downstream of Lively&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywoods-biggest-legal-feud-collapses-after-millions-wasted-on-lawyers?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Hollywood%E2%80%99s+Biggest+Legal+Feud+Collapses+After+%E2%80%98Millions%E2%80%99+Wasted+On+Lawyers">contentious legal battle</a> with &#8220;It Ends With Us&#8221; co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
&#8220;It wasn’t one big thing, it was everything adding up,&#8221; a source close to Swift <a href="https://pagesix.com/2026/07/03/entertainment/blake-lively-and-ryan-reynolds-shut-out-of-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-msg-wedding/">told Page Six</a> about the rift. &#8220;By the time Taylor was making decisions about the wedding and who she wanted there, she realized she just didn’t want that kind of energy around something so important and it really was a turning point for her.”

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