Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers nabbed 54 members and associates of the Trinitarios Dominican gang who were operating across New York, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced during a press conference Thursday.
&#8220;During our investigation, we learned that these scumbags were affiliated with the transnational criminal organization, the notorious Trinitarios gang in New York. We began to target every single last person that is affiliated with them and recognized that they needed to be brought to justice,&#8221; Noem said.
&#8220;These arrests and these removals represent a significant blow to the criminal network that has been terrorizing communities right here in New York City and throughout the United States,&#8221; she added.
Among the gangbangers were individuals accused of weapons trafficking, human smuggling, narcotics distribution, and armed robberies, Noem said.
More than 60% of them have already been deported.
Authorities discovered that the illegal migrant men responsible for shooting an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer in New York City in July were part of a notorious criminal gang, and immediately took to the streets to disrupt the criminal organization&#8217;s activities in what&#8217;s been dubbed &#8220;Operation Salvo.&#8221;
The two gang members allegedly responsible for shooting the CBP officer were released into the United States by the Biden administration before going on to commit multiple crimes, Noem said. Despite being shot in the wrist and the face while enjoying a quiet evening with a friend, the officer, who wishes to remain anonymous, fired back at the alleged assailants and miraculously survived.
The alleged shooter, Dominican Republic national Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, was arrested several times in New York City and in other parts of the country before the attack, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/21/us-news/illegal-migrant-arrested-in-nyc-shooting-of-off-duty-cpb-agent-was-free-despite-long-rap-sheet-and-suspected-in-scooter-robbery-spree-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post.
In August 2024, he was arrested twice for allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman and threatening to kill another migrant with a machete, according to the outlet. He was also wanted for kidnapping and weapons charges stemming from a pawn shop robbery in Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, Christhian Aybar-Berroa, 22, who was the shooter&#8217;s alleged accomplice, was arrested eight times by the NYPD and released each time after he had already received a deportation order.
Authorities said he was also a suspect in four more cases, the Post reported.
During Thursday&#8217;s presser, New York Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Ken Genalo blamed New York&#8217;s bail and sanctuary laws for the shooting.
&#8220;They provide safe haven for criminal illegal aliens,&#8221; Genalo said. &#8220;The lack of cooperation is unprecedented across the law enforcement spectrum, and rather than the city&#8217;s stated purpose to protect the immigrants of New York and the citizens of New York City, these misguided policies allow criminals to roam freely in our city, in our country, subjecting New Yorkers and all Americans to unnecessary harm.&#8221;
Noem also spoke to that issue.
&#8220;Those individuals would have never been in this country if they hadn&#8217;t been allowed in by the Biden administration when they ignored their federal laws and allowed them to come in illegally,&#8221; she said.
Noem said the operation is &#8220;just the beginning.&#8221;
&#8220;We are on offense, the Trump administration is using every single tool that we have to protect the American people,&#8221; she said.

ICE Agents Make Arrests On Streets Of New York City Sparking Protests

Noem Announces Major Takedown Of Dominican Gang Behind Shooting Of CBP Officer In NYC

Noem Announces Major Takedown Of Dominican Gang Responsible For Shooting Off-Duty CBP Officer In NYC

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Kristi Noem

New York City

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s Director of Tenant Protection might need some protection herself after a tough first week on the job left her in tears.
On Monday, Cea Weaver caught flak for old social media posts, including one claiming home ownership was a weapon of white supremacy. On Tuesday, she struggled to defend the Mamdani administration&#8217;s controversial housing policies in a Spectrum News interview. And on Wednesday, a reporter confronted the housing radical about her mother&#8217;s $1.6 million Nashville home.
Instead of responding, Weaver <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/07/us-news/zohran-mamdanis-tenant-advocate-cea-weaver-breaks-down-crying-when-asked-about-hypocritical-gentrification-comments/">reportedly</a> started crying and ran back inside her apartment. The 37-year-old activist has a history of complaining about gentrification, including in her Brooklyn neighborhood — where she is herself a gentrifier.
It&#8217;s a rough start for Weaver, who is expected to play a major role in Mamdani&#8217;s administration. The tenant czar is slated to direct Mamdani&#8217;s &#8220;Rental Ripoff Hearings,&#8221; struggle sessions in which residents of all five boroughs will be able to publicly voice their complaints about their rental experience.
&#8220;Working New Yorkers will be able to speak about the challenges they face,&#8221; from behind a microphone, Mamdani says, &#8220;from poor building conditions to hidden fees on rent payments.” The Mamdani administration says it will then identify “common themes” in the complaints to “directly inform policy interventions to take on these ripoff tactics.”
Mamdani already gave one tenant the floor at a press conference announcing the “Rental Ripoff” hearings. Josie Wells is a tenant at 85 Clarkson Avenue, a rent-stabilized apartment building in Brooklyn. Wells <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=7670df6d756a93b6&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS1183US1185&amp;udm=7&amp;fbs=AIIjpHxU7SXXniUZfeShr2fp4giZrjP_Cx0LI1Ytb_FGcOviEreERTNAkkP8Y6EXltYTGWs9RGaEMfZ2dZFFrbmM-rnq9t2Yd6CLmSU0fTw2YpsUFAZkjtkV3nlJNkF6dgnv8hBPbkvFBFvt9qVz5tXWHwMIOLAC51x133zpKWFy3_mb_RMbN-fftEKVRqPS6EEOPe03eIz5AliHkH7tItgiHkmm33AQJg&amp;q=mamdani+press+conference+housing&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjJnLSQuvWRAxWRD1kFHXKuH1QQtKgLegQIFRAB&amp;biw=736&amp;bih=790&amp;dpr=2#fpstate=ive&amp;vld=cid:10516219,vid:Adjn_PIVwa4,st:0">complained</a> about the “dirty walls that haven’t seen a fresh coat of paint in years, cabinets hanging precariously in kitchens and bathrooms, [and] cracked plaster [that] zig-zags across ceilings and hallways.”
85 Clarkson Avenue is one of the many properties owned by the Pinnacle Group, which filed for bankruptcy in May 2025, and was featured at this press conference.
At the press conference, a sign read, “As we rise, Pinnacle will fall.” The sign was displayed by the Union of Pinnacle Tenants, who organized to fight “for a say in the auction process to ensure that repairs are made, our rent stabilization is respected, and our buildings aren’t sold to yet another abusive landlord.”
Advisors to Pinnacle Group <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-29/bankrupt-nyc-rental-buildings-get-451-million-offer-from-summit">said</a> that “the bankruptcies were caused by a sharp rise in interest rates, inflation-driven increases in operating expenses, and lower rent collections.”
Weaver says the Mamdani administration has gotten involved to ensure the building goes to someone who can pay for upkeep while also complying with rent price caps.
&#8220;The city intervened in the bankruptcy proceeding in order for the city to take a hard look at the conditions that are in the building as well as a plan that has been put forth by the top bidder, because we want to ensure that whoever is taking on this portfolio is able to comply with both rent stabilization laws as well as housing maintenance code.&#8221;
As of now, it is unclear if there is a bidder who fits that description.

Overhead view of some New York City Housing Authority  (NYCHA) projects (1977)

Mamdani’s Director Of Tenant Protection Breaks Down After Brutal First Week On The Job

Economy

Housing

Renters

U.S.

Zohran Mamdani

New York Officials Make Public Safety Announcement

The Case For Stripping Mamdani’s Citizenship

Manhattan

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Real estate

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro pleads “not guilty” in New York City, Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz abruptly ends his re-election bid amid numerous fraud scandals, and new details regarding a foiled New Year&#8217;s Eve terror attack come to light.
It’s Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 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:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maduro-pleads-not-guilty-tim-walz-withdraws-1-6-26/id1576594336?i=1000743947459" 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. v. Nicolás Maduro Begins</h2>
Captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance in an American courtroom Monday, as the Trump administration pushes ahead with its aggressive foreign policy. Barely 72 hours ago, Maduro was living lavishly in the country he ruled with an iron fist. But now he is wearing a prison jumpsuit and ankle shackles, preparing to face the U.S. justice system. His initial court hearing lasted just 30 minutes, during which the ousted strongman was defiant, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-united-states-strikes-venezuela-captures-president-maduro">telling</a> a judge through a translator: “I am innocent. I’m not guilty. I’m a decent man. I’m still the president of my country.” As he was led from the courtroom, a man stood up and yelled in Spanish that he would pay for his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-united-states-v-nicolas-maduro-the-cartel-of-the-suns-indictment">crimes</a>, to which Maduro replied that he would win his freedom, calling himself a “prisoner of war.” The next hearing is set for March 17.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Walz Bows Out Of Re-Election After Fraud Fracas</h2>
Political shockwaves <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walz-drops-out-of-minnesota-governors-race-amid-fraud-concerns">ran</a> through Minnesota and the nation on Monday morning as Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz announced he would not seek re-election amid the state’s numerous fraud scandals. Walz made the announcement in a statement bemoaning the “sour note” on which 2025 ended for his state on account of allegations of rampant fraud, especially within Minnesota’s Somali community. Walz ultimately accused President Donald Trump and his allies of wanting to make Minnesota “a colder, meaner place” with political attacks because of the reports of fraud. Increasingly, reports about fraud flooding Minnesota have suggested that Walz and his administration may have played a role through feigned ignorance or corruption.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">FBI Foils ISIS-Inspired Attack In North Carolina</h2>
The FBI says it has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-thwart-isis-inspired-terrorist-attack-planned-in-north-carolina">foiled</a> an ISIS-inspired attack in North Carolina. Authorities arrested a Charlotte-area man they say planned to launch a terror attack on New Year&#8217;s Eve. A federal court <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2026/01/02/fbi-disrupts-alleged-new-years-even-attack-man-charged-attempting">unsealed</a> the criminal complaint against 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant on Friday. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said authorities closed in on Sturdivant after he contacted two law enforcement officials, believing them to be members of ISIS. Sturdivant allegedly detailed plans to the undercover officers to attack a crowded mall and fast food restaurant on New Year&#8217;s Eve. Sturdivant allegedly planned to wear a Kevlar vest and wield a knife and hammer to kill as many people as possible. Federal prosecutors have charged Sturdivant with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

MRN_260106_V1

Morning Brief: Maduro In Shackles, Walz Bows Out, & FBI Stops Terror Attack

Morning Brief: Maduro In Court, Walz Bows Out, And FBI Foils NC Terror Plot

Minnesota

Morning Wire

Nicolas Maduro

North Carolina

Tim Walz

Venezuela

Based on her previous comments, New York City’s newly minted &#8220;Tenant Director&#8221; Cea Weaver will waste no time telegraphing the Mamdani administration’s radical agenda: the systematic dismantling of private property rights in favor of Soviet-style collectivism.
Weaver, a high-ranking operative within the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), was hand-picked by Mayor Zohran Mamdani to lead the city’s housing policy. Her appointment follows Mamdani’s chilling inaugural pledge to &#8220;replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism&#8221; — a phrase that sounds more like a translation from a 1917 Bolshevik pamphlet than a speech by an American mayor.
In her previous comments that have sent shockwaves through the city&#8217;s middle class, Weaver explicitly framed the abolition of property rights as a racial imperative. Breaking from the traditional language of urban planning, Weaver pivoted to a divisive, race-based attack on homeowners.
&#8220;The reality is that for centuries, we have really treated property as an individualized good and not as a collective good,&#8221; Weaver stated, echoing the core tenets of Karl Marx. She went on to warn that the transition to &#8220;shared equity&#8221; would specifically target &#8220;white families&#8221; and &#8220;some POC (people of color) families who are homeowners,&#8221; forcing them into a &#8220;different relationship to property&#8221; than the one protected by the U.S. Constitution for nearly 250 years.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NYC Mayor Mamdani&#39;s Tenant Director, Cea Weaver:
&quot;We&#39;ll transition from treating property as an individual good to a collective good. Whites especially will be impacted.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/RZSdCs8oEa">pic.twitter.com/RZSdCs8oEa</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2008031475057439076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In a previous social media post, Weaver said, &#8220;homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as &#8216;wealth building&#8217; public policy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mamdani’s newly appointed tenant advocate director thinks home ownership and private property is white supremacy <a href="https://t.co/eIHPSGzRet">pic.twitter.com/eIHPSGzRet</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2008003090650456074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
To those familiar with the Communist Manifesto, Weaver’s previous rhetoric is a textbook example of class — and now race — warfare. By categorizing the family home as a &#8220;collective good&#8221; rather than a private asset, she has raised concerns about possible state-sanctioned seizures and the destruction of generational wealth.
By singling out white families, Weaver has used the &#8220;social justice&#8221; playbook to justify what is effectively a policy of collective punishment. Under the guise of &#8220;equity,&#8221; New Yorkers fear they could be punished for achieving the American Dream, treating homeownership not as a milestone of success but as a &#8220;privilege&#8221; to be socialized by the state.
By attacking the &#8220;individualized good,&#8221; Weaver attacked the very concept of the sovereign individual. As Margaret Thatcher famously noted, &#8220;there is no such thing as society,&#8221; only individuals and families. Weaver’s stated vision could seek to erase both, subsuming the family unit into a faceless, state-managed &#8220;community use&#8221; project.
As the New York City administration moves toward &#8220;universal rent control&#8221; and &#8220;shared equity&#8221; models, the message to New Yorkers is clear: Your home is no longer your castle — it is a municipal resource, and if you belong to the &#8220;wrong&#8221; demographic, you could be first on the list to lose it.

NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani Makes Announcement On The Eve Of His Inauguration

Marxism In The Metropolis: NYC’s New ‘Tenant Czar’ Has Targeted White Homeowners, Private Property

Racism

Socialism

Whites

Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife are charged in the United States, nationwide anti-regime protests in Iran threaten to boil over, and Zohran Mamdani’s term as New York City mayor begins with fresh controversy.
It’s Monday, January 5, 2026, 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-260105-member-exclusive">video version</a> can be seen on The Daily Wire:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maduro-indicted-stateside-mamdanis-reign-begins-1-5-26/id1576594336?i=1000743793469" 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;">New Details In Daring Venezuela Raid</h2>
As the dust settles in Venezuela, new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-about-policy-rubio-says-plans-to-run-venezuela-dont-include-direct-government-control">details</a> have emerged surrounding the daring mission to capture dictator Nicolás Maduro. According to the Pentagon, the CIA placed a covert team in Venezuela to track Maduro’s movements, and according to Gen. Dan Caine, find out “how he moved, where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore,” etc. President Donald Trump reportedly approved the operation just before Christmas, but it wasn’t until late Friday night that the weather finally cleared, and more than 150 American aircraft took off from 20 bases across the western hemisphere. As helicopters carrying the main extraction team approached the city, a barrage of missiles disabled Venezuelan air defenses, and the capital city went dark — reportedly thanks to an American cyberattack. Moments later, a group of Special Forces operators arrived at Maduro’s compound, where the tyrannical leader and his wife were ultimately captured as they attempted to open the door of a large steel safe room. The entire operation took a little over 2 hours.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Tehran In Turmoil</h2>
Anti-regime <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-to-know-about-irans-deadly-protests-as-uprising-enters-a-sixth-day">protests</a> continue to rock Iran as the government struggles to handle crises at home and internationally. The unrest began over a week ago among merchants in Tehran and has since spread across the capital and into dozens of smaller cities and towns. Demonstrations were initially motivated by economic woes, but the protests have grown into calls for regime change, with protesters chanting phrases such as “Death to Khamenei” and “Freedom, freedom.” Activists are split on what new regime they would like; some have called for democracy, while others have called for a return of the Shah. But activists share in common a renewed resolve after the Iranian regime was decimated during the 12-Day War by Israel and the United States. President Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eyes-turn-to-iran-as-trumps-state-dept-posts-warning-shots-in-farsi-iran-tests-missile-defense">warned</a> Iran about further intervention should the regime crack down violently on protesters.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Mamdani’s ‘Collectivist Warmth’</h2>
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the new mayor of New York on New Year’s Day, and he’s already imposing some sweeping changes. In <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-watched-zohran-mamdanis-insane-socialist-inauguration-so-you-didnt-have-to">remarks</a> at the ceremony, Mamdani touted the “warmth of collectivism” over “frigid” individualism, prioritizing the government&#8217;s role. Mamdani also took some day-one actions, signing orders on <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-mamdani-signs-eo-to-revitalize-mayor-s-office-to-protect-t">housing</a> to “stand up to landlords” and making good on a campaign promise to freeze rents. Mamdani also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-first-act-as-nyc-mayor-dismantle-pro-israel-policies">revoked</a> two executive orders aimed at protecting Jewish New Yorkers, which raised more than a few eyebrows.

MRN_260105_V1

Morning Brief: Maduro Charged, Tehran In Turmoil, & Mamdani’s First Scandal

Morning Brief: More On Venezuela, Tehran In Turmoil, And Mamdani’s ‘Collectivist’ Agenda

Donald Trump

Iran

Socialism is back. We see it with the election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York. We also see it in polling from the <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/81-say-they-cant-afford-pay-higher-taxes-next-year">Cato Institute</a> that suggests many young Americans view socialism favorably: “Among Americans under 30, 62 percent feel favorable toward socialism…”
Beyond the obvious economic and political dangers of socialism, one component receives relatively little attention: the culture of work.
People who live and work in socialist societies often report being far less satisfied and motivated than those who work in relatively free markets. When a nation’s government controls businesses, they lose a competitive advantage. As a result, employees who derive dignity from achievement and contribution experience disappointment.
At the same time, people uninterested in hard work are more likely to be coddled and protected. This often perpetuates an environment of mediocrity.
Talk to any driven person who has ever worked in a socialist country, or in an industry controlled by government regulation, and you’ll hear this sentiment. Hard work is not rewarded. Mediocre employees can’t be let go. Innovation is harder to sustain. Work becomes a matter of showing up, biding your time, and accepting that upward mobility is not possible.
I work with a young man who took great risks to escape a socialist country, and I have other colleagues who have lived in socialist countries. Their experiences convey a muted sense of hope that most people have about their employment.
Anecdotes aren’t proof, but they often show you what certain systems tend to produce. A vivid lesson about the dangers of socialism on the culture of work comes from a surprising source: people who have worked in “socialist-like” industries that exist within free markets.
When traveling for business, I’ve spoken to many flight attendants about their work experiences. The vast majority work in heavily unionized environments, and many have told me there is little incentive to do their job well other than their intrinsic desire to make people happy. Their careers are determined by seniority, and chronically underperforming colleagues are tolerated, rarely addressed, and almost never dismissed.
The fantastic flight attendants I met can’t be recruited by competitors — or even move to airlines that pay more or treat employees better — because they’d have to start over at the back of the seniority line. So the next time you experience great service on a flight, show some respect knowing they are often doing what they do out of love for others, not because they are rewarded.
The purpose of work should be to give people the freedom to provide for their families, use the gifts that God has given them, and experience the dignity of serving others well. When leaders organize work with these purposes, they give individuals incentive to tap into their best potential.
However, when organizations tolerate poor performance and remove the extrinsic rewards of achievement, they do a terrible disservice to the dignity of customers and employees alike. It’s important to understand that even underperforming employees lose dignity in socialist societies and organizations as they are prevented from experiencing the tough love necessary to become the best versions of themselves.
This is the real tragedy of socialist workplaces: people rarely become the best versions of themselves. In other words, they settle.
Despite all of this being true, why do large numbers of Americans still say they have a positive view of socialism? I believe there are three reasons.
First, many have never really experienced the impact of socialism. To them, socialism is merely a theory that involves more sharing and kindness. For example, according to actress Amanda Seyfried, socialism means <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/actress-amanda-seyfried-calls-socialism-gorgeous-idea">“taking care of each other.”</a>
Second, many people who say they like socialism already work in socialist organizations and have settled. They are accustomed to roles where competition is muted, and pay and advancement are constrained by rules, not results.
Finally, too many Americans work in very large organizations that mimic some aspects of socialism via crony capitalism and corporate welfare. Their industries are protected by lobbyists and elected officials who thwart authentic capitalism.
When addressing the false hope of socialism, we must not attempt to split the difference. In fact, we must advocate for more competition in all industries, as well as for real consequences for people who consistently underperform. Additionally, we must push for the enforcement of antitrust laws that prevent dangerous monopolies and oligopolies.
Perhaps most important of all, America must support one of the best sources of employment, dignity, and innovation in our society: small businesses. These small companies, where most Americans work, still have great incentives to find new ways to please customers and to attract and retain great employees. But in socialist countries, there is less capital and fewer incentives for entrepreneurs to take risks and start small businesses.
If America truly wants to defend human dignity, we can’t romanticize systems that smother the very drive that makes people come alive. Socialism doesn’t just weaken economies; it weakens people. America doesn’t need more managed mediocrity. It needs the freedom that lets workers, and the work itself, succeed.
* * *
Pat Lencioni is one of the founders of The Table Group, a pioneer of the organizational health movement, and the creator of <a href="https://www.workinggenius.com/about?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=21520445429&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAD4dDHRyei0FFfuRCa63VdPO11RDk&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwlaTGBhANEiwAoRgXBSUpr89SSKKSTeoiFk-LdSAKpBsTFlfYYrEIm9MHWtUL1HjC7imP1RoC65MQAvD_BwE"> The Working Genius</a>, which helps leaders understand workplace efficiency. He is the bestselling author of “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” as well as 12 other books, which have sold over 10 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Mamdani Takes Reins Of New York City After Historic Election Win

Why So Many Americans Romanticize Socialism — And Why They’re Wrong

Communism

Democratic Socialism

Employers

Gen Z

Labor Unions

Millennials

Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has moved with immediate and controversial speed to strip away the pro-Israel infrastructure established by his predecessor, Eric Adams. While Mamdani framed his sweeping executive orders as a &#8220;fresh start&#8221; following the Adams&#8217;s indictment, critics and international observers, including Israel’s Foreign Ministry, have <a href="https://www.jns.org/mamdani-axes-all-adams-executive-orders-in-past-15-months-including-those-defending-jews/">characterized</a> the moves as a calculated expression of Mamdani&#8217;s long-standing hostility toward the Jewish state.
Within hours of taking office, Mamdani signed an <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/content/dam/nycgov/mayors-office/downloads/pdf/executive-orders/2026/eo1-prior-executive-orders.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">executive order</a> revoking all mayoral directives issued after September 26, 2024. This action effectively axed several key protections for the Jewish community and measures aimed at strengthening ties with Israel:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>IHRA Definition: He scrapped the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) <a href="https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism">definition of antisemitism</a>, a tool used by more than 30 countries to identify anti-Jewish hate, particularly when it targets Israel&#8217;s right to exist.</li>
<li>Anti-BDS Measures: He <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/zohran-mamdani-nyc-antisemitism/2026/01/02/id/1240493/">lifted</a> Executive Order 60, which barred city entities from boycotting or divesting from Israel.</li>
<li>Safety Buffers: He revoked directives aimed at creating protest-free zones around houses of worship, a move previously intended to protect synagogues from targeted demonstrations.</li>
</ul>
Mamdani’s early actions align with a political history defined by intense opposition to Israel. As a student, he founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and as a state legislator, he sponsored the &#8220;Not on Our Dime&#8221; Act, which sought to strip New York charities that provide aid to Israeli causes of their tax-exempt status.
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His rhetoric has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leaked-docs-reveal-dsas-anti-israel-strategy-under-mamdanis-watch">equally severe</a>. Mamdani has:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Referred to Israel’s military operations as &#8220;genocide.&#8221;</li>
<li>Refused to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.</li>
<li>Linked the NYPD to the Israel Defense Forces through disparaging metaphors, claiming the &#8220;boot of the NYPD&#8221; is &#8220;laced by the IDF.&#8221;</li>
<li>Publicly praised members of the Holy Land Foundation, who were convicted of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas terrorists.</li>
</ul>
While Mamdani claims he will keep the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, the removal of the IHRA definition and the lifting of anti-boycott rules signal a fundamental shift. Internal documents from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) suggest a broader agenda to use Mamdani’s office to divest city pensions from Israeli bonds and terminate NYPD cooperation with Israeli security forces. For many in New York’s Jewish community, these first 24 hours represent the beginning of an era defined by the institutionalization of anti-Zionism at City Hall.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani becomes the first Muslim mayor of New York City

Mamdani’s First Act As NYC Mayor: Dismantle Pro-Israel Policies

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Zohran Mamdani and his new handpicked fire commissioner will begin their time in office on Thursday. The new fire chief, Lillian Bonsignore, is a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community, but whether she has what it takes to lead America’s biggest fire department is yet to be seen.
Nevertheless, Mamdani is excited about Bonsignore becoming the first openly gay FDNY fire chief.
&#8220;I am proud Lillian will make history too as the first openly gay person to head up the department,&#8221; the mayor <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/mamdani-names-new-fdny-chief/6434650/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week.
Despite Mamdani saying that he was proud to pick a fire chief who is gay, Bonsignore said that she found it a little “odd” to be celebrated for being a gay woman.
“It’s kind of odd that the thing I get celebrated for the most – people are always like, ‘Wow, you’re a woman and you’re gay’ – are the two things I put the least work into.”
Bonsignore argued that while she doesn’t have any actual firefighting experience, she understands “what firefighters need and I can translate that to this administration who’s willing to listen.&#8221;
“I know the job!” she said.
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Bonsignore worked 31 years for Emergency Medical Services and served as the FDNY’s EMS Operations chief during the COVID pandemic. She retired in 2022 and will be coming out of retirement to serve as the FDNY’s chief.
“It was a little hard [to come out of retirement], it’s a hard decision, but I’m looking forward to it, I’m happy to do it,” she said.
The previous FDNY commissioner, Robert Tucker, announced that he would step down from the position shortly after Mamdani won the mayoral election. Tucker’s final day on the job was December 19.
&#8220;Look, it&#8217;s a complicated, emotional decision to leave. But ideologically, there&#8217;s no doubt that the mayor and I disagree on some very fundamental things to me,&#8221; Tucker said.
It seems that Tucker saw the writing on the wall. Leftism and identity politics now reign supreme in NYC.
***
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America’s Largest Fire Department Is Now Led By A Gay Woman With No Firefighting Experience

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New York City&#8217;s Democratic socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has named Ramzi Kassem — an attorney who previously represented Al Qaeda terrorists — to serve as the city&#8217;s chief counsel in his administration.
&#8220;I will turn to Ramzi for his remarkable experience and his commitment to defending those too often abandoned by our legal system,&#8221; Mamdani said of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-taps-controversial-lawyer-who-defended-al-qaeda-terrorist-top-role-powerful-advocate">Kassem</a>, adding, &#8220;City Hall will be stronger with him in it, and our work of building a more prosperous city for all will have a powerful advocate.&#8221;
&#8220;My sincere hope is that New Yorkers who have long felt on the margins of this city, the homeless veteran straining to survive, the patient searching for the care that they need, an immigrant trying to get by will feel that they now have leaders in their corner who understand their struggles and care to fight for them,&#8221; Mamdani continued. &#8220;That is the city I want to build. The prosperity I intend to deliver and the leadership that has too long been lacking.&#8221;
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Kassem said that the appointment, to him, represented a chance to give back to the city he loved: &#8220;I grew up in war-torn countries in the Middle East, authoritarian regimes, and New York City was really my first stable and permanent home. This is an opportunity for me to repay that debt. I&#8217;ve been trying to repay that debt ever since I came to this country, ever since I immigrated.&#8221;
Critics argued that Kassem, who once represented al Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi in court, was a strange choice to be chief counsel in a city that was devastated by an al Qaeda-linked terrorist attack on 9/11, 2001. Al-Darbi pleaded guilty in 2014 in connection with a plot to bomb the French oil tanker MV Limburg off the coast of Yemen. He was convicted in 2017, and in 2018, President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration transferred him to the custody of Saudi Arabia.
He <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-sends-saudi-detainee-linked-911-home-guantanamo-rcna19078">also represented</a> Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani, who allegedly attempted to assist in the 9/11 hijacking and was held in detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for two decades. Kassem, who was teaching law at City University of New York at the time, had been working with students over the course of a decade to get him returned to Saudi Arabia. They succeeded in doing so in 2022.
In more recent history, Kassem represented pro-Hamas Columbia University agitator Mahmoud Khalil — and prior to that, he served in President Joe Biden&#8217;s White House Domestic Policy Council as a senior policy adviser.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Zohran Mamdani announced the nomination of Ramzi Kassem as Chief Counsel of New York City.
Kassem returned to America from the Middle East in 2001, inspired by 9/11 to defend an Al Qaeda terrorist.
“I found myself pulled in the direction of doing rights work domestically… <a href="https://t.co/Duxc04q3b3">pic.twitter.com/Duxc04q3b3</a>
— Wall Street Mav (@WallStreetMav) <a href="https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/2006164780369781045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino <a href="https://x.com/VickieforNYC/status/2006301115113947275">responded</a> to the appointment, saying, &#8220;Less than 25 years after thousands of New Yorkers were killed on 9/11, the Chief Counsel of New York is going to be an Islamist lawyer who came to this country after 9/11 specifically to defend the very Al Qaeda terrorists we were fighting against. The fact that our immigration system post 9/11 even allowed him to step foot into the country is a monumental failure. Disgraceful isn&#8217;t a big enough word for what&#8217;s happening here. The federal government must get a LOT more involved in New York. We cannot allow these people to go unchecked.&#8221;

Protesters Gather Outside Pro-Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil’s Court Conference In New York

Mamdani Names Al-Qaeda Defense Attorney As New York City’s Chief Counsel

Mamdani Names Al-Qaeda Defense Attorney As New York City's Chief Counsel

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Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s swearing in ceremonies on Thursday will combine leftism and Islam, as the 34-year-old is set to become New York City&#8217;s first Muslim mayor when he places his hand on the Quran and is given the oath of office by Senator Bernie Sanders.
Mamdani will use three different Qurans in both of his swearing-in ceremonies on January 1, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/nyregion/mamdani-quran-inauguration-muslim.html">reported</a>. For his first ceremony at midnight on Thursday, Mamdani will place his hand on his grandfather’s Quran as well as a Quran that belonged to black history activist Arturo Schomburg, according to the Times. In his second ceremony, Mamdani will again place his hand on his grandfather&#8217;s Quran and one that belongs to another family member.
Mamdani will be sworn in by New York Attorney General Letitia James after the clock strikes midnight on January 1, while Sanders will deliver the oath of office during a ceremony later in the day, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/31/us-news/zohran-mamdani-will-become-first-nyc-mayor-sworn-in-on-quran-when-he-takes-oath-of-office/">reported</a>.
The swearing-in ceremony will break with tradition as New York City mayors throughout history have placed their hands on Bibles when they were sworn in. Mamdani will become one of the few elected officials throughout the country to use a Quran for their swearing in, joining leftist Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Mamdani spoke of his Islamic faith while on the campaign trail, even delivering a tearful address on Islamophobia after he claimed that his opponents, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, launched &#8220;racist&#8221; and &#8220;baseless&#8221; attacks on him.
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“Growing up in the shadow of 9/11, I have known what it means to live with an undercurrent of suspicion in this city,” Mamdani <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zohran-mamdanis-islamophobia-speech-echoes-famous-norm-macdonald-joke">said</a> during his Islamophobia speech on October 24, adding, “To be Muslim in New York is to expect indignity, but indignity does not make us distinct. There are many New Yorkers who face it. It is the tolerance of that indignity that does.”
Mamdani also said that he was wrong for thinking that he could focus on his &#8220;central message&#8221; during his campaign and become &#8220;more than just my faith.&#8221;
&#8220;No amount of redirection is ever enough,” he said.
Mamdani&#8217;s election victory was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/us/politics/mamdani-muslim.html">described</a> as a &#8220;breakthrough win for Muslim Americans&#8221; by The New York Times. Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, said of Mamdani&#8217;s election, “There is a constant effort to try and draw a small barrier around who can be American. That is what makes this moment so special.”

Mamdani To Be Sworn In With Hand On Quran As Bernie Sanders Gives Oath Of Office

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A New York State Assembly candidate supported by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America is facing scrutiny over resurfaced comments about American holidays.
Aber Kawas said in a Labor Day 2015 <a href="https://archive.ph/VXjfO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tumblr post</a> that “a day off means nothing, because liberation means everything,” the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/27/us-news/mamdani-backed-queens-assembly-candidate-hates-american-holidays-like-veterans-day-july-4th/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a> first reported.
&#8220;Whether it is July 4th, Thanksgiving, Veterans, Columbus or now Labor Day- we enjoy days off that are supposed to be victories for people, when they truly represent the silencing &amp; destruction of our movements,” she wrote at the time.
“Today I do not celebrate a day off, I only recommit myself to a global movement that fights against the death, displacement, and exploitation of people for capital,” the candidate added.
Her campaign for Assembly District 34, which is in Queens, focuses on an “affordability crisis” and she claimed that “immigrants are being attacked while billions are spent to fund Israel’s genocide in Gaza” in an X post from earlier this month, saying on her campaign website that her parents are Palestinian refugees, but she was born in the Big Apple.
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This is not the first time past remarks of hers have come to light, as X user <a href="https://x.com/DrewPavlou/status/1990733437775331774?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Pavlou</a> posted a clip of her discussing 9/11 as &#8220;a terror attack that like a couple of people did.&#8221;
“The system of capitalism and racism and white supremacy et cetera — and Islamophobia — have all been used, you know, to colonize lands, to take resources from other people, and so this is a long trajectory and we are just seeing the manifestations of that continuation, right, with 9/11,” she said.
“The idea we have to apologize for like a terror attack that like a couple of people did and then there is no apology or reparations for genocides and for slavery, et cetera — is something I find reprehensible,” Kawas continued in the clip. The Post reported that she previously interned for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and has been noted for her work with the group’s New York chapter.
The city’s DSA chapter recently touted its endorsement of Kawas, who posted to X that “proud to be running as a democratic socialist who will fight for freedom and dignity for immigrants, justice for Palestinians, and an affordable NY for all.”
The Daily Wire reached out to the Kawas and Mamdani campaigns for comment.
<a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/17/mamdani-backs-palestinian-activist-in-legislative-race-where-battle-with-israeli-lobby-a-key-issue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Daily News</a> reported on Mamdani’s endorsement of Kawas last month, as his nod could potentially be a major deal — in both good and bad ways — as he has become a national figure.
Kawas said in a November 10 Instagram post with herself, Mamdani, and others that people “can’t deny that the last two years of genocide in Palestine was part of what galvanized thousands to throw down for a campaign that represented a new kind of politics.”
If she’s elected to represent Queens in Albany, she might even pose a contrast to the Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, as she retweeted an October 2023 post from Mamdani criticizing Hochul’s comments on a Gaza hospital strike in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The governor did eventually endorse Mamdani for mayor in September 2025.

Mamdani-Backed Socialist Candidate Said July 4 ‘Means Nothing,’ Represents ‘Destruction’

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