Kerry E. Smith, Editor
STRAIGHT TALK:
(My Not-So Humble Commentary on Current Issues & Events)
Some of Which Require No Comment
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NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW - Posted Oct. 1, 2026:
NOTICE TO YONKERS GOP CITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
(I.E. ALL CITY GOP WARD AND DISTRICT LEADERS):
Full Committee Membership Meeting to Review, Discuss and Vote on Amendments to, and acceptance of, recently amended Official By-Laws of the Yonkers Republican City Committee
**6:30 p.m. Sharp!**
Doors Close & Entries Stop at 6:45 p.m.
Thursday, October 8, 2026
City VFW Post 1666
574 Yonkers Avenue - Yonkers
NOTICE TO YONKERS GOP CITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
(I.E. ALL CITY GOP WARD AND DISTRICT LEADERS):
Full Committee Membership Meeting to Review, Discuss and Vote on Amendments to, and acceptance of, recently amended Official By-Laws of the Yonkers Republican City Committee
**6:30 p.m. Sharp!**
Doors Close & Entries Stop at 6:45 p.m.
Thursday, October 8, 2026
City VFW Post 1666
574 Yonkers Avenue - Yonkers
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NY'S FEMLIB SENATOR DONS A HIJAB TO STUMP FOR MUSLIM VOTES
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, appeared at the Bronx Muslim Center, located in New York City's "Little Yemen," on Sept. 21.
Sen Kirsten Gillibrand Dons a Hijab at Bronx Mosque, Alongside Cleric Who Praises Hamas and Osama Bin Laden’s Mentor, in Under-the–Radar Visit
The mosque in ‘Little Yemen’ has multiple ties to Muslim extremists and Hamas supporters
By Chuck Ross, The Washington Free Beacon - Sept. 29, 2026
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wore a hijab during a visit last week to a Bronx mosque where the powerful New York Democrat sat alongside a cleric who once celebrated Hamas for "causing so much trouble for the Jews" and has hailed Osama bin Laden's spiritual mentor.
Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, appeared at the Bronx Muslim Center, located in New York City's "Little Yemen," on Sept. 21, according to photos posted by the center's outreach director.
The photos show Gillibrand wearing a pink headscarf and seated next to Hamud Alsilwi, a Yemeni cleric who has led the Bronx Muslim Center since 1998. A banner soliciting donations for the center's new 32,000-square-foot mosque is seen in the photos that prominently featured the senator.
The Bronx mosque is a branch of the Muslim American Society, which federal prosecutors have described as an "overt arm" of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States.
Alsilwi has praised Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood and hailed Sheikh Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, an influential Islamic scholar designated as a terrorist over his ties to bin Laden.
"The Muslim Brotherhood came to power in Palestine, and they harmed no one except the Jews and Israel," Alsilwi wrote in October 2016, according to an English translation of his post.
In social media posts in January 2016, Alsilwi praised Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin—who was killed in an Israeli airstrike after being linked to multiple murders—for "causing so much trouble for the Jews in Palestine," the Middle East Forum reported in 2024, after Rep. Ritchie Torres (D., N.Y.) secured $1 million in earmarks for the Bronx Muslim Center.
Alsilwi mourned al-Zindani after his death in April 2024, posting numerous photos and videos of the cleric, referring to him as an "eminent scholar" and praying, "O God, grant him spacious gardens in Paradise."
The U.S. government designated al-Zindani a terrorist in 2004 over his position as spiritual adviser to bin Laden and for allegedly recruiting al Qaeda members and aiding "the purchase of weapons on behalf of al-Qaeda and other terrorists."
Gillibrand has not promoted her Bronx mosque visit on social media or her Senate website, though she posted footage from other events she attended the same day in East Harlem and the Bronx. Those photos show Gillibrand wearing the same suit as the one at the Bronx Muslim Center, sans hijab.
"It was an honor to welcome U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to Little Yemen today and have her spend time directly with members of our community," wrote Yahay Obeid, the mosque's director of outreach.
Other prominent New York lawmakers have faced criticism for wearing hijabs. President Donald Trump and New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman excoriated Gov. Kathy Hochul (D.) last month for donning a hijab at an event for the Islamic Cultural Center of Manhattan's Upper East Side.
"Hijab Hochul. Kathy's Latest Costume: Whatever the Audience Wants," wrote Blakeman.
Trump called Hochul the "Worst Governor in the Country," and said she "wears the hijab" to "get the Arab Vote."
Conservatives and human rights activists blasted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) earlier this year for sporting a hijab at an outdoor Eid event. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian dissident, accused the "Squad" leader of hypocrisy for wearing the hijab while claiming "to fight for women's self-determination."
Gillibrand's office and the Bronx Muslim Center did not respond to requests for comment. ##
The mosque in ‘Little Yemen’ has multiple ties to Muslim extremists and Hamas supporters
By Chuck Ross, The Washington Free Beacon - Sept. 29, 2026
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wore a hijab during a visit last week to a Bronx mosque where the powerful New York Democrat sat alongside a cleric who once celebrated Hamas for "causing so much trouble for the Jews" and has hailed Osama bin Laden's spiritual mentor.
Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, appeared at the Bronx Muslim Center, located in New York City's "Little Yemen," on Sept. 21, according to photos posted by the center's outreach director.
The photos show Gillibrand wearing a pink headscarf and seated next to Hamud Alsilwi, a Yemeni cleric who has led the Bronx Muslim Center since 1998. A banner soliciting donations for the center's new 32,000-square-foot mosque is seen in the photos that prominently featured the senator.
The Bronx mosque is a branch of the Muslim American Society, which federal prosecutors have described as an "overt arm" of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States.
Alsilwi has praised Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood and hailed Sheikh Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, an influential Islamic scholar designated as a terrorist over his ties to bin Laden.
"The Muslim Brotherhood came to power in Palestine, and they harmed no one except the Jews and Israel," Alsilwi wrote in October 2016, according to an English translation of his post.
In social media posts in January 2016, Alsilwi praised Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin—who was killed in an Israeli airstrike after being linked to multiple murders—for "causing so much trouble for the Jews in Palestine," the Middle East Forum reported in 2024, after Rep. Ritchie Torres (D., N.Y.) secured $1 million in earmarks for the Bronx Muslim Center.
Alsilwi mourned al-Zindani after his death in April 2024, posting numerous photos and videos of the cleric, referring to him as an "eminent scholar" and praying, "O God, grant him spacious gardens in Paradise."
The U.S. government designated al-Zindani a terrorist in 2004 over his position as spiritual adviser to bin Laden and for allegedly recruiting al Qaeda members and aiding "the purchase of weapons on behalf of al-Qaeda and other terrorists."
Gillibrand has not promoted her Bronx mosque visit on social media or her Senate website, though she posted footage from other events she attended the same day in East Harlem and the Bronx. Those photos show Gillibrand wearing the same suit as the one at the Bronx Muslim Center, sans hijab.
"It was an honor to welcome U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to Little Yemen today and have her spend time directly with members of our community," wrote Yahay Obeid, the mosque's director of outreach.
Other prominent New York lawmakers have faced criticism for wearing hijabs. President Donald Trump and New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman excoriated Gov. Kathy Hochul (D.) last month for donning a hijab at an event for the Islamic Cultural Center of Manhattan's Upper East Side.
"Hijab Hochul. Kathy's Latest Costume: Whatever the Audience Wants," wrote Blakeman.
Trump called Hochul the "Worst Governor in the Country," and said she "wears the hijab" to "get the Arab Vote."
Conservatives and human rights activists blasted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) earlier this year for sporting a hijab at an outdoor Eid event. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian dissident, accused the "Squad" leader of hypocrisy for wearing the hijab while claiming "to fight for women's self-determination."
Gillibrand's office and the Bronx Muslim Center did not respond to requests for comment. ##
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'THE POLICIES PUSHED BY HOCHUL KILLED OUR DAUGHTER - THIS HAS TO STOP.'
Parents of Sheridan Gorman — Loyola Student Killed by Illegal Migrant — Rip NY Dem Pols in TV Ad for Mike Lawler
By Carl Campanile, New York Post - Sept. 30, 2026
The grieving Westchester parents of Sheridan Gorman — the Loyola University student allegedly killed by an illegal migrant — endorsed incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a new TV ad while ripping his Democratic opponent Cait Conley for backing sanctuary policies.
Gorman’s mom Jessica declared that she and her husband Tom “choose leaders who choose us” in the 30-second-spot that began airing on Wednesday morning for viewers in New York’s 17th House district.
“He just shot her. He hunted her down,” Jessica Gorman said in the ad, referring to Jose Medina — the undocumented Venezuelan migrant accused of gunning down her 18-year-old daughter.
Looking into the camera, Sheridan’s dad, Tom Gorman, said “The sanctuary policies being pushed by [Gov.] Kathy Hochul and Democrats killed our daughter. This has to stop.” Jessica added, “And this is why we choose leaders who choose us and that’s why we’re choosing Mike Lawler.”
Sheridan, a freshman at the Chicago school, was killed in cold blood on March 19 while walking with friends along Lake Michigan.
Her alleged killer had previous run-ins with law enforcement but was set free before the deadly shooting.
Hochul approved a state law earlier this year barring local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE on immigration enforcement. Chicago has a similar sanctuary law policy protecting undocumented immigrants.
On her website, Conley stated she supports passing a federal law that would prevent agreements between county police and ICE to assist in immigration enforcement.
But she dodged a question about her position when the Gormans asked about overturning sanctuary laws during a News 12 debate Monday night.
In a follow-up interview with The Post, Jessica Gorman called Conley’s answer “cowardly.”
“Last night, I was incredibly disappointed with Conley. I have respect for her because she’s a military person,” Jessica Gorman said of the Army veteran.
“She didn’t have enough respect for us to answer our question and skipped the truth. I found it cowardly. It was disrespectful to Tom and my daughter.”
Jessica Gorman recently spoke at the Republican National Committee’s mid-term convention.
Her husband said they were never this politically active before, until their daughter was killed.
“This is not about us. It’s about preventing the next victim. We’re not going to sit idly by,” he said.
Lawler appears in a second ad.
“How many lives must be lost before Cait Conley and Kathy Hochul get the message? Cait Conley supports Kathy Hochul’s law making New York a sanctuary state, tying the hands of law enforcement,” Lawler said.
“We can’t let violent criminals win, even if Cait Conley and Kathy Hochul are protecting them.” Lawler said.
Conley defended her record on immigration enforcement in response to the criticism from the Gormans.
“Sheridan Gorman was a beautiful young woman, who should still be with us today. Her death is devastating and inexcusable, and my heart breaks for Tom, Jessica, and all those who knew and loved her,” Conley said in a statement.
“Our government failed Sheridan, and we must do everything in our power to prevent another tragedy. We must ensure that both law and immigration enforcement have the resources and support they need to protect our communities from drug cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals. As a former military police officer who has risked my life to defend our country, the safety and security of our families will always be my number one priority.”
n March, Conley attended the vigil in Yorktown to honor Sheridan Gorman.
Conley’s camp said she supports revoking 287g agreements—which give state and local police the authority to perform specific immigration enforcement functions under ICE’s direction and oversight — so that local police can focus on protecting their own communities, rather than doing the federal government’s job and forcing local taxpayers to foot the bill.
This will still hold criminals accountable, her office said.
Lawler’s camp said it’s spending seven figures on the two ads over the coming weeks.
Lawler and Conley are locked in a reported neck-and-neck race in a swing district that has become one of the most closely watched in the country — and could determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year.
The 17th Congressional District, encompasses Rockland, Putnam and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties, where a large portion of households have family members who are police officers, firefighters or veterans. About 20% of voters are Jewish.
Lawler, a former state assemblyman long active in GOP politics, is seeking a third term.
Conley is a US Army veteran and West Point graduate who worked in the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration. It’s her first foray into politics after winning a five-way Democratic primary. ##
By Carl Campanile, New York Post - Sept. 30, 2026
The grieving Westchester parents of Sheridan Gorman — the Loyola University student allegedly killed by an illegal migrant — endorsed incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a new TV ad while ripping his Democratic opponent Cait Conley for backing sanctuary policies.
Gorman’s mom Jessica declared that she and her husband Tom “choose leaders who choose us” in the 30-second-spot that began airing on Wednesday morning for viewers in New York’s 17th House district.
“He just shot her. He hunted her down,” Jessica Gorman said in the ad, referring to Jose Medina — the undocumented Venezuelan migrant accused of gunning down her 18-year-old daughter.
Looking into the camera, Sheridan’s dad, Tom Gorman, said “The sanctuary policies being pushed by [Gov.] Kathy Hochul and Democrats killed our daughter. This has to stop.” Jessica added, “And this is why we choose leaders who choose us and that’s why we’re choosing Mike Lawler.”
Sheridan, a freshman at the Chicago school, was killed in cold blood on March 19 while walking with friends along Lake Michigan.
Her alleged killer had previous run-ins with law enforcement but was set free before the deadly shooting.
Hochul approved a state law earlier this year barring local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE on immigration enforcement. Chicago has a similar sanctuary law policy protecting undocumented immigrants.
On her website, Conley stated she supports passing a federal law that would prevent agreements between county police and ICE to assist in immigration enforcement.
But she dodged a question about her position when the Gormans asked about overturning sanctuary laws during a News 12 debate Monday night.
In a follow-up interview with The Post, Jessica Gorman called Conley’s answer “cowardly.”
“Last night, I was incredibly disappointed with Conley. I have respect for her because she’s a military person,” Jessica Gorman said of the Army veteran.
“She didn’t have enough respect for us to answer our question and skipped the truth. I found it cowardly. It was disrespectful to Tom and my daughter.”
Jessica Gorman recently spoke at the Republican National Committee’s mid-term convention.
Her husband said they were never this politically active before, until their daughter was killed.
“This is not about us. It’s about preventing the next victim. We’re not going to sit idly by,” he said.
Lawler appears in a second ad.
“How many lives must be lost before Cait Conley and Kathy Hochul get the message? Cait Conley supports Kathy Hochul’s law making New York a sanctuary state, tying the hands of law enforcement,” Lawler said.
“We can’t let violent criminals win, even if Cait Conley and Kathy Hochul are protecting them.” Lawler said.
Conley defended her record on immigration enforcement in response to the criticism from the Gormans.
“Sheridan Gorman was a beautiful young woman, who should still be with us today. Her death is devastating and inexcusable, and my heart breaks for Tom, Jessica, and all those who knew and loved her,” Conley said in a statement.
“Our government failed Sheridan, and we must do everything in our power to prevent another tragedy. We must ensure that both law and immigration enforcement have the resources and support they need to protect our communities from drug cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals. As a former military police officer who has risked my life to defend our country, the safety and security of our families will always be my number one priority.”
n March, Conley attended the vigil in Yorktown to honor Sheridan Gorman.
Conley’s camp said she supports revoking 287g agreements—which give state and local police the authority to perform specific immigration enforcement functions under ICE’s direction and oversight — so that local police can focus on protecting their own communities, rather than doing the federal government’s job and forcing local taxpayers to foot the bill.
This will still hold criminals accountable, her office said.
Lawler’s camp said it’s spending seven figures on the two ads over the coming weeks.
Lawler and Conley are locked in a reported neck-and-neck race in a swing district that has become one of the most closely watched in the country — and could determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year.
The 17th Congressional District, encompasses Rockland, Putnam and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties, where a large portion of households have family members who are police officers, firefighters or veterans. About 20% of voters are Jewish.
Lawler, a former state assemblyman long active in GOP politics, is seeking a third term.
Conley is a US Army veteran and West Point graduate who worked in the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration. It’s her first foray into politics after winning a five-way Democratic primary. ##
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MESSAGE TO YONKERS LOW-PROPENSITY VOTERS: DO NOT DESPAIR...
'CAN-DO' BLAKEMAN WILL SEND HIJAB-WEARING HOCHUL BACK TO BUFFALO...BUT ONLY IF YOU VOTE!
'CAN-DO' BLAKEMAN WILL SEND HIJAB-WEARING HOCHUL BACK TO BUFFALO...BUT ONLY IF YOU VOTE!
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YONKERS VOTERS, TUNE IN TO SEE & HEAR JOE HERNANDEZ LIVE ON TV!
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YES, HE SAID 'MAINE!'
Rep. Mike Lawler is running neck and neck against Democratic veteran Cait Conley. AP Photo/Alex Brandon
NY GOP Rep Lawler Gets Re-Election Boost from Maine Democrat Jared Golden
Yonkers Times, September 21, 2026
Congressman Mike Lawler today welcomed the “incredibly rare” endorsement of Democratic Congressman Jared Golden of Maine, and said their relationship – built on bipartisan cooperation, moderation, and putting people before party – is a model of how Congress should operate.
Rep. Lawler and Rep. Golden, who represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, have worked together on several bipartisan initiatives during their time together in Congress — including protecting collective bargaining rights for federal workers as part of the “Protect America’s Workforce Act,” as well as defending Northeast fishing communities from burdensome federal regulations via the recently passed “Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act.”
“It’s an honor and a privilege to accept the endorsement of my friend, Democratic Congressman Jared Golden,” said Rep. Lawler, who has rolled out several cross-party endorsements from Hudson Valley Democrats in recent weeks.
“While we are from different parties and different states, Jared and I have worked during our time together in the House to find common ground on issues that matter both to us and our constituents. We share a firm belief that what’s best for the people should come before one’s party, and that if more members on both sides of the aisle took that approach more often, the country would be better off for it.”
Lawler and Golden are both widely recognized as two of the most bipartisan Members of Congress; both willing to take positions at odds with their own party’s leadership and leverage their independence in a closely divided House to get things done for their constituents.
Continued Rep. Lawler: “As I’ve said many times, I do my best to abide by the sage advice of former Democratic New York City Mayor Ed Koch, who famously said: ‘If you agree with me on nine out of twelve issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on twelve out of twelve issues, see a psychiatrist.’
In a nutshell, that is how both Jared and I approach our jobs in Congress and our relationship with each other. He’s from Maine and I am from New York. We are never going to see eye-to-eye on every issue, and that’s ok, but we share a commitment to being serious and deliberate about finding common ground and getting things accomplished.”
“My opponent’s entire campaign message is built on a blatant lie, which is the bogus claim that I vote with my party 100% of the time,” added Rep. Lawler. “Not only is that attack inconsistent with the facts, but it’s rendered even more absurd and unserious when I earn endorsements like this one, from a principled, moderate Democrat like Jared Golden who knows that is not remotely true.
"Sadly, Cait Conley doesn’t know anything about bipartisanship. She is running as a paint-by-numbers, partisan rubberstamp who agrees with Kathy Hochul’s dangerous Sanctuary State policies, doesn’t have the courage to disavow Zohran Mamdani and Democratic Socialists, and who just last week promised to drag the country into two more years of gridlock by coming out in favor of impeaching the President and other members of his Administration if she is elected. The Hudson Valley deserves better.” ##
Yonkers Times, September 21, 2026
Congressman Mike Lawler today welcomed the “incredibly rare” endorsement of Democratic Congressman Jared Golden of Maine, and said their relationship – built on bipartisan cooperation, moderation, and putting people before party – is a model of how Congress should operate.
Rep. Lawler and Rep. Golden, who represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, have worked together on several bipartisan initiatives during their time together in Congress — including protecting collective bargaining rights for federal workers as part of the “Protect America’s Workforce Act,” as well as defending Northeast fishing communities from burdensome federal regulations via the recently passed “Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act.”
“It’s an honor and a privilege to accept the endorsement of my friend, Democratic Congressman Jared Golden,” said Rep. Lawler, who has rolled out several cross-party endorsements from Hudson Valley Democrats in recent weeks.
“While we are from different parties and different states, Jared and I have worked during our time together in the House to find common ground on issues that matter both to us and our constituents. We share a firm belief that what’s best for the people should come before one’s party, and that if more members on both sides of the aisle took that approach more often, the country would be better off for it.”
Lawler and Golden are both widely recognized as two of the most bipartisan Members of Congress; both willing to take positions at odds with their own party’s leadership and leverage their independence in a closely divided House to get things done for their constituents.
Continued Rep. Lawler: “As I’ve said many times, I do my best to abide by the sage advice of former Democratic New York City Mayor Ed Koch, who famously said: ‘If you agree with me on nine out of twelve issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on twelve out of twelve issues, see a psychiatrist.’
In a nutshell, that is how both Jared and I approach our jobs in Congress and our relationship with each other. He’s from Maine and I am from New York. We are never going to see eye-to-eye on every issue, and that’s ok, but we share a commitment to being serious and deliberate about finding common ground and getting things accomplished.”
“My opponent’s entire campaign message is built on a blatant lie, which is the bogus claim that I vote with my party 100% of the time,” added Rep. Lawler. “Not only is that attack inconsistent with the facts, but it’s rendered even more absurd and unserious when I earn endorsements like this one, from a principled, moderate Democrat like Jared Golden who knows that is not remotely true.
"Sadly, Cait Conley doesn’t know anything about bipartisanship. She is running as a paint-by-numbers, partisan rubberstamp who agrees with Kathy Hochul’s dangerous Sanctuary State policies, doesn’t have the courage to disavow Zohran Mamdani and Democratic Socialists, and who just last week promised to drag the country into two more years of gridlock by coming out in favor of impeaching the President and other members of his Administration if she is elected. The Hudson Valley deserves better.” ##
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TROUBLE'S A-BREWIN' OUT THERE IN SPANO COUNTRY
Lakisha Collins-Bellamy and John Rubbo are long-time supporters of Mayor Mike Spano (center). The fight to succeed him is now on. Photo: city photo library, retouched by The Ledger.
Dems Generating Outbreak of Incriminating Leaks and Counter-Leaks
By Phil Zisman, The Yonkers Ledger, Sept. 20, 2026
The 2027 Democratic primary for Yonkers mayor is nine months from now, but the two likely successors have begun an undeclared war, launched with a back-and-forth exchange of anonymous opposition research and the leaking of embarrassing stories to reporters.
It is an open secret in Yonkers political circles that City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy and Council Majority Leader John Rubbo are eyeing runs for mayor next year. Neither has formally declared.
The new round of allegations, accusations, and countermeasures are designed for media consumption. The first skirmish was a leak of incriminating information about Rubbo’s failure to scrupulously adhere to local regulations, first with a vacation home in New Jersey and then with his brew pub in Yonkers.
In the newspaper business, leaks of usually unexamined paperwork most often come from sources seeking to embarrass their opponents.
A faction apparently aligned with Rubbo has counterattacked with a shock and awe campaign, alleging that Collins-Bellamy may have been improperly paid for hours not worked in her municipal job, with a simultaneous second attack via a new city law that would put Collins-Bellamy out of one of her two jobs.
After Spano, the deluge -
Welcome to the gladiatorial prelude to the race to succeed Mayor Mike Spano. Spano is now in his fourth term, and it’s widely assumed that he has decided not to run for a fifth. Stepping down would free him from the obligation of going to the council to request a third legislative suspension of the city’s term limits law.
Collins-Bellamy and Rubbo are the two highest-ranking Democrats on the City Council and have both been strong Spano supporters. Collins-Bellamy also occupies a particularly powerful position in city government. Unlike the six district council members, the council president is elected citywide, presides over the council, chairs its rules committee, and is a voting member of every standing committee.
Rubbo fined for licensing violations
Rubbo’s regulatory troubles have been reported by investigative journalist David Mckay Wilson. Now in his third council term, (former Republican, like Spano) Rubbo is co-owner and managing partner of Yonkers Brewing Company; Wilson’s second Substack report documents a series of violations and fines levied against the bar.
Since Rubbo joined the City Council in 2018, Yonkers Brewing has paid $6,950 in fines and penalties for 17 violations of city licensing requirements, according to city records obtained by Wilson and published on his Substack, Hudson Valley Digger. Wilson’s first story disclosed that Rubbo had been cited for zoning violations at a Jersey Shore family-investment property. Those fines have also been paid.
In an interview with The Ledger, Rubbo didn’t deny that he’s been cited, and he didn’t apologize. “It fell through the cracks,” he confirmed regarding the Yonkers violations. His district includes many restaurants and bars along McLean Avenue, and he sympathizes with the small-business owners who must “deal with the bureaucracy and red tape that chokes them.”
Collins-Bellamy’s dual roles under fire
Collins-Bellamy is under attack because of alleged overpayments she may have received from her job as an attorney for the city’s Municipal Housing Authority. An anonymous complaint to the New York State Comptroller and Attorney General asks for an investigation to determine if Collins-Bellamy was often a no-show at the housing authority job — getting salary and pension benefits while she was performing council duties.
The Ledger could not confirm the source of the complaint in any on-the-record conversation. Collins-Bellamy said she received it from a fictitious sender, “Jake Espinoza.”
The complaint includes a detailed analysis of the time Collins-Bellamy spent at council hearings and ceremonial duties, as well as a lawyerly list of allegedly similar cases where charges were filed.
The Ledger could not confirm that the letter has been officially received by the comptroller or attorney general or that any investigation of the charges has or will be launched.
According to Collins-Bellamy, she cleared having the two jobs with state and federal officials. “It was not a conflict of interest for me to be a candidate for office, nor to hold dual, compatible roles when I took the oath to become Council President,” she said.
“Now my very own colleagues are taking it upon themselves to create a conflict where there never was one.”
But why stop there?
The second line of attack on Collins-Bellamy, the new law that would cost her a job, came from an unlikely source: Mike Breen, the council’s only Republican member.
The proposed law would bar an employee of the Municipal Housing Authority and other city government offices from running for or holding elective office.
In an interview with The Ledger, Breen said that he introduced the proposed law as “good government legislation” — not politically motivated or related to the upcoming mayoral election. The idea had been “kicking around” since 2021, when Collins-Bellamy was first elected.
He specifically noted that Collins-Bellamy regularly recuses herself from votes concerning the housing authority. His bill would prevent council members from holding two city positions that prevent them from voting on certain matters because of a conflict of interest.
Collins-Bellamy condemned Breen’s legislation. “This is a false issue created by politicians who are afraid I might run for mayor and win,” she said. “These are my colleagues’ actions and a Trump-like attempt to rig the election, and the voters won’t stand for it.”
Breen said he submitted the proposed local law to the city clerk Friday, meaning that it could be considered at a meeting of the council’s Legislation and Codes Committee Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The meeting is being held in the Saunders High auditorium. The law has not yet been published in the meeting agenda.
As one anonymous political observer noted, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” Wait, that was Aristotle. And he hasn’t requested anonymity for this story. ##
Corrections: The story was originally published under an incorrect byline. Phil Zisman wrote it. In addition, the name of the apparently fictitious sender of the email received by Collins-Bellamy is Jake Espinoza, not Jake Spinzoa as previously reported.
By Phil Zisman, The Yonkers Ledger, Sept. 20, 2026
The 2027 Democratic primary for Yonkers mayor is nine months from now, but the two likely successors have begun an undeclared war, launched with a back-and-forth exchange of anonymous opposition research and the leaking of embarrassing stories to reporters.
It is an open secret in Yonkers political circles that City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy and Council Majority Leader John Rubbo are eyeing runs for mayor next year. Neither has formally declared.
The new round of allegations, accusations, and countermeasures are designed for media consumption. The first skirmish was a leak of incriminating information about Rubbo’s failure to scrupulously adhere to local regulations, first with a vacation home in New Jersey and then with his brew pub in Yonkers.
In the newspaper business, leaks of usually unexamined paperwork most often come from sources seeking to embarrass their opponents.
A faction apparently aligned with Rubbo has counterattacked with a shock and awe campaign, alleging that Collins-Bellamy may have been improperly paid for hours not worked in her municipal job, with a simultaneous second attack via a new city law that would put Collins-Bellamy out of one of her two jobs.
After Spano, the deluge -
Welcome to the gladiatorial prelude to the race to succeed Mayor Mike Spano. Spano is now in his fourth term, and it’s widely assumed that he has decided not to run for a fifth. Stepping down would free him from the obligation of going to the council to request a third legislative suspension of the city’s term limits law.
Collins-Bellamy and Rubbo are the two highest-ranking Democrats on the City Council and have both been strong Spano supporters. Collins-Bellamy also occupies a particularly powerful position in city government. Unlike the six district council members, the council president is elected citywide, presides over the council, chairs its rules committee, and is a voting member of every standing committee.
Rubbo fined for licensing violations
Rubbo’s regulatory troubles have been reported by investigative journalist David Mckay Wilson. Now in his third council term, (former Republican, like Spano) Rubbo is co-owner and managing partner of Yonkers Brewing Company; Wilson’s second Substack report documents a series of violations and fines levied against the bar.
Since Rubbo joined the City Council in 2018, Yonkers Brewing has paid $6,950 in fines and penalties for 17 violations of city licensing requirements, according to city records obtained by Wilson and published on his Substack, Hudson Valley Digger. Wilson’s first story disclosed that Rubbo had been cited for zoning violations at a Jersey Shore family-investment property. Those fines have also been paid.
In an interview with The Ledger, Rubbo didn’t deny that he’s been cited, and he didn’t apologize. “It fell through the cracks,” he confirmed regarding the Yonkers violations. His district includes many restaurants and bars along McLean Avenue, and he sympathizes with the small-business owners who must “deal with the bureaucracy and red tape that chokes them.”
Collins-Bellamy’s dual roles under fire
Collins-Bellamy is under attack because of alleged overpayments she may have received from her job as an attorney for the city’s Municipal Housing Authority. An anonymous complaint to the New York State Comptroller and Attorney General asks for an investigation to determine if Collins-Bellamy was often a no-show at the housing authority job — getting salary and pension benefits while she was performing council duties.
The Ledger could not confirm the source of the complaint in any on-the-record conversation. Collins-Bellamy said she received it from a fictitious sender, “Jake Espinoza.”
The complaint includes a detailed analysis of the time Collins-Bellamy spent at council hearings and ceremonial duties, as well as a lawyerly list of allegedly similar cases where charges were filed.
The Ledger could not confirm that the letter has been officially received by the comptroller or attorney general or that any investigation of the charges has or will be launched.
According to Collins-Bellamy, she cleared having the two jobs with state and federal officials. “It was not a conflict of interest for me to be a candidate for office, nor to hold dual, compatible roles when I took the oath to become Council President,” she said.
“Now my very own colleagues are taking it upon themselves to create a conflict where there never was one.”
But why stop there?
The second line of attack on Collins-Bellamy, the new law that would cost her a job, came from an unlikely source: Mike Breen, the council’s only Republican member.
The proposed law would bar an employee of the Municipal Housing Authority and other city government offices from running for or holding elective office.
In an interview with The Ledger, Breen said that he introduced the proposed law as “good government legislation” — not politically motivated or related to the upcoming mayoral election. The idea had been “kicking around” since 2021, when Collins-Bellamy was first elected.
He specifically noted that Collins-Bellamy regularly recuses herself from votes concerning the housing authority. His bill would prevent council members from holding two city positions that prevent them from voting on certain matters because of a conflict of interest.
Collins-Bellamy condemned Breen’s legislation. “This is a false issue created by politicians who are afraid I might run for mayor and win,” she said. “These are my colleagues’ actions and a Trump-like attempt to rig the election, and the voters won’t stand for it.”
Breen said he submitted the proposed local law to the city clerk Friday, meaning that it could be considered at a meeting of the council’s Legislation and Codes Committee Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The meeting is being held in the Saunders High auditorium. The law has not yet been published in the meeting agenda.
As one anonymous political observer noted, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” Wait, that was Aristotle. And he hasn’t requested anonymity for this story. ##
Corrections: The story was originally published under an incorrect byline. Phil Zisman wrote it. In addition, the name of the apparently fictitious sender of the email received by Collins-Bellamy is Jake Espinoza, not Jake Spinzoa as previously reported.
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Director of Biden’s Disastrous Afghan-Withdrawal Gets AOC's Nod to Run for Lawler's NY House Seat
By Jasmyn Jordan, Breitbart News - Sept. 17, 2026
A national security expert is calling on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-endorsed Democrat congressional candidate Cait Conley to account for her record in the Biden administration when Iranian support for Hamas increased, terrorism intensified in the Middle East, and antisemitic incidents reached record levels in the United States.
Conley, the Democrat challenging Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in New York’s 17th Congressional District, served as the Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council (NSC) from April 2021 to March 2023.
Conley states that it was her job to “counter Middle East terrorism, and non-state actor threats.” She was also responsible for countering the “domestic and global use of emerging technologies.”
Her tenure at the NSC also coincided with the Biden administration’s August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Fox News reported that the administration’s evacuation plan “has been faulted for failing to anticipate the swift collapse of Afghanistan’s government” and for “not ensuring adequate security precautions for U.S. service members and citizens against terror threats.”
The withdrawal culminated in a terrorist attack outside Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 160 Afghans.
Fox News also reported that Conley has not commented publicly on the withdrawal since launching her congressional campaign. That silence mirrors Biden’s own omission of the 13 fallen service members from his 2022 State of the Union address.
During Conley’s time at the NSC, Iranian financial support for Hamas increased.
Iran’s cash flows to Hamas spiked following the May 2021 conflict, which occurred during Conley’s tenure at the National Security Council.
In early 2022, Hamas’s leader said Iran had provided the group with $70 million to develop missiles and defense systems, while Israeli sources said Iran increased its overall funding to Hamas from $100 million to $350 million per year in 2022.
Across the Middle East, there was also a “relatively steady increase in the number of incidents and fatalities” from October 2022 to October 2023, culminating with the October 7 attack which occurred shortly after Conley left her NSC post.
Antisemitic incidents in the United States also rose sharply while Conley was at the NSC.
The Anti-Defamation League recorded 3,697 antisemitic incidents in 2022, up 36 percent from 2,717 in 2021. At the time, it was the highest number recorded since the organization began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.
The number continued to rise in 2023 when the ADL recorded 8,873 incidents, a 140 percent increase from 2022.
Iran unveiled its Shahed-136 drone in December 2021 while Conley was serving at the NSC, where her responsibilities included countering the domestic and global use of emerging technologies.
The drone has since become a “fixture of modern warfare” and is “central to Iran’s retaliation strategy against the U.S. and its regional allies” including Israel.
Despite the use of Patriot defense missiles against the drones, “many” of the Shahed drones “have still managed to hit their targets.”
The threat continued into March 2026, when Iran announced that their Shahed-136 drones destroyed a U.S. E-3 AWACS surveillance aircraft and damaged multiple refueling tankers, amounting to over $1.3 million in losses.
CNN military analyst and former U.S. Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton called the loss of the surveillance aircraft a “serious blow to [U.S.] surveillance capabilities.”
A Center for a New American Security report described the AWACS as the “‘quarterback’ of the battlefield” and an “indispensable asset for U.S. military operations.”
Conley is also backed by J Street, which said following a House vote that there is “broad agreement” among Democrats that the United States should take a “fundamentally different American approach” to its relationship with Israel. J Street has expressed support for members who voted for an amendment that would cut off U.S. aid to Israel.
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) and democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have endorsed Conley; both representatives had voted for the amendment to halt aid to Israel.
Conley has not said whether she would have joined Ryan and Ocasio-Cortez in voting for the measure.
Cale Brown, chair of POLARIS National Security, told Breitbart News, “Candidates who cite their service in the Biden-Harris Administration as a qualification for higher office should be prepared to answer for the defining national security decisions made during their tenure.
The Afghanistan withdrawal was the most consequential foreign policy failure in a generation, and voters deserve candid answers from those who served in senior national security roles at the time: what went wrong, what they would have done differently, and why they should be entrusted with future leadership.”
“Candidates should also be prepared to account for their role in policies that eroded American deterrence during this period,” Brown continued, “particularly those that enabled Iran’s aggression, strengthened its terrorist proxies, antagonized Israel, and fueled the rise of anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish communities at home and abroad.”
“Experience matters, but judgment matters more — and the American people have the right to examine both,” he concluded. ##
By Jasmyn Jordan, Breitbart News - Sept. 17, 2026
A national security expert is calling on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-endorsed Democrat congressional candidate Cait Conley to account for her record in the Biden administration when Iranian support for Hamas increased, terrorism intensified in the Middle East, and antisemitic incidents reached record levels in the United States.
Conley, the Democrat challenging Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in New York’s 17th Congressional District, served as the Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council (NSC) from April 2021 to March 2023.
Conley states that it was her job to “counter Middle East terrorism, and non-state actor threats.” She was also responsible for countering the “domestic and global use of emerging technologies.”
Her tenure at the NSC also coincided with the Biden administration’s August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Fox News reported that the administration’s evacuation plan “has been faulted for failing to anticipate the swift collapse of Afghanistan’s government” and for “not ensuring adequate security precautions for U.S. service members and citizens against terror threats.”
The withdrawal culminated in a terrorist attack outside Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 160 Afghans.
Fox News also reported that Conley has not commented publicly on the withdrawal since launching her congressional campaign. That silence mirrors Biden’s own omission of the 13 fallen service members from his 2022 State of the Union address.
During Conley’s time at the NSC, Iranian financial support for Hamas increased.
Iran’s cash flows to Hamas spiked following the May 2021 conflict, which occurred during Conley’s tenure at the National Security Council.
In early 2022, Hamas’s leader said Iran had provided the group with $70 million to develop missiles and defense systems, while Israeli sources said Iran increased its overall funding to Hamas from $100 million to $350 million per year in 2022.
Across the Middle East, there was also a “relatively steady increase in the number of incidents and fatalities” from October 2022 to October 2023, culminating with the October 7 attack which occurred shortly after Conley left her NSC post.
Antisemitic incidents in the United States also rose sharply while Conley was at the NSC.
The Anti-Defamation League recorded 3,697 antisemitic incidents in 2022, up 36 percent from 2,717 in 2021. At the time, it was the highest number recorded since the organization began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.
The number continued to rise in 2023 when the ADL recorded 8,873 incidents, a 140 percent increase from 2022.
Iran unveiled its Shahed-136 drone in December 2021 while Conley was serving at the NSC, where her responsibilities included countering the domestic and global use of emerging technologies.
The drone has since become a “fixture of modern warfare” and is “central to Iran’s retaliation strategy against the U.S. and its regional allies” including Israel.
Despite the use of Patriot defense missiles against the drones, “many” of the Shahed drones “have still managed to hit their targets.”
The threat continued into March 2026, when Iran announced that their Shahed-136 drones destroyed a U.S. E-3 AWACS surveillance aircraft and damaged multiple refueling tankers, amounting to over $1.3 million in losses.
CNN military analyst and former U.S. Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton called the loss of the surveillance aircraft a “serious blow to [U.S.] surveillance capabilities.”
A Center for a New American Security report described the AWACS as the “‘quarterback’ of the battlefield” and an “indispensable asset for U.S. military operations.”
Conley is also backed by J Street, which said following a House vote that there is “broad agreement” among Democrats that the United States should take a “fundamentally different American approach” to its relationship with Israel. J Street has expressed support for members who voted for an amendment that would cut off U.S. aid to Israel.
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) and democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have endorsed Conley; both representatives had voted for the amendment to halt aid to Israel.
Conley has not said whether she would have joined Ryan and Ocasio-Cortez in voting for the measure.
Cale Brown, chair of POLARIS National Security, told Breitbart News, “Candidates who cite their service in the Biden-Harris Administration as a qualification for higher office should be prepared to answer for the defining national security decisions made during their tenure.
The Afghanistan withdrawal was the most consequential foreign policy failure in a generation, and voters deserve candid answers from those who served in senior national security roles at the time: what went wrong, what they would have done differently, and why they should be entrusted with future leadership.”
“Candidates should also be prepared to account for their role in policies that eroded American deterrence during this period,” Brown continued, “particularly those that enabled Iran’s aggression, strengthened its terrorist proxies, antagonized Israel, and fueled the rise of anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish communities at home and abroad.”
“Experience matters, but judgment matters more — and the American people have the right to examine both,” he concluded. ##
____________________________________
WATCH THE VIDEO, HERE AND NOW --
GOP Candidate Saritha Komatireddy Makes Her Case to Replace Letitia 'Get-Trump' James for New York AG
By Spectrum News Staff - New York City, Sept. 14, 2026
Last month, President Donald Trump endorsed Republican candidate Saritha Komatireddy in her bid to unseat incumbent Letitia James.
Komatireddy has more than a decade of experience as a federal prosecutor and also clerked under Brett Kavanaugh at the U.S. Court of Appeals before he was a Supreme Court justice.
She also served as chief of staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration in the Biden administration.
Komatireddy joined NY1 political anchor Errol Louis on “Inside City Hall” Monday to discuss the race. ##
By Spectrum News Staff - New York City, Sept. 14, 2026
Last month, President Donald Trump endorsed Republican candidate Saritha Komatireddy in her bid to unseat incumbent Letitia James.
Komatireddy has more than a decade of experience as a federal prosecutor and also clerked under Brett Kavanaugh at the U.S. Court of Appeals before he was a Supreme Court justice.
She also served as chief of staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration in the Biden administration.
Komatireddy joined NY1 political anchor Errol Louis on “Inside City Hall” Monday to discuss the race. ##
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HIJAB-WEARING HOCHUL, PUTTING AMERICA LAST
Hochul Pardons Convicted Criminal Alien to Protect Him from Lawfully Ordered Deportation
By Warner Todd Huston, Breitbart News - Sept. 14, 2026
New York’s Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul intervened in a U.S. Supreme Court case by giving an official pardon to a migrant who was convicted of a felony to try and prevent the Trump administration from deporting him.
The U.S. Supreme Court had agreed to hear the case of Dominican Republic national Keisy Guerrero Mariano, who was at the center of an argument on bond rights for non-citizens detained for lengthy periods.
Mariano was convicted of second-degree assault in 2015 and actually served time for the crime. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later arrested him in 2020 and marked him for deportation for being a migrant with a dangerous assault conviction on his record, which is a violation of immigration rules.
But by 2024, the Second Circuit Court ruled that prolonged detention can allow a migrant to claim a constitutional right to a bond hearing.
The Trump administration had appealed the Second Circuit’s ruling allowing Mariano to seek bond and further insisted that noncitizens, even those with green cards, do not have a legal right to a bond hearing for a prolonged detention if they have committed crimes that are grounds for mandatory deportation, Fox News reported.
Apparently fearing that Mariano would lose his case and then be deported, New York’s left-wing governor jumped into action to protect the dangerous migrant convict from being deported.
**CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING**
By Warner Todd Huston, Breitbart News - Sept. 14, 2026
New York’s Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul intervened in a U.S. Supreme Court case by giving an official pardon to a migrant who was convicted of a felony to try and prevent the Trump administration from deporting him.
The U.S. Supreme Court had agreed to hear the case of Dominican Republic national Keisy Guerrero Mariano, who was at the center of an argument on bond rights for non-citizens detained for lengthy periods.
Mariano was convicted of second-degree assault in 2015 and actually served time for the crime. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later arrested him in 2020 and marked him for deportation for being a migrant with a dangerous assault conviction on his record, which is a violation of immigration rules.
But by 2024, the Second Circuit Court ruled that prolonged detention can allow a migrant to claim a constitutional right to a bond hearing.
The Trump administration had appealed the Second Circuit’s ruling allowing Mariano to seek bond and further insisted that noncitizens, even those with green cards, do not have a legal right to a bond hearing for a prolonged detention if they have committed crimes that are grounds for mandatory deportation, Fox News reported.
Apparently fearing that Mariano would lose his case and then be deported, New York’s left-wing governor jumped into action to protect the dangerous migrant convict from being deported.
**CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING**
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WATCH THE LAWLER VIDEO - STILL UP & RUNNING:
Rep. Mike Lawler Rips Dem Opponent Over AI Data Centers with Hard-Hitting Video Ad
By Carl Campanile, New York Post - Sept. 14, 2026
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler unloaded on his Democratic rival in a hard-hitting TV ad claiming she supports unpopular artificial intelligence data centers and mentioning her six-figure consulting work with AI firms.
The ad for the increasingly heated general election race in the Hudson Valley’s battleground 17th congressional district opens with a dark video of Army veteran Conley saying, “We need data centers.”
“Cait Conley has hundreds of thousands of reasons why she wants to build data centers in the Hudson Valley,” the narrator says. “Conley took a massive six-figure payday from the AI companies she steered contracts to when she worked for Biden.
**CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING**
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QUESTION: IS THIS WHAT IT TAKES TO GET OUT THE VOTE ON NOV. 3? - WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO!
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Bruce Blakeman Poll Claims He’s Within 4 points of Toppling Hochul in NY Governor’s Race
By Carl Campanile, NY Post, Sept. 8, 2026
By Carl Campanile, NY Post, Sept. 8, 2026
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, center, is joined by state Assemblyman Michael Novakhov, left, Norman Ramsey, Melvin Rivera, and State Senator Steve Chan during a press conference in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026.
Republican Bruce Blakeman could pull off a stunning upset in New York’s closely watched governor’s race — with the conservative challenger just 4-percentage points behind Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul in a new poll.
Hochul only leads the underdog and current Nassau County executive 49.6% to 45.7% among likely voters, according to the survey conducted by McLaughlin & Associates for the Blakeman campaign.
The remaining 4.7% of likely voters are undecided, the poll found, based on interviews with 800 likely voters from Aug. 27-31.
The nail-bitingly close results reflect growing dissatisfaction with Hochul’s ability to lead the Empire State, according to the pollsters who conducted the survey.
More than half of voters (55%) don’t have a favorable view of the governor, who is seeking a second term, poll found.
“The majority of voters (56%) believe that it’s time to give someone else a chance to do better, while only 38% say Kathy Hochul has performed well enough as Governor to deserve re-election,” pollster John McLaughlin said in a memo outlining the results.
**CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING**
Hochul only leads the underdog and current Nassau County executive 49.6% to 45.7% among likely voters, according to the survey conducted by McLaughlin & Associates for the Blakeman campaign.
The remaining 4.7% of likely voters are undecided, the poll found, based on interviews with 800 likely voters from Aug. 27-31.
The nail-bitingly close results reflect growing dissatisfaction with Hochul’s ability to lead the Empire State, according to the pollsters who conducted the survey.
More than half of voters (55%) don’t have a favorable view of the governor, who is seeking a second term, poll found.
“The majority of voters (56%) believe that it’s time to give someone else a chance to do better, while only 38% say Kathy Hochul has performed well enough as Governor to deserve re-election,” pollster John McLaughlin said in a memo outlining the results.
**CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING**
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Democrats Just Hit a Midterm Polling Milestone in the Battle for the Senate With Midterms Less Than 60 Days Away
Kathianne Boniello, Mediaite, Sept. 7, 2026
Kathianne Boniello, Mediaite, Sept. 7, 2026
President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP photo)
The Senate is now a “pure toss-up” with less than 60 days to go before the crucial midterm elections, according to Decision Desk HQ.
The pollster declared Monday night the fight for control of the chamber has become a virtual dead heat for the first time since early June.
“The DDHQ Forecast now has the U.S. Senate as a pure toss-up for the first time since early June,” the group posted on X. “The average seat outcome across 1 million simulations remains a 50-50 tie, which would be a narrow win for Republicans thanks to Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote.”
“But the modal outcomes for the Senate are now about equivalently 50-50 tie and 51-49 Dem,” the group added in a follow up post.
Decision Desk HQ gives the Democrats a 67% chance of taking back control of the House of Representatives, but the Senate has been consistently seen as safely in Republican hands until the latest projection.
Some Republicans have already been sounding the alarm.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) admitted last week he feared Dems would take the Senate.
The conservative named nine states he believes the Dems can take — and take control of the Senate — during a podcast appearance with with ex-Trump press secretary Sean Spicer.
“[With] the Senate, I’m really worried,” Cruz said. “North Carolina, the numbers are rough, Georgia the numbers are rough, but we have very competitive races in Maine, Iowa, Ohio, Alaska, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas. I mean, all of those races are within a couple of points of each other. So it — I hope it’s not — but it could be a really rough election.”
Republicans have been fuming that President Donald Trump — who has repeatedly railed against Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) for failing to pass the controversial SAVE Act — has been tight-fisted with the $400 million in cash amassed by his super PAC, MAGA Inc.
While MAGA Inc. shelled out $10 million over the weekend in Texas, according to FEC filings, one GOP strategist ripped the president on CNN, telling Kaitlan Collins he “wants to spend money on himself,” not fellow Republicans.
“He doesn’t want to give things away. He wants Republicans to earn it, so we still have The Apprentice playing out here, to some extent,” Doug Heye said.
“The other issue is then what Donald Trump talks about, whether he’s off topic or not, or when he’s on topic, he tells voters, ‘We’ve never been hotter or richer,’ and voters don’t feel hot or rich right now,” he added.
The pollster declared Monday night the fight for control of the chamber has become a virtual dead heat for the first time since early June.
“The DDHQ Forecast now has the U.S. Senate as a pure toss-up for the first time since early June,” the group posted on X. “The average seat outcome across 1 million simulations remains a 50-50 tie, which would be a narrow win for Republicans thanks to Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote.”
“But the modal outcomes for the Senate are now about equivalently 50-50 tie and 51-49 Dem,” the group added in a follow up post.
Decision Desk HQ gives the Democrats a 67% chance of taking back control of the House of Representatives, but the Senate has been consistently seen as safely in Republican hands until the latest projection.
Some Republicans have already been sounding the alarm.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) admitted last week he feared Dems would take the Senate.
The conservative named nine states he believes the Dems can take — and take control of the Senate — during a podcast appearance with with ex-Trump press secretary Sean Spicer.
“[With] the Senate, I’m really worried,” Cruz said. “North Carolina, the numbers are rough, Georgia the numbers are rough, but we have very competitive races in Maine, Iowa, Ohio, Alaska, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas. I mean, all of those races are within a couple of points of each other. So it — I hope it’s not — but it could be a really rough election.”
Republicans have been fuming that President Donald Trump — who has repeatedly railed against Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) for failing to pass the controversial SAVE Act — has been tight-fisted with the $400 million in cash amassed by his super PAC, MAGA Inc.
While MAGA Inc. shelled out $10 million over the weekend in Texas, according to FEC filings, one GOP strategist ripped the president on CNN, telling Kaitlan Collins he “wants to spend money on himself,” not fellow Republicans.
“He doesn’t want to give things away. He wants Republicans to earn it, so we still have The Apprentice playing out here, to some extent,” Doug Heye said.
“The other issue is then what Donald Trump talks about, whether he’s off topic or not, or when he’s on topic, he tells voters, ‘We’ve never been hotter or richer,’ and voters don’t feel hot or rich right now,” he added.
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Republican Lawler’s Greatest Accomplishment: SALT Tax Deduction for Westchester Residents
By Dan Murphy, Yonkers Times - Sept. 1, 2026
Congressman Mike Lawler’s campaign committee has begun its $5 million TV ad buy in NY-17 with an ad focusing on Lawler’s ability to help force the inclusion of an increase in the tax deduction for state and local taxes (SALT).
First, we wonder how many people know and understand what SALT is, and how Lawler helped increase the SALT tax deduction from $10,000 to $40,000.
Why is this so critical for Westchester residents? Any Westchester homeowner can now deduct ALL their property taxes up to $40,000.
The ad specifically features Hudson Valley residents talking about tax savings, including a family identified as the Foxes, who say they received a $4,000 tax cut after the SALT cap was increased.
It also features retirees discussing the new senior deduction and people discussing deductions for tips and overtime.
The ad also addresses the issue central to Democrats’ successes in November: affordability. Many residents in NY-17 have seen larger tax refunds of between $3,000-$5,000 on average, from the increased SALT deduction.
And for those residents in NY-17 who do not own a home, your recent tax return included more savings, or a refund, thanks to the budget bill, infamously known as the big, beautiful bill.
The ad also shows Lawler’s independent streak. He was one of a few Republican holdouts who insisted on changing the SALT deduction.
In the ad, President Trump is quoted from a stump speech where he called Lawler “A pain in the ass” for his insistence on SALT changes.
The ad also alleges that his opponent, Cait Conley, “opposed increasing SALT.”
We will delve more into that allegation next week. Here's the ad:
Congressman Mike Lawler’s campaign committee has begun its $5 million TV ad buy in NY-17 with an ad focusing on Lawler’s ability to help force the inclusion of an increase in the tax deduction for state and local taxes (SALT).
First, we wonder how many people know and understand what SALT is, and how Lawler helped increase the SALT tax deduction from $10,000 to $40,000.
Why is this so critical for Westchester residents? Any Westchester homeowner can now deduct ALL their property taxes up to $40,000.
The ad specifically features Hudson Valley residents talking about tax savings, including a family identified as the Foxes, who say they received a $4,000 tax cut after the SALT cap was increased.
It also features retirees discussing the new senior deduction and people discussing deductions for tips and overtime.
The ad also addresses the issue central to Democrats’ successes in November: affordability. Many residents in NY-17 have seen larger tax refunds of between $3,000-$5,000 on average, from the increased SALT deduction.
And for those residents in NY-17 who do not own a home, your recent tax return included more savings, or a refund, thanks to the budget bill, infamously known as the big, beautiful bill.
The ad also shows Lawler’s independent streak. He was one of a few Republican holdouts who insisted on changing the SALT deduction.
In the ad, President Trump is quoted from a stump speech where he called Lawler “A pain in the ass” for his insistence on SALT changes.
The ad also alleges that his opponent, Cait Conley, “opposed increasing SALT.”
We will delve more into that allegation next week. Here's the ad:
So, we ask our fellow residents of NY-17 how many times have you seen this commercial?
I have seen it at least 50 times on YouTube.
But it’s not even Labor Day yet, so these ads and mailings will continue until November, and Republicans have substantially more television advertising reserved in the district than Democrats at this point. ##
I have seen it at least 50 times on YouTube.
But it’s not even Labor Day yet, so these ads and mailings will continue until November, and Republicans have substantially more television advertising reserved in the district than Democrats at this point. ##
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Friday, September 4, 2026
Dear Yonkers Voters,
We’ve decided to send this notice now -- 60 days and a wake-up call away from the crucial November 3 Midterm Election --- rather than wait until you show up that night.
My name is Debbie Kozak, Club President and co-founder of the Northwest Yonkers Republican Club.
This club was founded in 2023 right after the November election with our first meeting being held at the Catholic Slovak Club on 49 Lockwood Ave. on a cold, wintry night in January 2024.
Twenty-four people came out and attended that inaugural meeting -- people who were sick and tired of the same old, same old... disgusted with the state of our city, our state and even the trajectory of our country at that time.
All of us - it's fair to say - wanted to move all three in a new direction - not just for ourselves and families, but also for our community.
Our bond was formed that night, and our NW Yonkers community has grown the second Monday of every month, even in summer,time for the past 2-1/2 years.
They say all politics starts at the local level. But what does that mean?
For us, it means building the GOP from the bottom up. A grassroots effort. If that sounds foreign to you, I'm sorry to say...
...it's because the Republican Party leadership right here in NY, our city and county, has put the electorate into a deep funk...
...a sleep so deep that some of us have forgotten what's most important— to GET OUT AND VOTE!
Thankfully, Donald Trump came back in 2023 to run for reelection in 2024, giving the Republican party another chance to right this country at the Federal level…
**CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING**
Dear Yonkers Voters,
We’ve decided to send this notice now -- 60 days and a wake-up call away from the crucial November 3 Midterm Election --- rather than wait until you show up that night.
My name is Debbie Kozak, Club President and co-founder of the Northwest Yonkers Republican Club.
This club was founded in 2023 right after the November election with our first meeting being held at the Catholic Slovak Club on 49 Lockwood Ave. on a cold, wintry night in January 2024.
Twenty-four people came out and attended that inaugural meeting -- people who were sick and tired of the same old, same old... disgusted with the state of our city, our state and even the trajectory of our country at that time.
All of us - it's fair to say - wanted to move all three in a new direction - not just for ourselves and families, but also for our community.
Our bond was formed that night, and our NW Yonkers community has grown the second Monday of every month, even in summer,time for the past 2-1/2 years.
They say all politics starts at the local level. But what does that mean?
For us, it means building the GOP from the bottom up. A grassroots effort. If that sounds foreign to you, I'm sorry to say...
...it's because the Republican Party leadership right here in NY, our city and county, has put the electorate into a deep funk...
...a sleep so deep that some of us have forgotten what's most important— to GET OUT AND VOTE!
Thankfully, Donald Trump came back in 2023 to run for reelection in 2024, giving the Republican party another chance to right this country at the Federal level…
**CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING**
____________________________________
IF THEY SHOW UP, 'TURN YOUR BACKS!
Blakeman to Newsmax: Hochul, Mamdani Should Skip Ground Zero 9/11 Event
By Theodore Bunker, Newsmax - Monday, August 31, 2026
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman urged New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the 25th anniversary commemoration of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying their attendance would distress members of the 9/11 community.
Blakeman, the Republican nominee challenging Hochul in November, told Newsmax's "National Report" that he understands why current and retired Port Authority police officers and other first responders don't want the two Democrats at ground zero. If they attend, he said, people should stage a peaceful protest.
"Hopefully they won't go, but if they do, turn your back on them," Blakeman said.
The 600-member Port Authority Retired Police Association sent letters dated Aug. 14 asking Hochul and Mamdani not to attend.
The group cited Mamdani's record and rhetoric on policing and Hochul's decision to illuminate One World Trade Center in recognition of Muslim American Heritage Month.
The association suggested that Mamdani mark the anniversary with a written statement, public message, or separate event.
Both officials plan to attend.
Hochul’s office said she respects the families, noted that Muslim New Yorkers served as first responders, and said opposition to anti-Muslim bigotry is compatible with honoring the victims.
Mamdani has said he will honor victims, survivors, and first responders at the ceremony.
Blakeman said the dispute is personal. He was a Port Authority commissioner during the attacks and lost his nephew, New York state court officer Thomas Jurgens, when the South Tower collapsed.
"On that day, we lost 37 police officers. We've lost more since then with 9/11-related illnesses," Blakeman said. "And I lost my nephew on 9/11. He was one of the court officers evacuating the South Tower, giving first aid to a woman who was severely burned.
"When my nephew was killed, he was murdered by the perpetrators of the attack on 9/11. So this is personal to me. I lost a lot of friends and colleagues from the Port Authority."
Blakeman accused Mamdani of failing to support police and criticized the mayor's response to the phrase "global intifada."
"He doesn't respond to the issues that are important to law enforcement. He doesn't back the blue. He's someone who wants to defund our police," Blakeman said.
The attacks killed 2,977 people, including 441 first responders, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Thirty-seven Port Authority police officers died, the largest single-day loss suffered by any U.S. police department.
Blakeman said the wishes of victims' relatives should take precedence at the annual ceremony.
"If the families of those who were murdered on that day don't want you to attend, it's like a wake," he said. "If you're asked not to attend a wake, you shouldn't attend a wake. If the family doesn't want you there, you shouldn't go."
Hochul is seeking a second full term in the Nov. 3 election. Blakeman, who has served as Nassau County executive since 2022, has made public safety and opposition to Mamdani’s agenda central themes of his campaign. ##
Blakeman to Newsmax: Hochul, Mamdani Should Skip Ground Zero 9/11 Event
By Theodore Bunker, Newsmax - Monday, August 31, 2026
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman urged New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the 25th anniversary commemoration of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying their attendance would distress members of the 9/11 community.
Blakeman, the Republican nominee challenging Hochul in November, told Newsmax's "National Report" that he understands why current and retired Port Authority police officers and other first responders don't want the two Democrats at ground zero. If they attend, he said, people should stage a peaceful protest.
"Hopefully they won't go, but if they do, turn your back on them," Blakeman said.
The 600-member Port Authority Retired Police Association sent letters dated Aug. 14 asking Hochul and Mamdani not to attend.
The group cited Mamdani's record and rhetoric on policing and Hochul's decision to illuminate One World Trade Center in recognition of Muslim American Heritage Month.
The association suggested that Mamdani mark the anniversary with a written statement, public message, or separate event.
Both officials plan to attend.
Hochul’s office said she respects the families, noted that Muslim New Yorkers served as first responders, and said opposition to anti-Muslim bigotry is compatible with honoring the victims.
Mamdani has said he will honor victims, survivors, and first responders at the ceremony.
Blakeman said the dispute is personal. He was a Port Authority commissioner during the attacks and lost his nephew, New York state court officer Thomas Jurgens, when the South Tower collapsed.
"On that day, we lost 37 police officers. We've lost more since then with 9/11-related illnesses," Blakeman said. "And I lost my nephew on 9/11. He was one of the court officers evacuating the South Tower, giving first aid to a woman who was severely burned.
"When my nephew was killed, he was murdered by the perpetrators of the attack on 9/11. So this is personal to me. I lost a lot of friends and colleagues from the Port Authority."
Blakeman accused Mamdani of failing to support police and criticized the mayor's response to the phrase "global intifada."
"He doesn't respond to the issues that are important to law enforcement. He doesn't back the blue. He's someone who wants to defund our police," Blakeman said.
The attacks killed 2,977 people, including 441 first responders, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Thirty-seven Port Authority police officers died, the largest single-day loss suffered by any U.S. police department.
Blakeman said the wishes of victims' relatives should take precedence at the annual ceremony.
"If the families of those who were murdered on that day don't want you to attend, it's like a wake," he said. "If you're asked not to attend a wake, you shouldn't attend a wake. If the family doesn't want you there, you shouldn't go."
Hochul is seeking a second full term in the Nov. 3 election. Blakeman, who has served as Nassau County executive since 2022, has made public safety and opposition to Mamdani’s agenda central themes of his campaign. ##
____________________________________
HIJAB HOCHUL ADDRESSES HER NYC CONSTITUENCY
____________________________________
Trump’s Top 25 Achievements: The List Every Conservative Should Know and Use
Donald Trump doesn’t have an accomplishment problem. Republicans have an information problem. It’s on each of us to change that.
With the midterms coming, an astonishing number of Republican voters cannot name three things President Trump has accomplished.
Which is remarkable when you consider that Donald Trump has accomplished more in a year and a half than any other president ever did in four.
Indeed, he has accomplished so much, so fast, across so many fronts that most people cannot keep up. The 'Enemedia' buries the victories, while Republicans do an abysmal job of explaining them. So here is the cheat sheet. It barely scratches the surface.
And yet each and every item here is a game-changer, and your befuddled black-pilling friends need to know it.
This is not a list of promises. It’s a list of laws enacted, cases won, policies implemented, agreements secured, and measurable results. You don’t have to memorize all 25. Learn five. And when somebody says Trump “hasn’t done much,” show them the receipts.
Trump Restored American Safety and Sovereignty
1. He made the border a real border again.
In a matter of months, Trump reduced illegal border crossings to their lowest level in half a century. Catch-and-release is finished. The wall is going up and even being expanded, “Remain in Mexico” is back, and the Administration reduced releases into the country by an incredible 99.9 percent.
2. He reversed mass migration.
America recorded negative net migration in 2025 for the first time in at least half a century. So far, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the country, whether voluntarily or involuntarily: more than 675,000 forcibly deported and the rest “self-deported.”
Many of those self-deportations were facilitated by the President’s innovative program to offer plane tickets and cash bonuses for illegals to leave, not only incentivizing good behavior but significantly reducing the cost of deportations. Citizenship and the law actually mean something again.
3. He signed the Laken Riley Act — and required detention of criminal illegal aliens.
Named for an innocent girl murdered by an illegal alien, the Laken Riley Act requires federal authorities to detain illegals arrested for theft, burglary, shoplifting, assaulting police, or any crime causing death or serious injury. It also lets states sue officials who refuse to enforce it. Laken Riley should still be alive. This law will prevent tragedies like hers.
4. History’s biggest drop in violent crime, and the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years.
According to FBI data, violent crime in America dropped an incredible 9.7 percent in 2025 — the largest one-year decline in history. Murder fell 18.1 percent, robbery fell 18.5 percent. And America’s violent crime rate is its lowest since 1900.
This is what happens when you put the National Guard on the streets in crime-ridden blue cities: fewer victims, safer streets, and better futures for America’s poorest. Trump Launched an American Industrial Supercycle
5. He made the 2017 tax cuts permanent…and better.
The One Big Beautiful Bill locked in the largest tax cut in modern history, including the doubled standard deduction, the expanded Child Tax Credit, and 100 percent expensing for factories and equipment. It also delivered No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, an abolition of most taxes on Social Security benefits, and major relief for seniors.
Every Democrat voted no. With the 2017 act set to expire in December 2025, that would have resulted in the largest tax hike in American history.
6. He repealed 129 regulations for every new one.
In fiscal 2025, federal agencies finalized 646 deregulatory actions and just five regulatory actions: 129-to-1, and in nearly every case, the “one” was to repeal the others! OIRA says the savings exceeded those of Trump’s entire first term. That is more freedom, lower costs, and less bureaucratic sabotage.
Of these, the crown jewel was the repeal of Obama’s 2009 “Endangerment Finding”, the legal foundation for the Green New Scam’s vehicle mandates. EPA calls it the largest deregulatory action in American history and estimates that by itself, it will save Americans more than $1.3 trillion.
Trump also killed the federal EV mandate, restored Americans’ freedom to buy the cars and trucks they actually want, and even eliminated the incentives behind the almost universally hated start-stop button.
7. He secured $18 trillion in announced investment commitments.
That’s nearly two-thirds the size of the entire American economy, building American factories, chip plants, data centers, energy projects, steel mills, shipyards, and supply chains employing American workers.
Apple, Meta, NVIDIA, Micron, Hyundai, U.S. Steel, Ford, Taiwan Semiconductor, and many corporations and sovereign wealth funds are betting big on Trump’s America. No President has ever done anything remotely like it. And it’s just getting started.
8. He made “reshoring” and “reindustrialization” real, not a slogan.
Ford is moving Lincoln production out of China. Toyota is shifting Tacoma production from Mexico to Texas. GM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and others are expanding U.S. production. The capital equipment pouring into the country is the machinery that’s building the growing boom.
9. He replaced lop-sided trade deals with balanced, reciprocal trade.
Trump used tariffs as leverage to reverse 80 years of lopsided trade deals that favored everyone but America, and to win new or improved agreements with trading partners accounting for more than half of global GDP.
Those agreements open foreign markets, attack non-tariff barriers, defend strategic industries, and make it more profitable to build in America than to export American jobs.
10. He shifted global energy dominance from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of America.
Once the world’s largest energy importer — “exporting” $700 billion a year to our enemies — America now outproduces Saudi Arabia and Russia combined.
The U.S. is also setting new records in oil, natural gas, and LNG exports, becoming the first country ever to export more than 100 million metric tons of LNG in a year.
Trump also opened land, accelerated permits, expanded pipelines and export terminals, and made American energy a tool for prosperity and peace.
11. After four decades of nuclear paralysis, Trump brought five new reactors online in a single year.
For more than 40 years, not one new privately developed non-light-water reactor reached criticality in America. Trump ordered at least three by July 4, 2026.
DOE delivered four by the deadline, then a fifth just one month later. Decades of zero. One Trump summer: five. That is a genuine nuclear renaissance.
Trump Made Elections Matter Again
12. He broke the Deep State’s power to defy the elected branches.
In Trump v. Slaughter, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time in 90 years that Article 2, Section 1 is still part of the Constitution: the President may fire subordinate officials in the executive branch, overturning the 1935 precedent that insulated “independent” agencies from voters’ control.
Ever wonder why elections often seem to change nothing? How about one President and 5,000 political appointees vs. 2.8 million unfireable, unaccountable bureaucrats? THAT is the “Deep State.”
Trump then made that victory real. For the first time in a century, all policy-making bureaucrats can now be fired for misconduct, incompetence, or defying lawful directives. The permanent bureaucracy no longer gets to veto the voters.
13. He ended nationwide injunction abuse.
In Trump v. CASA, the Supreme Court sharply limited nationwide injunctions. A single, local, district judge should not be able to block a national policy for everyone, everywhere; and yet that’s exactly what they’ve done, nonstop, ever since Trump (and only Trump) took office in 2017.
In restricting that unconstitutional power, the Court kneecapped the Black Robe Bureaucracy’s favorite tool of unlawful judicial supremacy.
14. He shut down USAID as a left-wing slush fund and shadow government.
USAID had become a taxpayer-funded machine for exporting abortion, gender ideology, censorship, and left-wing politics.
It had a bigger budget than the CIA and the State Department combined, absolutely no accountability whatsoever, and a penchant for overthrowing governments.
Trump terminated it — completely — and moved real humanitarian aid under the State Department. Immediately, seven socialist Latin American governments lost re-election. Coincidence?
15. He shrank Federal employment to its lowest level in 60 years.
From a high under Biden, the federal workforce is now its smallest since 1966.
Workforce reductions, agency closures, and spending cancellations mean fewer bureaucrats paid to resist the voters. What’s more, when Biden left office, 94 percent of federal employees “worked” from home.
The Trump administration cracked down: as Elon Musk put it, “you can work from the office or you can pretend to work somewhere else.”
16. He expelled DEI from the federal government.
Trump eliminated federal DEI offices and barred race- and sex-based preferences across the executive branch. Government hiring and contracting are returning to merit and equality under the law, ending the grotesque Democrat idea that “fighting discrimination” requires the federal government to discriminate.
He Defended Faith and Family
17. He delivered sweeping pro-life reform.
In his first term, Trump delivered the judges that overturned the abominable Roe v. Wade. Hardly anyone believed it could be done, or that Trump would do it. But he did, and a half-century nightmare finally ended.
Since returning to office, Trump has enforced the Hyde Amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds to pay for abortions, reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy prohibiting federal funding of foreign abortions, ended federal fetal-tissue research, strengthened conscience protections, protected Medicaid from funding large abortion providers, and pardoned 23 pro-life activists prosecuted by Biden’s weaponized Justice Department.
He’s also done everything within the Executive Branch’s power to defund Planned Parenthood. It would be nice if Congress did likewise. No President has ever done more to protect life. No one.
18. He got men out of women’s sports, and restored biological reality to federal policy.
The United States government once again officially recognizes two sexes: male and female. Trump ended federal support for the chemical and surgical gender mutilation of children, stopped taxpayer funding of such irreversible abominations, and forced more than three dozen health systems to end or suspend their programs as well.
Trump also enforced Title IX as written: women and girls deserve their own teams, trophies, scholarships, and locker rooms. The NCAA and other athletic organizations changed their rules in response.
After years of Democrats doing everything they could to destroy women’s sports and ruin girls’ lives, Trump’s administration protects women and girls again.
19. He enacted America’s first nationwide school-choice program — and launched Trump Accounts.
As part of the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump enacted America’s first-ever nationwide school choice program. The new Education Freedom Tax Credit helps fund scholarships for tuition, books, and other educational costs.
That’s on top of the new Trump Accounts, which give every child a tax-advantaged stake in America’s future, including a $1,000 federal seed for eligible newborns. Parents gain power. Bureaucracies lose it. And children learn first-hand about free markets and future orientation.
20. He targeted anti-Christian bias and discrimination.
Trump created the White House Faith Office, Religious Liberty Commission, and Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. He restored conscience protections and made clear that Christians do not surrender their First Amendment rights merely by entering public life.
He Restored Peace Through Strength and Put America First
21. He forced NATO to stop freeloading and increase defense spending by 250 percent.
For decades, wealthy European governments underfunded their militaries, effectively sending America the bill and using American taxpayers to subsidize their bloated welfare states.
Trump forced NATO to replace its old two-percent-of-GDP spending target with an enormous five percent by 2035. Allied spending is rising, American defense orders are soaring, and Europe is becoming a partner instead of a dependent.
22. He drove China out of the Caribbean.
China spent years building strategic beachheads at both ends of the Panama Canal, in Cuba, and in Maduro’s Venezuela.
Trump forced Panama out of Belt and Road, expanded American security access around the Canal, and captured Maduro, who now sits in a New York jail cell awaiting trial.
Beijing’s planned encirclement of the United States collapsed. The Monroe Doctrine is back. Call it the Donroe Doctrine.
23. He brokered eight peace deals in just eight months.
In eight months, Trump brokered peace in eight conflicts spanning four continents, including wars that had gone on for as much as 40 years. It’s a record unmatched by any other President.
24. He launched and funded Golden Dome, the first-ever true missile defense for the U.S. population.
Ronald Reagan dreamed of making nuclear missiles obsolete through his Strategic Defense Initiative. Today, Trump is actually building it: a layered homeland shield with space-based sensors and interceptors, conventional defenses, and new technologies including microwave systems to destroy drone swarms and directed-energy weapons (yes, lasers) that can replace an $11 million missile with $2 of electricity.
Congress has funded the initial $25 billion, with far more on the way once it passes the NDAA this fall. Better a shield than a sword.
25. He restored the warrior ethos — and reversed the recruiting crisis.
After years of missed targets under Biden, every active military component met or exceeded its 2025 recruiting goal. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refocused the newly renamed Department of War on actually winning wars, while pouring resources into shipbuilding, munitions, drones, missile defense, and America’s atrophied industrial base.
Young Americans once again believe their Commander-in-Chief is worth serving. And they’re showing up en masse.
Now Act Like It Matters
Those are not tweets or campaign promises. They are changes in law, power, investment, sovereignty, culture, and the structure of the Republic itself.
And they’re just the top 25: I could give you hundreds more. Midterms are turnout elections.
We do not need to convince Democrats to love Donald Trump. We need Republicans and friendly independents to understand what is at stake — and to show up.
And let’s be clear. When you say (as some of you will) “the Republicans need to do a good enough job telling this story,” you’re pointing at yourself. You are “the Republicans.”
The Democrats don’t rely exclusively on their elected officials to tell their story: everyone from their media lackeys to their lowest-level supporters are constantly spreading their “news,” whatever that “news” happens to be.
Today’s conservatives have more ability to find whatever you want to know than any group of people in human history, yet half of them couldn’t name any of the accomplishments in this essay, and if they were to read it, they would just complain that something else they wanted hasn’t happened fast enough to suit them.
This is called “black-pilling.” It’s a loser mindset, and if you engage in it, you deserve to lose: horribly, painfully, personally. And guess what: you will, unless people who are serious step up to save you. Which is frankly pathetic, but for the rest of our sakes, necessary.
So tell people our story. Donald Trump is delivering great things, whether or not heaven on earth has broken out quite yet. Do the work, send the team he needs to Washington to finish the job, and get ready for 2028 afterward. Take the time to learn at least five of these victories. Share this list with someone who needs it.
And vote as though the most consequential Presidency in modern history depends on what you do. Because it does. (Oh, and those receipts? Follow the link in my bio to get them all.) ##
Donald Trump doesn’t have an accomplishment problem. Republicans have an information problem. It’s on each of us to change that.
With the midterms coming, an astonishing number of Republican voters cannot name three things President Trump has accomplished.
Which is remarkable when you consider that Donald Trump has accomplished more in a year and a half than any other president ever did in four.
Indeed, he has accomplished so much, so fast, across so many fronts that most people cannot keep up. The 'Enemedia' buries the victories, while Republicans do an abysmal job of explaining them. So here is the cheat sheet. It barely scratches the surface.
And yet each and every item here is a game-changer, and your befuddled black-pilling friends need to know it.
This is not a list of promises. It’s a list of laws enacted, cases won, policies implemented, agreements secured, and measurable results. You don’t have to memorize all 25. Learn five. And when somebody says Trump “hasn’t done much,” show them the receipts.
Trump Restored American Safety and Sovereignty
1. He made the border a real border again.
In a matter of months, Trump reduced illegal border crossings to their lowest level in half a century. Catch-and-release is finished. The wall is going up and even being expanded, “Remain in Mexico” is back, and the Administration reduced releases into the country by an incredible 99.9 percent.
2. He reversed mass migration.
America recorded negative net migration in 2025 for the first time in at least half a century. So far, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the country, whether voluntarily or involuntarily: more than 675,000 forcibly deported and the rest “self-deported.”
Many of those self-deportations were facilitated by the President’s innovative program to offer plane tickets and cash bonuses for illegals to leave, not only incentivizing good behavior but significantly reducing the cost of deportations. Citizenship and the law actually mean something again.
3. He signed the Laken Riley Act — and required detention of criminal illegal aliens.
Named for an innocent girl murdered by an illegal alien, the Laken Riley Act requires federal authorities to detain illegals arrested for theft, burglary, shoplifting, assaulting police, or any crime causing death or serious injury. It also lets states sue officials who refuse to enforce it. Laken Riley should still be alive. This law will prevent tragedies like hers.
4. History’s biggest drop in violent crime, and the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years.
According to FBI data, violent crime in America dropped an incredible 9.7 percent in 2025 — the largest one-year decline in history. Murder fell 18.1 percent, robbery fell 18.5 percent. And America’s violent crime rate is its lowest since 1900.
This is what happens when you put the National Guard on the streets in crime-ridden blue cities: fewer victims, safer streets, and better futures for America’s poorest. Trump Launched an American Industrial Supercycle
5. He made the 2017 tax cuts permanent…and better.
The One Big Beautiful Bill locked in the largest tax cut in modern history, including the doubled standard deduction, the expanded Child Tax Credit, and 100 percent expensing for factories and equipment. It also delivered No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, an abolition of most taxes on Social Security benefits, and major relief for seniors.
Every Democrat voted no. With the 2017 act set to expire in December 2025, that would have resulted in the largest tax hike in American history.
6. He repealed 129 regulations for every new one.
In fiscal 2025, federal agencies finalized 646 deregulatory actions and just five regulatory actions: 129-to-1, and in nearly every case, the “one” was to repeal the others! OIRA says the savings exceeded those of Trump’s entire first term. That is more freedom, lower costs, and less bureaucratic sabotage.
Of these, the crown jewel was the repeal of Obama’s 2009 “Endangerment Finding”, the legal foundation for the Green New Scam’s vehicle mandates. EPA calls it the largest deregulatory action in American history and estimates that by itself, it will save Americans more than $1.3 trillion.
Trump also killed the federal EV mandate, restored Americans’ freedom to buy the cars and trucks they actually want, and even eliminated the incentives behind the almost universally hated start-stop button.
7. He secured $18 trillion in announced investment commitments.
That’s nearly two-thirds the size of the entire American economy, building American factories, chip plants, data centers, energy projects, steel mills, shipyards, and supply chains employing American workers.
Apple, Meta, NVIDIA, Micron, Hyundai, U.S. Steel, Ford, Taiwan Semiconductor, and many corporations and sovereign wealth funds are betting big on Trump’s America. No President has ever done anything remotely like it. And it’s just getting started.
8. He made “reshoring” and “reindustrialization” real, not a slogan.
Ford is moving Lincoln production out of China. Toyota is shifting Tacoma production from Mexico to Texas. GM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and others are expanding U.S. production. The capital equipment pouring into the country is the machinery that’s building the growing boom.
9. He replaced lop-sided trade deals with balanced, reciprocal trade.
Trump used tariffs as leverage to reverse 80 years of lopsided trade deals that favored everyone but America, and to win new or improved agreements with trading partners accounting for more than half of global GDP.
Those agreements open foreign markets, attack non-tariff barriers, defend strategic industries, and make it more profitable to build in America than to export American jobs.
10. He shifted global energy dominance from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of America.
Once the world’s largest energy importer — “exporting” $700 billion a year to our enemies — America now outproduces Saudi Arabia and Russia combined.
The U.S. is also setting new records in oil, natural gas, and LNG exports, becoming the first country ever to export more than 100 million metric tons of LNG in a year.
Trump also opened land, accelerated permits, expanded pipelines and export terminals, and made American energy a tool for prosperity and peace.
11. After four decades of nuclear paralysis, Trump brought five new reactors online in a single year.
For more than 40 years, not one new privately developed non-light-water reactor reached criticality in America. Trump ordered at least three by July 4, 2026.
DOE delivered four by the deadline, then a fifth just one month later. Decades of zero. One Trump summer: five. That is a genuine nuclear renaissance.
Trump Made Elections Matter Again
12. He broke the Deep State’s power to defy the elected branches.
In Trump v. Slaughter, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time in 90 years that Article 2, Section 1 is still part of the Constitution: the President may fire subordinate officials in the executive branch, overturning the 1935 precedent that insulated “independent” agencies from voters’ control.
Ever wonder why elections often seem to change nothing? How about one President and 5,000 political appointees vs. 2.8 million unfireable, unaccountable bureaucrats? THAT is the “Deep State.”
Trump then made that victory real. For the first time in a century, all policy-making bureaucrats can now be fired for misconduct, incompetence, or defying lawful directives. The permanent bureaucracy no longer gets to veto the voters.
13. He ended nationwide injunction abuse.
In Trump v. CASA, the Supreme Court sharply limited nationwide injunctions. A single, local, district judge should not be able to block a national policy for everyone, everywhere; and yet that’s exactly what they’ve done, nonstop, ever since Trump (and only Trump) took office in 2017.
In restricting that unconstitutional power, the Court kneecapped the Black Robe Bureaucracy’s favorite tool of unlawful judicial supremacy.
14. He shut down USAID as a left-wing slush fund and shadow government.
USAID had become a taxpayer-funded machine for exporting abortion, gender ideology, censorship, and left-wing politics.
It had a bigger budget than the CIA and the State Department combined, absolutely no accountability whatsoever, and a penchant for overthrowing governments.
Trump terminated it — completely — and moved real humanitarian aid under the State Department. Immediately, seven socialist Latin American governments lost re-election. Coincidence?
15. He shrank Federal employment to its lowest level in 60 years.
From a high under Biden, the federal workforce is now its smallest since 1966.
Workforce reductions, agency closures, and spending cancellations mean fewer bureaucrats paid to resist the voters. What’s more, when Biden left office, 94 percent of federal employees “worked” from home.
The Trump administration cracked down: as Elon Musk put it, “you can work from the office or you can pretend to work somewhere else.”
16. He expelled DEI from the federal government.
Trump eliminated federal DEI offices and barred race- and sex-based preferences across the executive branch. Government hiring and contracting are returning to merit and equality under the law, ending the grotesque Democrat idea that “fighting discrimination” requires the federal government to discriminate.
He Defended Faith and Family
17. He delivered sweeping pro-life reform.
In his first term, Trump delivered the judges that overturned the abominable Roe v. Wade. Hardly anyone believed it could be done, or that Trump would do it. But he did, and a half-century nightmare finally ended.
Since returning to office, Trump has enforced the Hyde Amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds to pay for abortions, reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy prohibiting federal funding of foreign abortions, ended federal fetal-tissue research, strengthened conscience protections, protected Medicaid from funding large abortion providers, and pardoned 23 pro-life activists prosecuted by Biden’s weaponized Justice Department.
He’s also done everything within the Executive Branch’s power to defund Planned Parenthood. It would be nice if Congress did likewise. No President has ever done more to protect life. No one.
18. He got men out of women’s sports, and restored biological reality to federal policy.
The United States government once again officially recognizes two sexes: male and female. Trump ended federal support for the chemical and surgical gender mutilation of children, stopped taxpayer funding of such irreversible abominations, and forced more than three dozen health systems to end or suspend their programs as well.
Trump also enforced Title IX as written: women and girls deserve their own teams, trophies, scholarships, and locker rooms. The NCAA and other athletic organizations changed their rules in response.
After years of Democrats doing everything they could to destroy women’s sports and ruin girls’ lives, Trump’s administration protects women and girls again.
19. He enacted America’s first nationwide school-choice program — and launched Trump Accounts.
As part of the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump enacted America’s first-ever nationwide school choice program. The new Education Freedom Tax Credit helps fund scholarships for tuition, books, and other educational costs.
That’s on top of the new Trump Accounts, which give every child a tax-advantaged stake in America’s future, including a $1,000 federal seed for eligible newborns. Parents gain power. Bureaucracies lose it. And children learn first-hand about free markets and future orientation.
20. He targeted anti-Christian bias and discrimination.
Trump created the White House Faith Office, Religious Liberty Commission, and Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. He restored conscience protections and made clear that Christians do not surrender their First Amendment rights merely by entering public life.
He Restored Peace Through Strength and Put America First
21. He forced NATO to stop freeloading and increase defense spending by 250 percent.
For decades, wealthy European governments underfunded their militaries, effectively sending America the bill and using American taxpayers to subsidize their bloated welfare states.
Trump forced NATO to replace its old two-percent-of-GDP spending target with an enormous five percent by 2035. Allied spending is rising, American defense orders are soaring, and Europe is becoming a partner instead of a dependent.
22. He drove China out of the Caribbean.
China spent years building strategic beachheads at both ends of the Panama Canal, in Cuba, and in Maduro’s Venezuela.
Trump forced Panama out of Belt and Road, expanded American security access around the Canal, and captured Maduro, who now sits in a New York jail cell awaiting trial.
Beijing’s planned encirclement of the United States collapsed. The Monroe Doctrine is back. Call it the Donroe Doctrine.
23. He brokered eight peace deals in just eight months.
In eight months, Trump brokered peace in eight conflicts spanning four continents, including wars that had gone on for as much as 40 years. It’s a record unmatched by any other President.
24. He launched and funded Golden Dome, the first-ever true missile defense for the U.S. population.
Ronald Reagan dreamed of making nuclear missiles obsolete through his Strategic Defense Initiative. Today, Trump is actually building it: a layered homeland shield with space-based sensors and interceptors, conventional defenses, and new technologies including microwave systems to destroy drone swarms and directed-energy weapons (yes, lasers) that can replace an $11 million missile with $2 of electricity.
Congress has funded the initial $25 billion, with far more on the way once it passes the NDAA this fall. Better a shield than a sword.
25. He restored the warrior ethos — and reversed the recruiting crisis.
After years of missed targets under Biden, every active military component met or exceeded its 2025 recruiting goal. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refocused the newly renamed Department of War on actually winning wars, while pouring resources into shipbuilding, munitions, drones, missile defense, and America’s atrophied industrial base.
Young Americans once again believe their Commander-in-Chief is worth serving. And they’re showing up en masse.
Now Act Like It Matters
Those are not tweets or campaign promises. They are changes in law, power, investment, sovereignty, culture, and the structure of the Republic itself.
And they’re just the top 25: I could give you hundreds more. Midterms are turnout elections.
We do not need to convince Democrats to love Donald Trump. We need Republicans and friendly independents to understand what is at stake — and to show up.
And let’s be clear. When you say (as some of you will) “the Republicans need to do a good enough job telling this story,” you’re pointing at yourself. You are “the Republicans.”
The Democrats don’t rely exclusively on their elected officials to tell their story: everyone from their media lackeys to their lowest-level supporters are constantly spreading their “news,” whatever that “news” happens to be.
Today’s conservatives have more ability to find whatever you want to know than any group of people in human history, yet half of them couldn’t name any of the accomplishments in this essay, and if they were to read it, they would just complain that something else they wanted hasn’t happened fast enough to suit them.
This is called “black-pilling.” It’s a loser mindset, and if you engage in it, you deserve to lose: horribly, painfully, personally. And guess what: you will, unless people who are serious step up to save you. Which is frankly pathetic, but for the rest of our sakes, necessary.
So tell people our story. Donald Trump is delivering great things, whether or not heaven on earth has broken out quite yet. Do the work, send the team he needs to Washington to finish the job, and get ready for 2028 afterward. Take the time to learn at least five of these victories. Share this list with someone who needs it.
And vote as though the most consequential Presidency in modern history depends on what you do. Because it does. (Oh, and those receipts? Follow the link in my bio to get them all.) ##
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15 Sheriffs (None from Westchester) File Suit Challenging NY Law Banning ICE Agreements
The new state law took effect Aug. 22 and is already being challenged in a separate lawsuit filed by the DOJ
By Brendan J. Lyons, Jesse Taylor, Albany Times Union Staff Writers, Aug 25, 2026
The new state law took effect Aug. 22 and is already being challenged in a separate lawsuit filed by the DOJ
By Brendan J. Lyons, Jesse Taylor, Albany Times Union Staff Writers, Aug 25, 2026
Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said his county sheriff’s department is “not doing civil immigration enforcement” and runs all inmates at their jail — including immigrants — through a federal law enforcement database to check for active warrants. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
ALBANY — Fifteen New York sheriffs filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new state law that took effect this week and bans congressionally authorized agreements governing civil immigration enforcement coordination between local, state and federal agencies.
The case, filed by an attorney with the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington, D.C., was filed in U.S. District Court in Albany on behalf of sheriffs in St. Lawrence, Wayne, Broome, Madison, Cattaraugus, Orange, Jefferson, Saratoga, Lewis, Franklin, Delaware, Fulton, Oswego, Cayuga and Rensselaer counties.
The lawsuit notes that many local police departments in New York have multiple types of written agreements with federal immigration agencies and alleges that New York’s various laws restricting that collaborative law enforcement work are a constitutional overreach.
“Together, these provisions do more than express a policy preference,” the lawsuit states. “They nullify the ability of independently elected constitutional officers to enter into contracts authorized by federal law. In doing so, they subject those officers’ core law-enforcement judgments to centralized state oversight and control. The resulting harm is imminent and irreparable.”
The lawsuit seeks both a temporary and a permanent injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing four new sections of state Executive Law that seek to limit the ability of federal immigration agents to work with local and state police agencies, including contracts for housing federal immigration detainees in local jails.
It was filed about five hours after Gov. Kathy Hochul held a news conference earlier Tuesday at the state Capitol touting “her new law to stand against ICE overreach.”
“We’ve worked hard to drive down crime … to record lows, and that includes working with ICE to track down and apprehend criminals,” Hochul said. “Once they’re convicted and do their time, we work with ICE to ensure they’re deported.
"And I’ll repeat that New York state will never become a sanctuary for criminals. But at the same time, we’re not talking about criminals, and we will not sit idly by when ICE commits atrocities on our streets.”
The law is intended to prevent local government entities and police or correctional agencies from entering into formal agreements with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Those agreements allow the local agencies to operate as immigration officers or to detain someone who is being held solely for civil immigration violations.
Several New York sheriff’s departments had pledged to honor the statute and end their formal agreements with ICE and to no longer house migrants in their jails if they are facing only civil immigration charges. But multiple sheriffs in several other counties had publicly pledged to oppose the law.
The Times Union previously reported that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, had also vowed to oppose the law ending the formal agreements with federal immigration authorities, but his county did not join the lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Hochul said Tuesday that two of New York’s 62 sheriff’s departments had not informed her administration about whether they will comply with the law.
“Let me be clear: any police department or sheriff’s office that disobeys this law, that maintains any agreement with ICE, will face legal action,” Hochul said. “And to those suing us, those trying to block the implementation of this law, (you) tried before and failed.
"Our law has been already upheld by courts. But if you’re trying it again, I say bring it on. Courts have already spoken, but I’m confident we’ll win again.”
Hochul was flanked by several New York police chiefs whose departments do not have agreements with ICE, including Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox and Kingston Police Chief Egidio F. Tinti, who said his agency does not notify federal immigration authorities in connection with any arrest they make.
Rensselaer County Executive McLaughlin, at a news conference in Troy on Tuesday afternoon, called Hochul’s remarks earlier in the day “anything but factual” and pledged to fight any civil enforcement the state attorney general’s office pursues against the county.
“There is no civil immigration enforcement in Rensselaer County and there never has been,” McLaughlin said. “They did something serious enough to land in our jail. All we do is run them through a federal (law enforcement) database to find out what other crimes they may have committed...
"In effect, this governor is trying to give special privileges to illegal aliens by not running them through the same databases we run Americans through.”
The federal statute that authorizes the agreements — Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act — was added to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which was adopted during the administration of President Bill Clinton.
The federal legislation was amended in 2002 to authorize the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security — which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks — to enter into written agreements with state and local agencies “so that qualified personnel can perform certain functions of an immigration officer.”
During Tuesday’s news conference, Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault said the sheriff’s department has identified nine immigrants at the county jail who have been “removed” for immigration violations since 2018, when their agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was first put in place. Bourgault told reporters that the county does not receive federal funds under the agreement.
The state law banning the formal agreements is also being challenged in an ongoing lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against the state of New York in June.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino issued a temporary injunction in that case blocking the state from enforcing another part of the law that went into effect this year that prohibits any law enforcement officers — local, state or federal — from concealing their identity with masks while interacting with the public and requiring them to display clear identification. The law was intended to specifically target federal ICE agents.
But D’Agostino’s 51-page ruling rejected the Justice Department’s request for a temporary injunction to block the portion of the law that bans the 287(g) agreements that had been made between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and 12 New York police agencies.
D’Agostino concluded that the law prohibiting those agreements does not impede federal immigration enforcement activities.
She said that portion of the law, known as the Termination Act, “seeks only to control whether New York and its localities voluntarily engage in certain cooperation with federal authorities. The United States has also failed to show, at this stage, that the Termination Act likely discriminates against the federal government.”
The Federation for American Immigration Reform, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of 15 New York sheriffs Tuesday, filed a brief in support of another federal lawsuit filed last year by the Justice Department challenging an executive order issued by Hochul that bans state and local law enforcement agencies from sharing information with federal immigration authorities. It also challenged a state law prohibiting immigration agents from arresting someone in a state courthouse.
The organization, which supports limits on immigration, enhanced border security and ending illegal immigration, wrote that the state’s law prohibiting state and local police from assisting federal immigration agencies violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution because it makes it more difficult for federal agencies to enforce laws passed by Congress.
The group also argued that Congress wrote in the federal statute that created 287(g) agreements that it does not require “any formal agreement for state and local officers or employees to 'cooperate with (federal immigration authorities) in the identification, apprehension, detention, or removal of aliens not lawfully present in the United States.'” That case was later dismissed by a federal judge.
But the new state law that took effect Tuesday does not prevent local or state law enforcement agencies from assisting federal immigration agencies with the apprehension or detention of someone who has been accused of committing a crime.
The new law additionally allows those agencies to apprehend or detain someone facing a civil immigration violation if a warrant for their arrest has been issued by a judge — which many agencies are interpreting as including a federal immigration judge.
And the law will not end the detention in New York’s local jails of all migrants facing deportation proceedings. Those who are charged with federal crimes, including crossing a U.S. border illegally, are routinely held in local jails that have contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service.
Data obtained by the Times Union from U.S. District Court in New York’s Northern District, which includes roughly 310 miles of international border with Canada, shows that 1,118 people were charged with unlawful entry after crossing the U.S. border with Canada during Trump’s first administration.
During President Joe Biden’s administration, 1,098 people were charged with the same offense in the 32-county district that stretches from Kingston to west of Syracuse.
The highest annual number of arrests for that misdemeanor offense in northern New York during Trump’s first term was 608 cases in 2019. Under Biden, the highest annual number of arrests for that offense in northern New York was in 2022, when 604 people were arrested.
The number of prosecutions for illegal entry has declined in the Northern District during Trump’s second term, with eight prosecutions docketed in U.S. District Court in the first three months of this year.
At Tuesday’s news conference, Hochul declined to say whether she believes police should contact ICE if they arrest a migrant who may be in the U.S. illegally for an unrelated crime.
“I want the system to work the way it’s been working successfully. This does not change this. This simply says local cops, local crimes,” Hochul said. “I want local police 100% focused on doing the great work they’re doing in keeping our communities safe.”
'Serious crimes' --
Hochul has for years suggested that state and local law enforcement agencies could still assist federal agencies in matters involving “serious crimes,” but the new state statutes — and policies already implemented by State Police — do not define a “serious” crime.
The governor has also said repeatedly that crossing a U.S. border without authorization is “a civil violation” and “not a crime,” but that is misleading.
While it’s true that crossing the U.S. border for the first time by evading a checkpoint is a civil violation, it is also a misdemeanor crime under federal law and has been routinely prosecuted by the Justice Department.
And reentering the U.S. without authorization after being deported is a felony under federal law.
The Times Union reported last year that State Police frequently assist federal immigration authorities and contact them during investigations in which they encounter people suspected of entering the U.S. illegally.
In the wake of the new laws recently enacted in New York that officials contend will limit the ability of state and local agencies to assist with federal immigration enforcement, State Police have not issued any new directives changing their policies.
The last directive was issued in November, when Deputy Superintendent Darrin S. Pitkin issued a memorandum to all State Police employees instructing that no one may “make referrals to federal authorities in cases where they develop information of suspected civil immigration violations unless there is reason to suspect a violation of a criminal law.” ##
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This article originally appeared in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Contributing: USA Today Network
Who has Trump Endorsed in New York? See His 2026 Picks for Governor, Congress
Story by New York Connect Team, USA Today Network
Story by New York Connect Team, USA Today Network
President Donald Trump has endorsed a number of Republican candidates running in New York races ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, backing both incumbents and challengers in congressional and statewide contests.
Among the New York Republicans who have publicly received Trump's endorsement are Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running for governor; attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy; and congressional candidates and incumbents including Mike Lawler, Claudia Tenney, Nick Langworthy, Nicole Malliotakis, Nick LaLota, Andrew Garbarino, Peter Oberacker and Anthony Constantino.
Trump's endorsements have been announced at various points throughout the election cycle and have come through several channels, including posts on his Truth Social account.
What issues has Trump highlighted? In his endorsements, Trump has praised candidates for supporting priorities associated with his "America First" agenda, including border security, tax cuts, domestic energy production and law enforcement.
Which New York candidates has Trump endorsed? Trump's publicly announced New York endorsements include:
The list may not be exhaustive. Endorsements have been announced at different times throughout the election cycle, and public tracking databases can lag behind more recent announcements.
These candidates are among the New York Republicans who have publicly received Trump's backing heading into the November election. ##
Among the New York Republicans who have publicly received Trump's endorsement are Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running for governor; attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy; and congressional candidates and incumbents including Mike Lawler, Claudia Tenney, Nick Langworthy, Nicole Malliotakis, Nick LaLota, Andrew Garbarino, Peter Oberacker and Anthony Constantino.
Trump's endorsements have been announced at various points throughout the election cycle and have come through several channels, including posts on his Truth Social account.
What issues has Trump highlighted? In his endorsements, Trump has praised candidates for supporting priorities associated with his "America First" agenda, including border security, tax cuts, domestic energy production and law enforcement.
Which New York candidates has Trump endorsed? Trump's publicly announced New York endorsements include:
- Bruce Blakeman — Republican candidate for governor
- Saritha Komatireddy — Republican candidate for attorney general
- Mike Lawler — U.S. House
- Claudia Tenney — U.S. House
- Nick Langworthy — U.S. House
- Nicole Malliotakis — U.S. House
- Nick LaLota — U.S. House
- Andrew Garbarino — U.S. House
- Peter Oberacker — U.S. House
- Anthony Constantino — U.S. House
The list may not be exhaustive. Endorsements have been announced at different times throughout the election cycle, and public tracking databases can lag behind more recent announcements.
These candidates are among the New York Republicans who have publicly received Trump's backing heading into the November election. ##
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...BUT WILL YONKERS REPUBLICANS TURN OUT?
Leavitt Signal to Voters: DJT and MAGA on Every Mid-Term Ballot
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OUR READERS WRITE: What Does/Should/Can a Duly/Elected (thus vastly outnumbered) Westchester County Legislator Do for His/Her Constituents? Longtime Yonkers GOP leader & NWYRC Co-Founder JOE BERGER Has Some Ideas - Look to your left and go to the OUR READERS WRITE Page NOW!
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GOP CHALLENGER: FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE SARITHA KOMATIREDDY
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Trump Blasts ‘Total Disaster’ Letitia James, Endorses Rival in NY AG Race
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New York Attorney General Letitia James spoke at a press conference in Manhattan on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post
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By Elaine Mallon, Fox News, Aug. 15, 2026
New York Attorney General Letitia James has drawn a Trump-backed challenger, with President Donald Trump throwing his “complete and total endorsement” behind Republican A-G Candidate Saritha Komatireddy in a bid to oust his longtime political foe.
“It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Saritha Komatireddy, who is running to be the next Attorney General of the once-wonderful State of New York,” Trump wrote in a Friday Truth Social post.
“Between Kathy Hochul and the Most Corrupt Attorney General in the Country, Letitia James, it has gone to HELL!”
Trump’s endorsement of Komatireddy, who he nominated to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 2020, comes as he continues pressing for James to be prosecuted over mortgage fraud allegations, adding another front to his years-long feud with the Democratic attorney general who once took him to court.
Trump did not mince his words in his criticism of James, who successfully sued Trump and The Trump Organization in 2022, accusing them of fraudulently inflating the value of assets on financial statements to obtain more favorable loans.
An appeals court later wiped out the nearly $465 million financial penalty against Trump, ruling the massive disgorgement award violated the Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines.
“Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James, is considered by many to be the WORST Attorney General in our Country. She is a Complete and Total Disaster, who tried running against Kathy Hochul for Governor, and got less than 1% of the Vote in the Polls, and QUIT, taking many innocent suckers down with her,” Trump wrote.
“She then went back to her WITCH HUNT against your favorite President (ME!), and others, yet Murder and other Violent Crime is RAGING OUT OF CONTROL in New York as People and Businesses flee in Record Numbers to other States!”
DJT contrasted James to Komatireddy, touting her qualifications as Drug Enforcement Administration chief of staff, a former federal prosecutor, and that she clerked for Brett Kavanaugh, who went on to become a Supreme Court justice.
“On the other hand, as your next Attorney General, Saritha Komatireddy will fight tirelessly to Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Grow our Economy, Champion our Law Enforcement and First Responders, Support our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Uphold our Constitution, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote.
Komatireddy, who has been outspoken against James’ handling of the state’s fraud investigations, thanked Trump for his endorsement.
“I was honored to be nominated to be a federal judge by the President in 2020 and I’m honored to receive his endorsement today.
"I’m working hard to win the support of all New Yorkers and defeat Letitia James this November,” Komatireddy wrote on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to James’ campaign for comment. ##
New York Attorney General Letitia James has drawn a Trump-backed challenger, with President Donald Trump throwing his “complete and total endorsement” behind Republican A-G Candidate Saritha Komatireddy in a bid to oust his longtime political foe.
“It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Saritha Komatireddy, who is running to be the next Attorney General of the once-wonderful State of New York,” Trump wrote in a Friday Truth Social post.
“Between Kathy Hochul and the Most Corrupt Attorney General in the Country, Letitia James, it has gone to HELL!”
Trump’s endorsement of Komatireddy, who he nominated to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 2020, comes as he continues pressing for James to be prosecuted over mortgage fraud allegations, adding another front to his years-long feud with the Democratic attorney general who once took him to court.
Trump did not mince his words in his criticism of James, who successfully sued Trump and The Trump Organization in 2022, accusing them of fraudulently inflating the value of assets on financial statements to obtain more favorable loans.
An appeals court later wiped out the nearly $465 million financial penalty against Trump, ruling the massive disgorgement award violated the Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines.
“Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James, is considered by many to be the WORST Attorney General in our Country. She is a Complete and Total Disaster, who tried running against Kathy Hochul for Governor, and got less than 1% of the Vote in the Polls, and QUIT, taking many innocent suckers down with her,” Trump wrote.
“She then went back to her WITCH HUNT against your favorite President (ME!), and others, yet Murder and other Violent Crime is RAGING OUT OF CONTROL in New York as People and Businesses flee in Record Numbers to other States!”
DJT contrasted James to Komatireddy, touting her qualifications as Drug Enforcement Administration chief of staff, a former federal prosecutor, and that she clerked for Brett Kavanaugh, who went on to become a Supreme Court justice.
“On the other hand, as your next Attorney General, Saritha Komatireddy will fight tirelessly to Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Grow our Economy, Champion our Law Enforcement and First Responders, Support our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Uphold our Constitution, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote.
Komatireddy, who has been outspoken against James’ handling of the state’s fraud investigations, thanked Trump for his endorsement.
“I was honored to be nominated to be a federal judge by the President in 2020 and I’m honored to receive his endorsement today.
"I’m working hard to win the support of all New Yorkers and defeat Letitia James this November,” Komatireddy wrote on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to James’ campaign for comment. ##
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RNC Opens Historic Midterm Convention to Americans with Ticket Lottery, VIP Front-Row Access
US-POLITICS-TRUMP
US President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican National Committee winter meeting at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC on February 1, 2018. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
By Jasmyn Jordan - Breitbart News - August 15, 2026
The Republican National Committee (RNC) will give members of the public a chance to attend its September midterm convention in Dallas through a ticket lottery launching on Saturday, marking the first time a party convention has been opened to the American people in this way.
The ticket request lottery will go live August 15 at gopconvention.com, where Americans can request tickets for September 9, September 10, or both days of the convention.
The midterm convention is set to be the largest convention, midterm or otherwise, since 2016, with a capacity of more than 20,000 attendees, including media.
Those selected through the lottery will be notified September 4 and will have 24 hours to claim their tickets. Some attendees will receive special VIP front-row tickets, while many others will receive unprecedented access to the convention and the opportunity to attend an event featuring President Donald Trump.
Attendees will also have access to the convention’s victory plaza, which will feature surprise guests, entertainment, food, drinks, and what organizers describe as a celebratory environment unlike any convention in history, centered around a celebration of America.
The convention is also opening additional opportunities for Americans to participate through its volunteer program. Organizers are seeking 750 volunteers per day from the Dallas, Texas, area, and the volunteer application link will also go live Saturday.
The convention is expected to frame the midterm elections as a contrast between what Republicans describe as “common sense” and “crazy,” highlighting the Working Families Tax Cuts, a secure border, the crackdown on fraud, and a historic drop in crime among Republican accomplishments.
The event will also focus on what Republicans describe as a socialist takeover of the Democratic Party, highlighting positions and statements including claims that there are six sexes, that America 'deserved' the September 11 terrorist attacks, and that Thanksgiving should be canceled.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters previously told Breitbart News Daily that the September 9-10 event in Dallas would operate as a “giant unity rally” designed to bring Republicans together ahead of November.
Gruters said the party intends to use the convention to showcase Trump, highlight the administration’s accomplishments and agenda, feature Republican nominees, and motivate supporters to become poll workers, poll watchers, and otherwise work on behalf of the party and the president.
He called the event a “Trumpalooza opportunity” that would help launch Trump and Republicans into the final stretch of campaigning in competitive districts.
Gruters also said organizers deliberately selected a window after the primaries but before ballots begin going out, taking into account logistics, competing events, and available facilities in an effort to maximize the convention’s impact.
The convention comes as Trump’s political team is also focusing on Republican messaging for the midterms.
Trump advisers James Blair and Tony Fabrizio and Senate Leadership Fund executive director Alex Latcham presented polling to Republican senators and aides on August 5 showing particularly strong results for messages focused on health insurance accountability, banning congressional stock trading, and combating fraud.
Republicans held a 46-point advantage on a message calling for greater transparency surrounding insurers’ profits, rejected claims, and delays in care, a 44-point advantage on banning congressional stock trading, and a 38-point advantage on fighting fraud, while messaging supporting the SAVE America Act produced a 14-point advantage.
Blair also indicated that money from MAGA Inc. and the RNC is expected to begin moving into midterm races.
MAGA Inc. holds more than $400 million, and Trump has said he controls the super PAC and intends to help Republicans.
The RNC has $128 million on hand compared with $16 million held by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which also carries $18 million in debt.
A recent Supreme Court ruling also allows the RNC to spend without limits in coordination with candidates. ##
The Republican National Committee (RNC) will give members of the public a chance to attend its September midterm convention in Dallas through a ticket lottery launching on Saturday, marking the first time a party convention has been opened to the American people in this way.
The ticket request lottery will go live August 15 at gopconvention.com, where Americans can request tickets for September 9, September 10, or both days of the convention.
The midterm convention is set to be the largest convention, midterm or otherwise, since 2016, with a capacity of more than 20,000 attendees, including media.
Those selected through the lottery will be notified September 4 and will have 24 hours to claim their tickets. Some attendees will receive special VIP front-row tickets, while many others will receive unprecedented access to the convention and the opportunity to attend an event featuring President Donald Trump.
Attendees will also have access to the convention’s victory plaza, which will feature surprise guests, entertainment, food, drinks, and what organizers describe as a celebratory environment unlike any convention in history, centered around a celebration of America.
The convention is also opening additional opportunities for Americans to participate through its volunteer program. Organizers are seeking 750 volunteers per day from the Dallas, Texas, area, and the volunteer application link will also go live Saturday.
The convention is expected to frame the midterm elections as a contrast between what Republicans describe as “common sense” and “crazy,” highlighting the Working Families Tax Cuts, a secure border, the crackdown on fraud, and a historic drop in crime among Republican accomplishments.
The event will also focus on what Republicans describe as a socialist takeover of the Democratic Party, highlighting positions and statements including claims that there are six sexes, that America 'deserved' the September 11 terrorist attacks, and that Thanksgiving should be canceled.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters previously told Breitbart News Daily that the September 9-10 event in Dallas would operate as a “giant unity rally” designed to bring Republicans together ahead of November.
Gruters said the party intends to use the convention to showcase Trump, highlight the administration’s accomplishments and agenda, feature Republican nominees, and motivate supporters to become poll workers, poll watchers, and otherwise work on behalf of the party and the president.
He called the event a “Trumpalooza opportunity” that would help launch Trump and Republicans into the final stretch of campaigning in competitive districts.
Gruters also said organizers deliberately selected a window after the primaries but before ballots begin going out, taking into account logistics, competing events, and available facilities in an effort to maximize the convention’s impact.
The convention comes as Trump’s political team is also focusing on Republican messaging for the midterms.
Trump advisers James Blair and Tony Fabrizio and Senate Leadership Fund executive director Alex Latcham presented polling to Republican senators and aides on August 5 showing particularly strong results for messages focused on health insurance accountability, banning congressional stock trading, and combating fraud.
Republicans held a 46-point advantage on a message calling for greater transparency surrounding insurers’ profits, rejected claims, and delays in care, a 44-point advantage on banning congressional stock trading, and a 38-point advantage on fighting fraud, while messaging supporting the SAVE America Act produced a 14-point advantage.
Blair also indicated that money from MAGA Inc. and the RNC is expected to begin moving into midterm races.
MAGA Inc. holds more than $400 million, and Trump has said he controls the super PAC and intends to help Republicans.
The RNC has $128 million on hand compared with $16 million held by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which also carries $18 million in debt.
A recent Supreme Court ruling also allows the RNC to spend without limits in coordination with candidates. ##
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STEPHEN MILLER JUST DROPPED TRUTH BOMBS. Listen to this: Everything Trump does to dismantle the woke machine… the left takes him to court. Every mile of border he wants secured… they try to stop it. Every illegal they want deported… they fight to keep them here. Every man in a women’s prison… they sue to protect the abuser. Every school fighting racial discrimination and the sexualization of kids… they defend the putrid ideology.
They are in court every single day fighting to KEEP race discrimination alive. They want to rip this country apart by race and ethnicity.
Stephen said it perfectly: This ideology can only be defeated when millions of upstanding Americans stand up and say WE WILL NOT LET THEM TAKE OUR COUNTRY.
That’s what Trump is. That’s what MAGA is. That’s what America First is. And that’s why we’re not backing down. Not now. Not ever.
They are in court every single day fighting to KEEP race discrimination alive. They want to rip this country apart by race and ethnicity.
Stephen said it perfectly: This ideology can only be defeated when millions of upstanding Americans stand up and say WE WILL NOT LET THEM TAKE OUR COUNTRY.
That’s what Trump is. That’s what MAGA is. That’s what America First is. And that’s why we’re not backing down. Not now. Not ever.
STEPHEN MILLER JUST DROPPED TRUTH BOMBS. □
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) August 12, 2026
Listen to this:
Everything Trump does to dismantle the woke machine… the left takes him to court.
Every mile of border he wants secured… they try to stop it.
Every illegal they want deported… they fight to keep them here.
Every… pic.twitter.com/qkaSBQe7xV
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ICYMI: DEM DISTRICT LEADER WRITES AS IF YONKERS REPUBLICANS NO LONGER EXIST
THE LEDGER'S (unidentified) photos of Democrat candidates.
Analysis: Are Yonkers Voters Ready to Move Beyond Spano?'
By Phil Zisman (Reprinted from) The Yonkers Ledger, July 24, 2026
NOTE: LEDGER Reporter Zisman has been an 'inactive District Leader' in the Yonkers Democratic party for approximately 10 years.
With Mayor Mike Spano giving no clear indication whether he will seek an unprecedented fifth term, two City Council leaders are already positioning themselves to run. The recent Democratic primaries may offer clues as to how next year’s mayoral campaign will play out.
The mayoral election is more than 15 months away, but two Democrats—City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy and Majority Leader John Rubbo—are already acting like candidates.
Their early maneuvering may be an indication that Spano will not ask the Council — over which he exercises considerable influence — to once again set aside the city’s term-limit law to allow him to run for a fifth term.
Asked about the mayor’s intentions, Communications Director Christina Gilmartin offered no definitive answer.
"Nothing to report at this time,” she wrote. “The mayor is exploring all his options.”
Collins-Bellamy said she is giving the race “serious thought” and holding conversations with community leaders and supporters. Rubbo said that “because there has been no discussion on the Council about extending term limits, I have formed an exploratory committee.” He wants to keep his options open.
Neither has formally declared. At this early stage, that is not surprising. But all indications are that both are preparing for the possibility of a wide-open race.
The Early Favorites if Spano Steps Aside -
If Spano does not run, Collins-Bellamy and Rubbo would begin as the most obvious contenders.
Both are long-serving members of the City Council and strong supporters of Mayor Spano. If either wins the party’s nomination, they will be the odds-on favorite to become the next mayor.
Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in Yonkers by roughly three to one, making the Democratic nominee the presumptive favorite in November.
Moreover, during the 15 years that Mayor Spano has been in office, candidates with the support of the Democratic Party’s political machine have almost always been elected.
But the results of this year’s Democratic primaries suggest the long-standing conventional wisdom may not be as reliable as it once was.
Many Yonkers Democratic primary voters did not automatically vote for the Party endorsed candidate. The electorate may be growing restless and may be open to a change of direction in city hall.
This shift has one further implication: there is still time for a lesser-known candidate to enter the mayoral contest and capture voters’ attention.
Do the 2026 primaries reveal an appetite for change?
Three competitive Democratic primaries were held this year: two for the Westchester County Legislature and one for the New York State Assembly.
In each race, a woman of color challenged a candidate selected and endorsed by the Yonkers Democratic Party organization.
Primaries are usually quiet affairs. They take place in late June, when many voters are paying little attention, and turnout is typically low.
Party endorsements often prove decisive because endorsed candidates receive fundraising support, organizational assistance and help turning out reliable voters.
This year, however, the endorsed candidates did not perform as strongly as expected.
Kisha Skipper defeats Anthony Nicodemo
The biggest surprise came in the Democratic primary for the 15th District of the Westchester County Legislature.
Insurgent candidate Kisha Skipper defeated party-endorsed candidate Anthony Nicodemo, 53 percent to 47 percent, in a race with approximately 2,500 votes cast.
Skipper attributed her victory to months of persistent campaigning and daily door-to-door outreach. She will now face Republican County Legislator James Nolan in November, this time with the support of the Yonkers Democratic Party.
However, Anthony Nicodemo—while taking nothing away from Kisha Skipper and her hard-fought victory—believes that he didn’t receive the full support of some Yonkers Democratic Party activists and voters.
He suspects some of them are actually supporters of Republican incumbent James Nolan.
He noted that even though he and Frank Jereis were both endorsed by the Democratic Party, in some election districts where their races overlapped, Nicodemo unexpectedly received fewer votes than Jereis.
He thought that some members of the Democratic Party were being passive in their support of his campaign as compared to Jereis. He explained the discrepancy this way:
“The [Yonkers Democratic] Party is strong when the Party wants to be strong. Unfortunately, in my race, the Party didn’t want to be strong.”
He now wonders if Kisha will receive strong support from the party when she faces off against Nolan this November.
Leslye Oquendo-Thomas Falls Four Votes Short -
In the race to succeed retiring County Legislator José Alvarado, party-endorsed candidate Wilson Terrero defeated Leslye Oquendo-Thomas by just four votes, 946 to 942.
Although Terrero secured the Democratic nomination, Oquendo-Thomas remains on the November ballot as the Working Families Party candidate.
In a spirited social-media video, she declared that the race was not over and promised an aggressive fall campaign.
With no Republican candidate on the ballot, the contest will test whether Oquendo-Thomas can defeat the Democratic nominee while running solely on the Working Families Party line.
Frank Jereis defeats Jeanette Garcia
The 90th Assembly District primary produced the clearest victory for the Democratic establishment.
Frank Jereis defeated progressive challenger Jeanette Garcia, 57 percent to 43 percent, in a race to succeed retiring Assemblyman Nader Sayegh. Approximately 5,000 votes were cast.
Still, the margin may not have been as decisive as party leaders had hoped.
Garcia initially jumped to an early lead as votes were counted, suggesting that she enjoyed strong support in parts of the city. Outspent and lacking establishment backing, she nevertheless ran an energetic social-media campaign focused on the concerns of working people.
In acknowledging her defeat, Garcia said that “the fight for the soul of the city is just getting started” and described the campaign as the beginning of a movement to give working people a stronger voice in Yonkers politics.
A fluke or a warning? -
There are two ways to interpret the primary results.
The first is that they were anomalies with little broader meaning.
One low-turnout election does not establish a trend. There is not yet enough evidence to conclude that the Spano political organization — which has controlled the city’s Democratic Party for years and has also exercised influence across party lines — is losing its grip.
Party leaders can point to Jereis’ victory as evidence that endorsed candidates remain strong. The Assembly district covers much of Yonkers, and a clear majority of voters followed the party organization’s lead.
They can also argue that Terrero still won his primary, however narrowly, and that the party will rally behind him in November.
Despite Nicodemo’s belief that the Democratic Party didn’t support him as strongly as it should have, his defeat could nonetheless be attributed to exceptionally low turnout and Skipper’s unusually strong field campaign.
There is, however, another interpretation.
The results may be an early indication that some Yonkers voters are less willing to accept the choices made by party leaders.
Skipper defeated the endorsed candidate outright. Oquendo-Thomas came close. Garcia established a base for future political activity.
Taken together, the results suggest that the Democratic organization’s endorsement, although still important, no longer guarantees victory.
The November Races Will Be an Important Test -
Oquendo-Thomas’s general election campaign may be particularly revealing.
Jennifer Cabrera, chair of the Working Families Party in Westchester and Putnam counties, said Oquendo-Thomas has “a real chance of winning” because she has spent years working directly with families in her district.
If she defeats Terrero while running only on the Working Families Party line, the result could raise serious questions about the Democratic Party establishment’s ability to maintain its hold on voters — especially Latino voters on the city’s west side.
The party also must demonstrate that it can unite behind Skipper and help her defeat Nolan, one of the last Republican elected officials in heavily Democratic Yonkers.
Anything less than a strong showing in those races could expose weaknesses that carry directly into the 2027 mayoral contest.
The Yonkers Democratic Party Chair Thomas Meier and members of the Yonkers Democratic Party’s Executive Committee, which made the 2026 primary endorsements, all did not respond to a request for comment.
Only Anthony Nicodemo, speaking as a candidate and not as a Yonkers Democratic Party Committee member, agreed to talk on the record.
Frank Jereis provided a written comment stating in part, that “County Legislator Districts 15 and 17 are not directly comparable to my race because they include different Assembly districts than my own.”
The Stakes for 2027 -
Recent political history offers a warning against assuming that establishment candidates are unbeatable.
In 2025, Zohran Mamdani emerged from relative obscurity to defeat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the establishment candidate attempting a political comeback.
It would be naïve to assume that a comparable upset could never happen in Yonkers.
Lakisha Collins-Bellamy and John Rubbo may be the early favorites if Mike Spano steps aside. But after 16 years under the same mayor, voters may be looking for new leadership and a break from the policies and governing style of the Spano era.
It is not difficult to imagine a business, civic or community leader entering the race as an outsider candidate.
In a wide-open Democratic primary, the party organization may not be able to dictate the outcome. The candidate who combines a credible record, a strong message and an effective grassroots campaign could disrupt the expected choice of either Collins-Bellamy or Rubbo.
The 2027 mayoral race may not have officially begun. But it is clear that there is already a lot at stake for the Yonkers Democratic Party regarding its power to determine who will be the city’s next leader.##
* * * * * *
____________________________________
Friends & Neighbors
Summer may be a time to relax and regroup… but WE are wide awake!
The Northwest Yonkers Republican Club is open for business, and we’ve got plenty to share as we head into August.
TOMORROW, August 10th — Club Meeting!
Doors open at 6:00 PM for refreshments & socializing
Meeting starts promptly at 6:30 PM — that’s 30 minutes earlier than usual!
Details are below!
Summer may be a time to relax and regroup… but WE are wide awake!
The Northwest Yonkers Republican Club is open for business, and we’ve got plenty to share as we head into August.
TOMORROW, August 10th — Club Meeting!
Doors open at 6:00 PM for refreshments & socializing
Meeting starts promptly at 6:30 PM — that’s 30 minutes earlier than usual!
Details are below!
____________________________________
WATCH: Nervous Chuck Schumer Dodges Questions About Endorsing Socialist Michigan Senate Candidate in General Election and Whether Rise of DSA is Good for Party
by Jordan Conradson, Gateway Pundit, Aug. 4, 2026
by Jordan Conradson, Gateway Pundit, Aug. 4, 2026
America’s top-ranking Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), is running away as the Democratic Socialists of America storm his party.
Schumer on Tuesday fielded questions from reporters during a weekly press conference, where he was asked about his party’s DSA wing and once again dodged the questions.
A reporter asked about tonight’s Michigan Senate primary between Schumer-backed Haley Stevens and far-left DSA-aligned Abdul El-Sayed, and whether Schumer would endorse the winner if El-Sayed emerges victorious.
El-Sayed has denied that he is a socialist, but he’s attended and spoken at at least six DSA events over the years, according to Fox.
“I’m not technically or practically DSA,” he claimed in an interview last month. “I am not somebody who is a socialist. I believe in capitalism; I just believe that capitalism has to be regulated.” He’s also been described as “a longtime friend of Detroit DSA” during a 2019 event where he was photographed with Socialist Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Schumer responded with a complete non-answer.
“Bottom line, we are going to win Michigan, take back the Senate, and have a majority,” he said before enthusiastically moving on to take a question from CNN’s Manu Raju.
Raju, however, asked an equally daunting question for the Senate Minority Leader: Is the rise of the DSA good for your party?
Schumer, again, declined to answer. “Look,” he said, “We are a big tent party, and being a big tent party is a strength, not a weakness.”
Last week Schumer also dodged a question about the Democratic Socialists’ plans to abolish the Senate.
The reporter could even finish her question as Schumer smiled awkwardly and cut her off.
“Look, the bottom line is Democrats from one end of the spectrum to the other are going to be working to defeat Trump, to bring down costs, to go after his corruption, and to end the chaos,” Schumer said.
This comes as a new poll finds that 34%, one in three Democrats, now identify as Democratic Socialists. ##
Schumer on Tuesday fielded questions from reporters during a weekly press conference, where he was asked about his party’s DSA wing and once again dodged the questions.
A reporter asked about tonight’s Michigan Senate primary between Schumer-backed Haley Stevens and far-left DSA-aligned Abdul El-Sayed, and whether Schumer would endorse the winner if El-Sayed emerges victorious.
El-Sayed has denied that he is a socialist, but he’s attended and spoken at at least six DSA events over the years, according to Fox.
“I’m not technically or practically DSA,” he claimed in an interview last month. “I am not somebody who is a socialist. I believe in capitalism; I just believe that capitalism has to be regulated.” He’s also been described as “a longtime friend of Detroit DSA” during a 2019 event where he was photographed with Socialist Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Schumer responded with a complete non-answer.
“Bottom line, we are going to win Michigan, take back the Senate, and have a majority,” he said before enthusiastically moving on to take a question from CNN’s Manu Raju.
Raju, however, asked an equally daunting question for the Senate Minority Leader: Is the rise of the DSA good for your party?
Schumer, again, declined to answer. “Look,” he said, “We are a big tent party, and being a big tent party is a strength, not a weakness.”
Last week Schumer also dodged a question about the Democratic Socialists’ plans to abolish the Senate.
The reporter could even finish her question as Schumer smiled awkwardly and cut her off.
“Look, the bottom line is Democrats from one end of the spectrum to the other are going to be working to defeat Trump, to bring down costs, to go after his corruption, and to end the chaos,” Schumer said.
This comes as a new poll finds that 34%, one in three Democrats, now identify as Democratic Socialists. ##
____________________________________
REPUBLICANS -- YES, YONKERS REPUBLICANS -- PROTEST ALBANY’S ICE COOPERATION BAN
Albany Democrats are handcuffing our police and putting politics ahead of public safety. I joined concerned citizens yesterday outside the Grinton I. Will Library in Yonkers to protest New York’s effort to block local law-enforcement agencies from participating in the federal 287(g) immigration program.
Inside, members of the Democratic state delegation held what they called a “town hall.” Residents were not allowed to speak directly and had to submit questions on index cards. Of approximately 30 questions submitted, the delegation selected only a few while avoiding the more difficult issues.
That is not a true town hall. Our elected officials should listen to the people they represent , not lecture them and congratulate themselves. The 287(g) program allows specially trained local officers to assist federal immigration authorities under federal supervision.
Local law enforcement should be permitted to determine whether someone already under arrest is wanted by federal authorities or connected to a violent criminal organization.
Albany should not prevent police from accessing information that could protect the public and save lives. These restrictions also raise serious constitutional concerns.
The Supremacy Clause makes federal law the supreme law of the land. Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and Albany Democrats should not obstruct lawful federal immigration enforcement simply because they disagree with federal policy.
They are undermining local control, tying the hands of police and placing their sanctuary-state agenda ahead of New York families. It is time to stand with our police, defend the Constitution and restore common sense in Albany.
Inside, members of the Democratic state delegation held what they called a “town hall.” Residents were not allowed to speak directly and had to submit questions on index cards. Of approximately 30 questions submitted, the delegation selected only a few while avoiding the more difficult issues.
That is not a true town hall. Our elected officials should listen to the people they represent , not lecture them and congratulate themselves. The 287(g) program allows specially trained local officers to assist federal immigration authorities under federal supervision.
Local law enforcement should be permitted to determine whether someone already under arrest is wanted by federal authorities or connected to a violent criminal organization.
Albany should not prevent police from accessing information that could protect the public and save lives. These restrictions also raise serious constitutional concerns.
The Supremacy Clause makes federal law the supreme law of the land. Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and Albany Democrats should not obstruct lawful federal immigration enforcement simply because they disagree with federal policy.
They are undermining local control, tying the hands of police and placing their sanctuary-state agenda ahead of New York families. It is time to stand with our police, defend the Constitution and restore common sense in Albany.
____________________________________
OPEN LETTER TO MAMDANI: SKIP 9/11 CEREMONY
Catholic League president Bill Donohue is asking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip the 9/11 ceremony. He explains why in his letter to him.
August 3, 2026
Mayor Zohran Mamdani
City Hall
New York, New York 10007
Dear Mayor Mamdani:
I respectfully request that you not attend the 9/11 ceremony scheduled for next month. I am writing to you in my capacity as president of the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization, and as a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. You have set the precedent for not attending.
As Mayor-elect, you did not attend the Veteran’s Day Parade, and as Mayor you did not attend the Israeli Day Parade. Given that this is the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and that your presence would clearly be divisive—that is why there is a petition seeking to stop you from going—it would be best for everyone involved if you skipped this event.
Those who are organizing the ceremony say that no public officials in attendance will be allowed to speak: it is an act of witness, not a public forum.
Nonetheless, if you attend, the proceedings will be awkward, to say the least, for the surviving family members of the first responders. Catholics, in particular, will be incensed.
Following 9/11, for weeks on end, all we saw on TV in the New York area were ceremonies and funerals for the first responders. Most were at a Catholic church.
A year later, I asked the staff to contact the FDNY and the NYPD to see if there were any statistics on how many of the first responders were Catholic. No official data were available, but it was estimated that 85-90 percent were Catholic.
There are many reasons why so many New Yorkers, and Americans around the country, don’t want you at the 9/11 ceremony in New York City.
You have made it very clear that you are infinitely more upset about prejudice against Muslims following 9/11 than the deadly events of that day.
“My experience of 9/11 is one I share with many New Yorkers. My teacher let me know something happened that morning and I might be bullied because of it.”
“Something happened that morning”? You couldn’t even summon the courage to say that radical Muslims attacked the United States to advance their cause.
Indeed, you appear to be more concerned about “Islamophobia” than you are the bombing.
Why can’t you unequivocally condemn Islamists who want to destroy the U.S. and Israel? This is significant in light of your refusal to condemn many of your supporters who continue to scream, “globalize the intifada.”
When asked about 9/11 last year, you said—fighting back tears—that “Islamophobia” was so bad in the aftermath that your aunt was afraid to wear her hijab in public.
False. Your aunt was in Tanzania on 9/11, and photos of her showed her without a hijab. The woman you referred to was your cousin.
Members of your family, work associates and supporters have not been shy about their political convictions. To say they are disturbing is a gross understatement. That their sentiments mirror your own is uncontested.
Mahmood Mamdani:
Your father, a Columbia University professor of anthropology, has spoken on the subject of Islamic terrorism and 9/11, often in defense of those who perpetrated the attacks.
In his 2004 book, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, he said that suicide bombers, who kill innocent persons, should be “understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism.”
The term “political violence” is a sanitized way of describing mass murder. He also compared the U.S. decision to invade Afghanistan to the 9/11 attacks, saying there was a moral equivalence between the U.S. and al-Qaeda.
Incredibly, he blames the U.S. for creating a model that has inspired Nazi Germany, and has also pleaded for a “Third Intifada,” a call to arms against Israel.
Mira Nair:
Your mother, a filmmaker, has long complained about “Islamophobia” after 9/11, but there is no record of her condemning Islamists.
“People like me, who never felt out of place, suddenly were made to feel like the ‘other.’” She did not cite one instance of harassment, never mind violence, directed at her. What bothered her was the “one-sided demonization.”
Rama Duwaji
Your wife has a history of sharing social media posts that are anti-Semitic. After the Hamas massacre of innocent Israelis on October 7, 2023, she “liked” several Instagram posts that celebrated what happened.
In 2026, she drew an illustration for use in an essay by Susan Abulhawa. Her activist friend called the barbarism of October 7 “spectacular.”
Ramzi Kassem:
Ramzi Kassem is your chief counsel. When asked about 9/11, his biggest concern was, “What’s going to be the legal response, the political response, the military response?”
He added, “I also wondered what would be the response towards people like me, towards Arabs, Muslims, Arab Muslim males of a certain age.” He has also argued that in the aftermath of 9/11, “the war on terror was a blunderbuss reaction” and “an indiscriminate overreaction.”
Hassaan Chaudhary:
Chaudhary served as a Muslim-engagement staffer for your campaign. In 2025, old social media posts resurfaced in which he praised former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a mastermind of terrorism, after he declared that Israel was “a cancer” that “will be eliminated very soon.”
Linda Sarsour:
Widely known as your friend and mentor, she is a proponent of Sharia law, a form of totalitarianism. She is livid over state bans on this oppressive legal system.
Aber Kawas:
You endorsed her for a New York State Senate seat, after she dismissed the 9/11 attacks as the work that a “couple of people did.” She did not explain who they were, instead taking umbrage at the notion that “we have to apologize for a terror attack that a couple of people did.”
She further says that the 9/11 attack must be seen in context, arguing that what is to blame is “U.S. capitalism, racism, White supremacy and Islamophobia.”
Everyone but Islamists.
Darializa Avila Chevalier:
You endorsed her as the Democratic nominee for a New York congressional seat. She is known for claiming that “Israel doesn’t exist,” and for calling the United States a “f**king disgrace.”
Her goal, she said, is “the total eradication of Western civilization.” She calls American veterans “child murderers,” and brags how after eating, she once “wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.”
Hasan Piker:
Hasan Piker is one of your left-wing activist friends who campaigned for you.
He believes that “America deserved 9/11,” and supports radical Muslim terrorist groups. He says he doesn’t “have an issue” with Hezbollah.
Claire Valdez:
You endorsed her nomination for a New York congressional seat knowing that she regards Piker as one of the “brilliant fighters” championing a socialist revolution in the U.S.
She has also accused America as a being “an empire” that is complicit in “genocide and apartheid.”
Siraj Wahhaj:
You have called the head imam of the At-Taqwa Mosque in Brooklyn, “one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community.”
He was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In 1995, he spoke in favor of Omar Ahmad Ali Abdel-Rahman, who was on trial for helping to plan a plot to bomb multiple New York City landmarks.
Known for his sermons promoting jihad, he said, “I pray one day Allah will bless us to raise an army and I’m serious about this.” His goal is to “raise an army of 10,000 men in New York City.”
These are the people you are close to, fraternally and politically. Your own reluctance to speak positively about the American role in fostering freedom at home and abroad is well known.
More to the point, your reluctance to speak negatively about the role of radical Muslims in fostering oppression and warfare, including the attacks on 9/11, makes you unsuitable to preside over the ceremony honoring these innocent Americans next month.
Please do the honorable thing and skip this solemn ceremony.
Sincerely,
William A. Donohue, Ph.D.
President
Catholic League president Bill Donohue is asking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip the 9/11 ceremony. He explains why in his letter to him.
August 3, 2026
Mayor Zohran Mamdani
City Hall
New York, New York 10007
Dear Mayor Mamdani:
I respectfully request that you not attend the 9/11 ceremony scheduled for next month. I am writing to you in my capacity as president of the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization, and as a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. You have set the precedent for not attending.
As Mayor-elect, you did not attend the Veteran’s Day Parade, and as Mayor you did not attend the Israeli Day Parade. Given that this is the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and that your presence would clearly be divisive—that is why there is a petition seeking to stop you from going—it would be best for everyone involved if you skipped this event.
Those who are organizing the ceremony say that no public officials in attendance will be allowed to speak: it is an act of witness, not a public forum.
Nonetheless, if you attend, the proceedings will be awkward, to say the least, for the surviving family members of the first responders. Catholics, in particular, will be incensed.
Following 9/11, for weeks on end, all we saw on TV in the New York area were ceremonies and funerals for the first responders. Most were at a Catholic church.
A year later, I asked the staff to contact the FDNY and the NYPD to see if there were any statistics on how many of the first responders were Catholic. No official data were available, but it was estimated that 85-90 percent were Catholic.
There are many reasons why so many New Yorkers, and Americans around the country, don’t want you at the 9/11 ceremony in New York City.
You have made it very clear that you are infinitely more upset about prejudice against Muslims following 9/11 than the deadly events of that day.
“My experience of 9/11 is one I share with many New Yorkers. My teacher let me know something happened that morning and I might be bullied because of it.”
“Something happened that morning”? You couldn’t even summon the courage to say that radical Muslims attacked the United States to advance their cause.
Indeed, you appear to be more concerned about “Islamophobia” than you are the bombing.
Why can’t you unequivocally condemn Islamists who want to destroy the U.S. and Israel? This is significant in light of your refusal to condemn many of your supporters who continue to scream, “globalize the intifada.”
When asked about 9/11 last year, you said—fighting back tears—that “Islamophobia” was so bad in the aftermath that your aunt was afraid to wear her hijab in public.
False. Your aunt was in Tanzania on 9/11, and photos of her showed her without a hijab. The woman you referred to was your cousin.
Members of your family, work associates and supporters have not been shy about their political convictions. To say they are disturbing is a gross understatement. That their sentiments mirror your own is uncontested.
Mahmood Mamdani:
Your father, a Columbia University professor of anthropology, has spoken on the subject of Islamic terrorism and 9/11, often in defense of those who perpetrated the attacks.
In his 2004 book, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, he said that suicide bombers, who kill innocent persons, should be “understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism.”
The term “political violence” is a sanitized way of describing mass murder. He also compared the U.S. decision to invade Afghanistan to the 9/11 attacks, saying there was a moral equivalence between the U.S. and al-Qaeda.
Incredibly, he blames the U.S. for creating a model that has inspired Nazi Germany, and has also pleaded for a “Third Intifada,” a call to arms against Israel.
Mira Nair:
Your mother, a filmmaker, has long complained about “Islamophobia” after 9/11, but there is no record of her condemning Islamists.
“People like me, who never felt out of place, suddenly were made to feel like the ‘other.’” She did not cite one instance of harassment, never mind violence, directed at her. What bothered her was the “one-sided demonization.”
Rama Duwaji
Your wife has a history of sharing social media posts that are anti-Semitic. After the Hamas massacre of innocent Israelis on October 7, 2023, she “liked” several Instagram posts that celebrated what happened.
In 2026, she drew an illustration for use in an essay by Susan Abulhawa. Her activist friend called the barbarism of October 7 “spectacular.”
Ramzi Kassem:
Ramzi Kassem is your chief counsel. When asked about 9/11, his biggest concern was, “What’s going to be the legal response, the political response, the military response?”
He added, “I also wondered what would be the response towards people like me, towards Arabs, Muslims, Arab Muslim males of a certain age.” He has also argued that in the aftermath of 9/11, “the war on terror was a blunderbuss reaction” and “an indiscriminate overreaction.”
Hassaan Chaudhary:
Chaudhary served as a Muslim-engagement staffer for your campaign. In 2025, old social media posts resurfaced in which he praised former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a mastermind of terrorism, after he declared that Israel was “a cancer” that “will be eliminated very soon.”
Linda Sarsour:
Widely known as your friend and mentor, she is a proponent of Sharia law, a form of totalitarianism. She is livid over state bans on this oppressive legal system.
Aber Kawas:
You endorsed her for a New York State Senate seat, after she dismissed the 9/11 attacks as the work that a “couple of people did.” She did not explain who they were, instead taking umbrage at the notion that “we have to apologize for a terror attack that a couple of people did.”
She further says that the 9/11 attack must be seen in context, arguing that what is to blame is “U.S. capitalism, racism, White supremacy and Islamophobia.”
Everyone but Islamists.
Darializa Avila Chevalier:
You endorsed her as the Democratic nominee for a New York congressional seat. She is known for claiming that “Israel doesn’t exist,” and for calling the United States a “f**king disgrace.”
Her goal, she said, is “the total eradication of Western civilization.” She calls American veterans “child murderers,” and brags how after eating, she once “wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.”
Hasan Piker:
Hasan Piker is one of your left-wing activist friends who campaigned for you.
He believes that “America deserved 9/11,” and supports radical Muslim terrorist groups. He says he doesn’t “have an issue” with Hezbollah.
Claire Valdez:
You endorsed her nomination for a New York congressional seat knowing that she regards Piker as one of the “brilliant fighters” championing a socialist revolution in the U.S.
She has also accused America as a being “an empire” that is complicit in “genocide and apartheid.”
Siraj Wahhaj:
You have called the head imam of the At-Taqwa Mosque in Brooklyn, “one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community.”
He was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In 1995, he spoke in favor of Omar Ahmad Ali Abdel-Rahman, who was on trial for helping to plan a plot to bomb multiple New York City landmarks.
Known for his sermons promoting jihad, he said, “I pray one day Allah will bless us to raise an army and I’m serious about this.” His goal is to “raise an army of 10,000 men in New York City.”
These are the people you are close to, fraternally and politically. Your own reluctance to speak positively about the American role in fostering freedom at home and abroad is well known.
More to the point, your reluctance to speak negatively about the role of radical Muslims in fostering oppression and warfare, including the attacks on 9/11, makes you unsuitable to preside over the ceremony honoring these innocent Americans next month.
Please do the honorable thing and skip this solemn ceremony.
Sincerely,
William A. Donohue, Ph.D.
President
____________________________________
FOUND ON FACEBOOK:
2026 ELECTIONS: Joseph Berger And The Republicans Are Already Coming After John Rubbo And The Spano Machine....
If former Republican John Rubbo (like Mike) becomes the Democratic nominee for mayor and is elected, I do not believe voters will be choosing a new direction.
I believe they will be extending the same political fraternity under a different name.
Mr. Rubbo’s record as Fourth District Councilman, in my opinion, demonstrates why.
For years, Rubbo has benefited from little or no meaningful Republican opposition in what has historically been one of Yonkers’ strongest Republican districts.
I believe that outcome has been made possible by Republican leaders who have been more interested in protecting relationships than building a competitive Republican Party.
The people who pay the price are the voters.
Neighborhoods in the Fourth District continue to struggle with issues that residents have raised for years.
Too often, constituents feel they receive explanations instead of solutions. Meanwhile, the existing political organization remains firmly in control.
That is why I believe the next Mayoral election is about much more than Yonkers Republican-turned-Democrat John Rubbo.
It's about whether Yonkers continues a political system that has concentrated unchecked influence for decades...or whether voters decide it's finally time for independent leadership, greater accountability, and a government that answers first to the taxpayers—not to a political 'family'....
https://www.deb4westchester.com/post/the-spano-political-machine-over-forty-years-of-political-power-in-yonkers
If former Republican John Rubbo (like Mike) becomes the Democratic nominee for mayor and is elected, I do not believe voters will be choosing a new direction.
I believe they will be extending the same political fraternity under a different name.
Mr. Rubbo’s record as Fourth District Councilman, in my opinion, demonstrates why.
For years, Rubbo has benefited from little or no meaningful Republican opposition in what has historically been one of Yonkers’ strongest Republican districts.
I believe that outcome has been made possible by Republican leaders who have been more interested in protecting relationships than building a competitive Republican Party.
The people who pay the price are the voters.
Neighborhoods in the Fourth District continue to struggle with issues that residents have raised for years.
Too often, constituents feel they receive explanations instead of solutions. Meanwhile, the existing political organization remains firmly in control.
That is why I believe the next Mayoral election is about much more than Yonkers Republican-turned-Democrat John Rubbo.
It's about whether Yonkers continues a political system that has concentrated unchecked influence for decades...or whether voters decide it's finally time for independent leadership, greater accountability, and a government that answers first to the taxpayers—not to a political 'family'....
https://www.deb4westchester.com/post/the-spano-political-machine-over-forty-years-of-political-power-in-yonkers
____________________________________
THE SPANO POLITICAL MACHINE: 40+ YEARS OF UNCHECKED POWER IN YONKERS
By Joseph Berger
John P. O’Leary Northwest Yonkers Republican Club co-founder, member and YonkersRepublican.com contributor.
By Joseph Berger
John P. O’Leary Northwest Yonkers Republican Club co-founder, member and YonkersRepublican.com contributor.
Mike's Big Brother Nick Spano.
There's an old saying in politics:
“Power is never surrendered. It is transferred.”
In Yonkers, I believe that saying explains over forty years of political history.
Many people think the story begins with Mayor Mike Spano. It doesn’t.
It begins decades earlier with the Spano family’s rise through the Republican Party under the leadership of their father, Leonard Spano, a respected Westchester County Legislator and County Clerk. Politics was not simply a career for the Spanos, it was the family business.
I know because I was there.
When Nick Spano first ran for the New York State Assembly at just twenty-five years old, I worked on his campaign. I took him door-to-door, particularly along Bronx River Road in the Ninth Ward.
Through relationships I had built over many years, I opened apartment buildings that otherwise would have been difficult for him to reach. I believe that exposure helped introduce him to thousands of voters outside his West Side political base.
Even then, I noticed something different about Nick Spano.
He wasn’t simply running for the next office. He was planning the next twenty years.
After winning the Assembly seat, his goal became the New York State Senate. The obstacle was Senator John Flynn, one of the most respected and popular elected officials in Westchester County. Most politicians would have challenged Flynn or looked elsewhere.
Nick chose patience.
Instead of opposing Senator Flynn, he campaigned beside him election after election, carefully establishing himself as the logical successor whenever the Senate seat became available. It was a calculated strategy that ultimately paid off.
That ability to think years ahead—not months ahead—is, in my opinion, what made Nick Spano one of the most effective political strategists Yonkers has produced. His influence did not end after leaving the NYS Senate.
Following his conviction, incarceration and subsequent return to public life, Nick rebuilt his influence in a different way. He convinced his brother, Mike Spano, then a Republican Assemblyman, to change parties and run for Mayor as a Democrat.
Mike won. That was fifteen years ago.
From that point forward, many of the people who had worked for Nick became senior members of Mike’s administration.
Whether intentional or not, it created the perception that while brother Mike occupied the mayor’s office, brother Nick STILL remains one of the most influential political figures behind the scenes.
In my opinion, that influence has never disappeared. It simply changed addresses.
The extension of mayoral and City Council terms reinforced that political organization. What many Yonkers residents believed would be an eight-year limit evolved into an administration that has remained in power for nearly sixteen years.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with that decision, the result has been the concentration of political power in the hands of one organization for longer than many voters ever anticipated.
Now Yonkers stands at another crossroads.
If former Republican John Rubbo (like Mike) becomes the Democratic nominee for mayor and is elected, I do not believe voters will be choosing a new direction.
I believe they will be extending the same political fraternity under a different name.
Mr. Rubbo’s record as Fourth District Councilman, in my opinion, demonstrates why.
For years, Rubbo has benefited from little or no meaningful Republican opposition in what has historically been one of Yonkers’ strongest Republican districts.
I believe that outcome has been made possible by Republican leaders who have been more interested in protecting relationships than building a competitive Republican Party.
The people who pay the price are the voters.
Neighborhoods in the Fourth District continue to struggle with issues that residents have raised for years. Too often, constituents feel they receive explanations instead of solutions. Meanwhile, the existing political organization remains firmly in control.
That's why I believe the next Mayoral election is about much more than Yonkers Republican-turned-Democrat John Rubbo. It's about whether Yonkers continues a political system that has concentrated unchecked influence for decades...
...or whether voters decide it's finally time for independent leadership, greater accountability, and a government that answers first to the taxpayers—not to a political 'family'.
This is not simply the story of two brothers.
It's the story of how political power is built, protected, and passed from one generation of leaders to the next.
The Republican Party in Yonkers cannot rebuild its credibility unless it is willing to look inward. In my opinion, some individuals serving in Republican leadership positions have lost sight of the party’s mission.
Rather than recruiting strong Republican candidates and offering voters meaningful choices, I believe they have inadvertently protected political arrangements that benefit incumbents and preserve the existing power structure.
If Republicans expect voters to believe they are serious about providing an alternative, then those responsible for enabling this system should step aside or be replaced through the party’s own democratic (small 'd') process.
New leadership should be committed to building a competitive Republican Party that represents its members and voters—not one that exists primarily to benefit a small group of political insiders.
A political party should never function as a private club-where loyalty to individuals outweighs loyalty to the principles of the party or the interests of the taxpayers.
In my view, the Republican Party’s mission should be to recruit qualified candidates, challenge incumbents, and to give voters a genuine choice at the ballot box.
Until that happens, I believe the existing political system (Spano system) will continue to benefit, regardless of which party label appears next to a candidate’s name.
FACT: Real reform begins by holding not only Democratic leaders accountable, but Republican leaders accountable as well.
Only then can the Yonkers Republican Party once again become a strong, independent voice for the taxpayers it is obligated to represent.
The voters of Yonkers must decide how to begin reforming this unchecked power in Yonkers. ##
Joseph Berger has been an active force in Yonkers politics and local government for decades. His extensive leadership includes serving as a Republican and Conservative Party County Committee Member, 9th Ward Conservative Party Leader, Yonkers Conservative Party City Executive Committee Member, Conservative Party State and Judicial Committee Delegate, and Southeast Conservative Party Chairman.
As a seasoned campaign strategist, he managed successful bids for former Yonkers Councilman and Mayor Henry Spallone and former Councilman Sal Saliano, while also lending his expertise as a political consultant to candidates on both sides of the aisle.
The opinions expressed are rooted in decades of firsthand involvement in Yonkers political campaigns and municipal governance, offering deep, authentic insight into the issues shaping the city and its residents.
“Power is never surrendered. It is transferred.”
In Yonkers, I believe that saying explains over forty years of political history.
Many people think the story begins with Mayor Mike Spano. It doesn’t.
It begins decades earlier with the Spano family’s rise through the Republican Party under the leadership of their father, Leonard Spano, a respected Westchester County Legislator and County Clerk. Politics was not simply a career for the Spanos, it was the family business.
I know because I was there.
When Nick Spano first ran for the New York State Assembly at just twenty-five years old, I worked on his campaign. I took him door-to-door, particularly along Bronx River Road in the Ninth Ward.
Through relationships I had built over many years, I opened apartment buildings that otherwise would have been difficult for him to reach. I believe that exposure helped introduce him to thousands of voters outside his West Side political base.
Even then, I noticed something different about Nick Spano.
He wasn’t simply running for the next office. He was planning the next twenty years.
After winning the Assembly seat, his goal became the New York State Senate. The obstacle was Senator John Flynn, one of the most respected and popular elected officials in Westchester County. Most politicians would have challenged Flynn or looked elsewhere.
Nick chose patience.
Instead of opposing Senator Flynn, he campaigned beside him election after election, carefully establishing himself as the logical successor whenever the Senate seat became available. It was a calculated strategy that ultimately paid off.
That ability to think years ahead—not months ahead—is, in my opinion, what made Nick Spano one of the most effective political strategists Yonkers has produced. His influence did not end after leaving the NYS Senate.
Following his conviction, incarceration and subsequent return to public life, Nick rebuilt his influence in a different way. He convinced his brother, Mike Spano, then a Republican Assemblyman, to change parties and run for Mayor as a Democrat.
Mike won. That was fifteen years ago.
From that point forward, many of the people who had worked for Nick became senior members of Mike’s administration.
Whether intentional or not, it created the perception that while brother Mike occupied the mayor’s office, brother Nick STILL remains one of the most influential political figures behind the scenes.
In my opinion, that influence has never disappeared. It simply changed addresses.
The extension of mayoral and City Council terms reinforced that political organization. What many Yonkers residents believed would be an eight-year limit evolved into an administration that has remained in power for nearly sixteen years.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with that decision, the result has been the concentration of political power in the hands of one organization for longer than many voters ever anticipated.
Now Yonkers stands at another crossroads.
If former Republican John Rubbo (like Mike) becomes the Democratic nominee for mayor and is elected, I do not believe voters will be choosing a new direction.
I believe they will be extending the same political fraternity under a different name.
Mr. Rubbo’s record as Fourth District Councilman, in my opinion, demonstrates why.
For years, Rubbo has benefited from little or no meaningful Republican opposition in what has historically been one of Yonkers’ strongest Republican districts.
I believe that outcome has been made possible by Republican leaders who have been more interested in protecting relationships than building a competitive Republican Party.
The people who pay the price are the voters.
Neighborhoods in the Fourth District continue to struggle with issues that residents have raised for years. Too often, constituents feel they receive explanations instead of solutions. Meanwhile, the existing political organization remains firmly in control.
That's why I believe the next Mayoral election is about much more than Yonkers Republican-turned-Democrat John Rubbo. It's about whether Yonkers continues a political system that has concentrated unchecked influence for decades...
...or whether voters decide it's finally time for independent leadership, greater accountability, and a government that answers first to the taxpayers—not to a political 'family'.
This is not simply the story of two brothers.
It's the story of how political power is built, protected, and passed from one generation of leaders to the next.
The Republican Party in Yonkers cannot rebuild its credibility unless it is willing to look inward. In my opinion, some individuals serving in Republican leadership positions have lost sight of the party’s mission.
Rather than recruiting strong Republican candidates and offering voters meaningful choices, I believe they have inadvertently protected political arrangements that benefit incumbents and preserve the existing power structure.
If Republicans expect voters to believe they are serious about providing an alternative, then those responsible for enabling this system should step aside or be replaced through the party’s own democratic (small 'd') process.
New leadership should be committed to building a competitive Republican Party that represents its members and voters—not one that exists primarily to benefit a small group of political insiders.
A political party should never function as a private club-where loyalty to individuals outweighs loyalty to the principles of the party or the interests of the taxpayers.
In my view, the Republican Party’s mission should be to recruit qualified candidates, challenge incumbents, and to give voters a genuine choice at the ballot box.
Until that happens, I believe the existing political system (Spano system) will continue to benefit, regardless of which party label appears next to a candidate’s name.
FACT: Real reform begins by holding not only Democratic leaders accountable, but Republican leaders accountable as well.
Only then can the Yonkers Republican Party once again become a strong, independent voice for the taxpayers it is obligated to represent.
The voters of Yonkers must decide how to begin reforming this unchecked power in Yonkers. ##
Joseph Berger has been an active force in Yonkers politics and local government for decades. His extensive leadership includes serving as a Republican and Conservative Party County Committee Member, 9th Ward Conservative Party Leader, Yonkers Conservative Party City Executive Committee Member, Conservative Party State and Judicial Committee Delegate, and Southeast Conservative Party Chairman.
As a seasoned campaign strategist, he managed successful bids for former Yonkers Councilman and Mayor Henry Spallone and former Councilman Sal Saliano, while also lending his expertise as a political consultant to candidates on both sides of the aisle.
The opinions expressed are rooted in decades of firsthand involvement in Yonkers political campaigns and municipal governance, offering deep, authentic insight into the issues shaping the city and its residents.
____________________________________
'Team Yonkers' Republicans Celebrate USA's 250th with Crowded Gala at Westchester Manor
WHAT A GREAT CELEBRATION!
Thursday night, we celebrated America’s 250th birthday at Westchester Manor, and what an incredible evening it was!
I want to thank everyone who attended and supported my campaign. I am also deeply grateful to those who could not join us but contributed by mail or online. Your generosity and encouragement mean more to me than I can say.
We enjoyed great food, wonderful music and even patriotic dancing robots! I was proud to share the stage with an outstanding slate of Republican candidates who are ready to take the fight to Albany and help SAVE NEW YORK. We are united, energized and ready to take back our state for New York’s hardworking taxpayers and families. A special thank-you to the fantastic Republican candidates who joined us:
Sergio Esposito, New York State Senate District 40
Laurie Duffalo, Westchester County Legislature District 12
Brandon Neider, New York State Assembly District 89 Neider For Assembly
John Isaac, New York State Assembly District 90 John Isaac for New York State Assembly
Bebe Ahmed, Westchester County Legislature District 14
Bebe Ahmed
Joe Cinquemani, U.S. Congressional District 16
Tom Fix, New York State Senate District 37 Fix New York
Dan D’Amico, Westchester County Legislature District 16
Edwinna Herrera, Westchester County Legislature District 11
Bob Welch, New York State Assembly District 92
Thank you for celebrating with us and for standing together in the fight for a safer, stronger and more affordable New York!
Thursday night, we celebrated America’s 250th birthday at Westchester Manor, and what an incredible evening it was!
I want to thank everyone who attended and supported my campaign. I am also deeply grateful to those who could not join us but contributed by mail or online. Your generosity and encouragement mean more to me than I can say.
We enjoyed great food, wonderful music and even patriotic dancing robots! I was proud to share the stage with an outstanding slate of Republican candidates who are ready to take the fight to Albany and help SAVE NEW YORK. We are united, energized and ready to take back our state for New York’s hardworking taxpayers and families. A special thank-you to the fantastic Republican candidates who joined us:
Sergio Esposito, New York State Senate District 40
Laurie Duffalo, Westchester County Legislature District 12
Brandon Neider, New York State Assembly District 89 Neider For Assembly
John Isaac, New York State Assembly District 90 John Isaac for New York State Assembly
Bebe Ahmed, Westchester County Legislature District 14
Bebe Ahmed
Joe Cinquemani, U.S. Congressional District 16
Tom Fix, New York State Senate District 37 Fix New York
Dan D’Amico, Westchester County Legislature District 16
Edwinna Herrera, Westchester County Legislature District 11
Bob Welch, New York State Assembly District 92
Thank you for celebrating with us and for standing together in the fight for a safer, stronger and more affordable New York!
____________________________________
Feds Deploy 'Strike Team' to Probe New York Fraud
By Chris Wade, The Center Square contributor, July 16, 2026
By Chris Wade, The Center Square contributor, July 16, 2026
A tall stack of papers and files sits in an office. Photo: freepik / Freepik
New York is facing a fraud crackdown after the Trump administration deployed a “strike force” of investigators this week to the state to recover hundreds of millions in unemployment bogus payments.
The U.S. Department of Labor and its Inspector General's office announced this week a joint effort to "confront serious unemployment‑insurance fraud and performance breakdowns across one of the nation’s highest‑risk states." The agencies said fraud and improper payments in the system is fleecing New York taxpayers of an estimated $2 million a day.
Anthony D’Esposito, the agency's inspector general, said it is "taking a tough-on-crime approach to dismantle this fraud, hunt down every stolen dollar, and prosecute those responsible."
“New York is stealing from the American people every single day — draining their hard-earned tax dollars through rampant unemployment insurance fraud and improper payments,” D’Esposito, a former NYPD detective and Long Island congressman, said in a statement.
New York has the highest unemployment insurance fraud rate in the country at 15%, with an estimated $507 million in bogus payments in 2025, according to the Labor Department. It also has the highest improper payment rate at 23%, DOL said, which cost taxpayers $750 million last year. That's roughly a loss of $2 million per day to fraud and improper payments, the agency claimed.
"Backed by the full strength of President Trump and Vice President Vance’s Fraud Task Force and our coordinated OIG and Departmental efforts, our joint federal Strike Team will deliver the swift justice that hard working Americans deserve," he added. "Accountability is not an option."
In a statement, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul's office defended the state's anti-fraud protections and said the governor has been taking steps to safeguard taxpayer dollars from abuse.
"Governor Hochul and the State Department of Labor take fraud and abuse very seriously. That’s why the Governor has led the way in implementing several changes since the pandemic to fight waste, fraud and abuse," the statement said. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue criminals and hold perpetrators accountable while ensuring workers receive the benefits to which they are entitled under law efficiently."
To be sure, New York is facing increasing scrutiny from the Trump administration over claims of waste and fraud in its public benefits programs. The criticism comes amid President Donald Trump’s “war on fraud” campaign.
Trump has threatened to cut off federal funding for Democrat-run states if they do not provide proper oversight of Medicaid, food stamps, and other public benefit payments.
In Congress, the Republican-led House Committee on Energy and Commerce recently launched a probe into Medicaid fraud in 10 states — including New York, Vermont and Maine — demanding records from governors and state agencies related to their anti-fraud protections.
The U.S. Department of Labor and its Inspector General's office announced this week a joint effort to "confront serious unemployment‑insurance fraud and performance breakdowns across one of the nation’s highest‑risk states." The agencies said fraud and improper payments in the system is fleecing New York taxpayers of an estimated $2 million a day.
Anthony D’Esposito, the agency's inspector general, said it is "taking a tough-on-crime approach to dismantle this fraud, hunt down every stolen dollar, and prosecute those responsible."
“New York is stealing from the American people every single day — draining their hard-earned tax dollars through rampant unemployment insurance fraud and improper payments,” D’Esposito, a former NYPD detective and Long Island congressman, said in a statement.
New York has the highest unemployment insurance fraud rate in the country at 15%, with an estimated $507 million in bogus payments in 2025, according to the Labor Department. It also has the highest improper payment rate at 23%, DOL said, which cost taxpayers $750 million last year. That's roughly a loss of $2 million per day to fraud and improper payments, the agency claimed.
"Backed by the full strength of President Trump and Vice President Vance’s Fraud Task Force and our coordinated OIG and Departmental efforts, our joint federal Strike Team will deliver the swift justice that hard working Americans deserve," he added. "Accountability is not an option."
In a statement, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul's office defended the state's anti-fraud protections and said the governor has been taking steps to safeguard taxpayer dollars from abuse.
"Governor Hochul and the State Department of Labor take fraud and abuse very seriously. That’s why the Governor has led the way in implementing several changes since the pandemic to fight waste, fraud and abuse," the statement said. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue criminals and hold perpetrators accountable while ensuring workers receive the benefits to which they are entitled under law efficiently."
To be sure, New York is facing increasing scrutiny from the Trump administration over claims of waste and fraud in its public benefits programs. The criticism comes amid President Donald Trump’s “war on fraud” campaign.
Trump has threatened to cut off federal funding for Democrat-run states if they do not provide proper oversight of Medicaid, food stamps, and other public benefit payments.
In Congress, the Republican-led House Committee on Energy and Commerce recently launched a probe into Medicaid fraud in 10 states — including New York, Vermont and Maine — demanding records from governors and state agencies related to their anti-fraud protections.
____________________________________
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Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua via Getty Images
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he is exploring the legal possibility of arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he travels to the city for the UN General Assembly in September.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including “starvation as a method of warfare” and “other inhumane acts.”
Mamdani, who has characterized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide, vowed during his mayoral campaign last year to arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York City.
During an episode of The New York Times’ The Interview podcast that aired on Saturday, the mayor was asked whether he still intended to fulfill that pledge.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” he responded, referring to the seat of the ICC, where those accused of major international crimes are tried. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court, and what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”
Accredited representatives of member states are generally granted diplomatic immunity while on official UN visits, but Mamdani said he was in “an active conversation” with the city’s Law Department about potential legal options.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do,” he said. “But we won’t be writing our own laws to that end.”
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused Mamdani of failing to confront a “rising wave of antisemitism” and instead choosing to “incite hostility” against the Jewish state. He confirmed that Netanyahu intends to address the General Assembly during its annual High-Level Week, scheduled for September 22–28, saying the mayor’s position “will not change a thing.”
“And if anyone should be arrested, it is NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani,” the ambassador added in a post on X.
Netanyahu said in a recent radio interview that he was not concerned about Mamdani’s threats to detain him, accusing the New York mayor of “championing” Hamas and hating America.
Neither the US nor Israel is a party to the ICC, and federal law prohibits state and local authorities from cooperating with requests from the court. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said last year that the mayor lacked the authority to arrest Netanyahu.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including “starvation as a method of warfare” and “other inhumane acts.”
Mamdani, who has characterized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide, vowed during his mayoral campaign last year to arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York City.
During an episode of The New York Times’ The Interview podcast that aired on Saturday, the mayor was asked whether he still intended to fulfill that pledge.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” he responded, referring to the seat of the ICC, where those accused of major international crimes are tried. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court, and what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”
Accredited representatives of member states are generally granted diplomatic immunity while on official UN visits, but Mamdani said he was in “an active conversation” with the city’s Law Department about potential legal options.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do,” he said. “But we won’t be writing our own laws to that end.”
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused Mamdani of failing to confront a “rising wave of antisemitism” and instead choosing to “incite hostility” against the Jewish state. He confirmed that Netanyahu intends to address the General Assembly during its annual High-Level Week, scheduled for September 22–28, saying the mayor’s position “will not change a thing.”
“And if anyone should be arrested, it is NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani,” the ambassador added in a post on X.
Netanyahu said in a recent radio interview that he was not concerned about Mamdani’s threats to detain him, accusing the New York mayor of “championing” Hamas and hating America.
Neither the US nor Israel is a party to the ICC, and federal law prohibits state and local authorities from cooperating with requests from the court. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said last year that the mayor lacked the authority to arrest Netanyahu.
____________________________________
ELISE STEFANIK WRITES:
Jack Smith Spied on me in Congress — This Illegal Weaponization Needs to End
By Elise Stefanik, New York Post, July 15, 2026
By Elise Stefanik, New York Post, July 15, 2026
Jack Smith's surveillance operation, dubbed Arctic Frost, was part of the obsessive and sustained illegal witch hunt aimed at President Donald Trump, his political allies and his voters, Rep. Elise Stefanik writes. AFP via Getty Images
One year ago, when whistleblowers first revealed that special counsel Jack Smith and the FBI had targeted Republican senators in a highly secretive and unconstitutional spying operation, I immediately picked up the phone and called my close friend and colleague Jim Jordan.
“Jim, there is no way that we weren’t spied on,” I said. “There’s a larger list and my hunch is that we’re both on it.”
Smith’s surveillance operation, dubbed Arctic Frost, was part of the obsessive and sustained illegal witch hunt aimed at President Donald Trump, his political allies and his voters.
And for years, Rep. Jordan and I had been two of the most outspoken leaders in the House of Representatives against illegal weaponization — going back to our time on the Intelligence Committee, when we served on the defense team during the first illegal impeachment attempt of the president’s first term.
Now, thanks to the great, dogged oversight work of Chairman Chuck Grassley, Sen. Ron Johnson and others, we know that my instinct was right: The sweeping weaponization is wide and deep — and is an attack on the Constitution and the American people.
Unlawful access
Americans have long suspected that Joe Biden’s hand-picked special prosecutor weaponized government at the highest levels, in part by unconstitutionally spying on members of Congress — including me — and by perjuring himself when Congress questioned him about it.
On Tuesday, newly declassified records confirmed exactly that.
Smith’s team unlawfully and unconstitutionally accessed my private text messages, along with 43 other members of Congress, in clear violation of the Constitution.
They not only spied on the existence of text messages concerning our legislative and constitutional duties to represent our constituents and vote on their behalf; they illegally accessed the content of those messages, too.
Then, when asked by House members directly and under oath whether he had surveilled those messages’ contents, Jack Smith perjured himself and claimed that he had not.
It was a lie — and knowingly making false statements to Congress is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison.
As President Trump has always said, the illegal weaponization of judicial power that has plagued him for the last decade was never just about him — it was directed against all his supporters, and anyone who spoke out against these abuses.
Now we see that the weaponization targeted duly elected members of Congress, too — and by extension, our constituents.
This is not an isolated incident.
It’s just the latest, most egregious example of a widespread and dangerous effort to turn the federal government’s powers against Americans themselves.
It’s the worst such attempt in our nation’s history, and I have spent years fighting to expose it.
Criminal consequencesAs a leading member of the House Intelligence Committee and the Select Committee on Weaponization, I have worked to investigate and expose a string of these interconnected abuses: the Biden administration’s collusion with Big Tech to censor Americans, the FBI’s illegal targeting of traditional Catholics and of parents at school boards, the Russia collusion hoax, lawfare against President Trump and his allies, and more — all part of a broader pattern of illegal deep-state actions against political opponents.
It is what led me to go to the mat against the Speaker of the House to pass a key provision in the Intelligence Authorization Act and close the “Comey loophole,” so that Congress is now required by law to be notified of any counter-intelligence investigation into a federal candidate or elected official.
The bombshell records revealed by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week confirm that unaccountable special counsels and federal agencies did in fact use their power to secretly and unconstitutionally surveil elected representatives without proper legal process.
Accessing the private communications of lawmakers is an assault on the separation of powers, on congressional independence, and on the constitutional rights of every American.
There must be criminal consequences for this egregious, unconstitutional and illegal abuse of power.
That means prosecution for those responsible — and quickly enacting strong reforms to prevent any presidential administration, now or in the future, from wielding government tools against Americans or their elected representatives.
Abuse of power
The American people sent us to Washington to defend the Constitution, not to let it be shredded by politically motivated investigators.
I will continue leading the fight against this appalling abuse of power until we achieve real accountability and lasting change.
That’s what President Trump means when he says we must drain the swamp — because, even now, it continues to be shocking just how deep its weaponized muck goes.
Elise Stefanik represents New York’s 21st District in Congress.
“Jim, there is no way that we weren’t spied on,” I said. “There’s a larger list and my hunch is that we’re both on it.”
Smith’s surveillance operation, dubbed Arctic Frost, was part of the obsessive and sustained illegal witch hunt aimed at President Donald Trump, his political allies and his voters.
And for years, Rep. Jordan and I had been two of the most outspoken leaders in the House of Representatives against illegal weaponization — going back to our time on the Intelligence Committee, when we served on the defense team during the first illegal impeachment attempt of the president’s first term.
Now, thanks to the great, dogged oversight work of Chairman Chuck Grassley, Sen. Ron Johnson and others, we know that my instinct was right: The sweeping weaponization is wide and deep — and is an attack on the Constitution and the American people.
Unlawful access
Americans have long suspected that Joe Biden’s hand-picked special prosecutor weaponized government at the highest levels, in part by unconstitutionally spying on members of Congress — including me — and by perjuring himself when Congress questioned him about it.
On Tuesday, newly declassified records confirmed exactly that.
Smith’s team unlawfully and unconstitutionally accessed my private text messages, along with 43 other members of Congress, in clear violation of the Constitution.
They not only spied on the existence of text messages concerning our legislative and constitutional duties to represent our constituents and vote on their behalf; they illegally accessed the content of those messages, too.
Then, when asked by House members directly and under oath whether he had surveilled those messages’ contents, Jack Smith perjured himself and claimed that he had not.
It was a lie — and knowingly making false statements to Congress is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison.
As President Trump has always said, the illegal weaponization of judicial power that has plagued him for the last decade was never just about him — it was directed against all his supporters, and anyone who spoke out against these abuses.
Now we see that the weaponization targeted duly elected members of Congress, too — and by extension, our constituents.
This is not an isolated incident.
It’s just the latest, most egregious example of a widespread and dangerous effort to turn the federal government’s powers against Americans themselves.
It’s the worst such attempt in our nation’s history, and I have spent years fighting to expose it.
Criminal consequencesAs a leading member of the House Intelligence Committee and the Select Committee on Weaponization, I have worked to investigate and expose a string of these interconnected abuses: the Biden administration’s collusion with Big Tech to censor Americans, the FBI’s illegal targeting of traditional Catholics and of parents at school boards, the Russia collusion hoax, lawfare against President Trump and his allies, and more — all part of a broader pattern of illegal deep-state actions against political opponents.
It is what led me to go to the mat against the Speaker of the House to pass a key provision in the Intelligence Authorization Act and close the “Comey loophole,” so that Congress is now required by law to be notified of any counter-intelligence investigation into a federal candidate or elected official.
The bombshell records revealed by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week confirm that unaccountable special counsels and federal agencies did in fact use their power to secretly and unconstitutionally surveil elected representatives without proper legal process.
Accessing the private communications of lawmakers is an assault on the separation of powers, on congressional independence, and on the constitutional rights of every American.
There must be criminal consequences for this egregious, unconstitutional and illegal abuse of power.
That means prosecution for those responsible — and quickly enacting strong reforms to prevent any presidential administration, now or in the future, from wielding government tools against Americans or their elected representatives.
Abuse of power
The American people sent us to Washington to defend the Constitution, not to let it be shredded by politically motivated investigators.
I will continue leading the fight against this appalling abuse of power until we achieve real accountability and lasting change.
That’s what President Trump means when he says we must drain the swamp — because, even now, it continues to be shocking just how deep its weaponized muck goes.
Elise Stefanik represents New York’s 21st District in Congress.
____________________________________
BREAKING (July 16): President Trump is About to Declare a 'National Security Emergency for Elections,' says Gateway Pundit Correspondent and Mount Vernon native Wayne Allyn Root.
'Democrats and Liberal Media are Panicked and Hysterical. It All Starts Thursday Night with a Presidential Address to Nation from the White House.'
By Wayne Allyn Root - The Gateway Pundit - July 14, 2026
For many months now I’ve been on a “National Security Emergency” crusade.
While Republicans in the House and Senate, and conservative activists like Scott Presler (who means well) have been pushing the SAVE Act 24/7, I’ve been pushing something a thousand times better…
A “National Security Emergency for Elections.”
This “National Security Emergency” invention was created by me, with assistance from my election security expert, John Goodman.
This idea is like comparing a tiny 1% tax cut to Ronald Reagan’s massive, record-setting, income tax act of 1981, which cut income tax rates from 70% to 28%.
There is no comparison.
Don’t get me wrong. The SAVE Act is good. I support it -- if it could ever pass. But it can’t. The GOP would need to suspend, or permanently kill the filibuster, or they need 60 votes. We don’t have 60 votes. It’s not even close.
But even if by miracle the GOP could suddenly find a way to pass the SAVE Act, it’s too little, too late. It would never be in place to protect the midterms.
Why does no one understand this?
As I’ve pointed out for many months, the GOP needed to pass the SAVE Act a year ago- thereby leaving enough time for nonstop Democrat legal challenges, and a final Supreme Court ruling.
And seeing the terrible, awful, horrible, embarrassing Supreme Court decisions last month on Birthright Citizenship, and on allowing the counting of late ballots days past Election Day, is anyone confident we’d even get a positive outcome from the Supremes?
Then there’s the final problem with the SAVE Act- it does not go far enough. It never addresses the disaster of machine voting versus paper ballots. The SAVE Act could pass, and elections would still be stolen by machine voting fraud- in particular, fraud committed by foreign enemies of the USA.
So, knowing all that, while the whole GOP was obsessing 24/7 with finding some long-shot one-in-a-million way to pass the SAVE Act, I came up with something 1,000 times better- that addresses every failing of the SAVE Act.
The problem is most MAGA conservatives still do not understand why my “National Security Emergency” is so much better than the famous (and I believe flawed) SAVE Act.
First…
Understand the most positive sign of all- Democrats and the media are FREAKING OUT about my “National Security Emergency” idea. If Democrats are scared to death, then you know we’re on the right track.
As soon as I appeared on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” TV show to promote this idea, the Democrat media machine- led by George Soros-funded “Media Matters”- went into overdrive- shrieking at my idea, howling at the moon, screaming “the sky is falling.”
That’s because Democrats realize my idea is foolproof. They CANNOT stop it.
Second…
This isn’t my first rodeo. This is my second “National Security Emergency” idea. It was already proven unstoppable the first time around.
Way back in 2019, President Trump could not secure the open border and build his wall- because Congress refused to provide the funding.
So, I came up with the idea for President Trump to declare a “National Security Emergency at the Border.” That would allow him to take the money from the Pentagon budget to finish building the wall. It would also allow him to bypass Congress.
President Trump adopted my idea. It worked then, and it will work now!
It worked because this “National Security Emergency” could not be challenged in court- the Supreme Court already ruled in 1983 that a “National Security Emergency” can only be overturned by a 2/3rds vote in both houses of Congress. Which is literally impossible to achieve.
Third…
My idea is not an Executive Order. So, please stop confusing the two. Traditional EOs can be challenged in court. But a “National Security Emergency” is a whole different animal- and cannot be challenged in court. Fact.
So, I’ve invented a way to grab every element of the SAVE Act- Voter ID, proof of citizenship, and strictly limiting mail-in voting. PLUS This idea adds many more important reforms for election integrity, and rolls them all into a foolproof vehicle- a “National Security Emergency” declaration.
Again, let me stress- My idea is not an EO. It’s a “National Security Emergency.” It’s completely different. And it cannot be challenged in court.
No wonder Democrats are panicking. No wonder “Media Matters” is hysterical.
Fourth…
My idea stops Democrats (ie communist traitors who steal elections) cold in their tracks from using foreign interference to hack into machines, change vote totals, and steal elections.
Even if the SAVE Act passed, it does not address machine voter fraud. This “National Security Emergency” mandates voting by paper ballots. This is how Americans voted from the beginning of our nation 250 years ago- and it works!
I would also include bans on Ballot Harvesting and Ballot Drop Boxes (which are illegal in every other major country)- because both practices lead to massive voter fraud.
Fifth…
My “National Security Emergency” really is based on a serious emergency. It’s based on foreign interference in US elections. Our elections are being rigged and stolen by foreign enemies of the USA.
President Trump is holding a Presidential Address to the nation on Thursday night. Word has it, this will be when he starts to lay out his case of foreign interference in US elections to the American people- and not just stolen presidential elections, but dozens of US Senate and House seats.
Soon thereafter, I expect President Trump to declare a “National Security Emergency for Elections.”
If you think President Trump can’t prove foreign enemies are stealing our elections, I have news for you. Why do you think America invaded Venezuela’s Presidential Palace, captured its President Nicolas Maduro, and brought him back to US soil? Why go to all that trouble?
We could have just bombed his palace and killed Maduro. Why go through the trouble of capturing him?
Because they needed him to testify.
Maduro coordinated the stolen election, knows the details of how it was done, and can testify against Democrat leaders involved.
But the most obvious example of foreign interference in US elections is a no-brainer- the open border foreign invasion conducted and coordinated by Democrats to change the demographics of the electorate.
The plan was simple and purposeful- open the borders, invite the whole world in, illegally register them to vote, and use illegal alien foreign invaders to steal elections across the USA.
Non-citizens are voting. Fact. This is the perfect proof of foreign interference in US elections and the perfect reason to declare a “National Security Emergency for Elections.”
It all starts with President Trump’s address to the nation on Thursday night. Wanna bet? ##
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wayne Allyn Root is a CEO, businessman, best-selling author and national conservative TV and radio host who has interviewed President Trump 16 times. Watch Wayne’s TV shows on Real Americas Voice TV- “America Speaks” weeknights and “America’s Top Ten Countdown” on weekends, and his daily video podcast “WAR Zone Live presented by The Gateway Pundit” daily at 4 PM ET/1 PM Pacific at TheGatewayPundit.com. His website is ROOTforAmerica.com. Read Wayne’s latest fun book, “How Illegal Immigrants Have Made America Great.” It’s 100+ blank pages. The joke is on Democrats!
'Democrats and Liberal Media are Panicked and Hysterical. It All Starts Thursday Night with a Presidential Address to Nation from the White House.'
By Wayne Allyn Root - The Gateway Pundit - July 14, 2026
For many months now I’ve been on a “National Security Emergency” crusade.
While Republicans in the House and Senate, and conservative activists like Scott Presler (who means well) have been pushing the SAVE Act 24/7, I’ve been pushing something a thousand times better…
A “National Security Emergency for Elections.”
This “National Security Emergency” invention was created by me, with assistance from my election security expert, John Goodman.
This idea is like comparing a tiny 1% tax cut to Ronald Reagan’s massive, record-setting, income tax act of 1981, which cut income tax rates from 70% to 28%.
There is no comparison.
Don’t get me wrong. The SAVE Act is good. I support it -- if it could ever pass. But it can’t. The GOP would need to suspend, or permanently kill the filibuster, or they need 60 votes. We don’t have 60 votes. It’s not even close.
But even if by miracle the GOP could suddenly find a way to pass the SAVE Act, it’s too little, too late. It would never be in place to protect the midterms.
Why does no one understand this?
As I’ve pointed out for many months, the GOP needed to pass the SAVE Act a year ago- thereby leaving enough time for nonstop Democrat legal challenges, and a final Supreme Court ruling.
And seeing the terrible, awful, horrible, embarrassing Supreme Court decisions last month on Birthright Citizenship, and on allowing the counting of late ballots days past Election Day, is anyone confident we’d even get a positive outcome from the Supremes?
Then there’s the final problem with the SAVE Act- it does not go far enough. It never addresses the disaster of machine voting versus paper ballots. The SAVE Act could pass, and elections would still be stolen by machine voting fraud- in particular, fraud committed by foreign enemies of the USA.
So, knowing all that, while the whole GOP was obsessing 24/7 with finding some long-shot one-in-a-million way to pass the SAVE Act, I came up with something 1,000 times better- that addresses every failing of the SAVE Act.
The problem is most MAGA conservatives still do not understand why my “National Security Emergency” is so much better than the famous (and I believe flawed) SAVE Act.
First…
Understand the most positive sign of all- Democrats and the media are FREAKING OUT about my “National Security Emergency” idea. If Democrats are scared to death, then you know we’re on the right track.
As soon as I appeared on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” TV show to promote this idea, the Democrat media machine- led by George Soros-funded “Media Matters”- went into overdrive- shrieking at my idea, howling at the moon, screaming “the sky is falling.”
That’s because Democrats realize my idea is foolproof. They CANNOT stop it.
Second…
This isn’t my first rodeo. This is my second “National Security Emergency” idea. It was already proven unstoppable the first time around.
Way back in 2019, President Trump could not secure the open border and build his wall- because Congress refused to provide the funding.
So, I came up with the idea for President Trump to declare a “National Security Emergency at the Border.” That would allow him to take the money from the Pentagon budget to finish building the wall. It would also allow him to bypass Congress.
President Trump adopted my idea. It worked then, and it will work now!
It worked because this “National Security Emergency” could not be challenged in court- the Supreme Court already ruled in 1983 that a “National Security Emergency” can only be overturned by a 2/3rds vote in both houses of Congress. Which is literally impossible to achieve.
Third…
My idea is not an Executive Order. So, please stop confusing the two. Traditional EOs can be challenged in court. But a “National Security Emergency” is a whole different animal- and cannot be challenged in court. Fact.
So, I’ve invented a way to grab every element of the SAVE Act- Voter ID, proof of citizenship, and strictly limiting mail-in voting. PLUS This idea adds many more important reforms for election integrity, and rolls them all into a foolproof vehicle- a “National Security Emergency” declaration.
Again, let me stress- My idea is not an EO. It’s a “National Security Emergency.” It’s completely different. And it cannot be challenged in court.
No wonder Democrats are panicking. No wonder “Media Matters” is hysterical.
Fourth…
My idea stops Democrats (ie communist traitors who steal elections) cold in their tracks from using foreign interference to hack into machines, change vote totals, and steal elections.
Even if the SAVE Act passed, it does not address machine voter fraud. This “National Security Emergency” mandates voting by paper ballots. This is how Americans voted from the beginning of our nation 250 years ago- and it works!
I would also include bans on Ballot Harvesting and Ballot Drop Boxes (which are illegal in every other major country)- because both practices lead to massive voter fraud.
Fifth…
My “National Security Emergency” really is based on a serious emergency. It’s based on foreign interference in US elections. Our elections are being rigged and stolen by foreign enemies of the USA.
President Trump is holding a Presidential Address to the nation on Thursday night. Word has it, this will be when he starts to lay out his case of foreign interference in US elections to the American people- and not just stolen presidential elections, but dozens of US Senate and House seats.
Soon thereafter, I expect President Trump to declare a “National Security Emergency for Elections.”
If you think President Trump can’t prove foreign enemies are stealing our elections, I have news for you. Why do you think America invaded Venezuela’s Presidential Palace, captured its President Nicolas Maduro, and brought him back to US soil? Why go to all that trouble?
We could have just bombed his palace and killed Maduro. Why go through the trouble of capturing him?
Because they needed him to testify.
Maduro coordinated the stolen election, knows the details of how it was done, and can testify against Democrat leaders involved.
But the most obvious example of foreign interference in US elections is a no-brainer- the open border foreign invasion conducted and coordinated by Democrats to change the demographics of the electorate.
The plan was simple and purposeful- open the borders, invite the whole world in, illegally register them to vote, and use illegal alien foreign invaders to steal elections across the USA.
Non-citizens are voting. Fact. This is the perfect proof of foreign interference in US elections and the perfect reason to declare a “National Security Emergency for Elections.”
It all starts with President Trump’s address to the nation on Thursday night. Wanna bet? ##
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wayne Allyn Root is a CEO, businessman, best-selling author and national conservative TV and radio host who has interviewed President Trump 16 times. Watch Wayne’s TV shows on Real Americas Voice TV- “America Speaks” weeknights and “America’s Top Ten Countdown” on weekends, and his daily video podcast “WAR Zone Live presented by The Gateway Pundit” daily at 4 PM ET/1 PM Pacific at TheGatewayPundit.com. His website is ROOTforAmerica.com. Read Wayne’s latest fun book, “How Illegal Immigrants Have Made America Great.” It’s 100+ blank pages. The joke is on Democrats!
____________________________________
POSITIVE SIGNAL...OR WISHFUL THINKING?
MAGA 'More Motivated Than Democrats' for 2026 Midterms: Poll
By Jasmine Laws, Newsweek, Jul 12, 2026
MAGA 'More Motivated Than Democrats' for 2026 Midterms: Poll
By Jasmine Laws, Newsweek, Jul 12, 2026
A man wearing a "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" (MAGA) shirt reacts as he watches the United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup match in the FIFA ... | Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP
'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) supporters appear to be the most enthusiastic voting bloc ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new poll.
The Harris X survey found that Trump/MAGA Republicans were the most likely to say they were "definitely going to vote" in the 2026 congressional midterm elections on November 3: 75 percent of MAGA respondents expressed that enthusiasm while 70 percent of Republicans gave the same response and 63 percent of Democrats.
Voter enthusiasm ahead of an election is often viewed as an early indicator of turnout strength and campaign engagement, although self-reported voting intention does not necessarily translate into actual turnout.
The U.S. midterms will decide whether President Donald Trump's GOP retains control of one or both chambers in Congress, or if the Democratic Party will be able to win back lost voters after the 2024 presidential election. The midterms are not just about who governs the country, but how effectively they can do so; unified control can make it easier for a party to bring in sweeping policy changes, and a more divided government can halt that process.
MAGA Republicans Express Highest Voter Enthusiasm In Poll
The Harris Poll, which was conducted between July 9 and 10, and surveyed 1,019 registered voters, found that 85 percent of Trump/MAGA Republicans reported that they were likely to vote in the 2026 midterms (combining the categories of "definitely going to vote" and "probably going to vote.") The poll had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The Harris X survey found that Trump/MAGA Republicans were the most likely to say they were "definitely going to vote" in the 2026 congressional midterm elections on November 3: 75 percent of MAGA respondents expressed that enthusiasm while 70 percent of Republicans gave the same response and 63 percent of Democrats.
Voter enthusiasm ahead of an election is often viewed as an early indicator of turnout strength and campaign engagement, although self-reported voting intention does not necessarily translate into actual turnout.
The U.S. midterms will decide whether President Donald Trump's GOP retains control of one or both chambers in Congress, or if the Democratic Party will be able to win back lost voters after the 2024 presidential election. The midterms are not just about who governs the country, but how effectively they can do so; unified control can make it easier for a party to bring in sweeping policy changes, and a more divided government can halt that process.
MAGA Republicans Express Highest Voter Enthusiasm In Poll
The Harris Poll, which was conducted between July 9 and 10, and surveyed 1,019 registered voters, found that 85 percent of Trump/MAGA Republicans reported that they were likely to vote in the 2026 midterms (combining the categories of "definitely going to vote" and "probably going to vote.") The poll had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Meanwhile, 78 percent of Democrats gave the same response, as did 78 percent of traditional Republicans and 63 percent of Independents.
Democrats and Independents also had higher percentages of voters claiming they were "definitely not going to participate." Seven percent of Democrats and Independents indicated that they did not plan to cast ballots in the midterms, while only 1 percent of MAGA supporters and 4 percent of traditional Republicans said the same.
Those who reported they were generally unlikely to vote (combining the "definitely not going to participate," and "probably not going to participate" categories) were most likely to be Independents (16 percent), followed by Democrats (13 percent), traditional Republicans (9 percent) and Trump/MAGA Republicans (4 percent).
Of the 1,019 registered voters Harris X surveyed, 196 of respondents classified themselves as Trump/MAGA Republicans and 183 said they were traditional Republicans.
Poll Also Finds Voters More Likely to Vote for a Democrat
Despite finding elevated enthusiasm among MAGA/Trump Republicans, the same poll also found that—when asked if they had to vote today, if they would vote for a Democrat or Republican for Congress—more participants said they would elect a Democratic candidate (44 percent to 41 percent Republican, 3 percent would vote other and 11 percent didn't know).
In a further query where participants who had previously opted for "other" or "don't know" were forced to choose between voting for a Democratic or Republican candidate, the figure rose to 52 percent for Democrat and 48 percent Republican.
Overall, 52 percent of participants claimed they would lean toward a Democratic candidate, while 47 percent said they would lean toward a Republican candidate.
This was the case even though there were more participants that reported being Republican than Democrat—379 Republicans, 358 Democrats, 270 Independents and 12 others took part in the survey.
However, early voter sentiment may not translate onto the actual ballots cast in the midterms—the poll's findings simply indicate that while MAGA Republican enthusiasm is high, more Americans could be leaning toward choosing a Democratic candidate in the election at this point in time. ##
Democrats and Independents also had higher percentages of voters claiming they were "definitely not going to participate." Seven percent of Democrats and Independents indicated that they did not plan to cast ballots in the midterms, while only 1 percent of MAGA supporters and 4 percent of traditional Republicans said the same.
Those who reported they were generally unlikely to vote (combining the "definitely not going to participate," and "probably not going to participate" categories) were most likely to be Independents (16 percent), followed by Democrats (13 percent), traditional Republicans (9 percent) and Trump/MAGA Republicans (4 percent).
Of the 1,019 registered voters Harris X surveyed, 196 of respondents classified themselves as Trump/MAGA Republicans and 183 said they were traditional Republicans.
Poll Also Finds Voters More Likely to Vote for a Democrat
Despite finding elevated enthusiasm among MAGA/Trump Republicans, the same poll also found that—when asked if they had to vote today, if they would vote for a Democrat or Republican for Congress—more participants said they would elect a Democratic candidate (44 percent to 41 percent Republican, 3 percent would vote other and 11 percent didn't know).
In a further query where participants who had previously opted for "other" or "don't know" were forced to choose between voting for a Democratic or Republican candidate, the figure rose to 52 percent for Democrat and 48 percent Republican.
Overall, 52 percent of participants claimed they would lean toward a Democratic candidate, while 47 percent said they would lean toward a Republican candidate.
This was the case even though there were more participants that reported being Republican than Democrat—379 Republicans, 358 Democrats, 270 Independents and 12 others took part in the survey.
However, early voter sentiment may not translate onto the actual ballots cast in the midterms—the poll's findings simply indicate that while MAGA Republican enthusiasm is high, more Americans could be leaning toward choosing a Democratic candidate in the election at this point in time. ##
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Something for NYC IslamoCommies to Think About with 9/11+25 Coming Up:
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FORMER CITY COUNCILMAN NOW RUNNING FOR NY STATE SENATE:
'Spanocrats' are faking their so-called victory lap over state funding, says 35-D State Senate Candidate Anthony Merante.
Merante's Statement:
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Mayor Mike Spano are taking a victory lap over more than $189 million in state funding for Yonkers and Yonkers Public Schools. Anthony J. Merante says taxpayers should be angry, not applauding.
“If Albany is sending Yonkers all this money, why are Yonkers taxpayers still getting hit with another tax increase?” Merante said. “The numbers do not add up.”
Yonkers adopted a $1.64 billion FY 2026-2027 budget with a 4.75% tax rate increase. Mayor Spano had originally proposed a 5.25% increase.
"Either way, they exceeded the state’s 2% tax cap. The 'Spanocrats' on the City Council were so proud to reduce the increase by [one-half of one percent]. Big Deal!"
“This is the Yonkers shell game,” Merante said. “Albany sends money. City Hall spends money. Taxes go up. Fees go up. Water bills go up. And taxpayers are told to be grateful.”
Merante, a Yonkers CPA, former 6th District Councilmember, and candidate for the 35th State Senate District, said the issue is not whether schools need support. The issue is accountability.
“Our schools need funding, but do not use the schools as a political shield for bad budgeting,” Merante said. “When hundreds of millions of dollars come into Yonkers and taxes still go up, taxpayers deserve to know where every dollar went.”
Merante said Yonkers families, seniors, homeowners, and small businesses are being treated like an endless ATM.
“Enough is enough,” Merante said. “Yonkers needs a full accounting, as well as the one-party State government, not another press conference. We need to open both books, follow the money, and stop forcing taxpayers to pay for wasteful spending and political patronage.”
Merante said stronger oversight should be on the table if City Hall cannot control spending.“If Yonkers cannot get its financial house in order, then serious state oversight may be needed,” Merante said.
“Taxpayers need protection from a government that keeps spending first and billing homeowners later.”
That is why Yonkers needs a State Senator who will fight for taxpayers, not protect the Albany and Yonkers Democratic political machine.” ##
Merante's Statement:
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Mayor Mike Spano are taking a victory lap over more than $189 million in state funding for Yonkers and Yonkers Public Schools. Anthony J. Merante says taxpayers should be angry, not applauding.
“If Albany is sending Yonkers all this money, why are Yonkers taxpayers still getting hit with another tax increase?” Merante said. “The numbers do not add up.”
Yonkers adopted a $1.64 billion FY 2026-2027 budget with a 4.75% tax rate increase. Mayor Spano had originally proposed a 5.25% increase.
"Either way, they exceeded the state’s 2% tax cap. The 'Spanocrats' on the City Council were so proud to reduce the increase by [one-half of one percent]. Big Deal!"
“This is the Yonkers shell game,” Merante said. “Albany sends money. City Hall spends money. Taxes go up. Fees go up. Water bills go up. And taxpayers are told to be grateful.”
Merante, a Yonkers CPA, former 6th District Councilmember, and candidate for the 35th State Senate District, said the issue is not whether schools need support. The issue is accountability.
“Our schools need funding, but do not use the schools as a political shield for bad budgeting,” Merante said. “When hundreds of millions of dollars come into Yonkers and taxes still go up, taxpayers deserve to know where every dollar went.”
Merante said Yonkers families, seniors, homeowners, and small businesses are being treated like an endless ATM.
“Enough is enough,” Merante said. “Yonkers needs a full accounting, as well as the one-party State government, not another press conference. We need to open both books, follow the money, and stop forcing taxpayers to pay for wasteful spending and political patronage.”
Merante said stronger oversight should be on the table if City Hall cannot control spending.“If Yonkers cannot get its financial house in order, then serious state oversight may be needed,” Merante said.
“Taxpayers need protection from a government that keeps spending first and billing homeowners later.”
That is why Yonkers needs a State Senator who will fight for taxpayers, not protect the Albany and Yonkers Democratic political machine.” ##
____________________________________
____________________________________
‘I’m not in that f-ing party’ - Carville the Cobra freaks out after libtards win big in Dumocrat primaries
By Michael Luciano, Mediaite - June 24, 2026
By Michael Luciano, Mediaite - June 24, 2026
Democrat strategist James Carville called for a “schism” in the Democratic Party, stating that he wants nothing to do with the likes of three candidates who won their Democratic primaries in New York.
On Tuesday, three candidates endorsed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, won Democratic primaries for the House of Representatives.
Former NYC comptroller Brad Lander crushed Rep. Dan Goldman to earn the nomination in the 10th district. Union organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the 13th district.
And state Rep. Claire Valdez trounced Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the 7th district. All three districts are solidly blue, and so the Mamdani-backed candidates are expected to win.
On Wednesday’s Politicon podcast, Carville freaked out at the results. He noted that Avila Chevalier, who was born to Dominican immigrants, once said white people should not be in interracial marriages.
“Lady, I ain’t in the same party as you,” Carville said. “I’m sorry. I’m just not. And I actually do think it’s time for Democrats to talk the ‘s’ word: schism. I really do. Everybody’s always said, ‘No, no. We’re a coalition. We’re a big tent.’
"And there’s just some sh*t I can’t be in the same tent with.”
Carville then insisted that despite winning their Democratic primaries, “these people are not Democrats.” He then suggested that establishment Democrats “negotiate the terms of a schism” with democratic socialists in the party.
“But I’m done,” he continued. “I’m not in that f*cking political party. I am totally comfortable in a political party that spends time questioning the policies of the government of Israel.
In fact, I’m enthusiastic about that. I don’t want to be in a political party that denies the right of the state of Israel to exist. That’s just not– I just can’t do that.”
On Tuesday, three candidates endorsed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, won Democratic primaries for the House of Representatives.
Former NYC comptroller Brad Lander crushed Rep. Dan Goldman to earn the nomination in the 10th district. Union organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the 13th district.
And state Rep. Claire Valdez trounced Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the 7th district. All three districts are solidly blue, and so the Mamdani-backed candidates are expected to win.
On Wednesday’s Politicon podcast, Carville freaked out at the results. He noted that Avila Chevalier, who was born to Dominican immigrants, once said white people should not be in interracial marriages.
“Lady, I ain’t in the same party as you,” Carville said. “I’m sorry. I’m just not. And I actually do think it’s time for Democrats to talk the ‘s’ word: schism. I really do. Everybody’s always said, ‘No, no. We’re a coalition. We’re a big tent.’
"And there’s just some sh*t I can’t be in the same tent with.”
Carville then insisted that despite winning their Democratic primaries, “these people are not Democrats.” He then suggested that establishment Democrats “negotiate the terms of a schism” with democratic socialists in the party.
“But I’m done,” he continued. “I’m not in that f*cking political party. I am totally comfortable in a political party that spends time questioning the policies of the government of Israel.
In fact, I’m enthusiastic about that. I don’t want to be in a political party that denies the right of the state of Israel to exist. That’s just not– I just can’t do that.”
____________________________________
WITH 28,000 UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS ALREADY HERE - WILL YONKERS BE NEXT?
Mamdani Commies Dance in Streets Over 'Collectivism's Warm Embrace'
Mamdani Commies Dance in Streets Over 'Collectivism's Warm Embrace'
People cheer with the news that Claire Valdez won the New York State primary for congress. William C Lopez/NY Post
DSA Ominously Stakes its Claim to NYC after Primary Sweep: ‘We Control These Areas’
By Patrick Reilly, NY Post - June 25, 2026, 8:44 a.m. ET
The Democratic Socialists of America are staking their claim over New York City after Tuesday night’s resounding “socialist sweep” by candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani — and warned Democrats to not even bother challenging them.
“We have a democratic socialist mandate in New York City,” Osman Chaudhary, co-chair of the New York City DSA Electoral Working Group, boldly declared on a DSA call Wednesday night to celebrate the lefty political organization’s victories on primary night.
“Don’t even try it. We control these areas, we won by massive margins,” he also told those considering challenging the DSA politicians, according to a clip shared on social media by Stu Smith, an investigative analyst at the conservative Manhattan Institute think tank.
Chaudhary claimed the socialist mandate comes now that some 3 million New Yorkers “are now represented by socialists at multiple levels of government.”
He railed off a lengthy list of New York City neighborhoods in such positions, including the “People’s Republic of Ridgewood” and the “People’s Republic of Astoria” — both located along the so-called “commie corridor.”
DSA scored major wins in the House of Representatives and state legislative Democratic primaries on Tuesday.
Controversial DSA firebrand Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, notched a razor-thin victory in New York’s 12th congressional district over 5-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat — despite never holding public office.
DSA member and one-term state assemblywoman Claire Valdez also won handedly in the 7th House District — adding two more DSA members to Congress.
Former city Comptroller Brad Lander, a former DSA member who had Mamdani’s support, defeated his opponent in a landslide victory in New York’s 10th congressional district.
The DSA will also likely be sending a wave of representatives to Albany next year after defeating several establishment Democrats — boosting the lefty group’s numbers to 14 from nine in Albany.
On last night’s call, the organization touted the primary victories of Aber Kawas (SD-12); Christian Celeste Tate (AD-54);David Orkin (AD-38); Diana Moreno (AD-36); Eon Huntley (AD-56) Illapa Sairitupac (AD-65); and Samantha Kattan (AD-37).
By Patrick Reilly, NY Post - June 25, 2026, 8:44 a.m. ET
The Democratic Socialists of America are staking their claim over New York City after Tuesday night’s resounding “socialist sweep” by candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani — and warned Democrats to not even bother challenging them.
“We have a democratic socialist mandate in New York City,” Osman Chaudhary, co-chair of the New York City DSA Electoral Working Group, boldly declared on a DSA call Wednesday night to celebrate the lefty political organization’s victories on primary night.
“Don’t even try it. We control these areas, we won by massive margins,” he also told those considering challenging the DSA politicians, according to a clip shared on social media by Stu Smith, an investigative analyst at the conservative Manhattan Institute think tank.
Chaudhary claimed the socialist mandate comes now that some 3 million New Yorkers “are now represented by socialists at multiple levels of government.”
He railed off a lengthy list of New York City neighborhoods in such positions, including the “People’s Republic of Ridgewood” and the “People’s Republic of Astoria” — both located along the so-called “commie corridor.”
DSA scored major wins in the House of Representatives and state legislative Democratic primaries on Tuesday.
Controversial DSA firebrand Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, notched a razor-thin victory in New York’s 12th congressional district over 5-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat — despite never holding public office.
DSA member and one-term state assemblywoman Claire Valdez also won handedly in the 7th House District — adding two more DSA members to Congress.
Former city Comptroller Brad Lander, a former DSA member who had Mamdani’s support, defeated his opponent in a landslide victory in New York’s 10th congressional district.
The DSA will also likely be sending a wave of representatives to Albany next year after defeating several establishment Democrats — boosting the lefty group’s numbers to 14 from nine in Albany.
On last night’s call, the organization touted the primary victories of Aber Kawas (SD-12); Christian Celeste Tate (AD-54);David Orkin (AD-38); Diana Moreno (AD-36); Eon Huntley (AD-56) Illapa Sairitupac (AD-65); and Samantha Kattan (AD-37).
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MAMDANI'S BLOCK-BY-BLOCK INITIATIVE: COULD DEMS BRING IT TO YONKERS?
They're already calling NYC 'Moscow on the Hudson'
Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a 'Rental Ripoff' hearing in March 2026
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
By Vickie Paladino - www.TabletMagazine.com - June 17, 2026
In late May Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his Block by Block housing initiative that would remake the New York City real-estate market in his and his comrades’ image.
In addition to the usual pabulum that his plan will finally make the city “more affordable” and “fair” by “taxing the rich” and “building more housing,” Zohran proudly announced the central component of the plan: to target “bad” landlords for seizure of their property and, crucially, to transfer ownership of those properties to politically aligned cadres like tenant cooperatives and nonprofits, an effort backed by the mayor’s new taxpayer-funded $53 million Office of Mass Engagement.
Let’s understand what’s actually about to happen here if the mayor gets his way—which, unless courts intervene, he most certainly will.
First and foremost, Mamdani will unleash Cea Weaver, the commissar of his Office to Protect Tenants, along with Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) “organizers,” with the full institutional and legal support of the city government to ramp up tenant complaints in targeted buildings. No complaint will be too small. No building will be too small. Full-scale demagoguery will ensue, complete with protests, rent strikes, street theater, and harassment of property owners.
Accordingly, the city’s Department of Buildings will be weaponized to begin writing as many violations as possible in order to bolster the city’s effort to justify a seizure. Mamdani has called them “roof to cellar” inspections, and the purpose is clear: to violate landlords out of their properties.
It won’t matter how small or large the violations are; the total number will be breathlessly cited as evidence of mismanagement, making it impossible for landlords to clear them. In fact, the landlord will be lucky to walk away without doing time or being beaten to death in the street by an angry mob. (As Mamdani’s buddy Hasan Piker referred to landlords, “Let the streets run red with their capitalist blood.”)
This whole scheme is about nothing more than consolidating political power for the DSA, by giving it a massive war chest backed by seized NYC real estate.
The combination of a weaponized buildings department writing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, rent strikes, and constant threats and harassment against landlords by militant activists backed by the mayor’s own cadre of paid activist organizers will make the situation untenable for any property owner to realistically fight back. That’s entirely by design. The city would then seize the property.
Removing property, particularly housing stock, from the hands of private owners has long been a fantasy of the left. Leftist housing-policy experts have spoken openly about using rent control and the administrative code to bankrupt property owners specifically for the purpose of seizing their buildings. These activists laid the groundwork for Mamdani’s takeover.
But that’s only the first half of the plan, and everyone needs to pay close attention to the other half, because it’s hugely important and has national implications.
The seized properties will be transferred to ideological and financial allies: namely, the same nonprofit industrial complex that has funded the anti-ICE riots; the pro-Palestine mobs that took over campuses and that clog NYC streets and harass Jewish houses of worship on a near-daily basis; and those who elected Mamdani.
This is no small detail. This is, in fact, the whole point.
The legal mechanism the mayor will use to implement this policy is twofold.
Most immediately, the city already has something on the books called a “7A process”—a little-known program cited by Mamdani himself that allows a housing court judge to potentially appoint a nonprofit to take over management of a troubled building. ##
In late May Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his Block by Block housing initiative that would remake the New York City real-estate market in his and his comrades’ image.
In addition to the usual pabulum that his plan will finally make the city “more affordable” and “fair” by “taxing the rich” and “building more housing,” Zohran proudly announced the central component of the plan: to target “bad” landlords for seizure of their property and, crucially, to transfer ownership of those properties to politically aligned cadres like tenant cooperatives and nonprofits, an effort backed by the mayor’s new taxpayer-funded $53 million Office of Mass Engagement.
Let’s understand what’s actually about to happen here if the mayor gets his way—which, unless courts intervene, he most certainly will.
First and foremost, Mamdani will unleash Cea Weaver, the commissar of his Office to Protect Tenants, along with Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) “organizers,” with the full institutional and legal support of the city government to ramp up tenant complaints in targeted buildings. No complaint will be too small. No building will be too small. Full-scale demagoguery will ensue, complete with protests, rent strikes, street theater, and harassment of property owners.
Accordingly, the city’s Department of Buildings will be weaponized to begin writing as many violations as possible in order to bolster the city’s effort to justify a seizure. Mamdani has called them “roof to cellar” inspections, and the purpose is clear: to violate landlords out of their properties.
It won’t matter how small or large the violations are; the total number will be breathlessly cited as evidence of mismanagement, making it impossible for landlords to clear them. In fact, the landlord will be lucky to walk away without doing time or being beaten to death in the street by an angry mob. (As Mamdani’s buddy Hasan Piker referred to landlords, “Let the streets run red with their capitalist blood.”)
This whole scheme is about nothing more than consolidating political power for the DSA, by giving it a massive war chest backed by seized NYC real estate.
The combination of a weaponized buildings department writing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, rent strikes, and constant threats and harassment against landlords by militant activists backed by the mayor’s own cadre of paid activist organizers will make the situation untenable for any property owner to realistically fight back. That’s entirely by design. The city would then seize the property.
Removing property, particularly housing stock, from the hands of private owners has long been a fantasy of the left. Leftist housing-policy experts have spoken openly about using rent control and the administrative code to bankrupt property owners specifically for the purpose of seizing their buildings. These activists laid the groundwork for Mamdani’s takeover.
But that’s only the first half of the plan, and everyone needs to pay close attention to the other half, because it’s hugely important and has national implications.
The seized properties will be transferred to ideological and financial allies: namely, the same nonprofit industrial complex that has funded the anti-ICE riots; the pro-Palestine mobs that took over campuses and that clog NYC streets and harass Jewish houses of worship on a near-daily basis; and those who elected Mamdani.
This is no small detail. This is, in fact, the whole point.
The legal mechanism the mayor will use to implement this policy is twofold.
Most immediately, the city already has something on the books called a “7A process”—a little-known program cited by Mamdani himself that allows a housing court judge to potentially appoint a nonprofit to take over management of a troubled building. ##
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KES: If the article below reads to you like a City Hall Press Release, we agree. USE OUR SEARCH BAR (above, right) to FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF what GOP activist Ron Matten had to say about the YDL, City Taxes and the 'Spano Family Business' during recent Yonkers City Tax Hike Public Hearings.
Rendering of The Parker, a residential project comprised of 160 affordable units
Yonkers IDA Plays Pivotal Role in City’s Economic Renaissance Creating Affordable Housing and Jobs
By Dan Murphy, Yonkers Times, June 4, 2026
The Yonkers Industrial Development Agency (YIDA) has long played a pivotal role in the amazing economic renaissance underway in Yonkers. Building on the momentum of record years in 2024 and 2025, the YIDA recently voted final and preliminary approval of financial incentives for five residential projects representing a total private investment of approximately $421 million.
The five developments are projected to create 764 affordable and market-rate apartments and 805 construction jobs.
Saber Hightower LLC is proposing the development of a 17-story mixed-use commercial and residential building containing 282 apartments and approximately 4,823 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Located at 22 Lembo Drive, the $144,796,000 project will feature 33 studios, 140 one-bedroom units, 97 two-bedroom units and 12 three bedroom units.
The project also incorporates approximately 16,406 square feet of residential amenity space, including a landscaped garden area and outdoor pool, yoga and fitness rooms, and lounge area located on the ground floor and approximately 4,750 square feet of additional outdoor and indoor amenity space on the 17th floor.
The developer is receiving a sales tax exemption, a mortgage recording tax exemption and a real property tax agreement (PILOT).
The project will also result in the creation of approximately 297 construction jobs over a 30-month construction period and will generate approximately 15 to 20 full-time and part-time permanent jobs. The project has a benefit to the city of $3.05 for every $1 of IDA assistance.
In another major development receiving YIDA incentives, McQuesten Development is planning to construct The Parker, a 16-story residential project comprised of 160 affordable housing units with on-site parking at 632-636 South Broadway.
The units will be priced for families with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). When completed, the $116,119, 308 project will consist of 7 studios, 69 one-bedrooms, 64 two-bedrooms, and 20 three- bedrooms, including a 2-bedroom unit reserved for the on-site superintendent.
Forty-three percent of the units will be targeted at families earning up to 50% of Area Median Income (AMI), 47% percent of the units will be targeted to families earning up to 60% AMI, and 10% of the units will be targeted to families earning up to 8% of AMI. Amenities will include a fitness center on the ground floor and a laundry facility on the second floor.
The developer is receiving a sales tax exemption and a real property tax agreement (PILOT). The project is expected to create 260 construction jobs. The project has a benefit to the city of $2.55 for every $1 of IDA assistance.
Miroza is planning to construct a fourth residential tower to its successful Monarch at Ridge Hill community, located at 599-701 Ridge Hill Boulevard. The portion of the community that will be developed is at 599 Ridge Hill Boulevard.
Miroza proposes to develop a 174-unit rental residential tower which will join an already occupied 162-unit condominium tower (Tower 1), and a 180-unit residential rental tower (Tower 2) that is currently occupied and an additional 180 unit residential rental tower (Tower 3) that is currently occupied as well.
The project will be located on vacant land to the south of the existing towers.
The $96,000,000 project will feature 225,000 square feet in a 14-story tower. The tower will comprise entirely of rental residential units, including 17 affordable units, and common spaces.
The developer is receiving a sales tax exemption, a mortgage recording tax exemption and real property tax agreement (PILOT). The project is expected to create 115 construction jobs. The project has a benefit to the city of $2.85 for every $1 of IDA assistance.
The YIDA recently voted preliminary approval of financial incentives for a developer’s plan to construct Locust Hill Estates, a $39,150,000, six-story apartment building with 98 apartments.
Located at 45-57 Locust Hill Avenue, the project would include 15 studios, 72 one-bedroom units and 11 two-bedroom units, The development is projected to create 80 construction jobs.
Another development seeking incentives from the YIDA is the second phase of 21 Scarsdale Road, a $24,855,284 project with 50 apartments in a six-story building. The project would feature 10 studios, 15 one-bedroom units and 25 two-bedroom units.
The development is projected to create 53 construction jobs.
Established in 1982, the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency is a public benefit corporation that provides business development incentives to enhance economic development and job growth in the City of Yonkers.
For more information about the Yonkers IDA, visit www.yonkersida.com.
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The closing of School 21 'is part of cost savings associated with restructuring the school’s budget.'
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KES: Here's the most comprehensive - albeit not as analytical as it might be (but hey it's free) - item about the Yonkers City Budget that you'll find in Westchester-based news media these days.
City Council 'Exhales' After Budget Adoption
By Phil Zisman, The Yonkers Ledger, May 31, 2026
The Yonkers City Council unanimously passed the FY2026/2027 budget late Friday afternoon. It will now cost more than $1.6 billion annually to operate Yonkers city government and the schools. The new budget is roughly $100 million more than last year’s.
After the vote, Council members appeared to collectively exhale after having held their breath for a long time. They seemed relieved that the budget ordeal was finally over and that the real possibility of having to adopt a truly terrible budget had been avoided.
Last-minute $55 Million Aid from AlbanyThe Council congratulated itself on their hard work and their ability to cut Mayor Spano’s proposed tax rate from 5.25 percent to 4.75 percent–even though the reduction appeared to be not the work of the Council but the result of a late infusion of approximately $55 million in additional state aid.
The councilors thanked the city’s finance department’s team, Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and the city’s entire state delegation of elected officials for helping to secure the aid from Albany.
They emphasized that this was an exceedingly hard budget year, and although they didn’t like raising taxes, they were proud that they were able to adopt a budget that fully funded the schools, preserved city services and avoided layoffs.
Some of them did, however, lament the closing of School 21, as part of cost savings associated with restructuring the school’s budget.
Property Taxes will Rise 4.75%; Residents UnhappyThe Council seemed to downplay the large tax increase, and if social media postings are an indication, there are many disgruntled property owners out there who believe that taxes are intolerably too high, and they’re making their voices heard.
Lessons Learned this YearThe new budget is certainly not a win for the taxpayers. Here are my initial takeaways after closely following and writing about this year’s budget proceedings:
- The cost of running Yonkers government is extraordinarily high.
Even Mayor Spano has acknowledged that Yonkers is an expensive city to operate. A substantial portion of the budget is tied to employee salaries, pensions, healthcare, and other labor-related expenses. - In addition, the $1.6 billion budget excludes the capital budget that’s used for infrastructure borrowing and other long-term expenditures. These costs continue to rise faster than the city’s recurring revenue base.
- This is essentially a status quo budget that costs taxpayers more.
Residents will largely receive the same level of services they currently receive, but property owners will pay more through higher taxes and increased fees, including water and sewer charges. In other words, the city is paying more to maintain the same government.The city’s major expenses are growing faster than revenue. - Pension obligations, health insurance costs, school transportation expenses, and other mandated spending continue to increase rapidly. The city has limited ability to control many of these costs without reducing the workforce or cutting services. However, there appears to be no appetite among our elected officials to take a hard look at the size of the government.
- Yonkers appears to face a recurring structural fiscal imbalance.
Every year, spending pressures seem to outpace the growth in recurring local revenue. The city continues to rely heavily on state aid, tax increases, fees, rainy day savings, and other temporary fiscal measures to balance the budget. While the Finance Department deserves credit for managing the budget under difficult circumstances, that is not the same thing as building a secure financial foundation that can reliably pay for the costs of our government every year. - Government accountability and transparency must become a larger part of the budget debate.
Taxpayers have a right to know not only how much money the government spends, but whether that money is being spent effectively and responsibly. There was very little discussion during this year’s budget hearings about independent performance audits, operational reviews, or measurable standards for evaluating whether city departments are operating efficiently. - That does not necessarily mean there is widespread waste or abuse, but the absence of rigorous public auditing and transparency naturally fuels public skepticism. At a time when taxpayers are being asked to absorb continual increases in taxes and fees, City Hall should place greater emphasis on accountability, transparency, and identifying wasteful or unnecessary spending wherever it exists.
- Good government requires more than balancing the budget on paper — it also requires demonstrating to the public that taxpayer dollars are being managed carefully and spent wisely.
- The City Council budget hearings remain difficult for the public to follow. The budget documents are highly technical, the hearings move quickly, and the process can be extremely difficult for average residents to fully understand. The Council needs to do a better job at explaining the budget process and communicating the Council’s analysis to taxpayers.
- Taxpayer frustration is rising.
There are increasing numbers of residents across the political spectrum asserting on social media that Yonkers’ tax burden is becoming unsustainable, especially for retirees and people living on fixed incomes. Unlike the government, individual households cannot continuously spend beyond their means and then appeal to Albany for financial assistance. - The New York State budget process remains deeply flawed.
This year’s state budget was almost two months late and loaded with unrelated policy disputes that complicated negotiations and delayed passage. The opaque “three people in a room” style of negotiating major budget decisions remains alive and well in Albany. - Yonkers benefited enormously from political influence in Albany.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who represents Yonkers, remains one of the most powerful figures in state government and plays a central role in negotiating the state budget. Yonkers clearly benefited this year from having powerful advocates in Albany. - Yonkers is heavily dependent on Wall Street and the broader state economy.
State revenues were particularly strong this year largely because Wall Street performed well. That gave Albany greater flexibility to increase aid to municipalities like Yonkers. But during an economic downturn, the state may not have the ability to provide the same level of assistance. At some point it is likely that Yonkers will be forced to confront its long-term fiscal instability with fewer outside resources available. Much of the new aid that Yonkers received this year is temporary and there is no guarantee it will be available in the future. - Mayor Spano demonstrated considerable political skill this year. Kudos to Mayor Spano: he played the Albany budget game effectively and secured substantial additional aid for Yonkers. Politically, the administration can now claim it protected schools, preserved services, avoided layoffs, and reduced the size of the proposed tax increase. However, the underlying structural pressures facing the city remain largely unresolved, meaning next year’s budget battle may look very similar.
- Downtown redevelopment alone is not solving Yonkers’ fiscal challenges.
Redevelopment projects are clearly increasing economic activity and generating some additional revenue through property taxes, PILOT agreements, income taxes, and related growth. However, at least for now, that revenue is insufficient to offset the rapidly rising costs of the government. “Hollywood on the Hudson” has yet to generate enough revenue to make a difference. - A future recession could create a very painful budget environment.
If a recession significantly reduces state tax revenues, Albany may no longer be able to continue increasing aid to municipalities at current levels. Yonkers would then face difficult choices involving larger tax increases, service cuts, layoffs, or some combination of all three. Meanwhile, the city has steadily drawn down portions of its reserves in recent years, reducing its margin for error during a future economic downturn.
I could probably come up with a few more lessons from this year’s budget cycle, but lucky 13 seems like a good place to stop. In a future column, I may attempt a deeper analysis once there is more time to fully digest the numbers.
Back in February, I predicted the final property tax increase would land around 4.5 percent. I came fairly close, although it gives me no bragging rights. My prediction was based primarily on three assumptions:
- Mayor Spano would successfully lobby Albany for additional aid.
- Wall Street’s strong performance generated more state tax revenue than projected.
- Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins would successfully push for additional aid benefiting Yonkers, particularly after Governor Hochul was also seeking to increase funding for Buffalo.
But as the old investing disclaimer warns, past performance does not guarantee future results. Yonkers survived this year’s budget cycle, but there are no guarantees about what FY2027/2028 will bring — and that budget battle will arrive sooner than most people think. ##
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While you weren't looking...
...which will if passed bring City Tax Hike Increases to 39% during Mayor Mike's four terms.
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Republican Ron Matten drops a well-placed, well-timed truth bomb
Ron Matten, longtime Yonkers Republican and 2026 founder of Eastside Yonkers Republican Club ___________FaceBook Video_____________________
Do you actually give a damn? If so, drag your sorry ass over to this last-minute, last-chance public hearing -- to make yourself heard. Here's the agenda:
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NOTEWORTHY: The sun-drenched coast of Cuba is a world away from the rocky riverbanks of Yonkers, but brave and daring young reporter Nick Shirley risked his life last week to go there for this close-up look at the poverty, hunger, sickness and death caused by 67 years of commie-fascist bullshit and brutality.
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Yonkers Republicans, Independents and All Others Who Vote: Here's The Perfect Example of Two Republicans Who Appreciate the Principle That We Need to Get Along with Each Other In Order to Get Each Other Elected. Hearty congrats, hats off, and well wishes to President Donald J. Trump AND Congressman Michael Lawler!
KES: Congressman Mike Lawler is doing a terrific job for New York’s 17th Congressional District! Mike will most likely be running against a Radical Left Democrat named Effie Phillips-Staley, who loves High Taxes, Open Borders, Anti-Semitism, Men in Women’s Sports, and Transgender for Everybody, among other CRAZY ideas.
Effie Phillips-Staley’s campaign has just been caught CHEATING, RED-HANDED, trying to file hundreds of fraudulent signatures to get on the ballot. Justice should be sought, and the fraud should be investigated, IMMEDIATELY! Effie Phillips-Staley is a FRAUDSTER, but the good news is that Congressman Mike Lawler is a WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — MIKE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!
Effie Phillips-Staley’s campaign has just been caught CHEATING, RED-HANDED, trying to file hundreds of fraudulent signatures to get on the ballot. Justice should be sought, and the fraud should be investigated, IMMEDIATELY! Effie Phillips-Staley is a FRAUDSTER, but the good news is that Congressman Mike Lawler is a WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — MIKE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!
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KES: Yonkers-area (so-called) news media for some reason are hiding/ignoring/avoiding/turning away from this item that seems to be reporting that Yonkers GOP-endorsed 89th NY State Assembly District Candidate Brandon Neider has been forced off the 2026 General Election ballot by a judicial ruling.
If true - and we have no reason to believe it's not - what we don't (yet) understand is why no one - especially so-called Yonkers 'news' media - has so far uttered a peep about it.
Maybe this will smoke somebody - maybe the candidate, yathink? - out to tell us lowly voters what the hell is going on. Stay tuned. ##
If true - and we have no reason to believe it's not - what we don't (yet) understand is why no one - especially so-called Yonkers 'news' media - has so far uttered a peep about it.
Maybe this will smoke somebody - maybe the candidate, yathink? - out to tell us lowly voters what the hell is going on. Stay tuned. ##
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Blakeman’s 100-Day Plan to ‘Fix’ New York as Governor: Lower Taxes, Cut Utility Bills, End Cashless Bail (Why the Hell Not?)
By Rich Calder, NEW YORK POST, April 19, 2026
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has a 100-day plan to clean up New York and make it more affordable that includes cutting taxes, slashing utility costs and pouring more resources into improving public safety. James Keivom for NY Post
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman says he has a plan to make New York safer and more affordable.
The Nassau County executive and presumptive GOP nominee shared with The Post his blueprint for how he’d run the Empire State during his first 100 days in office.
“New Yorkers are being priced out of their homes by a governor who treats their paychecks like a slush fund,” said Blakeman of Democratic Gov. Hochul.
Among the highlights of Blakeman’s soon-to-be-released plan: ending New York’s status as a “sanctuary state” for illegal migrants and gutting state funding to NYC if it continues with its even tougher sanctuary laws.
“I’m not going to give billions of dollars to New York City because they have a budget shortfall when they’re giving the money away and pissing it away on people who aren’t New Yorkers,” said Blakeman, 70.
He ripped Hochul for agreeing to give the city $1.5 billion for its now, so-called $5.4 billion budget deficit.
Blakeman calls his plan “The Affordability Mandate,” and says it will provide “historic” financial relief for one of the highest-taxed states in the nation.
It includes across-the-board, 10% income-tax cuts for people earning under $250,000; and eliminating all state income tax on the first $50,000 earned annually for single filers and $100,000 for joint filers.
A couple earning $250,000 would see their yearly state taxes drop from $13,000 to $6,000, while a single person making $100,000 would pay $2,000 instead of $5,000, the pol said.
“Kathy Hochul’s record-high taxes are driving New Yorkers to flee for states like Florida and Texas just to survive,” he said. “We simply can’t afford not to cut taxes.”
He also vows to repeal Hochul’s congestion tolling scheme to enter parts of Manhattan.
Blakeman will take aim at lowering utility bills too. He proposes returning $2.4 billion in unspent New York State Energy Research and Development Authority funds allocated for “green energy” mandates to ratepayers.
“New Yorkers are being crushed by utility bills 50% higher than the national average because of Kathy Hochul’s hidden taxes and green mandates,” he said “We’ll end Hochul’s expensive energy experiments and pivot to reliable natural gas and nuclear power.”
On public safety, Blakeman said he’d work with the state Legislature during the budget process to kill cashless bail laws that critics say keeps criminals on the streets.
He also wants to boost funding for local police departments, so they can hire more cops and bolster crime-fighting technology. He helped fund the hiring of 600 additional cops in Nassau since becoming county executive in 2022.
“Unlike the current administration, I will actually back our blue line and give them the tools to keep our streets safe,” he said. “I will restore law and order.”
Hochul’s campaign spokesman Ryan Radulovacki said New Yorkers shouldn’t bank on Blakeman.
“We know ‘100% MAGA’ Bruce Blakeman has a problem with the truth, but here’s what his first 100 days as governor would actually look like: jacking up costs and raising taxes like he did in Nassau, letting ICE abuse their power across New York, and gutting Medicaid — just like Donald Trump,” he predicted. ##
KES: ...to which we most humbly add, 'So f-ing what?'
The Nassau County executive and presumptive GOP nominee shared with The Post his blueprint for how he’d run the Empire State during his first 100 days in office.
“New Yorkers are being priced out of their homes by a governor who treats their paychecks like a slush fund,” said Blakeman of Democratic Gov. Hochul.
Among the highlights of Blakeman’s soon-to-be-released plan: ending New York’s status as a “sanctuary state” for illegal migrants and gutting state funding to NYC if it continues with its even tougher sanctuary laws.
“I’m not going to give billions of dollars to New York City because they have a budget shortfall when they’re giving the money away and pissing it away on people who aren’t New Yorkers,” said Blakeman, 70.
He ripped Hochul for agreeing to give the city $1.5 billion for its now, so-called $5.4 billion budget deficit.
Blakeman calls his plan “The Affordability Mandate,” and says it will provide “historic” financial relief for one of the highest-taxed states in the nation.
It includes across-the-board, 10% income-tax cuts for people earning under $250,000; and eliminating all state income tax on the first $50,000 earned annually for single filers and $100,000 for joint filers.
A couple earning $250,000 would see their yearly state taxes drop from $13,000 to $6,000, while a single person making $100,000 would pay $2,000 instead of $5,000, the pol said.
“Kathy Hochul’s record-high taxes are driving New Yorkers to flee for states like Florida and Texas just to survive,” he said. “We simply can’t afford not to cut taxes.”
He also vows to repeal Hochul’s congestion tolling scheme to enter parts of Manhattan.
Blakeman will take aim at lowering utility bills too. He proposes returning $2.4 billion in unspent New York State Energy Research and Development Authority funds allocated for “green energy” mandates to ratepayers.
“New Yorkers are being crushed by utility bills 50% higher than the national average because of Kathy Hochul’s hidden taxes and green mandates,” he said “We’ll end Hochul’s expensive energy experiments and pivot to reliable natural gas and nuclear power.”
On public safety, Blakeman said he’d work with the state Legislature during the budget process to kill cashless bail laws that critics say keeps criminals on the streets.
He also wants to boost funding for local police departments, so they can hire more cops and bolster crime-fighting technology. He helped fund the hiring of 600 additional cops in Nassau since becoming county executive in 2022.
“Unlike the current administration, I will actually back our blue line and give them the tools to keep our streets safe,” he said. “I will restore law and order.”
Hochul’s campaign spokesman Ryan Radulovacki said New Yorkers shouldn’t bank on Blakeman.
“We know ‘100% MAGA’ Bruce Blakeman has a problem with the truth, but here’s what his first 100 days as governor would actually look like: jacking up costs and raising taxes like he did in Nassau, letting ICE abuse their power across New York, and gutting Medicaid — just like Donald Trump,” he predicted. ##
KES: ...to which we most humbly add, 'So f-ing what?'
____________________________________
OUR HEADLINE:
Lawler + Malliotakis Join Two-Faced DC RINOs for Shameful Pro-Illegal Immigrant House Vote
NEW YORK POST:
Lawler + Malliotakis Join Two-Faced DC RINOs for Shameful Pro-Illegal Immigrant House Vote
NEW YORK POST:
'House Republicans Defy Trump to Shield [a Mere 350,000] Haitians from Deportation'
By Adam Pack Fox News, Published April 16, 2026
By Adam Pack Fox News, Published April 16, 2026
A group of House Republicans [has] defied President Donald Trump last Thursday to support shielding more than 350,000 Haitian nationals from deportation.
Ten GOP lawmakers joined Democrats and one independent to approve legislation that would allow Haitians to be eligible for the temporary protected status (TPS) program for another three years.
Those Republicans included Reps. Mike Lawler and Nicole Malliotakis of New York; Maria Elvira Salazar, Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez of Florida. Don Bacon of Nebraska; Rich McCormick of Georgia; Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania; and Mike Carey and Mike Turner of Ohio. Many in that cohort have large Haitian diaspora communities in their districts.
The TPS program allows foreign nationals whose home countries face humanitarian crises or dangerous conditions to temporarily live and work in the United States without fear of deportation. It does not provide a pathway to citizenship.
The successful vote comes as the Trump administration has sought to revoke the TPS program for Haiti, arguing that conditions have improved in the country and that granting Haitians legal protections runs counter to American interests. The effort is currently stalled as the TPS termination works its way through the nation’s courts.
The measure is largely symbolic due to resistance from Senate Republicans who are not expected to hold a vote on renewing TPS for Haitians. Trump would almost certainly veto a TPS extension bill that clears Congress.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a member of the "Squad," used a legislative maneuver known as a discharge petition to force a chamber vote on the TPS extension bill. The effort would have been futile without the support of a handful of Republicans who signed Pressley’s discharge petition to reach the necessary 218 signatures and trigger a vote.
Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., sponsored the resolution on the House floor.
The president has also spotlighted the killing of a Florida woman by a Haitian illegal immigrant earlier in April. The suspect, Rolbert Joachim, 40, reportedly received TPS status during the Biden administration.
"An Illegal Alien Criminal from Haiti, who was released into our Country by the WORST President in History, Crooked Joe Biden, and the Radical Democrats in Congress, just beat an innocent woman to death with a hammer at a gas station in Florida," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
"This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies, and allow us to END THIS SCAM ONCE AND FOR ALL."
Proponents of the measure argued that Haitians, who have been granted work authorization through the TPS program, have a positive economic impact on communities.
"I’ve heard from healthcare providers and business leaders across Nebraska who are concerned about the impact this would have on patient care and our economy," Bacon, who is retiring, told Fox News Digital.
"I don’t see the goodness of deporting people who are here legally, who are working and who contribute to our country."
But the majority of House Republicans have stood by the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the TPS program for Haiti.
"Members of Congress have a sacred and exclusive duty to our American constituents, not to foreign nationals," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who is running for governor, told Fox News Digital. ##
Ten GOP lawmakers joined Democrats and one independent to approve legislation that would allow Haitians to be eligible for the temporary protected status (TPS) program for another three years.
Those Republicans included Reps. Mike Lawler and Nicole Malliotakis of New York; Maria Elvira Salazar, Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez of Florida. Don Bacon of Nebraska; Rich McCormick of Georgia; Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania; and Mike Carey and Mike Turner of Ohio. Many in that cohort have large Haitian diaspora communities in their districts.
The TPS program allows foreign nationals whose home countries face humanitarian crises or dangerous conditions to temporarily live and work in the United States without fear of deportation. It does not provide a pathway to citizenship.
The successful vote comes as the Trump administration has sought to revoke the TPS program for Haiti, arguing that conditions have improved in the country and that granting Haitians legal protections runs counter to American interests. The effort is currently stalled as the TPS termination works its way through the nation’s courts.
The measure is largely symbolic due to resistance from Senate Republicans who are not expected to hold a vote on renewing TPS for Haitians. Trump would almost certainly veto a TPS extension bill that clears Congress.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a member of the "Squad," used a legislative maneuver known as a discharge petition to force a chamber vote on the TPS extension bill. The effort would have been futile without the support of a handful of Republicans who signed Pressley’s discharge petition to reach the necessary 218 signatures and trigger a vote.
Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., sponsored the resolution on the House floor.
The president has also spotlighted the killing of a Florida woman by a Haitian illegal immigrant earlier in April. The suspect, Rolbert Joachim, 40, reportedly received TPS status during the Biden administration.
"An Illegal Alien Criminal from Haiti, who was released into our Country by the WORST President in History, Crooked Joe Biden, and the Radical Democrats in Congress, just beat an innocent woman to death with a hammer at a gas station in Florida," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
"This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies, and allow us to END THIS SCAM ONCE AND FOR ALL."
Proponents of the measure argued that Haitians, who have been granted work authorization through the TPS program, have a positive economic impact on communities.
"I’ve heard from healthcare providers and business leaders across Nebraska who are concerned about the impact this would have on patient care and our economy," Bacon, who is retiring, told Fox News Digital.
"I don’t see the goodness of deporting people who are here legally, who are working and who contribute to our country."
But the majority of House Republicans have stood by the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the TPS program for Haiti.
"Members of Congress have a sacred and exclusive duty to our American constituents, not to foreign nationals," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who is running for governor, told Fox News Digital. ##
____________________________________
AND THAT’S A GOOD THING:
Call Me Crazy but the ‘R' Word Seems to Be Driving Voter Discontent across Westchester County...
...'R' for Resentment by Voters against Reckless Democrats
By Kerry E. Smith, YonkersRepublican.com, April 15, 2026
We caught up with Westchester County 14th District Legislative Candidate Bebe Ahmed long enough this week to ask and to hear what she deems to be the issues in her run for a Republican seat on what up to now has been a 17-to-1 Democrat-vs-GOP lockout.
A breakthrough victory by Ahmed on Nov. 3 could make her, along with two-term incumbent (15th District) Candidate James Nolan, the only TWO Republicans to serve thus far on that still politically lopsided legislative county board.
“Politicians have coined the term ‘affordability,’ Ahmed said, “as if the word standing by itself has some kind of magical property so that all they have to do is repeat it to make some point.
“The number-one thing on peoples’ minds, however - which I learned from knocking on doors and getting signatures from probable voters over these past few weeks,” Ahmed suggests…
“...is that what they feel is resentment. Yes, resentment - at the horribly unfair economic burden that’s been and continues to be forced onto the backs of hard-working middle-class families and businesses by lopsided, one-party control of spending and operations at every level of state, county and city government.
Resentment? Who’s addressing that? Candidate Bebe Ahmed, that’s who.
“Affordability is achieved by specific solutions to specific problems,” she says, “and we’ve seen precious little of that by those in control at ANY level of our so-called democratic republic.”
This from a recently retired 25-year New York City high school teacher and mother of two who’s ready to take on the County Legislator job and turn it into a full-time occupation like the one she had for the better part of a quarter-century.
“Take for instance the soaring increases in energy costs that Con-Ed has been stiffing homeowners for since 2019. “That’s when (former Gov.) Andrew Cuomo’s infamous ‘Green Grid’ - the craziest Democrat law ever, overwhelmingly passed then - but is now infuriatingly being ignored as costs continue to skyrocket.”
“What if anything is any politician at any level of government - including my opponent (first-term Incumbent Democrat Legislator candidate and party-switching, one-time Republican David Tubiolo) doing about that? she asks.
“The answer quite frankly is nothing. That’s what has people so furious.
“I intend to do whatever I can to not just call attention to all the reckless spending that’s going on, but by working with others in and out of government at all levels to do everything we can to stop it,” Ahmed says.
“The same goes for taxes. Everyone’s aware that New Yorkers pay the highest state, county and city income, property, sales, capital gains and inheritance levies in the nation - that people are moving away in droves from Westchester as well as New York City.
“Why?” Ahmed asks. “Because our elected officials have dedicated themselves to killing the middle class and small businesses by trying to tax us out of existence for runaway spending sprees - and so many unfunded mandates - for half a century.
“That’s what goes through my mind when I look at a bloated $2.5 Billion (yes, with a ‘B’) Westchester County operating budget, where 72 percent of the total is coming from sales and property taxes levied directly on families and businesses.
“It’s then that I think to myself, “These numbers ARE SO HUGE THAT THERE MUST BE PLENTY OF WAYS FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF to find and implement ways to cut spending and reduce costs that will make Westchester the wonderful place in which to live, learn and work that it once was.
“I’m confident that it can be done,” Ahmed says, “Also, that I’m one of the ones who can and most certainly intend to do it.” ##
Call Me Crazy but the ‘R' Word Seems to Be Driving Voter Discontent across Westchester County...
...'R' for Resentment by Voters against Reckless Democrats
By Kerry E. Smith, YonkersRepublican.com, April 15, 2026
We caught up with Westchester County 14th District Legislative Candidate Bebe Ahmed long enough this week to ask and to hear what she deems to be the issues in her run for a Republican seat on what up to now has been a 17-to-1 Democrat-vs-GOP lockout.
A breakthrough victory by Ahmed on Nov. 3 could make her, along with two-term incumbent (15th District) Candidate James Nolan, the only TWO Republicans to serve thus far on that still politically lopsided legislative county board.
“Politicians have coined the term ‘affordability,’ Ahmed said, “as if the word standing by itself has some kind of magical property so that all they have to do is repeat it to make some point.
“The number-one thing on peoples’ minds, however - which I learned from knocking on doors and getting signatures from probable voters over these past few weeks,” Ahmed suggests…
“...is that what they feel is resentment. Yes, resentment - at the horribly unfair economic burden that’s been and continues to be forced onto the backs of hard-working middle-class families and businesses by lopsided, one-party control of spending and operations at every level of state, county and city government.
Resentment? Who’s addressing that? Candidate Bebe Ahmed, that’s who.
“Affordability is achieved by specific solutions to specific problems,” she says, “and we’ve seen precious little of that by those in control at ANY level of our so-called democratic republic.”
This from a recently retired 25-year New York City high school teacher and mother of two who’s ready to take on the County Legislator job and turn it into a full-time occupation like the one she had for the better part of a quarter-century.
“Take for instance the soaring increases in energy costs that Con-Ed has been stiffing homeowners for since 2019. “That’s when (former Gov.) Andrew Cuomo’s infamous ‘Green Grid’ - the craziest Democrat law ever, overwhelmingly passed then - but is now infuriatingly being ignored as costs continue to skyrocket.”
“What if anything is any politician at any level of government - including my opponent (first-term Incumbent Democrat Legislator candidate and party-switching, one-time Republican David Tubiolo) doing about that? she asks.
“The answer quite frankly is nothing. That’s what has people so furious.
“I intend to do whatever I can to not just call attention to all the reckless spending that’s going on, but by working with others in and out of government at all levels to do everything we can to stop it,” Ahmed says.
“The same goes for taxes. Everyone’s aware that New Yorkers pay the highest state, county and city income, property, sales, capital gains and inheritance levies in the nation - that people are moving away in droves from Westchester as well as New York City.
“Why?” Ahmed asks. “Because our elected officials have dedicated themselves to killing the middle class and small businesses by trying to tax us out of existence for runaway spending sprees - and so many unfunded mandates - for half a century.
“That’s what goes through my mind when I look at a bloated $2.5 Billion (yes, with a ‘B’) Westchester County operating budget, where 72 percent of the total is coming from sales and property taxes levied directly on families and businesses.
“It’s then that I think to myself, “These numbers ARE SO HUGE THAT THERE MUST BE PLENTY OF WAYS FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF to find and implement ways to cut spending and reduce costs that will make Westchester the wonderful place in which to live, learn and work that it once was.
“I’m confident that it can be done,” Ahmed says, “Also, that I’m one of the ones who can and most certainly intend to do it.” ##
____________________________________
KES: Check out this post about Stefanik's bestseller from The Mom Wars - and wonder why we ain't heard a peep about Ivy-Covered AntiSemitism from the likes of Schmuckup Schumer.
Outgoing Upstate NY Congresswoman Elise Stefanik Reveals the Sick Truth of Elite Colleges’ Moral Collapse
By Bethany Mandel, NY Post, Published April 15, 2026
With one question, Rep. Elise Stefanik became the general of a war against antisemitism on college campuses across America:
“Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate your university’s code of conduct?”
The Ivy League presidents she questioned in December 2023 — just weeks after the atrocities of Oct. 7 led to an explosion of antisemitism at their schools — couldn’t answer it.
The viral video of her query became the most-watched congressional hearing clip in history.
Stefanik’s new book “Poisoned Ivies” explains how elite universities arrived at that moment — and why it was no flash-in-the-pan controversy, but an indicator of a long decline.
The story she tells is about everything that led up to that hearing, and everything that followed — as reactions and responses came pouring into her office over weeks and months.
I personally observed Stefanik’s commitment to providing a safe place for those who found themselves victims of antisemitic hatred.
In 2024, I arranged a meeting between Stefanik and Or Gat, whose sister Carmel was taken hostage from their family home in Kibbutz Be’eri.
For over an hour, he recounted what happened — how his sister-in-law was also kidnapped and later released, how his brother and niece fled on foot and hid in a ditch for 12 hours, how his mother was murdered on that dreadful Saturday morning.
Stefanik cried as she listened, and as her staff stood by the door trying to move her on to the next meeting.
She stayed to hear every word of Gat’s testimony before giving him a long hug goodbye.
It was a demonstration of solidarity in its most human form.
And in “Poisoned Ivies,” her argument is ultimately about connection — about how the impact of what happens on campus extends far beyond it.
The rhetoric, the ideology, the unwillingness to draw moral lines clearly: All of it travels far beyond our campuses.
The viral hearing moment, she told me, was only the beginning.
“No office became the centralized office for these issues more than ours,” Stefanik said.
She was inundated, she told The Post, with “tens of thousands of emails … sometimes in a day,” from students, parents and faculty sharing their experiences of antisemitism on campus, at times crashing her office’s email servers.
What emerges from those accounts is a story of institutional failure.
“How we respond to this threat … matters to every American,” she writes, because it shapes norms, sets precedents and determines whether our universities can remain places of academic excellence — or descend into hotbeds of hate.
“I view antisemitism as a canary in the coal mine … an attack on Western civilization,” she said.
The book builds that case by tracing how elite universities became agents of radical activism, hollowing out their core mission.
“Radical left-wing political ideology is now synonymous with higher education,” she argues, producing campuses that function not as places of debate but as monocultures, where faculty and administrators “operate like a herd” and dissent is all but unknown.
That ideological shift, she argues, has been reinforced by bureaucratic structures — particularly DEI offices — that don’t simply administer policy but enforce their beliefs about power, identity and justice.
Meanwhile, financial incentives pull universities in the wrong direction.
Elite institutions, Stefanik writes, are “no longer prioritizing American students” and are increasingly shaped by billions of dollars’ worth of foreign funding through donations, tuition and research partnerships.
The result is a system that’s less anchored in American principles and more responsive to outside pressures — a dynamic that, in her telling, has real consequences for what is taught, what is tolerated and what is ignored.
During our conversation, Stefanik described how deeply she was affected by her private conversations with faculty and alumni who were unwilling to speak publicly.
And as a graduate of Harvard, she was personally horrified to realize the truth: that the leadership of some of the most influential institutions in the country had, in critical moments, simply failed.
That’s the thread that runs through the book — and through a letter she received from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has not previously been made public.
By “demanding answers and refusing to accept moral relativism,” Netanyahu wrote, Stefanik “exposed a collapse of leadership at some of the most influential institutions in the United States.”
Stefanik argues that if our universities cannot say, clearly and without qualification, that calls for genocide are wrong, then the problem is not simply academic.
It is civilizational.
She understands better than most in public life the lasting truth of Abraham Lincoln’s observation: “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.”
What happens in today’s lecture halls will have a tsunami effect in the halls of power for decades to come. ##
Bethany Mandel writes and podcasts at The Mom Wars.
By Bethany Mandel, NY Post, Published April 15, 2026
With one question, Rep. Elise Stefanik became the general of a war against antisemitism on college campuses across America:
“Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate your university’s code of conduct?”
The Ivy League presidents she questioned in December 2023 — just weeks after the atrocities of Oct. 7 led to an explosion of antisemitism at their schools — couldn’t answer it.
The viral video of her query became the most-watched congressional hearing clip in history.
Stefanik’s new book “Poisoned Ivies” explains how elite universities arrived at that moment — and why it was no flash-in-the-pan controversy, but an indicator of a long decline.
The story she tells is about everything that led up to that hearing, and everything that followed — as reactions and responses came pouring into her office over weeks and months.
I personally observed Stefanik’s commitment to providing a safe place for those who found themselves victims of antisemitic hatred.
In 2024, I arranged a meeting between Stefanik and Or Gat, whose sister Carmel was taken hostage from their family home in Kibbutz Be’eri.
For over an hour, he recounted what happened — how his sister-in-law was also kidnapped and later released, how his brother and niece fled on foot and hid in a ditch for 12 hours, how his mother was murdered on that dreadful Saturday morning.
Stefanik cried as she listened, and as her staff stood by the door trying to move her on to the next meeting.
She stayed to hear every word of Gat’s testimony before giving him a long hug goodbye.
It was a demonstration of solidarity in its most human form.
And in “Poisoned Ivies,” her argument is ultimately about connection — about how the impact of what happens on campus extends far beyond it.
The rhetoric, the ideology, the unwillingness to draw moral lines clearly: All of it travels far beyond our campuses.
The viral hearing moment, she told me, was only the beginning.
“No office became the centralized office for these issues more than ours,” Stefanik said.
She was inundated, she told The Post, with “tens of thousands of emails … sometimes in a day,” from students, parents and faculty sharing their experiences of antisemitism on campus, at times crashing her office’s email servers.
What emerges from those accounts is a story of institutional failure.
“How we respond to this threat … matters to every American,” she writes, because it shapes norms, sets precedents and determines whether our universities can remain places of academic excellence — or descend into hotbeds of hate.
“I view antisemitism as a canary in the coal mine … an attack on Western civilization,” she said.
The book builds that case by tracing how elite universities became agents of radical activism, hollowing out their core mission.
“Radical left-wing political ideology is now synonymous with higher education,” she argues, producing campuses that function not as places of debate but as monocultures, where faculty and administrators “operate like a herd” and dissent is all but unknown.
That ideological shift, she argues, has been reinforced by bureaucratic structures — particularly DEI offices — that don’t simply administer policy but enforce their beliefs about power, identity and justice.
Meanwhile, financial incentives pull universities in the wrong direction.
Elite institutions, Stefanik writes, are “no longer prioritizing American students” and are increasingly shaped by billions of dollars’ worth of foreign funding through donations, tuition and research partnerships.
The result is a system that’s less anchored in American principles and more responsive to outside pressures — a dynamic that, in her telling, has real consequences for what is taught, what is tolerated and what is ignored.
During our conversation, Stefanik described how deeply she was affected by her private conversations with faculty and alumni who were unwilling to speak publicly.
And as a graduate of Harvard, she was personally horrified to realize the truth: that the leadership of some of the most influential institutions in the country had, in critical moments, simply failed.
That’s the thread that runs through the book — and through a letter she received from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has not previously been made public.
By “demanding answers and refusing to accept moral relativism,” Netanyahu wrote, Stefanik “exposed a collapse of leadership at some of the most influential institutions in the United States.”
Stefanik argues that if our universities cannot say, clearly and without qualification, that calls for genocide are wrong, then the problem is not simply academic.
It is civilizational.
She understands better than most in public life the lasting truth of Abraham Lincoln’s observation: “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.”
What happens in today’s lecture halls will have a tsunami effect in the halls of power for decades to come. ##
Bethany Mandel writes and podcasts at The Mom Wars.
KES: Elise Stefanik has announced her retirement from Congress, suspending her gubernatorial campaign and choosing to focus on her family instead.
Announcement Details:
On December 19, 2025, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) announced that she would not seek re-election to Congress and would suspend her campaign for New York governor. This decision came as a surprise to many, as she was considered a strong candidate for both positions. In her statement, Stefanik expressed that spending time with her family, particularly her young son, was a significant factor in her decision. She stated, "While many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom". Click here to read more.
Announcement Details:
On December 19, 2025, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) announced that she would not seek re-election to Congress and would suspend her campaign for New York governor. This decision came as a surprise to many, as she was considered a strong candidate for both positions. In her statement, Stefanik expressed that spending time with her family, particularly her young son, was a significant factor in her decision. She stated, "While many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom". Click here to read more.
___________________________________
HERE'S ANOTHER BLAKEMAN BOMBSHELL:
GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Vows to Pardon Convicted NYPD ‘Cooler Cop’ Erik Duran if Elected
By Craig McCarthy and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, NY Post, Published April 13, 2026
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman vowed to immediately pardon newly jailed NYPD “cooler cop” Erik Duran if he is elected governor in November.
Blakeman, who is now serving as Nassau County executive, said Duran, who was sentenced to at least three years in prison for hurling a cooler that killed a drug suspect in 2023, doesn’t belong behind bars.
“County Executive Blakeman will be making a strong statement in support of Sgt. Duran, consistent with his commitment to back law enforcement and make every neighborhood in New York safer,” the Long Island pol’s campaign said in a statement to The Post.
Blakeman, a 70-year-old conservative who has embraced President Trump’s agenda, received the endorsement from the White House last year to take on Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Duran was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter last week at a non-jury trial before Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell in the freak death of 30-year-old Eric Duprey during an undercover “buy and bust” operation.
According to police, Duprey tried to flee the scene in Kingsbridge on Aug. 23, 2023, by hopping on a scooter to get away — when Duran picked up a cooler and hurled it.
The cooler struck Duprey in the head, causing a fatal wreck.
Duran, a 38-year-old married dad of three, was a 13-year veteran with a distinguished career record before the freak mishap that ended up with the sentence of three-to-9 years in prison.
NYPD rank-and-file cops and his union rep rallied behind Duran, to no avail.
Even a petition signed by more than 11,000 cops throughout the US asking that Duran receive probation instead of prison time did not sway the judge at sentencing.
“It wasn’t only Sgt. Duran, a great cop, who was on trial,” NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association President Vincent Vallelong said in a statement last week. “Every law enforcement officer who makes a split-second decision in the performance of their duties to protect the public was also on that trial.”
He called the judge’s sentence “the darkest day in the history of our profession.” ##
GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Vows to Pardon Convicted NYPD ‘Cooler Cop’ Erik Duran if Elected
By Craig McCarthy and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, NY Post, Published April 13, 2026
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman vowed to immediately pardon newly jailed NYPD “cooler cop” Erik Duran if he is elected governor in November.
Blakeman, who is now serving as Nassau County executive, said Duran, who was sentenced to at least three years in prison for hurling a cooler that killed a drug suspect in 2023, doesn’t belong behind bars.
“County Executive Blakeman will be making a strong statement in support of Sgt. Duran, consistent with his commitment to back law enforcement and make every neighborhood in New York safer,” the Long Island pol’s campaign said in a statement to The Post.
Blakeman, a 70-year-old conservative who has embraced President Trump’s agenda, received the endorsement from the White House last year to take on Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Duran was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter last week at a non-jury trial before Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell in the freak death of 30-year-old Eric Duprey during an undercover “buy and bust” operation.
According to police, Duprey tried to flee the scene in Kingsbridge on Aug. 23, 2023, by hopping on a scooter to get away — when Duran picked up a cooler and hurled it.
The cooler struck Duprey in the head, causing a fatal wreck.
Duran, a 38-year-old married dad of three, was a 13-year veteran with a distinguished career record before the freak mishap that ended up with the sentence of three-to-9 years in prison.
NYPD rank-and-file cops and his union rep rallied behind Duran, to no avail.
Even a petition signed by more than 11,000 cops throughout the US asking that Duran receive probation instead of prison time did not sway the judge at sentencing.
“It wasn’t only Sgt. Duran, a great cop, who was on trial,” NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association President Vincent Vallelong said in a statement last week. “Every law enforcement officer who makes a split-second decision in the performance of their duties to protect the public was also on that trial.”
He called the judge’s sentence “the darkest day in the history of our profession.” ##
___________________________________
KES: Lawler's persistently evasive non-answers to Ingraham (See Article Below) about the so-called 'Dignity Act' fail to hide the fact that it's nothing less than carte-blanche AMNESTY FOR MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS who by any & all means were somehow able to remain in the U.S. for 5 or more years.
Sorry, Not Sorry, Congressman Lawler: THAT bill is CERTAINLY NOT what we New York Republicans voted in 2024 for Our Duly Elected President to do, and therefore IT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE PASSED INTO LAW!...FULL STOP. ##
Sorry, Not Sorry, Congressman Lawler: THAT bill is CERTAINLY NOT what we New York Republicans voted in 2024 for Our Duly Elected President to do, and therefore IT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE PASSED INTO LAW!...FULL STOP. ##
____________________________________
Fox’s Laura Ingraham Brawls With Republican Congressman: ‘Why Do You Come on Television and Say That?’
By Willa Pope Robbins, MEDIAite, April 8, 2026
Fox’s Laura Ingraham brawled with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) on Wednesday in a lengthy, heated exchange over the congressman’s push to grant legal status to some undocumented immigrants.
Lawler joined The Ingraham Angle to discuss the Dignity Act, his proposed legislation to allow undocumented immigrants who have resided in the U.S. for extended periods of time to live and work legally. Ingraham hammered the congressman repeatedly on the details of the bill, calling out Lawler’s comment that undocumented immigrants needed to be pulled “out of the shadows,” as the congressman tried to speak.
She said:
Congressman, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but you’ve got to stop using the cliches. This “in the shadows” line, I have been dealing with this for 25 years. I don’t know what shadows you are looking at, but they are not in the shadows. They’re working in restaurants, some are. Others are engaged in widespread fraud in California. But this idea that they’re already given amnesty. They’re not already given amnesty. Why do you come on television and say that?
The two continued to speak over each other as the host pressed the congressman, asking if he’d read his own legislation. Ingraham then pressed Lawler on how the bill determined if an immigrant had been in the country long enough to qualify for the legislation, asking the congressman to “answer a simple question” for her viewers:
LAWLER: I don’t want anyone getting a free pass here.
INGRAHAM: It’s in the legislation. Have you read the legislation?
LAWLER: If you have committed a crime– yes, I have, Laura. If you have committed a crime, you should be removed from the country, period. Number two, what we are trying to do is say if you have been in the country for more than five years, in other words, if you came here during Joe Biden’s administration, you don’t qualify.
INGRAHAM: How do you determine that?
LAWLER: You don’t qualify under this legislation.
INGRAHAM: Congressman, all of this sounds great. Answer a simple question.
LAWLER: It’s very clear. You have to be in the country before 2020.
INGRAHAM: I’m a simple person.
LAWLER: Yeah, you have to be in the country before 2020 so–
INGRAHAM: How– alright. I’m a simple person. Please– all right. Please tell my audience because they are very smart, how does an immigration officer determine– millions and millions– determine continuous presence and tell me the considerations they take into account to determine that.
LAWLER: Well, look, if they cannot prove that, if they cannot prove continuous presence, they wouldn’t qualify for this. You have to be able to show, to meet the qualifications.
INGRAHAM: But I just asked you a question. How do you determine it?
LAWLER: You have to be able to meet the qualifications of the program.
INGRAHAM: What is the qualification?
LAWLER: And that means the Department of Homeland Security is going to determine, they are going to make determination as they always have.
INGRAHAM: Rules.
LAWLER: Based on the current structure and guidelines that are in place. But the bottom line here,
INGRAHAM: So– so, congressman–
LAWLER: Laura, can I make a few points? Because this actually matters. EVerify is part of the deal.
INGRAHAM: You bet it does.
LAWLER: And it’s part of the bill. And we want to verify that every single person who would be employed in this country is here legally. If you are not verified, you wouldn’t be able to lawfully work, and we would hold those businesses accountable. The bottom line of the Dignity Act is very straightforward. You have to be in the country for more than five years. You cannot have committed a crime. You cannot collect government benefits.
INGRAHAM: Okay. That’s false, false, false.
LAWLER: You have to pay a fine. You must pay back taxes.
INGRAHAM: Congressman.
LALWER: It’s not false, Laura. You must pay back taxes–
INGRAHAM: Congressman. Alright, congressman.
LALWER: –and you must be employed
INGRAHAM: Congressman.
LALWER: Those are the terms.
INGRAHAM: Here’s the truth. Congressman, you know how much I like you. But you can’t come on this show and say to my audience that you can’t have committed a crime to be eligible under the, quote, Dignity Act because there are several crimes that are, quote, nonviolent, that do not qualify for admissibility and on top of that, there are multiple instances, including family unity, public interest, and just discretion on the part of immigration officers.
The tense exchange the two continued, with Ingraham continuously calling his points false and telling the congressman, “I live on planet Earth.” Lawler told the host at the close of the segment that he would be glad to work with her to improve the bill.
By Willa Pope Robbins, MEDIAite, April 8, 2026
Fox’s Laura Ingraham brawled with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) on Wednesday in a lengthy, heated exchange over the congressman’s push to grant legal status to some undocumented immigrants.
Lawler joined The Ingraham Angle to discuss the Dignity Act, his proposed legislation to allow undocumented immigrants who have resided in the U.S. for extended periods of time to live and work legally. Ingraham hammered the congressman repeatedly on the details of the bill, calling out Lawler’s comment that undocumented immigrants needed to be pulled “out of the shadows,” as the congressman tried to speak.
She said:
Congressman, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but you’ve got to stop using the cliches. This “in the shadows” line, I have been dealing with this for 25 years. I don’t know what shadows you are looking at, but they are not in the shadows. They’re working in restaurants, some are. Others are engaged in widespread fraud in California. But this idea that they’re already given amnesty. They’re not already given amnesty. Why do you come on television and say that?
The two continued to speak over each other as the host pressed the congressman, asking if he’d read his own legislation. Ingraham then pressed Lawler on how the bill determined if an immigrant had been in the country long enough to qualify for the legislation, asking the congressman to “answer a simple question” for her viewers:
LAWLER: I don’t want anyone getting a free pass here.
INGRAHAM: It’s in the legislation. Have you read the legislation?
LAWLER: If you have committed a crime– yes, I have, Laura. If you have committed a crime, you should be removed from the country, period. Number two, what we are trying to do is say if you have been in the country for more than five years, in other words, if you came here during Joe Biden’s administration, you don’t qualify.
INGRAHAM: How do you determine that?
LAWLER: You don’t qualify under this legislation.
INGRAHAM: Congressman, all of this sounds great. Answer a simple question.
LAWLER: It’s very clear. You have to be in the country before 2020.
INGRAHAM: I’m a simple person.
LAWLER: Yeah, you have to be in the country before 2020 so–
INGRAHAM: How– alright. I’m a simple person. Please– all right. Please tell my audience because they are very smart, how does an immigration officer determine– millions and millions– determine continuous presence and tell me the considerations they take into account to determine that.
LAWLER: Well, look, if they cannot prove that, if they cannot prove continuous presence, they wouldn’t qualify for this. You have to be able to show, to meet the qualifications.
INGRAHAM: But I just asked you a question. How do you determine it?
LAWLER: You have to be able to meet the qualifications of the program.
INGRAHAM: What is the qualification?
LAWLER: And that means the Department of Homeland Security is going to determine, they are going to make determination as they always have.
INGRAHAM: Rules.
LAWLER: Based on the current structure and guidelines that are in place. But the bottom line here,
INGRAHAM: So– so, congressman–
LAWLER: Laura, can I make a few points? Because this actually matters. EVerify is part of the deal.
INGRAHAM: You bet it does.
LAWLER: And it’s part of the bill. And we want to verify that every single person who would be employed in this country is here legally. If you are not verified, you wouldn’t be able to lawfully work, and we would hold those businesses accountable. The bottom line of the Dignity Act is very straightforward. You have to be in the country for more than five years. You cannot have committed a crime. You cannot collect government benefits.
INGRAHAM: Okay. That’s false, false, false.
LAWLER: You have to pay a fine. You must pay back taxes.
INGRAHAM: Congressman.
LALWER: It’s not false, Laura. You must pay back taxes–
INGRAHAM: Congressman. Alright, congressman.
LALWER: –and you must be employed
INGRAHAM: Congressman.
LALWER: Those are the terms.
INGRAHAM: Here’s the truth. Congressman, you know how much I like you. But you can’t come on this show and say to my audience that you can’t have committed a crime to be eligible under the, quote, Dignity Act because there are several crimes that are, quote, nonviolent, that do not qualify for admissibility and on top of that, there are multiple instances, including family unity, public interest, and just discretion on the part of immigration officers.
The tense exchange the two continued, with Ingraham continuously calling his points false and telling the congressman, “I live on planet Earth.” Lawler told the host at the close of the segment that he would be glad to work with her to improve the bill.
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KES: Hey Chuckie, you see this yet? Now, what was that you were saying about impeaching our overwhelmingly supported President for made-up-by-Dumocrat-idiots "War Crimes?"##
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KES: WOW. There could be no more perfect a candidate than Long- Island native-son Lee Zelden for taking the DOJ helm RIGHT NOW to address the unforgivable sins of top/tier Biden-era Thugocrats.
As close as we came in '22 to making this no-nonsense, citizen-patriot our Best Governor Ever, combat/ready Zelden is the perfect man for this job.
-Let's hope fellow New-York-Stater DJT reads and heeds Bob Capano's article in the current issue of The American Spectator.##
As close as we came in '22 to making this no-nonsense, citizen-patriot our Best Governor Ever, combat/ready Zelden is the perfect man for this job.
-Let's hope fellow New-York-Stater DJT reads and heeds Bob Capano's article in the current issue of The American Spectator.##
Restoring the Rule of Law: Why Lee Zeldin Belongs at the DOJ Helm
A proven New Yorker, combat veteran and seasoned prosecutor with the courage to reclaim justice from politics.
By Bob Capano, The American Spectator, April 4, 2026, 10:22 PM
A proven New Yorker, combat veteran and seasoned prosecutor with the courage to reclaim justice from politics.
By Bob Capano, The American Spectator, April 4, 2026, 10:22 PM
As a longtime adjunct professor of political science at colleges across New York and a former top aide to both Republican and Democratic elected officials in the state, I have watched the Justice Department’s reputation erode under successive administrations. I worked with elected officials from both parties at all levels of government who understood that the rule of law must be applied evenly or it collapses.
That is why President Trump should nominate former Congressman Lee Zeldin to replace Pam Bondi as Attorney General.
Bondi served loyally and helped begin the work of reorienting the department away from politicized prosecutions. But the next phase demands a leader with prosecutorial experience inside the federal system, deep roots in the very state where the Justice Department’s credibility was most damaged, and the battlefield credibility to restore public trust.
Zeldin checks every box.
A Long Island native, Zeldin earned his law degree from Albany Law School and became the youngest attorney sworn into the New York bar at 23. He then served four years on active duty with the U.S. Army, including deployment to Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division.
There he functioned not only as a military intelligence officer but also as a federal prosecutor and military magistrate. That combination of real courtroom experience prosecuting cases under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, combined with more than two decades as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve law gives him credentials few recent Attorneys General have possessed.
Most important for the moment, Zeldin understands how the federal legal apparatus was turned against a sitting president.
Zeldin’s civilian record is similarly compelling. As a New York state senator and then congressman, he consistently championed law-enforcement funding, opposed soft-on-crime policies that fueled urban violence, and fought to protect veterans from bureaucratic neglect.
In 2022 he came within six points of winning the New York governorship in a deep-blue state, proving he can appeal to working-class voters who have grown disgusted with politicized justice.
Most important for the moment, Zeldin understands how the federal legal apparatus was turned against a sitting president. The Manhattan and state-level cases that targeted Donald Trump originated in the same political culture Zeldin has battled for years in Albany and Washington.
As Attorney General he would bring an insider’s knowledge of how career prosecutors and FBI leadership can be pressured, and an outsider’s resolve to end that pressure once and for all.
Critics will say geography should not matter. They are wrong. New York was ground zero for the weaponization of lawfare. Nominating a New Yorker who has already defeated Democratic machines at the ballot box signals that the Trump administration intends to govern the entire country, not just red states.
It also reassures the tens of thousands of line agents and prosecutors who want to do their jobs without political interference that the department’s new leader has walked the same streets and faced the same courthouse politics they have.
Zeldin is no newcomer to the Trump orbit. He endorsed the president early, defended him through two impeachments, and never wavered. Loyalty paired with competence is rare in Washington.
Trump has always valued fighters who deliver. The president should nominate Lee Zeldin as Attorney General. The country’s faith in equal justice under law depends on it.##
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GOP Rep. Lawler: Dems Shut Down DHS Because They Don’t Want to Enforce Immigration Laws
By Pam Key, Breitbart, April 5, 2026
By Pam Key, Breitbart, April 5, 2026
Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) said Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because they did not want to enforce immigration law.
Lawler said, “What’s not acceptable is that for this fiscal year Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security for over 90 days, not paying FEMA, not paying the Coast Guard, not paying the Secret Service and not paying critical operations within the Department of Homeland Security. The fact is, Democrats. I made a very calculated decision to shut down the department because they do not want to enforce our immigration laws.”
He added, “Here is an example of not enforcing our immigration laws. In 18 year old girl in my district, Sheridan Gorman was killed in Chicago after an Illegal immigrant was allowed to enter into the United States during the Biden administration. He was captured, he was detained, he was released. He went to Chicago he committed a crime he was arrested.
Under Chicago’s disastrous criminal justice laws. He was released back out onto the street and he executed this 18 year old girl. Democrats do not want to fund ICE and Customs and Border Patrol.
What will happen is individuals like Jose Medina will be allowed to enter into the country and kill innocent Americas. That is wrong. I will not stand for it, and that is why we are pushing back against this.”##
Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN
Lawler said, “What’s not acceptable is that for this fiscal year Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security for over 90 days, not paying FEMA, not paying the Coast Guard, not paying the Secret Service and not paying critical operations within the Department of Homeland Security. The fact is, Democrats. I made a very calculated decision to shut down the department because they do not want to enforce our immigration laws.”
He added, “Here is an example of not enforcing our immigration laws. In 18 year old girl in my district, Sheridan Gorman was killed in Chicago after an Illegal immigrant was allowed to enter into the United States during the Biden administration. He was captured, he was detained, he was released. He went to Chicago he committed a crime he was arrested.
Under Chicago’s disastrous criminal justice laws. He was released back out onto the street and he executed this 18 year old girl. Democrats do not want to fund ICE and Customs and Border Patrol.
What will happen is individuals like Jose Medina will be allowed to enter into the country and kill innocent Americas. That is wrong. I will not stand for it, and that is why we are pushing back against this.”##
Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN
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KES: (Friday, April 3) — Well-deserved kudos to Yonkers Ledger.com (www.theyonkersledger.com) writer Phil Zisman for his commendably objective analysis and high-minded overview of the current Yonkers political landscape.
Zisman’s clear-cut report on Who’s Running for What, as would-be Dem and GOP candidates were scrambling earlier in the week to meet ballot-qualifying petition deadlines, shines some timely and much-needed light on "the insurgent candidates in both parties (who) profess to be the agents of (necessary) change" (italics ours).
Jumping straight off the YL page in a most positive way, in our estimation, is the newly-formed Yonkers East Side (‘YES!') Republican Club and founder Ron Matten's quote referencing the Feb. 22 (President’s Day) Yonkers (establishment) Republican Committee’s “olive branch” agreement to endorse the self-named 'Team Yonkers’ slate of ‘reformer’ candidates Merante, Naider, Isaac and Ahmed (Click here).
Not only did we welcome that much-needed olive-branch and endorsement in the spirit of Rodney King’s immortal ‘Can’t we just get along?’plea —
We see it as no accident that whereas as recently as two years ago there was but one - all being informal and mostly social - Republican Club in the City of Yonkers, now there are three - the Northeast, the Northwest, and now the East Side YRC - and their memberships, if ever so slowly, appear to be growing.
Therefore well worth its weight in gold in our humble estimation is Zisman's take: “Thus, at least for now, the (Yonkers) Republicans are united as they enter the campaign season.
Given the Dumocrats’ overwhelmingly ongoing three-to-one registration advantage plus the typical low turnout expected, especially among low-propensity voters in all off-year elections...
...let’s hope this new Yonkers Republican ‘Era of Good Feeling’ blossoms into the achievement of Our Two Uppermost Objectives in This Crucial Election Year:
(1) SIGNIFICANTLY MORE Republican Voter Registrations and (2) SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER Republican Voter Turnout than anyone now expects. ##
In his State of the City address, Mayor Mike Spano proclaimed that Yonkers still possesses a “revolutionary spirit” and continues to improve quality of life, public safety, economic development, and educational opportunity. He framed his 14 years in office as part of a broader American story, linking his administration’s progress to the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
But beneath the optimism, a central question remains unanswered: will the Mayor’s aggressive bets on redevelopment and the film industry ultimately help secure the City’s’ long-term economic future—and meaningfully improve life for the people who live here now?
The March 25 speech came less than one week before the New York State budget deadline, yet the Mayor gave only passing mention to the gathering fiscal clouds over both City government and the public schools. A projected budget gap of approximately $50-60 million looms over the next fiscal year. The administration is seeking additional state aid to close it. If that funding falls short, the Mayor’s message of steady progress could quickly unravel, replaced by the reality of steep property tax increases and/or damaging cuts to schools and essential services.
The event itself was staged with theatrical flair. City officials were introduced one by one, walking down the aisle of the darkened Riverfront Library auditorium under spotlights and rock music—an atmosphere that felt closer to an all-star sporting event than a traditional civic address.
Confidence and PolishTo his credit, the Mayor delivered the speech with confidence and polish. He connected personally with the audience, referencing his family’s roots in Yonkers, and even included a video interlude depicting a young Mike Spano in school during the nation’s bicentennial in 1976.
The bulk of the address was a rapid-fire inventory of accomplishments and proposed initiatives—so many, in fact, that it was difficult to fully absorb their scope or significance. These included housing development, infrastructure improvements, park revitalization, school investments, public safety upgrades, environmental initiatives, and the City’s expanding film and TV production industry.
Taken together, the list painted an ambitious picture of a city in motion. And by the end, the speech was undeniably engaging—at moments even moving. It was easy to feel proud of the Yonkers the Mayor described.
But pride alone is never enough.
A State of the City address should do more than celebrate achievements; it should also confront hard truths. It should level with residents about risks, trade-offs, and the real challenges ahead. That balance was largely missing.
In a city the Mayor has branded “Hollywood on the Hudson,” presentation may be part of a strategy—capture attention, give the impression that everything is great, and divert attention away from problems such as poverty, affordability, gentrification, the rising costs of government, and the perception that the developers are getting sweetheart deals.
The True State of the City is the Budget
On April 15, the Mayor must propose his 2026/27 budget. That moment will cut through the pageantry and reveal the true state of the City. If the numbers don’t align with the narrative, boosterism will face a reality check.
The Mayor has made the case for what Yonkers could become. Soon we will see if his vision meets the challenge of real world fiscal limitations.##
But beneath the optimism, a central question remains unanswered: will the Mayor’s aggressive bets on redevelopment and the film industry ultimately help secure the City’s’ long-term economic future—and meaningfully improve life for the people who live here now?
The March 25 speech came less than one week before the New York State budget deadline, yet the Mayor gave only passing mention to the gathering fiscal clouds over both City government and the public schools. A projected budget gap of approximately $50-60 million looms over the next fiscal year. The administration is seeking additional state aid to close it. If that funding falls short, the Mayor’s message of steady progress could quickly unravel, replaced by the reality of steep property tax increases and/or damaging cuts to schools and essential services.
The event itself was staged with theatrical flair. City officials were introduced one by one, walking down the aisle of the darkened Riverfront Library auditorium under spotlights and rock music—an atmosphere that felt closer to an all-star sporting event than a traditional civic address.
Confidence and PolishTo his credit, the Mayor delivered the speech with confidence and polish. He connected personally with the audience, referencing his family’s roots in Yonkers, and even included a video interlude depicting a young Mike Spano in school during the nation’s bicentennial in 1976.
The bulk of the address was a rapid-fire inventory of accomplishments and proposed initiatives—so many, in fact, that it was difficult to fully absorb their scope or significance. These included housing development, infrastructure improvements, park revitalization, school investments, public safety upgrades, environmental initiatives, and the City’s expanding film and TV production industry.
Taken together, the list painted an ambitious picture of a city in motion. And by the end, the speech was undeniably engaging—at moments even moving. It was easy to feel proud of the Yonkers the Mayor described.
But pride alone is never enough.
A State of the City address should do more than celebrate achievements; it should also confront hard truths. It should level with residents about risks, trade-offs, and the real challenges ahead. That balance was largely missing.
In a city the Mayor has branded “Hollywood on the Hudson,” presentation may be part of a strategy—capture attention, give the impression that everything is great, and divert attention away from problems such as poverty, affordability, gentrification, the rising costs of government, and the perception that the developers are getting sweetheart deals.
The True State of the City is the Budget
On April 15, the Mayor must propose his 2026/27 budget. That moment will cut through the pageantry and reveal the true state of the City. If the numbers don’t align with the narrative, boosterism will face a reality check.
The Mayor has made the case for what Yonkers could become. Soon we will see if his vision meets the challenge of real world fiscal limitations.##
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KES: I had the pleasure of attending the campaign kick-off dinner for Blakeman last month and wow - I saw a lot of enthusiasm in the room! This guy is on fire. He thinks differently and made a point of concentrating on specific issues. He's the real deal. Let's rally behind him!##
A Republican Hasn’t Won New York in 20 Years, Bruce Blakeman Thinks He Can Do It
April 1, 2026
April 1, 2026
Bruce Blakeman, the GOP candidate for Governor of New York tells Miranda Devine how he’ll take over New York City’s police department if Mayor Zohran Mamdani doesn’t enforce the law. Blakeman also reveals what he’ll do if Mamdani tries to turn New York City into a radical Islamist paradise. He also slams current Governor Kathy Hochul’s out of control tax and spend polices and her feeble attempt to lure high income New Yorkers back to the state. To listen to Miranda Devine's Pod Force One podcast from April 1, 2026, click here. ##
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KES: Few on the Yonkers political landscape come even close to outgoing City Councilman Anthony Merante, who served for six years and is now running for New York State Assembly.##
Former Councilmember Merante vs Stewart-Cousins For State Senate
Yonkers Times, March 24, 2026
Yonkers Times, March 24, 2026
Former Yonkers Councilmember Anthony Merante is jumping into the race for New York State Senate in the 35th District, taking direct aim at Albany Democrats and longtime State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins. A Republican and eight-year City Council veteran, Merante says he is ready to challenge what he calls a broken system dominated by one party and bring accountability back to state government.
“People told me this race would not be easy,” Merante said. “Nothing worth fighting for ever is. And right now, New Yorkers need someone willing to fight.” Running in a heavily Democratic district, Merante is positioning himself as a disruptor willing to take on the political establishment head on. “Albany is out of control,” he said. “One party rule has created zero accountability, and everyday New Yorkers are paying the price.”
Merante points to high taxes, rising costs, and an ongoing exodus of residents as proof the system is failing. “Working families are being pushed out. Seniors cannot afford to stay. Families are being split apart just to survive,” he said. “That is not progress. That is failure.” He also slammed state policies on housing, energy, and utilities, calling them disconnected from reality. “Albany keeps forcing top-down mandates on local communities while ignoring what those policies are actually doing to neighborhoods,” Merante said. “Meanwhile, Con Edison keeps raising rates and crushing families and small businesses, and no one in power is stopping it.”
Merante says his campaign will focus on restoring public safety, cutting spending, and putting taxpayers first. “This campaign is about the people who feel like nobody is fighting for them anymore,” he said. “I am running to bring common sense back to government and hold Albany accountable.” After nearly a decade on the Yonkers City Council, he says he is ready to take that fight statewide. “I have taken on tough fights before, and I am ready to do it again. New York has become the tax and spend capital of the country, and it is time to turn that around.”
Merante has secured backing from the Yonkers Republican Party, along with support from the Greenburgh and Mt. Pleasant GOP. With petitioning underway, his campaign is focused on getting on the ballot ahead of the April 2 deadline. “We are out there every day collecting signatures,” Merante said. “We will be on the ballot, and we are in this to win.” ##
“People told me this race would not be easy,” Merante said. “Nothing worth fighting for ever is. And right now, New Yorkers need someone willing to fight.” Running in a heavily Democratic district, Merante is positioning himself as a disruptor willing to take on the political establishment head on. “Albany is out of control,” he said. “One party rule has created zero accountability, and everyday New Yorkers are paying the price.”
Merante points to high taxes, rising costs, and an ongoing exodus of residents as proof the system is failing. “Working families are being pushed out. Seniors cannot afford to stay. Families are being split apart just to survive,” he said. “That is not progress. That is failure.” He also slammed state policies on housing, energy, and utilities, calling them disconnected from reality. “Albany keeps forcing top-down mandates on local communities while ignoring what those policies are actually doing to neighborhoods,” Merante said. “Meanwhile, Con Edison keeps raising rates and crushing families and small businesses, and no one in power is stopping it.”
Merante says his campaign will focus on restoring public safety, cutting spending, and putting taxpayers first. “This campaign is about the people who feel like nobody is fighting for them anymore,” he said. “I am running to bring common sense back to government and hold Albany accountable.” After nearly a decade on the Yonkers City Council, he says he is ready to take that fight statewide. “I have taken on tough fights before, and I am ready to do it again. New York has become the tax and spend capital of the country, and it is time to turn that around.”
Merante has secured backing from the Yonkers Republican Party, along with support from the Greenburgh and Mt. Pleasant GOP. With petitioning underway, his campaign is focused on getting on the ballot ahead of the April 2 deadline. “We are out there every day collecting signatures,” Merante said. “We will be on the ballot, and we are in this to win.” ##
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