Category: Politics

Historic strategy doubles hate crime prevention funding for community organizations, with $6.4 million to counter hate and support survivors   $1 million investment will strengthen security at synagogues and other houses of worship  Strategy includes major investments in Jewish historical and cultural institutions, expanded Holocaust education and a new City Human Rights Law awareness campaign        Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism today released New York City’s first-ever municipal Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, a comprehensive, whole-of-government plan to confront antisemitism, protect Jewish New Yorkers and strengthen Jewish institutions, traditions and communities across New York City.      At a time when Jewish New Yorkers face a disproportionate share of hate crimes in the city, the strategy makes historic investments in prevention, security, education, survivor support and Jewish cultural life.     The strategy includes $6.4 million in Partners Against the Hate (P.A.T.H.) grants, doubling... Read more

By Bazona Barnabe Bado Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson hosted an African Heritage Festival on September 12, 2026, in the Bronx, welcoming guests including African leaders, elected officials, and diplomats.  Noting that September is African Heritage Month, Gibson said, “There is nowhere you can go in the city where you do not see African culture, African diversity, and African heritage.” [caption id="attachment_9857" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson[/caption] “We all come together to recognize African Heritage Month and celebrate our vibrant African community here in the Bronx and throughout the city,” she said. “We are here, and we belong to each other.” Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark thanked the borough’s African community: “Thank you for how you serve and how you hold me accountable to make sure that your city is safe,” she said. She also warned about the dangers children may face when they struggle... Read more

President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran on Wednesday that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in a major concession from Washington, according to details released by both countries. The initial deal to end the war takes “immediate effect” after leaders from both countries signed it, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the agreement, said online. The agreement calls for a permanent end to hostilities and starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear program, though Trump left the door open to resume attacks. It appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return. The deal has been shrouded in secrecy and confusion for days. U.S. officials refused to disclose the terms even after saying Trump and Vice... Read more

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani released Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era, a sweeping blueprint to tackle New York City’s deepening housing crisis with the urgency and scale the moment demands. Spanning the full breadth of housing policy, from new construction to tenant protections to public housing, homeownership and worker protections, the plan lays out a comprehensive strategy to make New York City more affordable for working people. “At a moment when working people are being pushed out of the city they built, New York cannot afford half-measures or delays,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This plan meets the housing crisis with the urgency it demands. We are setting the most ambitious housing production and preservation targets in the city’s modern history – and backing them up with investments to match – while also protecting tenants and homeowners, investing in public housing and ensuring the workers building that housing have good-paying,... Read more

New unit will coordinate services for residents displaced by fires and other disasters    New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani launched the new Back Home Unit in the Office of Housing Recovery Operations (HRO), a new initiative to help New Yorkers displaced by fires and other disasters return home more quickly and with greater support.      The Back Home Unit launches alongside the Back Home NYC guide, an interagency resource outlining services available after a disaster, and a revamped digital vacate order tracker designed to improve coordination and transparency, ensuring New Yorkers can return home as soon as it is safe.     The Back Home Unit will serve as a centralized hub for displaced tenants, providing a single point of contact to coordinate services, respond to resident needs, share real-time updates on inspections, facilitate access to belongings and notify residents when vacate orders are lifted.      The initiative follows the passage of... Read more

Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter. The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that the U.S. intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information as the U.S. and Israel continue their bombardment and Iran fires retaliatory salvos at American assets and allies in the Persian Gulf. Still, it’s the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war that the U.S. and Israel launched on Iran a week ago. Russia is in the rare club of countries that maintains friendly relations with Tehran, which has faced years of isolation over its nuclear program and its support of proxy groups that have wreaked... Read more

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran vowed revenge Sunday after the killing of its supreme leader and traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by a surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment a day earlier. The U.S. military said three service members have been killed, the first known American casualties from the conflict. Blasts in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area where there are government buildings. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed since the start of the U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders. Earlier, Iran fired missiles at an ever-widening list of targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation while Israel pledged “non-stop” strikes against Iran’s leaders and military. In Tehran, there was little sign that Iranians had heeded Trump’s call to overthrow their government. The streets were largely deserted as people sheltered during... Read more

The United States and Israel launched the most ambitious attack on Iran in decades on Saturday, and Israel said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed in the operation. Khamenei's body has been found, a senior Israeli official told Reuters. Iran called the strikes unprovoked and illegal and responded with missiles fired at Israel and at least seven other countries, including Gulf states that host U.S. bases. U.S. President Donald Trump, who made the biggest foreign-policy gamble of his presidency after campaigning for reelection as a "peace president", said the strikes were aimed at ending the threat from a country that has threatened the United States for decades and ensuring Iran could not develop a nuclear weapon. Trump called on Iranian security forces to lay down their weapons and invited Iranians to topple their government once the bombing ended. In a video posted overnight on social media, he also warned... Read more

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that more than 50,000 families have applied for 3-K and Pre-K since applications opened on Jan. 14, 2026. The announcement came during a visit to a home-based childcare provider in Manhattan’s Chinatown.    Home-based childcare providers are eligible 3-K providers and offer culturally and linguistically responsive care for families across the city. The visit marked one of the first times in recent years that a sitting mayor has visited a home-based child care provider, underscoring the Mamdani administration’s commitment to supporting community-based and home-based child care providers.    “Every child deserves access to free, high quality childcare – and we’re making sure families across the city know that now is the time to enroll in 3-k and pre-K,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve left no stone unturned in getting the word out, and the strong response so far shows that families are ready. Applications are still open through Feb. 27, and we encourage every eligible family to apply.”   ... Read more

The Trump administration could reduce the number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota, but only if state and local officials cooperate, the president’s border czar said Thursday, noting he has “zero tolerance” for protesters who assault federal officers or impede the ongoing Twin Cities operation. Tom Homan addressed reporters for the first time since the president sent him to Minneapolis following last weekend’s fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti, the second this month by federal officers carrying out the operation. His comments came after President Donald Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area and as the administration ended its “enhanced operations” in Maine. Homan, who said he wouldn’t address the shootings, emphasized that the administration isn’t relenting on its immigration crackdown and warned that protesters could face consequences if they interfere with federal officers But he seemed to acknowledge there had been missteps. “I do not want... Read more

JPMorgan and Bank of America will match the government's $1,000 to "Trump Accounts" for employees' kids. The banks each employ more than 160,000 employees in the US. "Trump accounts" are Treasury-funded accounts that give $1,000 to newborn Americans. JPMorgan and Bank of America are among the latest financial firms to commit to contributing to "Trump Accounts" for the kids of US-based employees. The banks announced on Wednesday that they will match the government's one-time $1,000 contribution to investment accounts for newborns, known as "Trump Accounts," for the children of their employees. Their announcements coincide with a "Trump Accounts Summit," where President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are speaking. For JPMorgan, the news comes just one week after the president sued the bank and its CEO, Jamie Dimon, for $5 billion over allegations of politically motivated debanking. A source familiar with the bank's move said that the firm has been planning the contributions since Trump... Read more

The Exclusive Citizenship Act would force Americans to choose one nationality if it becomes law. Dual citizenship has always been an impressive status symbol, but a new bill aims to change that, hoping to eliminate the possibility of holding passports from more than one country. The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, introduced by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) on Dec. 1, seeks to establish “citizens of the United States... owe sole and exclusive allegiance to the United States.” If passed, the bill would force U.S. citizens with dual foreign citizenship to choose between the two. Under the bill, U.S. citizens who also possess a foreign citizenship would be required to submit a written renunciation of one of those nationalities within one year. U.S. citizens who acquire another citizenship in the future would also "be deemed to have relinquished United States citizenship." The bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process... Read more

 New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed Executive Order 11 to create an inventory and identify ways to cut the fees and fines that small businesses pay in New York City. Small businesses face a complex web of over 6,000 regulations and rules, which make it harder to start or grow a business in New York, and drives up costs for businesses and customers alike. The executive order directs the Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice, Julie Su, and seven agencies to create a comprehensive inventory of fees and civil penalties, identify ways to reduce and streamline them, and advance policy reforms to do so in the coming months. Mayor Mamdani signed the executive order on the counter of a locally-owned small business in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn.  “You cannot tell the story of New York without our small businesses. Yet, our City has long made it too hard for these same... Read more

“Rental Ripoff” hearings in all five boroughs will offer New Yorkers a microphone to share poor conditions, unconscionable business practices that City will act on NEW YORK, NY — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani today signed an executive order directing the Department of Housing Preservation & Development, the Department of Buildings, the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, in coordination with the new Office of Mass Engagement, to hold “Rental Ripoff” hearings across the five boroughs within the first 100 days of the administration. At these hearings, working New Yorkers will be able to speak about the challenges they face – from poor building conditions to hidden fees on rent payments. Following these hearings, the Mamdani administration will publish a summary and report detailing common themes and areas of opportunity, and the testimony shared at these hearings will directly inform policy interventions to take... Read more

President Donald Trump has expanded a US travel ban, barring nationals of five additional countries and people travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents from entering the US. The White House said the restrictions were intended "to protect the security of the United States" and will come into force on 1 January. Full-entry restrictions will be imposed on people from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders. The administration also moved Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject to partial restrictions, to the full ban list and put partial restrictions on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Trump, who has tightened immigration controls since returning to the White House in January, said the expanded travel ban was necessary because of what his administration described as failures in screening and vetting systems overseas. Officials cited high visa overstay rates, unreliable civil records, corruption, terrorist... Read more

By Bazona B. Bado NYC Africans in partnership with NYC Women’s club has organized a public forum with a theme focused on “progressive socialists – the new page.” Three speakers, Tandia Bakary, Dr. Amanda Ota, and Karanja Gaçuça as well as the moderator Mamadou Drame discussed the theme with the audience. [caption id="attachment_9280" align="aligncenter" width="133"] Dr. Amanda Ota[/caption] After Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election to be the New York City mayor, time is coming for New York city Africans to keep the conversation, and more importantly to dig into the ideology that bring Mamdani in power: the progressive socialism. [caption id="attachment_9281" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Karanja Gaçuça[/caption] The panelists agreed that socialism is not communism even though both share common root: Progressive socialism is defined as “a political ideology that merges the economic focus of socialism with the social reform emphasis of progressivism, aiming for economic justice and social progress.” [caption id="attachment_9282" align="aligncenter"... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts has led the Supreme Court ‘s conservative majority on a steady march of increasing the power of the presidency, starting well before Donald Trump’s time in the White House. The justices could take the next step in a case being argued Monday that calls for a unanimous 90-year-old decision limiting executive authority to be overturned. The court’s conservatives, liberal Justice Elena Kagan noted in September, seem to be “raring to take that action.” They already have allowed Trump, in the opening months of the Republican’s second term, to fire almost everyone he has wanted, despite the court’s 1935 decision in Humphrey’s Executor that prohibits the president from removing the heads of independent agencies without cause. The officials include Rebecca Slaughter, whose firing from the Federal Trade Commission is at issue in the current case, as well as officials from the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product... Read more

The Mayor-elect appointed more than 400 New Yorkers to 17 Transition Committees, who together will provide critical personnel and policy insights to the incoming administration Committees to focus on NYC’s most urgent challenges — including housing prices, rising childcare costs, and transportation access — as well as emergency preparedness and economic development NEW YORK, NY — TODAY, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and his transition team announced the appointment of more than 400 New Yorkers that will help the incoming administration prepare to address New York City’s most urgent challenges — from skyrocketing rents and rising childcare costs to transportation access, business development, and emergency preparedness. Appointees will serve as critical advisors on personnel appointments, as well as provide insights on policy development, implementation, and agency best practices. These committees bring together more than 400 esteemed leaders from across New York City — with backgrounds spanning local and state government, nonprofits, labor, academia,... Read more

Zohran Mamdani will be the first Muslim-Indian mayor of New York City when he takes up the post in January 2026, following an election which has gained global attention. Mamdani, 34, will be the city’s youngest mayor since 1892. Having entered the race as a largely unknown candidate, he won the Democratic nomination and campaigned on a promise of affordability for New Yorkers, including rent freezes, free buses and universal healthcare, gaining huge popularity among young voters. The mayor-elect, who will be formally inaugurated on January 1, 2026, has also been a beacon for a large number of those in the city who come from immigrant backgrounds. During a Democratic primary debate in June, his opponent for the nomination – former Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo – mispronounced his name several times. “The name is Mamdani, M-A-M-D-A-N-I, you should learn how to say it because we’ve got to get it right,”... Read more

As the Senate held a rare Sunday session, the Republican leader said a potential deal was “coming together” on the government shutdown. But there was no guarantee it would end an impasse now stretching to 40 days. Moderate Democrats huddled over the weekend to find a compromise to reopen the government as the shutdown continued to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay. Top Republicans were working with those Democrats to finalize a legislative package that would reopen the government into January while also approving full-year funding for several parts of government. The bill would also potentially reverse some recent mass layoffs of federal workers. But the full details were still unclear, and the necessary Democratic support wasn’t yet certain as it appeared unlikely the package would extend health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year. Senate Democrats were meeting in the Capitol before... Read more

“We are not only fighting for Burkina Faso, we are fighting for Africa and for the dignity of Black people!” – “Seeing Africa awaken is a nightmare for some, but Africa will awaken!” The President of Burkina Faso, Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, met this Friday with Afro-descendants present in Ouagadougou, as part of the event entitled "Welcome Home." They reaffirmed their support for Captain Ibrahim Traoré and their desire to invest and settle in the land of upright men. Speaking about their establishment in Burkina Faso, the President of Burkina Faso told his "700 Ambassadors of Burkina Faso": "Regarding the permanent resident card, (...) we have decided to remove the financial requirement for you." He reminded them that Burkina Faso is resilient, standing strong, and alive. Captain Ibrahim Traoré emphasizes that the struggle waged by Burkina Faso is a struggle of endurance and for the true and total... Read more

 Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who shot to stardom and shook up Democratic politics, has won the race for mayor of New York City. The race was called for Mamdani around 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 4, and his chief opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, later conceded in a combative speech to supporters. Before a roaring crowd at the Brooklyn Paramount theater, Mamdani thanked young New Yorkers for believing "that the promise of a better future is not a relic of the past" in a speech that shouted out "Yemeni cab drivers and Mexican abuelas" among the workers who deliver the city's packages, staff its warehouses and sweat in its kitchens. “We are breathing in the air of a city that has been reborn,” he said. "I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life," Mamdani said. “But let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn... Read more

Prominent leaders from New York City’s Muslim and African communities announced their endorsement of former Governor Andrew Cuomo for mayor, highlighting his long history of supporting immigrant and faith-based communities. The endorsement event, held in Harlem, featured remarks from religious and community figures who commended Cuomo’s leadership and policies benefiting Muslim and African New Yorkers. The press conference was moderated by Mona Davids, education and school safety advocate and publisher of LittleAfrica News and New York Voice News.  LittleAfrica News has also formally endorsed former Governor Andrew Cuomo for mayor, highlighting his proven record of supporting immigrant and faith-based communities. The editorial board noted that Cuomo “has consistently demonstrated the ability to turn ideas into actions,” citing his work to expand protections for immigrants and strengthen measures for Muslim, African, and South Asian New Yorkers. Imam Souleimane Konate of the Masjid al-Aqsa in Harlem expressed strong support for Cuomo’s candidacy. “I am proud to endorse Governor Andrew Cuomo for... Read more

Mayor Eric Adams formally endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to replace him as the next mayor of New York City on Thursday, less than one month after Adams suspended his re-election campaign. The endorsement followed Wednesday night's final mayoral debate, where Cuomo, who is running as an Independent, faced off against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Rather than speak to reporters after the debate, Cuomo dashed off to Madison Square Garden to watch the end of the New York Knicks game courtside with Adams. "I'm fighting for the family of New York," Adams said. "That's why I'm here today, to endorse Andrew Cuomo, to be part of this fight, and I'm going to give him my all these next few days to make sure that Black and Brown communities, specifically, who have believe there's nothing at stake in this election for them." Adams spokesperson Todd Shapiro confirmed the mayor would endorse Cuomo in a... Read more

“NYC Africans for Zohran” held on October 18,2025 a rally in Harlem in support of the mayoral candidate assemblymember Zohran Mandani.  African community leaders, residents, some grassroot organizations, and several supporters of Zohran Mandani came together at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Harlem as one community to stand for Democrat Zohran Mandani who is running now against two other candidates (independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, and republican candidate Curtis Sliwa) after Mayor Eric Adams dropped out. Ramatu Ahmed, Momo Drame, Bakary Tandia among other organizers proudly displayed campaign signs as they asked the audience to register and vote. “We need a place to sleep, we want transportation, we want education, we want to eat good food,” said Ramatu Ahmed to mean affordable housing, fare free for transportation as Mandani has promised rent freezing, free buses, free childcare and city – owned grocery stores to provide affordable food. Momo Drame, Bakary... Read more

The New York City mayoral candidates doubled down and went on the attack in their first debate Thursday night. Sparks were flying as Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa squared off on issues and controversies ahead of the Nov. 4 election. Mamdani, Cuomo spar, frustrating Sliwa Mamdani and Cuomo went after each other time and time again. Barely 13 minutes into a two-hour debate, Sliwa already seemed to be experiencing the frustration of being the forgotten man. "There's high levels of testosterone in this room," Sliwa said. Cuomo and Mamdani just wanted to eviscerate each other. "It's been an hour and 20 minutes of this debate, and we haven't heard Governor Cuomo say the word 'affordability.' That's why he lost the primary," Mamdani said. "This is no job for on-the-job training, and if you look at the failed mayors, they're ones that had no management experience. Don't do it again," Cuomo... Read more

It was a busy day of campaigning for three candidates trying to become the next mayor of New York City. Governor Kathy Hochul shared the stage with Zohran Mamdani for the first time since her endorsement and praised him for his signature issue in the mayoral campaign. "We've talked a lot about affordability. And I want to thank assemblymember Zohran Mamdani for putting a special exclamation point on how hard it is for families struggling in this city," Hochul said. But as she did, another ultimatum from the White House. President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to withhold federal money from New York if Mamdani wins City Hall. "I wouldn't be generous to a communist -- a guy that's going to take the money and throw it out the window, because you're talking about hundreds of billions of dollars. And we're not going to let somebody get into... Read more

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — President Donald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East on Monday during a global summit on Gaza’s future, trying to advance broader peace in the region after visiting Israel to celebrate a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas. “We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us,” Trump said, and he urged leaders “to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.” The whirlwind trip, which included the summit in Egypt and a speech at the Knesset in Jerusalem earlier in the day, comes at a fragile moment of hope for ending two years of war between Israel and Hamas. “Everybody said it’s not possible to do. And it’s going to happen. And it is happening before your very eyes,” Trump said alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Nearly three dozen countries, including... Read more

The New York City mayoral candidates know that support from the Latino community will go a long way toward determining who wins in November. However, Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa were not at a forum hosted by Agenda Latina NYC on Saturday, which served as a meeting place for Latino business owners and advocates. Their lack of attendance left some perplexed. With Election Day a little more than three weeks away, a recent poll shows Latinos are projected to make up a sizeable percentage of eligible voters citywide. "If you want to have a fair voice here, we should have all the candidates"  A poll conducted by the Hispanic Federation earlier this week surveyed 600 of the city's Latino voters and shows Mamdani leading with 48% support, and that an overwhelming 90% of Latino voters are in favor of building more affordable housing... Read more

The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started, an attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown dragged into a 10th day. Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said on the social media site X that the “RIFs have begun,” referring to reduction-in-force plans aimed at reducing the size of the federal government. A spokesperson for the budget office said the reductions are “substantial” but did not offer more details. Employees at the departments of Education, Treasury, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, were set to receive the notices, according to spokespeople for the agencies and union representatives for federal workers. The aggressive move by Trump’s budget office goes far beyond what usually happens in a government shutdown and escalates an already politically toxic dynamic between the White House and Congress.... Read more

 Burkina Faso says it has refused a proposal from the Trump administration to accept deportees from the United States. The West African country was asked whether it would accept non-citizens expelled by the U.S., in addition to its own nationals, Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said Thursday on national television. “Naturally, this proposal, which we deemed indecent at the time, is totally contrary to the value of dignity which is part of the very essence of the vision of Capt. Ibrahim Traoré,” he said, referring to the country’s military ruler. The remark came only a few hours after the U.S. Embassy in the capital Ouagadougou suspended most visa services for Burkina Faso residents, redirecting applications to its embassy in neighboring Togo. The embassy did not give a reason for the move. Citing a U.S. diplomatic note accusing Burkinabe nationals of not complying with visa usage rules, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré called... Read more

New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo says he wants to save Rikers Island, the notorious jail complex that has become a symbol of dysfunction in the city's criminal justice system. The city is legally required to shutter its jails on Rikers and replace them with four smaller, more modern jails by 2027 under a plan approved by the City Council six years ago. Officials at the time wanted Rikers gone for several reasons: It is crumbling, costly, plagued by violence and far from the courthouses where its inmates need to be transported regularly. But the replacement project has stalled, swelled in cost and faces local opposition. Only one of the four new jails, in Brooklyn, is under construction. Cuomo, the former New York governor who is running for mayor as an independent, said Wednesday that he would scrap the plan to replace Rikers and would rebuild it instead. “We can and must... Read more

In another sign of New York's intensifying mayor's race, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched a scathing attack on Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for posing with an official from Uganda who pushed a law to put gay people in jail for life.  Cuomo used names like "mansion boy" and "champagne socialist" to attack the Democratic frontrunner over posing with the female Ugandan official who led a yearslong campaign to crack down on gay people in her country and once called for the death penalty.  The former governor also called into question why Mamdani maintains dual citizenship with Uganda, where he was born.  "Why would you keep a citizenship in Uganda, which is a country that outlaws the LGBTQ community?" Cuomo said. "You are a citizen of Uganda, running for mayor. Why wouldn't you say I am going to give up my citizenship because I will not be the citizen of a country that would kill... Read more

A burgeoning bloc of New York City Republicans say Andrew Cuomo should make an appeal for a vote in his favor in November’s mayoral election. “If Cuomo wants the vote of New York Republicans, come over to us and offer us something,” Stefano Forte, president of the New York Young Republican Club, said in an interview. “Why doesn’t he come meet with us at our clubhouse and promise us a certain number of deputy mayors? And then maybe, maybe, maybe we’ll think about supporting him.” The group represents a small minority of voters in the heavily Democratic city. But it’s a potential opportunity for Cuomo in a split race that, with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams dropping out, has narrowed to the top three contenders. Support for Republican Curtis Sliwa has mostly tallied in the low double digits, putting him in third place behind the former Democratic governor, who’s running as... Read more

In the race for New York City mayor, former Governor Andrew Cuomo says his campaign is seeing a major boost in contributions after Mayor Eric Adams decided to drop out, but will it be enough for him to close the gap between frontrunner Zohran Mamdani? Mamdani came to Hudson Yards on Friday to condemn President Donald Trump and his decision to withhold federal money for the new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson. "What New Yorkers need is someone in City Hall whose actions reflect conviction, clarity, commitment, not the cruelty of Donald Trump, not the collaboration of Eric Adams, and not the coordination with that same president by Andrew Cuomo," Mamdani said. Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, insists that Cuomo is beholden to the president's conservative New York supporters, who are backing the Cuomo campaign. Thirty-six hours after Mayor Adams ended his re-election bid on Sunday, nearly $400,000 flooded into the... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday used the platform of the presidency to promote unproven and in some cases discredited ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism as his administration announced a wide-ranging effort to study the causes of the complex brain disorder. “Don’t take Tylenol,” Trump instructed pregnant women around a dozen times during the unwieldy White House news conference, also urging mothers not to give their infants the drug, known by the generic name acetaminophen in the U.S. or paracetamol in most other countries. He also fueled long-debunked claims that ingredients in vaccines or timing shots close together could contribute to rising rates of autism in the U.S., without providing any medical evidence. The rambling announcement, which appeared to rely on existing studies rather than significant new research, comes as the Make America Healthy Again movement has been pushing for answers on the causes of autism. The diverse coalition of... Read more

Le premier ministre du Burkina Faso Son Excellence Monsieur Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo est arrivé hier à New York dans le cadre de la 80eme session de l’assemblée générale des Nations – Unies. Il est suivi d’une forte délégation dont le ministre des Affaires étrangères, de la coopération régionale et des Burkinabè de l’Extérieur, Son Excellence Monsieur Karamoko Jean – Marie Traoré. Il a été accueilli à l’hôtel où il réside par  l’ambassadeur du Burkina Faso à Washington D.C, et celui auprès des Nations – Unies, Ses Excellences Monsieur Kassoum Coulibaly et Oumarou Ganou  et Madame la consule générale du Burkina Faso à New York, Segda / Gango Estelle Pélagie, les membres des ambassades du Burkina Faso aux USA, et du consulat de New York, ainsi que les leaders communautaires et personnes ressources de la diaspora Burkinabè de New York conduite par le délégué du Haut Conseil des Burkinabè de l’Extérieur... Read more

It’s tomato season and Lidia is harvesting on farms in California’s Central Valley. She is also anxious. Attention from U.S. Immigration Control and Enforcement could upend her life more than 23 years after she illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border as a teenager. “The worry is they’ll pull you over when you’re driving and ask for your papers,” said Lidia, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition that only her first name be used because of her fears of deportation. “We need to work. We need to feed our families and pay our rent.” As parades and other events celebrating the contributions of workers in the U.S. are held Monday for the Labor Day holiday, experts say President Donald Trump’s stepped-up immigration policies are impacting the nation’s labor force. More than 1.2 million immigrants disappeared from the labor force from January through the end of July, according to preliminary Census Bureau data analyzed by the... Read more

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Friday it will intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking over Gaza City, stirring fears for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, and renewing international pressure for an end to the conflict. Israel’s air and ground war has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced most of the population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine. The timing of another major ground operation is unclear. It will likely require mobilizing thousands of troops and forcibly evacuating civilians, almost certainly worsening Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. An official familiar with the plans to take over Gaza City said the operation would be “gradual” and that there is no start date. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The U.N. Security Council announced an emergency meeting on Israel’s plans was rescheduled to 10 a.m. EDT on Sunday after originally being scheduled to take... Read more

NEW YORK (AP) — The requests have come in letters, emails and phone calls. The specifics vary, but the target is consistent: The U.S. Department of Justice is ramping up an effort to get voter data and other election information from the states. Over the past three months, the department’s voting section has requested copies of voter registration lists from state election administrators in at least 15 states, according to an Associated Press tally. Of those, nine are Democrats, five are Republicans and one is a bipartisan commission. In Colorado, the department demanded “all records” relating to the 2024 election and any records the state retained from the 2020 election. Department lawyers have contacted officials in at least seven states to propose a meeting about forging an information-sharing agreement related to instances of voting or election fraud. The idea, they say in the emails, is for states to help the department enforce... Read more

 As his supporters erupt over the Justice Department’s failure to release much-hyped records in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation, President Donald Trump’s strategy has been to downplay the issue. “I don’t understand what the interest or what the fascination is,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. His problem? That nothing-to-see-here approach doesn’t work for those who’ve learned from him they must not give up until the government’s deepest, darkest secrets are exposed. Last week, the Justice Department and the FBI abruptly walked back the notion there’s an Epstein client list of elites who participated in the wealthy New York financier’s trafficking of underage girls. Trump quickly defended Attorney General Pam Bondi and chided a reporter for daring to ask about the documents. The online reaction was swift, with followers calling the Republican president “out of touch” and demanding transparency. Trump’s comments to reporters Tuesday while returning to Washington from a brief Pittsburgh trip were just the latest in a... Read more

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Laken Riley Act into law, giving federal authorities broader power to deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have been accused of crimes. He also announced at the ceremony that his administration planned to send the “worst criminal aliens” to a detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The bipartisan act, the first piece of legislation approved during Trump’s second term, was named for Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was slain last year by a Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally. “She was a light of warmth and kindness,” Trump said during a ceremony that included Riley’s parents and sister. “It’s a tremendous tribute to your daughter what’s taking place today, that’s all I can say. It’s so sad we have to be doing it.” Trump has promised to drastically increase deportations, but he also said at the signing that some of the people being sent... Read more

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement in response to New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget:  “We thank Governor Hochul for delivering an executive budget that will help our administration deliver on our core mission of making New York City the best place to raise a family.    “Governor Hochul and I share the same North Star: to keep our city and state safe. We appreciate the governor’s commitment to fixing the laws that allow our administration to connect New Yorkers with serious mental illness with the treatment they deserve. By combining these fixes with investments in holistic support, we can provide compassion and care to our brothers and sisters in need.   “Keeping our city safe also means going after the small number of repeat offenders who continue to commit crimes across the five boroughs and throughout the state. Justice and public safety can — and must — go hand-in-hand. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul to preserve and protect the best parts of the 2019 discovery reforms,... Read more

Attorneys general from 22 states sued Tuesday to block President Donald Trump’s move to end a century-old immigration practice known as birthright citizenship guaranteeing that U.S.-born children are citizens regardless of their parents’ status. Trump’s roughly 700-word executive order, issued late Monday, amounts to a fulfillment of something he’s talked about during the presidential campaign. But whether it succeeds is far from certain amid what is likely to be a lengthy legal battle over the president’s immigration policies and a constitutional right to citizenship. The Democratic attorneys general and immigrant rights advocates say the question of birthright citizenship is settled law and that while presidents have broad authority, they are not kings. “The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, write the 14th Amendment out of existence, period,” New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said. The White House said it’s ready to face the states in court and called the lawsuits “nothing... Read more

WASHINGTON —Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President Monday, returning to power with a promise to end America’s decline and to “completely and totally reverse” the actions of the man who drove him from office four years ago. Trump overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, and he planned to act swiftly after the ceremony. Dozens of executive orders were prepared for his signature to clamp down on border crossings, increase fossil fuel development and end diversity and inclusion programs across the federal government. The orders from the incoming Republican president will begin the process of unraveling the Democratic agenda of Joe Biden, whose term ended at noon, moments before Trump took the oath of office. Declaring that government faces a “crisis of trust,” Trump said in his inaugural address that under his administration, “our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our... Read more

“Build the Wall” was Donald Trump’s rally cry in 2016, and he acted on his promise by tapping military budgets for hundreds of miles of border wall with Mexico. “Mass Deportation” was the buzzword that energized supporters for his White House bid in 2024. Trump’s victory sets the stage for a swift crackdown after an AP VoteCast survey showed the president-elect’s supporters were largely focused on immigration and inflation — issues the Republican has been hammering throughout his campaign. How and when Trump’s actions on immigration will take shape is uncertain. While Trump and his advisers have offered outlines, many questions remain about how they would deport anywhere close to the 11 million people estimated to be in the country illegally. How would immigrants be identified? Where would they be detained? What if their countries refuse to take them back? Where would Trump find money and trained officers to carry out their deportation? Trump... Read more

Edgar Mitchell, who was part of the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, gained notoriety with the dissemination of various conspiracy theories since his return from the moon in 1971. Mitchell, the sixth man to set foot on the moon, was interviewed back in 2016, where he admitted to being convinced of the existence of aliens and extensively spoke about claims that aliens have visited Earth. In that conversation with the Daily Mirror, he raised the astonishing claim that aliens were responsible for preventing a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union during the peak tension of the Cold War. During that conversation, Mitchell also discussed the White Sands missile testing facility in New Mexico.  He said, "White Sands was a testing ground for atomic weapons and that's what the extraterrestrials were interested in. They wanted to know about our military capabilities. My conversations with people in the military and intelligence community showed... Read more

The president of the Union for Progress and Change (UPC), Burkina Faso's main opposition party, Zephirin Diabré, and former Prime Minister Isaac Zida, filed their candidacies for the November 22 presidential election with the National Electoral Commission (Ceni) on Friday. In the 2015 elections, Diabré, 61 years old, came second with 29.65% of the votes, defeated by current President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who is seeking a second term and whose record he criticized. "Five years of managing the MPP (People's Movement for Progress, President Kaboré's party), have brought Burkina Faso to the brink of chaos. We are obliged to save it today because that is what it is all about," he said. Former minister of Blaise Compaoré in the 1990s, Zéphirin Diabré had gone into opposition in 2011 by founding the UPC, three years before a popular uprising ousted his former boss after 27 years in power. Threat of... Read more

Immigrant heritage month was celebrated on June 28, 2020 through webinar as many elected officials from across America joined their voices to other voices to tell their stories and Democratic nominee Joe Biden delivered a message of hope. Several elected officials including Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, New York Congresswoman Grace Meng, Alexandria, Virginia Councilman Mohamed Seifeldein, and Florida State Senator Annette Taddeo, have tuned in to celebrate immigrant heritage month as descent of immigrants or immigrants themselves. “Immigration is part of the DNA of this country… It is essential to who we are as a nation,” said  Biden for President Senior Advisor Karine Jean-Pierre. In a speech that was read, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. the presumptive Democratic nominee said his grand grandparents came from Irish Island, his grandfather delivered furniture in New Jersey, and his father went on to fight World War II before he became a bank manager. [caption id="attachment_5090" align="alignleft" width="289"] Karine Jean-Pierre[/caption] “My... Read more

 JOHANNESBURG (REUTERS) - The introduction of a national minimum wage of 20 rand (S$2.19) an hour in South Africa could be delayed by up to two months as parliament is yet to approve necessary draft legislation, a spokesman for the labour ministry said on Friday (April 20). The minimum wage - a policy championed by President Cyril Ramaphosa as an important step to tackle labour instability and wage inequality - was approved by the Cabinet in November and meant to be introduced on May 1. Supporters of the minimum wage say it will reduce inequality and stimulate economic growth as workers can spend more. But critics say it could lead to increased unemployment, already at record highs, with some employers unable to afford higher wage bills. Labour ministry spokesman Teboho Thejane said the ministry was focused on getting the minimum wage introduced. "The minimum wage will definitely be implemented. But... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former FBI Director James Comey blasts President Donald Trump as unethical and "untethered to truth" in a sharply critical new book that describes Trump as fixated in the early days of his administration on having the FBI debunk salacious rumors he insisted were untrue but could distress his wife. In the forthcoming book, Comey compares Trump to a mafia don and calls his leadership of the country "ego driven and about personal loyalty." He also reveals new details about his interactions with Trump and his own decision-making in handling the Hillary Clinton email investigation before the 2016 election. He casts Trump as a mobster-like figure who sought to blur the line between law enforcement and politics and tried to pressure him personally regarding his investigation into Russian election interference. The book adheres closely to Comey's public testimony and written statements about his contacts with Trump and his... Read more