Tag: new york

Fifteen NY Sheriffs Sue Kathy Hochul Over New Anti-ICE Law

Fifteen New York sheriffs are suing Gov. Kathy Hochul over a state law that took effect this week banning formal agreements between local governments and federal agencies.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington, D.C., filed the lawsuit on behalf of the sheriffs of St. Lawrence, Wayne, Broome, Madison, Cattaraugus, Orange, Jefferson, Saratoga, Lewis, Franklin, Delaware, Fulton, Oswego, Cayuga and Rensselaer counties, according to the Albany Times-Union.

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said Hochul had “escalated her administration’s war on the police and she expanded policies to put criminals before the citizens of New York.”

“Under the New York Constitution’s guarantees of Home Rule (Article IX) and Separation of Powers, and under the independent status of their office, they possess the authority to make their own judgments about whether and how to participate in the cooperative framework Congress created,” the lawsuit said, according to WSTM-TV.

The lawsuit said the constitutional overreach to ban what are known as 287(g) agreements harms public safety.

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Letitia James: Postal Service and POTUS Don’t Have Jurisdiction Over Elections

Wednesday on MS NOW’s “On the Line,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said the U.S. Postal Service and the president do not “have jurisdiction over the elections.”

James said, “I and my Democratic attorneys general will continue to challenge this rule, because this rule will create nothing but chaos and confusion in the state of North Carolina. In less than 11 days, they will mail out ballots to individuals who are in the armed forces, as well as to citizens in these United States. And it’s critically important that individuals understand that the only reason why this rule was created is because individuals, particularly those in the White House, believe that they cannot run on their record and therefore they have to steal this election. This is nothing more than an attempt to suppress the right to vote. And I and my Democratic colleagues will fight this all the way to the United States Supreme Court.”

She added, “Let’s be clear, the United States Postal Service and the president of these United States does not have jurisdiction over the elections, it is states and it’s in the Constitution. And that’s why it’s critically important that individuals understand that states have the power and the duty and the responsibility to administer elections, not the president and definitely not the postal system.”

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New York Counties Sue Governor to Protect Cooperation with ICE

Two New York counties are suing Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul to stop a new state law that bars them from working with federal immigration officers.

Officials of Rensselaer County and Broome County have announced that they intend to join a federal lawsuit challenging the new state law sponsored by state Democrats, according to PIX 11.

The federal lawsuit seeks to void a New York state law that bars police departments and other state law enforcement agencies from entering into the federal 287(g) program which formalizes a working relationship between the departments and federal immigration law enforcement branches.

Officials of Nassau County have also expressed interest in the lawsuit, but have not yet committed to joining the other two counties in the filing.

The law, called the Local Crimes, Local Cop Act, went into effect on August 25, and would summarily nullify agreements with ICE that are already in place for 13 New York counties.

“Local police will assist ICE only if a real crime has been committed,” Gov. Hochul said. “But on civil immigration matters, ICE is on their own.”

The New York Attorney General’s Office has also issued subpoenas to the counties that have not yet officially confirmed that they have terminated any agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or will abide by newly implemented state law.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running for Gov. against Hochul, strenuously opposed the Local Crimes, Local Cop Act and says that his county has taken a serious bite out of crime by working with ICE.

“We got rid of 2,000 illegal migrants with criminal records in Nassau County without raiding a church, a school, a daycare center, a hospital, because we cooperated with ICE,” Blakeman recently said.

Blakeman also railed against Hochul and said her law will make New Yorkers less safe.

“Kathy Hochul, where do you want those guns? What neighborhood do you want to destroy? Where do you want those drugs? What community do you want to destroy? Where do you want those illegal migrants with criminal records to live? You want them back in New York? We say no!” he said at a recent rally.

Hochul, though, is warning the counties to knuckle under to the new law and said of any lawsuit filed to stop her law: “Bring it on.”

“No county executive should think that they are above the law in the state of New York,” the Gov. said. “The attorney general will be fully responsible for enforcement.”

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Immigrant-Owned Grocery Stores Now SUING Mamdani Over City-Owned Stores With Unfair Advantage

Zohran Mamdani’s plan to build city-owned grocery stores in New York has now launched a lawsuit.

Immigrant owned grocery stores are banding together to fight Mamdani’s plan because they know that the city owned stores will have an advantage that they can’t compete with.

If the city owned stores can sell the same products at a much cheaper price with no worries about paying taxes, the privately owned stores will eventually go out of business.

New York Post reports:

Immigrant grocers sue Mamdani over government-owned supermarkets, liken plan to Walmart coming to NYC

Immigrant grocers and bodegas sued Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his plan to open five government-owned supermarkets — likening his plans to the devastating competitive threat that would be posed by Walmart coming to New York City.

The Multicultural Business Coalition, which is comprised of 50 chambers of commerce representing ethnically diverse businesses, filed two lawsuits in New York state court on Monday — one of them a seven-page class-action on behalf of “hundreds” of store owners who are “members of groups historically discriminated against.”

The class-action alleges that the business owners’ civil rights will be violated if the municipal stores are allowed to open, according to court papers.

The second suit — a 13-page filing in New York state Supreme Court — claims that the government-owned stores would present problems similar to those posed by Walmart, which has attempted several times to enter the Big Apple without success.

For years, the Arkansas-based discounter has faced fierce opposition from New York politicians, with legislators and labor unions claiming small businesses would be decimated by the retail giant.

The municipal grocery stores “have pledged to sell food items 30% below the market-rate, a rate that rivals or exceeds Walmart discounts,” according to the second filing.

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WHAT? Zohran Mamdani OPPOSES Efforts of Brooklyn Democratic Party to PACK Their Executive Committee With More Voting Members

Every time we turn around these days, there is another Democrat calling to pack the U.S. Supreme Court. They think this is a perfectly reasonable way to make the court more leftist.

Apparently, they don’t like it when this tactic is used against them.

In Brooklyn, the Democratic Party is trying to pack their executive committee because they want more voting members. And yet, Mayor Mamdani opposes this move, claiming that it subverts the will of the people. Oh really?

FOX News reports:

Mamdani jumps into Democratic Party feud, alleging boss seeking to subvert ‘will of voters’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is opposing a last-minute push to overhaul Brooklyn Democratic Party rules, arguing the proposed changes would undermine voters after reformers made gains in the June primary.

“I very much oppose these proposed changes, by the current Brooklyn Democratic Party chair,” Mamdani said. “I oppose them because they are an attempt to circumnavigate the will of voters.”

The proposals from Brooklyn Democratic Party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn would add more than two dozen voting members to the party’s executive committee, which will choose the party chair this fall, after a slate of reformers won 22 district leader seats in the June primary, according to the City Reporter.

The newly elected district leaders will not take their seats until the fall, and Bichotte Hermelyn and her supporters still hold a majority as current district leaders prepare to vote on the proposed changes Tuesday night, according to the outlet.

Bichotte Hermelyn has described the changes as an effort to broaden participation in the party.

“We want to create a perception of inclusiveness,” she told NY1. In a video released by the Brooklyn Democratic organization, she said the proposals would “expand leadership” and “expand representation.”

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Mole Men Return? Weird Manhattan Manhole Crew Spotted At 4AM

The manhole people are back.

Early Saturday morning, just after 4 a.m., a group was filmed exiting a manhole in Manhattan.

The footage, captured and shared by independent New York photographer Viral News NYC, shows the individuals climbing out of the street in the dead of night once again.

A clearer image of one of the men soon followed. Commenters immediately noted the resemblance: “Dude really looks like the Mexican Mario.”

This is the latest odd chapter in a pattern that first gripped the city in late spring.

Groups of men in waders, boots, headlamps, and carrying tools have been repeatedly documented prying open manhole covers, disappearing into New York’s vast sewer network for hours, then resurfacing to change clothes on the sidewalk before vanishing in waiting vehicles.

In June, there were a wave of sightings across Brooklyn and Queens.

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REPORT: New York Liberty Run Pro-Trans Scoreboard Message, Deny Paid Message from Group Supporting Women’s Sports

New York City’s WNBA team refused to take a paid scoreboard message from a woman who wanted to support the XX-XY movement to protect women’s sports from men identifying as women. Naturally, the team had no problem displaying pro-trans scoreboard messages.

Julie Potter, a lesbian hip-hop performer, says the New York Liberty tried to alter her message, which she paid to display at Barclays Center during the Liberty’s game against the Indiana Fever.

Potter says she has a receipt showing she paid $100 for the scoreboard message to be shown during the August 22 game, OutKick reports.

The singer adds that she asked the team to display the following message: “Thank you Jennifer Sey! XX-XY Athletics will Save the Day!”

The payment and message were accepted, Potter said, but the day before the game, she was contacted by the team and told that they would not display the message she had requested. Instead, the sales dept. told her the message they would agree to display would read, “Thank you Jennifer Sey, thank you for all you do for XX-XY Athletics.”

Potter said she told them that if they did not display the message she had paid for, she wanted to cancel it and get a refund.

Despite balking at Potter’s message, the Liberty had no problem displaying pro-transgender messages during the game.

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Privileged NYC City Socialist with a VERY Fitting Nickname Gets Dunked On After Posting This Condescending Message on Social Media

A champagne Democrat socialist (DSA) with an incredibly appropriate nickname is getting dragged after posting a quite telling message on social media.

NYC resident Grace Ryan, a 25-year-old chocolate heiress from Ohio who graduated from NYU this spring, went on X last week to defend recent criticism she has received for being a rich girl cheering on socialism.

“Everyone’s trying to dunk on me for being a progressive from a privileged background but like have yall never heard of noblesse oblige?” Ryan wrote. “I have a moral obligation to use my advantages to help those who are struggling.”

Most Americans, of course, have not. And not surprisingly, X roasted her all over again for this ultra-condescending post.

One fact they continuously pointed out was that Ryan lives in a rent-stabilized department despite her family’s wealth.

As The New York Post notes, the idea of “noblesse oblige” lets the rich keep their fortunes as long as they share a small portion of it. But the DSA advocates for a classless society, as Karl Marx did, a goal Ryan clearly does not believe in advancing.

Ryan, who has nicknamed herself “Lulu Lenin,” lives up to her nickname so well that she could pose as the poster child for champagne socialism in a GOP ad.

Her rich daddy is even a registered Republican!

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Mamdani’s Socialist Government Considering Subsidizing For-Profit Grocery Stores to Compete With State-Supported Ones

Recently, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that he was making good on his campaign promise to bring down food costs by opening state-sponsored grocery stores that would sell goods at below cost. The stores will also not be required to pay taxes or rent.

By establishing these state-sponsored stores, Mamdani is not reducing food costs. He is reducing the price for consumers while placing a larger burden on taxpayers, most of whom will not be able to access the city stores.

To make matters worse, these stores are required to pay a “living wage,” which is estimated at more than double the minimum wage. Furthermore, they are required to provide healthcare and other benefits for employees. So, not only will the government have to supplement the lower prices of goods, but it will also have to support dramatically higher operating costs.

Apart from the fact that selling goods below cost in stores that cannot cover their operating expenses is an unsustainable model, the other problem with state-sponsored grocery stores is that they make it difficult for the private sector to compete. Private grocers and bodega associations have protested the decision. A bodega trade group, the United Bodegas of America, representing roughly 14,000 businesses, is preparing a lawsuit arguing that the taxpayer-subsidized stores create unfair competition, both on pricing and through the use of rent-free city land.

John Catsimatidis, CEO of Gristedes and D’Agostino’s, has threatened multiple times over more than a year to close, sell, or relocate his stores. Before the election, he told Fox Business, “If the city of New York is going socialist, I will definitely close, or sell, or move or franchise the Gristedes locations,” adding that he would also consider moving his corporate offices to New Jersey.

After Mamdani won the election, Catsimatidis predicted the plan “would collapse our food supply, kill private industry, and drag us down a path toward the bread lines of the old Soviet Union.” More recently, he has said he might relocate operations to Florida instead, citing declining sales and increased shoplifting that he attributes to city policy. He also said profitability has suffered for two years, making layoffs and operational scale-backs more likely. He has not announced a definite timeline for relocation or layoffs and is still evaluating his options.

On the unfair-competition point specifically, Catsimatidis told Fox News Digital, “The people that are going to run those five stores are not going to pay any real estate taxes, not going to pay any rent,” adding, “If I don’t pay any rent or real estate taxes, I can bring down the cost of a product 20% across the board.”

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DHS Investigates Anti-Israel Nonprofit Over Suspect Fund Transfers

The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly digging into a nonprofit tied to Zohran Mamdani after questions surfaced about donor money and its possible path to a sanctioned Palestinian group. The case centers on a U.K.-based organization with a massive funding pool and a loud anti-Israel mission, which has put its finances and political network under a bright federal spotlight.

The group at the center of the report is known as PFF, a foundation described as having roughly a $100 million war chest. According to the reporting, federal authorities are looking at whether donor funds may have been steered toward Al-Haq, a Palestinian organization sanctioned by the United States.

That alone is enough to raise eyebrows, but the story gets messier fast. Sources quoted in the report described the outfit as a “new fund” created by Arabs across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to push back against Israel, giving the group a clear ideological edge.

Another name keeps popping up in the background: Bassema Yousef. She is described as the key figure in the fundraising effort, a New York-born Democrat donor who now lives in London and has long been connected to Mamdani’s orbit.

Her public posts reportedly leave little room for doubt about where she stands. The report says her social media has included repeated anti-Israel attacks, including claims that Israel is committing “war crimes with U.S. tax dollars,” language that shows just how heated this fight has become.

The financing side is what makes the whole thing even more intense. Sources told the Post that Yousef helped build PFF with backing from two wealthy donors, Austin-based investing executive Basil Qunibi and Palestinian-Australian motorsports figure Yasser Shahin.

Shahin’s role is not just rumor, at least according to the report. Corporate filings in the U.K. reportedly confirm his support for PFF, and the IRS has also acknowledged that the organization has a nonprofit arm based in Delaware.

PFF has also tried to present itself as something bigger and cleaner than the controversy around it. Its own description calls it a “strategic foundation” that partners with organizations able to deliver results that fit its objectives.

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