Tag: new york

NANNY STATE: Zohran Mamdani Launching City Government Babysitting Service so Parents Can Have a Date Night

Conservatives used to joke that the left was trying to turn the government into a nanny state. Now, Zohran Mamdani is taking it literally.

The New York City mayor is launching a service where people in the city can drop their kids off at the park to be looked after by government officials while the parents can have a date night. What could possibly go wrong?

Would you be comfortable dropping your kids off at a New York City park and then going out to dinner?

ABC News in New York reports:

Date night, anyone? NYC launching free babysitting program for parents

New York City is giving parents a chance for a night off through a new pilot program that will provide free child care for hundreds of families next month.

Mayor Mamdani announced the launch of “Parents’ Night Out,” a city-sponsored program that will offer free babysitting for up to 500 children on Aug. 16 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. Monday and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Every parent knows that a few hours to yourself can feel like a luxury,” said Mayor Mamdani in prepared remarks. “It shouldn’t be. That’s why we’re launching New York City’s first-ever Parents’ Night Out, so that parents can get a little time on their own to catch a movie, run errands or go on a date without worrying about who will take care of the kids – or how much it will cost.”

The program is open to families with children ages 6 to 13 and will provide free child care at designated city recreation centers.

City officials say the initiative is designed to give parents and caregivers a break while children participate in supervised activities.

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REPORT: More Than HALF of New York Students Grades 3-5 Failed Basic Reading Tests This Year

More than half of students in grades 3-5 in New York state failed basic reading tests this year. It’s an absolute disgrace.

In New York City, they spend upwards of $40,000 on each student per school year. What is the money going to> Lessons on critical race theory and gender studies topics? Social justice activism?

Reading is one of the most basic and necessary skills that schools are expected to teach children. People who cannot read are absolutely doomed in adult life.

Part of this can be blamed on draconian school shutdowns during Covid but not all of it.

The New York Post reports:

NY 3rd-5th graders fail basic reading tests with more than half not even proficient: data

More than half of 3rd- to 5th-grade students in the Empire State failed their reading proficiency state exams this year, according to shocking new data.

Preliminary results released this week by the state Education Department that 57% of 3rd graders, 52% of 4th graders and 57% of 5th graders failed to make the grade on their 2025-26 English Language Arts tests.

City kids in grades 3-8 saw a 6% drop in their ELA scores from last year, with just about half overall rating proficient.

Overall, just 48% of students in the testing grades, 4th-8th, rated proficient on the ELA — a “significant” 5% plunge from the previous year, the department said.

Fifth graders saw the largest drop of any grade level, with those students’ reading proficiency declining by an incredible 14 points, according to the results.

In New York City — where about 40% of the state’s public school students are enrolled — the decline was even more concerning.

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Reality Bites: Socialist NYC Mayor Mamdani Turns To Capitalist Bankers For Help

After socialist New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani went after Citadel’s Ken Griffin, created a property database of wealthy homeowners that makes the list easily accessible to “Luigi-worshipping leftist thugs,” and endlessly bashed America and capitalism, all while his friend, Democratic Socialists of America’s unofficial spokesperson Hasan Piker, called on his followers to “kill capitalists in the streets” and other DSA members called for the destruction of America from within, the far-left NYC mayor, who is running into roadblocks, has called on capitalist bankers for help.

Piker in his own words: “KiII those motherf**kers and murder those motherf**kers in the streets. Let the streets soak in their f**king red capitalist blood.” 

Bloomberg reports that Mamdani is seeking top capitalist bankers for a new business advisory council as he attempts to mend relations with Wall Street after spewing dangerous rhetoric against the very people who make the city go ’round.

Those invited include former UBS Americas Chief Executive Officer Robert Wolf, former Lazard investment-banking chief Antonio Weiss, and Bank of America’s New York City President Jose Tavarez, according to people familiar with the discussions.

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Communist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Given a New Nickname as Details Emerge Regarding His Remarkably ‘Thin-Skinned’ Behavior Behind Closed Doors

It turns out that Marxist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who presents himself as a smiling, smooth-talking salesman, is quite a different person behind the scenes. And it has spawned a new nickname which he won’t like.

The New York Post dropped a remarkable story on Thursday night, which extensively describes a mayor who becomes a nasty bully when things do not go his way.

The paper notes that Mamdani is easily angered not only by press criticism but also by people who dare to utter unflattering words toward him in public.

Mamdani even places personal phone calls to politicians he thinks will back off their attacks and eventually bow to him.

From the Post:

Social media-savvy Mayor Zohran Mamdani is developing a reputation IRL as “thin-skinned” and hyper-sensitive to public criticism, despite hyping himself online as a smiling and unflappable politician, scores of insiders spilled to The Post.

Behind the scenes, Hizzoner huffily badgers critics who dare question him publicly, harbors petty grudges against prominent pols, and often only responds to texts when he’s miffed about bad press, according to interviews with more than a dozen elected officials, consultants, and other politicos.

“I see more and more he cannot handle criticism, but mainly from elected officials who he thinks he can push around,” one political consultant said.

“The mayor personally reaches out when electeds criticizes him publicly. If they speak, then he cares. He cares because he doesn’t want bad press. It shows a sensitivity.”

A major sore spot for the narcissistic mayor is when he hears Jewish New Yorkers taking issue with his attacks on Israel. As we all know, Mamdani despises the Jewish State and has threatened to have Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu arrested.

Sources said the mayor personally called at least one elected official who attended the news conference, complaining about being told to tone down his rhetoric — and upset that their exhortation was connected to his video branding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” which was posted days before the attack.

NYC Democrat operatives and politicians went on to describe Mamdani as someone who uses his phone as “a security blanket” while obsessing over how many lies he gets on an X post.

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Feds Arrest Suspect in Juneteenth Arson of 173-Year-Old Brooklyn Church

The feds on Wednesday arrested a suspect in the arson of a historic Brooklyn church.

A historic church built around 1860 on Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, was engulfed in flames on June 19 – also known as ‘Juneteenth.’

The community was devastated after the landmark South Bushwick Church was destroyed by a three-alarm fire.

The steeple collapsed as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.

24-year-old John Jones was taken into custody as he tried to steal a sandwich and donuts from a store on Broadway, according to The New York Post.

Jones was caught on video on the side of the church using a lighter to ignite the blaze.

According to The Post, Jones was arrested in late June on criminal mischief charges for smashing a tv at a restaurant and causing $900 in damages.

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Mamdani Reverses Policy Requiring Govt. ID to Buy His Food

Communist New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani abruptly reversed his policy of requiring government ID to purchase food in his government-run supermarkets.

Even funnier is that, although we have it all on video, he’s now pretending that was never his policy. Remember, communists will tell any lie necessary to further the agenda. Communists have no ethics other than doing whatever is necessary to bring about the revolution. So, Mamdani is perfectly comfortable lying, knowing he will have the help of corrupt, far-left media outlets like the Associated Press, who publish lying fact checks, like this one, that brazenly and happily lie on his behalf.

Here is what  Jeanny Pak, the Interim President & CEO of NYC Economic Development Corporation, told the world during a Monday press conference with the Mayor standing a few feet away…

Yes, if you look at our RFP [Request for Proposals] for the operator, we are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers, whether it be [through] a sort of a library card-esque [system], and also, we manage who’s buying and that it’s focused on everyday New Yorkers. So, we are mindful of that, and we’re going to make sure that we have all the things in place to ensure that that does not happen.

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Momma’s boy gangbanger who was driven to NYC shooting by cop mom, ex-con dad plotted hit while in court: DA

Chase Lackard, 20, faced a judge on a 2024 gun rap just 20 minutes before the alleged June 29 drive-by gang shooting – with help from his mom, disgraced Mount Vernon Deputy Police Commissioner Jennifer Lackard, and drug-dealing dad James Lackard, according to prosecutors.

“He’s captured on cameras running into this courthouse,” Bronx Assistant District Attorney Keturah Ladd told the judge. “He had a court date and a court appearance on the third floor of this building.”

Momma’s boy Chase Lackard, a reputed member of the “Slutty Gang,” was ordered held without bail.

Jennifer Lackard, 49, a former member of Bronx Community Board 9, was hired in 2020 to run the suburban department’s Wellness Unit, and was fired from the job after her arrest.

Also named in the Bronx indictment is her drug-dealing ex, James Lackard, who served 10 years in federal prison for peddling heroin in North Carolina — but remains on the lam.

According to sources and news reports, Jennifer Lackard co-founded and ran a North Carolina nonprofit with her ex-con hubby, which was shut down after James Lackard’s conviction.

Jennifer Lackard moved north and joined the Bronx community board and started a new nonprofit in the borough, Re-Entry Link LLC, before she was hired to the newly created position by Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard.

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Mamdani: Nah, No IDs at City Grocery Stores — Illegals Welcome to Shop on the Taxpayer Dime

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is now promising that his taxpayer-funded, socialist grocery stores will require zero identification — meaning non-New Yorkers, including illegals and tourists, can stroll right in and load up on discounted food while actual residents foot the bill.

This comes after one of his own officials floated a “library-card-esque” system to make sure only city residents could take advantage of the 30 percent markdowns, sparking immediate outrage.

While critics may portray this as a ‘damned if you do’ trap for Mamdani, it’s not. The criticism yesterday was in the irony of requiring ID, which leftists, in opposition to the vast majority of Americans, believe is racist.

The reality, however, is worse.

“We’re talking about a city-run grocery store, one in each borough, which, by the way, you do not need an ID to shop at, no matter what you’ve just heard in the news of today,” the mayor told Joy Reid.

The implication is clear here. The outrage was a construct of the right. A fiction. And of course, Mediaite helped spread that idiotic narrative, with their angle that Mamdani “laugh(ed) off” the “MAGA uproar.”

The “uproar” was over the hypocrisy. And the concerns were not made up. 

Jeanny Pak, the interim president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, said: “We are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers, whether it be a sort of library card-esque thing, and also we manage who’s buying and that it is focused on everyday New Yorkers.”

Pretty clear-cut statement there.

Now that the mayor has pivoted and done a 180, it’s safe to assume they are not, in fact, “focused on everyday New Yorkers.”

Non-New Yorkers, including illegal aliens and out-of-towners, will be able to shop at the taxpayer-funded stores.

“NYC Grocery stores will be open to everyone. There will be no system to verify identity, residency, or income, and no one will be asked to show ID to shop,” a City Hall representative told the New York Post.

Funded on the backs of New Yorkers. But anybody can reap the benefits. This move continues the trend of Mamdani being a weapons-grade economic illiterate. He likes to discuss fairness for all but implements a government program that is inarguably unfair to actual residents of the city.

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Court Shields Catholic Nuns, Healthcare Ministries from New York Assisted Suicide Law

A district court on Thursday blocked New York from enforcing its assisted suicide law against four orders of Catholic nuns and several Catholic healthcare ministries as their religious liberty lawsuit continues. 

The temporary agreement, which New York agreed to, will shield the Catholic nuns and ministries from being forced to take any part in assisted suicides when the law legalizing the practice goes into effect on Wednesday, attorneys with Becket Fund for Religious Liberty announced. The agreement will be in effect while the court considers their request for a preliminary injunction. 

“Forcing Catholic nuns to participate in suicide—and robbing New Yorkers of the choice to receive faithful, life-affirming care—is both unlawful and unjust,” said Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the healthcare ministries. “This agreement protects the sisters and those they care for while we fight to end New York’s suicide mandate for good.”

The groups — including the Carmelite Sisters, the Dominican Sisters, the Benedictine Sisters, the Little Sisters, Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and Catholic Health — are suing over part of the law that requires them to provide referrals to patients who are interested in assisted suicide. While the 2026 law contains a religious liberty exception, it requires objecting parties to send interested patients to providers who will enable the suicide to occur, thus still mandating some form of facilitation. 

The complaint asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York to block the law before it takes effect on August 5. The lawsuit alleges that if the law goes into effect, healthcare providers who refuse to take part in counseling and referrals for assisted suicides will face significant fines, professional sanctions, and even criminal penalties.

The lawsuit accuses New York of violating core constitutional protections for religious freedom and freedom of speech by compelling Catholic nuns and ministries to either violate their faith or risk state punishment.

“There is a tendency in our society to treat the elderly as if they are a burden,” Mother Alice Marie Monica of the Little Sisters of the Poor said in a statement. “This temporary protection allows us to keep showing them that they are wanted, loved, and precious in God’s eyes.”

In February, New York became the 13th state, plus Washington, DC, to legalize assisted suicide. The “Medical Aid in Dying” or MAID bill allows assisted suicide for terminally ill New Yorkers with less than six months to live.

Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement at the time of the bill’s signing equating assisted suicide with “freedoms” and a “right to bodily autonomy” — a similar argument used by pro-abortion and pro-transgender activists who promote mutilation and the killing of unborn babies.

The groups — including the Carmelite Sisters, the Dominican Sisters, the Benedictine Sisters, the Little Sisters, Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and Catholic Health — are suing over part of the law that requires them to provide referrals to patients who are interested in assisted suicide. While the 2026 law contains a religious liberty exception, it requires objecting parties to send interested patients to providers who will enable the suicide to occur, thus still mandating some form of facilitation. 

The complaint asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York to block the law before it takes effect on August 5. The lawsuit alleges that if the law goes into effect, healthcare providers who refuse to take part in counseling and referrals for assisted suicides will face significant fines, professional sanctions, and even criminal penalties.

The lawsuit accuses New York of violating core constitutional protections for religious freedom and freedom of speech by compelling Catholic nuns and ministries to either violate their faith or risk state punishment.

“There is a tendency in our society to treat the elderly as if they are a burden,” Mother Alice Marie Monica of the Little Sisters of the Poor said in a statement. “This temporary protection allows us to keep showing them that they are wanted, loved, and precious in God’s eyes.”

In February, New York became the 13th state, plus Washington, DC, to legalize assisted suicide. The “Medical Aid in Dying” or MAID bill allows assisted suicide for terminally ill New Yorkers with less than six months to live.

Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement at the time of the bill’s signing equating assisted suicide with “freedoms” and a “right to bodily autonomy” — a similar argument used by pro-abortion and pro-transgender activists who promote mutilation and the killing of unborn babies.

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Mamdani admin. denies that shoppers will need state photo ID or face mandatory door checks to buy food at upcoming city-run grocery stores

A national political firestorm erupted on Monday following viral social media claims that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani would require shoppers to present identification to purchase food at proposed municipal grocery stores, prompting sharp criticism from conservative leaders, left-wing New Yorkers and a subsequent clarification from City Hall.

The controversy stems from comments made during a press conference addressing the Mamdani (D-N.Y.) administration’s new flagship “food affordability program.” Last week, Mamdani announced a $70 million initiative to open five city-owned, publicly subsidized grocery stores — one in each borough — offering a 30% discount on essential kitchen staples like meat, produce, and pantry goods.

During the press conference, which transpired in late July, a reporter asked the mayor, “How are you going to keep people from taking advantage of that deal, basically? And is there going to be a limit on the number of items that someone can take that are discounted at that level from that essential basket?”

“So our RFP (Request for Proposal) makes very clear this is a program for New Yorkers to be able to put food on the table, not a program for people to be able to make a quick buck through reselling,” Mamdani responded.

Jeanny Pak, the CFO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, then floated the idea of a residency verification mechanism, mentioning a potential “library card-esque thing” or looking into state IDs to manage buyer eligibility and target local New Yorkers.

However, following the social media buzz, Mamdani’s office later issued a statement denying that shoppers will need to present a state photo ID or undergo door checks to enter or buy food at the proposed city-owned grocery stores.

Regarding the current official status, the Mamdani administration has not formally enacted a mandatory ID policy. They stated they are “still exploring options” to verify local residence, but no final decision has been made ahead of the planned 2027 opening in the Bronx, New York officials emphasized.

Nonetheless, prior to the clarification, video clips of the exchange circulated rapidly across political circles online, sparking immediate accusations of political hypocrisy. Prominent Republican figures seized on the clip to draw comparisons between food access policies and federal election laws.

Billionaire Elon Musk posted to X calling the situation ironic, while Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) labeled it hypocritical, arguing that advocating for residency verification at city grocery stores while opposing mandatory voter ID bills was inconsistent.

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