Tag: politics

REPORT: Area Where Zohran Mamdani is Planning to Build Government-Owned Grocery Store Already Has 45 Markets Within Walking Distance

The neighborhood where NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is planning to build a government owned grocery store already has almost 50 markets within walking distance, raising further questions about his far left pipe dreams.

Is the new store even necessary? Mamdani probably does not care about that. This is merely a campaign promise and he likely sees it as something on which he has to deliver.

What is often not discussed is the competition this government owned store is going to create for all of these other privately owned stores.

Ask any business owner, and they will tell you it is near to impossible to compete with the government, which always has more resources and money.

FOX News reports:

NYC grocers sound alarm on Mamdani’s supermarket plan: ‘We’ll lose customers’

A proposal by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to open a city-run grocery store is facing pushback from East Harlem grocers who say the area is already saturated with supermarkets and bodegas.

The plan, part of a broader effort to address rising grocery costs in the city, would establish publicly run stores across New York’s five boroughs — but the push to improve affordability could come at a cost for small businesses already on thin margins.

The first store is expected to open next year in La Marqueta, an existing public market space at Park Avenue and 115th Street in East Harlem. The city will spend roughly $30 million to build the store.

Roughly 45 grocery stores sit within a 35-minute walk of the proposed grocery site, according to a Fox News Digital analysis.

The existing stores include a mix of major chains like Whole Foods and Lidl, as well as smaller neighborhood markets and bodegas.

The area is also well served by public transit. There are multiple subway and bus lines giving residents several ways to reach nearby stores if they are not in reasonable walking distance.

Some local grocers say the added competition of the city-owned store could hurt their businesses.

“Of course it will affect this store,” said Sarah Kang, manager at a CTown Supermarkets location about a 35-minute walk south, or one subway stop, from La Marqueta.

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Louise Arbour derided soldiers as “white boys” who “don’t like women”

Former Supreme Court of Canada justice and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pick for Governor General, Louise Arbour, derided Canadian soldiers as “white boys who like guns and don’t like women” while overseeing an inquiry into the Canadian Armed Forces in 2022.

The comment appeared in a Maclean’s profile on Arbour published in July of that year.

In the interview, Arbour argued Canada’s military risks perpetuating a restrictive internal culture if it continues recruiting what she described as “white boys.”

She said the Armed Forces should rely more on external institutions, including human rights bodies and academia, to advance diversity within the ranks.

“The military could use external partners like the Canadian Human Rights Commission. It could also bring in experts from the civil corporate sector or send cadets to civilian universities, where diversity is years ahead of what we’ll ever see in military colleges,” said Arbour.

“If you just recruit white boys who like guns but don’t like women or anybody who doesn’t look like them, you’ll perpetuate that culture.”

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Belief that words cause ‘lasting’ harm tied to politics, poor mental health: study

Individuals more likely to believe words can harm rated themselves as higher in intellectual humility, while also expressing greater support for censorship

A new psychology study suggests that Americans who believe words can cause “lasting” psychological harm are also more likely to support censorship, safe spaces, and silencing controversial viewpoints.

These individuals are also more likely to struggle with depression and believe themselves to be intellectually humble, according to the research, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

The study introduces what scholars call the “Words Can Harm Scale,” a measurement tool designed to quantify how strongly individuals believe speech can cause lasting emotional damage.

The researchers surveyed nearly 1,000 U.S. adults and found that individuals who scored higher on the scale were more likely to endorse trigger warnings, support safe spaces, and believe controversial viewpoints should be suppressed. They also reported higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower resilience.

Lead researchers created the 10-item scale to better understand the role of perceived harm in ongoing debates about speech and censorship.

“A lot of societal disagreements seem to hinge on the belief that words can cause lasting harm,” co-author Sam Pratt, a psychology PhD student at UCLA, told The College Fix in an exclusive interview. “We wondered whether people’s attitudes on these issues could be predicted by a general belief that words can cause harm, so we created a scale to measure it.”

The researchers define “harm” not simply as offense or discomfort but as lasting psychological damage.

“We’re interested in the perception that words can cause lasting psychological damage — leaving people emotionally scarred, traumatized, or permanently harmed,” Pratt said.

Importantly, the study does not attempt to determine whether speech always causes such damage. Instead, it focuses on how belief in harm shapes social and political attitudes.

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Staffer for Dem Sen. Cory Booker Who Brought Gun Into Capitol Without a License Saw Charges Quickly Dropped: DOJ

A staffer for Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who was arrested last year for bringing a pistol into the Capitol without a license, saw the charges quickly dropped and walked away from the incident without further consequence, despite lingering questions.

This is quite a surprise, especially given how radical the Democratic Party is about gun regulations, the Second Amendment, and gun-free zones.

In an article published last week, Politico reported the Justice Department recently discovered that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia chose not to prosecute Kevin Batts in April 2025, about two weeks after his arrest.

Timothy Lauer, a spokesperson for Booker’s office, said in a statement that Batts didn’t face criminal charges because he had an active New Jersey retired law enforcement carry permit.

Batts is a retired Newark police detective and reportedly serves as a special assistant and driver for Booker.

This is strange, however, because at the time of Batts’ arrest, the U.S. Capitol Police said, “All weapons are prohibited from Capitol Grounds, even if you are a retired law enforcement officer, or have a permit to carry in another state or the District of Columbia.”

How did Batts get away with this? If an average citizen bought a pistol onto Capitol grounds, they’d likely be facing a judge and jury, or would be pressured into taking a plea deal, even if they, too, were a retried police officer.

A Capitol Police spokesperson said that the department “arrested Mr. Batts on March 31, 2025, for Carrying a Pistol Without a License (Outside Home or Place of Business), Unlawful Activities, Possession of Unregistered Firearm, and Possession of Unregistered Ammunition.”

When the U.S. Attorney’s office was questioned by Politico about the last three charges, it referred the outlet to its previous statement about Batt’s carry permit.

Batts even received $6,000 from donors for a legal defense fund, according to filings that were examined by Politico.

He received two contributions. One was reportedly for $5,000 from Elizabeth Naftali of Studio City, California, and $1,000 from Patrick Dunican Jr., of Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Naftali, a big Democratic Party donor, had contributed to Booker’s past campaigns. In a sickening and almost laughable twist, she also purchased artwork from Hunter Biden, the former president’s son who has been at the center of controversy for years.

The worst part of the story is the double standard, though. While Batts was allowed to slide, another staffer who had a similar issue back in 2021 didn’t get off so easily.

Capitol Police initially failed to catch a loaded Glock 9mm handgun when it passed through an X-ray screening machine at the Longworth House Office Building.

Jeffrey Allsbrooks, who said he “forgot the gun was in his bag,” proceeded to walk through security and was gone before they realized he might be armed. The building was put on lockdown until he was found.

Allsbrooks, who worked for the non-partisan House Chief Administrative Office, had a concealed carry permit in nearby Virginia, but was not licensed to carry in D.C. He was questioned and transported to Capitol Police headquarters, according to Roll Call.

He was processed, moved to a central cell block, and originally faced four charges: possession of an unregistered firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm; possession of unregistered ammunition, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.

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Romanian Globalist Government Collapses After Losing No-Confidence Vote in Parliament

Romania gets rid of ‘pro-EU’ government.

The Romanian establishment, with the help of the judiciary, canceled the 2024 Presidential elections led in the first round by Calin Georgescu, arrested and charged him, and it became clear: the re-do of the election had to be won by a Globalist like Nicusor Dan.

But the Brussels-supported government of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was not to be long-lasting.

Today (5), Romanian lawmakers toppled Bolojan’s government in a no-confidence vote.

Pro-EU outlets say this move ‘puts at risk the country’s sovereign debt ratings, its access to ‌EU funds and the stability of its currency’.

But the truth is that Romanians don’t want to be ruled by Brussels – it’s as simple as that.

Reuters reported:

“Bolojan has led a minority government since late April when the Social Democrats – the largest party in parliament – called for his resignation and then walked out of the four-party coalition and teamed up with the far-right opposition to file a no-confidence vote.

Tuesday’s no-confidence motion garnered 281 votes, ​above the 233 needed to pass, the official parliamentary count showed.

Although a snap election looks unlikely, financial markets are concerned that ​the turbulence could mean Bucharest wavers in its commitment to narrowing the European Union’s biggest budget deficit. Romania’s leu ⁠currency fell to a record low against the euro ahead of Tuesday’s vote.”

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GOP bill earmarks $1B in taxpayer funds for ballroom Trump said donors would cover

Senate Republicans have expanded the scope of their immigration enforcement funding package to include $1 billion for security upgrades in the White House ballroom project and $1.5 billion for the Justice Department’s investigative and prosecutorial efforts.

The filibuster-proof budget reconciliation package that Republicans hope to pass this month provides a total of $71.8 billion through fiscal 2029, designed to last through President Trump’s term.

The bulk of the money, $69.3 billion, will go to the Department of Homeland Security to fund immigration enforcement agents and operations.

Democrats filibustered the annual Homeland Security Department appropriations bill over their objection to funding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol functions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection without significant policy changes.

That led to a record 76-day department shutdown, which ended last week after Congress passed a spending bill that funded the department, except for ICE and Border Patrol.

The budget reconciliation package is designed to fill those gaps. It provides $38.2 billion for ICE and $26.1 billion for CBP, as well as $5 billion in additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security, to be used largely at its discretion.

Much of the language describing the allowable uses of the funding is purposefully broad.

Still, it has a few specifications, including that $3.5 billion of the Border Patrol funding be set aside for upgrades of border surveillance and screening technology and “new platforms for rapid air and marine response capabilities.”

The $1 billion for the White House ballroom also falls under the Homeland Security Department. The funds are directed to the Secret Service for “security adjustments and upgrades” related to the project.

The Secret Service is planning to build an annex underneath the ballroom, along with other military-grade security infrastructure. The ballroom itself will include security features, such as bulletproof glass and counter-drone technology.

The bill says the $1 billion cannot be used for nonsecurity elements of the ballroom project. However, that figure is more than double the projected $400 million cost of the East Wing renovation.

Mr. Trump has raised the bulk of the funding needed through private donations, and some Republicans may object to taxpayer funds being spent on the ballroom project.

The reconciliation package also includes $1.5 billion for the Department of Justice, giving it wide latitude to spend the money.

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Censorship in Disguise? Congress Introduces Antisemitism Resolution

Two congressmen introduced a resolution this week that appears to include pressure on tech companies to censor people.

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) have co-sponsored a resolution “condemning antisemitic rhetoric from prominent online personalities.” At four pages long, it urges “social media platforms and public leaders to denounce and address” antisemitism.

The resolution blames online platforms for the recent rise in anti-Jewish bigotry. It claims antisemitic incidents have “significantly increased, including a 344 percent increase over the past 5 years, and [an] 893 percent increase over the past 10 years.” And the reason is because online platforms have served as “a major vector for the spread of such hatred.”

Piker and Owens

Two influencers are targeted in the resolution, Hasan Piker and Candace Owens, both of whom have intensely criticized the Israeli government’s military operation in Gaza. “Piker has openly applauded Hamas’ terrorism, downplayed the mass rape of civilians on October 7th, and dehumanized Orthodox Jews as ‘inbred,’” Lawler said in a statement. “Owens has trafficked in vile conspiracy theories, promoted blood libels, and platformed Holocaust deniers.”

“Hatred is hatred, period,” Gottheimer said. “We must stand up and speak out. I get that speaking up is not easy, but our constituents didn’t elect us to always take the easy path. That’s what principled leadership is all about.”

Piker denied being an antisemite. “They are once again conflating legitimate critics of Israel with actual antisemites,” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, according to reports. “They would rather complain about fake antisemitism in defense of Israel than call out the real sources of Jew hatred with a full chest. I have spent my entire career combating all forms of bigotry including antisemitism and will continue to do so in spite [of] this cynical ploy to satisfy donors.”

Owens has called the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza a genocide. So has another popular podcaster, Tucker Carlson. The Israeli human-rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel agree. As do millions of people around the world. And, if polls are to be believed, most American Jews believe Israel committed war crimes in Gaza, with about four in 10 saying it’s guilty of genocide.

Israel and Gaza

Reports say 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza, most of them civilians, thousands of them children. Most of the Gaza Strip has been carpet bombed, leaving a majority of people homeless. A few months back, U.S. President Donald Trump admitted people were starving in Gaza. Understandably, people have spoken out against that.

Israel has justified its severe response as a proper way to address the October 7 massacre during which Hamas brutally killed 1,200 Israelis. While it goes widely unreported, it should not be overlooked that Israeli defense officials reportedly ignored several warnings from within its own defense apparatus of what was coming. Nevertheless, this has all inflamed tremendous criticism toward the Israeli government. In some cases, it has ginned up genuine anti-Jewish bigotry.

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Far-left brewery owner who wished Trump dead running for governor of Wisconsin

The far-left brewery owner who offered free beer to celebrate President Donald Trump’s eventual death announced that he will seek the Democrat nomination for governor of Wisconsin.

As LifeSiteNews covered on April 27,  Minocqua Brewing Company posted to social media that “either a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship or he faked another assassination to get a positive news cycle” after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but “we stand at the ready to pour free beer the day it happens … our celebration of life is going to be legendary!”

The post was met with widespread condemnation by Republicans and even some Democrats, which Minocqua Brewing met with defiance, complaining about “Corporate Dems and politically naive Democratic gubernatorial candidates” for “tak(ing) the bait.”

Now, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the self-proclaimed “progressive beer” company’s owner, Democrat activist and former Assembly candidate Kirk Bangstad, announced his gubernatorial ambitions on Saturday during a live-streamed event, claiming that the Democrat field so far does not impress him.

“I decided I’m not gonna stand for this anymore and I’m going to run for governor of Wisconsin,” he said. “We need somebody strong to run for governor, we need somebody who is battle-tested and can stand up to Trump, and I’ve been called the Trump of the left. Arguably, I am; I’m just a million times smarter, but I have the showmanship aspect.”

“What we haven’t heard so far is that five-alarm fire from any of the candidates running,” Bangstad said. “What’s important to the polls, if you poll every Wisconsinite, is the cost of eggs are high and the cost of gas is high, which is true, but you ain’t going to fix the cost of eggs if you can no longer vote.”

Wisconsin’s current governor, Democrat Tony Evers, announced last year that he would not seek reelection to a third term, leaving the race wide open for both parties. Currently, there are nine official Democrat candidates (not including Bangstad), the most prominent being former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes; and two Republicans, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and medical service technician Andrew Manske (who says he would not advocate banning abortion), plus six independent candidates.

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Italy’s Meloni Denounces Deepfake Lingerie Picture of Her That’s Gone Viral

Meloni said that the fake image ‘improved’ her.

As the first female Prime Minister of Italy, conservative Giorgia Meloni battles all sorts of prejudices: from her being a woman to her being a right-winger.

One of the weapons used against her by unscrupulous trolls and enemies is deepfakes.

Today, Meloni denounced the circulation of a deepfake photo of her in bed, wearing lingerie.

The Prime Minister complained that these AI images are being used to attack her.

Associated Press reported:

“Meloni shared the photo in question on Facebook. She included with it an apparent post from someone named Roberto who apparently had himself shared it on social media with the commentary that Meloni should be ‘ashamed’ of herself.

Meloni warned against sharing such images on social media without verifying them.

[…] It wasn’t immediately clear if Meloni would report the incident to law enforcement, as she was urged to do by people commenting on her post. She acknowledged though that the photo manipulation ‘actually made me look a lot better’.”

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Karen Bass: Palisades Fire Victim Spencer Pratt ‘Exploiting the Grief’ of Palisades Fire Victims

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused reality television star Spencer Pratt of “exploiting the grief” of Palisades fire victims as he seeks to oust her from office, completely ignoring that he was a victim of those fires.

Pratt, known for the TV series The Hills, received a helpful boost to his mayoral campaign last week when billionaire Jeanie Buss, governor of the Los Angeles Lakers, donated the maximum amount to his campaign, elevating his potential chances. His popularity with aggrieved voters also accelerated when his first campaign ad — in which he criticizes Bass for living in a multimillion-dollar home while Angelenos suffer — went viral with over 12 million views.

Part of the reason why Pratt’s message has resonated so strongly with voters mainly stems from the fact that his home, which he shared with reality television star Heidi Montag, burned to ash in the Palisades Fire of 2025, prompting his entry into public activism.

During an appearance on MSNOW with Katie Phang, Bass called Pratt “reprehensible,” accusing him of exploiting others’ grief, seemingly unaware of the very grief he personally experienced when his home burned down along with thousands of others in his neighborhood.

“Honestly, before this, I had never even heard of Spencer Pratt,” the mayor said.

“But the thing I am concerned about is that I feel like he’s exploiting the grief of people in the Palisades. And I think that’s reprehensible. That’s the main thing. And I think that he is about his own celebrity, he’s famous now again,” she added.

Bass even recommended that Pratt take a “basics civics course,” blaming the wildfires on “climate change.”

“He could benefit by a basic civics course, because I don’t think he understands the basics of how any government works,” she said. “For me, these fires, it was the worst natural disaster that we experienced in our city. At the root of it, we have to get adjusted to, just like everybody else in the nation, to different weather experiences because of climate change.”

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