Tag Archive for: New York

The Islamization of the New York Attorney General’s Office

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The troubling ties of the state’s top prosecutor.

After a wave of Islamic mob attacks and riots aimed at Jewish synagogues and communities in New York City that began after the Oct 7 and many of which were titled ‘Flood’ echoing the name used by Hamas for those attacks, the state’s top prosecutor finally took action.

Against the Jews.

Even as she failed to take action against the Islamist mobs waving genocidal terrorist flags and chanting, among other things, “we support Hamas”, Attorney General Letitia James proudly announced that she had shut down Betar, a pro-Israel group whose members had rallied to protect Jewish institutions, accusing it of the  “widespread persecution of Muslim, Arab, Palestinian(s)” because its “members repeatedly referred to keffiyehs – traditional Palestinian scarves – as ‘rape rags’ and claimed that Muslims ‘hate America.’”

This shutdown of legal First Amendment speech by the most partisan attorney general in the country, herself under investigation in an unrelated case, was all the more shocking because it came even as AG James had conspicuously failed to act to prevent Muslim attacks on synagogues and harassment of Jewish neighborhoods.

After the Betar shutdown, a number of Jewish groups asked AG James to tackle pro-terrorist Muslim groups like Within Our Lifetime. No action however was taken by her office.

What was behind AG Letitia James’ systemic antisemitism? Some pointed to her alliance with Zohran Mamdani and his coalition merging Islamists and the far left who were responsible for the attacks on Jewish communities. But signs point to the growing Islamization of the attorney general’s office under James as a likelier explanation for her systemic two tier actions.

Attorney General Letitia James had developed close ties to Islamist groups and even before targeting Betar had threatened Steven Emerson, one of the earliest counterterrorism figures to monitor and expose Islamic terrorism in New York, and the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), for monitoring activities by Islamist terror-linked groups. The press release by James’ office objected that IPT had been monitoring CAIR, an unindicted terror funding co-conspirator whose leader praised the Oct 7 attacks, and which has links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

“As we enter the holy month of Ramadan, it’s more important than ever that we show our support for our Muslim communities and stand up to Islamophobia,” James warned in her press release, promoting her illegal assault on a counterterrorism organization on behalf of an unindicted terrorist funding co-conspirator.

The surveillance of CAIR had not even been taking place in New York State, but in Ohio.

But Attorney General Letitia James had been caught picking up materials and agendas from CAIR despite its ties to terrorism and support for the murder of Jews.

Why was James so desperate to pander to Islamists? Her political aspirations have become entangled with Islamic political elements and her office has become Islamized on her watch.

Last month, Halimah Elmariah, AG James’ Egyptian Muslim press secretary, announced she was stepping down to become the press secretary for the New York and New Jersey Port Authority.

Elmariah had previously referred to Israel’s response to the Hamas kidnapping and murder of 3 Jewish teenagers, one of them American, as an “assault on Gaza”, and compared Israel’s campaign against Hamas terrorists to the Holocaust. Beyond Israel, Emariah appeared to adopt conventional Muslim brotherhood positions, defending Muslim Brotherhood dictator Mohammed Morsi and complaining about his successor “who crushed all political opposition, including most notably the Muslim Brotherhood, which he dubbed a terrorist organization.”

The Muslim Brotherhood is the parent organization of Hamas and in some ways of Al Qaeda.

Elmariah claimed that counterterrorism programs in New York City were “spying on Muslim communities”, defended Qatar, a terrorist state sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Syrian ‘rebels’: a mostly Islamist movement spanning the Brotherhood and Al Qaeda.

In her departure post, Halimah Elmariah bragged about how “alongside Umair Khan and Mamadou Bah, we led the Attorney General’s efforts to convene roundtables with community leaders, share resources, speak out against anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate, host Iftars, and most importantly, hire the office’s first-ever Muslim Affairs Director.”

I was not however able to find any evidence of a “Jewish Affairs Director” in AG James’ office.

The position of Muslim Affairs Director.went to Mohammad Awais who was featured at an event of the Muslim Americans in Public Service (MAPS) that included Mamadou Sire Bah, previously mentioned by Elmariah, who had advanced from beginning James’ scheduler to a ‘senior advance associate’ on her team. Partners of MAPS include CAIR and other Islamist groups with a history of supporting terrorism. Journalists have noted ties between MAPS and Islamic groups linked to terrorism.

Umair Khan occupies an even more prominent position as a senior advisor and special counsel to Attorney General Letitia James.

Attorney General Letitia James’ problematic alliance with Islamists go back to when Dabah ‘Debbie’ Almontaser was serving as an early “advisor on cultural and religious diversity issues” for James back when she was occupying the position of ‘public advocate’.

Almontaser had become a controversial figure over her “Intifada NYC” branding. The board member of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York (MDCNY) was alleged to have played a significant role in Mamdani’s career who had also come through the MDCNY.

AG James’ desperate courting of Islamists led her into an alliance with Mamdani, with CAIR and undermined the security of New Yorkers and their First Amendment rights. Some of the courtship has verged on the pathetic with AG James rushing to brag that, “for the first time in our state’s history, January is officially recognized as Muslim American Heritage Month!  This month, and every month, we celebrate the invaluable contributions, recognize the rich culture, and honor the traditions of our Muslim communities in New York.”

The invaluable contributions from Muslims that James may be most interested in are not to New York, but to her political career.

AUTHOR

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

EXCLUSIVE: Suicide Hotline Operator Pushes ‘Radical’ Trans Ideology In Open Revolt Against Trump Admin

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At least one major suicide hotline operator continues sending callers in some states to transgender activists, despite the Trump administration prohibiting the use of federal funds to promote gender ideology, internal documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation reveal.

The 988 suicide hotline’s “press 3” option that routed young LGBTQ-identifying callers to transgender activist groups ended in July when the Trump administration announced it would instead “focus on serving all help seekers.” Yet the move hasn’t uprooted gender ideology from a system intended to support the most vulnerable in times of crisis.

Protocall, a taxpayer-funded 988 service provider, tells its employees that “gender affirming care is an appropriate decision for minors.” The company did not respond to questions about its policies.

When a caller dials the 988 hotline, they are routed to their local crisis center or a national backup if the local center is unavailable. Protocall functions as a national 988 backup and operates the state crisis response lines in New Hampshire and New Mexico, as well as holding contracts with public colleges in states like Arizona, Virginia, Pennsylvania, California and New York.

Subcontractors like Protocall, who receive funds from government grantees, must still comply with federal law and executive orders, including President Donald Trump’s day-one order stating funds “shall not be used to promote gender ideology,” a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson told the DCNF.

Counselors who work for Protocall are expected to agree with the company’s stances on gender identity — and are tested on their understanding of the issues nearly every three months, former employee Jaime Brooks told the DCNF. Brooks left the company in December after working there for just over a year.

“LGBTQ2SIA individuals, often out of necessity, learn to build community and their own families of choice that we can count on for acceptance, support, and sharing in the jobs and important moments of life,” a Protocall guide on “Supporting LGBTQSIA Callers/Visitors” states. “As crisis counselors, helping individuals identify their supports and possible avenues for finding support (such as through social media, local queer resource centers, queer recovery groups and affirming/queer spiritual and religious organizations) can be invaluable.”

If an adult must be involved in “mitigating risk” for youth, counselors should “ask the youth if they feel safe involving their parent and how we should refer to them with their parent (i.e. it may not be safe for them if we use their chosen name or their pronouns),” the guide recommends.

“We can be creative in considering who is a safe adult in their life who we might be able to involve in safety planning,” it states.

Brooks told the DCNF she was required to review and discuss this document with a group. Quizzes accompany other company trainings, such as a “Trans* 101” training that claims that transgender individuals’ “right to exist, socially, medically and legally, are actively and increasingly legislated against every year.”

“It is deeply troubling that the organization operating our nation’s suicide hotline is pushing a radical, disproven ideology onto vulnerable adolescents in crisis,” Do No Harm Executive Director Kristina Rasmussen told the DCNF. “This taxpayer-subsidized program should provide compassionate, life-saving care to confused children, not send them further down a path that can lead to lasting mental and physical harm.”

‘Unethical Behavior’

In her Dec. 23 resignation letter, Brooks raised issues with the company “distributing resources to minors that facilitate their access to sex rejecting medical procedures and drugs.”

“I no longer wish to be an accomplice to such criminal and unethical behavior,” she wrote, citing recent actions by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will restrict Medicaid-participating hospitals from offering sex-change procedures to minors.

Protocall Company Trans 101 training (Credit: Daily Caller News Foundation)

A list of resources provided to counselors recommends the Trevor Project, the initial sole operator of the federal government’s LGBTQ youth hotline. The Trevor Project still operates its own private crisis hotline, as well as Trevor Space, an online community that parents have criticized for allowing minors and adults ages 13-24 to discuss topics related to sexuality.

Trevor Space is “a breeding ground for grooming,” Kevin Brown, a former law enforcement officer who founded a nonprofit that identifies victims of human trafficking, warned California lawmakers in June. As a 70-year-old man, Brown was able to create an account on Trevor Space posing as a 15-year-old boy and connect with other users in a chat room, including an individual who wanted to take their conversation to Discord.

The Trevor Project opposes policies that require educators to inform parents if their child is using a new name or pronouns at school, while supporting policies that allow men to use women’s’ bathrooms and locker rooms

The Trevor Project told the DCNF that TrevorSpace, which is separate from its crisis services, “is built with LGBTQ+ youth safety as a top priority.”

“The platform was created for LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-24, and there are safeguards in place to prevent direct messaging between minors and those who are over the age of 18,” the organization said in a statement. “TrevorSpace actively collaborates with leading safety solution organizations to ensure the safety and security of all users, especially those under age 18.”

Protocall’s recommended resource list also includes PFLAG, an activist group that defends irreversible sex-change procedures as “medically necessary” for minors, and the Family Acceptance Project, an organization that develops resources and programs designed to convince families to accept their child’s gender confusion.

Though hotline callers can request to speak with a male or female counselor, their calls are sometimes received by individuals of the opposite sex who identify as transgender, according to Brooks. Young callers who request to speak with a counselor of the same sex often have sensitive concerns about issues like sexual assault and puberty, she explained.

“The fact that the training documents suggest hiding information from parents is both alarming and part and parcel of the gender activist playbook,” Rasmussen told the DCNF. “That the CEO of Protocall has doubled down on DEI, the twin pillar of the crumbling identity politics movement, is further proof that there must be additional scrutiny on the training provided to the people tasked with the critical job of interceding in young people’s times of crisis. It also calls into question why groups like this continue to hold key public service contracts at all.”

‘We Will Not Retreat’

Protocall has pulled in millions from the federally-funded administrator of the 988 hotline, Vibrant Emotional Health, previously known by another name, the Mental Health Association of New York City.

It received nearly $5.85 million in the 2023 fiscal year and $2.67 million in the 2022 fiscal year, according to Vibrant Emotional Health’s tax records. Vibrant Emotional Health did not respond to a request for comment.

Protocall has a contract with New Hampshire worth $10,328,136, effective through June 2027. New Hampshire’s funding for the company draws on federal grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), according to the contract.

“SAMHSA funds cannot be used for activities that violate federal law or the requirements set forth in current Executive Orders,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told the DCNF.

“This applies to SAMHSA funding of grantees through subcontractors,” he said. “As of October 1, all SAMHSA grantees, including Vibrant, were required to certify that every federally supported activity complies fully with Title IX, Title VI, and Executive Order 14168.”

Meanwhile, the company’s Chief Executive Officer Phil Evans vowed to resist the administration when Trump took office, reaffirming the “company’s commitment to our ongoing DEl work as well as our unwavering support of our LGBTQ2SIA+ employees.”

“Here at Protocall, we will not retreat from the progress our organization has made, the diversity we’ve built, and the safe community we’ve sought to create for every single person we work with,” Evans wrote in an internal Jan. 27, 2025 email to staff.

Email from Protocall CEO affirming commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion after President Trump took office. (Credit: Daily Caller News Foundation)

“Here at Protocall, we full-throatedly reject this Administration’s efforts to roll back basic civil rights and DEl programs,” he wrote. “Here at Protocall, no executive order from this President, or any law this congress may eventually pass, will change how we choose to treat each other and the culture we seek to create. As a private company, our continued pursuit of these values is outside the purview of this Administration’s agenda.”

Evans did not respond to a request for comment.

Protocall’s website notes that its DEI committee, as well as its “BIPOC and LGBTQ2SIA” groups, help “create and review policies and initiatives.” In an end-of-year Leadership Q&A shared with staff, executives stated that affirming DEI commitments made them especially proud of Protocall in 2025.

“When we stood up and proudly reaffirmed our commitment to DEI when other organizations were forced, or chose, to shrink away from it, and when other organizations had to shut their doors, we were able to open ours even wider,” the internal document states.

Other company guidance recommends “normalizing” adverse impacts of minority stress, validating “unique strengths of LGBTQ people” and affirming “healthy, rewarding expressions of sexuality and gender.”

“Collaborate with the caller about how they want to be described in documentation (‘what would you like me to put down for your gender?’” counselors are told. “Protocall follows the nationally recognized standard that gender affirming care is an appropriate decision for minors and their families, and not in any way child abuse or reportable as such.”

Along with funding it receives through states and the national 988 administrator, Protocall is part of an ongoing federal grant project with a tech company, Lyssn.io, to develop an AI-based tool that helps assess the suicide risk of callers.

“Protocall serves a diverse clientele with an equally diverse community of call-takers,” Lyssn Co-Founder Dr. Zac Imel said in a 2023 statement. “It’s so important that Lyssn’s AI algorithms continue to advance in a way that reflects and honors all providers and clients across the spectrum. Partnering with Protocall to do just that is a step toward that kind of inclusion.”

While the Trump administration pulled the plug on the specialized LGBTQ+ hotline, several states are pursuing alternatives. In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro announced state officials would work with call centers to “facilitate LGBTQ+ clinical trainings.”

Trainings ensured centers can provide “a warm handoff to the Trevor Project,” Secretary Val Arkoosh wrote on X.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Dec. 9 to reinstate the “press 3” option locally.

“SAMHSA plans to issue a new cooperative agreement for its 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Administrator in early FY26 ensuring that anyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who will help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress,” Nixon told the DCNF. “Anyone who calls the Lifeline will receive compassion and help.”

AUTHOR

Katelynn Richardson

Investigative Reporter

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

DOGE WAS RIGHT: HUD Finds $5+ Billion in Fraud in One Year Under Biden—Dead Tenants, Fake IDs, Inactive Accounts Paid

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You can begin to understand why the swamp fought Elon Musk and DOGE so hard.

HUD officials say the majority of some $5 billion in fraudulent rental aid in 2024 went to New York, California and D.C. — though dead people from all 50 states got paid.

HUD just found $5 BILLION+ in FRAUDULENT payments in 2024 alone, under Biden.

Payment error of over 11% PERCENT.

  • $5.2 BILLION to inactive accounts
  • $77M to deceased tenants
  • $150M to nonexistent Social Security numbers
  • $288M to excessively high rent

A new HUD Agency Financial Report reveals more than $5 billion in potential fraudulent and improper rental-assistance payments in 2024 alone, underscoring why entrenched bureaucracies fought oversight efforts like DOGE so aggressively.

According to HUD, payment errors exceeded 11% across federal housing programs under  Joe Biden’s administration. The findings include $5.2 billion paid to inactive accounts, $77 million sent to deceased tenants, $150 million tied to nonexistent Social Security numbers, and $288 million for excessively high rents. Fraudulent payments were concentrated in New York, California, and Washington, D.C., though improper payments were identified in all 50 states.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the losses were enabled by weak financial controls and process failures, calling the abuse “massive” and effectively incentivized by the prior administration’s lack of oversight. For the first time, HUD used advanced data analytics to review all Tenant-Based and Project-Based Rental Assistance payments, uncovering systemic weaknesses and triggering a formal disclosure of material financial risk.

The report covers just one year. If the error rate held across the full term, the total losses could be staggering. The findings reinforce calls to aggressively audit and overhaul federal housing programs—what critics summarize bluntly as the need to “DOGE housing.”

In short: billions vanished, accountability was absent, and only now—after leadership and oversight changed—has the scope of the damage come into view.

HUD Financial Report Finds Billions in Potential Payment Errors Occurred During Biden Administration

WASHINGTON — Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner released HUD’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Agency Financial Report (AFR) to Congress, which detailed significant misuse of taxpayer funds under the Biden administration including potential payment errors totaling more than $5 billion.

For the first time ever, HUD’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) used advanced data analytics to examine all Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) and Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) payments made in 2024. Through a series of internal management reviews, HUD identified significant potential improper payments, process gaps, and material weaknesses.

“A massive abuse of taxpayer dollars not only occurred under President Biden’s watch, but was effectively incentivized by his administration’s failure to implement strong financial controls resulting in billions’ worth of potential improper payments,” said Secretary Turner. “HUD will continue investigating the shocking results and will take appropriate action to hold bad actors accountable. Additionally, the Department is advancing efforts made under President Trump’s first administration to strengthen program integrity and ensure taxpayer-funded assistance serves the vulnerable communities it was intended for.”

INFOGRAPHIC: Total Payment Integrity Unknown Payment Estimate

After identifying process gaps and weaknesses, HUD disclosed a material weakness to be transparent about the inherent risks that existed under the Biden administration and to establish accountability for fixing financial oversight moving forward. HUD will continue to implement new processes to track how Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and HUD-funded grantees spend the funds they receive, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and accountability at every level.

Background:

The AFR is HUD’s annual report on how the department manages public funds.
HUD’s rental assistance programs provide critical housing support to deserving communities across the nation:
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program helps families afford safe housing through vouchers they can use in the private market.

Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program provides rental subsidies tied to specific properties to ensure long-term affordability.

AUTHOR

Pamela Geller

POST ON X:

EDITORS NOTE: This Geller Report is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

NYC Releases Nearly 7,000 Criminal Illegal Aliens Without Notifying ICE

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New York has released almost 7,000 criminal illegal immigrants back onto the streets since Donald Trump returned to the White House, without notifying the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. The Department of Homeland Security on Monday revealed to the New York Post that these dangerous offenders were granted bail, parole or simply released back into the community with no warning to the agency.

The individuals released include those convicted of serious crimes. Federal authorities are now demanding New York Attorney General Letitia James guarantee that a further 7,113 who remain in custody will be handed over at the end of their sentences.

©2025 . All rights reserved.

“Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses, But Not Your Jews”

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No joking matter: 1940s political cartoons warned US of Holocaust

Proof of America’s awareness of genocide against European Jews lay in the funny papers, where cartoonists used pens to eviscerate US politicians’ apathy

WATCH: Palestinian-American Influencer Abdul Eyad Celebrates Zohran Mamdani’s NYC Mayoral Victory

By Cathryn J. Prince

NEW YORK — Long before becoming a beloved children’s author, Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel wielded his pen for more sober reasons: He wanted to alert the American public to the horrors of the Third Reich.

In fact, Geisel belonged to a small but determined cadre of American editorial cartoonists who, as early as 1933, sounded the alarm about Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Now the work of these legendary cartoonists is featured in Dr. Rafael Medoff and Craig Yoe’s new book, “Cartoonists Against the Holocaust.”

But beyond resurrecting these cartoons from history’s margins, the book upends the narrative that Americans were unaware of the mounting barbarism.

“There is a popular misconception that what Hitler was doing was not known to the American public until the camps were liberated,” Dr. Rafael Medoff, founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, told The Times of Israel. “When you look at the newspaper coverage at the time you see a great deal was known long before that. And the number of editorial cartoons further illustrates how widely known Hitler’s atrocities were before the end of the war.”

That cartoonists addressed the threat of Nazi Germany so early fits in with how they view their role in society, said Yoe, an Eisner Award-winning comics historian and the former creative director for Jim Henson’s Muppets and Nickelodeon.

“Cartoonists are often progressive. They give a voice for people who are struggling and they can speak for those who need a voice. They care about social laws and issues,” he said.

Through more than 150 rare political cartoons, historical explanations and commentary, the authors tell how these cartoonists implored American politicians and private citizens alike to act against Nazi Germany and save Jewish lives.

Readers will view Kristallnacht, book burnings, the voyage of the doomed refugee ship St. Louis, the struggle over America’s refugee policy, the gas chambers, the cattle car trains, and the Nuremberg Trials, through the eyes of watchdogs such as Herbert Block of the “Washington Post,” Jay “Ding” Darling of the “New York Herald Tribune”, and Edmund Duffy of “The Baltimore Sun.”

As the authors write in the book’s introduction, successful editorial cartoons poke, prod and provoke. Not only did they command attention in the US, they drew a response from Nazi Germany.

“In fact Hitler put out two volumes of cartoons showing what the world was saying about Nazi Germany. They collected cartoons from abroad as a way to say, ‘They’re lying about us and about what is really happening.’ It was their way to refute the accusations being made against Nazi Germany,” said Dr. Steven Luckert, Senior Program Curator at the Levine Institute for Holocaust Education, part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Without choosing a favorite cartoonist, Yoe said he’s long been drawn to the work of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Daniel Fitzpatrick, who worked in charcoal. His 1935 cartoon “Swastika Over Germany” depicts a swastika formed by a bent and chained person.

A cartoon lambasting the turning back of the MS St. Louis, many of whose refuge-seeking passengers perished upon their return to Europe (reprinted with permission from ‘Cartoonists Against the Holocaust’)

“He drew very simple, yet very forceful cartoons. You have to be a very good artist to get an idea across like that,” Yoe said.

As the author of 16 books on the Holocaust and Jewish history, Medoff said the cartoons offer a fresh way to teach the story of the Shoah.

“One important point that strikes me again and again is it’s really hard for teens to relate to the Holocaust because it seems so long ago, so very far away,” said Medoff. “They read ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ and often Elie Wiesel’s ‘Night,’ but this sticks in their minds in a way a 250-page text book does not.”

Luckert agreed, saying cartoons offer a succinct way to convey an argument. As such, cartoons often feature in the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Many of the cartoonists were Pulitzer Prize-winning muckrakers. Some were the targets of racist mobs. And some, like Eric Godal and Arthur Szyk, were Jewish refugees whose parents were trapped in Hitler’s Europe.

“That added a poignant twist. I thought I was writing a book about well-meaning cartoonists who were trying to make a difference. I didn’t realize how they [Godal and Szyk] were personally impacted,” Medoff said.

Originally from Germany, Godal narrowly escaped the Gestapo in 1933 and after settling in the US started working as a cartoonist for several publications. One of his cartoons in 1938, “The Wandering Jew” showed a Jewish refugee crisscrossing the globe, according to the book. A year later his own mother, Anna Marien-Goldbaum, and 936 other German Jewish refugees boarded the “St. Louis,” hoping to be granted safe haven in the US.

She sent two letters, from an aged mother on the wandering steamship to her son Godal the artist in New York. She wrote of holding out hope that President Franklin D. Roosevelt “and other influential people will help us… I shall not lose courage until the happy end is reached.”

Roosevelt did not help and the “St. Louis” returned to Europe. Many of the passengers, including Godal’s mother, perished in Nazi concentration camps. Later Godal would pen one of the harshest critiques of Roosevelt in a cartoon captioned “Refer to Committee 3, Investigation Subcommittee 6, Section 8B, for consideration.” It shows an apathetic Roosevelt passing off a memorandum about how the Nazis were murdering hundreds of thousands of Jews monthly.

More than 70 years after the war ended, it’s difficult to gauge the impact cartoons had on public opinion and policy — for while the US government didn’t intercede on behalf of Jewish refugees, individuals such as Reverend Waitstill Sharp, a Unitarian minister, and his wife Martha rescued an anti-Nazi member of the Czech parliament by sneaking him out of a hospital morgue in a body bag.

“Even if you can’t measure it in an obvious way it doesn’t mean the cartoon didn’t have impact,” Medoff said. “The public’s appreciation of editorial cartoons is still great, they still really pack a punch and can be taken seriously as political commentary.”

©2025 All rights reserved.

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Mamdani’s Socialist Org Makes Progress Flooding Local Offices With Radicals Across U.S.

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Democratic New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was one of at least six candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who won local offices across the country Tuesday.

Kelsea Bond in Atlanta, Georgia, Denzel McCampbell in Detroit, Michigan, Danny Nowell in Carrboro, North Carolina, Ayah Al-Zubi in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Frankie Fritz in Greenbelt, Maryland, won city council races after receiving DSA endorsements, according to multiple reports. The results show that DSA-style radicals bucking the establishment left through Mamdani marked a wider trend.

In Minnesota, Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and DSA-backed leftist Omar Fateh completed their first round of vote counting in the city’s ranked-choice voting system Tuesday with Frey in the lead, The Associated Press reported. Unofficial election results show Will Burnley Jr., another DSA candidate, lost against Jake Wilson in Somerville, Massachusetts’ mayoral race, according to The Tufts Daily.

The DSA said it endorsed 18 candidates throughout the year in a Tuesday statement celebrating Mamdani’s mayoral win. “DSA will continue to support Democratic Socialists running for office throughout the United States as we build a political movement of and for the working class that can defeat the oligarchy and win the political revolution,” the group said.

“Through Zohran’s victory, the people defeated the oligarchy; the working class defeated major corporations; Democratic Socialism defeated the Democratic Party status quo,” the DSA said. “This movement was powered by over 99,000 volunteers and millions [of] voters. Thousands of DSA members in NYC-DSA played critical roles in the campaign as staff and volunteers: knocking doors, calling voters, talking to coworkers, and organizing in our unions and communities.”

Left-wing financier Alex Soros celebrated the win Tuesday by posting a photo on X of himself posing with the self-proclaimed socialist. “So proud to be a New Yorker! The American dream continues!” Soros said.

Democrats unaffiliated with the DSA won elections for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general in Virginia and for governor of New Jersey on Tuesday.

A liberal incumbent candidate for school board lost to an independent in Loudon County, Virginia, infamous for sexual assault scandals related to the school district’s stance on transgenderism. Amy Riccardi, the independent, campaigned in favor of separating bathrooms and other school spaces by biological sex.

AUTHOR

Hudson Crozier

DCNF Crime and Extremism Reporter

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

JD Vance Lays Out How Democrats ‘Tried To Rig’ Census, Redistricting

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Vice President JD Vance said Democrats were rigging the American political system by welcoming illegal immigrants and enacting “crazy gerrymanders” during an interview that aired on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Democrats in the Texas state legislature fled to Democrat-controlled states like New York and Illinois in order to thwart a GOP redistricting proposal that could net Republicans up to five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, while President Donald Trump called for a new census that would not include illegal immigrants in a Thursday morning post on Truth Social. Vance told host Maria Bartiromo that the effort to redistrict in Texas and other red states is a matter of Republicans showing “some spine.”

“Thankfully, under President Trump’s leadership we finally see some spine. You finally see some backbone in the Republican Party to fight back against these very aggressive Democratic dirty tricks,” Vance said. “But the only way for us to do it is to actually go and do the hard work to reset the scales a little bit. We want to redo the census, but importantly, we want to redistrict some of these red states, and we want to make the congressional apportionment fair in this country. Again, you cannot do it unless Republicans actually take some very decisive action in the months to come.”

WATCH:

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday that he has asked a court to declare the seats of the fleeing Democrats vacant, accusing them of carrying out an “out-of-state rebellion.” A political action committee founded by former Democratic Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Powered by People, has helped fund the Texas Democrats who fled to blue states, as has a different organization backed by left-wing activist George Soros.

Vance outlined some of the reasons that Republicans were seeking to redraw congressional districts in red states.

“I didn’t realize this until a couple of years ago, you know for apportioning representatives, you actually count illegal aliens. Even though they’re not… supposed to vote, they still sometimes do,” Vance told Bartiromo. “California has way more House seats than it should because they have such a high population of illegal aliens, so they get rewarded for welcoming illegal aliens into their state, actually asking the taxpayers of states like Ohio to subsidize them.”

“And then those same taxpayers in Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere, they have fewer congressional representatives because of what California has allowed to happen,” Vance continued. “That’s ridiculously unfair, and the only real way to fight back against us is for us to redistrict in some ways as aggressively as these hard blue states have done.”

New York re-drew its congressional districts after the 2022 midterm elections, creating a map that endangered as many as six out of the 11 Republicans elected to the House of Representatives. Illinois Democrats re-drew their congressional districts to take out two Republicans, including then-Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a prominent outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, prior to the 2022 midterm elections.

AUTHOR

Harold Hutchison

Media Reporter

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

REPORT: Police Accuse Repeat-Offender Protester For Setting 11 Of Their Cars On Fire

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The New York City Police Department (NYPD) identified New Jersey native Jakhi Lodgson-McCray as the suspect behind the torching of 11 police vehicles in Brooklyn earlier in June. The suspect has a criminal history and was arrested prior at multiple pro-Palestine protests, according to authorities.

NYPD said Wednesday that the 21-year-old suspect climbed over the gate at 1:00 a.m. June 12 at a parking lot one block from the Bushwick neighborhood’s police station and placed fire starters on the hoods, windshields and tires of police cars. Ensuing fires caused upwards of 800,000 dollars of damage, according to the New York Post. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said “we do believe that he acted alone, and obviously he targeted this location because it is a police facility.” The suspect was allegedly captured by surveillance cameras fleeing the scene on foot and is still reportedly at large. Kenny added that the suspect changed his disguise “several times during his escape.”

The NYPD’s social media accounts posted photos Wednesday of Lodgson-McCray, adding that “there is zero tolerance for anyone who attacks the NYPD.”

Police are also investigating whether he is responsible for a similar attempt to set a police van ablaze Wednesday in another part of Brooklyn.

Though police have not confirmed a connection, Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams suggested that the crime was motivated by recent anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots. Lodgson-McCray’s extensive record of arrests — dating back to 2023 — includes an incident at an anti-ICE protest in May and for burning a flag at a city embassy as part of an anti-Israel demonstration, according to authorities.

The suspect was wanted previously for causing over 1,000 dollars of damage last fall to a Columbia University statue during pro-Palestine protests, police said. He reportedly has two open criminal cases, the first for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest for allegedly obstructing traffic May 28 and another for assault and resisting arrest in May 2024. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases and was released without bail.

AUTHOR

Caleb Ruger

Caleb Ruger is a student at William and Mary studying History. He serves as Publisher at The Wren Journal, the Collegiate Network paper at William and Mary. He also serves as the Secretary of the Virginia College Republicans and Vice President of the William and Mary College Republicans. A recent Catholic convert, he is the Vice President of William and Mary’s Thomistic Institute chapter.

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Red, White, and Ready: GOP Candidates Curtis Sliwa, Alina Bonsell, Michael Henry, and Janine Acquafredda Electrify Puerto Rican Day Parade Float

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NEW YORK, NY /PRNewswire/ — The 68th Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, held on Sunday June 8, 2025 was not only a vibrant display of culture and heritage — it also became a powerful stage for the Republican movement gaining ground across the city. This year’s most talked-about float featured four standout candidates who are reshaping the conversation around local leadership: Curtis Sliwa, Michael Henry, Alina Bonsell, and Janine Acquafredda. Together, they sent a unified message to the voters of New York: Republican voices are here, they’re credible, and they’re ready to lead.

WATCH: GOP Candidates Sliwa, Bonsell, Henry, Acquafredda Electrify Puerto Rican Day Parade Float

Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and the people’s candidate for mayor, led the float with his trademark grit and independence. Sliwa remains a threat to establishment politicians precisely because he can’t be bought. He says what others won’t, does what others fear, and has become a voice for every New Yorker who feels ignored by political elites.

Positioned at the front of the Republican float, beside Curtis Sliwa, was Alina Bonsell, the Republican candidate on the general election ballot for City Council District 5, running against Democratic incumbent Julie Menin, who is seeking reelection to a second term. Bonsell is a moderate Republican who grew up in New York City and has lived in Manhattan for over 20 years. She has emerged as a serious and credible alternative. Her campaign focuses on restoring transparency, accountability, and practical solutions to city government — a platform that contrasts sharply with Menin’s legislative record and policy choices. While Menin often highlights her “20 years of experience,” her tenure has coincided with rising commercial rents, the closure of long-standing small businesses, and an affordability crisis that continues to displace middle-class families. Bonsell’s platform centers on small business protections, parental rights, and pragmatic reforms aimed at improving quality of life for residents across District 5.

One of the most telling examples is Menin’s role as Chair of the City Council’s Small Business Committee in 2021, a position she was appointed to by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio. That year, the Council considered the Small Business Jobs Survival Act — one of the most comprehensive commercial tenant protection bills introduced in decades. The bill, which had majority support among Council Members, would have granted small business owners the right to renew 10-year leases and negotiate fair terms with landlords. Despite its public backing and legislative support, Menin refused to hold even a single hearing. She let the bill die — knowing full well that if business owners and voters were given the chance to compare her developer-friendly record with the protections the bill offered, they would side against her. As a result, for the first time in over 36 years, New York City has no legislation granting commercial tenants any rights when their leases expire. While thousands of small businesses continue to close across the city, those protections were never allowed to move forward under her watch. Why would a sitting chairwoman of the Small Business Committee block a bill with majority support and clear public backing? There’s never been a clear explanation — though it’s worth noting that Menin is married to real estate developer Bruce Menin.

Bonsell, by contrast, has made protecting small businesses and working families a cornerstone of her campaign. She has emphasized that voters are tired of politicians who say one thing and do another — especially when policies fail to match promises. One example is the so-called “Fair Act,” which eliminated the ability of working-class realtors and leasing agents to collect broker commissions from landlords. Agents went from earning 100% to 0%, effectively gutting the incomes of those helping keep the city’s housing market moving. Julie Menin voted in favor of the act, a move critics say further deepened the city’s affordability crisis under the guise of tenant protection.

That same issue also propelled fellow float-rider Janine Acquafredda, a Brooklyn-based real estate broker, into the race for Brooklyn Borough President. Acquafredda — who is half Puerto Rican and half Italian — saw firsthand how the Fair Act undercut hardworking agents across the city. Her campaign now speaks directly to communities being squeezed not only by rising costs, but by well-intentioned policies that often produce harmful, unintended consequences.

Also on the float was Michael Henry, the Republican frontrunner for New York Attorney General. Henry came within just 9.26 points of unseating Letitia James in 2022 — a remarkable showing in a state dominated by Democrats. With over 45% of the vote and growing financial and organizational support, he’s positioning himself for a successful rematch in 2026. His performance proves that New Yorkers are ready for a candidate who prioritizes law, order, and fiscal responsibility — not partisanship.

Together, these candidates represent a new Republican force — one rooted in community, common sense, and courage. If the Puerto Rican Day Parade was any indication, 2025 will not be business as usual in New York politics. This isn’t just another election year. It’s a political realignment — and it’s already underway.

Many of them will attend Alina Bonsell’s upcoming fundraiser, hosted by WABC radio host Sid Rosenberg, this Thursday, June 12, at D.O.M. Cocktail Bar & Lounge in Manhattan. Attendees will hear directly from Bonsell and other special guests while enjoying sushi, cocktails, and meaningful conversation about the future of New York.

©2025 . All rights reserved.

Republican Alina Bonsell ‘The Bombshell’ is Shaking Up NYC Politics

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NEW YORK CITY, NY/PRNewswire/ — With the general election around the corner, Alina Bonsell — dubbed “The Bombshell” by supporters for her unapologetic energy — has officially secured her place on the November ballot for New York City Council District 5.

A moderate Republican with an independent streak, Bonsell is shaking up the political status quo and drawing support from voters tired of party puppets and performative politics.

“I’m not running to represent a party,” said Bonsell. “I’m running to represent people. I’ve lived the dysfunction — from family court injustice to overregulation crushing small businesses. I’m stepping in because too many New Yorkers feel unheard and unprotected.”

A healthcare veteran, real estate entrepreneur, and longtime Upper East Side resident, Bonsell brings a rare combination of tenacity, business sense, and lived experience. As a mother of two who has battled NYC’s broken family court system, she’s making transparency and fairness central to her mission.

Her story is rooted in resilience. At age six, her family fled Odessa, Ukraine as Jewish refugees escaping anti-Semitism. They came to New York to build a better life — and she’s been fighting for that promise ever since.

Bonsell states, “This city’s been run like a broken machine — no heart, no accountability —Ask the residents of Roosevelt Island. Over 8,000 parents emailed the current Democratic Councilmember, begging for help to bring their high school back. She ignored every one of them. No response. No action. They say she checked out and she doesn’t care. That’s just one of many issues that’s been brushed aside — from public safety to affordability to quality of life. That’s not leadership. That’s neglect. And that’s the opposite of who I am.”

A proud graduate of New York City’s public schools, Bonsell supports expanding access to tutoring, leadership programs, and cultural enrichment — because every child deserves opportunity, regardless of zip code.

While education remains a cornerstone of her campaign, Bonsell’s platform lays out a broader vision to restore safety, accountability, and functionality — both across the district and throughout New York City.

  • Public safety: Institutionalize severely mentally ill individuals who pose a danger to others. Remove violent offenders from subways, parks, and public spaces. Legalize non-lethal safety tools like pepper spray so New Yorkers can defend themselves.
  • Transit: Prioritize boarding for Roosevelt Island residents and install a public staircase or elevator on the 59th Street Bridge.
  • Housing: Provide tax relief for residential and commercial landlords to ease rent hikes and stabilize communities. Legalize short-term rentals when allowed by building bylaws. Reform squatter laws to permit immediate eviction of illegal occupants.
  • Pedestrian safety: Enforce licensing, insurance, and traffic rules for commercial cyclists and e-bike delivery drivers operating with no oversight.
  • Small business survival: Pass a Small Business Protection Bill to shield neighborhood shops from unfair pressures and keep local commerce alive.
  • Family court reform: As a mother personally impacted by a broken system, she’s pushing for accountability, transparency, and due process — to ensure no parent is erased by false narratives or judicial apathy.
  • Animal welfare: Bonsell is a vocal advocate for stronger protections for animals, including improved shelter conditions, tougher penalties for abuse, and expanded funding for rescue organizations — because compassion shouldn’t be selective.

In her own words, Bonsell explains her mission clearly: “I’m running on the Republican line, but I don’t answer to national politics or big party donors. This is an independent, grassroots campaign. New York City is often dubbed the playground for the rich — and year after year, it ranks as the richest city in the world by the number of billionaires who live here. But it suffers in so many other ways. I’m running because I want this city to be rich in what actually matters: rich in safety, rich in cleanliness, rich in opportunity, justice, education, and real community.”

District 5 includes East 58th Street to East 96th Street, primarily east of Third Avenue, as well as Museum Mile and Roosevelt Island. The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

More about Alina Bonsell | www.alinabonsell.com | Instagram: @AlinaB.nyc | info@alinabonsell.com

©2025 . All rights reserved.

Liberal Judges Join Conservatives To Plunge Knife Into Heart Of Blue City’s Noncitizen Voting Law

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Liberal judges on New York’s highest court sided with conservatives Thursday to reject a law that would have given noncitizens the right to vote.

The law, passed by the New York City Council in December 2021, would have enabled nearly 800,000 “lawful permanent residents” to vote in local elections. The New York Court of Appeals ruled 6-1 to strike it down.

“[I]t is plain from the language and restrictions contained in Article II that ‘citizen’ is not meant as a floor, but as a condition of voter eligibility: the franchise extends only to citizens whose right to vote is established by proper proofs and who vote by ballot,” Chief Judge Rowan Wilson wrote in the ruling.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

AUTHOR

Katelynn Richardson

Contributor.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Teachers Will No Longer Need To Pass Basic Reading, Writing And Math Test For Certification In This Blue State

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A New Jersey law that removes a requirement for teachers to pass a reading, writing and mathematics test for certification will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

The law, Act 1669, was passed by Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy as part of the state’s 2025 budget in June in an effort to address a shortage of teachers in the state, according to the New Jersey Monitor. Individuals seeking an instructional certificate will no longer need to pass a “basic skills” test administered by the state’s Commissioner of Education.

“We need more teachers,” Democratic Sen. Jim Beach, who sponsored the bill, said according to the New Jersey Monitor. “This is the best way to get them.”

New Jersey is especially in need of math and science teachers, according to an annual report from the state’s education department.

Just months earlier, Murphy signed a similar bill into law that created an alternative pathway for teachers to sidestep the testing requirement. A powerful teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, was a driving force behind the bill, calling the testing requirement “an unnecessary barrier to entering the profession.” Teachers in the state are paid an average of $81,102 annually, according to the National Education Association.

New Jersey followed the example of New York, which scrapped basic literacy requirements for teachers in 2017 in the name of “diversity.”

Other states such as California and Arizona also lower requirements for teacher certification by implementing fast-track options for substitute teachers to become full-time educators and eliminating exam requirements in order to make up for shortages in the field that were worsened by Covid, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

As students struggle to regain learning losses caused by school closures during the pandemic, some states, such as Massachusetts, have opted to lower testing requirements for students in order to allow more to pass rather than make up for the lost education.

Teachers unions continue to hold major bargaining power in some blue states, pushing legislation that protects teachers despite their failure to improve learning outcomes for students. Only about half of New York students in grades three through eight tested as proficient in English and Math in the 2022 to 2023 school year despite the state spending almost twice the national average on education and New York teachers remaining some of the highest-paid in the country, according to the National Education Association.

Murphy’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

AUTHOR

Jaryn Crouson

Contributor.

RELATED ARTICLE: How Democrats Lost The Plot On Education

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Trump: Madison Square Garden Rally ‘SOLD OUT in Less than 3 Hours’

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President Trump will have a rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday October 27th. Mark it down on your calendar.

This rally will be historic.

Exclusive –Trump: Madison Square Garden Rally ‘Sold Out in Less than 3 Hours’, ‘Going to Be Fantastic’

By Breitbart, Oct 20th, 2024

Former President Donald Trump told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview on Sirius XM that his rally at Madison Square Garden next weekend sold out in mere hours.

Trump joined Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle for a 25-minute-long special report interview Saturday. When asked what Americans can expect at Sunday’s rally in the Big Apple, Trump emphasized that it will be a sold-out event.

Breitbart · Fmr. President Donald J. Trump – October 19, 2024

“We sold it out in less than three hours. But people are going to come anyway. We have big screens outside. It’s going to be unbelievable. So come anyway. I mean, come, maybe you get in, I don’t know, but it sold out very quickly,” Trump said. “It’s fantastic. It’s going to be fantastic.”

Madison Square Garden has a vibrant history with American sports, entertainment, and politics. It was the sight of the “Fight of the Century” between Muhammid Ali and Joe Frazier in March 1971, the historic game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, and the 1994 New York Rangers’ Stanley Cup victory.

Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and the Rolling Stones are some of the music titans who have graced the new Garden with their talents, while it has hosted several Democrat National Conventions and one Republican National Convention in 2004. And, of course, the old Madison Square Garden, which closed in 1968, was where Marilyn Monroe sang the most memorable iteration of “Happy Birthday” in world history to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.

Continue reading.

AUTHOR

Geller Report Staff

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EDITORS NOTE: This Geller Report is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

China Hawks Slam Biden-Harris Admin For Ignoring Growing Evidence Beijing Is Running Spy Ops Out Of Diplomatic Posts

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The Biden State Department has seemingly ignored mounting evidence of China running influence and intel operations from its diplomatic posts. And national security experts and China hardliners say Americans shouldn’t expect the administration to take action anytime soon.

Linda Sun, a former high-level official under Gov. Kathy Hochul, was arrested on Sep. 3 on allegations of acting on behalf of China’s government at the direction of the New York Chinese consulate, adding to a growing list of allegations of Chinese influence activities. The State Department has several tools to deter Beijing and Chinese consulates from such activities but has not taken any visible measures to do so, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“There is a range of things the State Department could be doing… The least they could do is to reiterate the warnings of the previous [Trump administration], and where they see need of it, improve upon the warnings of the previous administration,” Steve Yates, a senior fellow at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) and former national security official, told the DCNF. “That hasn’t happened, and I don’t expect it to happen now.”

Yates pointed to an example where the Trump administration shut down a Chinese consulate in Texas in 2020 over concerns that it was a hub for espionage and influence activities. The Biden administration has not closed any of the four remaining Chinese consulates located across the U.S.

Sun was accused of using to position to alter public statements to read as favorable to Beijing, block Taiwanese officials from meeting with New York officials and help smuggle foreign nationals into the U.S. using falsified immigration documents — all in exchange for bribes and gifts from the Chinese consulate, which coordinated with her and provided her guidance in committing the alleged crimes, according to Sun’s indictment.

Sun is not the only alleged Chinese operative in New York’s political orbit who has been arrested for their involvement in espionage or influence activities. The DCNF previously found that Lu Jianwang, an alleged Chinese spy who was arrested in 2023, had a long history of mingling with Democratic New York Rep. Grace Meng, who herself previously praised the Chinese Communist Party’s “leadership,” according to a separate DCNF investigation.

Lu was allegedly helping operate an illegal Chinese police station in New York City — which the FBI raided in 2023 and was eventually shuttered — that spied on and intimated critics of the Chinese government and was linked to a China-based law enforcement unit that specializes in extraditing Chinese citizens. Chinese operative Chen Jinping was arrested alongside Lu in 2023 for his alleged involvement in the police station.

Lu had received an indirect request from New York’s Chinese consulate to help counter a protest of the Chinese government in 2015, according to his federal indictment. He was also present at a protest against Taiwan in 2023 that was partially orchestrated by the consulate, according to National Review.

“China has an extensive spy and infiltration network in the United States,” John Lee, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former national security adviser in the Australian government, told the DCNF, noting that New York politicians who have potentially interacted malignly with Chinese operatives should face legal consequences. “I would like to see the federal government publicize these infiltrations and condemn them openly and frequently to alert Americans at all levels of government that this is occurring.”

The State Department, tasked with overseeing U.S. relations with other nations, can take a number of steps to deter Beijing, such as by confronting and issuing warnings to China’s U.S.-based consulates or issuing public condemnations, experts told the DCNF.

In certain cases, the State Department could even expel a diplomat from the U.S., a significant move that would likely be met with an equal response from Beijing. But experts told the DCNF they feel there has been an alarming lack of action from the State Department on the matter, even though the department has an annual budget of over $80 billion. and approximately 70,000 employees domestically and abroad.

“The State Department appears to be doing everything it can to downplay this situation and avoid retaliation from Beijing,” Michael Sobolik, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, told the DCNF. “Deterrence is just as real in diplomacy as it is in the military realm. The State Department is signaling that it is unwilling to make it painful for Beijing to influence U.S. politics for its own gain. That’s a mistake, one that will leave us vulnerable to future predations from the Chinese Communist Party.”

Hochul said last Wednesday that she had asked the State Department to expel Huang Ping, the highest-ranking diplomat at China’s consulate in New York, given that he frequently coordinated with Sun, according to Politico. However, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters later that day that Huang did not need to be expelled because he had already left the U.S. at the end of August as his term had ended.

But Huang was seen in New York and serving in his post as of last Thursday, according to public records. China’s Embassy in the U.S. confirmed to the DCNF in a statement this week that Huang is “performing his duties as usual.”

The State Department told the DCNF that diplomats usually have 30 days at the end of their term to leave the U.S. or seek to change their diplomatic status.

“It is possible that they just didn’t do the due diligence to see what was going on. They accepted a talking point that wasn’t fact-checked and took it out publicly. That’s malpractice on their part, but you have to judge whether that’s major malpractice or a little screw-up,” Yates told the DCNF. ” I would think that it’s a degree of laziness on the part of the State Department. There’s also a degree of defensiveness on the part of this administration, which doesn’t want to escalate this because it is an embarrassment to them and an embarrassment to the government of New York.”

Broadly, the Biden administration has faced questions for its handling of U.S.-China relations in recent years, with some critics arguing that Beijing has failed to respond to diplomatic pressure and continues to attempt to undermine the U.S. through a variety of methods, including cyberwarfare, election interference, domestic espionage activities and drug trafficking.

Though New York has become a focal point for China’s influence activities, its malign influence extends well beyond the state and into the rest of the country, director of the China Policy Initiative at AFPI Adam Savit, told the DCNF.

“Unfortunately, New York is only one of many hotspots for CCP spying activity in the U.S.,” Savit said. “In many cases, the federal government has acted too late, or not at all.”

AUTHOR

Jake Smith

Contributor.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

New York City Hotels Score Big With Taxpayer-Funded Migrant Shelter Deals: REPORT

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New York City taxpayers are reportedly set to pay out over $1 billion to house illegal immigrants and asylum seekers who have crossed the southern border into the U.S.

Of 193 shelters being used to house migrants, about 153 are hotels, motels or inns, according to the New York Post. About 65,300 people are reportedly residing in these facilities.

The average cost for each room is $156 per night, or as high as $300, according to the outlet.

About $1.98 billion of the $4.88 billion New York City residents have collectively spent on migrants has gone toward housing, the outlet reported. Several hotels reportedly have hefty contracts with the city, including the Row NYC hotel, which is getting $5.13 million each month, and the Crowne Plaza JFK in Queens, which secured a $2-million-per-month deal for housing migrants in its 335 rooms.

Some are not happy with how their tax money is being spent.

“Our taxes are being used to pay for the migrants, and where are we supposed to make revenue?” asked a local business owner, the New York Post reported.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola also criticized the use of taxpayer funds for migrant housing.

“These locations were meant to boost the economy of this city, but instead they’ve become a net drain and are costing us enormously,” she said.

New York Mayor Eric Adams’s administration signed an emergency $76.69 million contract in January 2024 with the Hotel Association of New York City to provide “last resort” shelter to migrant families, according to the New York Post.

The contract directed 15 Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx hotels to provide asylum-seeking migrants access to blocks of rooms for up to 28 days under a “vouchering program” until July, the outlet reported.

Adams later issued a March 15, 2024 decree restricting migrants’ access to shelters. Under the order, migrants would have to leave shelters after 30 days and would not be able to reapply, though exceptions could be made for individuals with medical conditions or an “extenuating circumstance,” according to the release.

AUTHOR

JEFF CHARLES

Contributor.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.