https://zapier.com/This feed is powered by Zapier's handy RSS service.Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:27:18 +0000https://reason.com/2026/06/25/the-dsa-and-the-democrats-retreat-into-economic-fantasyland/The DSA and the Democrats' Retreat Into Economic Fantasyland --- Of the trio of candidates who swept to victory in New York this week with the backing of Mayor Zohran Mamdani—all of whom are or have been associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)—none has generated more attention than Darializa Avila Chevalier. Chevalier, who has never held office before, is a 32-year-old community organizer who this week won a Democratic primary in New York against incumbent Adriano Espaillat. Like many DSA-affiliated up-and-comers, Chevalier has a long history of incendiary social media posts. As Reason's Liz Wolfe noted yesterday, she's called former President Joe Biden a "rapist" and a "war criminal." She once posted "fuck Kamala Harris." Remember, she just won a Democratic primary.  She also described the United States as a "fucking disgrace," though it's apparently not quite so disgraceful that she doesn't want to take the title and salary of U.S. congressional representative. As center-left writer Jeff Maurer wrote, it will be extraordinarily easy for Republicans to portray her as a radical, anti-America lunatic "because she is a radical, anti-America lunatic."  But Chevalier is not just an unusually unhinged, radically anti-American social media leftist; she's also a committed economic socialist who supports creating a four-day, 32-hour work week with no pay reduction, free government-sponsored childcare, free pre-kindergarten, Medicare for All, and a federal rent control system, presumably because rent regulations have worked so well in New York. Somewhat confusingly, she also supports both a universal basic income and a federal jobs guarantee, which raises the question: Why would you need a federally guaranteed job if you have a federally guaranteed income?  In any case, after reading several academic studies, conversing with some economists and pollsters, and trying to assess her policy agenda neutrally, I have concluded that she is, in technical terms, cuckoo bananas.  OK, OK, you got me. I didn't actually do all that. But her policy agenda is so wildly fanciful, so disconnected with economic reality, and so out of touch with American politics that I hardly needed to. It's self-evidently absurd. The same is true of many of the ideas of her fellow DSA-linked, Mamdani-backed candidates, like Claire Valdez, another one of this week's winners, who somehow still supports the Green New Deal and also wants the federal government to freeze electricity bills.  Medicare for All is so expensive and so unwieldy that it failed, even in a small scale, in Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I–Vt.) home state of Vermont. The idea that it would pass at the national level is utterly fanciful. One estimate of the Green New Deal, a sort of everything bagel bundle of environmental-labor-big-government-quasi-socialism, put the cost at over $90 trillion, or about three times the country's total annual gross domestic product. Making the federal government America's electrical utility company would probably work about as well as making the federal government America's landlord did during COVID-19.  And speaking of landlords, has anyone in the orbit of the DSA ever looked at one single solitary study of rent-control in New York? Or even just…the actual rent in New York, which is ground zero for American rent control? Rent control doesn't need studies to show it doesn't work. Every time someone rents an apartment in the Big Apple, it makes the case against itself.  One might argue that Chevalier and the rest of the Mamdani-backed, DSA-friendly slate of candidates are extreme and not representative of the rest of the party. And that's true to some extent. But mainstream Democrats have been embracing fantasy economics for years, even and perhaps especially under a nominally moderate figure like Joe Biden.  Biden wasn't a socialist. But he was a big-government Democrat who backed obviously ruinous spending policies from the day he entered office. His first major act as president was to pass the American Rescue Plan, a $2 trillion stimulus and spending bill billed as a COVID response, despite the fact that only a tiny percentage of the spending was actually dedicated to responding to the pandemic. Instead, the bill was a bloated package of handouts to Democratic interest groups and unnecessary checks to American voters. Critics warned that the package was too large and would cause inflation. In return, Biden said the bigger risk was going too small. But two years later, the economy suffered the worst inflation shock in 40 years.  Meanwhile, Biden appointed a group of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) devotees to key regulatory posts. Often called neo-Brandeisians—or more colloquially, antitrust hipsters—they often gesture toward the technical and historical aspects of antitrust legislation. But in the main, their worldview is, as with most hipsters, aesthetic rather than technical. It can be summarized as: Big corporations are inherently suspect, and any merger or deal that makes them larger should require approval from the federal government, even if there is no obvious consumer harm. Indeed, this intellectual cohort sometimes explicitly argued that higher prices for consumers were an affirmative good that should be pursued by policymakers. You think an f-bomb directed at Kamala Harris is radical? Try telling American voters that the job of government is to make prices higher.  And this is just the stuff that Biden, with Harris and the rest of the Democratic Party along for the ride, actually did. From spending to business regulation to labor issues, much of the Democratic Party, even beyond the fringes of Mamdani's Commie Corridor, has also gone cuckoo bananas, especially in bastions of blue governance like California and New York.  Harris once championed Sanders' national single-payer health care plan. She backed off, but continued to push a large government expansion of health care that, while less expansive, was still substantial—and mostly just didn't make any sense. Democrats in both California and New York have proposed their own, state-based single-payer health care plans, both of which would have required politically implausible tax hikes and both of which were, to put it kindly, ludicrously expensive.  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D–N.Y.), who looks to be readying a 2028 presidential run, proposed a Green New Deal for Public Housing Act that, while less expensive than national single-payer health care, would still have cost hundreds of billions a decade and would have substantially increased federal control of the nation's public housing stock. The city of Boston, meanwhile, pushed various forms of rent regulation, and the state of New York trumpeted eviction restrictions that, in some cases, allowed tenants to squat in apartments for years without paying rent.   In New York City, the DSA's patron, Mamdani, has spent political capital pushing a series of utterly pointless, woefully expensive city-run grocery store boondoggles. Kamala Harris proposed a price-gouging law that was derided by Democratic-Party-friendly economists. Harris' proposal had some commonalities with a price gouging law proposed by Warren, Sanders, and Democratic lawmakers from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Illinois that might have given the federal government the ability to set grocery prices.  Part of the problem is that many of the party's leading lights are not especially sharp when it comes to economics and policymaking. Another problem is that many simply don't care about the realities and practicalities of their proposals. But while that explains some of the party's economic nuttiness, that's not exactly an excuse. Careless, uninformed radicalism is still radicalism, and it's been gnawing its way closer to the party's center for years. Chevalier and the DSA-adjacent, Mamdani-backed cohort are just the most bananas of them all, the bleeding edge of creeping cuckoo-bananaism.  I don't mean to say the Republican Party is much better. Over the last decade, the party has become a personality cult, and the personality it has organized around understands the economy through a simple-minded mercantilist worldview, in which America is essentially a business that needs to collect revenue through tariffs, like licensing fees for Trump-branded golf courses. Much of the party has sat idly by, or even cheered, as President Donald Trump unilaterally passed sweeping, constitutionally dubious tariffs that have cost jobs, raised prices, and generally failed to deliver on their own stated goals, like reducing the national debt and deficit.  Speaking of which: Have you looked at the national debt recently? Our nation's political class certainly hasn't. All of these expansive spending proposals, from Medicare for All to the Green New Deal, are being talked about in an environment with dramatically less space for fiscal maneuvering. A major budget crunch is coming, yet the Democratic Party has largely decided to ignore the books and push for spending more, and more, and more.   The all-around radicalism of the GOP during the Trump years has papered over and excused the radicalism of the Democratic Party, and even helped egg it on. After this week's radical sweep, youthful party strategist David Hogg posted, "If this isn't the Dem tea party I don't Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:27:18 +00007orCrjbgNpZgOCwyhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-backed-socialist-primary-winner-founded-group-whose-goal-eradicate-western-civilizationMamdani-backed socialist primary winner founded group whose goal is to ‘eradicate' Western civilization --- Fox News' Bryan Llenas reports on Democratic socialists winning congressional primaries in New York advocating for radical policies. Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, warn against this leftward shift, labeling the candidates 'Marxist.' Voters approved platforms including Medicare-for-all and abolishing ICE, prompting concerns about the Democratic Party's future. The socialist backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani who won Tuesday night’s primary election in New York’s 13th Congressional District founded a group in college that called for the total destruction of the West.  Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, a Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress who made career out of "community organizing," wrote in her biography for an opinion piece in independent news outlet The Electronic Intifada that she "helped launch the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign Columbia University Apartheid Divest." "We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization," the group said in a now-deleted 2024 Instagram post. In May 2024, eight years after she graduated from Columbia, Chevalier was back on campus advocating alongside the group she founded, known as CUAD, wearing a keffiyeh and a t-shirt emblazoned with the group's name. Darializa Avila Chevalier, Democratic candidate for Congress in New York's 13th Congressional District, speaks with a voter in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan on June 14, 2026, in New York, N.Y. (Shuran Huang/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) Avila Chevalier was interviewed by the Associated Press at the school's infamous encampment against Israel that year, which was later broken up by police. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST WITH HISTORY OF ANTI-AMERICAN RHETORIC WINS VICIOUS DEM PRIMARY RACE Only months after that, CUAD, caused a firestorm when it reportedly posted its goal of eradicating Western Civilization. "We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South," the post continued. "Our Intifada is an internationalist one — we are fighting for nothing less than the liberation of all people." "We reject every genocidal, eugenicist regime that seeks to undermine the personhood of the colonized," the group added. HASAN PIKER CELEBRATES AMERICA BEING 'CLOSER THAN EVER' TO SOCIALISM AS HE BACKS NYC CANDIDATES Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier speaks during a Get Out the Vote rally at King's Theater in New York City on June 18, 2026. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned alongside her and other candidates ahead of the Democratic primary and early voting. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Columbia University has roundly denounced CUAD, and says it is not affiliated in any way with the school. Avila Chevalier was born in Florida to Dominican immigrants. She converted to Islam in recent years. 'PARTY OF ZOHRAN': MAMDANI EMERGES AS DEMOCRATIC KINGMAKER AFTER SOCIALIST ALLIES SWEEP NYC PRIMARIES The surfacing of her affiliation with the group has sparked intense online backlash, including from elected Democrats. "Anti-Israel. Anti-America. Anti-Western Civilization. Why am I the only Democrat in the U.S. Senate that refuses to excuse this or defend any of those self-identified communists?" Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said on X Wednesday evening. Darializa Avila Chevalier, Democratic candidate for Congress in New York's 13th Congressional District, speaks with voter Maria Rodriguez in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan on June 14, 2026. (Shuran Huang/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) Avila Chevalier also infamously expressed anti-white women and anti-American sentiments in deleted social media posts, one time calling her home country "a f---ing disgrace." LETITIA JAMES FUMES AS MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK PRIMARIES "I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me," she said in another deleted post. "This lady founded an organization with a stated goal of Eradicating Western civilization, & a bunch of rich white progressives who know she means them, said 'please do,'" X personality Sean Fitzgerald said. Congressional candidates Claire Valdez, left, Brad Lander, second from left, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, right, raise their hands with Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a Get Out the Vote rally in New York City on June 18, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP "The real 'country over party' test isn’t going to be about Trump," said RealClearInvestigations writer Mark Hemingway. "It’s going to be over communist Congress members who literally say they want to eradicate Western civilization." In a deeply blue district, Avila Chevalier is likely to waltz her way into Congress in November. Fox News Digital reached out to Avila Chevalier's campaign. Peter D'Abrosca is a politics reporter at Fox News Digital.Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:58:48 +0000CtkwbSoz6dFOYCDMhttps://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/06/25/even-jessica-tarlov-cant-deny-how-bad-the-nyc-primaries-went-for-the-dems-n4954355---Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:24:56 +0000zlFXxssWyJESLgC7https://wng.org/opinions/socialism-runs-the-table-in-new-york-1782337690Socialism runs the table in New York | WORLD --- Loading the Audio Player... Who saw anti-Israel socialism arriving as the breakout political movement of 2026? When Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race in 2025, he prevailed over Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of the state (and son of a former governor) and the African American incumbent, Eric Adams. It was something of a shock to see a young assemblyman with almost no real work history rising to such a high office so quickly. Now, in the wake of a clean sweep of New York Congressional primaries by candidates endorsed by the young self-avowed socialist mayor, we have moved from a singular event to a broader phenomenon. Mamdani has very quickly managed to translate his platform into an emerging movement. In 1989, the Soviet Union began its epic collapse as the Berlin Wall fell and satellite countries began to reclaim their independence. The disintegration of history’s most prominent Marxist state led to a change in American politics as Democrats tacked to the right. Arkansas Gov. and Rhodes Scholar Bill Clinton won the presidency in 1992 as a centrist “New Democrat.” His platform was pro-business and pro-fiscal discipline. While he achieved re-election and successfully weathered scandals, the business-oriented New Democrats were short lived. The next Democrat to win the presidency was Barack Obama, who, perhaps ironically, was often accused of being the Muslim socialist Zohran Mamdani unquestionably is. While Obama did not run or govern as a socialist, it was understood that in his younger years he was attracted by the hard left and perhaps nurtured a continuing affection for it. What was not possible for Obama to pursue, assuming he had the inclination, has been increasingly normalized by figures such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mayor Mamdani and his slate of successful candidates now represent a kind of early culmination. This week, Mayor Mamdani successfully pushed three socialist candidates to victory in their Democratic primaries, which will almost certainly take them to victory in November. Assuming the self-identified American socialists continue to knock off mere “progressives” in favor of their more frankly labeled objective, it is not difficult to foresee that there will be a day when we will observe the official formation of a socialist caucus or democratic socialist caucus in Congress. Beyond the push for collectivism and redistribution, these American socialists are quite clear about their opposition to the state of Israel. There is an interesting added element. Beyond the push for collectivism and redistribution, these American socialists are quite clear about their opposition to the state of Israel. Mamdani’s candidates, including the ethnically Jewish Brad Lander, were unsparing in their attacks on Israel as the culpable party in the Palestinian conflict. There is perhaps a bit of historical irony in the situation since modern Israel operated as a social democracy for its first three decades and featured the leadership of the democratic socialist David Ben-Gurion. The United States has a highly binary political system that makes it almost impossible for third parties to flourish or to gain any significant power. As an example, the Green party sometimes attracted support from the left but never enough to really matter other than the fact that it likely cost the Democrat environmental crusader Al Gore (another irony) the presidency in 2000. Obviously, such a result is punitive to fellow travelers. Democratic socialists such as Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders have shrewdly decided instead to operate within the already established Democratic Party (the oldest political party in the United States). Instead of having to fight from a marginal, outsider position that is almost impossible given the nature of our system, they only have to conquer an existing institution from within. What the Democrats are discovering, at least in New York and in other major urban contexts, is that the far left exerts far more attraction to voters than might have been imagined. American politics has often involved an obsession with the ideological center as the key to victory. We are finding that there are times when the energy and bold claims of groups previously isolated can forge a new and large enough consensus to redirect power. That appears to be what we are seeing with the Democratic Socialists of America. Forget the New Democrats. Can even the more liberal progressives maintain their hold over the mainstream Democratic party? We will see. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Donald Trump once seriously considered running for president under H. Ross Perot’s Reform party banner, which featured Pat Buchanan (often considered a signal for Trump) in 2000. Trump abandoned his earlier interest in third party politics to go all-in on the Republican party in 2015. To the surprise of virtually everyone, he defeated many GOP establishment figures and has substantially transformed the party. Bernie Sanders, Zohran Mamdani, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are doing something similar in the Democrat party. There is little question that this is one of the most dynamic periods in the history of American politics.Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:27:18 +0000Ax6dRTce487UZBc8https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hillary-clinton-still-fuming-electoral-college-calls-abomination-new-netflix-seriesHillary Clinton still fuming over Electoral College, calls it an 'abomination' in new Netflix series --- Hillary Clinton labels former President Joe Biden's 2024 re-election bid a 'terrible mistake' in a recent interview, stating he should have passed the torch. 'Fox & Friends' hosts discuss the irony and timing of her criticism, contrasting it with her earlier endorsement. They also critique the Democratic Party's internal alignment and lack of diverse perspectives on this significant political decision, highlighting perceived flaws in party strategy. Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is still railing against the Electoral College, which cost her the presidency in 2016, calling it an "abomination" in a trailer for the new Netflix docuseries titled "The American Experiment." In a trailer for the upcoming series, which is executive-produced by Tom Hanks, Clinton remarks, "Well, I personally think the Electoral College is an abomination. For obvious reasons." Set to drop today, the new five-part docuseries marks 250 years of U.S. independence by examining "how American democracy has been built, challenged, and reimagined" over the course of its centuries-long history, according to Netflix’s Tudum. In addition to Clinton, the series will feature interviews with dozens of politicians and historians, including former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence and Al Gore, as well as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. The push for abolishing the Electoral College, which was instituted in 1787, has gained increased support in some corners of the left, especially after Clinton’s 2016 loss to President Donald Trump. Though Clinton won the national popular vote, Trump secured several key swing states that gave him the Electoral College edge, sending him to the White House. WHAT IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? HOW DOES IT WORK? Hillary Rodham Clinton attends a conversation with David Remnick at 92NY in New York City on June 15, 2026. (Dominik Bindl/Getty Images) After her loss, Clinton lambasted the system, calling it "the god-forsaken Electoral College" in her 2017 memoir "What Happened." In an interview with CNN host Anderson Cooper, Clinton reaffirmed her call to abolish the Electoral College, referring to it as "an anachronism that was designed for another time" that "no longer works." "We’ve moved toward one person, one vote, that’s how we select winners," she continued, adding, "I think it needs to be eliminated, I’d like to see us move beyond it." Months before Trump’s 2024 victory over Harris, Clinton again raised concerns about the Electoral College, saying in an interview with The 19th, "We are the underdog, that just kind of goes with the territory when we have the Electoral College staring at you." Trump defeated Harris both in the Electoral College and in the popular vote. Fox News Digital reached out to Clinton for additional comment. CARVILLE WARNS DEMS NEED 'SOMEBODY THAT CAN WIN THIS GOD--- THING' WHEN ASKED IF AOC IS VIABLE FOR 2028 Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th National Convention on July 25, 2024, in Houston, Texas. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images) In the trailer for the new docuseries, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., states that "the founders themselves were not in love with the Electoral College" and "it was defective from the beginning." "We have a problem that a minority of the population, because of the structure of the Electoral College — in some cases, over the objections of the majority — is ruling the majority," added Lofgren. Discussing Clinton’s interview, director Brian Knappenberger told Variety, "I knew I would be asking former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton about one of the most painful moments of her life." JEMELE HILL FALSELY CLAIMS ELECTORAL COLLEGE IS ENTIRELY 'ROOTED IN SLAVERY' AND IT COST KAMALA THE ELECTION Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton delivers a concession speech after losing to Republican president-elect Donald Trump as former President Bill Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine look on in New York on Nov. 9, 2016. (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP "She has rarely spoken candidly about that election night and we’re really happy she talked about it for the series," said Knappenberger, adding, "She has a unique perspective as one of only five people in American history to lose the presidency after winning the popular vote. The 2016 election also stands out because Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump in the popular vote by such a significant margin." Fox News Digital also reached out to Netflix, Knappenberger and Lofgren for comment. Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:56:50 +0000kycPzt5L3vnQexpehttps://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/06/23/lead-trump-impeachment-counsel-dan-goldman-suffers-primary-defeat-in-new-york/CNN called New York's 10th Congressional District Democrat primary for Brad Lander on Tuesday, with the New York City comptroller defeating Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), one of Congress's most prominent critics of President Donald Trump. The post ‘This Jerk Is Finally Gone’: Lead Trump Impeachment Counsel Dan Goldman Suffers Primary Defeat in New York appeared first on Breitbart. --- CNN called New York's 10th Congressional District Democrat primary for Brad Lander on Tuesday, with the New York City comptroller defeating Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), one of Congress's most prominent critics of President Donald Trump. The post ‘This Jerk Is Finally Gone’: Lead Trump Impeachment Counsel Dan Goldman Suffers Primary Defeat in New York appeared first on Breitbart.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:02:16 +00006rg2afhHDiMmboTehttps://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/06/23/palestinian-activist-aber-kawas-wins-ny-state-senate-seat-9-11-a-terror-attack-that-a-couple-of-people-did/Aber Kawas, a Palestinian American activist, won her bid for New York State Senate District 32 on Tuesday following Mamdani's endorsement.  The post Palestinian Activist Aber Kawas Wins NY State Senate Seat: Radical Candidate Justified 9/11, Waved Hamas Headband appeared first on Breitbart. --- Aber Kawas, a Palestinian American activist, won her bid for New York State Senate District 32 on Tuesday following Mamdani's endorsement.  The post Palestinian Activist Aber Kawas Wins NY State Senate Seat: Radical Candidate Justified 9/11, Waved Hamas Headband appeared first on Breitbart.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:02:16 +0000JidqNcZQPWBiyxNuhttps://justthenews.com/nation/crime/bill-gates-told-oversight-committee-he-feared-epstein-might-try-blackmail-him?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators“He never blackmailed me, but looking at these emails, it raises a serious probability that he contemplated blackmailing me,” Gates told the committee. --- “He never blackmailed me, but looking at these emails, it raises a serious probability that he contemplated blackmailing me,” Gates told the committee.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:10:05 +0000cbBo7hdcZ0sH4uOzhttps://nypost.com/2026/06/23/opinion/mamdani-takes-the-jew-hate-all-the-way-to-11/Mamdani takes the Jew-hate all the way to 11 --- Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week tore off the mask: He’s going full-on antisemite. At last Thursday’s rally for his slate of extremist House candidates — Brad Lander, Darieliza Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez — Mamdani railed that we’re now living in a “time of monsters.” Who are these monsters? Though they “take many forms,” it’s . . . AIPAC. Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week tore off the mask: He’s going full-on antisemite. Kristin Callahan/Shutterstock Yep: Per Mamdani, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is the heart of all evil in America; the only thing it fears more than democracy “is an end to genocide.” Reality check: AIPAC is an entirely legal political outfit that operates like dozens of other issue-oriented PACS, including much larger ones that support Mamdani and his causes. More From Post Editorial Board Reality check II: Israel’s recent war in Gaza featured no “genocide”; the Palestinian population has grown since Hamas started that war, indeed has grown every decade that Jerusalem has controlled Gaza and the West Bank. But facts don’t matter when haters are on a roll; neither does nuance. The Mamdani ticket’s foes in these races, like Manhattan Rep. Dan Goldman and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, aren’t simply fellow Democrats on the other side of a few issues. They literally support genocide, the mayor argues, as tools of AIPAC, which moves “millions in dark money to accomplish a single goal: to preserve their power so they can turn us against one another.” The idea that Jews secretly plot to divide and control society isn’t new; it was a common theme in Tsarist Russia and 1930s Germany; today it’s big in Arab media and progressive campaigns: The Jews (not Messi’s three goals) robbed Algeria in that World Cup match; AIPAC is why everyone’s hearing about Graham Platner’s sordid past of . . . a few months ago. Mamdani’s classic antisemitic themes got worse: The Jews put more cash into AIPAC than they’d ever pay in taxes, he proclaimed, albeit without using the words “money-grubbing.” Again, PACS and “dark money” of all kinds serve the left as well as the rest of the political spectrum, but the money is only tainted when it comes from the Jews. Nor was it just one rally: Mamdani and his candidates did an interview last week with radical left influencer Bartley Blakeley, who openly adores Hamas and compares its late leader Yahya Sinwar to Martin Luther King. Blakeley also promotes the wacko beliefs that Israel perpetrated 9/11 and created ISIS. Fake-populist brocaster Hasan Piker, another pal of the mayor, also backs bizarre conspiracies about 9/11, insinuating that a couple of 767s flying at top speed couldn’t have destroyed the Twin Towers. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Chevalier attended the Times Square pro-Hamas rally on Oct. 8, 2023; even Mamdani waited a week or two before joining in such demonstrations. Mamdani supposedly represents the fresh face of the Democratic Party. Too bad the new blood keeps pushing this ancient hate.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:50:53 +0000yckNdLPoSXDqsZw7https://nypost.com/2026/06/23/us-news/billionaire-power-couple-bobby-and-carola-jain-advocating-communism-for-landlords/Meet the billionaire power couple advocating ‘communism for landlords’ and a global welfare state — from their $30M Hamptons McMansion --- Nothing says “eat the rich” like paying for the knives and forks. A hedge fund billionaire and his art groupie wife are pumping millions into socialist thinktanks positioned to help New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani achieve his Democratic Socialists of America-backed “worker’s paradise.” The pair are on a mission to punish landlords and railroad more New Yorkers into government housing, The Post has learned. From their $20 million Upper East Side townhouse — and their 10-bedroom, nine-bathroom, 10,000-square-foot Hamptons McMansion — Bobby and Carola Jain write checks funding Mamdani-linked intelligentsia paid to create models of how far-left concepts like universal basic income (UBI) and a decommodification of the housing market would work. Bobby and Carola Jain are part of a new set of ultra-wealthy benefactors who made billions through the capitalist system but now espouse the joys of socialism from their ivory towers. David X Prutting/BFA/Shutterstock The Jains have pumped $30M into their nonprofit Jain Foundation, which has endorsed a “capitalism for developers, communism for landlords” approach to New York’s housing troubles. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images It’s the kind of anti-capitalist thinking that has some economists throwing up their hands. “It must be one of those cults where you have to show you’re a member by mouthing absurd emperor’s [new] clothes nonsense,” John Cochrane, an economist at Stanford University, told The Post. “[16th century Grand Duke of Tuscany] Cosimo I de’ Medici supported art because he worried about getting into heaven as a rich man. I wish our guilty billionaires would support great classical art instead of stupid social causes,” he added. Whether motivated by guilt, social climbing or shrewd business acumen, the Jains join a growing list of ultra-wealthy benefactors — also including George Soros and Neville Singham — who made their billions through the capitalist system selling software or shorting markets, but now espouse the joys of socialism and sharing the wealth from their ivory towers. Their patronage means they have so far avoided any surprise house calls from Mamdani, who is on a blitz against the rich and, in April, filmed a viral video outside the Billionaire’s Row home of investor Ken Griffin intended to shame wealthy folks. Socialist socialite Carola Jain has a background in marketing and is “building a new cultural arts and technology agency to curate, produce and promote NFT art and Web3 cultural experiences,” according to her website. Zach Hilty/BFA/Shutterstock JFI outlets push decommodification rhetoric around housing, critical of private capital and a shift away from private landlordism toward public or nonprofit models. Neil Rasmus/BFA/Shutterstock The stunt sparked a feud between the two, with the hedge fund boss calling the mayor’s visit “creepy” and “weird.” Jain, a Queens native, built a high-power finance career over 20 years at Credit Suisse in senior roles, later becoming co-chief investment officer at Millennium Management, one of the world’s largest hedge funds. He left to launch his own hedge fund, Jain Global, which raised a massive $5.3 billion at launch in 2024, but after making only modest gains in 2025, he returned all cash to investors and the company now manages money exclusively for Millenium. Jain’s socialist socialite wife Carola has a background in marketing but now mainly works in deciding where to allocate the family’s capital. According to tax filings, the Jains have pumped over $30 million into their Jain Family Institute. The nonprofit builds out models for large-scale cash transfers to the downtrodden and creates roadmaps to UBI, advocating for a redistribution-focused economy, while publishing supportive analysis of Mamdani-esque policies like free buses and rent freezes. The Jains live in a $20 million, 10-bedroom, nine-bathroom, 10,000-square-foot Hamptons McMansion, a hulking new build that sits on a cozy 2-acre lot. Google Earth The Jains also have a $20 million Upper East Side townhouse, all the while pumping money into an “eat the rich” nonprofit. Google Earth “My rich conservative hedge fund friends don’t get kudos at the Met Gala,” said Cochrane. “As for the actual [JFI] policies, they are well-tried and well-proven disasters.” Neither the Jains nor JFI responded to The Post’s requests for comment. Top Mamdani fundraiser Robert “Jack” Gross is editor-in-chief of JFI’s magazine, “Phenomenal World,” which endorses a “capitalism for developers, communism for landlords” approach to New York’s housing troubles. JFI outlets push decommodification rhetoric around housing which is critical of private capital and advocates a shift away from private landlords to public or nonprofit models. The high-flying billionaire couple (right) are funding Marxist intellectuals who build roadmaps to far-left sundries like universal basic income. Angela Pham/BFA.com/Shutterstock New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been on the warpath against billionaires — except those who fund supportive analysis of his programs. Camara Porter / AdMediamedia Photo / SplashNews.com “Only public ownership offers an escape from the mounting pressure. If New York moves towards a model of social housing, it will be because public ownership is consistent with stable rents in a way that ownership by private investors fundamentally is not,” an excerpt from one “Phenomenal World” article reads. In an interview with John Roemer titled “Exploitation, Cooperation, and Distributive Justice” the Marxist economist told JFI’s magazine America’s most radical lefty leaders are still too conservative. “Socialism is back on the agenda in the United States, which is very exciting. Nevertheless, what people like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are calling socialism is in fact just a series of economic reforms that don’t alter property relations,” he said. Jain, a Queens native, built a high-power finance career from 20 years at Credit Suisse in senior roles, later becoming co-chief investment officer at Millennium Management, one of the world’s largest hedge funds. Neil Rasmus/BFA/Shutterstock When Carola (left) isn’t seated front row at Fashion Week or rubbing shoulders with celebs at Hamptons charity galas, she sits on the advisory board for Peggy Guggenheim’s art collection in Venice, Italy. Getty Images for Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Gross is part of a three-person team that runs the NYC Policy Forum blog — which is also backed by JFI. That blog launched in December 2025 after Mamdani won the election to become mayor and is positioned as a way to help implement his socialist agenda. Headlines read, “Making Mamdani’s Insurance Plan Work,” “Why New York City Needs Public-Powered Pharmacies,” “Three Things to Avoid When Building Public Grocery Stores” and “Tax the Rich.” Gross, who has deep ties to the DSA, has publicly praised father of communism Karl Marx, celebrated “Karl Marx Day” and shared passages from the pinko philosopher’s Communist Manifesto. He also raised over $20,000 for Mamdani’s campaign. In June 2020, Gross wrote on social media that it was “beautiful” when New Yorkers yelled “NYPD suck my d—k” — a common refrain heard during the George Floyd riots that summer. “I must admit I do believe America is a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins,” he wrote a few months later. According to tax filings, the Jains have pumped over $30 million into their Jain Family Institute. The nonprofit builds out models for large-scale cash transfers and creates roadmaps to universal basic income. Bloomberg via Getty Images The billionaire Jains advocate for a redistribution-focused economy while publishing supportive analysis of Mamdani-esque policies like free buses and rent freezes. Joe Schildhorn/BFA/Shutterstock Students at Cornell University — where Bobby Jain sits on the board of trustees and serves as vice chair of the investment committee — aren’t buying it. Earlier this year, the campus group Students for Justice in Palestine shared a video on social media outraged that a man holding the school’s purse strings was invested in companies like Boeing and Caterpillar through his Jain Global. One keffiyeh-clad undergrad claimed those companies “make bombers and bulldozers that murder and displace Palestinians.” Billionaires have made a habit lately of funding people who don’t believe billionaires should exist. ZUMAPRESS.com JFI is a sponsor of the NYC Policy Forum blog, launched inTue, 23 Jun 2026 13:50:53 +0000U1yPWAg3vZaPsSfThttps://www.techtimes.com/articles/318867/20260622/sanders-ai-sovereign-wealth-fund-experts-flag-dividend-trap-7-trillion-seizure-bill.htmSanders AI Sovereign Wealth Fund: Experts Flag Dividend Trap in $7 Trillion Seizure Bill --- Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation last week that would force the country's largest artificial intelligence companies to surrender half their stock to a federal fund — then distribute annual payments of roughly $1,045 to every American from the proceeds. The bill's ambition is sweeping, and its political timing is deliberate: more than 185,000 tech workers have lost their jobs in 2026 as companies cut headcount to fund artificial intelligence spending. But there is a problem buried in the bill's own mechanics that neither Sanders nor his supporters have satisfactorily addressed: the fund cannot sell the shares it receives, and the $1,045-per-person annual payment requires $350 billion in shareholder dividends from companies that currently pay no dividends and generate no profit. The $1,000 check, in other words, depends on AI companies becoming as profitable as oil wells — before any check can be signed. What Sanders Proposes: A 50% Equity Tax Paid in Shares The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, formally introduced June 18, targets any AI company generating more than $200 million in annual AI-related revenue. That threshold captures OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and the major cloud providers — Amazon, Google, and Microsoft — whose AI revenue streams now exceed that threshold by orders of magnitude. Under the bill, covered companies would pay a one-time 50% tax not in cash but in stock. Those shares — representing half of each company's equity — would be deposited into a new federal fund managed by a seven-member Independent Commission for Democratic AI. Commissioners would be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The commission's powers go beyond passive investment. It would use its voting shares to block corporate decisions it deems harmful to the public, and Sanders said it could push back against company choices that lead to mass job loss. For large technology companies that operate both AI and non-AI businesses — Google, Microsoft, Amazon — the bill would require structural separation, carving out only the AI-revenue units for the equity transfer. Anti-avoidance provisions would prevent companies from relocating offshore to escape the levy. At current valuations across the targeted companies, Sanders estimates the fund would accumulate assets worth approximately $7 trillion. A five-percent annual distribution from that base would yield $350 billion per year — which, divided across roughly 335 million Americans, comes to about $1,045 per person annually. Why the $1,000 Check May Not Arrive Anytime Soon The $7 trillion figure is derived from current equity valuations, not from earnings or cash flow. This distinction is the central financial flaw in the bill's design. Sovereign wealth funds worldwide — from Norway's Government Pension Fund Global to Alaska's Permanent Fund — generate their payouts from cash revenues: oil royalties, commodity exports, or realized investment gains from assets they are free to sell. The Sanders fund would be prohibited from selling any of its holdings. It would instead depend entirely on shareholder dividends paid voluntarily by the companies whose stock it holds. OpenAI has historically operated at a loss. Anthropic has not disclosed profitability but burned through billions in capital building its models. xAI launched in 2023 and has not disclosed earnings. None of these companies currently pays shareholder dividends. A company must have retained earnings or surplus free cash flow before it can distribute dividends — and most of the AI companies targeted by the bill have neither. Sanders acknowledged this gap directly when speaking to reporters. "Some people have some doubts about the potential financial successes of these companies," he said. That concession carries more weight than the sentence implies: if those doubts prove correct, the fund would hold trillions of dollars in illiquid shares and distribute nothing to anyone. For workers already displaced by AI in 2026, that timeline offers no comfort. The Alaska Permanent Fund, which Sanders cites as his domestic model, paid between $500 and $3,269 per resident annually between 1982 and 2022 — but it receives cash royalties from oil production. The fund's payments fluctuate with oil prices, not with the paper valuations of private companies. Alaska's model works because the resource pays cash. AI companies do not. The Alaska Comparison Does Not Hold Sanders invokes Alaska and Norway as proof that the concept works. Both are meaningful precedents for public wealth-sharing, but neither resembles the structure his bill proposes. Alaska's Permanent Fund was established in 1976 using oil and gas royalties — a category of revenue Sanders has consistently opposed. The fund holds diversified financial assets and can sell positions freely. Its payout is a function of what the fund actually earns, not what its paper holdings are worth on a given day. Norway's Government Pension Fund Global, which Sanders also cites, is the world's largest sovereign wealth fund at roughly $2 trillion — about one-third the projected size of the fund Sanders envisions. Crucially, Norway caps its ownership stake in any single publicly traded company at 10%, explicitly to avoid the governance entanglement that the Sanders bill would institutionalize. The Sanders fund would hold 50% in each targeted company — five times Norway's ceiling — and would use that stake as a governance lever. Legal Experts Say the Bill May Violate the Fifth Amendment Ilya Somin, a professor of law at George Mason University and B. Kenneth Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute, argued that forcing companies to hand over half their stock would likely violate the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause, which prohibits the government from taking private property without paying just compensation. Labeling the transfer a "tax" does not eliminate the constitutional problem, Somin argued: stock is private property, and seizing 50% of a major company's equity is confiscation regardless of how it is framed. The Wall Street Journal editorial board reached the same conclusion, writing that what Sanders calls a "one-time 50 percent tax" is not a tax as most economists or constitutional lawyers would define the term. The board called it "government expropriation" that would violate the Fifth Amendment. Cato policy analysts also flagged a First Amendment dimension: a government with 50% voting stakes in AI companies would hold unprecedented authority over systems that shape public discourse, with the power to influence what those systems produce or restrict. How that would interact with the speech rights of engineers and AI designers remains unresolved. Who Would Lose Half Their Stock The bill's equity seizure would affect the equity positions of every existing shareholder in each targeted company — including employees holding stock compensation, early investors, and venture capital funds that backed these companies before they reached the $200 million revenue threshold. No compensation mechanism for existing shareholders is specified in the bill text. AI Layoffs Drive Sanders: Why He Introduced This Bill Now Sanders framed the bill explicitly as a response to the wave of AI-driven workforce reduction sweeping through the technology industry. As of June 19, 2026, 267 documented layoff events had displaced approximately 185,894 workers across the tech, finance, and healthcare sectors in 2026 — an average of more than 1,000 jobs lost every working day, according to the SkillSyncer layoffs tracker. Companies including Meta, Atlassian, and Cloudflare have explicitly cited AI investment as a driver of workforce reductions. Software developer employment for workers under 26 had fallen roughly 20% from its 2024 peak, according to data from the Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence institute. "Left unchecked, Artificial Intelligence and robotics threatens the jobs, privacy rights and mental health of every man, woman and child in America," Sanders said at his June 18 press conference. "The American people must have the ability to slow it down and make sure that AI benefits humanity, not just the richest people on the planet." The bill is also the latest in a series of legislative moves Sanders has made on AI in 2026. In March, he and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the AI Data Center Moratorium Act, targeting the rapid expansion of energy-consuming AI infrastructure. That bill also attracted little Republican support. Where California Is Already Moving Without Congress While the Sanders bill faces a wall in the Republican-controlled Senate, California is already pursuing a parallel track. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-6-26 on May 21, directing state agencies to evaluate policies addressing AI-related job losses — including whether residents should receive direct ownership stakes in companies or funds generating AI-driven income. The order set a 180-day deadline, running through mid-November 2026, for the Labor andTue, 23 Jun 2026 14:59:58 +0000Y04gxCCFjd8p4RmGhttps://www.clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/06/23/mamdani-and-ai-industry-flex-political-power-in-new-york-plus-more-to-watch-in-tuesdays-primaries/Mamdani and AI industry flex political power in New York, plus more to watch in Tuesday's primaries --- WASHINGTON – Two opposing factions in the artificial intelligence industry square off in a Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani tests his political clout by backing fellow democratic socialists. And President Donald Trump, after two of his chosen candidates for governor lost Republican primaries this month, ensured it won't happen again — by endorsing both candidates in a South Carolina runoff. Those are a few of the races to watch on Tuesday as voters head to the polls for primaries in Maryland, New York, South Carolina and Utah. Manhattan House primary is a bellwether for pro-AI regulation candidates The crowded Democratic primary became a proxy battle between two powerful camps of the artificial intelligence industry because of one candidate: New York Assemblyman Alex Bores. Bores, a former Palantir employee who cited ethical concerns in leaving the company, pushed one of the more sweeping state-level AI regulation bills in the country. Now, Bores points to that legislation — which faced some industry pushback — as a framework for how he'd approach regulation in Congress. So when he stepped into the race for the New York congressional district being vacated by retiring Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, a political group underwritten by investors in OpenAI spent more than $7 million on ads against Bores. Then an opposing wing of the industry, one more in favor of regulation, rode to Bores' aid. Political groups partly funded by Anthropic, which makes the chatbot Claude, spent more $10 million to boost Bores' candidacy. Anthropic was co-founded by former OpenAI employee, Dario Amodei, who left the company partly over concerns about AI safety. The election will offer some measure of the political might of the two AI industry factions. Mamdani flexes his political influence by endorsing progressive insurgents The New York City mayor endorsed Democratic primary candidates hailing from his own political camp — a progressive and two democratic socialists — who are challenging more established candidates, some backed by party leadership. U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, whose seat extends from lower Manhattan to a chunk of Brooklyn, is up against Mamdani-backed challenger Brad Lander, the former comptroller. A central contention between the two Jewish candidates is the war in Gaza, with Lander assailing Goldman for not being critical enough of Israel. North of that race, in upper Manhattan, Democratic U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, 71, is facing off against Mamdani-endorsed Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32. The latter is a democratic socialist who hasn't held public office before and works at a public defender's office providing legal aid to victims of police brutality. For the seat covering parts of Brooklyn and Queens, where U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez is retiring, Mamdani endorsed Assemblymember Claire Valdez, another self-described democratic socialist. The departing Velázquez has endorsed another contender, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. The three primaries will help distinguish not just Mamdani's political clout, but the continued viability of democratic socialist platforms in New York City. Trump hedges in South Carolina after shaky endorsement record in gubernatorial races Trump often touts his otherwise strong record of endorsing winning candidates in Republican primaries, but his picks in gubernatorial races haven't found as much success: his choices in Georgia and Iowa lost this month. After the defeats, Trump ensured an ironclad victory for his endorsement in South Carolina's Republican runoff for governor: he backed both candidates on the same ballot. The president initially supported Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in May, but on Friday, he added an endorsement for Evette’s opponent, state Attorney General Alan Wilson. “I can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other, so therefore, I am going to Endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!” he wrote in a social media post Friday. “It’s a Wealth of Riches – With either one you can’t go wrong.” The projected winner? Trump's endorsement record. Utah redistricting opens up a sole Democratic battleground, and a debate over the party's future It's unusual for Utah's Democratic primaries to draw much attention, but that's because the party hasn't had much of a shot in the staunchly red state. That is until redistricting last year. It created a lone Democratic island centered on Salt Lake City, which has a dark enough hue of blue that primary candidates have found themselves jostling for who's farther to the left. And Democratic primary voters, as in other left-leaning districts across the country, will decide how progressive they'd like their candidate. That's an unusual tune for Utah Democrats, and for primary candidate Ben McAdams. The former U.S. representative has tried to cast off his reputation as a moderate as he runs against three opponents from his progressive flank. When McAdams last ran in 2018, ousting a Republican, he described himself as pro-life and fashioned himself as a moderate. Now, in the new left-leaning district, he's pledged to support abortion rights and said he's only “moderate in tone." The more progressive candidates challenging him include state Sen. Nate Blouin, who has said the electorate has grown accustomed to Democrats who will “play nice” with Republicans and who has won support from Sen. Bernie Sanders. Another is political newcomer Liban Mohamed. Maryland Republicans seek an heir to Hogan in bid to retake governorship Republican Larry Hogan reigned as Maryland governor for eight years, standing on a more moderate conservative platform to keep his perch in the left-leaning, East Coast state. At Hogan's departure, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore took over in 2023, and is now seeking reelection for a second term. But so far Republicans haven't found a clear successor to Hogan as Tuesday's primary forces a decision from a field of nine candidates. One is Dan Cox, an attorney who lost his gubernatorial bid four years ago, and who has more embraced a rightward flank, pledging to cut taxes and invest in housing affordability programs. Then there's Ed Hale, owner of the Baltimore Blast soccer team and retired banking executive, who flipped his party from Democrat to Republican for this race. ___ This story has been corrected to show Moore took office in 2023, not 2024. ___ Bedayn reported from Austin, Texas. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:59:58 +0000C2xgXs9TS2xqWIUShttps://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-escalates-war-with-pro-israel-democrats-as-he-builds-his-squadNew York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) “monsters” at a rally for his three hand-picked democratic socialist congressional candidates — the latest eruption of anti-Israel venom from the mayor. “Now is the time of monsters. These monsters take many forms today. … An AIPAC for whom the only ... --- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) “monsters” at a rally for his three hand-picked democratic socialist congressional candidates — the latest eruption of anti-Israel venom from the mayor. “Now is the time of monsters. These monsters take many forms today. … An AIPAC for whom the only thing more frightening than democracy being allowed to run its course is an end to genocide and Netanyahu’s wars,” Mamdani yelled to the crowd. “We need not live in fear of monsters any longer.” 🚨WATCH: The Jew Hater jihdest mayor of NYC in an open antisemitic speech calls folks who donate to AIPAC “Monsters” pic.twitter.com/9WgbYG64Bf — Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) June 22, 2026 The three candidates Mamdani is championing are among the most radical figures ever to seek congressional seats in New York: Brad Lander (NY-10), Claire Valdez (NY-7), and Darializa Avila Chevalier (NY-13) — a trio whose combined record reads like a fever dream of far-Left extremism. Chevalier has called to “abolish the border,” eliminate police and prisons, seize private property from landlords, and nationalize the pharmaceutical industry. She deleted thousands of posts when her campaign went public, telling CNN that she has “grown considerably in the years since these tweets.” Valdez is no shrinking violet either. She openly celebrated October 7 — liking an X post praising the Hamas massacre the day it happened — and sat for an interview with a streamer who called Jews a “demonic ethnicity.” She has called Israel an “apartheid” state committing “genocide,” was arrested protesting U.S. arms sales to Israel, and falsely accused AIPAC of secretly funding a super PAC backing her opponent — it turned out to be the teachers union. Lander called Israel’s Lebanon operations “potentially genocide” during a mosque speech and has vowed to work hand-in-hand with Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) if elected. The “monsters” slur is rich coming from a mayor whose candidates are so radical. And the money facts undercut the AIPAC hysteria entirely: a pro-Palestinian super PAC called American Priorities dropped $2 million boosting all three candidates. AIPAC has backed the opponents to Mamdani’s radical team — $377,000 toward Rep. Dan Goldman in NY-10, and roughly $140,000 supporting Rep. Adriano Espaillat in NY-13. In NY-7, AIPAC isn’t involved at all. “Monsters,” the mayor says. New Yorkers might reasonably apply that word elsewhere.Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:30:45 +0000naKyel3oVTkNVwP9https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/06/22/uk-meet-the-new-commie-worse-than-the-old-commie-n4954224---Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:07:25 +00009m4FLaL8CRSJVPdehttps://dailycaller.com/2026/06/22/valerie-lawson-rhode-island-teachers-union-national-education-association/'complaint alleges that she used her overlapping roles to advance NEARI's legislative priorities' --- 'complaint alleges that she used her overlapping roles to advance NEARI's legislative priorities'Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:12:32 +0000FC5gjrCOMelL8tishttps://dailycaller.com/2026/06/22/abortion-pills-advertisement-mayday-health-us-open/'It just felt gross and divisive.' --- 'It just felt gross and divisive.'Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:27:51 +0000WRve0LrLU0vX0iaahttps://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/06/19/gabbard-drops-bombshell-documents-on-her-way-out-exposing-faucis-covid-cover-up-n4954136---Fri, 19 Jun 2026 13:10:20 +0000de3dHcUcId2hC0aDhttps://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/06/19/a-confused-joe-biden-was-left-abandoned-on-stage-during-obama-center-opening-n4954138---Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:14:01 +00006yXJs3pheJbwXGZ4https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6398857253112Socialists are campaigning hard: Mamndani, Sanders hold big rally in NYC --- 'Varney & Co.' host Stuart Varney discusses New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen, Bernie Sanders' rally in Brooklyn, N.Y. for Democratic socialist candidates. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Senator Bernie Sanders rally in Brooklyn, New York, to support Democratic socialist candidates. Candidates proclaim their movement is 'more powerful than money.' Darializa Avila Chevalier calls to 'abolish ICE.' Stuart Varney notes Sanders' criticism of Democratic establishment policies as 'no longer good enough,' emphasizing the socialist challenge.Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:17:19 +0000MtNf1did43OKlXkIhttps://www.dailywire.com/news/opportunistic-cowards-graham-platners-cop-hating-past-resurfaces‘Opportunistic Cowards’: Graham Platner’s Cop-Hating Past Resurfaces --- Maine Senate Democratic hopeful Graham Platner is taking fresh heat after a buried online post revealed he once branded all police officers “opportunistic cowards” — the latest in a parade of scandals that have plagued his bid to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. The since-deleted Reddit screed, unearthed by The Maine Monitor, dates to June 2020, when Platner — then 35 and posting under the handle “P-Hustle” — fired off a rant mocking the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department for requesting riot equipment during the height of Black Lives Matter unrest. Rather than engage seriously with the request, Platner ridiculed the deputies as “overweight pansies” too soft to handle “George Stevens Academy sophomores and aging hippies” without taxpayer-funded gear. Then came the kicker: “Cops are opportunistic cowards.” Retired federal special agent and Maine state Rep. Donald Ardell expressed his anger. “It just shows a complete lack of understanding of the way law enforcement operates,” the Maine Republican told Fox News. “They have to be prepared for eventualities.” That same month, Platner blasted a Maine police chief as “thin blue line trash” for refusing to take a knee alongside Floyd protesters. He also endorsed the slogan “all cops are bastards” — later reported by CNN — and questioned in 2021 whether corruption runs through the entire law enforcement profession. Ardell, who says current and former colleagues are “disgusted” by Platner’s remarks, summed it up bluntly: “It’s a series of consistent bad decisions, and it seems to be continuing.” The cop commentary is just one item on a lengthening rap sheet of controversy for the self-described “oyster farmer” and far-Left populist. Platner’s Reddit history — spanning nearly a decade before he scrubbed it upon launching his campaign — also includes him calling himself a “communist” and “socialist,” mocking rural white voters as “racist” and “stupid,” and making cruel remarks about a teenage girl’s suicide attempt. His personal life hasn’t fared much better under scrutiny. His campaign admitted he sent sexually explicit texts to at least half a dozen women while married. He maintained a profile on Kik — a messaging app critics call a “predator’s paradise” — and has struggled to explain why ex-girlfriends knew about his Nazi-linked tattoo years before he claims he learned of its significance himself. Platner has insisted his online posts were jokes, dismissing them as “sh*tposting.” He’s attributed some remarks to PTSD from military deployments. Ardell isn’t buying the rehabilitation narrative. “This is not a guy that has a skeleton in the closet,” the lawmaker said. “This is a guy that has a whole graveyard.”Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:39:05 +0000hy8uIld219xLbl4Xhttps://www.foxnews.com/media/27-percent-democrats-display-american-flag-july-4-pollOnly 27 percent of Democrats will display American flag on July 4: Poll --- Fox News host Greg Gutfeld's panel tackles a new poll showing American pride in country, with a significant partisan divide for Republicans vs. Democrats. Vice President JD Vance, Tyrus, Kat Timpf, and Kennedy analyze the declining sense of national pride and what's fueling the divide in patriotism, criticizing performative 'sadness' over genuine gratitude. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, a new poll finds Republicans and Democrats sharply divided on patriotism, flag displays and the meaning of the July 4 holiday. The Reuters/Ipsos survey, conducted June 12–15 among 1,537 U.S. adults, asked Americans how they planned to celebrate Independence Day, including whether they intended to display the U.S. flag, attend patriotic events and what the holiday represents to them. The poll found 64% of Republicans said they would display an American flag or flag bunting outside their home this July 4, compared with just 27% of Democrats. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found Republicans were more than twice as likely as Democrats to say they planned to display an American flag or flag bunting outside their homes this July 4. (iStock) $20M ‘ONE SMALL STEP’ CAMPAIGN AIMS TO REBUILD AMERICAN PRIDE AHEAD OF 250TH ANNIVERSARY The survey also found major differences in how Americans view the significance of the national holiday. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans (65%) said July 4 is "a day where I celebrate the United States of America," while only 24% of Democrats said the same. Democrats and independents were also more likely than Republicans to describe July 4 as "just like any other day," with both groups registering 11 percentage points higher than Republicans on that measure. How Americans choose to celebrate the holiday also broke along party lines. Republicans were considerably more likely to take part in traditional patriotic activities, such as wearing red, white and blue (52% compared to 20% of Democrats), attending a fireworks show (46% vs. 28%), and attending a parade or festival (20% vs. 9%). Spectators watch a Fourth of July fireworks display. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say they planned to attend a fireworks show as part of their Independence Day celebrations. (Omni) TRUMP ANNOUNCES 'RALLY TO END ALL RALLIES' IN DC TO CELEBRATE AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY Nearly one-quarter of Democrats and independents (24%) said they do not plan to celebrate Independence Day at all, compared with 8% of Republicans. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE The survey also found significant differences in how Americans view the United States. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 11% of Democrats believe the United States is the greatest country in the world, compared with 62% of Republicans. These findings reflect other recent surveys which have documented declining patriotism and growing ideological differences between Americans. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found Americans differed sharply by party in how they plan to celebrate the Fourth of July and express patriotism. (da-kuk/Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP A recent Fox News survey ahead of America's 250th anniversary found a large number of voters believe America is divided by different values (58%) rather than shared values (42%). Majorities of Democrats (62%) and independents (65%) think Americans are separated by different values, while views among Republicans are split (49% shared vs. 50% different values). Kristine Parks is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Read more.Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:32:59 +0000wkXkqm4RZH5OkM3Fhttps://www.foxnews.com/video/6398758827112Democrat primary races show increasing socialist candidates --- Democrat primary races show increasing socialist candidates South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Alan Wilson discusses the Democratic Party's far-left shift, arguing it benefits Republicans. He also addresses his tight primary runoff race and President Trump's potential co-endorsement.Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:32:59 +0000rqF4rxcGckfniFouhttps://nypost.com/2026/06/16/opinion/cornell-student-who-wont-work-for-jews-is-a-symptom-of-a-far-darker-hatred-that-must-be-stopped/Cornell student who 'won't work for Jews' is a symptom of a far darker hatred that must be stopped --- As if you needed more reasons to worry about America’s future, now we have Austin Franco. The 19-year-old Cornell student logged onto the school’s job board recently and applied for a summer internship with a New York-based startup. But when invited for an interview, he declined to show up. The reason he gave? “Not interested in working for a Jew.” The Ivy League school, no surprises there, released an embarrassingly idiotic statement, accusing Franco of being “in violation of the [university’s] online job board’s terms of service” and announcing it will further investigate Franco. The administrators in Ithaca needn’t bother: No further investigation is necessary. Because Franco isn’t the problem. He’s merely a symptom of something far darker, a hatred that, left unchecked, may have disastrous consequences. What is it? Since the story broke, enraged pundits referred to Franco’s attitude as “antisemitism.” But that, alas, is a misnomer, a distraction that, if we’re not careful, could keep us from identifying, and thereby solving, the real problem. Because the real problem isn’t that a dim and arrogant college kid somewhere dislikes Jews. It’s that we now live in an America where being openly, even proudly antisemitic is a form of social clout. When given a chance to clarify his statement, Franco doubled down. So did his supporters: A crowdfunding effort was quickly launched to reward Franco for his bigotry, raising more than $13,000 in just a few days. And that’s a problem, because antisemitism, as any semi-serious student of history knows, is a virus that has a nasty way of devouring any host society that lets it spread unchecked. It’s a tricky yet crucial insight to understand: Antisemitism has absolutely nothing to do with actual Jews, which is why it can surge uninterruptedly even in societies, like those in the Arab world, which have long ago expelled or executed all of their Jewish citizens. Instead, it’s a unique strand of moral and intellectual rot, highly resistant to reason or logic, which metastasizes and completely consumes its host culture. Just ask the Germans. That a student in one of America’s most celebrated academic institutions feels it’s not only right but also righteous to publicly hate Jews should tell you everything you need to know about what antisemitism is doing to the American mind. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! But if it doesn’t, spend two minutes watching Tucker Carlson, or Candace Owens, or any number of other popular podcasters. There you’ll hear nothing but terrifying — and patently moronic — tales of “the Joos” being guilty of everything from running pedophile rings that control the American government to assassinating Charlie Kirk. It doesn’t take an Ivy League degree to understand that this deranged, Third World way of thinking is profoundly un-American. Or that a society that accepts such drivel as legitimate popular discourse is a society at risk of collapsing. So what can we do to fight back? The answer, thankfully, is simple: Stop “combating antisemitism” — an effort into which everyone, from the federal government to the organized American Jewish community, is pouring tremendous resources these days. It’s an enormous waste of time and money, because antisemitism, the world’s oldest hatred, isn’t something we’re going to solve anytime soon. Instead, we should treat antisemitism as what it is: a symptom of a much larger problem that isn’t political but spiritual — the problem of no longer knowing what it is that we believe. Defining and defending our core, common American virtues is hard. Hissing that all our problems are due to the nefarious interference of a shadowy minority is much easier. We must resist this temptation at all costs and by any means necessary. We can set up a federal task force to make sure our shared values — liberty and dignity, to name but two — are taught vigorously and at every level of education. We can reinstate the draft, not only for the military but for mandatory public service as well, giving young Americans a deep and real sense of community. We can invest mightily in cultural startups dedicated not to tearing down America’s past but to propping up its future. But whatever we do, we need to do it urgently, before more of our children are felled by the un-American infection currently eating their brains. Liel Leibovitz is editor at large for Tablet and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:42:59 +0000Dy8o7GHfIkTvx71rhttps://nypost.com/2026/06/18/us-news/dc-mamdani-janeese-lewis-george-wins-dem-mayoral-primary-after-trump-takeover-threat/'DC Mamdani' Janeese Lewis George wins Dem mayoral primary after Trump takeover threat --- Democratic socialist DC Councilmember Janeese Lewis George triumphed in the District’s Democratic mayoral primary, easily defeating nine other competitors. George, whose insurgent campaign and far-left platform led some to compare her to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is now on a glide path to becoming the deep-blue capital’s first-ever socialist leader after her chief rival, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, conceded Thursday. In a statement, McDuffie confirmed he had called George “to congratulate her on her victory and wish her success as she prepares for the general election.” With an estimated 73% of the vote counted from Tuesday’s primary, George led McDuffie by 18.5 percentage points (52.9%-36.4%) and nearly 17,000 votes out of more than 102,000 ballots cast. Janeese Lewis George had been leading most of the polls in the Democratic DC mayoral primary. Getty Images for SPACEs in Action Kenyan McDuffie was widely seen as the top business-friendly Democrat in the mayoral primary. George’s signature proposal is a universal child care program which caps parental out-of-pocket spending at 7% of household income. She has offered a vague plan to fund the program by closing tax loopholes and cutting wasteful city spending without raising taxes on the middle class. She has also vowed to boost housing assistance programs, make buses free for those on food stamps, and pressure utility companies against raising rates. Most controversially, George has called to “reform zoning laws” in order to build as many as 72,000 new dwellings — many of which will be multi-family, or higher density, units — over the next five years. That pledge sits uneasily alongside her April purchase of a $1.19 million home in DC’s tony Manor Park neighborhood, 15 days after ranting in an op-ed that single-family zoning “preserves segregation and exacerbates displacement.” George is proposing a spending spree as DC grapples with an eye-watering $1.1 billion budget deficit driven in part by federal layoffs under the second Trump administration. Outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser has proposed a 3.6% spending cut to close the gap. The presumptive mayor has also called for a more aggressive posture against the Trump administration, including by instructing the Metropolitan Police Department to stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Outgoing DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to seek reelection. AP Photo/Allison Robbert During her final term in office, Bowser had taken a conciliatory stance toward the White House, aggravating local progressives. Trump, who has been on a mission to make DC “Safe and Beautiful” during his second term by embarking on a crime crackdown across the city and directing National Park Service dollars to restoring iconic monuments, has expressed misgivings about George. “I wouldn’t like it,” Trump told reporters last week when asked about the possibility of her winning the primary. “Maybe we’ll take back Washington and run it on a federal basis. We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses.” President Trump has raised concerns about Janeese Lewis George. Abd Rabbo Ammar- Pool/SIPA/Shutterstock Last week, George was hit with $16,000 in fines by the District’s Office of Campaign Finance after authorities determined her campaign improperly colluded with an outside group — Safe & Affordable DC — and labor unions that dished out $1 million to back her. Outside groups are allowed to support candidates and cut ads on their behalf only if they operate independently from their campaigns. “OCF’s order is riddled with factual errors and violates procedural requirements that govern its investigations and other enforcement actions,” the George campaign alleged over the weekend. “The Campaign will appeal the decision to the DC Board of Elections so that this targeted attack is not allowed to stand.” Since gaining home rule in 1973, DC voters have elected seven mayors, all Democrats. Trump received just 6.5% of the vote in the nation’s capital in the 2024 election.Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:42:59 +0000JIngY9Xel3DJq0mghttps://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/06/17/springsteen-bono-stevie-wonder-others-to-perform-at-obama-presidential-center-grand-opening/The grand opening for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago will be a star-studded event, with performances from Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, The Roots, U2's Bono and The Edge, and many more. The post Springsteen, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Among Celebrity Singers Performing at Obama Presidential Center Grand Opening appeared first on Breitbart. --- The grand opening for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago will be a star-studded event, with performances from Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, The Roots, U2's Bono and The Edge, and many more. The post Springsteen, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Among Celebrity Singers Performing at Obama Presidential Center Grand Opening appeared first on Breitbart.Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:07:27 +0000fGjnXflcuTyn4aJahttps://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/06/17/kamalas-anti-trump-meltdown-in-austria-was-a-masterclass-in-projection-n4954055---Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:05:08 +0000ZJiQBHSsFhJ879aThttps://dailycaller.com/2026/06/17/californians-eric-swalwell-sex-scandal/Aisha Wahab advanced to the November general election. --- Aisha Wahab advanced to the November general election.Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:19:37 +00005bwWb3kXO2X716X2https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jun/17/mlb-must-answer-warning-giants-pitchers-pride-night-message-sen-josh/Sen. Josh Hawley sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday demanding answers after the league issued a warning to three San Francisco Giants pitchers who wrote a Bible passage on their caps for the team's LGBTQ Pride night on Friday. --- Sen. Josh Hawley sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday demanding answers after the league issued a warning to three San Francisco Giants pitchers who wrote a Bible passage on their caps for the team's LGBTQ Pride night on Friday.Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:54:51 +0000D4zwqMX84PPFUZqVhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-raids-soros-backed-voter-groups-headquarters-reported-fraud-probeFBI raids Soros-backed voter group’s headquarters in reported fraud probe --- Fox News correspondent David Spunt breaks down the significance of FBI agents raiding the Fulton County election office in relation to the 2020 election on ‘Special Report.’ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Federal investigators raided a Soros-funded voter mobilization group on Thursday as part of a reported ongoing fraud investigation. FBI agents raided the headquarters of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) on June 11 and deployed across the state to question members of the organization, sometimes bearing subpoenas or demanding to seize electronic devices, MS Now reported. A day later, multiple sources familiar with the events told CBS News that the operations were part of a fraud-related investigation.  The raid marks the latest flashpoint in the Trump administration’s expanded use of federal law enforcement to scrutinize alleged voter fraud and election-related misconduct, a push cheered by conservatives who have long argued such cases were under-enforced and condemned by Democrats and voting rights groups who say the effort risks turning the FBI into a political weapon against liberal voter registration operations. OOC is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the Democratic Party in Ohio on voter mobilization and registration efforts. It is especially active in ballot referendums, tapping its vast donor network that includes the Soros family's philanthropies, to do so. STACEY ABRAMS HIT WITH SUBPOENA IN ALLEGED CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATIONS SAGA: 'NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW' Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a news conference about the Trump administration's fraud crackdown as he's flanked by federal and state officials in Ohio on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (WBNS via NNS) The Department of Justice has declined to comment on the specifics of the purported investigation. "Search warrants are authorized by a judge and anything said by any organization or others in the media is unfounded speculation, as the target of any investigation is not privy to the search warrant affidavit until after indictment," a DOJ official told Fox News Digital.  A voter fills out a mail-in ballot at the Board of Elections office in the Allegheny County Office Building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 3, 2022. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) The group previously spent $250,000 in 2023 to oppose a GOP-led effort to block the right to an abortion from being enshrined in Ohio’s constitution and spent a further $300,000 against a Republican redistricting effort a year later.  OOC finances these expenditures by tapping a deep network of top-level liberal donors.  Recent tax documents show that the organization had over $10 million in revenue during 2024. OOC’s considerable financial resources are provided by a variety of high-profile Democratic-aligned donor organizations, including the Soros family’s philanthropies, New Venture Fund and the Tides Foundation as well as unions such as the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Employees International Union. The Soros family's Foundation to Promote Open Society gave OOC roughly $1.9 million between 2019 and 2020. In 2021, Open Society Action Fund gave an additional $1 million to OOC's sister organization, the Ohio Organizing Campaign, followed by another $1 million donation in 2023. GEORGE SOROS, BETO O'ROURKE BEHIND FUNDING FOR DEMS FLEEING TEXAS OVER GOP CONGRESSIONAL MAP OOC has characterized the federal scrutiny as an example of the Trump administration politicizing the justice system. "How can they distract and intimidate civil rights leaders and voters and community leaders who are helping people get registered to vote, and create a national spectacle about it?" Prentiss Haney, an OOC board member authorized to discuss the matter on behalf of the group, told MS Now. "That is the only reason why they would choose to do that, do it now, in the middle of a contested political election in the state. There’s no other reason. They have no evidence of that." OOC previously came under fire in 2017 when a paid canvasser working with the group pleaded guilty over his involvement in a fraudulent voter registration operation. Republicans, however, have yet to produce conclusive evidence of widespread voter fraud in recent election cycles. ELECTION INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING BY NONCITIZENS AND DOUBLE VOTERS IN MULTIPLE STATES The Ohio State Capitol building stands in Columbus, Ohio. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group) CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP OOC did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:59:00 +0000X4prvuDNZWIZH6Xchttps://dailycaller.com/2026/06/16/do-no-harm-university-texas-admission-data-racial-preference-supreme-court/'The silence ... is deafening' --- 'The silence ... is deafening'Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:11:09 +0000P4XAdkEa6sfPUpyJhttps://www.dailywire.com/news/maine-democrats-choose-nazi-tatted-graham-platner-in-senate-primaryDems Pick Nazi-Tatted Graham Platner Even After ‘Predator’s Paradise’ Photos Surface --- Maine Democrats elected Graham Platner as their Senate nominee on Tuesday, despite a wave of explosive revelations about his Nazi tattoo and alleged aggressive behavior towards women.  With 76% of the vote reported, Platner leads the field with about 72% of the vote. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 9:07 p.m. ET. He will face off against incumbent Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in November.  It’s not yet clear what Platner’s final margin will be after all votes have been tallied, which could offer early clues on his electability this fall. “If Janet Mills’ basically defunct campaign gets 20 to 30%, Graham is in trouble come November,” NOTUS White House Correspondent Jasmine Wright warned earlier on CNN.  Platner’s decisive victory, however, deals a major blow to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who recruited and backed Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills.  During the bitter primary, a series of damaging revelations dropped against the Senate hopeful, painting a picture of a troubled veteran with a history of infidelity and disturbing social media activity.  The Daily Wire previously uncovered that the Senate hopeful maintained an active account on a social media platform known to attract child predators. Several media outlets reported that Platner, a married man, had exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women.  In May, Platner refused to apologize after resurfaced online posts appeared to show him mocking a Purple Heart recipient who was almost killed in a firefight with the Taliban. Platner was confronted near his home in Sullivan, Maine, and asked whether he regretted a since-deleted Reddit post in which he said wounded Army veteran Ted Daniels “didn’t deserve to live,” The Daily Wire previously reported. In response, Platner attempted to defend his own military record, referring to the accusations as “slanderous and offensive.” “I did four tours in the infantry; any attempt to say that I disrespect veterans is slanderous and offensive,” he said. Resurfaced Reddit posts also showed the Senate hopeful describing himself as a “communist” and denigrating cops and white people. “I got older and became a communist,” Platner, a veteran and oyster farmer, wrote on a Reddit forum dubbed “antiwork” in 2021, according to CNN. He also said he was a “vegetable growing, psychedelics taking social these days” in a United States Marine Corps subreddit that same year, saying that he “still got the guns though, I don’t trust the facsists [sic] these days,” citing his past military experience in the post. “Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you they actually are,” the Democrat said about white Americans. “Bastards. Cops are bastards. All of them, in fact,” Platner said in another post. In addition, the Washington Post reported multiple posts he made to Reddit in 2013 regarding sexual assault, including in the military. “Rape is a real thing. If you’re so worried about it to buy Kevlar underwear, you’d think you might not get blacked out f***ed up around people you aren’t comfortable with,” he wrote. “In today’s current climate, when every whisper of a misplaced hand brings down a feature-length film, anyone who actually thinks the military is purposefully covering up rape to save the career of some god damn [captain], is clearly both an idiot and junior enough in rank or life experience to think it matters,” Platner wrote. He also called black people cheap. “I work as a bartender, and it always amazes me how solid this stereotype is,” Platner wrote. “Every now and again a black patron will leave a 15-20% tip, but usually it [is] between 0-5%. There’s got to be a reason behind it. What is it?” Last Thursday, the latest shoe dropped, with The New York Times citing ex-girlfriends who claimed Platner engaged in a pattern of “intimidating and disturbing” behavior in their relationships and lied about not knowing the meaning of his Nazi tattoo.  Three of Platner’s ex-girlfriends described volatile and “toxic” relationships with the Senate hopeful, claiming he demeaned women, became physically threatening, and was repeatedly unfaithful. On one occasion, an ex-girlfriend accused Platner of twisting her arm, shoving her into a bedroom, and holding the door shut until she became “calm.”  The Platner campaign denied allegations of misconduct and rushed to MS NOW to do damage control.  “There are some allegations in this piece that I just want to be kind of unequivocal about, are simply not true,” Platner said on the television network. “Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, these are the statements of someone who’s politically motivated.” On election eve, Platner’s former political director blew the whistle on her former boss, alleging the Senate hopeful knew the meaning behind his Nazi tattoo and “exhibits a pattern of dishonest behavior.” In an op-ed for The Washington Post, former Maine state representative Genevieve McDonald wrote that her enthusiasm for the Platner campaign collapsed after she learned of his misconduct. “I quit the campaign in October, disturbed by what I learned about the candidate and concerned about his potential impact on the Democratic Party’s prospects in my home state,” she wrote. In September, Platner told McDonald he had a “problematic” tattoo that could raise questions, but chalked it up to it being a “military thing.” “I believed him,” she wrote in the WAPO. “Then, I began receiving calls from Washington warning me he was not who he seemed: “Have you read his oppo file?” I had not. I trusted that his out-of-state consulting team had thoroughly vetted him. Her account appears to corroborate reporting from The New York Times. The accusations cut against Platner’s previous claim that he did not understand the significance of the symbol, which was used by Nazi Germany’s SS. Most Democrats have bent over backward to excuse or downplay Platner’s conduct, though that did not stop Mills from mounting a last-ditch effort. “People have the impression that I withdrew or dropped out, but I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot,” she told a local outlet. That effort did not appear to pay off, with results showing a blowout victory for Platner. The Cook Political Report ranks the contentious Senate race as a toss-up. The Democratic establishment viewed Mills as the strongest candidate to defeat Collins. Meanwhile, Platner gained momentum with a leftist-populist message and secured high-profile endorsements from Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The Daily Wire previously reported that leftists turned to the embattled Platner after their initial choice was found to have a major “skeleton” in his closet. Last July, two Bernie Sanders-aligned political operatives hunted for a Democrat to challenge Collins, ultimately landing on and recruiting Platner.   Platner, who brands himself as a blue-collar oyster farmer, launched his campaign on August 19 in a viral video that quickly attracted national attention from leftist activists and Democratic donors.  Trying to stop his momentum, Mills went on the attack against Platner in commercials, highlighting his scandals and running with the tagline, “Graham Platner: The closer you look, the worse it gets.” One advertisement in particular featured older women expressing disgust.  Ultimately, her strategy failed to gain traction with an increasingly restless base eager to buck their party’s establishment. On April 30, Mills suspended her campaign.  “While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else – the fight– to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources,” Mills said in a statement.Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:23:10 +0000sDgihghFtRoMaTgHhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/vance-shares-hes-gearing-lions-den-debut-viewVance shares how he's gearing up for lion's den debut on 'The View' --- Vice President JD Vance told Fox News Digital in a sit down interview he hopes to have a "good conversation" during his debut "The View" appearance. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Vice President JD Vance is set to make his first appearance on ABC's "The View" on Wednesday, becoming just the third sitting vice president to join the daytime talk show's panel. "It may be the optimist in me, but I just fundamentally think that most people — not everybody, but most people — even if I disagree with them, you ought to try to have a conversation with them," Vance told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview Tuesday. Vance will join all six co-hosts, including Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro, to discuss his new book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith." His appearance comes on the heels of the Trump administration's newly reached agreement with Iran, in which the vice president played a key role in negotiations. Asked how he was preparing for the interview, Vance said he was approaching it as an opportunity for an earnest conversation, even with people whose views differ from his own. FLASHBACK: VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE WILL APPEAR ON 'THE VIEW' AFTER HOSTS CONDEMNED HIM FOR YEARS Vance will join all six co-hosts of "The View" to discuss his book "Communion" and the Trump administration's newly reached agreement with Iran. (Unknown) "My job as Vice President of the United States is not just to talk to the people who voted for me, it's to talk to the people who didn't vote for me too," said Vance. "We're going to go and try to have a good conversation. I hope they meet me halfway. I'm a little skeptical, but we'll see," he added. Vance's appearance comes after years of criticism from the show's hosts, who have repeatedly targeted both him and his wife since he was tapped as President Donald Trump's running mate. 'THE VIEW' CO-HOSTS CLAIM USHA VANCE IS 'ADDICTED TO POWER' IN ON-AIR ATTACK AGAINST SECOND LADY [Trump] "knows that he’s the vice president who will do the things that Mike Pence would not," Hostin said in July 2024. (Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images) Co-host Joy Behar argued Vance was selected to serve as vice president to be a "carbon copy" of Trump and would fail to bring in any new voters. [Trump] "knows that he’s the vice president who will do the things that Mike Pence would not. I really do believe that. He is an election denier. He has not committed to accepting the results of this year’s elections," Hostin said during the same episode in July 2024. Co-host Ana Navarro once pointed out that Walz could have an opportunity to embarrass Vance prior to the vice-presidential debate last year. GOV. TIM WALZ SAYS HE’D 'BEAT THE S--- OUT OF' JD VANCE IN A DEBATE REMATCH A composite image featuring JD Vance from a Fox News Digital interview screenshot alongside Joy Behar and Ana Navarro during the Season 29 premiere of "The View" on Monday, September 8, 2025. (Fox News Digital; Lou Rocco / Getty Images) "What Tim Walz needs to do is reveal JD Vance for who he is, a coward, duplicitous, hypocritical opportunist who remains silent while Trump attacks Kamala Harris for being biracial even though his children are biracial," Navarro said. "Who remained silent while Trump supporters issue attacks on Kamala Harris for being of Indian descent, for being South Asian, even though he’s married to an Indian woman." Vance will be the third sitting vice president to join the program and the first Republican vice president to do so, after appearances by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. "The View" had a total of 341 guests in 2025, but only two of them were conservative, while 128 were liberal, according to a study conducted by the Media Research Center's NewsBusters. VP JD VANCE ADDRESSES US-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIP, WHETHER IRAN IS TRYING TO 'PLAY' THE UNITED STATES In a media appearance Monday, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said she plans to ask Vance about the financial incentives being proposed to Iran under the newly announced peace agreement. "He was, um, reportedly one of the chief negotiating partners. I just want to get some clarity," she said. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to "The View" for comment. Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall contributed to this report. Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:05:55 +0000A0R8uNJKZDCPtwjIhttps://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5923466-sanders-ocasio-cortez-influence/Schumer vs. Sanders: a fight for the Democratic Party’s identity --- For much of this year, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has tried to project an image of the Democratic Party that is still run from the center, propping up establishment-approved congressional candidates in the hopes of retaking the majority come November.  But a string of progressive primary results and a wave of endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has seemingly threatened Schumer’s plans, even before they had the chance to fully pan out. Indeed, Schumer’s grip on the party is slipping, and it’s become quite clear that a leftward shift is already well underway.  In Maine, for one, Schumer threw his weight behind Gov. Janet Mills (D) to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whereas Sanders endorsed the now-Democratic nominee Graham Platner.  Despite Platner’s slew of scandals — including abusive behavior toward past partners, reports of inappropriate communications while married and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol — he managed to prevail. He performed so well that Mills decided to drop out of the race, ultimately handing Platner the nomination on primary night, where he received more than 70 percent of the vote. Platner’s victory, and in turn, Mills’s conspicuous defeat, had several Senate Democrats questioning Schumer’s recruiting strategy. Some had been urging him to stay out of highly contested primaries across the country.  Unfortunately for the establishment, Sanders may have already done the work for him. In Michigan, Sanders has thrown his support to Abdul El-Sayed. Hasan Piker, a left-wing influencer whose comments many argue cross the line into antisemitism, is backing El-Sayed and has appeared alongside him in Detroit as part of his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour.  The progressive pair framed the Senate race explicitly as a referendum on “the Democratic establishment, which is significantly dominated by big-money interests.”  With El-Sayed as the current frontrunner — he leads his fellow Democrats by double-digits with slightly more than one-quarter of the vote (28 percent) — Democrats now run the risk of losing the open Senate seat to former Rep. Mike Rogers (R). In fact, additional polling in Michigan shows that El-Sayed’s potential candidacy gives Rogers the best chance at snagging the seat out of the three Democrats vying for the nomination. The other two are Rep. Haley Stevens (D) — whom Schumer recently backed — and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D).  Sanders has also made a slate of endorsements nationwide for U.S. House. In particular, his endorsement of New Jersey’s Adam Hamawy — a left-wing candidate who won his district’s crowded primary election by 14 points — speaks volumes to where the broader Democratic Party may be headed. Hamawy testified in 1995 in defense of later-convicted terrorist Omar Abdel-Rahman. He reportedly claimed that public remarks by Abdel-Rahman about “conquering the land of the infidels” had been taken “out of context.” Abdel-Rahman was convicted and died in prison almost a decade ago, serving a life sentence. This may be one of Sanders’s most radical endorsements to date. In Pennsylvania, Sanders’s House counterpart Ocasio-Cortez loudly intervened in the state’s 3rd Congressional District, where state Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Pa.) won the Democratic nomination with roughly 45 percent of the vote. Ocasio-Cortez’s backing was seen by many as the clearest sign yet that national progressives are rallying around candidates like Rabb, who was also endorsed by “Squad” members Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Summer Lee (D-Pa.).  To be clear, Sanders’s successes do not necessarily mean the establishment wing of the party is dead. Schumer-aligned candidates still remain on the ballot in multiple states, though many are locked in competitive primaries. But the pattern is hard to ignore. When Sanders or Ocasio-Cortez intervene, their candidates perform well, sometimes even forcing the establishment’s chosen candidate out of the race entirely. Taken together, it’s clear that the 2026 midterms are shaping up to be more than a fight over individual seats. Rather, they have become an early indicator of what the Democratic Party actually stands for — and more importantly, who gets to define it heading into 2028.  If El-Sayed joins Platner, Hamawy and Rabb in reaching the general election, Democrats will be testing whether unapologetically progressive candidates can win, especially in states like Michigan and Maine, or whether their far-left agenda hands Republicans an easy contrast on liberal extremism.  Regardless of the outcome, this year’s midterms will certainly reverberate well beyond November. A string of progressive wins would embolden the party’s left flank heading into a wide-open presidential primary come 2028, while a string of losses would give Schumer and the establishment fresh ammunition.  Nonetheless, it’s apparent that Democrats can and should no longer avoid this conversation, as the party’s path back to power — and its identity — will likely run directly through these very races.  Douglas E. Schoen and Carly Cooperman are pollsters and partners with the public opinion company Schoen Cooperman Research based in New York. They are co-authors of the book “America: Unite or Die.”  Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:54:18 +0000HuTPALxmZjxG4YoJhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/party-poopers-fight-card-jane-fonda-kings-communists-roll-rival-spectacle-trumps-250thParty Poopers' Fight Card: Jane Fonda, 'No Kings,' communists roll out rival spectacle to Trump's 250th --- On today's Guy Benson Show, Guy discussed the outrage from leftists surrounding the United States hosting the World Cup. As Europeans enjoy America's offerings, some Americans poo-poo their fun. Listen above! NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! As President Donald Trump prepares to celebrate America's 250th anniversary today with a UFC event at the White House, a national network of angry activists has assembled its own fight card: a celebrity concert headlined by Jane Fonda, hundreds of "watch parties," local organizing events including a "RAGE AGAINST THE CAGE!" protest and a coordinated operation aimed at fighting Trump "through the midterm elections and beyond." About 400 organizations in the "No Kings" coalition with combined annual revenues of about $3 billion have organized Sunday's nationwide protest operation. Internal planning documents obtained by Fox News Digital show organizers' plan to using the concerts, watch parties and local gatherings to build momentum for a political organizing network. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office alongside UFC Freedom 250 fighters Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, Justin Gaethje, and Ciryl Gane at the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch/Zuffa LLC) At 4 p.m., in one of day's many planned sideshows, "Refuse Fascism," a pro-communism group, plans its "RAGE AGAINST THE CAGE!" protest at McPherson Square near the White House. UFC fighter Sean Strickland released a video on social media, saying he had booked a ticket to protest at the White House for allegedly being cut from the main event for criticizing the state of Israel and the war in Iran. "Ill bring a bullhorn," he wrote in his social media post. Meanwhile, the Women's March, a multi-millon-dollar nonprofit enterprise, has rented portable toilets that its staffers are setting up from noon to 6 p.m. at Farragut Square, blocks from the White House, for a protest dubbed "Dump on Trump." Sean Strickland appears on stage during the UFC 328 press conference at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on May 7, 2026. (Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) A 16-page "No Kings Event Host Toolkit" describes June 14 as an opportunity to convert mass demonstrations into local political infrastructure. Organizers frame the event as a counter to Trump's hosting of the White House UFC event, saying "we will be doing the real work of democracy." The materials describe watch parties as "strategic community gatherings designed to build deep local connections and lay the grassroots infrastructure we need to defend our rights through the midterm elections and beyond." Indivisible, a Democratic nonprofit funded by mega-donor George Soros, handed the headline role to the 88-year-old Fonda's "Committee for the First Amendment," which is hosting the day's premiere counter-event in New York City at a 90-minute concert, "Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment," starting at 7:30 pm. at a theater called "The Town Hall" on 43rd Street. This weekend, tickets in the orchestra section sold for $330.15. Jane Fonda attends the closing ceremony red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on May 24, 2025. (Gisela Schober/Getty Images) JANE FONDA SLAMMED DEMOCRATIC LEADERS AS 'NOT GOOD ENOUGH' IN FIGHT AGAINST TRUMP The "Committee for the First Amendment" describes itself as "a large collective of artists, storytellers, and cultural leaders" launched in October 2025 with about 500 leading figures from the entertainment industry. They invoked the name of a group established in 1947 by Hollywood celebrities, including Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx, to challenge Sen. Joe McCarthy's investigations into the spread of communism in the U.S. and Hollywood. Later, some members of the original "Committee for the First Amendment" were identified as communist, and original members of the group wrote that they were duped into joining the effort. Ronald Reagan, then an actor, reportedly called committee member "suckers." Actor Humphrey Bogart even published a politically frank column, headlined, "I'm No Communist," urging fellow celebrities not to be "used as dupes by Commie organizations." Fast forward to today, and the anti-Trump concert will feature left-wing activists including Fonda, whose controversial 1972 trip to communist North Vietnam earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane" and sparked backlash from critics who accused her of aligning with the North Vietnamese communist regime during the Vietnam War. She's scheduled to be joined in New York City by 1970s "godmother of punk" Patti Smith, actress Bette Midler, singer Rufus Wainwright, singer Sasha Allen, former MSNBC host Joy Reid and actor Wilson Cruz. Lauren Bacall embraces and kisses Humphrey Bogart in a scene from the 1944 film "To Have and Have Not." (Warner Brothers/Getty Images) JANE FONDA WARNS AMERICA FACES 'EXISTENTIAL' CRISIS AS SHE URGES TURNOUT AT 'NO KINGS' PROTESTS Organizers describe the event as "an uplifting evening of song, solidarity, and action" celebrating freedoms of "speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest." But the internal planning documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show the concert is the public-facing component of a much broader anti-Trump organizing effort designed to be a funneling agent for "the midterm elections and beyond." The day's messaging guidance casts the June 14 showdown as an alternative political narrative of "people power." "The lead-up to America’s 250th is a test of who we are," the guidance goes. "President Trump is choosing self-promotion. We’re choosing community, participation and people power." Organizers repeatedly frame the effort as direct counterprogramming to Trump's event. One suggested message prepared for supporters states: "On June 14, President Trump hosts a UFC cage fight at the White House. The main event will be in our living rooms." The "No Kings" coalition's internal materials outline an extensive organizing apparatus. Host toolkits instruct local organizers to recruit co-hosts, appoint "greeters" and safety leads, collect attendee contact information, identify future organizers and schedule follow-up organizing meetings after the concert. One host guide tells organizers their goal is to "bring people in and move them to ongoing participation." Another instructs hosts to determine "who might help you with organizing moving forward." Before attendees leave, organizers are directed to create "a clearly defined plan" and schedule another organizing meeting within two weeks. Taken together, the documents show an effort focused not merely on a single day of protest but on building durable activist networks after June 14. The coalition's messaging guidance makes that objective explicit. One recommended talking point states: "He wants attention. We're building a movement." At the same time, organizers stress legal compliance and message discipline. The protests include a "reimbursement" program, and the material explicitly states that it's administered through Indivisible Civics, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In a departure from the clearly partisan nature of "No Kings" protests that have as an underlying theme that Trump is "a king," the guidance for today states that events "cannot include lobbying or partisan political activity." The reimbursement material reveals for the first time that participating groups may receive up to $500 in reimbursements for watch parties connected to the event. Jane Fonda and Rep. Ilhan Omar appear onstage during the No Kings Rallies in St. Paul, Minn., on March 28, 2026. (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) FIRST ON FOX: POWERFUL HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIR THROWS HAMMER DOWN ON 'FOREIGN-ALIGNED INFLUENCE NETWORK' The guidance further states that event's can't be "co-hosted with any political party or partisan organization" or "feature candidates running for elected office." The document also specifies that the program "cannot reimburse expenses from political rallies or protests (e.g. 'No Kings') or events hosted to prep for those activities." The politics has been very thinly veiled. At the last "No Kings" protest in St. Paul, Minn., just like with earlier rallies, organizers, including Fonda, openly embraced Democratic politicians like Rep. Ilhan Omar, without any Republican lawmakers around. Organizers emphasized strict commitment to a "NONVIOLENCE CLAUSE." One host guide warns: "DO NOT DELETE THE NONVIOLENCE CLAUSE. Your event will not be approved without this language." Beyond the celebrity headliners, the campaign's leadership network overlaps with activists and organizations that have been the subject of congressional inquiries for their alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Documents released bMon, 15 Jun 2026 12:58:57 +0000R4ZBPBhhnE6XSO2ghttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-dodges-questions-abuse-allegations-facing-maine-senate-candidate-graham-platnerBernie Sanders dodges questions about abuse allegations facing Maine Senate candidate Platner --- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., dodged a series of questions Tuesday about abuse allegations facing Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, offering no response when Fox News Digital asked whether he believed the women accusing the candidate of misconduct. As Sanders waited for an elevator at the Capitol, Fox News Digital asked whether he believed the allegations against Platner, whom the senator has previously campaigned for and continues to support. Sanders did not respond. The Growing List Of Controversies Threatening Democrat Graham Platner's Maine Senate Bid Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stand together during a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026. "Senator, do you believe the women accusing Platner of abuse?" Fox News Digital asked. "You were campaigning for him recently, so I was wondering what you think about the allegations made against him." Sanders also declined to answer questions about allegations that Platner knew about a Nazi-linked tattoo that has become part of the controversy surrounding his campaign. "About the women saying he knew that he had a Nazi tattoo? You have nothing to say about the scandal?" Fox News Digital asked. Sanders continued waiting for the elevator without responding. Read On The Fox News App Fetterman Refuses To Defend Platner, Calls Him "Baggage" As Scandals Mount The Marine veteran and oyster farmer has defended himself against the criticism and retained the support of prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. The questions come as Platner faces mounting scrutiny over a series of controversies that have rocked his Senate campaign. The Maine Democrat has been accused by multiple women of abusive behavior and has faced criticism over sexually explicit messages, offensive social media posts and allegations involving a Nazi-linked tattoo. Platner has denied wrongdoing and defended himself against the allegations. Click Here To Download The Fox News App Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, left, is set to face a bruising re-election challenge from Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, right. Despite the backlash, Platner has continued to receive support from several high-profile Democrats, including Sanders, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Whether the controversies surrounding Platner will affect voters remains to be seen. Maine Democrats headed to the polls Tuesday to determine who will face Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in November in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races. Original article source: Bernie Sanders dodges questions about abuse allegations facing Maine Senate candidate PlatnerMon, 15 Jun 2026 13:17:58 +0000vFGm4j9DPbN7kS6whttps://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jun/15/letter-editor-democrats-would-rather-see-nuclear-iran-trump-made/We can fully expect the Democratic Party and mainstream media elite to condemn any President Trump-led Iran deal as a 'complete capitulation.' --- We can fully expect the Democratic Party and mainstream media elite to condemn any President Trump-led Iran deal as a 'complete capitulation.'Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:45:01 +0000Ir6NLVSequYHbenFhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-accused-blocking-federal-voter-roll-audit-doj-probes-election-fraud-claimsCalifornia accused of blocking federal voter roll audit as DOJ escalates probe of election fraud claims --- Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., criticize California’s ‘despicable’ election system on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’ The Justice Department is escalating its clash with California over voter-roll access, accusing state officials of blocking a federal audit — though Golden State officials warn the demand threatens voter privacy and oversteps federal authority. The dispute centers on voter roll maintenance and access to registration records, not any publicly identified allegation of impropriety in a specific California race. "If California genuinely wants voters to trust its elections, it should open its records, not fight to keep them closed," Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said in a lengthy post on X that included a copy of a letter U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ office enforcing federal voting-rights laws, sent to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber last year demanding the state's voter rolls for inspection.  "What are they afraid of?" Essayli questioned. MORE THAN 500,000 CALIFORNIANS DEMAND VOTING OVERHAUL, BACK ‘STRAIGHTFORWARD’ ID LAW California’s rules allow certain first-time voters who do not provide a Social Security number or driver’s license when registering to verify their identity with documents including gym membership cards, employer IDs, credit or debit cards, prescription labels and insurance cards — a policy Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli says warrants scrutiny. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; Emily Elconin/REUTERS) Dhillon’s letter followed an Aug. 8 response from Weber’s office raising concerns about privacy protections that could be implicated by the state voter-registration data sought by the federal government. A spokesperson from California Governor Gavin Newsom's office told Fox News Digital that "every federal court to consider the issue has ruled U.S. DOJ’s demands violate federal law," adding that "unlike this federal administration, we don’t do things that are illegal." Weber’s office offered to let DOJ inspect a redacted voter-registration database by appointment in Sacramento, arguing that satisfied their legal obligations, but Dhillon rejected that proposal and demanded an electronic copy of the statewide voter list "with all fields," according to legal filings from the ongoing dispute taking place in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. "We also have serious concerns about how California maintains its voter rolls," Essayli wrote in his X post calling out California Democrats for blocking the federal audit of their voter rolls. "There are open questions about whether the state is promptly removing deceased voters, people who have moved, and individuals convicted of disqualifying felonies."  Essayli also highlighted how California’s rules allow certain first-time voters who do not provide a Social Security number or driver’s license when registering to verify their identity with documents including gym membership cards, employer IDs, credit or debit cards, prescription labels and insurance cards — a policy his office says warrants scrutiny. NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS IN DEMOCRAT-RUN STATE EXPOSED AS RNC CHAIR PLEDGES SECURE ELECTIONS "On top of that, California allows third parties to collect and turn in ballots on voters’ behalf (a practice known as ballot harvesting) with few restrictions," Essayli added. "This makes it difficult to track who actually received, completed, and submitted each ballot." Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who leads the DOJ office that enforces federal voting-rights laws (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) The California Attorney General’s office pushed back on Essayli’s framing, noting that DOJ had already lost the case at the district court level and that the pending Ninth Circuit fight stems from the federal government’s appeal of that dismissal. A U.S. District Judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit in January, with the presiding judge writing that the department was seeking "an unprecedented amount of personal information" from California’s unredacted voter rolls, including names, Social Security numbers, home addresses, voting history and other sensitive information from nearly 23 million Californians. The judge also wrote that DOJ could not use federal election laws in a way that "wholly disregards the separation of powers provided for in the Constitution." FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP ADMIN LAWSUIT SEEKING MICHIGAN VOTER ROLLS A spokesperson for Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office highlighted in a statement to Fox News Digital that the DOJ has brought approximately 30 voter roll lawsuits nationwide and has lost all eight voter roll cases that have been decided to date. California Attorney general Rob Bonta (R) speaks as California Governor Gavin Newsom looks on during a news conference at Gemperle Orchard on April 16, 2025 in Ceres, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) The fight for federal access to California's voter rolls comes as voter roll maintenance has been a concern of President Donald Trump and Republicans nationally. "If fraudsters do it right, it can be many, many more votes like this," Illinois GOP Chairman Bob Grogan told Fox News Digital two weeks ago after a Democratic city official in his state turned herself in for allegedly using her dead mother's name to vote. Grogan expressed particular concern with mail-in balloting, even though he did recognize its necessity in some cases. TRUMP-APPOINTED FEDERAL JUDGE TOSSES DOJ LAWSUIT SEEKING ARIZONA VOTER DATA "Mail ballots are especially vulnerable, which is why they should be secured, should never be mailed without a specific request from the voter, and should always be verified before they are tabulated. This case also shows how essential it is to maintain clean voter rolls," Jason Snead, who runs the Honest Elections Project, told Fox News Digital about the Illinois case. "Had the list maintenance process been slower, it is possible this illegal vote would have been counted before the fraud was discovered. Unfortunately, too many states — particularly blue states — actively resist commonsense safeguards, which begs the question: how many other illegal votes have slipped through the system?" Chester County, Pa. election workers process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester on Nov. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Dead registrants have also fueled broader scrutiny of voter roll maintenance nationally.  North Carolina election officials said in April they identified roughly 34,000 deceased people still listed on the state’s voter rolls after a federal database comparison, while other recent local controversies have included allegations or investigations involving deceased voters appearing on registration lists or absentee-ballot records. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Republicans have argued cases such as these show why states should be more transparent about how they maintain voter lists. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital that the New Jersey records were "eye-opening" and said the party has sought voter roll maintenance information from nearly every state. DOJ has already pursued a similar records fight inside California, suing Orange County’s registrar last year for allegedly refusing to provide records to help remove noncitizens from its voter-registration list. At the time, Dhillon said removing noncitizens from California’s voter rolls was "critical" to ensuring the state’s rolls are accurate and that elections are conducted without fraudulent voting.Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:34:46 +00002czrGijvy3laAWzUhttps://justthenews.com/politics-policy/all-things-trump/democratic-presidential-hopefuls-polled-what-theyd-do-trumpsRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she wasn't sure what to do with such a large space, but she might turn it into a soup kitchen or a community center. --- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she wasn't sure what to do with such a large space, but she might turn it into a soup kitchen or a community center.Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:37:36 +0000lz6PzcU44OjesU1Qhttps://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/06/12/just-when-you-thought-the-graham-platner-scandal-couldnt-get-worse-n4953895---Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:53:30 +0000kk6n142X92X4603ohttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/talaricos-move-swap-out-woman-resurfaces-amid-backlash-similar-bill-ny-insaneTalarico's move to swap out 'woman' resurfaces amid backlash over similar bill in NY: 'Insane individual' --- ‘The Five’ co-hosts discuss President Donald Trump’s comments about Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico and the candidate’s campaign. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! James Talarico, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, once swapped out the term "woman" with "pregnant individual" in a bill that would have created protections for abortion in the Lone Star State. The bill would have prevented "the prosecution of a pregnant individual on whom an abortion is performed or induced" and eliminated any Texas law that would have regulated or prohibited an abortion. It never made it past consideration in committee. Despite its stalled progress, the 2023 bill runs counter to Talarico’s efforts to paint himself as sufficiently conservative to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate as he wages an uphill campaign to defeat Republican challenger Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general. ‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINY James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and U.S. Senate candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Round Rock, Texas, U.S., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images) "I’ve called out the extremes in both parties," Talarico said in an interview with CBS last month. When asked about his position on gender and previous comments that there were as many as six sexes, Talarico clarified his stance. "I know there are two sexes, men and women. I also know there’s a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect." When asked about the bill, Talarico's campaign emphasized the abortion-related aspect of the bill, leaving the gender wording unaddressed. "James agrees with a majority of Texans that women should make decisions about their own bodies. While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and support Texas families," JT Ennis, a campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. The bill’s resurfacing coincides with a very similar bill making its way through the New York legislature. JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS 'MISSED THE MARK' WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS 'NON-BINARY' New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke during a news conference at the WIN NYC family shelter on March 5, 2026, in New York City. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images) That bill would "adjust language in the law to a more inclusive and gender-neutral form." Among other changes, it swaps out the term "mother" for "gestating parent." Having cleared the New York General Assembly and the New York Senate, it is poised to receive Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature to become law. Although Talarico’s bill falls short of similarly reframing the state’s entire legal language, his opponents believe the very attempt to pass a bill using the same kind of terminology is emblematic of someone out of step with Texans' principles. "James Talarico’s entire career has been dedicated to replacing the Christian and family values of Texans with his transgender-for-all agenda," RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft said. BILL REPLACING 'MOTHER' AND 'FATHER' WITH GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS PASSES IN NEW YORK, HEADS TO HOCHUL'S DESK Texas Senate candidate James Talarico urged voters to reduce meat consumption in a 2022 clip that went viral on Tuesday. (Mark Felix/Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP "He is a threat to Texans’ way of life and a truly insane individual who has been fully broken by the woke mind virus." Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:59:07 +0000HaNWBLvPUUC1l7Sxhttps://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/cardi-b-claims-donald-trumps-attendance-brought-dark-energy-nba-finals-game-3Cardi B claims Donald Trump’s attendance brought a 'dark' energy to NBA Finals Game 3 --- Whoopi Goldberg chastised the audience and co-host Sunny Hostin for blaming President Donald Trump for ending the Knicks' winning streak by attending game three of the NBA Finals, warning they should not ascribe him that kind of power. Some people find a way to blame President Donald Trump for just about everything. Apparently, that now includes the New York Knicks losing an NBA Finals game. Following New York's 115-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 on Monday night, rapper Cardi B suggested Trump's presence at Madison Square Garden may have brought some bad juju into the building. Trump, who became the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game, was in attendance as the Spurs snapped the Knicks' 13-game playoff winning streak and cut New York's series lead to 2-1. CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE President Donald Trump watches before Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images) After the game, Cardi B hopped on Instagram Live, where one fan asked whether Trump was "bad luck" for the Knicks. "It probably was. But it is what it is," Cardi said. "You can't stop the president from f---ing going to a game. But it did feel a little dark in there." The Bronx-born rapper, who performed at halftime during Game 3, compared the atmosphere inside Madison Square Garden to having a school principal unexpectedly walk into class. "It felt like the principal was there and everybody had to be on their best behavior," she said. Cardi B performs onstage during the Little Miss Drama Tour at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Feb. 15, 2026. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation) To be fair, Trump's visit did bring heightened security around the arena, with road closures and an increased Secret Service presence surrounding Madison Square Garden. Cardi B acknowledged as much, saying she understood why the precautions were necessary and even got a firsthand look at the presidential security detail. Still, blaming Trump for the Knicks' fourth-quarter shooting woes might be a bit of a stretch. New York shot just 2-for-12 from three-point range in the final frame, while Victor Wembanyama poured in 32 points to lead San Antonio to the win. Unless the president secretly suited up for the Spurs or put a curse on New York's shooters, the Knicks may have to look elsewhere for an explanation. TRUMP TORCHES STEPHEN A SMITH'S PRESIDENTIAL HOPES AFTER KNICKS LOSE GAME 3 WITH TRUMP AT MSG Cardi B performs during halftime between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) Cardi B isn't the first person to connect Trump's appearance to the loss, though. Before tipoff, ESPN personality and noted Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith said he'd blame Trump if New York lost, prompting a sharp response from the president afterward. Speaking to reporters following the game, Trump questioned whether Smith — who has teased a White House bid more than once — has the intelligence necessary to run for president. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP The good news for Knicks fans is they'll get another shot Wednesday night when Game 4 tips off at Madison Square Garden. And if New York loses again, that'll probably be Trump's fault, too. Amber Harding is a writer for OutKick.Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:23:00 +0000s03AkSycjscCkiqfhttps://dailycaller.com/2026/06/11/court-clerks-utah-illegal-alien-evade-ice-arrest/'Self-appointed anti-ICE vigilantes' --- 'Self-appointed anti-ICE vigilantes'Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:50:19 +0000ZYcSLqP8VduG6F4Zhttps://dailycaller.com/2026/06/11/homeless-skid-row-vote-la-mayoral-race-karen-bass-spencer-pratt/'False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved.' --- 'False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved.'Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:26:12 +0000syXhKhZvSEvh7A6rhttps://dailycaller.com/2026/06/11/senator-eric-schmitt-bloody-nose-catch-republicans-democrats-baseball/My man went harder on the field than 95% of Democrats on policy --- My man went harder on the field than 95% of Democrats on policyThu, 11 Jun 2026 15:33:18 +0000MtkegF8zGuK8LcCHhttps://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2026/06/10/poll-democrats-willing-to-throw-black-voters-under-the-bus-to-gain-power-n4953807---Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:17:52 +0000ZhZfSWYBV2qIWOmVhttps://www.dailywire.com/news/the-lefts-media-fortress-has-a-breachThe Left’s Media Fortress Has A Breach --- The Left’s institutional control is falling apart. They thought they had the government. Then President Trump won, and the Republicans won, but the Left thought they had the media. More than anything, they thought they had the media. But last night, that magical world dissolved before their very eyes. CBS News fired longtime “60 Minutes” anchor Scott Pelley, making clear that the show would no longer be an agitprop outlet for the Left. But without institutional control, what happens to the Left? What do they do next? The answer? They move even farther to the Left. The left-wing and mainstream media narrative today is that “60 Minutes” was a magical place filled with objective journalism. Then right-wing fire-breather Bari Weiss and her evil Zionist paymasters arrived, and now they’re firing stalwarts like old-style journalist Scott Pelley from “60 Minutes.” How dare they touch this bastion of journalistic integrity? False. “60 Minutes” was never objective. It was always a Left-wing outlet. That’s the reason why the Left is angry that changes are being made. They saw this as their institutional preserve and now that preserve has been violated. Like a naturally beautiful piece of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge being touched by human hands, it must not be. They’ve been promoting the notion that Bari Weiss is some sort of flaming Right-winger. That’s crazy. I’m friends with Bari; she is not Right-wing on a huge number of issues. She is pro-LGBT, obviously. She is pro-choice, obviously. She used to describe herself as a center-left person. If you went back about 25 years, she’d be a moderate Democrat. So what is the actual story here? The key story here is the Democrats are losing control of a lot of their key institutions. If there’s any overarching sort of theme to the Trump era, it is that Democrats thought they had undeniable control of virtually every key institution in American life and now, one by one, that’s coming apart for them. “60 Minutes” was considered the tip of the spear in the objective journalism universe. Those of us who’ve been watching mainstream legacy media for a long time recognize that the so-called objective media is usually anything but objective; usually it is just a Left-leaning group of people who pretend to be objective. Scott Pelley was fired. The reason he was fired is that there were changes made over at “60 Minutes.” Nick Bilton, a tech journalist and filmmaker, was appointed to shake up “60 Minutes” because the ratings were poor and there were problems with journalistic integrity. Bilton was publicly accosted by Scott Pelley at a meeting where he introduced himself to the staff. This was after CBS had fired the previous executive producer, her deputy, and a couple of the show’s correspondents. With absolute self-centered arrogance, Pelley called it Black Thursday. That’s true for an enormous number of journalists and pseudo-journalists in the online space. They are simply narcissists; the only thing they regret about the camera is that it is not a mirror. Bilton said Bari loves the institution, loves “60 Minutes.” Pelley got up in full self-righteous mode, knowing, of course, that he was trying to get himself fired. Let’s be clear: that’s what he wanted. He wanted to be a martyr. If you’re going to have your airtime reduced, it’s better to be a martyr. If you’re Colin Kaepernick and you’re about to get benched, much better that you go out protesting the national anthem. So Pelley decided this was his moment of bravery and resistance. (Maybe they’ll make a movie about him.) He said Bari was murdering “60 Minutes,” that she did not love this place, that she was trying to kill it; that she had no qualifications for her job. It is incredible to me when people talk about qualifications in the journalistic world. The idea that journalism is a job for which you require a license or a qualification is ridiculous. It ain’t like being a heart surgeon. Bari Weiss was an editor at the New York Times before she started The Free Press, one of the most successful independent journalistic endeavors in America. But she has no qualifications? Yet Scott Pelley, who reads stuff from a teleprompter on camera, says she has no qualifications for her job. Bilton wrote a letter that stated: I meant what I said in my letter last week to the 60 Minutes team: joining 60 Minutes is the honor of my career and I am grateful to be working alongside the people who have contributed to the most important television journalism brand this country has ever produced. While I’m new to 60 Minutes, I’ve devoted my career to investigative journalism and storytelling. I started this job excited to collaborate and to benefit from the wisdom and experience of the 60 Minutes veterans, with you among them. For that reason, one of the first things I did in my new role was call you to talk and invite you to dinner. It is a profound disappointment that you rejected that overture and chose ambush instead. Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt. I welcome a diversity of viewpoints and respectful debate among the team, but this was nothing of the sort. Yesterday’s performative display of hostility enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show, or approaching my new tenure with a mind open to collaboration and progress. I am here to deliver first-in-class news programming, not to make headlines about newsroom drama. I am eager to work alongside those who share this goal. Despite yesterday’s misconduct, I had hoped that in sitting down with you today we could find a path forward together. You made clear that you are not interested in such a path. Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear. And I have heard you. I therefore write on behalf of CBS News, Inc. (“CBS”) to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated for cause effective immediately. Enclosed is your formal termination letter. A great letter. Applause for Nick Bilton. This alone means that his tenure has been worth it. This is how you should treat insubordination. “60 Minutes” pretends that it is an openly objective institution. The notion that “60 Minutes” was a bastion of objective journalism is not true. It’s another institution that is finally being remade to veer toward objectivity. And the Left is panicking.Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:39:04 +0000ZgfAv9WhxYnfb9Dehttps://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/06/10/democrats-are-literally-blaming-trump-for-their-support-of-graham-platner-n4953810---Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:39:23 +0000TkHKL9aq4oyvGZTuhttps://www.aei.org/articles/ai-anxiety-and-the-3-confusions-of-bernie-sanders/AI Anxiety and the 3+ Confusions of Bernie Sanders --- My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers in America and around the world: A scenario to consider: If the US federal government were ever to quasi-nationalize the big artificial-intelligence labs, it might look something like what investor and AI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner proposed in a viral 2024 analysis. He envisioned a catalyzing moment when, as AI rapidly approaches the inflection point of general or even superintelligence, Washington would fold the labs and leading cloud providers into a government-orchestrated—but voluntary—consortium for national-security reasons. Exciting stuff! Think of it as a 21st-century version of the Manhattan Project (though the AI-nuclear comparisons typically obfuscate more than they illuminate). Now, I’m not even sure that scenario is all that likely, even assuming the conditional technological advance. But far less likely, I think, is what Bernie Sanders just proposed in The New York Times. Even though AI is currently neither (a) disrupting the labor market nor (b) supercharging productivity growth, the socialist US senator from Vermont would have the federal government ASAP seize 50 percent of the stock in the largest AI companies—OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI among them—through a one-time tax paid in stock. Hey, no time like the present. I guess. Washington would also get board seats and voting power at each firm. Sanders sees the returns from this unique sovereign wealth fund—which he likens to Norway’s oil-funded sovereign vehicle—flowing to Americans as direct payments, eventually funding health care, education, and housing. Understanding his supposed justification is crucial. Sanders: Since A.I. is built on the collective knowledge of humanity, the wealth it generates must benefit humanity. Not just Mr. Musk, Mr. Altman, Dario Amodei and other moguls whose companies are positioned to dominate the industry. Not just venture capitalists in Silicon Valley or money managers on Wall Street who undoubtedly see A.I. as the next great wealth-extracting machine. A genuine question: What is it that Sanders thinks the American private sector does, exactly? Does he see Corporate America as adding any value at all from taking an idea and then improving and commercializing it? Not understanding the gap between the lab and the marketplace is a fundamental error on his part, one of several that help explain this terrible idea. As they say on YouTube and TikTok, let me explain: First, Sanders is confused about how innovation benefits society. Unless there’s a government-run scheme to deliver Americans a direct check, he seemingly dismisses—or enormously downplays—the other ways AI might provide benefits. Maybe also consider, I dunno, cancers diagnosed earlier and treated more effectively, productivity gains that raise incomes, cheaper goods and services, new products and industries, and breakthroughs across the many of fields of science. Worse, his view of innovation and the role of business recalls a related idea from fellow Down Winger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has previously argued that because the federal government funds basic research in the US, the public acts as a de facto early-stage investor in the resulting products—drugs, for instance—yet receives no return on that investment since no licensing deals bring money back to the NIH. Yet the whole point of this wildly successful system of American innovation is to transfer knowledge to private industry without licensing deals or royalties so as to minimize as much as possible friction between public research and private commercialization. Of course, that only makes sense if you think something useful happens during that business commercialization, and I’m not sure AOC or Sanders do. And even setting aside the tax revenue and economic growth such research generates, a royalty check to Washington isn’t the only—or even the most important—way taxpayers can benefit from federal research. How about better health from a new pancreatic cancer drug that keeps patients alive twice as long?” Likewise, the most important “return” on AI for the American public would not be measured in dividend checks from a sovereign wealth fund. Second, Sanders is confused about the trade-offs from AI. A skeptic might say the senator presents AI in whatever way fits his argument of the moment. He has repeatedly characterized AI as a possible existential threat to humanity if it becomes supersmart and turns on us. To me, that sounds like a level of intelligence in the ballpark of what would be needed to also generate the economic value Sanders hopes to extract from the AI companies. Risk and reward go together. And given how much Sanders has stressed the risk, shouldn’t he really be pushing “stop AI” rather than “let’s spread the wealth from AI”? A government that owns half of OpenAI’s stock has a powerful financial incentive to keep the company growing, not to slow it down. And, again, AI with the sort of capabilities Sanders frets about would also be capable of producing the upsides he skates over. (Not to mention, he simply assumes superpowerful AI is going to happen and wants to thus act preemptively.) Third, Sanders is confused about AI being like oil. Here we go again. He wants to seize half of America’s most valuable business sector and build a sovereign wealth fund on top of it—all that using an Age of AI version of the “data is the new oil” metaphor that became a tech-policy cliché in the 2010s to describe how Facebook and Google turned user data into better-targeted advertising. Back then it spawned a whole “pay me for my data,” or “data dividend,” movement. The analogy was dumb then, and it remains dumb. Unlike oil, the value from data comes from what you do with it, not from owning a scarce pile of it. A fresh dataset is worth little until it’s combined with other data and run through algorithms created through engineering talent and capital. Oil, then, is the product. AI training data is merely an input. Norway taxes crude that sat inert underground before energy producer Equinor arrived. But no working GPT model existed before OpenAI. The accumulated knowledge was necessary but came nowhere close to sufficient. What Sanders wants to extract is the value created after that knowledge was gathered, but he seems to miss the trillions in value that years of engineering and billions in risk-tolerant capital brought into being. All and all, this starts to sound like an idea driven by politicians looking for an excuse to reduce corporate power for ideological reasons. Since I don’t think Sanders views this proposal as leading to passable legislation anytime soon, I’m not surprised his NYT piece offers little more than a hand wave on implementation and business impact. (“More details — including the specific spending priorities and the mechanics of implementation — will be included in the legislation I unveil in the coming weeks.”) Nothing on how an ahistorical equity seizure would crater the market value of the very companies he’s counting on to fund his sovereign wealth fund. Or dry up the venture capital investment that is a critical American competitive advantage over China. Or drive away key talent to friendlier jurisdictions, undermining those companies the government just invested in. Or risk government-directed crony capitalism mismanaging these megacompanies. Or trigger the myriad other possible consequences of an unprecedented act of government intervention in private enterprise. But why sweat the inconvenient details of reality when you’re making a social-media-ready political argument to prime the pump for future action rather than a serious public-policy one for this or the next Congress?Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:43:06 +0000JayWId2rIFgKujbZhttps://nypost.com/2026/06/09/opinion/nycs-failing-small-landlords-deserve-a-rent-split-decision/NYC’s failing small landlords deserve a Rent Guidelines Board split decision --- When Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled his Block by Block housing plan last month — a plan that’s more anti-landlord politics than actual policy — the target on the backs of small rent-stabilized property owners grew even bigger.  Small owners were already bracing for a punch to the gut this month, when the nine-member Rent Guidelines Board, now dominated by Mamdani appointees, will consider a rent freeze for one- and two-year leases on the city’s nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. With the mayor’s majority control over the RGB, we fear the worst: A rent freeze is one of the few campaign promises Mamdani can deliver without needing state legislation or Gov. Kathy Hochul’s approval.  A freeze would be a knockout blow for financially and physically distressed rent-stabilized buildings — and for thousands of vulnerable mom-and-pop, generational and immigrant owners operating under obstructive laws and constantly escalating costs. It seems Mamdani is setting small owners up for failure, clearing the way for a sinister plan to seize private property and convert it into socialist housing operated by his nonprofit and land-trust cronies. It’s no coincidence that a week before Mamdani unveiled his housing plan, the City Council reintroduced the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, a predatory law that would force financially distressed property owners to sell their buildings below market price to a pool of Mamdani-approved nonprofit housing providers. The RGB, now engaged in a series of public hearings before its final rent adjustment vote on June 25, can choose a different path. Board members must take a clear-eyed look at the RGB’s own research and data, listen to the independent economists warning of record numbers of financially distressed rent-stabilized properties, and reject City Hall’s politics. They — and Mamdani, too — have a unique opportunity to change this broken, one-sided system that works against small owners, the backbone of the city’s affordable housing ecosystem, and the families we house.  We challenge the mayor and his board to support a bifurcated, or “split,” rent adjustment that provides higher allowable rent increases for small rent-stabilized property owners. That would provide real help to pre-1974 rental properties, which are mostly 100% or majority rent-stabilized. Split-rent adjustments would address the fundamentally different economic challenges between older housing stock and newer construction. The RGB one-size-fits-all rent policy no longer works. Older, distressed rent-stabilized buildings are saddled with constant and expensive repairs and upgrades to major systems like roofs, plumbing, heating, electrical and brickwork. The RGB must separate this aging housing stock from other types of rent-stabilized units — such as those owned by profitable large institutional landlords, or those found in Manhattan high-rises and in newer construction benefitting from special tax subsidies. The RGB will be voting on a preliminary across-the-board increase range of 0% to 2% for a one-year lease — a laughable range that completely ignores its own data. Its new report on the Price Index of Operating Costs found that operating costs and expenses of rent-stabilized housing rose 5.3% from April 2025 to March 2026. Large institutional landlords can handle such a near-freeze on rents. Small ones don’t have the resources to do so. Given the RGB’s own numbers, to keep their heads above water and their properties out of foreclosure, small-property owners need a rent increase of at least 5.3%. And what with the costs of keeping older buildings in good order, operating costs have risen even higher than that for small owners, who are buckling under the burden of a decade’s worth of underfunded rent adjustments. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! From 2016 to 2025, the RGB provided 14% in rent increases — while the Consumer Price Index rose 28.63%. Add it up, and that’s a negative 13.98% in real rent growth rate for rent-stabilized apartments over the last 10 years. Yet the RGB is free to set rent orders outside an across-the-board percentage adjustment. In fact, there is precedent: In the past, the RGB has set a separate flat-rate increase, which it called a “low rent adjustment,” for apartments whose rents fell below a specific level. This provided an assist for small owners who needed help to maintain and operate low-rent units.   A Mamdani-backed split-rent adjustment would be a signal that the mayor values small owners as partners in tackling the city’s affordable housing crisis. It would be a lifeline for small owners and the families we house. But policies like Block by Block, COPA and a rent freeze ignore the disproportionate economic pressures and unique financial realities of small rent-stabilized owners. They would undermine neighborhoods, block by block, of the housing stability and affordability that Mamdani claims to champion. Ann Korchak is president of Small Property Owners of New York.Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:46:26 +0000KGzi4lDsy5fsWU1ohttps://dailycaller.com/2026/06/09/vice-president-jd-vance-tim-walz-doj-referal-criminal-fraud-investigation/"Minnesota state officials are not above the law" --- "Minnesota state officials are not above the law"Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:01:03 +0000nxYBjhzt9IeUWN0i