NYC Mayoral Frontrunner Mamdani Flip Flops On Key Position
New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani (D) has shifted his stance on the controversial phrase “globalize the intifada,” saying he would now “discourage” its use. Speaking on MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton, Mamdani said his change of heart came after a conversation with a rabbi who associated the phrase with past terrorist attacks in Israel.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist and leading candidate to replace Mayor Eric Adams, acknowledged a “gap in intent” between how the phrase is used by some to protest Israeli occupation and how it is received by many in the Jewish community as a violent threat. He emphasized the importance of representing all New Yorkers, saying his role as mayor would be to understand and bridge differing perspectives.
The American Jewish Committee has defined the phrase as a call for “aggressive resistance against Israel.” Mamdani’s comments Sunday mark a departure from June, when he told NBC’s Meet the Press the phrase was “not language that I use,” but also said it wasn’t his role to “police” speech.
Mamdani’s updated position was first reported in July by The New York Times after a private meeting. Since then, he has tried to balance progressive support with broader electoral appeal, especially in a city with large and politically diverse Jewish and Arab communities.
Over the weekend, Mamdani campaigned with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who criticized billionaire Elon Musk’s wealth during a Brooklyn town hall. Mamdani has also promoted a plan for city-run grocery stores, which he defended in a CNN interview on Friday.
Adam Schiff Just Learned He’s Not Gonna Get Away With Targeting Trump
There’s a special kind of satisfaction in watching a political weasel finally face the fallout from years of deceit and abuse of power. For so long, Adam Schiff operated as if he were untouchable — spinning lies, smearing reputations, and destroying lives in the name of partisan gain. But the walls are closing in, and that smug sense of immunity is cracking.
Now, Schiff finds himself trapped in the same web of manipulation and dishonesty he so gleefully wove for others. The man who once fancied himself a crusader for “truth” is learning that accountability cuts both ways. It won’t undo the damage he’s done — not by a long shot — but seeing him sweat under the weight of his own corruption? That’s a good start.
Schiff is finally getting a taste of what accountability feels like, and it’s not going down easy. His long, smug reign of deceit and self-righteous bluster is coming apart, and it’s happening in spectacular fashion.
Enter GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, who delivered a masterclass in dismantling Schiff’s sanctimony during a recent Senate committee hearing — reportedly alongside Justice Department officials, possibly Pam Bondi or one of her representatives. It was a thing of beauty.
True to form, Schiff kicked things off with his usual pompous lecture on the “weaponization of government” — a topic he knows better than anyone, having practically written the manual on it. But this time, he wasn’t the inquisitor — he was the one getting flayed by facts. And watching it unfold was nothing short of glorious.
Schiff was reminded, despite his “pardon” from President Biden, by Schmidt, Missouri’s former attorney general, that there is no statute of limitations on “conspiracy”:
Glorious. Oh, and about that pardon…well, it might not be valid after all, thanks to the House Oversight Committee, which has declared Biden’s autopen pardons “null and void”:
Hey Schiff, you know what? “No one is above the law.” Now might be time to get a good lawyer.
Chuck Schumer’s Shutdown Gamble BACKFIRED — President Trump Just Gave the Order
Trump Freezes $18 Billion In NYC Projects Over DEI Spending
On the first day of the federal government shutdown, New York City is learning just how costly its commitment to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies could be under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, announced Wednesday that roughly $18 billion in federal funding for two major New York City infrastructure projects has been frozen.
“Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles,” Vought wrote on X. “More info to come soon.”
The projects affected are among the most significant in New York’s long-term transportation planning. One is the Hudson Tunnel Project, which would add a new passenger rail tunnel under the Hudson River, a vital corridor for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. The other is the long-delayed Second Avenue Subway expansion, a project that has been discussed for decades and is seen as critical to easing congestion on Manhattan’s East Side.
In a follow-up post, Vought confirmed both projects are on ice, immediately sparking debate over whether the freeze was primarily about DEI or about politics.
The Associated Press noted that the timing suggested more than policy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has made the Hudson Tunnel Project one of his signature priorities. In 2023, Schumer locked in a $6.88 billion federal grant for the tunnel. At the time, he acknowledged the funding was partly a safeguard in case Trump returned to the White House and Republicans reclaimed the Senate.
Both of those things have now happened.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents Brooklyn, also has a stake in the projects and has been one of Trump’s most vocal opponents in Congress.
The decision to freeze funding hits directly at the priorities of both New York Democrats who are central to the shutdown fight.
CBS News highlighted how the move reverberated beyond policy debates. For Schumer and Jeffries, it was a political gut punch delivered on the same day Democrats were already facing pressure for allowing the shutdown to drag on.
The broader context is that Trump has made rolling back DEI spending a cornerstone of his second administration.
During his first term, Trump signed an executive order restricting DEI training in federal agencies, though it was later rescinded by President Joe Biden.
Now, with Trump back in office and Republicans holding a Senate majority, the administration is applying that principle to billions of dollars in federal spending.
Vought framed the decision as a matter of constitutional principle. Supporters of the freeze argued online that taxpayers should not be forced to fund projects or programs that prioritize ideological commitments over core infrastructure needs.
“This is what accountability looks like,” one Trump supporter wrote on X. “No more DEI slush funds disguised as public works.”
Critics, however, accused the White House of weaponizing federal funding to punish political opponents. Some Democrats argued that the timing — the very first day of the shutdown — made it clear the freeze was aimed squarely at Schumer and Jeffries.
“This isn’t about DEI, it’s about Donald Trump flexing power,” one Democratic strategist said.
For New Yorkers, the practical implications are serious. The Hudson Tunnel Project is part of the larger Gateway Program, which seeks to modernize a century-old rail system that millions of commuters depend on.
Delays in federal funding could set the project back years, raising costs and leaving existing tunnels vulnerable to breakdowns. The Second Avenue Subway, meanwhile, has been in the works since the 1920s and has already been plagued by delays and cost overruns.
Just hours ago, a tremendous fire broke out in a 
Huge fire at US chemical plant A fire at a US chemical factory apparently caused by a sprinkler head malfunction is forcing evacuations and road closures.
Huge factory fire in Richmond, Ind. leads to evacuations, toxicity warnings
An evacuation order affecting more than 1,000 people was expected to remain in place through Wednesday around a large industrial fire in an Indiana city near the Ohio border where crews worked through the night to douse piles of burning plastics, authorities said.
Multiple fires, which began burning Tuesday afternoon, continued burning Wednesday morning within about 14 acres of various types of plastics stored both inside and outside buildings at the former factory site in Richmond, 70 miles east of Indianapolis, Richmond fire chief Tim Brown said.
Credit: Nick Graham
Crews battle a massive and toxic industrial fire Tuesday, at a recycling facility in Richmond, Indiana. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
“There’s plastics inside buildings, there’s plastics outside buildings, there’s plastics in semitrailers that are throughout the grounds here at the complex, so we’re dealing with many type of plastics. It’s very much a mess,” Brown said.
Brown said a plume of smoke continued rising Wednesday from the site and about 15 firefighters had remained in place overnight working to fight the flames, which he said are contained within the old factory site. He said those fires are “not under control by any means” but he is optimistic crews will make progress Wednesday.
“We were waiting for daylight so we could start aggressively extinguishing the fire,” he said.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 people who live within a half-mile (0.8 kilometer) of the plant were told to leave after the fire began, said David Hosick, spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Brown, the fire chief, said it’s unclear how many people have been evacuated from around the site. People outside that radius who live downwind of the fire were advised to keep windows closed and pets inside.
Brown said the evacuation order would remain in place through Wednesday and perhaps into Wednesday night, depending on how much progress crews make in putting out the flames. He said the fire’s cause remains under investigation.
Crews battle large industrial fire in Richmond, Indiana | Nick Graham/Staff
Aaron Stevens, a Richmond police officer who lives six blocks from the plant, said he first heard the sirens Tuesday before he saw the pillar of smoke from his backyard that blocked the afternoon sun. The smoke came with an acrid odor and he said ash then fell on his deck and backyard.
“It was blocking out the sun completely,” he said. “The birds were going crazy.”
Despite the evacuation warning, Stevens said he plans on staying put after recently suffering an injury. His sister who lives at their childhood home, which is closer to the plant and in eyesight of the flames, came to stay with her brother to escape the smoke. Stevens said he plans on keeping an eye on the changing updates around the smoke.
“If there is an increased concern for toxic safety, I do have a contingency plan,” he said.
State and federal regulators were at the scene to assess air quality and other environmental impacts at the site, which local officials said has been used to store plastics and other materials for recycling or resale.
Jason Sewell, the on-scene coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said the agency has been doing roving air sampling outside the evacuation area and into part of nearby Ohio, but no toxic compounds have been detected.
He stressed, however, that smoke is harmful to inhale because it contains particulate matter of different sizes and can contain toxics, and residents should avoid the smoke.
Sewell said air sampling was continuing Wednesday in Richmond, a city of 35,000 residents.
Because of smoke still wafting from the fire, Indiana’s environmental agency issued an air quality advisory Wednesday for two eastern Indiana counties, Wayne and Randolph, warning that forecasts call for elevated levels of fine soot particles in the air.
Credit: Nick Graham
Emergency crews battled the flames and closed streets around a large industrial fire in Richmond, | Nick Graham/Staff
Indiana’s state fire marshal, Steve Jones, said Tuesday “the smoke is definitely toxic” and residents need to get away from the smoke plumes, especially elderly people with respiratory problems. He said that if the wind changes, officials may alter the evacuation order.
“There’s a host of different chemicals that plastics give off when they’re on fire. And so it’s concerning,” Jones said.
Brown said the only injury has been a firefighter who suffered an ankle injury overnight Tuesday while fighting the flames, but was treated and released.
Bethesda Worship Center in Richmond offered temporary shelter for people forced out of their homes, while other agencies were trying to arrange hotel rooms if necessary, Pastor Ken Harris said Tuesday.
Richmond Mayor Dave Snow said the site had been under a city order to clean up and remediate the complex, but said the business owner had ignored that order. Snow called that person “a negligent business owner.”
Callahan reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press video journalist Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report.