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A coalition of immigrant-owned businesses is preparing to take New York City to court over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to launch taxpayer-funded grocery stores, arguing that the $70 million initiative will unfairly undercut neighborhood markets and threaten the survival of small businesses.

The legal challenge comes as Mamdani unveiled additional details of the proposal this week, including a pledge that city-operated supermarkets will sell staple items such as produce, meat, milk, cheese, and bread at prices roughly 30% below those of nearby retailers. Following the announcement, the board of the Multicultural Business Coalition voted to move forward with a lawsuit aimed at stopping the project, according to the organization’s chairman, Frank Garcia.

“The mayor doesn’t seem to want to sit down with us,” Garcia said, adding that Mamdani “won’t be able to bully these lawyers we are going to bring in.”

City Hall did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Multicultural Business Coalition was established earlier this year to unite opposition to Mamdani’s grocery store proposal. The organization represents 50 chambers of commerce whose members include Asian, African, Caribbean, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and Jewish-owned businesses throughout New York City.

Garcia said the nonprofit plans to raise $1 million to challenge several of the mayor’s initiatives, with the grocery store lawsuit serving as a key priority. He described the effort as one that should transcend party politics. The coalition also intends to formally notify the mayor’s office in the coming days that legal action is imminent.

According to Garcia, the fundraising campaign will finance both the lawsuit and a broader public awareness effort highlighting the struggles facing neighborhood shop owners, many of whom are dealing with rising rents, increasing taxes, limited access to financing, and persistent retail theft.

While Garcia declined to discuss the specific legal arguments that will be included in the complaint, he said the coalition believes the city’s plan is fundamentally unfair to existing businesses.

He also revealed that several organizations and prominent supporters—including conservative policy groups and elected officials, whom he declined to identify—have expressed interest in providing financial backing and other assistance in opposing what they view as Mamdani’s socialist agenda.

The coalition has joined forces with other organizations representing thousands of grocery stores and bodegas, including the National Supermarket Association, in criticizing the city’s plan to move forward with government-operated supermarkets despite concerns that they could financially devastate existing stores, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods.

One frequently cited example is East Harlem, where the city intends to open one of the new grocery stores at La Marqueta. Business owners note that several bodegas already operate within just a few blocks of the planned location.

Many of those merchants worry they will lose customers to the city-run market, which they say will enjoy major financial advantages because it will operate on municipal property without paying rent while offering substantially lower prices.

“Having items that sell for 30% less than our prices, means nobody will go to our stores,” Radhames Rodriguez, president of the United Bodegas of America told The Post.

Business owners also say recent meetings with city officials have done little to ease their concerns. According to previous reports, municipal representatives privately met with neighborhood grocers after Mamdani first introduced the proposal, asking detailed questions about their best-selling products. Rather than reassuring store owners, those discussions reportedly heightened fears that the city was preparing to compete directly with them.

Mamdani has insisted that the municipal supermarkets are not intended to replace neighborhood bodegas. He said the stores will not carry hot prepared food or other items commonly sold in bodegas, including alcohol, cigarettes, and lottery tickets.

“We are not looking to compete with bodegas or grocery stores when it comes to their ability to survive,” he said at a Monday press conference touting his shops, the first of which is scheduled to open next year in the Bronx.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump honored the late Sen. Lindsey Graham with a heartfelt yet humorous eulogy Tuesday, remembering his longtime ally while reviving one of the most memorable moments from their once-contentious political relationship by jokingly repeating Graham’s personal phone number during the funeral service.

Speaking at Washington National Cathedral, Trump reflected on his close friendship with Graham, calling him a cherished companion whose absence would be deeply felt.

“He was a force of nature, and I will miss him greatly,” Trump said at the Washington National Cathedral.

The president recalled that their relationship did not begin on friendly terms, referencing their bitter rivalry during the 2016 Republican presidential primary.

“As you remember, Lindsey and I did not exactly get off to the best of starts,” the president said in his eulogy.

During that campaign, the two frequently traded insults as they competed for the Republican nomination, which Trump ultimately secured.

Trump revisited one of the campaign’s most infamous episodes, when he publicly revealed Graham’s private cell phone number after the senator criticized him during a television interview.

“Naturally, I did something that I shouldn’t have done. I shared his personal cell phone number with the millions of people that happened to be watching,” Trump said.

WATCH:

Drawing laughter from those gathered at the cathedral, Trump repeated the same number.

“I remember the number (202) 228-0292 if anybody wants to give it a shot,” he said as the audience at the National Cathedral roared in laughter.

Trump acknowledged that, in the end, Graham got the better of him.

“While I blew up his phone for one day, we became great friends, and Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years,” Trump said.

Despite their rocky beginning, the two developed a close personal bond over the years. Graham frequently spent weekends with Trump, joining him for golf at his Bedminster club in New Jersey and at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.

Remembering Graham’s personality, Trump said the senator had a unique gift for making people laugh while also possessing a toughness that commanded respect.

“He was the first person to make you laugh and one of the last people that you’ve really ever wanted to fight,” Trump said of Graham, who died July 11, 2026, at the age of 71 of cardiovascular disease.

The president also shared stories highlighting Graham’s well-known reluctance to wake up early, prompting more laughter from mourners. Among the anecdotes, Trump recalled Graham jokingly asking the Dalai Lama whether he could levitate.

He also repeated one of Graham’s favorite quips involving Sen. Tim Scott.

“As many of you know, when Senator Tim Scott, a great gentleman in his own right, I can tell you invited him to prayer breakfast at 8:30 a.m., Lindsey told him, ‘Tim, if Jesus himself comes back before 10 a.m., I ain’t going,’” Trump remembered.

Trump noted that Graham ultimately attended the breakfast to support his friend, as Scott had previously recounted.

At one point, the president briefly departed from his prepared remarks to emphasize Graham’s determination and resilience.

“No matter how heated things got in Washington, virtually everyone, Republican or Democrat, liked Lindsey. Well, not everybody, but it sounds good. Not everybody. He was a tough cookie,” Trump said.

Much of the eulogy focused on Graham’s more than two decades in the United States Senate and the influence he wielded throughout his career.

Trump praised the South Carolina senator’s remarkable rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most recognizable figures in American politics.

Graham rose from a small town in rural South Carolina “to become a constant fixture of American politics at the highest level, and a force to be reckoned with all over the world,” Trump said.

The president said Graham’s knowledge of Washington and global affairs made him one of the capital’s most influential lawmakers.

“Nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it. Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it, and no bill became law in the most exceptional republic in human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it,” he added.

Throughout his remarks, Trump repeatedly praised his late friend, describing him as a “force of nature,” a “great figure in Senate history,” and someone who embraced every moment of life.

“He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out,” Trump said.

A stunning new survey suggests New York’s race for governor may be far more competitive than expected, with Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman trailing Gov. Kathy Hochul by only four percentage points as dissatisfaction with the state’s direction continues to grow.

The poll found Hochul receiving support from 47% of registered voters, while 43% backed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Another 10% of respondents said they remain undecided. The survey, commissioned by the pro-Blakeman “Strong and Safe” super PAC, indicates a race that is significantly tighter than many previous public polls.

The same survey found Hochul struggling with public perception. Just 38% of those questioned said they viewed her favorably, while 58% expressed an unfavorable opinion.

Her job approval numbers were similarly weak, with only 39% approving of her performance as governor and 56% saying they disapprove.

According to the polling memo, voter frustration with incumbents appears to be widespread. Only one-third of respondents believe Hochul deserves another term, while a commanding 61% said they would rather see someone new in the governor’s office. The survey was conducted between July 7 and July 12.

“The environment favors a challenger: just 33% say New York is headed in the right direction vs. 57% wrong track,” Red Oak Strategic said in its July 21 polling memo to “interested parties.”

Blakeman remains relatively unknown to many voters despite the close race. Thirty percent said they have a favorable opinion of him, 23% view him unfavorably, and nearly half — 47% — either have never heard of him or have not formed an opinion with fewer than 100 days remaining before the Nov. 3 election.

Supporters of the Republican candidate believe those numbers leave significant room for growth, especially given Hochul’s weak standing among voters.

The survey also found widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of New York. Fifty-seven percent of respondents believe the state is on the wrong track, while only 33% believe it is moving in the right direction.

When asked about their biggest concerns, most voters pointed to the rising cost of living, inflation, the economy, jobs, and taxes. Public safety ranked as another major issue, cited by roughly one-third of those surveyed.

A majority of respondents — 57% — blamed politicians for increasing living costs, while 35% pointed the finger at corporations.

Personal financial outlooks also reflected voter frustration. Forty-three percent said they are worse off financially than they were a year ago, while only 15% reported being better off. The remainder said their financial situation has stayed about the same. The survey carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

Independent voters could prove especially important if the poll accurately reflects the electorate.

“Hochul opens at 47–43 (Hochul +4%) with 10% undecided. Blakeman already leads independents 54%–33%, holds Republicans 83–10, and runs strongest in the suburbs (51%),” the polling memo said.

Despite the close numbers, Hochul continues to enjoy a commanding financial advantage.

Recent campaign finance filings show her campaign committee, “Friends for Kathy Hochul,” holding approximately $21 million in cash, while another $22 million sits in the New York State Democratic Party’s accounts.

That financial edge is more than four times greater than the combined resources available to Blakeman and the state Republican Party.

Outside spending could narrow that gap. Pro-Blakeman groups such as the Strong and Safe super PAC, which is backed by Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan, are expected to invest millions of dollars during the final stretch of the campaign.

Campaign finance records show that MSG Entertainment and MSG Sports each contributed $350,000 to Strong and Safe earlier this month, for a combined $700,000.

In addition, MSG has donated $2 million to the Coalition to Restore New York, a political organization created by Dolan in 2021. That group later transferred $300,000 to Strong and Safe.

Red Oak Strategic projects that approximately 5.9 million New Yorkers — roughly 44% of the state’s 13.5 million registered voters — will cast ballots in the November election.

The survey also found Republicans displaying significantly greater enthusiasm than Democrats. According to the poll, 73% of Republicans said they are much more interested in this year’s governor’s race than in previous elections, compared to 44% of Democrats, creating what the poll described as a 29-point enthusiasm advantage.

Even so, Democrats continue to hold a substantial registration advantage statewide, outnumbering Republicans by more than two to one. Roughly one-quarter of New York voters are registered as independents or are not affiliated with any political party.

The survey did not examine how President Donald Trump could affect the race, despite his prominence in national politics and his relationship with Blakeman.

Historical trends have often favored the party out of power during midterm elections. In 2018, during President Trump’s first midterm election, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo cruised to reelection over Republican Marc Molinaro as Democrats also gained congressional seats and captured control of the New York State Senate.

Hochul’s most recent gubernatorial victory came in 2022, when she defeated then-Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin, who now serves as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, by six percentage points during President Joe Biden’s midterm election.

Other recent polling has painted a far different picture of the race. A Siena College survey released in late June showed Hochul with a commanding 52% to 32% advantage over Blakeman.

However, another poll conducted earlier this month by the conservative-leaning firm co/efficient for the Coalition to Protect Nassau Taxpayers also suggested a much tighter contest, putting Hochul ahead by six points, 47% to 41%, among likely general election voters.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump secured another key national security appointment Tuesday as the Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as the nation’s new director of national intelligence, placing the former federal prosecutor and Wall Street regulator in charge of coordinating America’s intelligence agencies.

The Senate approved Clayton’s nomination by a 51-47 party-line vote, bringing an end to more than a month of interim leadership at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and elevating him to one of the most influential positions in the U.S. national security apparatus.

Clayton, who previously chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission and most recently served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, will oversee coordination among all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency.

Republicans argued that Clayton’s leadership experience made him better suited for the position than acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte. They pointed to his tenure at the SEC and his management of one of the nation’s most prominent federal prosecutors’ offices as evidence that he is prepared to confront growing national security challenges posed by China, Iran, and Russia.

Many Democrats, meanwhile, had voiced frustration with Pulte’s temporary leadership of the intelligence community, particularly following workforce reductions at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Their criticism intensified after Pulte announced in a Sunday post on X that a fourth round of what he described as “thoughtful, measured layoffs” had been completed.

Earlier this month, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said he wanted the administration to install a permanent intelligence chief, describing Pulte as one of the least qualified individuals to serve in the role.

Despite Warner’s comments, Democrats remained united in opposition to Clayton’s nomination, with none voting Monday to advance his confirmation.

During his confirmation hearing, Clayton openly acknowledged that he had never previously worked within the intelligence community. However, he argued that his background leading major organizations and overseeing sensitive national security investigations as U.S. attorney had prepared him for the responsibilities of the office.

“We interact with US intelligence community and counterterrorism officials continuously on dozens of important national security matters,” he told lawmakers at the time.

Democratic senators also questioned Clayton about subpoenas issued by his office to reporters at The New York Times seeking information related to leaked reports concerning potential security vulnerabilities involving Air Force One. The Justice Department later announced that those subpoenas would be withdrawn.

President Trump nominated Clayton in June to succeed Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, praising his legal career and reputation within the profession.

“Few people anywhere in the legal community are respected at the level of Jay,” Trump said when announcing the pick.

{Matzav.com}