Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist assemblyman-turned-mayoral candidate, is betting big on a radical economic overhaul that critics say would send New York’s already shrinking tax base into full-blown collapse, a New York Post report warns. His $10 billion blueprint for taxpayer-funded giveaways — including free public buses, universal childcare, a citywide rent freeze, and even government-run grocery stores — relies on a punishing series of tax hikes targeting corporations and the wealthy. And business leaders are sounding the alarm. “This is being proposed at a time when people and their income are leaving New York State and New York City in particular,” a spokesperson for the Business Council of New York State warned Thursday. “This would only add to that exodus and further erode our tax base.” Mamdani’s plan, which would hike the city’s corporate tax rate from 7.25% to a crippling 11.5% and slap a 2% flat tax on high earners, is being billed as the financial engine for his so-called “progressive paradise.” But experts say it’s a recipe for economic disaster. Kathryn Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City, minced no words: “Mamdani is following a well-worn political mantra that argues for more government spending as the solution to every problem and expecting that taxes on business and the wealthy can be infinitely expanded. This may get someone elected, but once in office they bump into reality.” And that reality is grim: New York City’s debt is already projected to hit $99.4 billion by July and continue rising. Mamdani’s proposals — including tripling the $30 billion housing capital budget — would blow past any realistic funding limit. His plan to create a “Department of Community Safety,” piloting socialist-style city-run supermarkets, and providing universal childcare would alone consume more than his estimated new tax revenue. Critics say Mamdani’s budget math simply doesn’t add up. Universal childcare could cost $5 billion to $7 billion, while free bus service would slash $900 million annually from MTA revenue. The new Department of Community Safety comes with a $450 million price tag. City-run grocery stores would tack on another $60 million. Combined, his initiatives exceed projected revenues — even assuming zero economic fallout from his tax hikes. Even former Democratic Gov. David Paterson couldn’t hide his skepticism. “He articulates his points very well, and they make sense. You understand exactly what he’s saying,” Paterson told Politico. “The problem is: Nobody told him there’s no such thing as Santa Claus.” Mamdani’s proposals would require approval not just from a wary Albany legislature but from Gov. Kathy Hochul — who has consistently vowed not to raise income taxes. Without their backing, the socialist dream dies on arrival. Still, Mamdani’s campaign is gaining momentum, especially among far-left voters who see his platform as a bold challenge to the status quo. But as businesses eye the exits and city revenues dry up, the cost of his vision may fall squarely on the shoulders of the working New Yorkers he claims to champion. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt launched a direct attack on former First Lady Jill Biden on Thursday, accusing her of actively covering up former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and calling for her to face questioning over what she knew and when. The bombshell moment came in response to a pointed question from Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, who noted that some Biden aides are now in discussions with congressional Republicans to provide transcribed interviews about how they managed concerns over the president’s health. Doocy asked if the president believed such interviews were sufficient — or whether former First Lady Jill Biden should also testify. Leavitt didn’t hold back. “I think, frankly, the former First Lady should certainly speak up about what she saw in regards to her husband and when she saw it and what she knew,” she said. “Because I think anybody looking again at the videos and photo evidence of Joe Biden with your own eyes and a little bit of common sense can see this was a clear cover-up, and Jill Biden was certainly complicit in that.” Leavitt accused Jill Biden of shielding her husband from the public — and the truth — noting the couple’s recent appearance on a TV program as a glaring example. “There’s documentation, video evidence of her clearly shielding her husband away from the cameras,” she continued. “They were just on The View last week. She was saying everything is fine. She’s still lying to the American people. She still thinks the American public is so stupid that they’re going to believe her lies — and frankly, it’s insulting. She needs to answer for it.” Similar criticism was leveled by The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who told CNN that Jill Biden appeared to “play referee” during the Bidens’ joint interview in mid-May — jumping in to answer a question on cognitive decline before the president could respond himself. “That was his moment to knock out of the park any fear that he has cognitive decline,” Griffin said, “and it played into basically the worst assumptions — that he can’t finish sentences and she had to help him out.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Federal authorities are investigating a sophisticated impersonation scheme targeting White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. An unidentified individual or group accessed Wiles’ personal cellphone contacts and used that information to impersonate her, reaching out to high-profile officials and business leaders. The impersonator contacted senators, governors, and top executives via text messages and phone calls, some of which featured a voice resembling Wiles. Officials suspect that artificial intelligence was employed to mimic her voice. Recipients reported that the messages originated from unfamiliar numbers and included requests to continue conversations on alternative platforms like Telegram. Some messages contained unusual requests, such as assembling lists of individuals for potential presidential pardons and soliciting cash transfers. The formal tone and grammatical inconsistencies in the messages further raised suspicions. Wiles has informed her contacts about the breach and advised them to disregard any suspicious messages. The FBI and White House are actively investigating the incident, emphasizing the seriousness of threats against the President and his staff. This incident follows a previous cyberattack in 2024, where Iranian operatives reportedly hacked into Wiles’ email account during the presidential campaign. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The White House will fix errors in a much-anticipated federal government report spearheaded by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which decried America’s food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. Kennedy’s wide-ranging “Make America Healthy Again” report, released last week, cited hundreds of studies, but a closer look by the news organization NOTUS found that some of those studies did not actually exist. Asked about the report’s problems, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the report will be updated. “I understand there was some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated.” Leavitt told reporters during her briefing. “But it does not negate the substance of the report, which, as you know, is one of the most transformative health reports that has ever been released by the federal government. Kennedy has repeatedly said he would bring “radical transparency” and “gold-standard” science to the public health agencies. But the secretary refused to release details about who authored the 72-page report, which calls for increased scrutiny of the childhood vaccine schedule and describes the nation’s children as overmedicated and undernourished. Leavitt said that the White House has “complete confidence” in Kennedy. “Minor citation and formatting errors have been corrected,” HHS Spokesman Andrew Nixon said in an emailed statement. He described the report as a “historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation’s children.” NOTUS reported Thursday that seven of the more than 500 studies cited in the report did not appear to have ever been published. An author of one study confirmed that while she conducted research on the topics of anxiety in children, she never authored the report listed. Some studies were also misinterpreted in the MAHA report. The problematic citations were on topics around children’s screen time, medication use and anxiety. Kennedy’s MAHA report had already been stoking concerns among Trump loyalists, including farmers who criticized how the report characterized the chemicals sprayed on U.S. crops. The report is supposed to be used to develop policy recommendations that will be released later this year. The White House has requested a $500 million boost in funding from Congress for Kennedy’s MAHA initiative. (AP)
Seven weeks into nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, Israel is voicing escalating concerns that President Donald Trump’s administration may accept a deal that fails to eliminate Tehran’s uranium enrichment capabilities, potentially leaving Israel vulnerable to a nuclear-armed adversary. Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia has privately urged Iran to engage seriously with the U.S. proposal, warning that failure to do so could risk a military confrontation with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly cautioned that a “bad deal is worse than no deal,” emphasizing that any agreement permitting Iran to retain enrichment capabilities would be unacceptable. Despite Netanyahu’s warnings, President Trump disclosed on Wednesday that he had advised Netanyahu against taking any actions, such as a military strike, that could disrupt the ongoing talks. “I told him this would be very inappropriate to do right now, because we’re very close to a solution,” Trump said during a White House press conference. The negotiations, which commenced on April 12, have included five rounds of discussions between U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The primary sticking point remains the U.S. demand that Iran cease all uranium enrichment activities—a condition Iran has consistently rejected, citing its right to peaceful nuclear energy. Amid these tensions, Saudi Arabia has taken an unprecedented diplomatic step. In April, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visited Tehran, delivering a message to Iranian officials that emphasized the urgency of reaching an agreement with the U.S. to avoid the risk of an Israeli military strike. This visit marked the first by a senior Saudi royal to Iran in over two decades and reflects a significant shift in regional diplomacy following the 2023 normalization of ties between the two nations. During the closed-door meeting, Prince Khalid conveyed that President Trump’s patience for prolonged negotiations is limited and that the window for diplomacy is narrowing. He stressed that the region, already destabilized by conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, could not withstand further escalation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded by expressing Iran’s desire for a deal that would alleviate economic sanctions but maintained that Iran would not relinquish its enrichment program solely to accommodate U.S. demands. Israel, meanwhile, has prepared for potential military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities but has held off at the request of the Trump administration to allow diplomatic efforts to proceed. Israeli officials have indicated that any military strike would be more effective with U.S. support, particularly in countering potential Iranian retaliation. However, there is growing concern within Israel that delaying action could result in a missed opportunity to address the nuclear threat more decisively. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In 1944, Norwegian resistance fighters in the town of Kongsberg blew up a factory making cannons for occupying Nazi German forces during World War II. More than 80 years later, the municipality could once again be a target for sabotage and is preparing for war. The local authorities have dusted off Cold War-era bomb shelters, installed a new satellite communications system and are working with the military on plans to help a deployment of Western forces in case of conflict. “The lesson we learned from Ukraine is that everybody pitched in,” said Odd John Resser, Kongsberg’s Emergency Planning Officer, noting breweries that pivoted to making Molotov cocktails, local authorities that built schools in shelters and weapons factories which ramped up production. Across the Nordic nations, governments are boosting defense spending, reassessing security and pushing the concept of total defense. It’s an approach which mobilizes the whole of society to defend against military and non-military threats. As Moscow wages war in Ukraine, Western officials are accusing Russia of being behind a campaign of sabotage, arson and cyberattacks and there are jitters across the continent about whether Europe can rely on the U.S. as a partner. The Norwegian government published its first national security strategy in May, saying the country is facing its most serious security situation since World War II. “After decades of peace,” it warned, “a new era has begun for Norway and for Europe.” “What is now happening in Ukraine has to be a wake-up call for all and we must strengthen our defense to prevent anything like that from happening to us,” Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told The Associated Press. Total defense Norway announced in January that it plans to start building bomb shelters in new buildings after halting the practice in 1998. The Swedish government appointed its first minister for civil defense in 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Residents aged 16 to 70 are required to serve in the event or threat of war, either in the military or helping to provide rescue, firefighting, healthcare or other services. Finland’s civil defense shelters are the envy of the Nordics and can fit around 86% of the Finnish population. One public shelter in Helsinki can fit 6,000 people, is designed to withstand the fallout from a nuclear attack and is in an almost constant state of readiness with beds and sinks tucked away behind blast doors and an underground hockey pitch. Norway and some other Nordic nations also tell residents to have enough food and water stored for seven days. “How would you and your nearest family manage if the electricity supply was cut off for a longer period? What would you do if the water supply failed?” the Norwegian handbook asks. AP spoke to 11 people in Kongsberg and the majority said they had some form of supplies. While most didn’t have a stockpile for seven days – and some had nothing at all – two people said they could probably survive for more than a week. “Russia is very close to Norway and you don’t know what’s going to happen. I would rather be prepared than not prepared,” said Katina Bakke, who works in a sports shop in Kongsberg. Community support for troops Although Norwegian authorities are not expecting an imminent conflict, if war […]
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have announced plans to target civilian aircraft belonging to Israeli airlines, including El Al, in what could mark a dangerous new phase in the Yemeni group’s ongoing assault on Israel. The warning, issued through Lebanon’s Hezbollah-aligned Al-Akhbar newspaper, follows Israel’s airstrike on Sanaa International Airport earlier this week. The targeted strike reportedly destroyed the last operational Houthi aircraft, a move that Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said eliminatec the group’s remaining air capabilities. But the Houthis aren’t backing down—in fact, they’re upping the ante. In a direct threat to Israeli civilian air traffic, Houthi sources said their “upcoming operations will differ in quantity and substance,” vowing to add Israeli civilian planes to their list of military targets. If carried out, such a strike would cross a grave red line and could trigger a wider regional conflagration. The rebels claim the aircraft destroyed by Israel had been used for humanitarian medical evacuations to Jordan—a claim dismissed by Israeli officials as propaganda meant to deflect attention from the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of ballistic missile and drone attacks aimed at Israeli civilians. In recent weeks, the Houthis have launched near-daily missile attacks toward Israel, including one strike that landed inside the grounds of Ben Gurion International Airport earlier this month, prompting several foreign airlines to suspend service to Israel. With major carriers pulling out, most Israelis are now reliant on El Al and the domestic carriers Arkia and Israir—airlines that may soon find themselves in the crosshairs. It remains unclear whether the Houthis possess the technical capacity to strike aircraft in flight. However, in an interview earlier this month with Newsweek, a Houthi spokesman boasted of “new weapons” allegedly capable of enforcing an “aerial blockade” over Israeli skies. While the threat’s credibility is still under assessment by Israeli intelligence, the tone and timing have set off alarms. Israeli aviation security has been placed on high alert, and contingency plans are reportedly being reviewed at the highest levels of government. With Iranian fingerprints all over Houthi weapons and strategy, the latest development raises serious questions about Tehran’s role in greenlighting an attack on civilian aviation—an act that is a blatant war crime and a direct provocation. Defense analysts say any attempted strike on a commercial aircraft could trigger immediate and overwhelming Israeli retaliation—not just against the Houthis, but potentially against Iranian assets across the region. “This is not Yemen’s war anymore,” said one senior Israeli security official. “This is Iran using its proxies to test Israel’s red lines. And there will be a response.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Trump administration is dropping plans to terminate leases for 34 offices in the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the agency responsible for enforcing mine safety laws, the Department of Labor said Thursday. Earlier this year, the Department of Government Efficiency, created by President Donald Trump and run by Elon Musk, had targeted federal agencies for spending cuts, including terminating leases for three dozen MSHA offices. Seven of those offices were in Kentucky alone. Ending the MSHA leases had been projected to save $18 million. Musk said this week that he’s leaving his job as a senior adviser. A statement released by a Labor Department spokesperson Thursday said it has been working closely with the General Services Administration “to ensure our MSHA inspectors have the resources they need to carry out their core mission to prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and promote safe and healthy workplaces for American miners.” Some MSHA offices are still listed on the chopping block on the DOGE website, but the statement did not indicate whether those closings will move forward. MSHA was created by Congress within the Labor Department in 1978, in part because state inspectors were seen as too close to the industry to force coal companies to take the sometimes costly steps necessary to protect miners. MSHA is required to inspect each underground mine quarterly and each surface mine twice a year. “That’s a relief and good news for miners and the inspectors at MSHA,” said Jack Spadaro, a longtime mine safety investigator and environmental specialist who worked for the agency. Mining fatalities over the past four decades have dropped significantly, in large part because of the dramatic decline in coal production. But the proposed DOGE cuts would have required MSHA inspectors to travel farther to get to a mine. “I don’t know what they were thinking when they talked about closing offices,” Spadaro said. “They obviously did not understand the nature of the frequency and depth of inspections that go on in mines. It’s important for the inspectors to be near the mine operations that they’re inspecting.” A review in March of publicly available data by the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center indicates that nearly 17,000 health and safety inspections were conducted from the beginning of 2024 through February 2025 by staff at MSHA offices in the facilities on the chopping block. MSHA, which also oversees metal and nonmetal mines, already was understaffed. Over the past decade, it has seen a 27% reduction in total staff, including 30% of enforcement staff in general and 50% of enforcement staff for coal mines, the law center said. Coal industry advocates are also trying to save hundreds of jobs within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Some estimates had about 850 of the agency’s roughly 1,000 employees being cut by the Trump administration. Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered the restoration of a health monitoring program for coal miners and rescinded layoffs within NIOSH’s respiratory health division in Morgantown, West Virginia. The division is responsible for screening and reviewing medical exams to determine whether there is evidence that coal miners have developed a respiratory ailment, commonly known as black lung disease. At a May 14 Congressional hearing, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he was reversing the firing of […]
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