Latest news with #Aoc
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuomo links LA violence to Trump as he courts NYC voters ahead of primary
With less than two weeks to go until New York City's Democratic Party mayoral primary, frontrunner and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is spotlighting the unrest in Los Angeles to raise warnings about President Donald Trump and showcase his own experience. "LA's in chaos. Imagine it's Times Square. Trump's coming for New York. Who do you think can stop him?" a narrator says over images of the rioting in Los Angeles in a new ad by Cuomo that started running Thursday. Cuomo, who said recently that, as mayor, he'd mount a national campaign to try and thwart Trump's agenda, is now vowing to protect New York City from what he suggests is a possible future federal crackdown against immigration protests. The former three-term governor resigned from office in 2021 amid multiple scandals and is now aiming for political redemption as he works to pull off a campaign comeback. On Wednesday, he argued the president has "declared war" on New York and other cities across the country and suggested Trump may eventually send troops into New York City. This Billionaire Former Nyc Mayor Endorses Cuomo Ahead Of Primary "Trump's at the city gates," the narrator in Cuomo's ad says. "We need someone experienced to slam them shut." Read On The Fox News App The release of the new spot, which the Cuomo campaign says will run in the city as part of a seven-figure ad buy across all platforms, including cable and broadcast television, comes as progressive Zohran Mamdani has been rising in the most recent public opinion polls in the mayoral primary race and is now a clear second to the more moderate former governor. Aoc Backs Rising Progressive Candidate In Nyc Dem Primary In Push To Defeat Frontrunner Cuomo Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assembly member from Queens, is a person of color and a democratic socialist originally from Uganda. His primary bid was boosted last week after he landed an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive champion and New York City's most prominent leader on the left. Ahead of the June 24 primary, the 67-year-old Cuomo has been questioning Mamdani's experience leading New York City. "Who do you think can stop him?," the narrator in the new ad says, referring to Trump. Andrew Cuomo The Biggest Target As New York City Mayoral Primary Heats Up "Zohran Mamdani's a 33-year-old dangerously inexperienced legislator who's passed just three bills with a staff you can fit inside a New York elevator," the narrator argues. "We need someone ready to roll. Andrew Cuomo managed a state and managed crises, from COVID to Trump." Cuomo has spent the past four years fighting to clear his name after 11 sexual harassment accusations, which he has repeatedly denied, forced his resignation. He was also under investigation at the time for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic amid allegations his administration vastly understated COVID-related deaths at state nursing homes. Last month, the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Cuomo after Republicans accused him of lying to Congress about the decisions he made as governor during the coronavirus article source: Cuomo links LA violence to Trump as he courts NYC voters ahead of primary
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Billionaire ex-Mayor Bloomberg endorses Cuomo in NYC Democratic primary showdown
Former three-term New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is taking sides in New York City's Democratic mayoral race. Bloomberg, the billionaire entrepreneur and media magnate who launched a brief and unsuccessful run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday. The move came two weeks before the June 24 primary in the nation's most populous city and four days ahead of the start of early voting June 14. "I care deeply about the future of our city, and since leaving office, it has been difficult to watch its struggles, especially since the pandemic. In sizing up the field in the race for mayor, there is one candidate whose management experience and government know-how stand above the others: Andrew Cuomo," Bloomberg said in a statement. Aoc Backs Rising Progressive Candidate In Nyc Dem Primary In Push To Defeat Frontrunner Cuomo Bloomberg, in his statement, acknowledged past political "differences" with Cuomo during their overlapping tenures as New York City mayor and New York State governor. Read On The Fox News App But he highlighted that "I also know his strengths as a leader and manager. Of all the candidates, Andrew has the skills our city needs to lead us forward." Andrew Cuomo The Biggest Target As New York City Mayoral Primary Heats Up Fox News confirmed that Cuomo and Bloomberg met Monday to discuss the mayoral race after the former governor stopped by Bloomberg Media's offices in New York City to record a radio segment. Cuomo, in a statement, called Bloomberg New York City's "preeminent statesman" and highlighted that "after 9/11, when New York City was in crisis, torn apart and broken, under Mike Bloomberg's leadership our city was rebuilt — both our buildings and our soul." The former three-term governor, who resigned from office in 2021 amid multiple scandals, is aiming for political redemption as he works to pull off a campaign comeback. Cuomo has spent the past four years fighting to clear his name after 11 sexual harassment accusations, which he has repeatedly denied, forced his resignation. He was also under investigation at the time for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic amid allegations his administration vastly understated COVID-related deaths at state nursing homes. Last month, the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Cuomo after Republicans accused him of lying to Congress about the decisions he made as governor during the coronavirus pandemic. But thanks in part to his near-universal name recognition among New Yorkers, Cuomo was topping the mayoral polls even before he announced his candidacy March 1. Bloomberg, a lifelong Democrat, ran for mayor in 2001 and re-election in 2005 as a Republican. He had become an independent by the time he won a second re-election in 2009. Bloomberg later switched his voter registration back to the Democratic Party. Similar to Cuomo, Bloomberg is no fan of the Democratic Party's left flank and is also a strong supporter of Israel. That may have been a motivating factor in Bloomberg's endorsement of Cuomo, which comes as Zohran Mamdani has been rising in the most recent public opinion polls in the mayoral primary race and is now a clear second to Cuomo. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assembly member from Queens, is a person of color and a democratic socialist who is originally from Uganda. His primary bid was boosted last week after landing an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive champion and New York City's most prominent leader on the left. With multiple progressive candidates in the primary race, the endorsement of Mamdani by Ocasio-Cortez was seen as a move to unite fractured progressive voters toward a single candidate in an attempt to block the more moderate Cuomo from returning to article source: Billionaire ex-Mayor Bloomberg endorses Cuomo in NYC Democratic primary showdown
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
AOC, progressives ripped for ignoring 'Red Light' district as prostitution, filthy streets return
The red lights are back flashing along a notorious prostitution strip in New York City represented by progressive Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng. Along the crammed, grimy sidewalks of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, sex workers are once again openly soliciting clients while vendors grill meats and hawk suspected stolen or counterfeit goods – despite police waging a months-long crackdown to stop the chaos. It's become a way of life – and a years-long blight – for residents in the migrant-dense neighborhood who say they have grown tired of calling on Ocasio-Cortez and Meng to act and liken conditions to a "Red Light district" or a third-world flea market. Others have nicknamed the strip the "Avenue of the Sweethearts," given its reputation for women purportedly turning tricks. Leaders In Aoc's 'Red Light' District Call On Kash Patel To Crush 'Worsening' Gang Crime And Prostitution "All the criminal activity has reverted to the way it was last year," Ramses Frias, a local activist and Republican City Council candidate, told Fox News Digital. "Our residents feel like prisoners in their own homes while criminals walk freely, preying on helpless victims." He said gangs like the 18th Street gang and Tren de Aragua are suspected of operating in the area since various spots are graffiti-tagged with their insignia. Read On The Fox News App Fox News Digital visited Roosevelt Avenue after Ocasio-Cortez's town hall last month and witnessed as many as 30 women on one block appearing to offer sex for money to Friday night revelers while parents and children walked by. The women were jostling men and enticing them for sex despite a visible police presence nearby. Most women operate on Meng's side of the strip; the majority of vendors are on Ocasio-Cortez's side, with their district border running through the center of the street. PHOTOS: Swipe to see more images Hours before the town hall, other sidewalks were jammed with vendors flogging counterfeit Apple headphones and watches and tools. Food vendors sizzled meats at vendor stalls and kept juices in massive, unlabeled canisters under the gritty subway underpass – devoid of any labels or apparent sanitation or health and safety standards. Fruit and ice-cream stalls also permeated the busy strip. Fox News Digital returned to the neighborhood on Friday and witnessed much of the same rampant prostitution and illegal vending. Additionally, several women were threading eyebrows along a sidewalk on a commercial street just off Roosevelt Avenue, while men were selling sneakers from cars and other food vendors were seen dumping wastewater down drains. Residents have warned for months that Operation Restore Roosevelt – a 90-day enhanced police crime crackdown on the area which started in October – needed to be made permanent and that the warming weather would likely see more scantily-clad women appear on the streets. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry told Fox News Digital that the boots-on-the-ground operation, which consisted of more than 200 additional police officers, reduced crime by 29% in the area so far this year and significantly reduced criminal activity. "There has been a notable difference," Daughtry said. "Robberies are down 23%, felony assaults are down 33%, burglaries are down 47%, and grand larceny is down 30%." Daughtry said he wants the work to have "a real, lasting difference," while saying that a lot still needs to be done. He said 15 brothels were raided out of 30 court filings made by the police. Aoc's 'Red Light' District Overrun With Prostitutes As Locals Call Out Mia 'Squad' Member For instance, days after Ocasio-Cortez's town hall, authorities shut down a notorious brothel, dubbed the "bodega brothel" by locals, which was operating above a corner store near two schools in Ocasio-Cortez's district. Video from inside the cat house obtained by Fox News Digital shows squalid conditions, with five cramped, makeshift rooms sectioned off by wooden panels and shower curtains with just enough room to fit a bed in every one of them. On Tuesday, two brothels were raided by police on Meng's side of Roosevelt Avenue, the same block where Fox News Digital observed 30 alleged prostitutes. Frias said a large crowd gathered to watch the sweep, some heckling the alleged johns as they were cuffed and taken into custody while suspected prostitutes were led out with their heads covered in shower curtains to shield their identities. Frias said the crowd reaction proved the neighborhood is fully aware of the illicit activity and is fed up, but that three to four other brothels are operating on that same block. Frias added that residents are terrified to walk the streets and would rather stay home than step outside. "Our laws need to become stricter, and it's time to elect representatives who have the best interests of the community and its safety as a priority," said Frias, who's looking to oust City Council member Shekar Krishnan in District 25. He blasted Ocasio-Cortez in particular, saying she has never used her massive social media presence to address the dire situation. Daughtry, too, called on Ocasio-Cortez and Meng to do more. He and the mayor's office said the pair did not collaborate with them in the police crackdown. "Never seen her," Daughtry said about Ocasio-Cortez. "She's never reached out to us. We would really love her assistance to help us, but at the end of the day, we have to do what's right and restore some law and order back to Roosevelt. I would like AOC to partner with us... use her platform to help us get funding or connect women to services." Aoc's 'Red Light District' Plagued By Crime As Democrat Who Helped Her Rise To Power Says She 'Disappeared' Daughtry said issues like prostitution have permeated the area for decades, and he remembers it being a hot spot for prostitution in the '90s. He said the migrant crisis exacerbated the situation as many migrants were drawn to the area, given that it already has a large Latin American population. Mayor Eric Adams spearheaded Operation Restore Roosevelt in collaboration with the NYPD and City Council member Francisco Moya, a moderate Democrat who has often been at odds with his party's progressive wing. Daughtry said Moya was a "huge partner" who physically walked Roosevelt Avenue with him and participated in raids, as did Adams. Adams' office said the operation underscored the administration's commitment to "making sure these crime and quality-of-life issues continue to improve." Meng, meanwhile, told Fox News Digital she is working with local law enforcement and Moya on the matter and described the situation as "concerning." Ocasio-Cortez's office told Fox News Digital that she has engaged with local stakeholders in the area and helped fix lights in the neighborhood. The situation on Roosevelt Avenue was not raised by Ocasio-Cortez at her town hall, nor by constituents who spoke in a question-and-answer portion. Residents Andrew Sokolof Diaz and John Szewczuk told Fox News Digital outside the event that the Roosevelt Avenue problem is a long-standing issue and that local lawmakers must do more to address it. Resident Mark LaVergne pinned much of the blame on Ocasio-Cortez for not doing more and said he felt many of the women were likely trafficked into that murky underground world. "I feel very sad… There's a Dunkin' Donuts I frequent on Roosevelt and 82nd Street and I noticed that above that there is some sort of thing going on, and I see the look in the eyes of these sex workers," LaVergne said. "I really feel sorry for them. Some of them are here, probably under difficult situations. Maybe they were forced here, maybe they're forced to do this kind of work. You've got to take care of the people that'll get you elected. I mean, that just seems like the most just thing. That's justice. Taking care of the people who got you elected."Original article source: AOC, progressives ripped for ignoring 'Red Light' district as prostitution, filthy streets return
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Former MLB star calls out AOC's 'virtue signaling' after antisemitic attack in Colorado
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is striking out with a Jewish former Major League Baseball player over her response to a recent antisemitic attack in Colorado. "We're just at a point now where the Jewish people are just tired. We're tired of having to deal with so much hatred," said Kevin Youkilis, a World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox, during an appearance on "Fox & Friends," Wednesday. His comments come after Ocasio-Cortez posted on social media about the attack, which targeted a pro-Israel group gathered to call for the return of Israeli hostages held in captivity by Hamas. Multiple people were injured when the suspect allegedly used homemade incendiary devices to attack attendees. Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is now facing hate crime, attempted murder, assault and other charges. World Series Champ Calls Out Aoc Over Response To Boulder Attack In her post on X, formerly Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez condemned the violence in Colorado and warned that antisemitism is "on the rise." She called on the public to confront hate "everywhere it exists." Read On The Fox News App But Youkilis said her words rang hollow. Trump Administration Promises Justice For Slain Israeli Couple In Dc Shooting Responding on X, he wrote: "Jews are targeted with violence and it's the same virtue signal post time and time again. What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight." Youkilis pointed to growing antisemitic rhetoric on college campuses and at protests in New York, some of which have included calls for the dismantling of the Jewish state. He argued that condemning violence after attacks happen isn't enough from lawmakers. "When we hear this rhetoric, and it's pushed out in our universities and on the streets, it just has to stop. It brings a lot of fear. It stokes the violence," he said, referencing protests in the United States that intensified following the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. 'Squad' Members Condemn Antisemitic Attack In Boulder After Years Of Controversy While he agreed with Ocasio-Cortez that antisemitism is a "moral issue," Youkilis said her actions don't reflect a serious commitment to combating it. Hysterical Town Hall Attendee Interrupts Aoc, Yells About 'Genocide' In Gaza: 'You're A Liar!' The attack in Colorado follows another incident last month in Washington, D.C., where two Israeli diplomats, set to be engaged, were gunned down in an apparent hate crime. The suspect was arrested at the Capital Jewish Museum, and reportedly shouted, "Free, free Palestine." Youkilis said he's seen a noticeable shift in the safety of Jews in America, noting increased security at Jewish community centers, schools, and synagogues. He praised lawmakers, like Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., for speaking out repeatedly against antisemitism. Exclusive Video: Aoc Refuses To Say Whether Democrats' Rhetoric Is Responsible For Tesla Attacks "Ritchie Torres has been fabulous in the way he has spoken out," Youkilis said, urging other lawmakers to follow his example. While Youkilis emphasized his strong belief in the rights of Americans to voice their opinions, he called on public officials to better distinguish between free speech and hate speech. "First Amendment rights are First Amendment rights, and I'm a firm believer in that as an American, and a proud American," said the former first baseman, who served as the Israeli team's hitting coach at the World Baseball Classic in 2023. "But we also have to have our leadership that can decipher between what is hate and how people are [going to] build upon it."Original article source: Former MLB star calls out AOC's 'virtue signaling' after antisemitic attack in Colorado
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Bodega brothel' near schools in AOC's red-light district shut down without her help, local leaders say
QUEENS, N.Y. — A well-known local brothel near two schools in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's red-light district has been shut down by the NYPD after months of advocacy by local leaders who say the progressive lawmaker did nothing to help them close it. Nicknamed the "bodega brothel" by locals, the establishment was operating on the second floor of a local bodega just off the Roosevelt Avenue strip in Queens, where prostitutes are known for openly soliciting sex on sidewalks, local Democratic district leader Hiram Monserrate told Fox News Digital. Video from inside the brothel reveals five cramped, makeshift rooms divided by wooden panels and shower curtains, each just large enough to hold a bed. Aoc's 'Red Light' District Overrun With Prostitutes As Locals Call Out Mia 'Squad' Member The bodega is located across the street from two public schools, and students have been forced to walk past the sex workers outside the brothel on their way to and from class for months. An hour before Ocasio-Cortez's town hall earlier this month, Fox News Digital observed children walking by with their parents as three women stood outside. On Monday, the NYPD removed the beds from the brothel and padlocked its makeshift wooden door. Read On The Fox News App Monserrate, who led the campaign to shutter the location, stood outside and praised the police for acting. "The shutting down of the 'bodega brothel' was long overdue, but it finally got done," said Monserrate, who also toured the brothel and described the sleazy state of the quarters. "This place is clearly unsightly and unsanitary, and, quite frankly, disgusting," said Monserrate, a former Democratic state senator and council member who said he organized four separate rallies to close down the brothel. Leaders In Aoc's 'Red Light' District Call On Kash Patel To Crush 'Worsening' Gang Crime And Prostitution Monserrate said he and local groups have called on Ocasio-Cortez and other elected officials to advocate for the shuttering of the brothels, but few have helped. "AOC did not play a role at all," said Monserrate, who was chased out of a local square in October because he opposed protesters advocating for prostitution to be allowed in the neighborhood. Ramses Frías, a local Republican city council candidate, also said Ocasio-Cortez never attended a demonstration. "It took the people to come together and rally against this bodega brothel," Frias said. Ocasio-Cortez's office told Fox News Digital it is not commenting on the closure. Monserrate said the area is plagued by prostitutes, many working at the behest of migrant gangs like the 18th Street Gang and Tren de Aragua. He has called on the FBI to intervene along Roosevelt Avenue, citing drug trafficking, illegal gun sales, identity theft and violent crimes. He said he has yet to receive a response, adding his sources have identified at least 20 brothels in the area. In October, New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched a sweeping police crackdown with more than 200 police and state troopers descending on the area. The NYPD told Fox News Digital last month that the clampdown, known as Operation Restore Roosevelt, had resulted in a 37% year-to-date drop in crime in the Roosevelt Avenue zone with more than 1,800 arrests and more than 15,000 summonses. Police did not say if any arrests were made in relation to the shuttering of the location Monday. The New York City Department of Buildings said the location was issued a partial vacate order in December, but Monserrate said it had been used for illicit purposes ever since then. Click To Get The Fox News App Monserrate said the operation Monday was helpful, but many of the problems in the neighborhood still linger. "While we are grateful to the NYPD, the NYC Buildings Department and the mayor's office, we also understand that there is still much to do until we stabilize this community and make it safer and better for all," Monserrate said. "We will continue to rally, call for more brothels to be closed and shine a light on the failed policies that our community has borne the brunt of."Original article source: 'Bodega brothel' near schools in AOC's red-light district shut down without her help, local leaders say
