Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is warning voters that Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani supported decriminalizing prostitution during his 2020 run for state legislature, Fox News reported. Cuomo is running as an independent against Mamdani after losing to the 33-year-old democratic socialist in the primary.
Cuomo shared a video of Mamdani on X, formerly Twitter, of the mayoral hopeful from Queens speaking about his belief that "sex work is work" during his 2020 campaign. "Yesterday, @ZohranKMamdani refused to say where he stands on prostitution," Cuomo charged in his post on Saturday.
"Thankfully, we can consult an expert on the subject. him…Registering his support for decriminalizing sex work, legislation he’s supported for years. Where does Zohran Mamdani stand on this? Where does he stand on anything? We need to build a new NYC that works for everyone, not just those who will say anything to get elected. That takes commitment. And a spine," the former governor concluded.
Yesterday, @ZohranKMamdani refused to say where he stands on prostitution.
Thankfully, we can consult an expert on the subject. him…Registering his support for decriminalizing sex work, legislation he’s supported for years.
Where does Zohran Mamdani stand on this? Where does… pic.twitter.com/GuyrQ3916M
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) August 16, 2025
Cuomo was prompted to make this post after Mamdani wouldn't answer a question about whether he was in favor of legalizing prostitution during a news conference last week. The former governor, who resigned his office in disgrace in 2021 over allegations of sexual misconduct, warned that "New York City would become the prostitution capital of the country" if Mamdani becomes mayor.
"He’d emulate former Mayor Bill de Blasio when it came to prostitution arrests. If you listen to him, and you look to his policies, he’s going to be de Blasio 2.0, and I believe that’s the last thing this city needs," Cuomo said.
This warning certainly seems warranted based on Mamdani's statements, but Cuomo left out the part where his 2021 bill repealing laws against loitering for the purpose of committing prostitution has caused a surge in the number of so-called sex workers. Cuomo couldn't remember that, even when a reporter pointedly asked about that bill.
"The loitering bill, I'd have to check. I don't remember that bill frankly," the former governor claimed. This came after Cuomo stated that he observed an uptick in the number of prostitutes loitering on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens and said he was quite concerned about it.
"There were signs of prostitution on the street. I spoke to store owners. They are very concerned about it. They think it's destructive for their business, destructive for their neighborhood, it's a bad influence on children," Cuomo said.
Cuomo doesn't have the moral high ground considering his past legislation and personal shortcomings when it comes to women. However, he has a point about Mamdani, the Ugandan-born Muslim, and his hypocrisy on the issue. The city's current Democratic Mayor Eric Adams criticized Mamdani for this as well.
"I don’t know where in his Quran it states that it’s OK for a woman to be on the streets selling their body. I don't know what Quran he is reading," Adams told reporters on Sunday. The issue of legalized prostitution is only one of a slew of stances that make Mamdani a problematic candidate.
He has come out in favor of extreme positions, such as setting up state-run grocery stores and putting a freeze on rents for municipal housing, both of which would create shortages of the very things already in short supply now. He is also in favor of "free childcare" up to age 5, making New York City buses free of charge to ride, and eliminating tuition for the City University of New York.
For these socialist policies, Mamdani has received the support of fellow extremists like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D). His political clout and use of social media helped propel Mamdani to the top of the heap for Democrats, while the Republican side has only Curtis Sliwa, co-founder of the Guardian Angels and conservative commentator, and independent candidate Jim Walden.
These lifestyle issues are important to voters, and something must be done as New York is already becoming a cesspool of poverty, vice, and crime. Cuomo is correct in his warning, but his candidacy underscores the bleakness of New Yorkers' hopes for a solid leader willing to do what's necessary to clean up the city.
The impending move of Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton has displaced two families from their homes so that the family can have more privacy, Fox News reported.
The family of five will move to Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park later this year. The new home has eight bedrooms and is in close proximity to their current four-bedroom home, Adelaide Cottage, where they moved in 2022.
The couple's three children, George, 12, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, 7, attend Lambrook co-ed prep school in the nearby area.
In the process of renovating the property for the Wales family's arrival, a source told Fox News Digital that two families living close to the lodge were asked to relocate.
"They were told to move out," the source claimed. "I guess they were given somewhere else, but they were told they had to move. They were not expecting it.
"Those houses are very close to the Lodge, so they're not going to want any Tom, Dick, or Harry living in those houses if there are going to be royals there."
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams stressed that the displaced tenant families were given similar or better lodgings on the Crown Estate, the same 4,800 acre development where they had lived.
"They were reportedly in close proximity to the Lodge," Fitzwilliams explained. "The Prince and Princess of Wales need shelter from the enormous pressures of royal life with a media circus watching everything they do."
New shrubs were planted and a fence with black mesh privacy screens was recently installed at the lodge so that the family would not be intruded upon when they move in.
Fox News said that the family is paying for the renovations themselves. As heir to the throne, William receives $30 million per year or so from the Dutchy of Cornwall.
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner said there have been some skeptics saying the estate is not "grand enough" for a future king, but the move could signal a change to a humbler way of life for royal families.
The Wales family is expected to keep living at the lodge even after William ascends to the throne.
Both Kate and her father-in-law, King Charles III, 76, battled cancer in 2024, but Kate is now in remission, while the king continues treatments.
Some have reported that his health is deteriorating, but he has returned to royal duties and said in July that he is feeling "fine."
Joe Edlow, reinstated as the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under the Trump administration, has embarked on tackling significant immigration challenges left by the previous administration, the Daily Caller reported.
The focus of Edlow's tenure has been addressing a massive asylum case backlog and enhancing fraud prevention measures, which, he claims, were neglected during the Biden administration.
Originally serving as chief counsel and later as deputy director during Trump's first term, Edlow's return to USCIS comes at a crucial time. The agency faced a backlog surge, jumping from 450,000 pending asylum cases at the end of 2020 to over 1.5 million by 2024.
During the transition between administrations, asylum claims significantly increased. Records show that affirmative asylum backlogs escalated sharply from 311,000 cases in 2018 to more than a million by 2024.
Edlow remarks on his shock at the scale of the issues upon his return, noting a "misalignment of priorities" under the Biden administration. This misalignment, he claims, contributed to the worsening border crisis.
He stated, "What I didn’t know was what some of our backlogs turned into," expressing surprise at the administration's disinterest in controlling fraud.
Under his leadership, USCIS has begun implementing new strategies to combat fraud and ensure the integrity of immigration processes. These changes include scrutinizing the Special Immigrant Juvenile program and addressing election-related fraud.
Amid rising immigrant encounters along the southern U.S. border, Edlow's USCIS also strives to efficiently manage overwhelming numbers, which reached a peak during the fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
Edlow emphasizes the necessity of restoring the USCIS’s role in sustaining the immigration system. He believes these efforts are paramount to reinforcing overall legal compliance and operational integrity.
Facing critiques during Biden's tenure was Matt O’Brien, a former immigration judge noted for his high denial rate of asylum applications. O’Brien accused the administration of favoring a less stringent approach to asylum claims.
O'Brien asserts that such policies were indicative of a broader administrative attitude, claiming, "open borders radicals love immigration fraud." He alleged that under Biden, immigration fraud was treated as a "feature of the system," not a flaw.
Such allegations underscore the contentious nature of immigration policies between different administrations, highlighting the broader national dialogue on how to best manage immigration and border security.
Moving forward, the USCIS under Edlow's command is poised to make substantial reforms. Edlow’s commitment to "return the integrity of the immigration system" is seen as a critical response to past oversights.
The agency's approach includes a stronger emphasis on lawful procedures and a reevaluation of how asylum claims are processed to prevent potential abuses of the system.
This push for reform and focus on structural integrity suggests a transformative period for USCIS, aiming to better align immigration management with national security and policy goals.
President Trump's new pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a right-wing policy advocate with ties to the MAGA movement.
An economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, E.J. Antoni is coming under scrutiny for a perceived lack of expertise, but the White House is vouching for his qualifications.
Trump fired Antoni's predecessor, Erika McEntarfer, for allegedly fudging jobs data that showed the labor market cooling.
“Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE,” Trump said of Antoni in a social media post.
Antoni is a critic of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has the power to shape monetary policy with its monthly reports on the job market. In particular, Antoni has slammed the agency for releasing unreliable data that overstated job growth during the Biden administration.
“There are better ways to collect, process, and disseminate data – that is the task for the next BLS commissioner, and only consistent delivery of accurate data in a timely manner will rebuild the trust that has been lost over the last several years,” said on X.
Critics of Antoni have challenged his integrity, citing his pro-Trump commentary in various podcasts and articles.
During a recent appearance on Steve Bannon's "War Room," Antoni defended Trump's widely panned July jobs report by highlighting gains among American workers.
“There was some good news in the report, too, that we should definitely highlight,” he said. “All of the net job growth over the last 12 months has gone to native-born Americans.”
Harvard University economist Jason Furman, who worked for the Obama administration, called Antoni, an "extreme partisan" who "would be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats."
A skepticism of self-described "experts" has long been an animating force in Trump's populist movement, which emerged after years of ruinous U.S. leadership that hollowed out the middle-class, particularly in the Rust Belt.
Antoni has a Ph.D. in economics from Northern Illinois University and has authored several articles for the Heritage Foundation praising Trump's policies. Despite being labeled a MAGA sycophant, he has expressed doubts about the potential for Trump' tariffs to revitalize manufacturing.
"America must also seriously evaluate what turned the Industrial Belt into the Rust Belt. This hollowing out of the nation’s industrial base was not caused primarily by international trade. Instead, the primary carcinogens were terrible regulatory and tax policies," Antoni wrote in a May article.
Antoni will need Senate confirmation.
California Democrats have released a plan to give their party potentially five more seats in the House of Representatives - further marginalizing Republicans in a state that is notorious for one-sided liberal government.
The push, championed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D), is meant to "neutralize" Republican gains from a redistricting effort in Texas that has sparked furious backlash from the left.
Despite receiving nearly 40% of the vote in 2024, California Republicans currently represent just nine out of the state's 52 House seats.
Newsom's gerrymander would expand the Democrats' supermajority even further, eroding Republican strength in five districts and flipping three of those outright.
The gerrymander targets California Reps. Doug LaMalfa, Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley and David Valadao, all Republicans.
Rep. LaMalfa represents a large, rural stretch of northern California that borders Oregon and Nevada. The 1st district has been reliably Republican for years, but under Newsom's plan it would switch to safely Democratic.
The new map would also dethrone Ken Calvert, another veteran lawmaker representing a onetime GOP stronghold in Southern California. Calvert's 41st district is now considered a swing seat.
Kevin Kiley, a relative newcomer in his second term, would lose his seat in the 3rd district, which spans from the Sacramento suburbs to Lake Tahoe.
The Newsom gerrymander would also tilt Darrell Issa's safely Republican 48th district, in Southern California, and David Valadao's 22nd district in the Central Valley, making them both Democrat-leaning.
The redistricting battle has given Newsom an issue to seize on to elevate his national profile ahead of the 2028 presidential cycle.
"We have the opportunity to de facto end the Trump presidency in less than 18 months. That's what's at stake," Newsom said Thursday.
The governor is putting his map up for a vote in November. A poll found that California voters support the state's redistricting commission, however.
"Governor Newsom is trying to grab power away from the citizens on the commission and give it to Sacramento politicians to gerrymander their own districts,” the state's Republicans wrote in a statement. “Our delegation will stand with the citizens of California and defend their rights as they stand today in our state constitution by opposing Newsom’s ballot measure. All Californians, regardless of their political affiliation, should vote NO on this attempt to eliminate the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission’s ability to draw fair congressional districts.”
The proposed maps were drawn up by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is based in Washington D.C. If approved, the maps would apply for 2026, 2028 and 2030.
California is losing population, a trend that is projected to cost the states House seats after the next census in 2030.
The Trump administration has moved to dismiss a case against the IRS centering on the Clinton Foundation, just the latest twist in a years-long legal saga.
As reported by Just the News, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says the two plaintiffs - who are fighting to receive a monetary award for whistleblowers - lack standing and the case should not move forward to a trial tentatively scheduled on December 1.
Retired federal agent John Moynihan and private fraud expert Larry Doyle have alleged for years that the Clinton Foundation engaged in pay-to-play politics with foreign donors.
"Not surprising that the IRS would seek to dismiss our case in this fashion simply because that is the same tactic the IRS deployed in our initial case ongoing now almost 6 years in US Tax Court and growing more serious everyday," Doyle told Just The News.
In 2018, Doyle and Moynihan appeared before Congress to share their findings, but they refused to hand over their 6,000-page evidence dump to the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee, causing a clash with then-chairman Mark Meadows.
An initial IRS review found that their allegations of wrongdoing were not credible, but a U.S. Tax Court judge found in 2020 that the IRS had "abused its discretion" when it rejected their whistleblower complaint and the judge allowed it to proceed.
In a motion last week, the IRS argued the case should be dismissed on procedural grounds.
"In this case, the Whistleblower Office denied petitioners’ claims because the petitioners’ claims were never considered in an IRS action. Here, the Whistleblower Office forwarded petitioners’ claims to a classifier,” the IRS motion said. “Following the classifiers’ preliminary review, the Classifier declined to forward petitioners’ claims to exam and recommended that it be forwarded to the CI [criminal investigation] division."
“The IRS did not proceed with any potential action when it investigated petitioners’ claims,” the IRS added.
The IRS' opposition may come as a surprise to many, especially as Trump's FBI continues to shed light on an effort by Obama officials to block investigations into the Clinton Foundation.
Newly declassified records shared by FBI director Kash Patel provide more detail on the cover-up, which involved high-level figures known to be anti-Trump, like former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.
In February 2016, McCabe ordered that "no overt investigative steps" be taken concerning the Clinton Foundation without his approval, and then-deputy attorney general Sally Yates later instructed a prosecutor's office in Arkansas to "shut it down," according to an internal FBI work document.
The obstruction was previously noted by Former Special Counsel John Durham in his lengthy 2023 report, which delved into the FBI's disparate treatment of Trump and Hillary Clinton as they battled for the White House in 2016.
Even as the FBI and DOJ rushed to investigate Trump over illusory Russia ties, top officials "placed restrictions" on scrutinizing the Clinton Foundation "such that essentially no investigative activities occurred for months," Durham found.
On Friday evening, after an hours-long court battle, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an order to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) requiring all law enforcement personnel to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, even though some of the District of Columbia's own laws require the opposite.
The Trump administration's federalization of D.C. includes ending its status as a sanctuary city in which the police do everything they can to protect illegal immigrants rather than turn them into ICE when warranted.
Bondi's latest directive rescinds an earlier one in which she attempted to replace MPD Chief Pamela Smith with the current DEA head Troy Cole.
Instead, Cole will be her "designee" to oversee MPD's compliance with the new order.
The decision to back off from replacing Smith came after District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee, said she wanted MPD and the Trump administration to come to a compromise.
If they didn't, Reyes was prepared to issue an order blocking Smith's replacement.
“The way I read the statute, the president can ask, the mayor must provide, but the president can’t control,” Reyes said.
Seems like D.C. has been put on notice that once the president asked, through Bondi, for police to cooperate with ICE rather than work against it, that's exactly what they have to do.
Law enforcement in D.C., along with many of its Democratic officials, has fiercely resisted the federal takeover of its district, particularly the capital of Washington, D.C. where the federal government is headquartered.
Even so, the Trump administration is touting its successes since the takeover, including more than 100 arrests with almost one-third of those being illegal immigrants who will now face deportation.
The administration is also emptying the homeless encampments around the city, giving the people living in them a chance to get housing and other help.
It seems like the straw that broke the camel's back was the brutal attack of DOGE staffer Will Coristine by a group of teenagers as he tried to protect his girlfriend.
Following that incident, Trump ramped up his calls for federalization and decided to mobilize the National Guard to help re-establish law and order.
Of course, this has only given Democrats another chance to call him a dictator and a threat to democracy, but they had at least the last 60 years to do it themselves and didn't.
Two-time Charleston County South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Mullins McLeod is refusing to step aside from his gubernatorial run after police footage of him ranting and raving in the back of a police car was released to the public.
McLeod has faced calls from the state Democratic party to exit the race to focus on his mental health, but has said he will remain in the race.
SCDP Chair Statement on the release of the Dash-Cam footage from Mullins McLeod pic.twitter.com/xVCO24tc6y
— South Carolina Democratic Party (@scdp) August 13, 2025
"After reviewing the transcript of the dash cam footage from his recent arrest, it is clear that Mr. McLeod is navigating profound challenges and should focus on his mental and emotional well-being instead of a campaign for governor," the state party said in a statement. "We offer him compassion and pray he finds the support he needs."
McLeod attributes the leak to the party's attempts to oust him because he threatens the establishment.
"I felt confident they would come for me, because I am a threat to the establishment," McLeod said. "No matter how much they try to silence me. No matter how much they try to get me out of this race, I will not stand down."
"I know the political storm is all around me, but my rudder is true," he added. "My plan and my purpose has never been clearer. So, I'm going to keep my head down. I'm going to keep working. I'm going to keep being the perfectly imperfect person God made me to be."
In the footage, McLeod swears at an off-camera figure and makes slurs and threats against a number of political figures including former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump.
He was cited for public disorderly conduct.
The party is clearly concerned that his mental state is not what it should be, and that the footage will impact public perception of him in the months leading up to the election.
South Carolina being a pretty solidly Republican state, it probably won't matter whether he stays in the race or is replaced by another candidate.
But understandably, the party doesn't want to lower its profile even further in the state and lose more ground there.
So far, he's sticking to his guns, but time will tell if he can maintain enough public support to justify doing so.
After an hours-long battle in court on Friday, the Trump administration has backed off from its Thursday attempt to temporarily replace Washington, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith with DEA head Troy Cole in an emergency capacity.
After agreeing to leave Smith in control, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo directing D.C. police to comply with federal immigration laws even if they conflict with city laws, which prohibit police from cooperating with ICE in some cases.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes asked the administration and the city to compromise on a solution to the issues that have arisen out of the federal takeover of the district.
“The way I read the statute, the president can ask, the mayor must provide, but the president can’t control,” the Biden-appointed judge said.
In other words, President Donald Trump and his executive branch cannot directly control the execution of laws in D.C., but he can ask the mayor to direct police to follow immigration laws and the mayor must do so.
If push came to shove and no agreement had been forthcoming, Reyes said she would block the Trump administration from replacing Smith.
Faced with this outcome, the administration decided to follow the judge's orders and direct police to do what they wanted, which is to comply with federal immigration laws.
In her court filing against Trump and the administration, Smith said, “In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive."
That seems like a gross exaggeration, but it stands to reason that Smith would not want to be summarily replaced by the executive branch.
In reality, it's another instance where Trump just wants to get the job done and isn't so thoughtful about the nuances of how to work within the existing system to do so.
All in all, Trump's federalization of D.C. has been pretty successful so far, with more than 100 arrests including dozens of illegal immigrants.
They are closing down homeless encampments and offering help and housing to those who were living in them, which should bring a huge improvement to the city.
Trump is correct that the nation's capital should not be an area that is mostly slums and full of drugs and violent crime.
After five total years of living there and having one of his top people brutally attacked, he's had enough.
In a surprising turn of events, Monica Crowley, newly appointed as the Chief of Protocol under President Donald Trump, played a pivotal role in a high-profile summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The summit aimed at addressing potential measures to cease hostilities in Ukraine.
The discussions, centered on achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine, did not conclude with a solid agreement, despite lengthy negotiations.
Crowley, previously known for her work with Fox News, has transitioned into a crucial position within the Trump administration that involves orchestrating the protocol for international gatherings hosted by the U.S.
Before she stepped into her current role, Crowley enriched her portfolio with experiences ranging from media to government. Her career includes a tenure as the assistant secretary of the treasury for public affairs during Trump’s first term, where she received the Alexander Hamilton Award.
Throughout her career, Crowley has not only engaged in broadcasting but also authored best-selling books on former President Richard Nixon, providing her a broad understanding of both media and governmental operations. Her new role requires her to manage the logistical aspects of official visits, ensuring adherence to protocol and coordination of event details like flag arrangements and payments.
Crowley’s efforts are not solely tied to her organizational skills. Her presence is mandated at all official visits President Trump attends, signifying her indispensable role in these high-stakes events.
The summit between Trump and Putin, located at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, turned out to be a crucial meeting, primarily focusing on strategizing a ceasefire in Ukraine. Monica Crowley's meticulous planning was evident as she facilitated the arrangements and even saw President Putin off after the discussions concluded.
The handshake shared between Crowley and Putin, described as amiable, was one among the many diplomatic nuances managed during the meeting. However, the precise details of Crowley's plans for Putin's visit remain undisclosed.
Another striking moment from the summit was the brief joint press conference that lasted only 12 minutes after over three hours of private conversations between the leaders, indicating the intensive discussions that took place behind closed doors.
Looking ahead, Crowley is set to oversee several significant events on the American calendar. Her portfolio includes planning for America’s 250th Birthday celebrations, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, all of which will require her acute attention to protocol and event management.
Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, enthusiastically expressed his goal to "stop the killing," urging a rapid agreement to cease hostilities. This reveals the urgency and the stakes involved in the discussions, but also points to the complexities of reaching an immediate resolution.
"We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed upon. We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there," declared Trump, showing a mix of optimism and realism about the outcomes of the summit.
Despite the absence of a definitive peace agreement, proposals such as potential land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine became the focal point of international debates, showcasing the global impact of this summit.
Interestingly, Trump proposed a controversial plan that would see Ukraine receive similar protections as NATO countries, without including it in the alliance, adding another layer of complexity to international military politics and alliance strategies.