Tag Archives: The New York Post

Re-examining The 501(c)(3) Status

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I belong to a number of organizations that have 501(c)(3) status. These organizations are very careful to support issues–not political parties and not candidates. As individual members, we are free to support whatever party or individual we choose, but as an organization we focus on providing information and education on issues. Donating to a political party or a candidate is not permissible for a 501(c)(3).  Not all 501(c)(3) organization are willing to stay within those boundaries.

On Friday, Townhall posted an article about some increase scrutiny into some 501(c)(3) who have not necessarily been willing to follow the rules.

The article reports:

According to the New York Post, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the IRS are preparing to review the tax-exempt status of several prominent progressive organizations, including George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The reviews could lead to the revocation of their 501(c)(3) status and face substantial back-tax payments, civil penalties, and potentially the standard 21 percent federal corporate tax rate moving forward.

The article notes:

As for the three major nonprofits reportedly in Treasury’s sights, Open Society Foundations has faced allegations that its money has reached groups tied to violent protests and Antifa-aligned activism. CAIR has long faced more serious questions as the FBI suspended formal outreach to the organization after citing evidence of a relationship with Hamas, while critics have accused the group of operating as a terrorist-aligned organization. The SPLC, meanwhile, was federally indicted just months ago on allegations that it secretly funneled more than $3 million in donor money to people associated with the KKK, neo-Nazi organizations, and other violent extremist groups. Prosecutors say some of that money ultimately supported criminal conduct.

Whether any of that will meet the legal threshold for revocation is ultimately for the IRS to determine. But the Treasury appears ready to find out whether these organizations are charitable institutions or simply left-wing political machines.

…”Where the evidence leads, we will not hesitate to follow,” he (Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent) added. “And of course, we will hold these organizations, officers, directors, accountable. And just as financial institutions must know their clients, they must know their grantees. That work is well underway.”

Stay tuned.

A Legend

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On Tuesday, Dolly Parton died. The world lost a fantastic voice and a great example of the right way to handle success and wealth.

Tuesday night, The New York Post posted an article about the accomplishments and generosity of Dolly Parton.

The article reports:

God bless the superb Dolly Parton, who passed away Tuesday in Nashville, the Music City.

To call her the Queen of Country is both true and not. 

The genius who wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” on the same day was certainly a country music icon.

But Parton transcended genre, and a one-room cabin in Tennessee, to become an icon for all Americans.

In 1980, she starred in the hit comedy “9 to 5,” while her theme song for the film hit No. 1 simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100, adult contemporary and country charts.

We dare you to find anyone who didn’t like Dolly.

She never had a bad word to say about anyone, and her sly wit mostly took aim at her own flashy persona.

“It takes a lot of money to look this cheap,” she quipped, and later said that quote would likely go on her tombstone.

Parton’s genius as a self-created icon paved the way for generations of female artists.

Madonna, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus (her goddaughter) all plainly owe some performative debt to Dolly.

…Dolly grew up dirt poor, and never forgot where she came from: Her Dollywood Foundation may be the model for making a difference in a community — and through it, in the world, as the Imagination Library, inspired by her father’s illiteracy, has mailed out over 300 million books to children (one a month from birth until they start school) and also gone global via partnerships.

On Tuesday, The Yorkshire Post posted a few Dolly Parton quotes:

“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”

“If I see something saggin’, baggin’ or draggin’, I’m gonna have it nipped, tucked or sucked!”

“I was the first woman to burn my bra – it took the fire department four days to put it out.”

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”

“You gotta keep trying to find your niche and trying to fit into whatever slot that’s left for you or to make one of your own.”

“Leave something good in every day.”

She will be missed.

An Economic War May Be More Effecting Than A Kinetic War

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The war in Iran is dragging on. The Iranian people are still not free and the Revolutionary Guard is still in charge. However, things may be beginning to change.

On Monday, The New York Post reported:

A US ally in the Middle East has finally cut off Iran — and it could be one of the biggest threats to the regime yet.

The United Arab Emirates, which serves as Tehran’s largest supplier of goods, suspended all trade with the Iran over the weekend — nixing $6 billion in cash that went to the regime from exports, as well as access to vital supplies from the outside world.

Dubai — the UAE’s thriving commercial hub — is by far Iran’s largest supplier of goods. The Emirati government finally got fed up with Iran following repeated missile attacks that triggered evacuations for the first time during the war.

The move not only threatens the $21.3 billion trade relations between the two nations, it also leaves Iran without its primary way to collect US dollars, Mark Kimmitt, a retired US general and former assistant secretary of state, told The Post.

“If the Emirates cease trade and blocks dollar flows, it could have a crippling effect on the Iranian economy,” Kimmitt said.

Dubai essentially served as Iran’s window to the world after years of being slapped by Western sanctions, with traders buying and re-exporting consumer goods, food and industrial equipment to Iran.

Iran made a tactical error when it began attacking its Arab neighbors. The only hope to keep the Iranian economy afloat right now is China.

The article notes:

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has begun recovering despite Iran’s threats, even as the regime announces new penalties for vessels that refuse to play by its rules. Some ships are using routes Iran doesn’t recognize. Others are sailing with their transponders switched off, making the precise traffic picture difficult to measure. But the larger point is becoming harder for Tehran to hide: intimidation isn’t working the way it used to.

Iran, naturally, is handling this with all the composure you’d expect.

Mohsen Rezaei, the regime’s new security chief, warned that countries cooperating with America’s economic campaign could be treated as committing an “act of war.” Tehran is also threatening retaliation against neighboring countries and economic interests if they help Washington tighten the screws.

It’s hard to win the poker game when you don’t have the cards.

This Is An Assimilation Problem

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Legal immigration is a good thing when the people coming here want to become part of America and contribute to the growth of America. Coming here to import the customs of the place you left is not a good idea. Immigrants need to respect their heritage but understand that some aspects of that heritage may not be appropriate in America.

On Saturday, The New York Post reported:

A Dunkin’ employee was filmed washing his feet at a kitchen sink at the chain’s location aboard a Staten Island Ferry — prompting a city Health Department investigation, The Post has learned.

An eyewitness spotted the employee lifting his tootsies and using sink water to wash his feet behind the counter and immediately began filming the stomach-churning scene, calling it “disgusting.”

The footage — posted to TikTok Aug. 11 before it quickly spread across other social media platforms — shows the worker standing in front of the sink on what appears to be an Islamic prayer rug as he suds up his feet.

…The man appears to have been practicing wudu, the Islamic ritual of ablution performed before prayer.

It involves washing specific parts of the body — including the hands, face, arms and feet — in a prescribed sequence as an act of purification.

Muslims commonly perform wudu before the five daily prayers, known as salah, and it can also be performed before other religious activities, including handling or reading the Quran.

The article concludes:

“Religion or not, washing your feet a few inches away from the food area is wild. There has to be a better way. Mamdani, find this man a better religious accommodation,” one commenter wrote.

The Health Department told The Post in a statement, “The NYC Health Department promotes the safety of food served in the city’s restaurants so New Yorkers and visitors can dine without fear of becoming ill. Restaurants are required to follow food safety requirements,” while NYC DOT said it “is reviewing and will take appropriate action.”

Dunkin’ has not responded to The Post’s inquiries.

As someone who once held ServSafe Certification, I can assure you that this is NOT acceptable behavior.

Let’s Not Give Money Away To People Who Are Here Illegally

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On Wednesday, The New York Post posted an article about a new rule put in place by the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that tightens the requirements for the adoption, child, American opportunity, and earned income tax credits so that only US citizens, US nationals, and qualified aliens can get them.

The article reports:

“Under President Trump, the days of illegal aliens collecting taxpayer-funded benefits are over. The federal law is clear, and Treasury is enforcing it,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

“American taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for benefits going to those who are barred by law from receiving them. These proposed regulations end the abuse, protect the integrity of the tax system, and put Americans first.”

Those four tax credits are refundable, which means people with a larger credit than the taxes they owe get a refund from Uncle Sam.

The administration’s new rule specifically targets the refunded portion of those tax credits. They would still be allowed to use the credits to offset their federal income tax liability.

Nearly 1 million people would be ineligible for the “refunded portion of the affected refundable individual income tax credits” due to the rule change, the Trump administration has estimated.

The estimated savings for taxpayers is $3 billion. That is not pocket change. This is just one of many efforts to shrink the amount of money that the federal government bureaucracy spends.

Ingenuity Saved Lives

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National Geographic is releasing a new docuseries, “9/11 Reunited,” which premieres Aug. 21 at 8 p.m. The three-part series can also be streamed in its entirety the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.

The New York Post posted an article about the series on Saturday.

The article reports one of the stories that will be included in the series:

When al-Qaeda terrorists struck the World Trade Center on 9/11, six strangers found themselves trapped in an elevator in a desperate fight for survival.

As the express elevator climbed to its first stop on the 67th floor, American Airlines Flight 11 plowed into the North Tower at 8:46 am, causing the elevator to shudder and free-fall down the shaft.

One of the passengers pushed an emergency button, but the elevator had already plummeted 15 stories before stopping near the 50th floor.

As a choking cloud of thick white smoke that smelled like chemicals began pouring into the cabin, panic wasn’t an option — it was a death sentence.

So the six men — including a window cleaner and two Port Authority officials — calmly pooled their brains and their brawn.

First, they worked together to open the stuck automatic metal doors with their hands.

But there was no exit on the other end — just a solid wall with the number “50” stenciled on it.

Then, a burst of MacGyver-level ingenuity from someone always on the outside looking in at the WTC.

Window cleaner and Polish immigrant Jan Demczur quickly whipped out the brass squeegee from the bucket by his feet and began frantically pecking at layers of drywall in a circular motion.

Some of the others worked in tandem, punching and kicking the drywall until there was a hole large enough for everyone to crawl out.

They landed in a men’s bathroom, where they met firefighters imploring them to leave.

I am looking forward to watching the docuseries. The stories of survival on that day are amazing and encouraging.

Protecting The President Is A Priority

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Every President serves with the risk of assassination. President Trump, however, seems to have weathered a few more attempts that usual. The Secret Service is doing their job, and recently in Turkey the Secret Service did something out of a James Bond movie.

On August 11, The New York Post reported:

New details are emerging about President Trump’s great escape from Ankara last month with the revelation that he was smuggled off Air Force One by a Turkish airport catering truck to board a different military jet.

Trump’s exit from the annual NATO conference — within reach of Iranian missiles — already stoked weeks of intrigue over his purported use of an older version of Air Force One instead of the luxurious Qatar-gifted aircraft on which he arrived.

Trump actually used a third plane in an elaborate ruse that fooled not only Iran, but also the traveling press pool and some members of the president’s own staff.

…It’s unclear which other officials joined Trump in the truck, though he’s typically accompanied by a doctor and staffers designated to maintain contact with the military and White House chief of staff’s office.

The fresh reporting raised new questions, including whether there was a specific threat to Trump’s life, rather than a vague concern involving the Iran conflict.

The White House has not denied the Washington Post’s account, which cited two sources, including at least one US official.

The article concludes:

Hours before his stealth relocation to the third plane, Trump spoke about Iranian leaders wanting to kill him. That week, funeral processions for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei featured banners threatening to kill the US president.

When a New York Post reporter asked Trump at a news conference in Ankara whether he was ditching the new plane due to threats from Iran, the president responded that “I’m number one on the kill list” for the Islamic Republic, but declined to elaborate further.

When another journalist pressed Trump on his publicly stated plane swap, the president insisted he sent the Qatari jet out of Turkey “so the soldiers can see it, because it’s truly magnificent.”

The deception — and its revelation — are incredibly rare if not unprecedented.

Then-President Bill Clinton similarly used Air Force One as a decoy in 2000 during a high-risk trip to Pakistan, but at least some reporters were aware ahead of time and the ploy was revealed publicly upon arrival.

Notice he left the reporters on the original plane. Hmmm.

Pouring Money Into Something Without Ever Addressing The Root Problem

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On August 10, The New York Post posted at article about the causes of death among New York City’s homeless population. The fact that almost half of the deaths among the homeless were alcohol or drug related shouldn’t surprise anyone.

The article reports:

Almost half of the deaths of New York City’s homeless population were tied to drugs and alcohol, an eye-opening new report found.

Some 285 of the 634 homeless residents who died in a one-year stretch from 2024-25 lost their lives because of drug addiction, overdoses or alcoholism, the Departments of Health and Social Services/Homeless Services said in its 2026 report.

The analysis, which covers documented deaths from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, includes deaths in temporary shelters as well as on the streets, in subways, abandoned properties or while in an acquaintance’s home.

…Authors of the report said the numbers are likely undercounted due to difficulties tracking thousands of migrants served by other agencies operating temporary encampments during the border crisis at the Mexican border.

“Some of the tens of thousands of new migrants provided shelter by H+H [Health+Hospitals], HPD [Housing Preservation and Development] and New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) could have died and not be identified as homeless decedents since DOHMH did not receive data from these agencies for matching,” the report said.

The top five leading causes of death in FY25 were drug-related (40% or 251), heart disease (12% or 78), accidents excluding drug overdose (9% or 60), alcohol misuse/dependence (5% or 34), and cancer (4% or 23).

The article notes:

The report found a positive trend.

The number of deaths among persons experiencing homelessness dropped by nearly 18%, from 770 in the prior 2024 fiscal year to 634 in FY 2025.

Drug-related deaths remained the leading cause of death among the homeless population, consistent with prior city and national trends.

Drug-related deaths plummeted 28%, from 348 (45% of the total) in FY 2024 to 251 (40%) in FY 2025.

That drop might have a lot to do with the border security policies instituted by President Trump.

Homelessness is not always related to poverty or the cost of housing. There are much deeper issues, including mental illness. To blame homelessness on the cost of housing is naive at best. To blindly provide hotels for the homeless does not solve the long-term problem. In some cases it does not even provide a workable temporary solution.

Until a successful program is developed that includes getting off drugs, finding gainful employment, and providing mental health services, the homeless are going to be with us.

ID To Buy Groceries But Not To Vote

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On Monday, Red State posted an article about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed grocery stores. Initially the grocery stores were to require identification to prove you were a New York resident, but evidently that has changed (possibly due to public reaction–needing an ID to buy groceries but not to vote was a bridge too far).

On Monday, The New York Post reported:

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s promised city-owned grocery stores won’t require ID from shoppers, his administration confirmed Monday — allowing non-New Yorkers to take advantage of the discounted goods.

The five planned taxpayer-subsidized stores — which are set to sell a “core basket of goods” at 30% below retail prices — will offer a free, voluntary membership card program, though documents show it will not require a residency check.

Mamdani administration officials revealed the membership program last week when facing questions from reporters about how they’d stop bad actors from buying in bulk and taking advantage of the deals on offer.

Red State notes:

Now, if you’re like Marty McFly and you’re saying “I’ve seen this one, this is classic!” that’s because government-run stores used to be a thing. 

Way back in the Soviet Union. If you missed that one because you went to a government-run school, you’re in luck.

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev provided an iconic moment in Cold War history when his first encounter with an American grocery store was a jolting experience.

That’s because communist-run grocery stores were nearly barren of basic foodstuffs due to the inability of the state planners to manage supply and demand.

A few years later, this scene was recreated when Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov toured a San Francisco Safeway.

We could place bets on how long it will take the city-run grocery store to fail and how much it will eventually cost New York City taxpayers. The sad part of this is that the prices in the store will undercut the local merchants and drive them out of business. Eventually there will be no grocery stores in New York City. Unfortunately, Mayor Mamdani does not understand or chooses not to understand the free market.

We Used To Have Candidates Who Loved America

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On Tuesday, The New York Post posted an article about Francesca Hong, a candidate for Governor of Wisconsin.

The article reports:

A socialist Dem running for Wisconsin governor became visibly uncomfortable and served up a word salad when asked whether she still stands by her call to “cancel Thanksgiving” because it is “celebrating colonialism.”

At the height of the Covid pandemic, Francesca Hong, who is the frontrunner to become the Democratic nominee in America’s Dairyland, said that the beloved holiday needs to be scrapped, and that America “should have done this in 1621.”

She added: “If it takes a worldwide pandemic for us to realize we should stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed Indegenous [sic] folx [sic] and women so be it.”

First of all, let’s take another look at the events surrounding Thanksgiving. The land the Pilgrims settled in had been the territory of the Patuxet Indians, a large tribe that had murdered every white man who had landed on the shores of Massachusetts. Four years before the Pilgrims arrived, the Patuxet tribe had been wiped out by a mysterious plague, killing everyone in the tribe. The neighboring Indians stayed away from the area because they were convinced that some supernatural spirit had killed the Patuxets. Squanto, a member of the tribe who had been sold into slavery, was in Spain or England when his tribe was wiped out. When he got back to Massachusetts and found that his tribe was gone, through a series of events he decided to help the Pilgrims survive in their new land. The Indians and the Pilgrims lived in peace for a number of years. The celebration of Thanksgiving was part of that peace. Unfortunately, that peace did not last, partially due to a cultural problem regarding the purchase of land, but initially there was peace.

The article notes:

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked Hong point-blank Monday whether she really believes that, and the democratic socialist uncorked with a bizarre 46-second response in which she made no effort to deny that she still wants to throw out the turkey.

I’m a chef, and one of the first meals that I made that was for the community when i was 16 was a Thanksgiving meal. I always think my hospitality background and owning a restaurant for 7-8 years, that bringing folks around the table to share conversation and build community is always a good thing.

But Thanksgiving is also a time that’s incredibly painful for many people in our communities. So I think there I wanted to make sure people understood there are multiple views, but views can evolve.

And the position I’m running for right now — and I think my background as a chef will actually help me become a better governor that’s able to bring more people to the table.

Oddly enough, Thanksgiving is a time when many charity organizations reach out and make sure that needy families in their communities receive a good meal.

Please follow the link to read the entire article. This lady does not seem to understand or want to celebrate the holidays and traditions that Americans celebrate.

Compromising The Safety Of The Voters?

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On Monday, The New York Post posted an article about a list posted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on the city Department of Finance webpage identifying hundreds of thousands of entities who could find themselves in the crosshairs of the Mayor Zohran Mamdani-backed tax on luxury second homes.

The article reports:

The big names spotted by The Post scattered throughout the list included luminaries spanning the worlds of business, politics and the arts — such as actress and failed New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon, a devoted Mamdani supporter.

I wonder if these people had any idea of the consequences of their votes when they voted for him.

The article concludes:

Not one but two City Council members appeared on the document, which was only supposed to list non-primary residences, including District 6 Democrat Gale Brewer, who said of her Upper West Side Brownstone, “I’ve been living in [my place] 365 days a year since 1994. So this whole list must be messed up.”

Joining Brewer was Council Minority Leader David Carr (R-Staten Island) who called the mayor “a shoo-in for ‘Realtor of the Year’ in Texas,” referring to a predicted exodus of wealthy New Yorkers to more tax-favorable states.

City Hall did not comment.

“As per State law, a property roll was released for public inspection,” said a DOF spokesperson. “From this list, DOF will identify properties that may be subject to the new non-primary residence property surcharge.”

One possible consequence of the release of this list is that some of the people on the list may sell their properties and leave New York City. That will negatively impact the tax base, and the Mayor will have to find a new source of revenue for the City. Eventually the Middle Class will wind up paying the taxes that were sold as ‘taxes for the rich’ and not taxes for the rest of us.

Taxpayer-Funded Child Abuse

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This article is rated PG-13 (or at least it should be by my standards).

On Saturday, The Daily Caller News Foundation posted an article about a project developed for children as young as four-years old by the University of Minnesota.

The article reports:

“First-of-their-kind” transgender-identified paper dolls featuring removable genitalia are expected to be introduced in the fall in some classrooms for children as young as four years old, according to the University of Minnesota researchers who developed the project.

The dolls, which have gender-neutral names including “Sam,” “Rory,” “Avery,” and “Parker,” include removable internal and external genitalia and more than 100 interchangeable clothing, hairstyle, and accessory pieces designed to facilitate conversations about gender and anatomy, according to the MyGender Dolls website.

This is NOT appropriate for children of any age or young adults.

The article notes:

The project originated at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Health after more than six years of research, the New York Post reported. It has since been spun into a commercial venture, MyGender Dolls. The university’s research reportedly included sessions in which transgender-identifying and other children, along with their parents, were paid between $20 and $60 to play with the dolls and discuss gender and anatomy. In addition, photographs presented during a 2024 conference reportedly showed prototype dolls depicting various stages of gender transition, including removable anatomy and interchangeable clothing.

The article concludes:

The University of Minnesota Medical School receives approximately $15 million annually in state funding appropriated to expand research capacity. University officials, however, told the New York Post that no public money was used to commercialize MyGender Dolls.

The institute’s total research budget is approximately $1.4 billion, according to its 2025 annual report.

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has supported several transgender-related policies during his administration, received the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health’s inaugural Distinguished Sexual and Gender Health Champion Award in 2023. The governor’s office reportedly did not respond to the New York Post’s request for comment.

University officials maintain that taxpayer dollars were not used to commercialize the dolls, though they have not disclosed how much public funding supported the underlying research.

We have some very sick people involved with interacting with our children.

Stopping Fraud Before It Happens

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On Tuesday, The New York Post posted an article about a government-wide payment verification process implemented last year.

The article reports:

The Treasury Department has blocked nearly $100 million in taxpayer money from going to dead people since implementing a government-wide payment verification process last year, The Post has learned. 

The department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service discovered the money set to go to ghosts after a review of an eye-popping 885 million payments worth a total of nearly $2.7 trillion.

Since March 2025, the screening has identified more than 4,900 disbursements, worth approximately $99 million, associated with deceased payees, according to the Treasury. 

The $99 million figure is a tiny fraction (0.0036%) of the $2.7 trillion the department reviewed as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on waste, fraud and abuse — but more than triple what Treasury discovered going to the deceased in the days before President Trump took office last year.   

“Treasury has delivered on a key promise of President Trump’s mandate to stop improper payments and fraud before money leaves the Treasury, and strengthen the integrity of the federal payment system,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. 

The article concludes:

In February, Trump signed the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act into law, which allowed Treasury permanent access to the death file.

The department has projected a gain of $330 million in net benefits through the reduction in improper payments to dead people.

I am thrilled that the payments to dead people are being stopped, but is there any effort made to prosecute the people who spent the money?

More Fraud

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On Friday, The New York Post posted an article about another bogus childcare center in Minnesota.

The article reports:

A Minnesota daycare center owner featured in YouTuber Nick Shirley’s viral video showcasing alleged bogus childcare facilities has admitted that she defrauded the US government out of millions of dollars — which she used, in part, to buy up real estate.

Fahima Mahamud, CEO of Future Leaders Early Learning Center in Minneapolis — which was featured in Shirley’s December video round-up of questionable facilities around the Twin Cities — pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the US.

According to prosecutors, between October 2022 and November 2025, Mahamud filed claims for more than $4.6 million from the Child Care Assistance Program — a federal program that provides daycare assistance for low-income families — on behalf of recipients who never paid the required co-payment.

The article concludes:

Prosecutors said Mahamud claimed to serve tens of thousands of meals to hungry children at the center each month, but actually “served only a fraction of those claimed meals,” court documents state.

She closed down Future Leaders in February — and tried to flee the US for London two days later.

Mahamud’s sentencing date has not been set.

Aimee Bock, the mastermind behind the scheme, was handed a stunning four-decade prison sentence in May for helming what prosecutors called one of the largest pandemic-era fraud schemes in the country.

At least some of the people responsible for stealing taxpayer dollars are being held responsible. However, some of the blame needs to be placed on those charged with overseeing these programs. These are not small numbers, and the people in charge should have noticed that something was amiss (unless they were in on the scam).

Elections Have Consequences

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Forty years ago, I was not interested in politics. America seemed to be getting along fine without my involvement. I was tending to my own life, believing the mainstream media, and not really paying attention. I think a lot of us were there at various times. It’s hard to be involved when you are working and raising a family. Unfortunately, the days of coasting are over.

On Wednesday, The New York Post posted an article about an offer Dallas, Texas, has made to Morgan Stanley.

The article reports:

Dallas lawmakers signed off Wednesday on a $18.5 million incentive package to lure a $1.3 billion Morgan Stanley office tower to the city, The Post has learned — and this week’s stunning victories by far-left New York pols could expedite the exodus of businesses.

Officials at the Dallas City Council unanimously rubber-stamped the deal 15-0 that would give the New York-based bank a special economic grant and up to a decade of property tax abatements, according to a municipal filing reviewed by The Post.

In exchange, the Wall Street giant would build a major regional office downtown and shift nearly 5,000 jobs to the city — the latest coup for the booming Texas financial corridor known as “Y’all Street” which beckons New York moneymen looking to flee Zohran Mamdani’s ‘tax-and-spend’ left-wing policies.

The article quotes Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson:

“American capitalism, free market competition, and even economic success itself have all been vilified by New York’s top elected leaders,” Johnson said. “While that makes me sad for my friends who call New York home, I must admit that I am pleased to welcome the tens of thousands of financial services jobs that are shifting from Manhattan to Dallas.”

The article concludes

Landing Morgan Stanley would give Dallas more than bragging rights. The permanent location sits inside the city’s Downtown Connection tax increment financing district, and the firm’s arrival would deepen a financial footprint that already trails only New York nationally.

To clinch the deal, the city is also nominating both phases of the project for Texas Enterprise Zone designations, which could unlock state sales-tax refunds worth up to $5 million.

If approved, construction could break ground this fall with operations beginning in 2027.

Morgan Stanley’s global headquarters are set to remain in Manhattan, where it has operated for decades.

Let’s see if Morgan Stanley chooses to leave its headquarters in Manhattan and if the New York City voters wake up and smell the coffee.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Resigns

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On Monday, The New York Post reported that the United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned.

The article reports:

Sir Keir Starmer choked up as he announced his resignation as UK prime minister Monday — less than two years after the Labour Party stormed to a landslide general election win.

Starmer, 63, set out a timetable to stand down after coming under mounting pressure following last month’s local elections, in which the governing Labour Party lost over 1,000 seats.

The prime minister announced his intention to step down after admitting the Labour Party was questioning whether he could lead it into the next general election, which must be held before July 2029, just 23 months after leading his party to a huge win.

“I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace,” Starmer said outside 10 Downing Street in London.

“Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to his majesty the king this morning to inform him of my decision.”

The article notes:

Calls for Starmer’s resignation intensified over the past month after Labour was routed by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party across post-industrial England.

“Starmer isn’t the first Prime Minister I’ve deposed, and he won’t be the last. David Cameron. Theresa May. Rishi Sunak. And next up – Andy Burnham. The reason each leader has failed is the same,” Farage wrote in a Substack post Monday.

“What the political class fails to understand is that the electorate won’t accept being taken for fools. They cannot continue to take the votes of the people who supported them for granted, only to betray them upon having gained power. Politics is about trust.

“That is why I am calling for a general election at the soonest possible date. You know as well as I do that the country cannot afford to waste another week drifting from crisis to crisis.

“That’s why millions of you turned out in the local elections to vote for Reform councillors, and it’s why we have led in more than 300 opinion polls for well over a year.”

The article concludes:\

Just last week, Starmer lost Defense Secretary John Healey over the government’s defense investment plan.

“You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats,” Healey told Starmer in his resignation letter.

Starmer’s popularity has plunged after repeated missteps and U-turns on policies such as welfare reform, as well as his disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.

The Labour government has also failed to deliver promised economic growth and ease a longstanding cost-of-living crisis.

Britain has a number of problems right now–economic, immigration, etc. At some point the British are going to want their country back after unlimited immigration has created some major problems.

Who Is In Charge?

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On June 19th, The New York Post posted an article with some concerning news about Iran.

The article reports:

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was flowing Friday — under Iran’s monitoring — after a radio message to vessels in the region suggested the waterway had been closed over tensions with Israel and the US.

“The armed forces of Iran, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding [MOU] to end the war dated June 18, 2026, have taken the necessary measures to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, and shipping in this route is currently underway,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Friday, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

Earlier, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) statement read over maritime radio channels warned vessels from entering the strait because the US was in violation of the MOU between Washington and Tehran, which President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed Wednesday.

I suspect that this is only the beginning of the problem of knowing who is in charge in Iran. We took out the first two tiers of leadership, and now the Iranian elites are fighting among themselves for control. That is a good thing for America and a bad thing for Iran.

The article concludes:

Meanwhile, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) — which Tehran recently formed so it could control the strait and, critics say, charge fees — released a set of new “terms and conditions” for ships passing through the vital waterway.

While the MOU requires Iran to hold off demanding payment from shipping firms for the next 60 days, the document explicitly states Tehran “reserves the right to introduce” new fees in the future.

The document also requires all ships to get a permit from the PGSA to pass through the strait, which was not required before the war began Feb. 28, as the strait is considered international waters.

The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Frankly, I will be surprised if the Iran deal lasts for two weeks. I am not sure it was meant to last. I believe it was meant to illustrate the character of those currently in charge in Iran.

The Need To Know Who Is In The Country Illegally

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On June 18th, The New York Post posted an article about the alleged ringleader in the planned attack on the White House during President Trump’s birthday celebration.

The article reports:

The alleged “ringleader” of the explosive drone attack plot against the UFC event at the White House is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday.

Abraham Alvarez, 31, came to the US as a child and failed to leave the country when his B2 visa expired in 2001, but was granted deportation relief under the Obama administration through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Alvarez was one of five alleged co-conspirators in the scheme to kill President Trump and other top government officials at the combat sports spectacle held late Sunday on the White House South Lawn attended by thousands of fight fans.

The plotters allegedly wanted to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event with explosive-laden drones and then pick off fleeing members of the crowd with a team of snipers.

Authorities told the outlet Alvarez was responsible for planning, organizing and directing the coordinated attack, which was thwarted by the FBI and local authorities.

“This illegal alien from Mexico should never have been allowed in our country,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “He was the ringleader of a failed terror attack targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.”

“He will face justice and swiftly be removed from our country,” she added of Alvarez.

Let’s hope that if this man is convicted when he eventually stands trial, he is deported. Let’s hope that at that time (which could be years from now) we have a President who is enforcing the border so that this alleged plotter cannot sneak back into the country.

The Stalling Is Going To End Shortly

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President Trump is running out of patience with the Iranians in the peace negotiations.  It has become obvious that the Iranians really don’t want to negotiate–they just want to hold out until the midterm elections hoping that by that time the war will no longer have the support of the American voters.

On Thursday, The New York Post reported:

President Trump said he is readying new strikes on Iranian infrastructure — after warning that the Islamic Republic will “have to pay the price” for taking “too long” to negotiate a peace deal.

The commander-in-chief said he is “getting close to ordering new strikes against Iranian power plants and bridges” in a phone call with Fox News’ chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on Wednesday.

Trump also accused Iran in the phone call of “tapping the United States along when it comes to the negotiating process.”

The current cease-fire has not been two impressive–everyone has continued their drone strikes, only somewhat less frequently.

The article notes:

It came as the president took to Truth Social to warn of retaliatory strikes against Iran following the shooting down of a US Apache helicopter on Monday near the Strait of Hormuz.

“They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” Trump wrote in a thunderous post Wednesday morning, after stating that the country’s military infrastructure and leadership were in disarray.

“Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore – They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! ” he added.

It really is time to end Iran’s funding of terror in the Middle East. If we need to destroy Iran’s infrastructure to do that, I am okay with that.

Getting Drugs Into America Without Going Through Customs

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On Monday, The New York Post posted an article about the recent discovery of a tunnel running between the Tijuana area and the United States.

The article reports:

Cops on both sides of the US-Mexico border are investigating a sprawling underground passage uncovered in the Tijuana area that is believed to extend toward the US.

The tunnel was found Saturday in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood during a raid carried out by Mexican federal authorities, with support from the Mexican navy, according to Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office.

Investigators said the hidden passage stretches roughly 869 feet and sits about 21 feet below ground, making it one of the more substantial cross-border tunnel discoveries in recent years.

The article notes:

The underground route was uncovered after authorities executed a search warrant at a property in eastern Tijuana.

During the operation, officers seized a variety of items, including ammunition, cellphones, bank cards, a digital video recorder and dozens of doses of methamphetamine.

While inspecting the site, investigators located a wood-lined tunnel that officials believe was constructed to reach the US border.

Mexican authorities said evidence recovered during the raid suggests the property may have been used as a logistical center for criminal activity, including the storage and movement of narcotics, weapons and explosive materials.

…“Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego, in coordination with our Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) partners, are conducting a criminal enforcement operation involving a cross-border subterranean tunnel in Otay Mesa, CA,” a rep for Homeland Security Investigations told NBC 7 in a statement.

“To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and ensure the safety of all involved, we are unable provide additional details at this time,” the rep added.

The wall and active border enforcement have made a major difference in the number of people and the amount of drugs coming across our southern border; however, there will always be people trying to skirt the rules. Hopefully this tunnel can be promptly destroyed.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

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Is anyone reading this old enough to remember the ‘don’t fool mother nature’ commercials? They were margarine commercials where mother nature created havoc after someone tried to fool her. I don’t know about the margarine part, but I do know that we tamper with nature at our own risk. We have a large number of great white sharks off the New England coast because we are protecting the seals. I don’t think creating a feeding ground for sharks was the goal, but that’s where we are. Now some brilliant scientists are about to do something that defies the imagination.

On Saturday, The Gateway Pundit reported:

America’s most infamous tech company has a bold, potentially risky plan to supposedly reduce the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses, assuming the federal government will sign off on the proposal.

As The New York Post reported, Google wants federal approval to unleash approximately 32 MILLION mosquitoes into the states of California and Florida over the next two years.

This is supposedly part of an effort to halt the spread of several serious mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever.

The Google researchers particularly focused on West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis. The former is the leading mosquito-borne disease in the US and is widespread in California amongst local bird and mosquito populations.

…Rather than releasing biting insects, the company plans to release male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacteria. When the infected males mate with wild female mosquitoes, the offspring do not survive, helping suppress mosquito populations over time.

Because only female mosquitoes bite humans, experts say the releases would not increase the number of biting mosquitoes.

Are these the same scientists who regarded kudzu as a beautiful, ornamental ground cover? Are these the same scientists whose hybrid silk worms got loose from the Museum of Science in Boston and became known as gypsy moths? You get the picture. Let’s not increase the mosquito population in order to decrease it. What happens if the mosquitoes find some way to adapt?

The Verdict Should Be Obvious

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I realize that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, but what happens when your crime is filmed by security cameras? We may be about to find out.

On December 4, 2024, Brian Thompson, the CEO of United HeathCare was shot and killed in Manhattan. Luigi Mangione was arrested for the crime and is currently on trial in New York City.

On Monday, The New York Post reported:

Jurors at Luigi Mangione’s murder trial will get to see the 3D-printed pistol and alleged “manifesto” found inside his backpack, a judge ruled Monday — handing prosecutors a key legal win.

Altoona, Pa. cops followed appropriate legal protocol when searching the accused assassin’s bag at the police station after nabbing him for the December 2024 execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro found.

The weapon was discovered inside the 28-year-old Mangione’s bag after his arrest at an Altoona McDonald’s, which followed a dramatic five-day manhunt.

Prosecutors will also be able to show Mangione’s journal, in which the University of Pennsylvania grad mused about killing the “greedy” CEO to denounce an industry that “extracts human life force for money.”

But Carro separately blocked other evidence — including a loaded magazine, Mangione’s wallet and passport and a computer chip hidden inside a cardboard sleeve — that police obtained from Mangione’s bag before getting a warrant.

Police breached Mangione’s rights by searching the knapsack without a warrant even though it was outside of the accused killer’s reach — where officers did not need to search it to protect themselves or the public, the judge found.

“I find that the search of the backpack at the McDonald’s was an improper warrantless search,” the judge said from the bench as Mangione sat at the defense table, handcuffed and wearing a blue suit, during a brief hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The article notes the comments of the Mangione supporters outside the courtroom:

Several supporters proudly displayed press badges granted to them by the New York City Mayor’s Office — and were not shy in expressing their admiration for the accused killer.

“I’m saying f–k Brian Thompson. I don’t give a flying f–k he died,” Ashley Rojas, one such city-accredited “press” member, told reporters outside the courthouse.

Their comments are frightening. What ever happened to respect for life?

About That New York City Budget Deficit…

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New York City Mayor Mamdani has claimed that he has solved New York City’s budget problem without raising taxes. Great! But let’s look at the small print.

On May 15th, Townhall reported:

Being a socialist means never having to understand how things in the real world work. That includes math, apparently, as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani demonstrated yesterday. He announced he’d managed to miraculously close the city’s gaping budget deficit simply by “taxing the rich” and not cutting services.

That’s a lie, of course. The deficit was closed by delaying city contributions to the pension fun (good luck in retirement, city workers!) and a massive taxpayer bailout from Albany. That means Mamdani got the money from working class New Yorkers, and not “the rich.”

But his socialist supporters fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

On May 12th, The New York Post posted a list of the increased charges to average New Yorkers to help balance the budget:

As every parent of a teenager has stated at least once, “Money does not grow on trees.” Socialism is expensive.

The New York Post notes:

The Department of Veterans’ Services is also ready to slash unspecified veteran events to save a measly $60,000, and Sanitation is expecting to cancel a battery disposal program to the tune of $353,000.

Under the “savings” plan, officials merely re-estimated revenue they believed would be more accurate, including counting on millions of dollars more for handgun licenses, permit applications to the Landmark Preservation Commission and Taxi and Limousine Commission license renewal fees.

The lion’s share of savings stems from the Department of Education, leaning heavily on vaguely defined “cost containment.”

About $149.5 million this fiscal year is expected to be saved from “improved financial controls,” while an eye-popping $922 million would be saved next year, which would be driven by “improved financial control,” including $30.3 million in procurement “reform.”

Mamdani, during a Tuesday press conference announcing his first budget, insisted his team searched “for every efficiency and savings we can find.”

“It is evidence of a new era of government in our city, one that can balance both ambition and fiscal responsibility, one that can invest in housing, child care, libraries, parks, schools and climate resiliency, while also cutting waste and finding efficiencies,” he said.

I just hope that when Mayor Mamdani goes to President Trump for a bailout, President Trump reacts the same way President Ford did when New York City asked for a bailout in 1975. President Ford said that while there might be risk and some temporary fluctuations in the financial markets, the greater risk to the American people was “provid[ing] a Federal blank check for the leaders of New York City” and not pushing for a “long-run solution to the city’s problems.”

I guess New York City is still looking for that long-run solution.

What An Incredible Coincidence

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On Thursday, The New York Post posted an article about the cancellation of a ‘Muslim only’ event at a taxpayer funded waterpark in Texas.

The article reports:

The head of a Texas Islamic group that rented out a taxpayer-funded waterpark for an event that was advertised as “Muslim only” runs a childhood education center with the exact same unfortunate ‘Learing Center’ typo first seen at an infamous daycare in Minneapolis.

The “Excellence Early Learing Center,” as its misspelled website header reads — located in the Fort Worth suburb of Hurst — offers a variety of programs for youngsters from infants to pre-K, and promises to provide children with “the loving, personal care that they need to thrive and feel confident.”

The center boasts “multiculturalism, small classroom sizes, healthy eating and a warm, loving environment that feels like home” and staff with degrees in “education, accounting, biology, pharmacology, science, nursing and mathematics from their home countries.”

Its owner, head operator and curriculum designer is Aminah Knight, who boasts a master’s degree fro the University of Southern California and a doctorate from Vanderbilt University.

Earlier this week, Knight and her DFW Epic Eid organization drew massive criticism for a flyer advertising an event at Epic Waters in Grand Prairie billed as “Muslim only” and requiring modest swimsuits for all attendees.

Epic Waters, a sprawling, 80,000-square-feet indoor waterpark opened in 2017 at a cost of $88 million — funded by a 0.25% sales tax hike residents approved at the ballot box in 2014.

The FAQ for the third-annual event, which was being held to celebrate the Muslim holiday Eid, initially proclaimed “the entire waterpark has been exclusively reserved for Muslims.”

After the backlash, Knight modified the advert to omit the exclusionary language, and acknowledged to The Post in an email that the original messaging wasn’t intended to bar non-Muslims.

When asked, Knight stated that her goal was simply to provide an atmosphere where “individuals and families who value modest dress and a modest environment can come together and feel comfortable enjoying a recreational space.” I can agree with the idea of requiring modest dress, but you can’t restrict the use of a publicly-funded waterpark to a specific religious group. I’m sure you could rent a private waterpark and limit the people allowed to use it on a specific day, but that wouldn’t be pushing the envelope, which is what I suspect was originally happening  here.

Actions Have Consequences

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The attacks (verbal and physical) on conservative politicians and conservative journalist have been going on for a while. One Representative told people during the first Trump administration that if someone sees a person from that administration they should ‘get in their face.’ That is not good advice.

On Wednesday, The New York Post posted an article about an attack on a conservative journalist in Minnesota.

The article reports:

A Minnesota couple — including a dad who fancied himself “the voice of a generation” — and their daughter were hit with federal charges for allegedly assaulting a Turning Point USA reporter at an anti-ICE protest earlier this month.

Christopher Ostroushko, 51, Deyanna Ostroushko, 46, and daughter Paige Ostroushko, 20, were indicted for the assault of TPUSA reporter Savanah Hernandez outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Fort Snelling, the US Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Horrifying video from the April 11 anti-ICE rally outside the Whipple building captured Christopher Ostroushko suddenly shoving Hernandez, 29, to the ground with both hands, while yelling, “Don’t f–king touch my daughter!”

The enraged dad’s assault came after a female protester was seen punching Hernandez in the face, knocking her clean off her feet and into a fence behind her, and before another woman tackled her to the pavement once again, according to the footage.

Hernandez previously told The Post that she was tasked with filming protest activity — and did so untouched until she was identified by “a mob” of “left-wingers” for her work with the organization co-founded by assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

On Thursday, Hot Air reported:

Deyanna Ostroushko is probably not looking at actual federal prison time, unless she has a previous conviction on her record. However, Christopher and Paige are looking at the potential for serious time inside a Club Fed or worse if convicted of the top charge in the indictment. Their attorney may argue that Hernandez’ injuries are not serious enough to warrant a felony conviction under that statute, but that’s not how the statute is written. They may not get the full ten years, but it sounds like US Attorney David Rosen plans to make the Ostroushkos an example pour encourager les autres and to establish consequences for the “national scourge” that the Ostroushkos represent. 

That’s certainly the message Harmeet Dhillon intends to send, loudly and clearly. She was “on it” from the beginning, and in terms of grand-jury proceedings, practically sprinted across the finish line to file this indictment against the family that preys together to stay together. We need much more of this tough approach to political violence across the board. It will take more than a prison sentence for the Ostroushkos to re-set the incentive structure around the near-riots around federal immigration facilities and attacks on conservative observers to them.

This is unacceptable behavior. Fortunately, it was caught on firm, so the defendants will have a hard time proving their innocence.