Mamdani taps ex-con to lead NYC jails as Rikers remains under federal oversight
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday appointed an ex-con-turned prison reformer as commissioner of the Department of Correction as his administration pushes a rehabilitation-focused overhaul of corrections. Stanley Richards, who did time in the 1980s for robbery, will be the first former inmate to serve as corrections commissioner. “Stanley will make history in this role as the first ever formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner,” Mamdani said. “I will turn to Stanley as we work to build a city where justice is at the heart of our corrections system,” the mayor added. Richards was convicted of robbery in the late 1980s and served roughly two and a half years on Rikers Island before spending an additional four and a half years in state prison, according to reporting from Gothamist and NY1. He was released in 1991. MAMDANI APPOINTS CONVICTED ARMED ROBBER TO PUBLIC SAFETY TRANSITION TEAM In his first remarks as commissioner, Richards aligned himself closely with Mamdani’s vision and rejected what he described as a punishment-centered approach to incarceration. “Today we turn the page and we start a new era under Mayor Mamdani,” Richards said. MAMDANI SIGNALS DISBANDING NYPD PROTEST UNIT, CALLS FOR HIGHER TAXES ON TOP 1% AMID BUDGET RECKONING Richards also pointed to his experience within the correctional system, including serving as first deputy commissioner of programs and operations at the Department of Correction and as vice chair of the Board of Correction’s Task Force to Close Rikers. The appointment comes as New York City’s jail system remains under heightened federal scrutiny. Earlier this week, a federal judge appointed an outside remediation manager to oversee reforms at Rikers Island after years of violence, staff shortages and federal court findings that city leadership failed to fix conditions inside the jails. Rikers was originally set to be demolished by August 2027 by former Mayor Bill de Blasio. Asked whether he had spoken with the remediation manager, Mamdani said his administration had already been in contact and emphasized cooperation. “My administration has, and we look forward to working with the remediation manager on improving conditions in our city’s jails, both for those in custody and for correction officers,” Mamdani said. The appointment has drawn caution from the union representing correction officers, which warned that safety must come before political ideology. In a statement, Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio said the jails “cannot and will not operate as safely as possible if the concerns of our members are brushed aside,” adding that Richards must demonstrate a commitment to “putting safety and security before any political ideology.” Whether Richards’ reform-focused background will translate into improved safety and order inside New York City’s jails remains an open question as he prepares to take over the troubled system. Mamdani’s office confirmed with Fox News Digital that Richards’ first day in office will be Feb. 16.
House Democrats mutiny Schumer’s deal with White House, threatening longer shutdown
House Democrats are poised to rebel against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s spending deal with the White House, Fox News Digital is told, an act that could prolong the ongoing partial government shutdown. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made clear to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that the plan by Republicans to fast-track the legislation on Monday evening would fail, four House GOP sources told Fox News Digital. That means Johnson will need to lean heavily on his razor-thin House GOP majority to pass the bill through multiple procedural hurdles before it can see a final vote, likely Tuesday at the earliest. The federal government has been in a partial shutdown since the wee hours of Saturday morning after Congress failed to find a compromise on the yearly budget by the end of Jan. 30. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES SKEPTICAL AS SENATE DEAL SACRIFICING DHS SPENDING REACHED: ‘NON-STARTER’ Some areas of the government have already been funded, but spending for the departments of War, Transportation (DOT), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among others, is now in question. House Democrats do not feel bound by the deal their counterparts in the Senate struck with President Donald Trump’s White House, the sources told Fox News Digital. The sources said House Democrats are also frustrated that Schumer put them in a position where they were expected to take the deal on. TRUMP, SCHUMER REACH GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEAL, SACRIFICE DHS SPENDING BILL IN THE PROCESS “Democrat division creates another government shutdown,” one House Republican told Fox News Digital. But it could be difficult for House GOP leaders to corral all the votes needed as well. Multiple Republicans have already expressed concerns about the compromise requiring them to negotiate with Democrats on reining in Trump’s immigration crackdown, while others like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., are pushing their own priorities to be included in exchange for their support. Luna told Fox News Digital that she would not support the legislation if it did not include an unrelated measure that would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, a separate but widely-accepted GOP bill. HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DRAWS LINE ON DHS, ICE FUNDING AS MINNEAPOLIS UNREST FUELS SHUTDOWN RISK Johnson told House Republicans in a lawmakers-only call on Friday that he hoped to pass the legislation under “suspension of the rules,” which would fast-track the bills in exchange for raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority of the chamber to two-thirds. But now the House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most chamber-wide votes, will be considering the legislation on Monday afternoon. Then it must survive a House-wide “rule vote,” a procedural test vote that normally falls on party lines, before voting on final passage. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., signaled to Fox News Live anchor Aishah Hasnie earlier on Saturday that he expected Jeffries to go rogue on Schumer. “We can’t trust the minority leader to be able to get his members to do the right thing. That’s the issue,” Emmer told Hasnie. The deal that passed the Senate on Friday combined five spending bills that already passed the House, while leaving off a bipartisan plan to fund DHS. REPUBLICANS, DEMS BREAK THROUGH RESISTANCE, MOVE FORWARD WITH TRUMP-BACKED FUNDING PACKAGE Instead, it would fund DHS at current levels for two weeks while Democrats and Republicans could negotiate a longer-term bill that would also rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Democrats demanded that in the wake of federal law enforcement-involved killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during anti-ICE demonstrations there. But Jeffries made no promises on the deal after it passed the Senate Friday, saying in a public statement, “The House Democratic Caucus will evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively.” A failure to move forward with the plan quickly risks the limitation or pausing of paychecks for military service members, airport workers, as well as putting funding for natural disaster management and federal healthcare services into question. Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries, Schumer, and Johnson’s offices for further comment but did not immediately hear back.
Noem touts TSA success after thousands with terror links barred from flights at major US airport
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday touted sweeping Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations at Miami International Airport, saying the efforts have played a critical role in protecting U.S. transportation networks. Speaking at a news conference at the airport, Noem said TSA officers prevented more than 10,000 people with suspected ties to narcoterrorism from traveling over the past year. She added that an additional 85,000 people linked to terrorism or listed on the U.S. terrorism watch list were also stopped from boarding flights. “What has happened here at this airport is that over the last year they have prevented over 10,000 individuals from traveling that had ties to narcoterrorism, 85,000 individuals that had similar ties to terrorists and to terrorists on the watch list in the United States,” Noem said. Noem also highlighted Miami International Airport’s human trafficking unit, which conducted more than 2,200 inspections in the past year. Those efforts resulted in 24 arrests related to child exploitation. DHS SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM ADDRESSES CALLS FOR HER FIRING, NEW ALEX PRETTI VIDEO The unit also confiscated 85 firearms from travelers — 82 of them loaded at the time of discovery, according to Noem. “It’s incredible the work that they have done to keep people safe, which is the mission that the Department of Homeland Security seeks to do every single day,” Noem said. One of the busiest airports in the world, Miami International employs more than 1,700 TSA officers and serves an average of 70,000 passengers per day. Officials recently screened nearly 100,000 travelers in a single day, setting a new record on Jan. 4. More than 25 million passengers traveled through the airport in 2025, Noem said. As travel continues to surge, Noem pointed to a $9 billion airport modernization project aimed at strengthening security. TSA is contributing $100 million to the effort, alongside DHS’s previously announced $1 billion nationwide investment in upgraded security technology. Planned upgrades include expanded canine units, advanced computed tomography scanners, and enhanced imaging systems. BEHIND THE SCENES: TRUMP AND WHITE HOUSE RALLY BEHIND NOEM AS ‘RADICALS’ DEMAND OUSTER Noem said the investments are especially critical as the U.S. prepares to host major global events, including the upcoming FIFA World Cup. “That billion dollars will make sure that we continue to keep America safe,” Noem said. During the event, Noem was also asked about the possible release of body camera footage related to Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and licensed concealed-carry holder who was killed this month during an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. “The FBI is leading the investigation, and as it goes forward, that will be at their discretion,” she said. REP JEFFRIES ESCALATES RHETORIC AGAINST NOEM, SAYS DHS LEADER SHOULD BE ‘PUT ON ICE PERMANENTLY’ Addressing the upcoming expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, Noem said the program was never intended to be permanent and accused the Biden administration of abusing it. “Any individual who is from a country where TPS is expiring has an opportunity to appeal that and to look at other programs that they may qualify for, and they have a number of months to do that,” Noem said. “They should reach out to the State Department, they should reach out to the Department of Homeland Security, and we will help them with that.” DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Federal judge orders Trump admin to release 5-year-old, his dad from immigration detention within 3 days
A federal judge on Saturday gave the Trump administration three days to release a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father from immigration detention in Texas after an emergency request. Videos of Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, being taken into custody along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis earlier this month sparked outrage. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, a Clinton nominee, wrote in his ruling that “the case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children,” according to the order obtained by Fox News Digital. He invoked the Declaration of Independence in the ruling, saying, “Thirty-three-year-old Thomas Jefferson enumerated grievances against a would-be authoritarian king over our nascent nation. Among others were: 1. ‘He has sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People.’” MEDIA RUNS WILD WITH ‘EGREGIOUS LIE’ TARGETED 5-YEAR-OLD IN MINNESOTA, DHS SAYS CHILD WAS ABANDONED He also cited the “pesky inconvenience called the Fourth Amendment” that protects people from “unreasonable searches and seizures.” “Civics lesson to the government: Administrative warrants issued by the executive branch to itself do not pass probable cause muster,” he wrote. “That is called the fox guarding the henhouse. The Constitution requires an independent judicial officer. “Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned.” Biery said Ramos and his father could be deported but added “that result should occur through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place.” FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS MINNESOTA REQUEST TO BLOCK ICE-LED OPERATION METRO SURGE He previously ordered a temporary block on their deportation. While neighbors have claimed that the government used Ramos as “bait,” asking him to knock on the door to his house, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called that an “abject lie,” saying his father abandoned him in a running vehicle in their driveway. “The facts in this case have not changed. ICE did not target or arrest a child,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an illegal alien from Ecuador who was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration. As agents approached, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled on foot — abandoning his child.” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., has accused ICE this week of “needlessly” detaining Ramos in Texas. “They shipped him 1,300 miles to suffer, without his mother, in a squalid Texas detention center. And now he’s growing ill. Democrats are fighting to end this cruelty,” she wrote. “Liam is not a criminal. Let him go.” McLaughlin also posted a statement from Dr. Sean Conley, acting director of DHS’ Office of Health Security and chief medical officer, in which he addressed the child’s condition. Conley said that a pediatrician examined Ramos and “found no medical concerns.” “It is standard policy to provide medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility and access to necessary medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare many of these individuals have received in their entire lives,” he said. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Peter Pinedo, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hundreds rally outside Iranian UN ambassador’s Fifth Avenue residence calling for regime change
Shouts of “Trump act now!” filled the sunny Saturday afternoon on New York’s Fifth Avenue as hundreds of anti-Iranian regime protesters denounced the theocratic regime in Tehran and called for the U.S. to take action against Iran. “We want freedom for the Iranian people,” said protester Sarah Shahi. “We want this theocracy that has been taking people’s rights away to be taken out with whatever means necessary. We need help when so many people have been killed.” TED CRUZ URGES US TO ARM IRANIAN PROTESTERS AS MILITIAS THREATEN ‘TOTAL WAR’ AGAINST AMERICA The protesters gathered across the street from the residence of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations and called for the regime in Tehran to be toppled. The ornate 19th century limestone townhouse was originally purchased by the Iranian government under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran who ruled from 1941 until 1979. It has been the official home of the country’s U.N. representative ever since. Protests have been rare at the location, but, at some point overnight, someone spray-painted the words “terrorists” and “killers” on the front facade. TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES ‘RARE OPPORTUNITY’ FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS The building’s location is one of the most exclusive on the Upper East Side, diagonally across the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and less than a block away from the former residence of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. One protester’s sign showed a photograph of current Iranian U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani with the words “A terrorist lives here.” “For the people of the Islamic republic to be residing here is just so unjust,” said Shahi. “But it is the closest thing we have to an embassy” as a protest location. EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE REVEALS 6-STEP PLAN TO EXERT PRESSURE ON TEHRAN’S REGIME Since Iran does not have diplomatic relations with the United States, the building is the only Iranian government-owned property in the country. President Trump has ordered U.S. warships to within striking distance of Iran as he considers potential attacks against the regime’s nuclear program, oil and military targets. The buildup is in response to Iran’s continued support of terrorism and its brutal mass killings of protesters, with estimates saying as many as 30,000 people have been killed for participating in anti-regime street demonstrations. The protesters in Manhattan are supporters of the late shah’s son, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has been speaking out for weeks against the regime as its barbaric crackdown continued. Pahlavi has been in exile for 47 years since his father fled and the Iranian revolution ushered in the hardline religious Anti-American regime of the Mullahs. The chants from the protesters were no less impassioned than those of their brethren who have flooded the streets of Iranian cities. Signs demanded “End the regime in Iran,” and “Brave Iranians are fighting on the ground. The U.S. and Israel must act against a common enemy now.” Other signs proclaimed, “No to the Islamic Republic regime,” and “Make Iran Great Again.” The protesters say they are waiting for President Trump to take military action against the regime so that the nation can finally taste freedom.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson puts ICE ‘on notice’ with executive order seeking prosecution of agents
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Saturday laying the groundwork for the city to investigate and seek prosecution of federal immigration agents who allegedly break the law in the Windy City. The order, “ICE On Notice,” directs members of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to document alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents and refer evidence of felony violations to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution. “Nobody is above the law. There is no such thing as ‘absolute immunity’ in America,” Johnson, a Democrat, said in a statement. “The lawlessness of Trump’s militarized immigration agents puts the lives and well-being of every Chicagoan in immediate danger. With today’s order, we are putting ICE on notice in our city. Chicago will not sit idly by while Trump floods federal agents into our communities and terrorizes our residents.” SEATTLE MAYOR PUSHES LOCAL POLICE TO TRACK, INVESTIGATE ICE AGENTS’ ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES Johnson said the order makes Chicago the first city in the nation to pursue legal accountability for alleged misconduct by federal immigration agents. He accused federal immigration agents of violating constitutionally protected rights, destabilizing communities and provoking life-threatening confrontations while “remaining insulated” from local or civilian oversight. The mayor said the order establishes clear procedures for CPD officers to follow if they witness or receive reports of federal agents engaged in illegal activity. NEA INSIDER BLOWS WHISTLE ON ‘TOXIC’ CULTURE AND FAR-LEFT POLITICS INSIDE TEACHERS UNION: ‘IT’S A CULT’ Under the order, CPD officers who observe or receive reports of apparent violations by federal agents are instructed to document federal enforcement activity, preserve any body camera footage and attempt to identify and verify the name and badge number of the federal supervisory officer on scene. The order also instructs police to complete an incident report consistent with department policy and summon emergency medical services and render aid to any injured person. The order comes amid reports the federal government is planning another immigration surge in Chicago and the surrounding area later this spring, Johnson said. Johnson’s order follows several high-profile confrontations between federal agents and suspects in the Chicago area, including the case of Silverio Villegas González, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in September 2025 in suburban Franklin Park after authorities said he resisted arrest, attempted to flee during a traffic stop and dragged an ICE officer with his vehicle. In another local incident, Marimar Martinez was shot multiple times by a federal Border Patrol agent after authorities said agents returned defensive fire after an alleged vehicle collision. Johnson also referenced the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during separate enforcement operations.
Trump vows not to help blue cities with riots, instructs ICE and Border Patrol to protect federal property
President Donald Trump on Saturday announced the government will not assist blue cities with ongoing anti-immigration enforcement riots unless help is requested, adding he has instructed ICE and Border Patrol to be “very forceful” in the protection of federal property. “I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. He clarified the federal government will, however, “guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists.” DEMS BLASTED FOR TRYING TO ‘DEPORT’ ICE FROM SWING COUNTY, REFERENCING ‘BLOOD MONEY’ RENT “Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property,” the president wrote. “There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.” It is unclear if the phrase “equal, or more, consequence” refers to criminal charges. Trump said the statement serves as notice to local governments that they must protect their own state and local property and are obligated to protect federal property, including buildings and parks. BLOCKING ICE COOPERATION FUELED MINNESOTA UNREST, OFFICIALS WARN AS VIRGINIA REVERSES COURSE “Last night in Eugene, Oregon, these criminals broke into a Federal Building, and did great damage, also scaring and harassing the hardworking employees,” he continued. “Local Police did nothing in order to stop it. We will not let that happen anymore! “If Local Governments are unable to handle the Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Anarchists, we will immediately go to the location where such help is requested, and take care of the situation very easily and methodically, just as we did the Los Angeles Riots one year ago, where the Police Chief said that, ‘We couldn’t have done it without the help of the Federal Government.’” The president added “complaining” local governments, governors and mayors should use the word “PLEASE” if they decide to request federal assistance. “Remember that I stated, in the strongest of language, to BEWARE—ICE, Border Patrol or, if necessary, our Military, will be extremely powerful and tough in the protection of our Federal Property,” he wrote. “We will not allow our Courthouses, Federal Buildings, or anything else under our protection, to be damaged in any way, shape, or form. I was elected on a Policy of Border Control (which has now been perfected!), National Security, and LAW AND ORDER—That’s what America wants, and that’s what America is getting!” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
From free India’s first budget to IT Reforms: How they marked country’s economic turning points
India’s budget has seen various phases of economic changes since it was first drafted by the independent government in 1947. Its evolution from a simple record of income and spending into a powerful tool for reform, crisis response, and institutional transformation has shaped India’s growth.
Union Budget 2026: FM Nirmala Sitharaman breaks with 75-year-old tradition, what’s changing?
In her first Union Budget in 2019, Sitharaman had replaced the leather briefcase — which had been in use for decades for carrying Budget documents — with a more traditional ‘bahi-khata’ wrapped in a red cloth.
‘Trashy ruminations’: India issues statement after PM Modi mentioned in latest Epstein files
The government statement came after Congress leader Pawan Khera said in a social media post that it was a “national shame” that Epstein had written about the Indian PM in an email. In his post, the opposition leader had also sought a clarification from the government.