Mamdani vetoes first bill in sign of tensions with NYC council
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued his first veto Friday, halting City Council bill Int. 175-B that would have forced the NYPD to publicize plans for handling protests near schools and other educational facilities. It is the latest sign of Mamdani’s growing clash with Council leadership, deepening an early power struggle with Council Speaker Julie Menin over policing, public safety and free speech. “The problem is how widely this bill defines an educational institution and the constitutional concerns it raises regarding New Yorkers’ fundamental right to protest,” Mamdani wrote in a statement. “As the bill is written, everywhere from universities to museums to teaching hospitals could face restrictions.” “This could impact workers protesting ICE, or college students demanding their school divest from fossil fuels or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights,” he continued. ISRAELI COMEDIAN DROPS OUT OF PASSOVER EVENT AFTER LEARNING OF MAMDANI’S ATTENDANCE “Int. 175-B is not a narrow public safety measure; it is a piece of legislation that has alarmed much of the labor movement, reproductive rights groups, and immigration advocates, among others, across this City. Nearly a dozen unions have raised the alarm about its impact on their ability to organize,” the mayor added. Menin is going to work to whip up votes to override Mamdani on the bill, which finished just four votes shy of being veto-proof, passing last month 30-19. “Ensuring students can enter and exit their schools without fear of harassment or intimidation should not be controversial,” Menin wrote in a statement. “This bill simply requires the NYPD to clearly outline how it will ensure safe access when there are threats of obstruction or physical injury, while fully protecting First Amendment rights.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND TRUMP ADMIN DENY MAMDANI FEDERAL SECURITY CLEARANCE The bill, sponsored by Councilman Eric Dinowitz, would have required police to submit a protest-response plan to the mayor and speaker and post it online. It also would have required the police commissioner to provide a public point of contact for any effort to manage demonstrations near educational sites. Dinowitz pushed back on claims that the bill threatened free speech. “Should students be harassed on the way to school? I think the answer is no,” he told The New York Times. MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: ‘YOU WON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL’ Opponents on the left said the measure would expand protest policing and chill protected speech. The fight also exposed one of the biggest political fault lines at City Hall: how to respond to protests tied to Israel and the war in Gaza. The issue gained momentum after a heated protest outside a Manhattan synagogue last fall, where some demonstrators shouted, “Death to the IDF,” and, “Globalize the intifada.” “Sending the message to New Yorkers that we have something to worry about with regard to protest by or near schools, libraries, teaching hospitals is absolutely the wrong message for these times, especially when the Trump regime is coming at protest with a sledgehammer,” New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman told the Times. Jewish groups, including UJA-Federation of New York, blasted the veto, rebuking the “profound failure of City Hall to demonstrate to all New Yorkers that our safety is a priority.” “At a time when Jewish and other communities across our city are facing heightened threats, this legislation represented a crucial step toward ensuring that every school and community institution can be better protected,” the group wrote in a statement. Mamdani and Menin — the city’s first Jewish speaker — had shown signs this week of trying to cool things down, including a Thursday dinner to discuss the pending veto and other issues, the Times reported. Friday’s decision suggested the détente may not last.
Hakeem Jeffries declared ‘maximum warfare’ on Republicans days before Trump assassination attempt
Just days before an apparent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life, one of the Democratic Party’s leaders called for “maximum warfare” against Republicans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made the inflammatory remark while warning Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., against redrawing the state’s congressional map ahead of November’s midterm elections. Jeffries said that if DeSantis attempted to counter Democratic gains in Virginia following the state’s aggressive gerrymander, Democrats would continue to ratchet up pressure on Republicans nationwide. “We are in an era of maximum warfare. Everywhere, all the time,” Jeffries said Wednesday at a news conference. DALLAS MAYOR WARNS RISING POLITICAL VIOLENCE COULD MEAN ICE FACILITY ATTACK ‘WON’T BE THE LAST’ Three days later, a California man allegedly attempted to assassinate the president Saturday evening at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Cole Allen, 31, is accused of storming a Secret Service checkpoint while armed and intending to enter the hotel ballroom to kill Trump and administration officials. The alleged assassin was armed with a shotgun, handgun and several knives and opened fire on federal agents before being subdued. A Secret Service officer wearing a ballistic vest, whom Allen allegedly shot at close range, was released from the hospital Sunday. The gunman allegedly prepared a manifesto before the attack that included anti-Trump and anti-Christian messages, several law enforcement officials told Fox News. He is expected to be arraigned on several federal gun charges Monday. After the shooting, Republicans called on Democratic lawmakers to refrain from using warlike rhetoric to criticize Trump that could incite violence. The GOP made similar pleas in 2024 after two attempts on the president’s life in Butler, Pa., and at his golf club in Doral, Fla. But top Democrats have argued that Republicans, too, have used plenty of inflammatory statements to describe their opponents. “America will not be lectured about civility by far-right extremists in Congress,” Jeffries wrote on social media Sunday, adding that “now is a time to unify.” A White House aide notably used the same “maximum warfare” language toward Democrats during an interview with The New York Times last year. When asked to describe the White House’s midterms strategy, the anonymous staffer said, “Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.” EXPERT WARNS DEMOCRATS RISK BACKLASH OVER FAILURE TO CONDEMN VIOLENT RHETORIC IN THEIR RANKS Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries’ office before publication. Jeffries’ defiant social media post came after he unequivocally denounced political violence during an interview with Fox News Sunday. “It is certainly the case that violence is never the answer, whether it’s targeted at the right, the left or the center,” Jeffries told Fox News’ Shannon Bream. When asked how leaders can combat increasing political violence, Jeffries said elected officials must “set the most appropriate example” in their rhetoric. “Whatever your ideological perspective is, we all love America, and we all want to make sure that this country is the best that it can possibly be,” he added. Some Democrats have issued clear appeals to the left to refrain from using violence to achieve their political aims. “Please stop trying to murder the president,” Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., wrote on social media.
DNC vice chair attacks Democratic Sen. John Fetterman: ‘You’re a mess’
Malcolm Kenyatta, a Democratic National Committee vice chair, slammed Democratic Sen. John Fetterman in a post on X, labeling the senator “a mess.” “Almost every day now my US Senator comes on this site to attack his constituents and many people who worked hard to elect him. Suggesting that they have ‘derangement syndrome’ for opposing this administration. You’re a mess @JohnFetterman,” Malcolm Kenyatta asserted in a post on X. Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office on Monday. FETTERMAN SAYS DEMOCRATS HAVE FORGOTTEN IRAN IS ‘THE REAL ENEMY’ AS WAR POWERS DEADLINE APPROACHES Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state representative, unsuccessfully ran in the 2022 Democratic U.S. Senate primary that Fetterman won. Fetterman attended the Saturday night White House Correspondents Association dinner event where a suspected shooter was apprehended. SEN JOHN FETTERMAN PLEDGES TO BE ‘LAST MAN STANDING’ IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL “We were there front and center. That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government. After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these,” Fetterman declared in a post on X. “TDS” is a term that stands for “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a phrase that is used to describe individuals who vehemently and irrationally oppose the president, no matter the situation. FETTERMAN SAYS DEMOCRATS LACK LEADER, CLAIMS PARTY DRIVEN BY TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME Fetterman has said that TDS drives the Democratic Party, rather than any particular political leader.
DOJ cites White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting in push to drop lawsuit against ballroom
The Justice Department is pressing the leading opposition to President Donald Trump’s $400 million privately funded ballroom project, calling on lawyers for the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) to drop their lawsuit. “[Y]our lawsuit puts the lives of the president, his family, and his staff at grave risk,” Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general in DOJ’s Civil Division, wrote in a Sunday letter to opposing counsel, shared on X by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Enough is enough,” Shumate continued. “Your client should voluntarily dismiss this frivolous lawsuit today in light of last night’s assassination attempt on President Trump.” Shumate vowed that if the NTHP did not move to dismiss by 9 a.m. Monday, he would move to dissolve the injunction against the ballroom’s construction and to dismiss the case. WALZ REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM THAT TRUMP CONSIDERS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM ‘TOP PRIORITY’ “It’s time to build the ballroom,” Blanche agreed, in his X post, echoing Trump’s words during the impromptu White House briefing after dodging his third assassination attempt by a gunman who rushed the White House Correspondents Association Dinner on Saturday night. “The shooter targeted President Trump at the Washington Hilton, the only ballroom in Washington, D.C., suitable to host large gatherings for the President, where another shooter targeted President Reagan 45 years ago,” Shumate noted in his letter to Greg B. Craig of Foley Hoag LLP, pointing to the historical context of former President Ronald Reagan’s near-assassination at the same location. “As history proves, that venue is demonstrably unsafe for the President of the United States because its size presents extraordinary security challenges for the Secret Service. “[Saturday’s] assassination attempt on President Trump proves, yet again, that the White House ballroom is essential for the safety and security of the President, his family, his cabinet, and his staff.” CHECKS AND BALANCES: TRUMP, SUPPORTERS SEEK TO PUSH BACK AGAINST ‘ACTIVIST’ JUDGES “I hope [Saturday’s] narrow miss will help you finally realize that filing a lawsuit that literally serves no purpose except to stop President Trump no matter the cost,” Shumate wrote. The NTHP sued the National Park Service in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom. The group claimed Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the East Wing — built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency and expanded in 1942 — arguing the president needed congressional authorization to do so. WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250 Trump has said the president has historically had say over the White House remodeling, and has long noted that Congress does not have to pay for the privately funded project. A lower court had issued a March 31 injunction to halt ballroom construction, but it also paused that injunction to allow for an appeal. The White House argued the obstruction left the White House “open and exposed,” threatening security for the building, the president and his family and staff. TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING SURVIVORS TURN ATTACK INTO MOTIVATION YEAR LATER: ‘GO OUT THERE AND LIVE LIFE’ “When the White House ballroom is complete, President Trump and his successors will no longer need to venture beyond the safety of the White House perimeter to attend large gatherings at the Washington Hilton ballroom,” Shumate wrote. Forcing the president and Cabinet to attend events outside the White House grounds is too dangerous in this political climate, Trump himself argued Sunday night on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” “I’m building a safe ballroom,” Trump said. “And one of the reasons I’m building it is exactly what happened last night. DHS LOOKS TO DEMOLISH HISTORIC ST. ELIZABETHS BUILDINGS DUE TO ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ RISKS “This is exactly why the military, and this is exactly why Secret Service and all law enforcement want it. “Because you have maybe 1,000 hotel rooms above the ballroom we were in [Saturday] night. And I’m not knocking it. I’m just saying in terms of maximum security – it’s not the best thing. You can do it, but you can have problems like this.” The obstruction by lawsuits is potentially delaying the project, Trump added. “I wish it could be even sooner,” Trump said. “We’re months ahead of schedule, but it doesn’t open till ’28.”
GOP gubernatorial hopeful’s pro-Trump pitch to voters clashes with paper trail inside his own company
FIRST ON FOX: A billionaire gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, who has said there is “no bigger supporter of Trump right now than I am,” is facing questions after a healthcare company within his business empire criticized President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Rick Jackson has spent months trying to cast himself as the race’s most pro-Trump candidate who will be Trump’s “favorite governor” despite Trump’s endorsement of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. However, one of his companies has repeatedly criticized the OBBBA, a landmark GOP legislative package that Trump endorsed and signed into law last year. Jackson Physician Search, a subsidiary of Jackson Healthcare, said on its website in September 2025 that the bill’s “sweeping cuts to Medicaid and ACA programs raise serious concerns about access, equity, and sustainability,” and warned that some hospitals may need to “adapt or close their doors.” In a February 2026 recruitment report, the company also said the law was projected to cause “between 10 and 15 million people” to lose health coverage, while Medicare and Medicaid cuts were creating “significant financial pressure” across healthcare organizations and considerable “fear and uncertainty” about what lies ahead. EXPERT REVEALS HOW COMPANIES ARE REBRANDING ‘TOXIC’ DEI POLICIES TO SKIRT TRUMP-ERA BANS: ‘NEW WRAPPER’ “Rick supports the Big Beautiful Bill. Period,” Mike Schrimpf, a spokesperson for Jackson’s campaign, told Fox News Digital. “Growing up in the projects, Rick believes in the dignity of work and is a strong proponent of work requirements for that reason. He has long opposed Obamacare and regularly touts President Trump’s healthcare policies, like TrumpRx, on the campaign trail. That’s why Rick Jackson will be Donald Trump’s favorite governor.” Schrimpf added that “for months” Democrats have been attacking Jackson for his support of the OBBBA, noting “this attack makes about as much sense as accusing a pilot of hating to fly.” At a campaign event last month in Thomasville, Georgia, Jackson told constituents that he thought there were “many parts” of the OBBBA that were “great,” and said he would be paying “40 percent more in taxes” if it had not passed, and defended work requirements in the bill by saying they motivate people to be productive and get off Medicaid. “The worst thing that we can do is tell people — is get people relying on government where they have no incentive to work,” Jackson told constituents. “It’s the most dehumanizing thing that you can do,” he continued. “God made us to be productive.” VULNERABLE DEM’S SUPPORT FOR ALEX PRETTI COLLIDES WITH LAKEN RILEY ACT ANNIVERSARY Jackson has also drawn himself closer to Trump by praising his tariff policies. “I believe in fairness,” Jackson said in March. “Don’t want somebody to take advantage of us in a business transaction. That’s what he’s trying to do. So I support.” Meanwhile, Jackson, who reportedly modeled his campaign launch after Trump with a celebratory elevator descent, said he can’t name a single White House policy he disagreed with, according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. But, despite these assertions from Jackson on the campaign trail, his remarks stand at stark odds with his physician search firm warning in a February white paper about “considerable fear and uncertainty” for what is to come as the result of the OBBBA. “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is projected to cause between 10 and 15 million people to lose health coverage,” the white paper notes, citing new public healthcare work requirements implemented by the OBBBA. “Medicare and Medicaid cuts are creating significant financial pressure across healthcare organizations,” it continues. The same report, which includes comments from the firm’s senior leadership and other content on the search firm’s website, also slammed H-1B visa provisions in the OBBBA aimed at restoring integrity to the immigration program that has reportedly been rife with fraud, arguing it would be a net negative for the healthcare industry. GOP BILLIONAIRE TRYING TO WOO TRUMP’S SUPPORT IN KEY GEORGIA RACE BANKROLLED HIS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RIVALS The materials and resources also said OBBBA would promote physician burnout, would likely force rural hospitals to shut down, would discourage hopeful physicians from going to school, thus exacerbating the existing doctor shortage, and briefly emphasized the negative impact of Trump’s tariffs on physician recruitment. “My team works with clients throughout the Midwest who are facing department closures if they can’t hire a physician or advanced practice provider. For proof, just look at the number of labor and delivery departments forced to close in the past few years,” said Senior Vice President of Recruiting at Jackson Physician Search, Tara Osseck. “Now, recent policy changes — including provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and increased fees affecting international visas — are adding new layers of complexity to an already challenging physician recruitment environment.” “The implications are significant,” Osseck adds. “Coverage losses can lead to increases in uncompensated care, placing additional strain on already thin operating margins. When financial pressure mounts, healthcare organizations may delay service expansions, reduce hiring plans, or freeze recruitment altogether.” The OBBBA, a wide-ranging bill, included reforms to the federal student loan program aimed at making education more affordable. However, Regional Vice President of Recruiting at Jackson Physician Search, Tonya Hamlin, warned the reforms will actually make it harder for hopeful physicians to get to college. TRUMP ALLY CLAY FULLER ADVANCES IN GEORGIA FIGHT FOR MTG’S FORMER SEAT “These reforms could force students to absorb the difference through private loans or personal resources,” Hamlin wrote in a blog post on the search firm’s website. “They could also cause lower-income students to reconsider attendance altogether.” Hamlin went on to warn that with fewer people able to go to medical school, the shortage of physicians will only get worse for hospitals and clinics. “Despite these additional hurdles, clinicians and trainees must not be deterred,” Hamlin encouraged. “Stay focused on the higher purpose of your calling while staying informed, planning ahead financially, and engaging in ongoing advocacy.” The Republican primary race for Georgia governor has been a messy
Oil prices rise amid stalled US-Iran peace talks
Brent crude rises more than 2 percent after Washington and Tehran fail to hold second round of talks in Pakistan. Published On 27 Apr 202627 Apr 2026 Oil prices have climbed higher amid stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran. Brent crude rose more than 2 percent on Sunday after hopes for a second round of ceasefire negotiations between Washington and Tehran unravelled over the weekend. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list After easing slightly, Brent, the primary benchmark for global prices, stood at $106.99 as of 1:30 GMT. Stock markets in Asia shrugged off the impasse to open higher on Monday, with Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s KOSPI gaining 0.9 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, in morning trading. US President Donald Trump on Saturday cancelled a planned trip to Pakistan by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, after Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi departed Islamabad before any direct engagement could take place between the sides. Araghchi arrived in Russia’s Saint Petersburg on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials as Tehran seeks a way out of the diplomatic impasse. Araghchi’s trip, which follows a whistle-stop visit to Oman on Sunday, comes as uncertainty hangs over the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. Trump announced an extension to their two-week truce last week, without specifying a deadline for reaching a deal to end the war. As US and Iranian negotiators struggle to break the deadlock, Tehran’s threats against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have reduced traffic to a trickle, paralysing a large portion of the world’s supply of oil and natural gas. Advertisement On Saturday, 19 commercial vessels transited the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies, according to maritime intelligence platform Windward. Before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, the waterway saw an average of 129 daily transits, according to the United Nations Trade and Development. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran war live: Araghchi to meet Putin; Trump says Tehran can call for talks
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Iran’s foreign minister heads to Russia as Trump says Iranian leaders can call on the phone if they want to talk. Published On 27 Apr 202627 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Satellite images show scale of Israeli destruction of south Lebanon towns
NewsFeed Satellite images taken on April 16 reveal the massive scale of damage to the towns of al-Qozah and Beit Lif in south Lebanon, following the Israeli military’s ground invasion and sustained attacks on the south. Published On 27 Apr 202627 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Ganga Expressway to have two main tolls, charges at 19 entry-exit points, check details
Under the project terms, the concessionaire will handle toll collection for 30 years through the designated plazas and entry-exit locations.
Heatwave Alert: IMD warns of severe heat wave conditions across north, central India; Maximum temperature touches 46.9°C in Akola
India Meteorological Department forecasted heat wave to severe heat wave conditions in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh on April 26 and heat wave conditions on April 27.