Mamdani’s wife co-hosts luxe Muslim retreat casting Virgin Mary as ‘Palestinian woman’ under occupation
The wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Rama Duwaji, is reportedly co-hosting an Islamic Women’s “spiritual wellness” retreat on the swank French island of Corsica that frames the Virgin Mary as a “Palestinian woman” under occupation. “She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur’an — mentioned 34 times — and the only one to have an entire chapter revealed in her name,” reads The Women Sanctuary website, referring to Mary. “Surah Maryam. Her story is not only one of divine motherhood, but of unwavering faith, sacred retreat, and total devotion to Allah.” The Virgin Mary is the most revered woman in Christianity, venerated as the Mother of Jesus, and is also revered in Islam as Maryam. Mamdani drew national attention for running as a Democratic socialist in New York City, while also facing backlash over his pro-Palestinian positions and far-left immigration views. When he took office in January 2026, Mamdani became the first New York City mayor to be sworn in on a Quran. His wife, a Syrian American artist, has also faced scrutiny over her outspoken pro-Palestinian activism. ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S WIFE SKIPS AMERICA 250 FOR ISLAMIC ‘SPIRITUAL WELLNESS’ RETREAT IN SPAIN The New York Post reported that Duwaji previously traveled to Mallorca, Spain, for The Women’s Sanctuary’s sold-out “Plants of the Quran” retreat over the Fourth of July holiday, where she was described as the group’s “artist in residence” and one of the gathering’s hosts. “Nothing says ‘America 250’ quite like skipping the celebration for a Mediterranean vacation, but I am not surprised because she has made her hatred for America very evident,” Councilwoman Joann Ariola, R-Queens, told The Post in response to that event. The Women Sanctuary describes itself as a women’s retreat organization rooted in Islamic tradition and spiritual renewal, offering retreats in Mediterranean destinations. The Women’s Sanctuary website does not explicitly list Duwaji as a co-host for the current event in France. The New York Post reported she would co-host the “Mary In The Quran” retreat from Thursday to July 14 in a sold-out event. The cost of the retreat starts at just over $4,000 per attendee, according to its website. The New York Post first reported Duwaji’s participation in the pair of retreats when she was seen at Newark International Airport in New Jersey boarding a flight to Mallorca’s capital city over the patriotic holiday weekend. Photos of Duwaji at the airport were posted by conservative commentator and comedian Arynne Wexler. The retreat in France includes daily organic meals made with locally sourced ingredients, communal prayers, devotional practices, lectures, and workshops centered on spiritual renewal and mindful reflection. Participants also receive and have free time to pray, meditate, journal, relax by the pool, or explore the island, blending “guided learning” with “personal reflection,” according to the website. MAMDANI’S WIFE ‘TRULY SORRY’ FOR CONTROVERSIAL ANTI-ISRAEL SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS Duwaji publicly apologized in April for offensive posts she made as a teenager, saying she was “truly sorry” for the hurt they caused, though she did not specify which posts she was addressing. The Washington Free Beacon previously reported that Duwaji had shared anti-Israel posts on Tumblr, including a September 2017 post featuring a photo of Palestinian militant Leila Khaled. MAMDANI BLASTS ICE AGENTS, ELON MUSK AND ‘SUPREMACY’ IN AMERICA 250 SPEECH AHEAD OF JULY 4 WEEKEND Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Mamdani’s office and The Women Sanctuary for comment.
Trump says he’s Iran’s ‘No. 1’ target as renewed conflict raises assassination fears
One thing was clear from President Donald Trump’s appearance at the NATO summit in recent days: He believes Iran wants him dead. “I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” the president told reporters Wednesday. “I like being number one on TikTok better.” Trump returned to the subject repeatedly throughout the summit — with a level of candidness that might seem unusual for any other president. A new report suggests U.S. officials may have had fresh intelligence to support concerns about the threat: The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Israel recently shared intelligence with the United States indicating Iran had developed a new plan to assassinate Trump. The report also adds new context to questions surrounding Trump’s decision to switch from the interim Air Force One to one of the legacy VC-25A aircraft during his return from the NATO summit. The White House has not said whether the reported intelligence played any role in that decision. TRUMP EXPLAINS WHY HE’S FLYING OLD AIR FORCE ONE BACK TO DC Trump flew to the summit in Turkey, which borders Iran, aboard the new Air Force One, a retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, but switched to one of the older Boeing VC-25A aircraft that have served as Air Force One for more than three decades for the first leg of his trip home, from Ankara to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. From the U.K. to the U.S., Trump switched back to the newer jet. Bill Gage, a former Secret Service special agent who traveled on dozens of presidential and vice presidential foreign trips, told Fox News Digital he had “never seen a plane switch up” in the middle of an overseas visit. Trump said the newer aircraft was instead flown ahead of him to Royal Air Force Mildenhall, U.K., so U.S. troops could tour it. “It could be that simple,” Gage said. “I just have never seen that in all my years.” The president surmised in a press briefing Wednesday that Iran may want revenge for the U.S. killing its leadership. TRUMP SAYS IRAN CEASEFIRE IS ‘OVER’ AFTER IRANIAN ATTACKS TRIGGER MASSIVE US RESPONSE “They had leaders, they’re gone, and they had another set of leaders, they’re gone,” Trump said. “Now they have another set of leaders, they may be gone. Who knows? And you know what, I may be gone too, because I’m their number one target.” The president was asked why twice he had alluded to Iran attempting to assassinate him. “I speak about it a lot because the life of a president is very dangerous,” he said. “I don’t really care, because I’m doing my job, and I’m doing it, I hope better than anybody’s ever done it, because we have a country that’s hot and really, really successful … I like being No. 1 on TikTok better. But I’m No. 1 on the list for killing.” The Iranian government did not return a request for comment on Trump’s assertion. During Thursday’s funeral procession for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, Iran, mourners carried banners reading “Hey Trump, we will kill you” and “We will kill Trump” while chanting revenge slogans against the U.S. president. The mourners were not publicly linked to Iranian leadership. But, “banners like that can only be put together and carried with the permission of the Iranian government,” Tom Warrick, a former Department of Homeland Security deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Fox News Digital. Warrick said it would make sense for Iran to try to kill Trump after the U.S. killed Khamenei. “The starting point is understanding Iran’s peculiar sense of symmetry. Anything that’s done to them, they try to do back at somebody,” Warrick told Fox News Digital. “Many of us expected there would be an Iranian attempt to kill President Trump, and they’re likely to persist in this.” The summit aircraft change quickly fueled questions about whether the interim Air Force One had received the full suite of defensive upgrades carried by the legacy presidential aircraft. Images of the jet and Air Force statements indicate that several complex modifications, including some missile detection and countermeasure systems, were intentionally left off the accelerated retrofitting. Two aging Boeing VC-25A aircraft have served as Air Force One since 1990, while Boeing builds two new VC-25B aircraft to serve as Air Force One that originally were supposed to be completed in 2024. Now, that timeline has slipped to 2028 or 2029. The U.S. spent $400 million upgrading the Qatari-donated jet to serve as Air Force One in the meantime. The U.S. Air Force, which operates the presidential aircraft fleet, had previously said it prioritized certain modifications in order to bring the Qatari-donated Boeing 747 — known as the “Bridge” aircraft — into service on an accelerated timeline. The Air Force said the rapid conversion was completed “without accepting any risk regarding security, safety, or secure communications,” but acknowledged that “several highly complex engineering modifications required for the final (Air Force One aircraft) were intentionally excluded from the Bridge aircraft.” The Secret Service had recommended Trump use the older plane as a security precaution as hostilities fired up once again with Iran, The New York Times reported. The White House declined to say whether the administration believes the threat to the president has changed following the latest escalation with Iran or whether the aircraft change was related to security concerns, but said the new Air Force One is secure. “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” Steven Cheung, White House director of communications, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.” The FBI declined to comment on whether the Iranian threat level had
Marine vet Victor Marx narrowly notches victory in Colorado GOP gubernatorial primary
Marine veteran Victor Marx defeated Colorado state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and state Rep. Scott Bottoms in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary. Marx edged out Kirkmeyer, who was the close runner-up in the June 30 contest, which The Associated Press finally called on Thursday. Bottoms came in a distant third place. “THANK YOU, COLORADO. Because of you, your time, your door knocking, your phone calls, and your belief in something bigger than politics, we just won the Republican nomination for Governor,” he declared in a part of a Thursday post on X. HUMANITARIAN HELPING TRAUMATIZED CHILDREN WAS WARNED TOO DANGEROUS TO VISIT GAZA: ‘ABSOLUTELY BACKWARDS’ Marx indicates on his campaign site that “as the founder of All Things Possible Ministries, I’ve led more than 150 high-stakes missions across some of the world’s most dangerous regions — delivering trauma relief, medical aid, and hope to victims of terrorism, trafficking, and violence.” Marx alleged in his memoir that when he was 7 years old, his stepfather placed his hand around his own and made him shoot and kill someone, The Denver Post reported. “While we came up short in what appears to be the closest Republican gubernatorial primary in Colorado history, I’m grateful for every voter who placed their trust in us,” Kirkmeyer said in part of a statement on Thursday. “I’m still proud of the campaign we ran… and, for the record, I still haven’t killed anyone.” DEM COLORADO GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE BALKS AT SOCIALIST MELAT KIROS’ RESPONSE TO BOMBING OF PRO-ISRAEL RALLY Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is the Democratic gubernatorial candidate. “From the little we know about Victor Marx, his views and style are far out of step with Coloradans, and his nomination for governor is a threat to our state’s values and our future,” Weiser said in part of a Thursday statement. ANTI-TRUMP SENATOR DEFEATED BY FAR-LEFT RIVAL AFTER HEATED GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY The state has not elected a Republican in a gubernatorial race since 2002.
Marco Rubio steps in after Tim Walz pardoned illegal alien child rapist before deportation
EXCLUSIVE: An illegal alien child rapist from Laos who was set for deportation until Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the State Board of Pardons granted him clemency has been removed from the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Digital. Rubio stepped in to terminate Tue Lue Vang’s legal status in the U.S. and ensure that Walz’s actions would not create roadblocks for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removing him from the country. “Just weeks ago, a foreign child rapist was freed to once again endanger America’s children after receiving a pardon from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz,” Rubio said. “Tue Lue Vang admitted to committing heinous crimes against a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota. He attempted to pay his victim for her silence and dismissed his acts of child abuse as a ‘minor thing.’” “Just days before he was scheduled to be deported, the Minnesota Governor pardoned him, setting him free to endanger American families once again,” Rubio lamented. Vang was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He repeatedly raped the girl between 2002 and 2004, and told authorities after he was arrested that “it is a cultural thing… to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12.” Rubio told Fox News Digital, “Americans should never have to live in fear that foreign sex predators — shielded from deportation by their own elected officials — could endanger them or their children.” “That’s why I terminated his legal status in the United States,” he continued. “Vang has now been removed from our country and will never pose a threat to any American ever again.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SOCCER COACH WHO USED ALCOHOL AND DRUGS TO SEXUALLY ABUSE KIDS LEARNS FATE Minnesota’s Board of Pardons is composed of Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, who let Vang off the hook on June 10. The nine-member Minnesota Clemency Review Commission (CRC) recommended the pardon to the board. WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES “Being granted a pardon is a notable achievement and a reflection of the work you have done since your conviction,” a CRC member said in a letter to Vang informing him of his clemency. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) feared at the time that the move to pardon Vang would shield the criminal illegal alien from deportation. “Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said at the time. “These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting.” WALZ A NO-SHOW AT KEY FRAUD HEARING DESPITE BEING IN THE BUILDING ON OTHER BUSINESS: GOP LEADER In May, Walz and his board pardoned another Laotian criminal illegal alien — a convicted armed robber — before he could be deported. Walz said at the time that Vang had become a “critical member of the community” since his release from prison, and falsely referred to him as a “citizen” of the United States. “I can find no reason how Minnesota will be safer or better if Mr. Vang is deported to a country he has not been to since he was a child,” Walz said of the convicted child rapist. “I do not see how it would serve his family, nor the economic interest where we have a taxpaying citizen who is creating job growth and living a life free from any criminal activity.
Upside-down American flag at Minnesota Somali celebration sparks community chaos: ‘Unfathomable’
FIRST ON FOX: More details are emerging after an American flag was displayed upside down at a Somali Independence Day event in Minnesota, sparking both outrage and apologies in a situation that has gone viral on social media in recent days. The St. Cloud Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that on July 3 at 5:29 p.m., the department received a call that the U.S. flag was being flown upside down on a city flagpole at the Lake George Park Pavilion during a Somali Independence Day event. A video from that event, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, showed the flag upside down as event attendees, roughly 500 people at peak times, enjoyed the festivities. The department said the officer “corrected the flag without objection” and that organizers “indicated to City staff that the flag being flown upside down was not intentional.” Despite the claim that the flag was flown upside down by accident, some in the community are skeptical that the error was not noticed by anyone at the event, including the local politicians who were giving speeches and various organizations like the AFL-CIO and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), who had booths set up. WATCH: OMAR-BACKED MAYOR MOCKS OUTRAGE OVER SOMALIA JULY 4TH TRIP WITH SARCASTIC ‘APOLOGY’ “I was disgusted by it and then disgusted that it wasn’t seen, wasn’t caught,” St. Cloud City Councilman Scott Brodeen told Fox News Digital, shortly after bringing up the issue in a City Council meeting on Monday. Brodeen says a Facebook friend messaged him on the evening of July 3, and by the time the councilman got down to the event, the flag had been fixed. He said a St. Cloud police officer told him the department had received complaints and that police made sure the flag was returned to its proper position. FORMER VIKINGS CAPTAIN REACTS TO FBI RAIDS ON ALLEGED SOMALI FRAUDSTERS IN MINNESOTA The flag was upside down long enough for the situation to gain significant traction on social media, including a post on the Facebook account Rocks & Cows of Minnesota, named after an infamous comment from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, where he referred to rural Minnesota as “mostly rocks and cows.” Some users on social media expressed outrage directed toward the sponsors of the event, including U.S. Bank, Alpha News reported. Fox News Digital reached out to U.S. Bank for comment. “If it was accidental, how could it not have been caught by organizers or politicians that were down there campaigning?” Brodeen asked. “It really bothered me, especially with the people campaigning on the weekend of our nation’s birthday, a big milestone, 250th, that they would remain silent, not to take a stand for our flag really what the flag represents too is, that’s the key here that is really bothersome.” Sauk Rapids, Minn., resident Kathy Neumeister, whose husband is a 36-year military veteran, told Fox News Digital she rushed down to the event as soon as she saw videos circulating online and was outraged when she saw the flag upside down for herself the day before the nation’s 250th anniversary. “There were like 500 Somalians, they were celebrating, most of them kids in the splash pad, and then there’s the upside-down flag, and I’m like, you can’t make this up,” Neumeister told Fox News Digital. Neumeister said she approached various attendees at the event and was told that no one realized the flag was upside down. Additionally, she explained that when she called the mayor’s office, a spokesperson told her that it’s possible a city staffer “made a mistake.” “I said, I’m sorry, who do you have on your staff that doesn’t know how an American flag is supposed to fly?” Neumeister said. “I really don’t buy that.” TRUMP ADMIN UNCOVERS 7,100% SURGE IN MEDICARE SKIN SUBSTITUTE CLAIMS, SAYS FRAUD CRACKDOWN BLOCKED MILLIONS Nearly a week after the incident, apologies from those involved started to surface. On Thursday afternoon, St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson told Fox News Digital the city is “aware of the concerns regarding the U.S. flag being displayed upside down during a recent event held at a city park facility.” “The event organizer has relayed to the City that this was done so unintentionally and has apologized for the mistake,” the statement said. “The City takes the proper display of the American flag seriously and understands the significance it holds in our community. The City has been working with this event organizer for over 11 years and this has never happened before.” The mayor added that it appreciates the residents who contacted the police and that the flag was fixed before the first speaker hit the stage at 6 p.m. The mayor also provided the permit for the event, issued to a local nonprofit called Internal Housing Assistant, which supports immigrant communities finding housing. The executive director of that nonprofit, Omar Podi, told Fox News Digital the incident was an accident, and he understands why people are “frustrated” given the “fraud issue and everything,” a reference to the massive and still unfolding fraud scheme uncovered in Minnesota, largely involving the Somali community. St. Cloud is home to one of the largest Somali communities in a state that is home to the most Somali immigrants in the United States by far. In a statement, Podi, despite the viral video posted by Minnesota Rocks & Cows being filmed by and posted on Facebook by him, said he takes “full responsibility” for the flag being displayed upside down and insists it “was never meant as a sign of disrespect to the United States, its citizens, its veterans, or anyone who attended our celebration.” Podi added that he is “committed to ensuring that it never happens again.” Brodeen told Fox News Digital he does not want to “manufacture outrage” but at the present time it feels “very well warranted.” “People can fly a flag upside down and protest, not saying you can’t, just saying, you shouldn’t,” Brodeen said. “You know, be grateful for the
AOC-backed candidate ripped for ‘bizarre response’ to transparency question: ‘Pretty basic’
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, is facing backlash after claiming he’s waiting on outstanding paperwork needed to accurately fill out his tax disclosure forms. El-Sayed’s statement appears to be trying to defuse allegations from his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, that he is trying to mask his net worth, hiding the true nature of his wealth until after the Michigan Aug. 4 Democratic primary. “You’ve sought an extension through August 13, I believe, which is after the primary,” El-Sayed, who is endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other far-left lawmakers, was asked on Wednesday. “Was this to avoid transparency with your voters? Why not release them before the election?” DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’ “No,” El-Sayed replied. “Taxes get complicated.” “My wife and her family own property abroad and getting all those tax forms is a thing,” he added. As a part of his candidate disclosure report filed in June 2025, El-Sayed has reported a number of holdings. Among them: a salary from Wayne County worth $278,900 and an assortment of other assets bringing his net worth to somewhere between $580,000 and $1.7 million. As a part of that disclosure, his wife reported a rental property in Bangalore, India worth between $100,001 and $250,000. The disclosure went on to say that his wife brought in between $5,001 and $15,000 in “income.” Another rental property in Ann Arbor, Michigan that was worth between $250,001 $500,000 brought in between $5,001 and $15,000. To some viewers, El-Sayed’s responses this past week are confusing, given the existence of his 2025 filings. “A bizarre response,” Chuck Ross, a Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter, wrote in a post to X. “He filed a Senate financial disclosure in June 2025 that listed his wife’s rental property in India.” “When it comes to actual transparency and investment, the fact that he is saying ‘my wife has foreign assets. My wife has investments abroad.’ Look, we need to know you have allegiance to the United States of America,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News. “You need to come before the people that are working to elect you, and you’ve got to show them what you’re about.” “Perhaps now would be a good time to ensure that any Dem running for a Senate seat be 1000% transparent well ahead of the primary elections,” Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden posted on X. “Releasing your taxes is pretty basic.” “If you have nothing to hide, then just release the tax returns. These Trump tactics are an extremely bad look,” another observer wrote. WATCH: SURFACED VIDEOS OF DEM SENATE CANDIDATE BACKING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ CONTRADICT RECENT DENIALS Hen Mazzig, a pro-Israel political commentator, also bashed El-Sayed’s response. “Didn’t realize being unaware of the extent of your own wealth was a characteristic of the working class,” Mazzig said, referring to El-Sayed’s promises to represent everyday Michigan voters against corporate interests. El-Sayed’s responses on Wednesday come after the Michigan primary debate on Tuesday evening, when Stevens accused El-Sayed of a lack of candor. “Well, look, transparency is oh so important. This is why I have released my tax returns. My opponent, Abdul. He said that transparency is key, but yet he hasn’t released his tax returns,” Stevens said. “Look, I am the only one running for United States Senate in Michigan who is not a millionaire,” Stevens said. When asked if Stevens’ assertions were true, El-Sayed hinted that the figure was a little ambiguous. “If you take my assets and my wife’s assets together, then I guess they add up to something like that,” El-Sayed said in his Wednesday interview. In another sit-down with MS NOW, El-Sayed pledged to release his tax documents ahead of the primary. OMAR’S DISCLOSURES ERASED MILLIONS, LEAVING HER WITH POTENTIAL NEGATIVE NET WORTH. SHE WON’T EXPLAIN WHY “We absolutely will. Sometimes finances are complicated. I can only control what I can control, and unfortunately, when it comes to tax documents, sometimes they are really complicated to get,” El-Sayed said. “We are absolutely going to release it before the primary.”
America’s top destination for new taxpayers is quietly getting poorer, IRS data reveals
Wealthy Americans are continuing to flee high-tax states — and New York City is paying the price. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Manhattan. The borough led the nation in new tax filers between 2022 and 2023, but it still lost roughly $922 million in adjusted gross income as high-income taxpayers departed and were replaced by lower-earning newcomers. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the migration of high-income taxpayers is becoming more than a demographic trend — it’s a political and fiscal test for governors and state lawmakers. Wealthy households contribute a disproportionate share of income tax revenue in states with progressive tax systems, making the size and composition of a state’s tax base critical to funding schools, infrastructure and other public services. As states compete to attract and retain affluent residents, the latest data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers one of the clearest measures of which tax policies are winning, and which states are watching valuable tax dollars leave. AN OVERLOOKED RED STATE QUIETLY BUILT ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST COMPETITIVE TAX SYSTEMS Other parts of New York City and its surrounding suburbs also experienced significant outflows. According to the IRS data, Queens County lost 17,109 tax filers to interstate migration between 2022 and 2023, the second-largest net loss in the nation, while the Bronx lost 16,319. Suffolk County and Nassau County also ranked among the 10 counties with the biggest outflows. In fact, all 10 counties with the largest net losses in tax filers were located in either New York or California, underscoring the continued exodus from some of the nation’s highest-taxed and most expensive Democrat-run states. Many of the taxpayers leaving New York have relocated to lower-tax states such as Florida and Texas, which have been among the biggest beneficiaries of interstate migration in recent years and are conversely run by Republicans. “It’s very, very clear that people ultimately vote with their feet, and when they feel like they’re getting taxed too much, they go somewhere else where they will be taxed less,” E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “New York has been learning that lesson over and over again, but apparently hasn’t learned it well enough yet because they have been hemorrhaging their most valuable resource — people,” he added. FLORIDA AND TEXAS ARE BATTLING FOR NEW RESIDENTS — DESANTIS THINKS HE FOUND AN ADVANTAGE The migration carries significant implications for state finances. High-income earners account for a disproportionate share of state income tax collections, meaning the loss of relatively few wealthy households can have an outsized effect on government revenues. Manhattan’s experience underscores why economists increasingly focus on income migration rather than population migration alone. Although the most densely populated borough attracted more tax filers than any county in the nation, the loss of higher-income households produced one of the country’s largest declines in adjusted gross income. For states that rely heavily on top earners for tax revenue, retaining wealthy residents can matter more than adding larger numbers of middle-income taxpayers. Antoni said the migration patterns show taxpayers are consistently choosing lower-tax states over higher-tax alternatives. “They’re not going to Massachusetts or Illinois or California,” he said. “They’re going to Texas. They’re going to Tennessee. They’re going to Florida — places with low or no income taxes and low overall levels of taxation.”
Israel shares intelligence warning Iran plotted new assassination attempt against Trump: report
Israel recently shared intelligence with the United States indicating Iran had developed a fresh plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to a Wall Street Journal report Thursday citing people familiar with the matter. The reported intelligence would mark an escalation in the longstanding threats against Trump, who Iran has repeatedly vowed to retaliate against over the 2020 U.S. strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s remarks Wednesday when asked about the report. TRUMP FACES UNPRECEDENTED THIRD ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT “They want to take out the U.S. leader — me. I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists,” Trump said. “And, so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long. These are evil, sick people. And we have to root out that cancer. That cancer. You know what you do? You’ve got to cut out cancer early. And that’s the way I feel.” Fox News Digital has also reached out to Israel’s Embassy in Washington and Iran’s Mission to the United Nations for comment. The Journal reported the intelligence surfaced as Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have diverged in recent weeks over how to proceed after last month’s conflict with Iran. Netanyahu has advocated for continuing military pressure on Tehran, while Trump has sought to preserve a fragile ceasefire after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. NETANYAHU REJECTS REPORTS OF A RIFT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYS THE TWO REMAIN ALIGNED ON IRAN Trump and Netanyahu spoke Thursday and agreed to continue coordination between the two countries, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, which said Trump also updated the Israeli leader on recent U.S. activity in the Gulf. Iranian mourners at the funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei chanted for Trump’s death and displayed a banner that said, “We Will Kill Trump,” according to the Journal. Iran has publicly vowed for years to retaliate against Trump over the U.S. operation that killed Soleimani, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, in Baghdad in January 2020.
DHS plans costly crackdown on states that don’t cooperate on election security
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security will withhold billions in preparedness grant funding from states that refuse to adopt new election security measures, including voter citizenship verification, post-election audits and expanded use of paper ballots. The push comes as President Donald Trump and many Republicans slam states that do not want to let the federal government audit their voter rolls, while also criticizing the snail’s-pace, widely criticized vote tabulations in states like California. FEMA, a sub-agency of DHS, is making more than $1 billion in taxpayer funding available to states that want to participate in its Homeland Security Grant Program, but with a catch. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S ELECTION ORDER AS SAVE AMERICA ACT FIGHT INTENSIFIES To qualify for grants, states must submit plans to transition away from “unsecure electronic voting systems” that employ QR codes or barcodes instead of hand-marked paper ballots. By doing so, the agency said, it provides a paper trail to quickly assess any alleged irregularities. After each federal election, states seeking preparedness grants must conduct a manual audit of at least 5% of all ballots cast with the agency arguing a manual, random review will confirm voting-machine tabulations’ synthesis with paper ballots and identify any “manipulation.” States must also match the number of voters who participated in the election with the number of ballots cast and, within 120 days of any grant award, use the SAVE database — brought to the fore amid numerous illegal immigrant truckers getting in fatal crashes — to verify the citizenship of every listed voter in the state. SAVE, the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system, has been criticized by some Democratic governors for being insufficiently maintained, an assertion DHS has denied. LEGAL WAR ON TRUMP’S AGENDA GAINS FIREPOWER AS FEDERAL LAWYERS DEFECT TO DEMOCRATS DHS told Fox News Digital that threats to election systems continue to evolve and that Secretary Markwayne Mullin has made critical infrastructure protection a top priority. A spokesperson suggested elections fall within that critical infrastructure and remain susceptible to foreign attacks. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking decisive action to protect election systems from threats like foreign interference, insider threats and cyberattacks,” the DHS spokesperson said. “These new requirements for homeland security grant recipients will preserve election integrity and ensure that Americans can trust the results.” The new rules come as the Trump administration had a major loss in court while seeking to force the issue of election security. An Obama-appointed federal judge in Pittsburgh sided with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania after the Justice Department sued more than 25 states seeking voter records that included Social Security numbers. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Judge Cathy Bissoon ruled the feds lack authority to demand “highly sensitive” state information after Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, a Philadelphia Republican appointed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, balked at a demand to turn over data last fall. Schmidt reportedly offered a redacted version of the state voter file without the sensitive data, telling the DOJ in his response that such “broad data” collection is a “concerning attempt to expand the federal government’s role in our country’s election process,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. DHS’ new tact may or may not be tested in a similar fashion.
Unearthed records reveal Dem mayor sought tax hike to fund DEI role ahead of key House race
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, once proposed raising taxes to make room for a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer. A “DEI coordinator” was among eight new hires in the city’s 2023 proposed budget and would have set aside $25,500 for the position. To cover the costs of that opening and those of a police chief, a fire chief, a business administrator, a solicitor and a director of public works, the budget included a 3% property tax increase, estimated to generate $957,000 for the city. The positions were estimated to cost $380,500. That budget was not adopted. Cognetti’s proposed plan highlights her beliefs about diversity in government and the directness with which government should pursue representation among certain demographics as she looks to flip one of the country’s most competitive districts and unseat incumbent Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa. RED STATE SENATOR DROPS HAMMER ON DEM MAYOR OVER NEW ‘WOKE’ DEI ORDINANCE WHILE VIOLENT CRIME SURGES In the past, Cognetti has highlighted her purposeful pursuit of diversity in government. “We’re not doing this for the publicity. We’re doing this quietly so that these conversations just become the norm,” Cognetti said in a podcast appearance. When asked about the DEI proposals and the 2023 budget, the Cognetti campaign pointed out that Bresnahan’s company has received government assistance for being “women-owned,” support it says is in line with DEI policies. “Rob Bresnahan’s own company identifies itself as disadvantaged and women-owned in order to get a leg up on securing federal contracts,” a Cognetti spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital, referring to Kuharchik Construction Inc. The company, which Bresnahan began leading as CEO in 2013, has received $162,000 in federal contracts since 2008, according to records. MAMDANI COMPARISONS FOLLOW COLORADO DEMOCRAT INTO PIVOTAL HOUSE RACE AFTER PRIMARY WIN It has not received federal payments since 2017. The campaign also said that many of Cognetti’s other acts as mayor directly helped bring the city’s costs down. “Mayor Cognetti ran as an independent against a corrupt Democratic machine and reformed city hall. She saved taxpayers’ money by balancing the budget after years of mismanagement, turned down a government car and gas card, refused a pay raise and improved the city’s credit rating from junk bond status to an A- investment rating,” the Cognetti campaign continued. “Now, Paige is running to take on corrupt politicians in Washington like Rob Bresnahan, who has stock traded off of his votes and his access to insider information in Congress.” Bresnahan is not under investigation for insider trading, a violation of House rules. Despite her emphasis on cutting government spending, Cognetti’s framing of the 2023 budget and its DEI role reflects her belief that diversity should be an area where the government places more of its resources. She explained her thinking in a 2023 podcast. “I will say that we’ve had some setbacks. Last year, we put a DEI coordinator in our budget. My city council cut that position with zero fanfare. There was no public comment. And this is where I think that the positive advocacy is missing,” Cognetti said of her budget proposal. “You know, you want to raise taxes 3%. ‘Well, it should be only 2%.’ OK, well, let’s have that conversation.” In Cognetti’s view, her work on DEI has not clashed with Scranton’s interests, and she affirms that hiring the best candidates has naturally led to greater diversity in government roles. MAYORS WANT TO KEEP HANDING OUT FREE CASH AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS DRIED UP “We’re not doing it by cherry-picking, but by merit, and, lo and behold, City Hall looks different,” Cognetti said. “When you walk into City Hall today, there are far more people of color and far more women working there, I think, than you would have seen four years ago. And, again, it’s not because we have had some grand strategy beyond really just hiring the best people for the jobs and trying to make sure that our jobs are posted in places that people are looking, right?”