Category: New york
I’ll Have What He’s Having
If you’ve never heard of Drew Nieporent, it’s okay, even if you’re something of a foodie. Stick with me to the end of this review, and there’s an excellent chance you’ll want to read this delicious memoir from a pioneering figure of the New York restaurant scene. Once you’ve read the book, it’s all but certain you’ll wish you could have dinner with him.
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New York teacher compelled 7th graders to view deranged pornographic images, damning lawsuit claims
The conservative legal outfit American Center for Law and Justice filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against a public school district in New York after a teacher allegedly subjected seventh graders to pornographic materials on multiple occasions.
The complaint, filed on behalf of two parents and their minor children, alleges that “under the guise of an art lesson,” Bridgette Gates — a teacher with the Watertown City School District who “resigned as an art teacher, … was rehired as an English teacher, and remains on administrative leave,” according to Syracuse.com — intentionally exposed around 100 students to “pornographic and sexually explicit imagery over a two-week period in September 2025, without providing any advance notice to parents or offering an opportunity to opt out.”
‘It’s almost criminal.’
According to the complaint, Gates directed her students at Case Middle School to visit the gallery on the Keith Haring Foundation website using their school-issued Chromebooks during class time.
At the time of publication, the gallery contained various sexually explicit images and images of bodily mutilation, including multiple cartoons and paintings depicting men masturbating; a cartoon depicting a man with a fist-tipped penis; a cartoon depicting a man being choked by his penis; a painting mocking the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, depicting him with an erection and impaled by multiple airplanes; a painting of a character with a mouth in the place of an anus; and a painting of a penis wearing a wig.
The deviant agitprop was created by Keith Haring, a hallucinogenic drug-abusing homosexual activist who died of AIDS-related complications in 1990.
A spokesperson for the Haring Foundation told Artnet that it is aware of the conservative group’s response to the alleged incident at the school and acknowledged that some of Haring’s images may be inappropriate for some audiences.
The lawsuit alleges that Gates acknowledged that “some of the images were inappropriate” yet told her 12- and 13-year-old students to “ignore them and be mature.” Gates allegedly continued showing the images to kids despite signs of unease and resistance.
RELATED: Elementary school teacher allegedly possessed thousands of files of child sex abuse material
Photo by Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images
After learning of the content in late September, concerned parents contacted the teacher, school administrators, and local law enforcement.
Stephanie Boyanski, a plaintiff as well as the parent of one of the plaintiff students, told WWNY-TV in September, “It’s almost unbelievable.”
“It’s almost criminal,” said Heather Trainham, another parent.
Plaintiff parent Jessy Roberts noted that her son “knew it was inappropriate, but he wasn’t sure if he should speak out or not, because they’re of authority.”
‘Schools are not free to override that authority or to “correct” the family’s moral instruction.’
In the face of parental backlash and concerns raised at school-board meetings, Gates was reportedly placed on paid administrative leave, the assignment link was removed from Google Classroom, and the district admitted to parents that students had “come across inappropriate content.” There was, however, no apology from the district.
The ACLJ sent a letter on Nov. 21 to Larry Schmiegel, superintendent of the school district, stating that “because of the District’s lax monitoring of its curriculum and teachers, and its deliberate choice to shield the teacher from accountability, the harm done to Mses. Boyanski and Roberts’ children is irreparable and ongoing.”
The legal group demanded that Gates be issued a formal reprimand; that the school adopt a policy not to show children sexually explicit content without parental notification and to provide an opt-out if future curriculum includes such content; and to provide counseling for kids impacted by the images — and provided the district with a Dec. 1 deadline to act.
The lawsuit filed this week requests that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York declare that the school violated parents’ First and 14th Amendment rights; bar the district from repeating its error; require the district to implement age-appropriate safeguards; and award damages for the alleged constitutional violations.
The district did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.
“Parents should not be forced to choose between public education and their family’s values. The Constitution draws a bright line: Parents, not the state, decide how and when their children are introduced to sexual content,” the ACLJ said in a release. “Schools are not free to override that authority or to ‘correct’ the family’s moral instruction through compulsory exposure to explicit material. When officials discard that line, the courts must restore it.”
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ICE makes pitch to NYPD cops after Mamdani promises radical overhaul
A poll conducted ahead of the New York City mayoral election found that 9% of residents would “definitely” leave the city and another 25% would “consider” relocating if Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani proved victorious on Nov. 4.
It is yet to be seen whether NYC will ultimately hemorrhage millions of residents in the coming months. It appears, however, that Mamdani’s rise to power has already prompted departures at the New York Police Department.
‘How do you work for somebody who considers you racist and anti-queer and wants to defund the police?’
Citing sources familiar with the situation and Police Pension Fund data, the New York Post indicated that a surge of police officers quit in the weeks leading up to the mayoral election, when Mamdani was a clear favorite to win.
In October, the NYPD reportedly saw a 35% spike in police of all ranks leaving the force. Whereas 181 left the force in October 2024, this year 245 officers left during the same stretch.
Detectives Endowment Association president Scott Munro told the Post, “Morale is down because everyone is concerned about the policies Mamdani wants to put in place.”
“You have a person who is supposed to be running New York City that does not believe in law enforcement,” continued Munro. “What’s coming out of everyone’s mouth is, ‘We’re in trouble.'”
RELATED: Here’s what exit polls reveal about Tuesday’s electoral bloodbath
Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
Mamdani, who takes office on Jan. 1, has made no secret in recent years of his antipathy toward the NYPD.
The mayor-elect suggested, for instance, in a June 28, 2020, tweet that the NYPD “is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety” and stressed that it was necessary to “defund the police.”
“How do you work for somebody who considers you racist and anti-queer and wants to defund the police?” said one retired cop. “Things are hard enough already. If you’re eligible to leave, why would you want to stay in that situation?”
Mamdani now claims that he doesn’t want to defund the police; however, he has indicated that he’s not interested in hiring more police to address the NYPD’s near-record-low numbers and appears keen to replace police in certain circumstances with social workers.
On the campaign trail, Mamdani proposed the creation of an agency aimed at preventing “violence before it happens by taking a public health approach to safety.” The so-called Department of Community Safety would have a budget of over $1 billion — drawing $605 million from existing programs — and would appropriate some of the responsibilities of police, including responding to mental health calls and dealing with erratic homeless individuals.
Some individuals with actual experience dealing with the city’s mentally ill and homeless have suggested that Mamdani’s proposal is disaster waiting to happen.
A Bronx cop told the Post, “How’s that going to work when the person pulls out a gun or a knife?”
“You can’t do this without police — it’s impossible,” Richard Perkins, a behavioral nurse with 14 years’ experience told the Gothamist. “No one in their right mind would do this alone. You’re going to get hurt.”
Mamdani’s appointment of Elle Bisgaard-Church as his chief of staff signals he’s likely serious about the DCS. Bisgaard-Church, who serves as Mamdani’s campaign manager, was reportedly the proposed agency’s “chief architect.”
In addition to effectively replacing police with social workers on certain calls, Mamdani has ruffled feathers by committing to both closing Rikers Island prison and shifting the final say on police disciplinary actions from the NYPD commissioner to the anti-police Civilian Complaint Review Board.
‘It seems to me like there may be people from there looking for jobs.’
“Nobody wants to be a New York City cop,” a police union consultant told the Post. “It’s not worth the money, the stress, the danger, especially working for a mayor who wants to take the department apart.”
Blaze News has reached out for comment to the New York City Police Benevolent Association and the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD as well as to the mayor’s office.
Retired NYPD Chief of Department John Chell recently told Newsmax that about 4,000 police officers of every rank are eligible for retirement in January but suggested that “it remains to be seen” whether there will ultimately be a mass exodus.
In the meantime, law enforcement organizations in other jurisdictions are extending offers to disenchanted NYPD officers.
The Houston Police Officers’ Union, for instance, released a flyer earlier his month telling New York cops “disgusted with the election of Zohran Mamdani” that the Houston Police Department is hiring and offering “competitive pay with [a] 36.5% pay raise just approved over 5 years.”
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office was one of the outfits in Florida that is similarly trying to recruit from the NYPD, reported WMBB-TV.
“With the changing of what’s going on in New York City with a new mayor and probably a different way of doing things for law enforcement up there, it seems to me like there may be people from there looking for jobs,” said Sheriff A.J. Smith. “And I have jobs. And I would love to have anybody from the NYPD or anywhere up that way that may be affected by the change to apply here.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also seizing on the opportunity to recruit New York cops alienated by the incoming mayor.
ICE shared a recruitment poster to social media last month captioned, “NYPD OFFICERS: Work for a President and a Secretary who support and defend law enforcement — not defund or demonize it.”
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The Weekend Spectator Ep. 51: NYC Democrats Excitedly Choose Socialism
The elections that took place this week are a wake up call for Republicans. Millions of people elected far left…
‘FIRE HOCHUL’: Stefanik officially launches bid to save New York from the ‘Worst Governor in America’
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) on Friday officially announced her run for governor, challenging incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).
Stefanik called Hochul the “Worst Governor in America” and slammed her for endorsing Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor-elect.
‘I have a record of flipping a district that was previously held by a Democrat.’
“Under her failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills,” Stefanik wrote Friday in a post on social media. “When New Yorkers were looking for leadership from our Governor, she bent the knee to the raging Defund the Police, Tax Hiking Communist causing catastrophe for New York families.”
Stefanik vowed that under her leadership, she would “make New York affordable and safe FOR ALL.”
“Democrats, Republicans, and Independents will unify to save our state,” she continued. “It’s time to: FIRE HOCHUL. SAVE NEW YORK.”
Stefanik released a campaign video highlighting New York’s affordability crisis and the influx of crime, prompting middle-class residents to flee the state, which she blamed on Hochul’s failed policies.
RELATED: SHOCK POLL: Republican leads NY Governor Hochul one year before the election
Elise Stefanik. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
On Friday, Stefanik told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” that “toxic” Hochul “bent the knee” to Mamdani “because she is hemorrhaging support, even in her own party.”
Hochul won by 5.8 points in 2022 against Republican candidate Lee Zeldin, who is now the Environmental Protection Agency administrator under President Donald Trump. The last time New Yorkers elected a Republican governor was in 2002. Despite the long streak of Democrat wins, Stefanik remains unfazed.
“I have a record of flipping a district that was previously held by a Democrat,” Stefanik stated. “I’ve won every primary and general election, and we’ve overperformed — winning not just Republicans but independents and a fair share of Democrats as well — because my record has been delivering results for families, for small businesses, for our veterans, for our farmers.”
Stefanik has secured endorsements from 34 Republican state assembly members and 12 state senators, according to her campaign. New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox also endorsed Stefanik, calling her “a unifier and a party builder with the brains, the guts, and the resources to win statewide next year.”
RELATED: Trump slams Hochul’s endorsement of ‘communist’ Mamdani: ‘No reason to be sending good money’
Kathy Hochul. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Hochul’s campaign fired back at Stefanik, describing her as a “sellout” because she has been Trump’s “number-one cheerleader in Congress and his right-hand woman in his war on New York.” The governor’s campaign accused the lawmaker of “gutting health care, jacking up costs with expensive tariffs, and cutting funding for our police, schools, and hospitals.”
“Apparently, screwing over New Yorkers in Congress wasn’t enough — now she’s trying to bring Trump’s chaos and skyrocketing costs to our state. While Stefanik puts Trump first and New York last, Governor Hochul is lowering costs, cutting middle-class taxes, and fighting for the New Yorkers Stefanik abandoned,” Hochul’s campaign communications director Sarafina Chitika said.
Blaze News contacted the campaigns of Stefanik and Hochul for comment but did not receive a response.
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Comrade With a Condo: The Mamdani Myth Exposed
Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York marks a political milestone and a painful irony. The 34-year-old democratic socialist, son of…
Halloween Came a Few Days Late for Republicans
Democrats hit the trifecta. It’s worse than that. Atop winning the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia and Gracie Mansion…
SHOCK POLL: Republican leads NY Governor Hochul one year before the election
New York City voters may be on a different page than the rest of the state.
Despite Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani maintaining a significant advantage in the polls ahead of the NYC mayoral election, one Republican is looking to flip the state red next year.
For example, 60% of registered voters in New York … either strongly support or somewhat support returning to the pre-2019 bail laws.
RealClearPolitics has Mamdani boasting a 15-point lead average across the last six polls in October. With around 46 points, Mamdani’s lead has only widened since July.
In new numbers from the Manhattan Institute, the Democratic socialist and alleged communist maintains that lead over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a former Democrat now representing the Fight and Deliver Party.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa is third, 24 points behind Mamdani and nine points behind Cuomo.
At the same time, however, pollsters asked respondents how they would vote if the 2026 N.Y. gubernatorial election were held today.
Shockingly, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) held a slim margin over Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul. Stefanik’s lead was just one point, 43% to 42%, while “someone else” had 9% support, and “not sure” was at 7%.
RELATED: LGBTQ champion Zohran Mamdani faces backlash over photo with ‘anti-homosexuality’ Ugandan lawmaker
Photo by Andres Kudacki/Getty Images
Stefanik’s team responded to the news:
“In a heavily Democrat-leaning state, an independent poll that is heavily weighted toward registered Democrat voters shows Republican Elise Stefanik leading Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul in a head-to-head matchup,” Stefanik’s spokesperson Bernadette Breslin said in a press release.
Breslin said it was the first time in decades that any Republican candidate for governor of New York has polled ahead of a Democrat incumbent.
The remarks continued, “In a decision that she will come to regret, Kathy Hochul lives up to her title as the worst governor in America when she chose to bend the knee and put New Yorkers LAST by desperately endorsing the defund the police, tax-hiking, raging anti-Semite socialist Zohran Mamdani who will destroy New York.”
Though rumors have swirled for months that Stefanik intends to run for governor, she has not formally announced her candidacy. Reports indicate that she will announce sometime after the November 4 election.
RELATED: Cuomo narrows gap in new poll
Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images
While Mamdani maintains a strong lead in the city, some of his progressive policy positions range from somewhat unpopular to widely unpopular in updated polling.
For example, 60% of registered voters in New York, including 49% of Democrats, either strongly support or somewhat support returning to the pre-2019 bail laws. This pertains to allowing individuals to be “released until trial rather than being held.”
Mamdani has said he wants to reduce the jail population, specifically at Rikers Island.
One of Mamdani’s biggest promises, free bus services, saw 58% of New York City respondents oppose the idea. This figure included 48% of Democrats. Meanwhile, 42% of Democrats agreed with the idea that eliminating fares would make public transit more affordable and efficient for working New Yorkers while reducing conflicts between riders and operators.
Other topics — like New York’s gifted and talented programs, corporate taxation, and fare evasion — were covered in polling conducted with 600 likely voters in the NYC mayoral election and 300 registered voters across New York state between October 22 and 26. The poll was weighted to reflect the electorate.
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Hochul says she thought ‘tax the rich’ chant was ‘let’s go Bills’
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said Monday that she thought a “tax the rich” chant at a Sunday rally for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was “Let’s go Bills” instead, referencing the NFL team the Buffalo Bills. “Given the reception you received last night at Zohran’s rally, where people were chanting, ‘tax…
