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BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani Has Been Stopped<\/p>\n
This article may contain commentary
which reflects the author’s opinion.<\/p>\n
The wheels are coming off the socialist bus.<\/p>\n
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is tapping the brakes on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani\u2019s $700 million plan for free city buses, casting early doubt on one of the far-left lawmaker\u2019s biggest campaign promises, The New York Post\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the SOMOS political retreat in Puerto Rico on Saturday, Hochul said she\u2019s already spent heavily to support the city\u2019s struggling MTA and questioned how much further the state could go.<\/p>\n
\u201cI continue to be excited at the work of making the slowest buses in America fast and free,\u201d Mamdani said Monday during an unrelated press conference. \u201cAnd I appreciate the governor\u2019s continued partnership in delivering on that agenda of affordability.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Hochul\u2019s comments in San Juan marked the latest break between the moderate Democratic governor and Mamdani, the Democratic socialist she endorsed just two months ago.<\/p>\n
Hochul happily rode Mamdani\u2019s coattails during the campaign as he energized progressives with promises of affordability and social programs, but she has shown far less enthusiasm for actually paying for them.<\/p>\n
The governor has rejected several of Mamdani\u2019s cornerstone ideas, including proposals to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers to fund $10 billion in new benefits like free child care and fareless transit.<\/p>\n
Her caution could create a serious roadblock for the incoming mayor, whose ambitious plans rely on support from Albany to move forward.<\/p>\n
The top two Democratic leaders in the state Legislature \u2014 Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins \u2014 have signaled more willingness to help Mamdani pursue his agenda.<\/p>\n
That divide leaves Hochul increasingly isolated from the party\u2019s energized left flank, which has been openly pressuring her to embrace higher taxes on the rich.<\/p>\n
During recent public appearances, activists have twice interrupted the governor with chants of \u201cTax the rich,\u201d drawing a sharp rebuke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more you push me, the more I\u2019m not going to do what you want,\u201d Hochul told the SOMOS crowd in response.<\/p>\n
Still, Hochul did not fully reject Mamdani\u2019s wish list.<\/p>\n
She said she\u2019s open to working with him on expanding free child care, though she made clear it would be an expensive and long-term goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be on a path to get there, because I\u2019m committed to this as \u2018mom governor\u2019 \u2014 I get it,\u201d Hochul said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut also to do it statewide, right now, it\u2019s about $15 billion \u2014 the entire amount of my reserves.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cautious tone was a reality check for Mamdani, who has portrayed himself as the champion of \u201ceveryday New Yorkers\u201d and promised to make the city more affordable through massive new public spending.<\/p>\n
Hochul\u2019s remarks also came as she continues her own political maneuvering ahead of a likely 2026 re-election bid.<\/p>\n
After the SOMOS conference, she flew to the Dominican Republic to attend a breakfast celebrating cross-cultural exchange \u2014 an event seen as an appeal to one of New York\u2019s largest and most influential immigrant voting blocs.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers trace family roots to the Dominican Republic, making the outreach a politically savvy move for a governor seeking to rebuild her base while keeping the party\u2019s left wing at arm\u2019s length.<\/p>\n
Whether Hochul and Mamdani can maintain their uneasy alliance may determine not only the future of free buses and child care, but also the balance of power within the New York Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
Washington Bureau Report<\/p>\n
A new political firestorm is unfolding in Washington amid revelations that former President Donald Trump\u2019s government-issued phone was reportedly seized as part of Operation Arctic Frost, a sweeping surveillance program authorized during the Biden administration.<\/p>\n
The disclosure has raised alarm across the political spectrum \u2014 not only because of its implications for privacy and executive privilege but also because it suggests that the Justice Department may have extended its reach well beyond traditional investigative boundaries.<\/p>\n
The controversy centers on Special Counsel Jack Smith, whose probe initially focused on election-related matters but has since evolved into what critics are calling an unprecedented political surveillance campaign targeting Trump and his allies.<\/p>\n
From Election Inquiry to Surveillance Operation<\/p>\n
When Operation Arctic Frost was first launched in early 2023, the Justice Department described it as a limited effort to investigate alleged interference surrounding the 2020 presidential election. However, newly released documents and congressional testimony suggest that its scope rapidly expanded to include warrants, data seizures, and electronic monitoring of individuals with ties to conservative political circles.<\/p>\n
According to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), one of the few lawmakers with access to classified briefings on the matter, the operation quickly crossed ethical and constitutional lines.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat began as a targeted investigation has turned into an overreaching surveillance dragnet,\u201d Grassley said in a statement. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about a program that gathered communications data from elected officials, journalists, and even former members of the executive branch. That\u2019s not oversight \u2014 that\u2019s abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sources familiar with the Senate investigation told The Federal Ledger that a classified subpoena signed by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg \u2014 the same judge now facing impeachment articles in Congress \u2014 authorized access to data belonging to several Republican lawmakers and former administration officials.<\/p>\n
Among those targets, according to internal Justice Department memos, was the government-issued mobile device used by Donald Trump during his presidency.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Pam Bondi Confirms Seizure<\/p>\n
The most shocking development came Monday, when Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the Biden administration had indeed handed over Trump\u2019s official phone to the Special Counsel\u2019s office in late 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was not only irregular \u2014 it was unconstitutional,\u201d Bondi said during a press briefing. \u201cA former president\u2019s communications are protected under executive privilege. The seizure of that phone without clear judicial authorization or congressional notification represents a violation of both precedent and propriety.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bondi added that her office is preparing a legal response and will seek the release of documentation explaining how the device was obtained and what data was accessed.<\/p>\n
The Justice Department, in a brief statement, said the seizure was conducted \u201cin accordance with established national security procedures\u201d and declined to comment further on an \u201congoing investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Constitutional Questions Mount<\/p>\n
Legal experts say the revelation opens a Pandora\u2019s box of constitutional concerns.<\/p>\n
Dr. Angela Watkins, a professor of constitutional law at Columbia University, said that while law enforcement has some leeway in pursuing investigations, the surveillance of a former president\u2019s communications represents \u201cuncharted territory.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven during Watergate, the line between law enforcement and political retaliation was fiercely debated,\u201d Watkins said. \u201cBut the idea of one administration obtaining direct access to the communications of its predecessor is something that strikes at the heart of executive independence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Historically, presidential communications have been treated with extreme caution under the Presidential Records Act and related statutes. While those laws allow for the preservation of official materials, they also require judicial or congressional approval before access can be granted for investigative purposes.<\/p>\n
If the Justice Department bypassed those procedures, analysts warn, the operation could represent one of the most significant breaches of executive privilege in modern history.<\/p>\n
Bipartisan Shock \u2014 But Divided Reaction<\/p>\n
While most Republican lawmakers expressed outrage over the seizure, some Democrats urged caution, emphasizing that details of the operation remain classified and that the Justice Department should be allowed to complete its work.<\/p>\n
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said accusations of political targeting were premature.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one is above the law,\u201d Goldman said. \u201cIf evidence exists that sensitive communications were used inappropriately or violated national security standards, it\u2019s the Justice Department\u2019s duty to investigate \u2014 regardless of who\u2019s involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Republicans, however, are calling for immediate hearings. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) announced plans to subpoena documents related to Arctic Frost as early as next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t about national security \u2014 this is about political control,\u201d Comer said in a Fox News interview. \u201cThe Biden administration weaponized federal power to spy on its predecessor. That\u2019s something we associate with authoritarian regimes, not the United States of America.\u201d<\/p>\n
Operation \u2018Arctic Frost\u2019: What We Know<\/p>\n
Sources close to the investigation describe Arctic Frost as a multi-agency data collection program authorized under the Department of Justice and coordinated with the FBI and NSA.<\/p>\n
According to leaked memos reviewed by The Federal Ledger, the operation\u2019s stated purpose was to trace digital communications \u201clinked to ongoing election-related threats.\u201d However, internal reports indicate that its targets expanded to include members of Congress, political donors, journalists, and think tanks perceived as sympathetic to Trump\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n
The operation allegedly relied on nondisclosure orders \u2014 secret court directives preventing private companies from revealing that federal agencies had requested access to data.<\/p>\n
That aspect of Arctic Frost is now the subject of a separate congressional investigation, after several telecommunications companies acknowledged receiving sealed orders from the DOJ between 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n
Impeachment Moves and Legal Fallout<\/p>\n
The Arctic Frost revelations have already set off a chain reaction in Washington. On Monday, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) introduced articles of impeachment against Judge James Boasberg, who authorized the subpoenas that enabled the surveillance effort.<\/p>\n
Gill accused Boasberg of \u201cabuse of power\u201d and \u201cbetrayal of the public trust,\u201d arguing that his actions allowed the Biden administration to engage in \u201cdomestic political espionage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, several former Justice Department officials have reportedly been subpoenaed by congressional investigators seeking to determine how far up the authorization chain the decisions went.<\/p>\n
The Broader Political Impact<\/p>\n
The Arctic Frost scandal comes amid an already volatile political climate, with the government partially shut down over disputes about spending and surveillance reform. For many observers, the timing is no coincidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government shutdown has exposed deep institutional mistrust,\u201d said Mark Feldman, a political analyst at the Brookings Institution. \u201cAnd now we have revelations that the Justice Department may have engaged in domestic spying. The optics are devastating \u2014 not just for the administration, but for the public\u2019s faith in democratic accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s legal team has not commented on whether the seized phone contained classified or personal data, but sources close to the former president said they are considering legal action to compel its return.<\/p>\n
For now, the controversy shows no sign of slowing. Lawmakers are preparing for a new round of hearings that could reveal even more about the inner workings of Arctic Frost \u2014 and whether the U.S. government\u2019s surveillance powers have crossed a line that can\u2019t be easily redrawn.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is bigger than Trump or Biden,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cIt\u2019s about whether the intelligence powers of this country are being used to protect liberty \u2014 or to destroy it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani Has Been Stopped This article may contain commentarywhich reflects the author’s opinion. The wheels are coming off the socialist bus. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is tapping the brakes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t