Saturday, July 18, 2026

New York's Socialist Mayor Stands by Threat to Arrest Netanyahu

 Ward Clark – RedState

The Times of Israel

"You have to give New York City's "democratic socialist" (commie) Mayor Zohran Mamdani credit for one thing: He's consistent. Every time he opens his mouth, something stupid comes out.

"Case in point: The resident of Gracie Mansion, still apparently ignorant of the extent of his powers, is still making noises about arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should the PM come to New York.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration was still discussing whether to arrest the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, if he comes to New York City as expected for the U.N. General Assembly in September.

“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in the Hague,” Mr. Mamdani told Lulu Garcia-Navarro this week on “The Interview,” a New York Times show, referring to the home of the United Nations’ International Court of Justice.

“He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” Mr. Mamdani added. “And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”

"The United States isn't beholden to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has no jurisdiction in U.S. territory, and Mayor Mamdani has no legal grounds to order the Israeli PM's arrest. But that doesn't stop him from yapping about it." . . . More...

Mamdani: Netanyahu should be arrested if he visits NYC; I'm discussing it but won't rewrite laws | The Times of Israel   More...

New York's Socialist Mayor Stands by Threat to Arrest Netanyahu – RedState.

. . "The United States isn't beholden to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has no jurisdiction in U.S. territory, and Mayor Mamdani has no legal grounds to order the Israeli PM's arrest. But that doesn't stop him from yapping about it." . . .

. . . " Here's the problem facing Democrats:

Mr. Mamdani’s views about Israel are no longer on the fringe of the Democratic Party. Nearly half of House Democrats voted this week to end U.S. aid to Israel, which was not enough for the measure to pass, but enough to demonstrate a shift in the party’s posture toward one of the country’s stalwart allies in the Middle East.

"This isn't about Israel being the only practicing democracy in the Middle East. This isn't about Israel, in fact, being the only non-apartheid state in the region. And this isn't about the International Criminal Court, which, within the borders of the United States, may as well not exist. This is, almost certainly, about Israel being the world's only Jewish-majority state. 

It's not politics. It's antisemitism, that ancient scourge that's rearing its ugly head again.

As far as arresting the Israeli PM, Mayor Mamdani is once more producing nothing more than superheated gaseous emissions. But his comments are part of a larger, and more disturbing trend, one that has to be causing concern for American Jews; after all, they've seen this movie before." . . .

How California’s Plastic Ban Could Change What Every American Buys -

 Say this three times, fast:  "The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act"

FEE: FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION:   

"California has every right to regulate products within its borders. Whether it has the right to reshape markets across the country is a question that the courts may now have to answer."


"The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, passed and signed in 2022, went into effect on May 1. It demands a lot. By 2032, every shred of single-use packaging and single-use plastic food service ware sold in the state has to be recyclable or compostable.
"The law covers not just items made and consumed in California, but also those imported from outside the state.
"Because California is a massive market, many companies don’t produce one package for California and another for the other 49 states. Instead, they use a single design for everyone. That’s why the 17 states and other critics argue that California’s regulations have increasingly become national regulations.
"It’s not the first time. California’s Proposition 12, which created stringent breeding rules for veal, pork and eggs, effectively made the state an independent regulatory entity that has forced “other states to comply with California’s law if they wished to have access to California’s markets.”
"The lawsuit argues the law violates the Constitution by burdening interstate commerce, restricting how businesses communicate costs to customers, and effectively forcing companies into a single-state-approved producer organization.
"Consumers may never notice this legal battle, but they could notice fewer packaging choices, higher prices, or redesigned products as companies adapt to California’s rules.
"California has been waging war on plastic products for years. The attorney general claims, “We are currently living through a plastic waste and pollution crisis.” Lawmakers have kept the governor busy signing legislation intended to clean the state of a wide array of plastic items.
"The real question isn’t whether plastic litter is a problem. It is. The question is whether bans and mandates are the best solution.
"Public anti-litter campaigns, for example, are alternatives that have proven surprisingly effective.
"For instance, the Lone Star State’s unofficial slogan “Don’t mess with Texas” began 40 years ago as an initiative to reduce litter by at least 5% in the first year. Planners were thinking too modestly, though. A commercial featuring legendary blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan sending an “unforgettable message” made a significant impact, with litter falling by almost 30% in the first year of the program." . . .  More...

But what about "the warmth of collectivism"? The Government Should Not Own the Means of Production in America

  The American Spectator  

"Every single country that has nationalized major industries — every single one — ended up poorer for it."

International Liberty

"European soccer fans marveled at American prosperity. This should be a reminder to avoid European mistakes.
"In an act never contemplated by the Constitution, the Trump administration has used taxpayer dollars to purchase an equity stake in Intel. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has been in talks in the White House over the government “buying” a stake in the company. Days later, OpenAI quietly filed for an IPO. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has introduced a bill to seize 50 percent of every major AI developer.
"When the federal government “buys” shares of AI developers, or any other company, stagnation follows. Who could compete with a company backed by Uncle Sam — when the government writes the rules, might have you sued by the Department of Justice, or investigated by the IRS? This would guarantee corruption. Imagine how this power will be used when the folks who “run” Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco are back in power.
"Government-run companies never turn a profit. The Postal Service can’t do it. Nor Amtrak. The maker of the East German Trabant did — but only after it became a private company in reunited Germany.
"Even when companies are not nationalized outright — even when the government just “buys shares” — it undermines the profit motive. Why make your product better when you can just raise taxes? Why bother improving your business strategy when Uncle Sam can save you? And if Uncle Sam chooses to bail out something it owns, taxpayers will pay higher taxes to cover the bad judgment of the politicians who made the original error.
"Every single country that has nationalized major industries — every single one — ended up poorer for it. There is no exception. Peron’s Argentina is just now beginning to get back on its feet.
"Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua became destitute after socialist takeovers. China and Russia had devastating famines when they collectivized agriculture and heavy industry." . . . 

Remembering the California dream; Two decades of relentless Democrat governance have turned the once “golden state” into dross.

Mike Phelps    

"I should have made the change years earlier, but the California that lived in my mind had a hold on me. Governor Newsom’s arbitrary dictums and hypocrisy during his Wuhan Flu shutdown saga were the last straw."


"I spent the first half of my life on the East Coast, putting up with long, dark winters and imagining life in sunny California. Hollywood convinced me, with entertainment like “CHiPs” and “L.A. Story,” that the Golden State was a place I wanted to live. Venice Beach, the Santa Monica Pier, and the Hollywood sign all fed into what California was.

"My dreams encompassed San Francisco as probably the most beautiful city in America, before its embarrassing slide included a famous poop app warning walkers where not to step. Yosemite National Park is still one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Of course, no place is perfect, and I knew California had its share of issues, including traffic congestion, earthquakes, and smog.

"I moved to California in 1996 with romantic visions of sun-soaked palm trees and endless possibilities. I didn’t know California had already begun its tragic fall from grace.

"The romantic view I’d nurtured mostly survived contact when I moved to Southern California in 1996. Los Angeles had a Republican mayor at the time, which might be hard to believe given the recent mayoral primary fiasco. For more than a decade, I participated in the illusion that California was unbreakable.

"For those willing to look, fractures caused by illegal immigration, identity politics, and a radical “green” agenda that stifled infrastructure development and economic opportunities were starting to show. Power plants, reservoirs, and aqueducts were no longer proposed. Instead, California opted for what became a $14.6 billion railway boondoggle that still hasn’t resulted in a usable rail system.

"California’s siren song was a magnet for generations of pioneers, dreamers, and entrepreneurs alike. Hundreds of miles of scenic coastline, abundant natural resources matched only by abundant natural beauty, and a dynamic economy made it seem too fortunate to fail.

"Gems like Huntington Beach reinforced this belief." . . . More...

The laughable leftist rankings of 'livable' states

   "Americans don’t listen to CNBC and the rest. They know what’s happening around them. They recognize real reality and vote with their feet. And U-Haul prospers."  

The View’s Sunny Hostin hates ‘privilege’—except for her own

"Her efforts to prevent her allegedly law-breaking son from being arrested are laughable when you know her history."

 Andrea Widburg - American Thinker  

"But her approach—which basically boiled down to a politely expressed version of “do you know who I am and do you know who my son is?”—is still a stinking bit of leftist hypocrisy when you consider Hostin’s long history of identifying and attacking any type of so-called “privilege,” especially those attached to wealth and prestige."


"No one hates “privilege” more than Sunny Hostin. The slightly black co-host of The View, who earns $2 million annually and lives with her orthopedic surgeon husband in a 12,000-square-foot New York City apartment, repeatedly castigates those—usually white—who exercise their “privilege.” However, when it came to throwing her weight around with the cops to protect her son from allegedly illegal conduct, the whole idea of “privilege” vanished from Hostin’s mind.
"Hostin, a former federal prosecutor with a pretty face, landed herself a gig on The View, a show that is aggressively woke. In that context, Hostin often complains about privilege—all kinds of privilege that imply that talent and hard work are meaningless. Here are some notable examples:
"In April 2019, when he was running for the Democrat nomination, Pete Buttigieg made obeisance to the race and sex hustlers by reflecting on his “white privilege or male privilege.” Hostin was thrilled that Buttigieg had this empathetic insight into his privilege.
"In May 2024, while the shrews...er, hostesses were discussing Caitlin Clark, Hostin stated, “I do think that there is a thing called pretty privilege. There is a thing called White privilege. There is a thing called tall privilege, and we have to acknowledge that.
"Most tellingly, though, for purposes of this essay, in September 2019, when actress Felicity Huffman was trying to get a more lenient sentence for her role in a college admissions scandal, Hostin was outraged that someone prominent, wealthy, and generally in a better (presumably whiter) situation than other people, would dare ask for leniency: “She had wealth, privilege and a platform, and she didn’t use it appropriately.”. . .

UK Daily mail:  Excruciating moment The View host Sunny Hostin tries to get her smirking son off the hook with cops    . . . "'We know you’re not a criminal or anything like that but our hands are tied with cameras everywhere.'
"Following the citation, Gabriel Hostin was ordered to return to court in New Rochelle, New York on July 31. 
"According to the New York Post, his former federal prosecutor mom is representing him.

Sunny Hostin also penned a letter to Westchester Assistant District Attorney Amanda Greene, the prosecutor in the case, where she asked for the case to be dismissed." . . .

Friday, July 17, 2026

Rep. Ro Khanna pressed on Israel stance as Democratic Party sees division over foreign policy

"OPINION: Journalist Jeremy Scahill press Rep. Ro Khanna on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and accused the congressman of having a double standard. #RoKhanna #Israel #Palestine    • Ro Khanna accuses IDF of LYING after being...  

Inside the Mind of a NYT Editor

 Ann Coulter 

 "Thanks to this interview, we finally got a glimpse of one of the little known editors making the Times as ridiculously biased as it is, and it turns out, she’s not some seasoned Machiavellian manipulator, she’s an idiot."


"Regular New York Times readers have long suspected that the paper’s oppressive bias comes not from actual reporters, but from doctrinaire editors, who assign the pieces, then insert those ridiculous 2d or 3d paragraphs that interrupt the flow of the piece, but hammer home the party line.
"The paper recently put one of these editors on display on our 250th birthday, by interviewing former national editor, Jia Lynn Yang, about the country’s founding. She’s not as bad as we expected. She’s worse.
"The gist of Yang’s conception of our country is that everything swell about it is a “myth” and the only history worth talking about is that we had slavery. (I’m glad someone has finally pointed that out.)
"Yang says conservatives are “obsessed with mythmaking,” whereas liberals — especially journalists like herself — are “obsessed with the knowing of facts.” Continuing to tout the left’s devotion to facts, she adds: “We are not interested in myths. We are kind of in the business of anti-myths.” Laying her cards on the table, she admits, not the least bit pretentiously: “I am fully in favor of the truth as a journalist.”
"What integrity!
"I won’t mention that the Times exclusively refers to biological men with big swinging penises as “women,” provided they put on a dress and call themselves “Brittney.” Also, with amazing restraint, I will not cite Walter Duranty, Jayson Blair, the Duke lacrosse case, Sarah Palin’s “direct link” to the shooting of Gabby Giffords, the 1619 Project, Russian collusion, and on and on.
"So what are the myths believed by conservatives? Do not say George Washington and the cherry tree! Don’t do it. Everyone knows that was just a little parable used as moral instruction. DO. NOT. MENTION. THE. CHERRY. TREE.
"Guess what Yang uses as her one and only example of the miasma of myths around our founding. Yes — the cherry tree! I.e., a tale thoroughly debunked for more than a century and barely believed at the time, except by those with a simple, trusting nature, like small children and Times senior editors. (Maybe for Christmas, Yang could explode the myth of Santa Claus.)
"She specifically assails the “mythology” that our country is “really special… unlike anything anyone has ever seen before .. something totally unprecedented.” Unable to get to all the precedents, she only cited none. But I’m sure there were lots of countries back then that had broken away from monarchies based on their bold assertion of God-given rights." . . . More...

A favorite liberal yellow journalist phrase: 

Broc Smith

Hot Takes: Democrats Melt Down and Break Out the Talking Points After Trump Speech on Election Integrity   
"As usual, Gavin is accusing someone else of what he is guilty of".

Worse Than the Third World? Trump Exposes Mind-Blowing Election Compromising and Cheating – PJ Media   . . . "The president also mentioned a review from the Department of Homeland Security revealing almost 300,000 non-citizen names on voter rolls, which they believe is only the tip of the iceberg, since Democrat states have so far refused to share their data.

"The most disgraceful part is just how many Americans were willing to work with foreign enemies to steal our elections. "In mid-2018, China was working to influence the results of the U.S. midterm elections, and later the results of the 2020 presidential election itself. Separately, in mid-2019, the Chinese government's strategy against the United States was focused on undermining domestic confidence in the U.S. president," Trump disclosed. "The strategy included efforts to use Chinese contacts with big U.S. companies to influence U.S. business leaders to turn against the president of the United States of America." Furthermore, "The Chinese government sought to identify U.S. journalists who had reported negatively on the U.S. president, and pay them large sums of money."

"Our media and Deep State were selling America to our worst foes. "Put together, these disclosures reveal an election system so broken and so vulnerable that no one can possibly defend it," Trump declared. "Hundreds of millions of U.S. voter files are in the hands of foreign governments. Our machines and ballot counting systems are exposed to hacking, manipulation, and corruption. China and other countries have been trying to meddle in our elections. Evidence of fraud has been buried. Hundreds of thousands of non-citizens and dead people are listed and active on the voter rolls, and yet we still have elections with no voter ID, no proof of citizenship, and tens of millions of ballots floating aimlessly through the mail." That is indeed a situation that belongs to a Third World hellhole, not to the USA."

Trump Unleashes Election Intel: China Stole 220 Million Voter Files, Deep State Cover-Up   "In a highly-anticipated primetime speech Thursday night, President Donald Trump announced "the immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence revealing shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure," including evidence of "China’s illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files" in the 2020 election, and a DHS evaluation of state voter rolls and public records revealed that 278,000 non-citizens are registered to vote in federal elections.

"Those documents have all been posted to the White House's website. (For the readers who might need to be spoon-fed, you need to navigate down to the bottom of each of the four sections and look for the part that says "Documents" and then "ZIP" and download it.)" . . .

Not A Single Democrat Attended Senate Fraud Hearing  

"Senate Democrats were absent from a Wednesday hearing focused on allegations of widespread fraud involving government programs and election-related activity. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held the hearing without any Democratic members in attendance, according to a post shared on X. The witnesses included journalist Nick Shirley and activist journalist James O’Keefe, […]"

Report: Taco Bell Lettuce Supplier Identified as Possible Source of Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

Democrats fervently hope the source is tied to Republicans somehow. Anyhow.

Legal Insurrection   

"More states are now reporting Cyclospora infections as health officials continue searching for the source behind a growing outbreak that has now spread across 38 states. Michigan remains the hardest hit with more than 1,500 reported…



"I have been following the nationwide outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic gut parasite that triggers explosive diarrhea and can be accompanied by severe cramping, nausea, fatigue, and prolonged weeks of illness.
""As I noted in that article, given similar previously recorded events, the Cyclospora spread would likely be tied to fruits or vegetables from a national distributor.  Subsequently, I indicated that Taco Bell restaurants were pulling fresh ingredients from the menu.
"It now appears that cases of Cyclospora are exploding throughout the country.

As of July 14, nearly 7,000 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported by at least 34 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC believes 400 of these cases in four states — Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky — are connected as part of a large, multistate outbreak, it said in a health alert on Tuesday.

Cyclosporasis cases normally increase in the U.S. during the warmer months, according to the CDC. But the recent surge has sparked concern.

“Cases are simply exploding across the country,” NBC medical contributor and ER physician Dr. John Torres said on TODAY in a July 14 segment. At least 141 people have been hospitalized so far." . . .

More...

UPDATED: Lettuce at Taco Bell confirmed as a source of diarrhea-causing outbreak | AP News    . . . "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. A record number of cyclospora cases have been reported in more than 30 states, and experts have said not every recent U.S. illness might be caused by a single source.

"A Food and Drug Administration investigation so far has identified a single supplier of the lettuce. The federal warnings to consumers did not identify the company, but Taylor Fresh Foods, of Salinas, California, said FDA testing indicated it was “a specific independent farm” affiliated with the company.

"The FDA was working with the supplier “to determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market,” including in other states, the CDC said. “Taco Bell has committed to stop using any lettuce from the supplier identified by FDA’s traceback investigation.” . . .  

"Taylor Farms also was tied to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to salad mix and a 2024 E. coli outbreak tied to onions served at McDonald’s."

Fetterman draws red line for Democratic Party, says he would leave if it abandons Israel

"The warning comes the same day that over 100 House Democrats voted against sending more aid to Israel, though the amendment containing the proposal failed to pass because of wide Republican support."

Just The News    

“As a Democrat, I am angry at people like Bernie Sanders, that pushed that accused rapist. Why did so many people on that left embrace that accused rapist?” he asked. “What was the appeal? Was it no record in public service? Was it the record of the Nazi ink? Was it the crazy things he said online?

"Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman issued a warning to the Democratic Party on Wednesday, stating that he would leave it if the party officially turns its back on Israel. 

"The warning comes the same day that over 100 House Democrats voted against sending more aid to Israel, though the amendment containing the proposal failed to pass because of wide Republican support. 

“If our party ever becomes — and just makes it official — the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me,” Fetterman said during an interview at the Hill Nation Summit in Washington.

The senator claimed he could not understand why the Democratic Party, which shares a lot of similarities with Israel, would turn against the country and that he fears the long-term trajectory for Democrats, who have been more vocally against Israel amid a rise in progressivism among the party.

“My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel,” he said. “You look at the kinds of individuals that are winning our recent primaries, it’s becoming more anti-Israel and hostile to [pro-Israel] people." . . .

In seismic shift, more than 100 House Democrats vote to end Israel aid - POLITICO

Full List of Democrats Who Voted to Block Weapons to Israel - Newsweek

"As candidates ramp up for this year's midterm elections—with Democrats aiming to make significant gains and trying to take control of Congress—Israel and its wars in Lebanon and Iran are emerging as central issues in the political debate."

List of Senators Who Voted Against the Measure [To deny aid to Israel]: 

Richard Blumenthal (CT) Chris Coons (DE) Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) Jacky Rosen (NV) Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) Chuck Schumer (NY) John Fetterman (PA)

July 12, 2026 “Well Regulated” But Not Well Read: James Talarico Makes Curious Claim on Second Amendment

Jonathan Turley

"A virtual cottage industry has emerged among people finding James Talarico clips espousing everything from declaring his campaign meat-free to there being six genders to God being non-binary. One recently uncovered video from a meet-and-greet, however, attracted my interest and deepened my concerns about Talarico. It shows Talarico explaining why sweeping gun control laws do not violate the Second Amendment. The reason, he declared, is that the Second Amendment expressly embraces gun controls by referring to the right as “well regulated.”

"In the clip, Talarico mocks those opposing gun control measures and bans as not taking the time to actually read the Amendment:

“A lot of politicians like to talk about the Second Amendment. Very few have actually read the Second Amendment, because, if they did, they would know that the words ‘well regulated’ are right there in the text of the amendment itself.”

"What he omits is the word following “well regulated”: “militia.”

"It is hardly a long read, so here is the language:

  1. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

"The term “well regulated” was not a reference to regulation in the contemporary sense. It was used to mean orderly or well-maintained. Militias were considered the backbone of the American military, particularly by those who feared a standing army. Some militias were less capable than others in the Revolutionary War. A well-regulated militia meant state militias that were combat-ready.

"The individual right to possess guns was viewed as central to maintaining such militias. However, the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that a “well regulated militia” was not a limitation but a justification for the individual right." . . .

Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the New York Times best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”

STUDY: Be My (Leftist) Guest: PBS's Liberal-Conservative Disparity Tops 5-1

Kaitlan Collins once told an interviewer she welcomed guests from both liberal and conservative views. We have to discover for ourselves how each side was treated in her interviews and what sort of rebuttal guests were on the show with them. TD

 STUDY: Be My (Leftist) Guest Once Again:



. . . "A new Media Research Center study tracked and labeled every guest that appeared on the News Hour over the first six months of 2026 -- January 1 through June 30 -- and found that liberal-Democratic leaning guests outnumbered conservative-Republican leaning guests by 234-45, a ratio of 5.2 to 1 (186 guests were rated either neutral or nonpolitical).
"That ratio surpasses findings from two previous MRC studies (3.7 to 1 in March 2023 and 4.2 to 1 in May 2025), meaning the bias has gone from bad to worse since PBS lost its government subsidy. 

KEY FINDINGS:

■ Liberal-Democratic guests outnumbered conservative-Republican guests by 234-45, a ratio of 5.2 to 1.

■ Of 22 appearances by Republican officials and appointees, seven were coded as anti-Trump. Of 31 appearances by Democrats, only one was coded as pro-Trump.

■ When elected officials and appointees were removed from the guest count, the ideological disparity becomes even more striking, with liberal-leaning guests outnumbering conservative-leaning guests 203-23, a ratio of 8.8 to 1.

■ Liberal-leaning journalists made 40 appearances as guests, compared to 0 appearances by conservative-leaning journalists.

"On a few occasions, liberal guests appeared, but their statements were fairly neutral information and analysis, so they were not included in the tally, including pro-abortion academic Mary Ziegler and China expert Orville Schell." . . . 

Democrat Attorneys General Sue to Block Paramount CNN Merger Over Bias Concerns  

 . . ."Giggle when they call themselves the “mainstream media.”   At CBS, arrogant leftists like 60 Minutes activists Scott Pelley and Sharyn Alfonsi throwing fits of insubordination and getting fired was meant to imply there’s been a massive sea change in what people see when they tune in on Sunday nights. Once again, viewers haven’t seen a massive change in their stories. But leftists cannot abide anyone even questioning their aggressive partisanship to steer America toward that “right side of history.'”