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Incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani will take his midnight oath of office on a centuries-old Quran, marking the first time a mayor of New York City uses Islam's holy text to be sworn in and underscoring a series of historic firsts for the city. When the 34-year-old Democrat becomes mayor in a long-closed subway station beneath City Hall, he'll be the first Muslim, first South Asian and first African-born person to hold that position. These milestones as well as the historical Quran he will use for the ceremony reflect the longstanding and vibrant Muslim residents of the nation's most populous city, according to a scholar who helped Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, select one of the books. Most of Mamdani's predecessors were sworn in on a Bible, although the oath to uphold the federal, state and city constitutions does not require the use of any religious text. And while he has focused heavily on the issue of affordability during his campaign, Mamdani was outspoken about his Muslim faith. H
Zohran Mamdani will become mayor of New York City as the clock ticks over into 2026 but the celebrations are set to last through New Year's Day. The Democrat's team is planning two separate swearing-in ceremonies Thursday a small, private one with his family in an old subway station around midnight, followed by a large event in the afternoon that will include a public block party outside City Hall. As a new mayor's term begins immediately with the new year, it has been customary for the city's incoming leaders to hold two events. Outgoing mayor Eric Adams held his initial swearing-in at Times Square shortly after the famous ball drop, while Adams' predecessor, Bill de Blasio, took his first oath at home in Brooklyn. For his part, Mamdani will take his initial oath at the former City Hall subway station in Manhattan one of the city's original stops on its subterranean transit system, known for its tiled arches and vaulted ceilings. New York Attorney General Letitia James, a ...
Zohran Mamdani has promised to transform New York City government when he becomes mayor. Can he do it? Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, already faces intense scrutiny, even before taking office in one of the country's most scrutinized political jobs. Republicans have cast him as a liberal boogeyman. Some of his fellow Democrats have deemed him too far left. Progressives are closely watching for any signs of him shifting toward the center. On Jan. 1, he will assume control of America's biggest city under that harsh spotlight, with the country watching to see if he can pull off the big promises that vaulted him to office and handle the everyday duties of the job. All while skeptics call out his every stumble. For Mamdani, starting off strong is key, said George Arzt, a veteran Democratic political consultant in New York who worked for former Mayor Ed Koch. He's got to use the first 100 days of the administration to show people he can govern, he said. You've got to set a .
Two helicopters crashed midair in New Jersey on Sunday, killing one person and critically injuring another, authorities say. Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11:25 am. Video from the scene shows a helicopter spinning rapidly to the ground. Police and fire crews subsequently extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters. The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Enstrom 280C helicopter over Hammonton Municipal Airport. Only the pilots were on board each aircraft. One was killed, and the other was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Sal Silipino, owner of a cafe near the crash site, said the pilots were regulars at the restaurant and would often have breakfast together. He said he and other customers watched the helicopters take off before one began spiralling downward, followed by the other. "It was shocking,
New York is set to become the latest state to legalize medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill under a deal reached between the governor and state legislative leaders announced Wednesday. Democratic Gov Kathy Hochul plans to sign the proposal next year after pushing to add a series of guardrails in the bill, she announced in an op-ed in the Albany Times Union. Hochul, a Catholic, said she came to the decision after hearing from New Yorkers in the throes of pain and suffering, as well as their children, while also considering opposition from individuals of many faiths who believe that deliberately shortening one's life violates the sanctity of life. I was taught that God is merciful and compassionate, and so must we be, she wrote. This includes permitting a merciful option to those facing the unimaginable and searching for comfort in their final months in this life. A dozen other states and the District of Columbia have laws to allow medically assisted suicide, according t
The New York Mets' ballpark in Queens. A Bronx golf course once operated by President Donald Trump 's company. A slot parlor on a horse racing track near John F. Kennedy International Airport. The three disparate sites, located far from the tourist hub of Manhattan, will become the future homes of New York City's first Las Vegas-style resort casinos. The state Gaming Commission on Monday awarded the three projects licenses to operate in the lucrative metropolitan-area market during a meeting at a riverside park in upper Manhattan. The panel approved the licenses with the condition that the companies appoint an outside monitor to ensure they're complying with state law and meeting the many promises and local investments they made to communities. Brian O'Dwyer, the commission's chair, said the state looked forward to casino projects' promises of jobs, infrastructure investments and gaming revenue realized. A handful of protestors opposed to billionaire Mets owner Steve Cohen's casin
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani posted a video to social media on Sunday explaining immigrants' right to refuse to speak to or comply with agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, days after federal agents carried out a raid in Manhattan. In the video, Mamdani vowed to protect the city's 3 million immigrants, saying, We can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights. He explained that people in the US can chose not to speak to federal immigration agents, film them without interfering and refuse their requests to enter private spaces. ICE agents cannot enter spaces like a home, school or private area of a workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge, Mamdani said. "ICE is legally allowed to lie to you, but you have the right to remain silent. If you're being detained, you may always ask, Am I free to go?' repeatedly until they answer you," said Mamdani, who will be sworn in as mayor on Jan 1. His comments came a week after demonstrators gathered as ICE
A 42-year-old woman has been charged for her role in an international smuggling conspiracy under which individuals primarily from India were brought illegally to the US across the border from Canada. Stacey Taylor of Plattsburgh, New York, appeared for an arraignment this week after a federal grand jury in Albany returned an indictment in October charging her for her role in the smuggling conspiracy, according to an official statement on Friday. Court records show that US Border Patrol agents interdicted Taylor's vehicle near Churubusco, New York, near the Quebec border in the early morning hours in January, and found four foreign nationals inside her vehicle. The four men - three Indian nationals and one Canadian national - had crossed the US-Canadian border illegally, without inspection. When law enforcement later examined Taylor's cellphone, they observed text messages that indicated that she had been involved in multiple other smuggling ventures in the days prior. Since her ..
A high-stakes hearing in the New York murder case against Luigi Mangione continues Thursday, a year to the day after prosecutors say he gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges. Before any trials get scheduled, his lawyers are trying to preclude the eventual jurors from hearing about his alleged statements to law enforcement officers and items including a gun and a notebook allegedly seized from his backpack. The evidence is key to prosecutors' case. They have said that the 9 mm handgun matches the firearm used in the killing, that writings in the notebook laid out Mangione's disdain for health insurers and ideas about killing a CEO at an investor conference, and that he gave Pennsylvania police the same fake name that the alleged gunman used at a New York hostel days before the shooting. Thompson, 50, was shot from behind as he walked to an investor conference on Dec. 4, 2024. He became ...
Starbucks will pay about USD 35 million to more than 15,000 New York City workers to settle claims it denied them stable schedules and arbitrarily cut their hours, city officials announced Monday, hours before Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and US Sen. Bernie Sanders visited striking baristas on a picket line. The development came amid a continuing strike by Starbucks' union that began last month at dozens of locations around the country. The workers want better hours and increased staffing, and they are angry that Starbucks hasn't agreed on a contract nearly four years after workers voted to unionize at a Buffalo store. Union votes at other locations followed, and about 550 of Starbucks' 10,000 company-owned stores are now unionized. The coffee giant also has around 7,000 licensed locations at airports, grocery stores and other locales. Workers and the company dispute the extent and impact of the strike, but Mamdani, Sanders and some state and city officials sought to amplify the ...
US President Donald Trump said he had a "very productive meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and expressed confidence "he can do a very good job, as the two adopted a mutually warm tone after months of engaging in bitter rhetoric against each other. Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House Friday. Trump said he enjoyed the meeting, which he described as great. We've just had a great meeting, a really good, very productive meeting. We have one thing in common, we want this city of ours that we love to do very well. I wanted to congratulate the Mayor. He really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people, starting with the early primariesand he beat them easily, Trump said in the Oval Office, as Mamdani stood next to him. When asked if he would feel comfortable living in New York City under a Mamdani administration, Trump responded emphatically, Yeah, I would, especially after the meeting. Absolutely. He added that t
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Monday that he hopes to meet with President Donald Trump to find ways the political polar opposites can work together on the central focus of his winning campaign: affordability. At an appearance at a food pantry in the Bronx, the Democrat confirmed that his team had reached out to the White House to set up a possible sit-down. Trump told reporters Sunday night that he planned meet with Mamdani, saying we'll work something out as he prepared to fly back to Washington after spending the weekend in Florida. Mamdani said the overture reflected his commitment to meet with anyone who could help address the city's most pressing needs, including controlling soaring costs. The president ran a campaign where he spoke about a promise to deliver cheaper groceries, a promise to reduce the cost of living," the mayor-elect said after visiting Part of the Solution, or POTS. We are seeing his actions and that of his administration in Washington leadi
Chronicles from the 2025 Mahakumbh, rise of Indians in America, works of National Book Award finalist Megha Majumdar and renowned authors Amish Tripathi and Devdutt Pattanaik will take centre stage at a leading literary festival here that will celebrate Indian voices in world literature. The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) will host the IAAC Literary Festival 2025 on November 15-16 bringing together a constellation of acclaimed authors, thinkers, and storytellers from across the globe to explore South Asia's rich literary and cultural landscape, from myth and mysticism to modern identity, innovation, and global citizenship. Across borders and generations, Indian literature continues to redefine the global imagination. The IAAC Literary Festival is where those voices meet; bold, questioning, and alive with possibility. Voices that remind us that literature is not only art, but also the architecture of understanding, IAAC Literary Festival Director Preethi Urs said in a statement. T