TV News LIES

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race on Sept. 14, saying on social media that the city "deserves a mayor who will stand up to Donald Trump and make life more affordable for New Yorkers."

The governor's endorsement was announced in a New York Times op-ed, in which Hochul — a moderate Democrat — detailed what led to her decision and her conversations with the state assemblyman. She is the latest high-profile Democrat to endorse Mamdani, 33, following his upset victory in the June Democratic primary.

Mamdani's shocking primary win against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had sent shockwaves among New York's Democratic establishment. Hochul initially declined to endorse Mamdani, who has been working to get endorsements from party leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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The University of California, Berkeley has given the Trump administration the names of 160 faculty members and students as part of an investigation into “alleged antisemitic incidents”, a move a targeted scholar likened to a “practice from the McCarthy era”.

UC Berkeley, a top-ranked public institution, sent a letter to affected members of campus last week disclosing that university lawyers had included their names in reports to the Department of Education’s office for civil rights (OCR). The education department has been targeting colleges across the country as part of Donald Trump’s aggressive crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism, international students and academic freedom.

Judith Butler, a prominent feminist philosopher and queer theorist, received the letter from David Robinson, UC Berkeley’s chief campus counsel, which said OCR was investigating “allegations of antisemitic harassment and discrimination” and “required production of comprehensive documents”.

Butler, a Jewish scholar who has been critical of Israel, said on Friday that they had questioned Robinson about the disclosures and said he provided no information on the specific allegations.

“We have a right to know the charges against us, to know who has made the charges and to review them and defend ourselves,” they said. “But none of that has happened, which is why we’re in Kafka-land … It is an enormous breach of trust.”

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A loan estimate for an Atlanta home purchased by Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve governor accused of mortgage fraud by the Trump administration, shows that Cook had declared the property as a “vacation home,” according to a document reviewed by Reuters.

The document, dated May 28, 2021, was issued to Cook by her credit union in the weeks before she completed the purchase and shows that she had told the lender that the Atlanta property wouldn’t be her primary residence. The document appears to counter other documentation that Cook’s critics have cited in support of their claims that she committed mortgage fraud by reporting two different homes as her primary residence, two independent real-estate experts said.

Reuters was unable to reach Cook for comment. She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing regarding her properties, which also include a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and an investment property in Massachusetts.

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Zohran Mamdani continues to hold a commanding lead in the race for New York City mayor, with a new poll released on Wednesday showing the Democratic nominee 15 points ahead of former governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent candidate.

The new poll, conducted by Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill, shows Mamdani with 43% support among New York City registered voters, compared with 28% for Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has triggered excitement among many progressives and leftists in the Democratic party and unease with some centrist party leaders. His leftwing populist agenda propelled him to a shock win in the party primary, creating global headlines.

In the Emerson poll, the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, received 10% support, while the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent, polled at 8%. Nine per cent of respondents said they were still undecided.

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The Education Department announced Wednesday it is ending discretionary funding to multiple Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) grant programs. 

The funding violated the law, according to the Trump administration, because it goes to institutions that “meet racial or ethnic quotas.”

“Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. “To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.”

“Diversity is not merely the presence of a skin color. Stereotyping an individual based on immutable characteristics diminishes the full picture of that person’s life and contributions, including their character, resiliency, and merit,” she continued. “The Department looks forward to working with Congress to reenvision these programs to support institutions that serve underprepared or under-resourced students without relying on race quotas and will continue fighting to ensure that students are judged as individuals, not prejudged by their membership of a racial group.”

The administration did not specify where the $350 million in discretionary funds that was expected for these programs will go.

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The FBI has released images of a person of interest sought in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

"We are asking for the public's help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University," the FBI's Salt Lake City office said on X on Thursday while sharing two images of the individual, who is wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses and was captured in a stairwell in one of them.

The FBI said it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person responsible for Kirk's murder.

A press update with FBI and Utah law enforcement officials initially scheduled for Thursday afternoon was subsequently postponed due to "rapid developments" in the investigation, the Utah Department of Public Safety said.

The FBI said it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person responsible for Kirk's murder.

A press update with FBI and Utah law enforcement officials initially scheduled for Thursday afternoon was subsequently postponed due to "rapid developments" in the investigation, the Utah Department of Public Safety said.

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