Louisiana bill expands first-degree murder charges and death penalty eligibility after mall shooting
A Louisiana bill expanded after a deadly mall shooting would broaden first-degree murder charges and potentially increase death penalty eligibility, and lawmakers cited the attack as justification for toughening the state’s homicide laws. House Bill 102 was originally introduced to create a new crime targeting abuse or neglect that seriously harms elderly or vulnerable people. But the proposal evolved significantly as it moved through the state legislature. Lawmakers added provisions tying the new offense to existing murder laws, meaning a death during such abuse could be charged as murder. SHOOTING AT MARDI GRAS PARADE IN LOUISIANA LEAVES 5 WOUNDED, SUSPECT IN CUSTODY POLICE SAY The most sweeping changes came in the Louisiana Senate, where state Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, introduced amendments after the April 23 shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. The incident prompted a massive law enforcement response after reports of an active shooter sent shoppers fleeing for safety. Authorities said multiple people opened fire during a dispute between groups inside the mall. The gunfire killed 17-year-old Martha Odom and wounded at least five others, according to officials. Several of those wounded were bystanders caught in the crossfire. SEPARATE SHOOTINGS NEAR NEW ORLEANS PARADE ROUTE LEAVE 2 DEAD, 10 WOUNDED Police said multiple suspects were taken into custody after the shooting, which unfolded in a crowded public area and sparked panic among shoppers and employees. Gov. Jeff Landry said at the time that the violence underscored ongoing concerns about public safety as investigators worked to determine what led to the gunfire. Seabaugh said the amendments were designed to address situations in which individuals fire into crowds and kill unintended victims, according to The Advocate. LOUISIANA CHILD KILLER SPARED BY BIDEN FACES DEATH PENALTY AGAIN AFTER ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ COMMUTATION: DA Under the revised bill, first-degree murder would be expanded to include killings in public places where the offender creates a risk of death or great bodily harm to three or more people. Additional provisions apply to offenders who use guns illegally or commit killings while on bail, probation or parole. The changes also establish a legal presumption that pointing and firing a gun at another person demonstrates intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm. In Louisiana, first-degree murder is a capital offense, meaning defendants can face the death penalty if convicted. The bill must still clear final legislative hurdles before heading to the governor’s desk.
WATCH: California Dems rally around healthcare for illegal immigrants during fiery debate
Every Democrat asked during this week’s California gubernatorial debate said they supported providing healthcare coverage for illegal immigrants, a position they took moments after candidates spent several minutes warning that California’s healthcare system is already too expensive and straining families, businesses and the state budget. “We had a broken immigration system, and now you want to victimize the people who are working here and making the state run,” Democratic candidate and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer said when asked if he supported giving coverage to illegal immigrants after the current California governor, Gavin Newsom, cut it to help reduce the state’s ballooning deficit. Katie Porter, a former California congresswoman and fellow Democratic candidate for California governor, was asked point-blank about the cost concerns related to providing illegal immigrants with free healthcare coverage. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE COSTS IN BLUE STATE TRIGGERS INTENSE BUDGET DEBATE “We can’t afford to have people who are sick, who are making the rest of us sick,” Porter responded to the cost question before her Republican opponent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, interjected, “They shouldn’t be here,” leading Porter to pause and give him a look of bewilderment. “When anyone doesn’t have care, the rest of us are at risk when people don’t get vaccinations,” Porter continued. “When they don’t go to the doctor, they wind up in the emergency room. They cause longer lines for the rest of us. They make our health care system — they push it to the brink.” “Immigrants, whether documented or not, work hard. They pay taxes, and sometimes they get injured on the job or their children get sick,” former Biden administration Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said when asked if he supported the measure. NEWSOM SIGNS $2.8B BAILOUT FOR HEALTHCARE PROGRAM OVERRUN BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “It would be foolish to tell a family that they don’t have access to the pediatrician or the family doc or not be able to use the community health center where it wouldn’t cost us so much to give them help access to good health care,” Becerra continued. “Instead, what will happen is that child will get so ill that they will have to take that child to the hospital. And what door do they enter? The most expensive door in the health care system? The emergency room door. Why do that and spend so much money when you can do it up front?” The remaining Democratic Party candidates on the stage, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, were not directly asked whether they supported providing healthcare to illegal immigrants in the state, nor did they indicate their stances during other portions of the debate that discussed healthcare. “The actual way we deal with healthcare in this state is to at least stop spending $20 billion a year on free healthcare for illegal immigrants who shouldn’t even be in the country in the first place,” Republican candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton said during debate about how to reform the state’s healthcare system. LAWMAKERS REVEAL WHETHER AMERICANS SHOULD PICK UP THE MEDICAID TAB FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “When are we going to draw the line at any other crime? It’s illegal. They enter the country illegally, we’re not going to incentivize them to come here to take more of the resources that regular Californians aren’t getting,” Bianco added. Before defending taxpayer-funded healthcare access for illegal immigrants, several of the Democratic candidates were already locked in a fight over who was more committed to government-run healthcare. Steyer said he supports single payer “absolutely,” while Becerra said California should “try to get to a Medicare for all program.” Porter repeatedly pressed Becerra to be more explicit, asking whether he supported “California having its own state-run single-payer system.” But the push for expanded coverage came as candidates also acknowledged the cost problem. Steyer said healthcare is “eating up our budget” and “eating up every single family,” while Villaraigosa warned a state-run single-payer system would carry a roughly $500 billion price tag and require approval from the federal government. “It’s pie in the sky,” Villaraigosa said.
DOJ dangles massive signing bonuses for lawyers ready to fight ‘lawless’ cities far beyond DC
The Department of Justice is offering signing bonuses of up to $25,000 to recruit lawyers across the country to bolster legal battles against what one department official described as “lawless jurisdictions.” New job postings show the high-dollar bonuses are being offered through the DOJ Civil Division components that handle immigration lawsuits and investigations into transgender medical treatments, two of President Donald Trump’s most contentious priorities, and highlight New York City, Raleigh, San Francisco and Dallas. The hiring push comes as the Civil Division, the DOJ’s most expansive division led by Brett Shumate, continues the resource-intensive task of defending White House policies in court as it faces hundreds of lawsuits, while also drawing scrutiny for employee departures and reported recruiting challenges. The new recruitment strategy puts a spotlight on the pressure DOJ is facing to sustain its aggressive legal defense strategy, particularly in blue cities and states that it has accused of undermining federal authority, while also combating narratives that the department is struggling to retain staff. TRUMP ADMIN UNLEASHES CRUCIAL RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN WITH MASSIVE BONUSES TO BOLSTER ICE RANKS A DOJ official told Fox News Digital the hiring effort is not reflective of any internal strain but rather a way for the department to “look broader by enticing attorneys around the country who may not have considered” working for a D.C.-based federal agency. “The department is expanding resources across the country to combat lawless jurisdictions and nationwide injunctions, and there is a need to attract candidates from those new areas,” the official said, touting that Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act gave the DOJ “millions of dollars to hire more attorneys specifically for those efforts.” The offers come as blue states, civil rights groups and Democrats flood courts across the country with lawsuits challenging Trump’s efforts to shrink and unify the executive branch, crack down on illegal immigration, implement tariffs and tighten policies surrounding election security and transgender people and more. Lower court judges have often stymied the administration’s work. The DOJ has chosen on rare occasions to raise the adverse rulings on an emergency basis with the conservative-leaning Supreme Court and won some two dozen cases — which represents a vast majority of the cases — when taking that route. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA The Civil Division, which is in charge of defending the civil lawsuits against the administration, has also been offering incentives to current lawyers, according to Bloomberg Law. The outlet said the division was offering new biweekly bonuses up to $220 through Thanksgiving because lawyers “keep fleeing” and because the division was “growing more desperate to stave off further departures of valuable legal minds” who are uncomfortable with Trump’s priorities. The DOJ official addressed concerns about an employee exodus in a statement to Fox News Digital, after The Financial Times also reported that more than a quarter of its nearly 13,000 lawyers have quit or been fired since the beginning of last year. JUDGE RESTORES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS The official attributed the departures, in part, to employees taking a “fork in the road” resignation option, which the Trump administration rolled out last year with the stated goal of reducing the size of government. “This has allowed DOJ to run more efficiently and hire new employees who wholeheartedly believe in the work they’re doing,” the official told Fox News Digital. Assistant Attorney General Shumate told Fox News Digital in a statement he was “always looking for talented and qualified attorneys to advance President Trump’s priorities and protect the American people.” “The Civil Division will continue to hire hardworking patriots from across the country and offer appreciation bonuses to our loyal attorneys who remain committed to our mission and upholding the rule of law,” Shumate said.
Dem representative admits to working with Mexico to sneak oil into Cuba, despite blockade
A Democratic lawmaker is drawing backlash after saying she spoke with foreign ambassadors about getting oil to Cuba despite U.S. sanctions, defending the outreach as “literally our right and responsibility.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., made the remarks during a recent Seattle briefing following a congressional delegation trip to Cuba, where she discussed the island’s worsening fuel shortages and U.S. policy toward the communist regime. “I was in conversations with the ambassadors from Mexico and some other places … trying to figure out how to get oil there,” Jayapal said during the briefing, calling the situation on the island “a crisis beyond imagination.” REP. JAYAPAL DEFENDS COMMENT CALLING ICE ‘A TERRORIST FORCE,’ SAYS WHITE HOUSE ‘OWES AN APOLOGY’ TO AMERICANS Jayapal said the event was part of a broader briefing on the humanitarian situation in Cuba following her recent visit. “As many of you know, I traveled to Cuba as part of a congressional delegation last month,” she said. “It is part of my role to see how U.S. foreign policy is actually affecting the people in the countries where that policy is being implemented.” PAIR OF DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS SLAM ‘BLOCKADE OF FUEL’ TO CUBA, ‘ECONOMIC BOMBING’ AFTER VISIT TO ISLAND She said she met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, senior government officials, political dissidents, civil society groups and foreign diplomats during the trip. Video of the remarks circulated widely on X, where users criticized the progressive lawmaker’s comments and raised legal concerns. REP. JAYAPAL SLAMMED FOR TELLING AMERICANS TO ‘THINK ABOUT WHO PICKED’ THEIR FOOD IN ANTI-DEPORTATION REMARKS Conservative accounts amplified the clip, including End Wokeness, which claimed she was “conspiring against the U.S.” and suggested her actions could constitute a federal felony. Libs of TikTok wrote that her actions “seems a little like treason to me.” DEM CONGRESSWOMAN DENIES RHETORIC INCITED ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE, DOUBLES DOWN ON CONDEMNING AGENCY Social media users also pointed to potential legal implications. “Traitor. She should be prosecuted,” wrote “The Charlie Kirk Show” executive producer Andrew Kolvet on X. Those claims are political commentary and have not been independently verified, and no investigation or charges have been publicly announced. Jayapal responded to the backlash in a post on X, writing, “Breaking news: Members of Congress meet with ambassadors of other countries every day. That’s literally our right and responsibility.” Her remarks came as she sharply criticized U.S. sanctions on Cuba, describing them as “economic bombing of the infrastructure.” “It is illegal. It is against the law,” she said. “This is essentially doing the same thing. It is bombing the infrastructure of Cuba with economic sanctions that essentially ensure that the infrastructure collapses.” DEM SENATOR’S EL SALVADOR TRIP MIGHT VIOLATE LAW LIBERALS USED AS PRETEXT FOR MICHAEL FLYNN PROBE: CRITICS The controversy has also prompted discussion of the Logan Act, a rarely used federal law that bars unauthorized individuals from negotiating with foreign governments in disputes involving the United States. Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Digital the statute has never resulted in a conviction and has been used only sparingly in U.S. history. “There has never been a conviction under it — in fact, there have only been two indictments, the last one about 174 years ago,” McCarthy said. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHING OUT TO DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS SEEN IN VIDEO TELLING TROOPS TO ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ He added that any potential legal exposure would depend on whether a lawmaker took concrete action that violated U.S. sanctions. “There would be no criminal case … unless it can be shown that she took some action that violated, or aided and abetted a violation of, the sanctions,” McCarthy said. FOLLOW US ON X He argued disputes over engagement with foreign governments are more appropriately handled through political accountability rather than criminal law. CHINA’S SPYING IN CUBA SPARKS ALARM ON CAPITOL HILL AFTER FRESH SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW SURVEILLANCE BUILDUP The Trump administration has previously described the Cuban government as a national security concern due to its ties to adversarial countries and actors, including relationships with Iran and alleged links to groups such as Hezbollah. The Cuban government has also faced longstanding criticism over political repression and restrictions on free speech. GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL The island’s economic conditions have contributed to a surge in migration, with hundreds of thousands of Cubans arriving in the United States in recent years. Jayapal, who traveled to Cuba in April with Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., has argued U.S. policy is worsening conditions for civilians on the island while also acknowledging concerns with the Cuban government. CUBAN PRESIDENT ADMITS TALKS WITH TRUMP ADMIN AS FUEL BLOCKADE CHOKES DOMESTIC ENERGY SUPPLY AND ECONOMY “I do also have criticisms of the Cuban government … In our meetings, I have always raised those,” she said, referencing issues including political prisoners and limits on dissent. “The Cuban government has sent many signals that this is a new moment for the country,” Jayapal said in a statement following the trip, adding that U.S. restrictions on fuel amount to “cruel collective punishment.” She has called for lifting the U.S. embargo and removing Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, while backing legislation to block potential U.S. military action against the country. Fox News Digital has reached out to Jayapal’s office, the White House and the State Department for comment.
Texas water park changes ‘Muslim only event’ after Gov Abbott threatens to pull $530K in state grants
A “Muslim-only event” at a taxpayer-funded Texas water park has been changed to say “all are welcome,” while encouraging guests to dress moderately after criticism and threats by Gov. Greg Abbott to pull public safety grants. A local Islamic group rented out the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark for its annual Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) “Epic Eid” celebration June 1. A flier for the event originally stated that the gathering was a “Muslim only event” that required a “modest dress code.” Amid the backlash, the organizer of the event, Aminah Knight, said the event was about “creating a space where individuals and families, particularly those who value modest dress and a modest environment, can come together and enjoy a recreational setting comfortably.” The new poster removes “Muslim only event” and now says “Modest dress only” and replaces the phrase “For Muslims only” with “All are welcome.” MUSLIM GROUPS, OTHER LEADERS DEMAND ABBOTT RESCIND CAIR’S ‘TERRORIST’ DESIGNATION: ‘DEFAMATORY’ “In response to feedback, we have updated our materials to clearly reflect that this is a modest dress-only event, centered around a respectful and family-friendly environment,” she wrote in a message on the event website. The event is the third being held at Epic Waters, a city-owned water park funded in part by a voter-approved 0.25% sales tax in the DFW suburb of Grand Prairie. Initially, the event advertised a “Muslim only event” admission policy that featured halal food and a private prayer area. Women are required to dress in “burkinis,” and men are required to wear swim trunks and shirts. Although men and women won’t be separated, the event website states that guests should uphold “Islamic etiquette,” just as they do in other mixed-gender spaces. MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CAIR SUES TEXAS OVER ABBOTT’S ‘TERRORIST’ DESIGNATION Abbott blasted the event, calling the initial “Muslim only” policy “unconstitutional” and “religious discrimination.” “I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim-only no-go zones in Texas,” he wrote on X. “The City must cancel the event and commit to never allowing something like it again by May 11th, or lose $530,000 in state grants. Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans.” In a letter to Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen, Abbott noted that his Public Safety Office has five active grants with the city and that city leaders agreed to comply with state laws regarding civil rights and discrimination upon accepting the awards. Fox News Digital has reached out to the water park and the city of Grand Prairie.
Minnesota’s eye-popping subsidy payments to nine daycare centers exposed after last week’s fed raids
Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) paid more than $67 million in public childcare subsidies over the past eight years to nine day care providers, several of which were confirmed to have been raided by federal authorities last week. The figure is based on an investigation of state records by local Minnesota news outlet KSTP, which points out that since there have not been any charges, it is unclear how much of this may be fraud. While an exhaustive list of the daycares raided last week has not been released by authorities, public records can confirm several included programs that receive CCAP subsidies. The investigation of state records found that in the final two years of publicly available data that state payments through the CCAP program to these nine centers more than doubled, growing from around $8 million in 2023 to over $16 million in 2025, while the number of students served remained steady. UNEARTHED SURVEILLANCE EXPOSES HOW PARENTS WERE ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN MINNESOTA’S DAYCARE FRAUD SCHEME “I think voters are very frustrated with the entire situation. I don’t think it’s Republican or Democrat — they’re just frustrated,” former state lawmaker, a small business owner and member of the Taxpayer League of Minnesota, Phil Krinkie, told KSTP. “Just last week, Democrats killed a bill to increase oversight and fraud penalties for child care providers receiving high amounts of CCAP funding, like these nine providers,” the Minnesota House Republican Caucus added on X. Federal agents issued 22 search warrants at day care and autism centers in Minnesota last week. Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI, Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Association of Children and Families (ACF) to confirm details of the raids, including whether the nine daycares receiving CCAP funds were part of last week’s operations. Only HHS responded, indicating that “ACF does not comment on ongoing litigation.” NEW AUDIT EXPOSES FLAWED SYSTEM CRITICS SAY LET MINNESOTA FRAUD TO SLIP THROUGH CRACKS: ‘DIDN’T ACT FOR YEARS’ Former Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson said the scope of the warrants suggests investigators are looking for evidence that publicly-funded services were actually provided, according to KSTP. “Whether it’s a business, a school, a nonprofit — if something grows that much, you know, makes sense to ask why is it growing that much and how could it grow so fast,” Swanson, who oversaw several Medicaid fraud prosecutions during her time as Attorney General, told KSTP. “These are federally and state-funded programs,” Swanson continued. “The question is, ‘were services billed to the government that weren’t rendered?’” CCAP is a publicly funded program for families who cannot afford childcare administered via Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), which also provided the data examined by KSTP. Fox News Digital reached out to DCYF for comment and details about the CCAP program but did not hear back in time for publication. DCYF did not give any information to KSTP, either. The local Minnesota news operation had to go to state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee in the Minnesota legislature, after the agency ignored its public records request. Robbins made the same request, but DCYF did provide the records, documents and data in that case, according to KSTP.
Seattle council member touts ‘Black budget,’ calls for Black residents to form ‘most powerful political party’
The Seattle City Council president said she works with two budgets — her district’s and “the Black budget” — and urged Black residents to unite as “the most powerful political party” in Seattle. Joy Hollingsworth, president of the Seattle City Council and representative of District 3, told attendees at the State of Africatown 2026 conference how she has advocated for the “Black budget” to be reflected in the city’s general budget. The public town hall, focused on advancing Seattle’s Black community, was held in late February, but Hollingsworth’s remarks mentioned by Seattle talk show host Jason Rantz. KEY TRUMP AGENCY UNLEASHES PROBE ON BLUE STATE OVER POTENTIAL RACE-BASED MORTGAGE AID: ‘DEI IS DEAD’ “So, I got two budgets every time I go to council member Dan Strauss every year. I have a District 3 budget and then a black budget,” Hollingsworth told the audience. Hollingsworth’s remarks came just days before Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson ordered city agencies to cut their budgets for next year by 5% to 10%. Seattle is facing a projected budget deficit of $140 million for the 2026 fiscal year. During the address, Hollingsworth talked about how she assembled roughly 70 Black residents to testify last year on the city’s budget, dubbing it “Black Budget Day.” “It is important that they see us, that they hear us, that we just don’t show up for certain things that we are down here advocating for us,” Hollingsworth said of Black Budget Day. “There are political parties in Seattle, and I believe that if Black people come together, we can be the most powerful political party in the city of Seattle. We have to coalesce our power.” Rantz invited Hollingsworth on his radio show to explain what she meant by the term “Black budget,” suggesting that whether she meant it as a literal budget or a term used for political branding, it’s still a “problem.” WHITE DEVELOPER SUES BALTIMORE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL CLAIMING HE WAS FIRED BECAUSE OF HIS RACE “But we’d rightly call out a ‘white budget,’” Rantz wrote. “And it’s worth asking why Hollingsworth doesn’t appear eager to offer other constituencies their own budget. Perhaps she doesn’t care enough about Asians or Latinos?” Rantz said Hollingsworth canceled the interview with his station, but in a statement to Fox News Digital, Hollingsworth said the Black budget refers to “targeted investments and resources directed toward historically impacted communities in Seattle.” “This is about addressing long-standing challenges in public safety, infrastructure, small business support, clean and safe parks, roads and sidewalks and workforce development,” Hollingsworth said. “In Seattle, we need to stay focused on delivering the city basics,” Hollingsworth continued. “That’s what communities across our city are asking for and what they want to see government deliver on every day. We are focused on the fundamentals of local government, safe streets, reliable infrastructure, responsive city services and clean public spaces.” Asked what percentage of Seattle’s $8.9 billion budget should be allocated for the “Black budget,” Hollingsworth said in an email, “8.9 billion dollars. The city’s budget.”
FBI raids Spanberger ally office as federal corruption probe targets cannabis business
The FBI has raided the office of a powerful Virginia Democratic lawmaker and ally of Gov. Abigail Spanberger as part of a federal corruption and illegal marijuana sale probe, Fox News has learned. Longtime state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, a major power broker in Virginia politics who stumped for Spanberger on the campaign trail in 2025, is now at the center of a major FBI corruption probe, according to federal law enforcement sources. Agents executed court-authorized criminal search warrants at Lucas’ office in Portsmouth, Virginia, Wednesday, according to federal law enforcement sources. The FBI simultaneously carried out a search of a cannabis dispensary believed to be connected to Lucas. The state senator arrived at her office as the raids were being conducted. She told Fox News that she had no idea what the FBI agents were doing at her office. FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN TURNED VA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ABIGAIL SPANBERGER ACCUSED OF ETHICS VIOLATION The raids put more political pressure on Spanberger, who already is facing tumbling polling numbers as many critics accuse her of forcing down a far-left agenda on the once-purple state. The search warrants were signed off by a federal judge, who agreed there is probable cause to conduct the raids. This is not the first political firestorm Lucas has faced. She has co-owned a cannabis shop in Portsmouth, Virginia, that faced scrutiny after an investigation reported that some products were allegedly mislabeled or exceeded legal THC limits, raising regulatory concerns under Virginia law. DHS UNLOADS ON ‘SANCTUARY CALAMITY’ VIRGINIA AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME RELEASED: ‘SICKO’ Lucas is known for a bombastic social media presence, heavy on crude language and memes. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger and Lucas for comment. This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
Chicago knows what happens when Ken Griffin turns on a city, now Mamdani may find out
here is no clearer example of what happens when billionaire Ken Griffin turns on a city than Chicago, a blueprint now playing out in New York. The Citadel founder is clashing with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over taxes targeting the ultra-wealthy and intensifying crime, reviving the same tensions that drove him to pull his business and billions out of Chicago. Griffin, worth about $50 billion according to Forbes, moved the firm’s global headquarters from Chicago to Miami in 2022, a departure that showed how quickly jobs, investment and influence can follow when a major financial player leaves. The move marked Griffin’s break from Chicago, where he built one of the world’s most powerful hedge fund and market-making operations, which helped cement the city’s status as a global financial hub. MAMDANI’S RISE IN NYC MIRRORS ECONOMIC FLIGHT TO THE SOUTH, STUDY SHOWS The Windy City, which served as Citadel’s home for more than 30 years, has seen much of the firm’s workforce shift south, with the office going from roughly 1,300 employees to a few hundred and still shrinking. “Asking people to leave Chicago for New York or Miami has not been hard,” Griffin said at a conference in New York on Oct. 6. “Chicago, over the past six or seven years, has been engulfed in a series of problems,” he said, pointing to crime as one of the city’s most pressing challenges, along with broader economic and policy concerns weighing on employees’ willingness to stay. BILLIONAIRE KEN GRIFFIN SAYS CITADEL’S CHICAGO EXODUS WAS ‘NOT HARD,’ CITES CRIME, TAXES “I think the sad part of the story is how many people who had built lives in Chicago were willing to walk away from that and move to Miami or New York, just given the challenges that Illinois has faced,” he added. For Chicago, the result has been a steady erosion of one of its most prominent corporate anchors — shrinking office space, relocating employees and the departure of a billionaire who once poured hundreds of millions into the city’s institutions and politics. It also meant fewer high-paying finance jobs downtown and the disappearance of a major civic and cultural benefactor. That dynamic is now resurfacing in New York, where Griffin is locked in an escalating fight with Mamdani, echoing the early stages of his break with Chicago when Lori Lightfoot was mayor and JB Pritzker was governor of Illinois. MAMDANI THANKS SAME BILLIONAIRE HE TARGETED IN TAX VIDEO FOR NYPD MONEY The dispute was sparked by Mamdani’s viral April 15 video promoting a proposed tax on second homes worth more than $5 million. Filmed outside Griffin’s 24,000-square-foot Central Park South penthouse — purchased for a record $238 million — the video singled out the hedge fund powerhouse by name. “This is an annual fee on luxury properties worth more than $5 million, whose owners do not live full-time in the city. Like for this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million,” Mamdani said in the clip. Griffin has since criticized the video as “creepy and weird” during a discussion at the Milken Institute Global Conference on April 6. He said he watched it three times. Asked about Citadel’s plans for a $6 billion office tower at 350 Park Avenue, he said the firm is reassessing the project while doubling down on its expansion in Miami, which he called “unquestionably” the right choice. The clash highlights a widening divide between progressive ambitions in major cities and the financial leaders who help drive their economies. It also raises a broader question: whether New York could follow a path similar to Chicago’s where a prolonged standoff between political leadership and one of its most powerful business figures ultimately ended in departure. Meanwhile, Florida and other red states have branded themselves as business- and billionaire-friendly, welcoming high earners and balking taxes that would burden their empires.
Trump tentatively making peace with Iran, but potential future strikes remain as leverage
President Donald Trump hailed a tentative peace deal in the works with Iran with the caveat that in-person truce signings remain “too far” off. “Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.” Shortly after that post, Trump told media outlets, “I don’t think” there should be any imminent plans to make a trip to the Middle East for any longtime peace deal talks or denuclearization signing. WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR “It’s too far,” Trump reportedly told the New York Post on Wednesday morning. “No, it’s too much.” Trump has long panned his peace negotiators getting on a long trek to the Middle East for merely exchanging ceasefire or peace proposals, repeating many times in the past week that talks with him and his administration can be done “telephonically” for now. “I think we’ll do it” over the phone, Trump has said. TRUMP CLAIMS IRAN ‘STARVING FOR CASH,’ ‘COLLAPSING FINANCIALLY’ AFTER EXTENDING CEASEFIRE Trump’s Truth post came as reports suggested Washington and Tehran were nearing a possible framework to end their 67-day war, with Pakistan helping mediate talks. Trump said he was meeting with military officials Wednesday morning amid announcements of an end to Operation Epic Fury before the 60-day Authorization of Military Force deadline this week. Trump also announced a pause to “Project Freedom,” a mission he had announced two days earlier to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. “Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” Trump wrote Tuesday night on Truth Social. VANCE EN ROUTE TO PAKISTAN FOR HIGH-STAKES IRAN TALKS AS ‘FRAGILE’ CEASEFIRE TEETERS Trump has previously said he would be open to traveling to Pakistan to sign a formal agreement, citing the role of Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir in helping bring the two sides together. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, when he also delivered a White House daily press briefing, standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. “They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they’re going,” Rubio told reporters, adding that it is difficult to get a full read on Iran’s scattered and in-hiding leadership because some of the leftover regime hardliners are “insane in the brain.” MARCO RUBIO WARNS IRAN WANTED TO BE THE ‘NEXT NORTH KOREA’ AS HE SEES ‘FINISH LINE’ IN CONFLICT Trump declined to define what would lead to renewed military operations against Iran, saying Tuesday, “They know what not to do.” Iran’s president has said that surrender to “unilateral demands” is “impossible,” but Esmail Baghaei Hamaneh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Iranian news Wednesday that some unspecified leaders are “considering the U.S. proposal” for peace. “The U.S. proposal is still being considered by Iran, and after summarizing its points of view, Iran will convey its views to the Pakistani side,” Hamaneh added, according to a translation. As Iran’s foreign minister meets his counterpart in Beijing, Rubio warned that countries violating U.S. sanctions will face secondary penalties.