Northeast
NY GOPers, Independents urged to register as Dems ahead of 'Squad' member's primary: 'combat' antisemitism
Independent, Republican and unregistered voters in New York’s Westchester County are being urged to register as Democrats ahead of the Democratic congressional primary between “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman and pro-Israel candidate George Latimer, mailers obtained by Fox News Digital show.
“Community and family transcend politics,” Westchester Unites, a group in Westchester County that works to advocate for “community over party,” said in mailers to local voters. “Especially when antisemitism is on the ballot.”
The mailers call on voters to “combat” antisemitic hate by making “our voices heard.”
“But you can only do so if you are enrolled Democratic by February 14,” one of the mailers obtained by Fox News Digital shows.
SQUAD MEMBER IN FIRE ALARM FIASCO TAKES HEAT FROM WITHIN HIS OWN PARTY: ‘NEED NEW LEADERSHIP’
A mailer sent to Westchester County voters urging Republicans and Independents to register as Democrats ahead of Rep. Jamaal Bowman facing off against primary challenger George Latimer. (Fox News Digital )
The mailer does not cite Bowman or his Democratic challenger Latimer, the current county executive of Westchester County campaigning for Congress on a pro-Israel platform, though it targets voters in Bowman’s district.
“Why change your enrollment?” a text message from the group reviewed by Fox News Digital asks. “Because this district is overwhelmingly Democratic, which means the next Member of Congress will essentially be determined in the Democratic primary.”
‘SQUAD’ MEMBER FACES ATTACK FROM WITHIN OWN PARTY OVER ISRAEL STANCE AMID DEM INFIGHTING ON GAZA
Bowman is up for re-election this year, but his run has been mired in controversy over comments some voters and national viewers have slammed as anti-Israel. Bowman’s district encompasses Westchester County’s southern suburban areas and parts of the Bronx, and is home to a large Jewish community.
A mailer was sent to Westchester County voters urging Republicans and Independents to register as Democrats ahead of the 2024 primary. (Fox News Digital )
The “Squad” member has come under fire for calling for a cease-fire shortly following the war between Israel and Hamas, for boycotting Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to Congress this past summer, and defending Rep. Pramila Jayapal when she was criticized for saying that Israel is a “racist state.” Late last year, Bowman also saw an event intended to spread “healing” amid antisemitism devolve into protesters demanding that the congressman represent Jews in his district when making policy decisions.
NY DEM TEES UP PRIMARY AGAINST ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER UNDER FIRE FOR ISRAEL STANCE, FIRE ALARM FIASCO
Bowman has repeatedly denounced antisemitism amid criticisms of his previous remarks, as well as condemned Hamas’ attack on Israel when the war began on Oct. 7.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks at the National Action Network’s three-day annual national convention on April 7, 2022 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The New York congressman also faced controversy this fall after he pulled a fire alarm in the House of Representatives before lawmakers voted to avert a government shutdown. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count for triggering the fire alarm.
REP BOWMAN SAYS THERE MUST BE ‘CLEAR DISTINCTION’ BETWEEN ISRAEL’S CITIZENS, GOVERNMENT
Latimer, who has 35 years in New York politics under his belt, emerged this summer as a potential candidate to face off against Bowman when local headlines in July declared that New York Jewish groups and Democrat donors were meeting with the county leader to test the waters for a potential run.
Westchester, New York, County Executive George Latimer. (Westechester County )
Latimer announced his run in December, pitching himself to voters as the candidate “who will listen to every voice, not just those who agree with him, & who will deliver on the issues that matter” if elected to Congress.
The group behind the mailers and texts sent to local Republicans and Independents urging them to switch parties was organized by a group called the Teach Action Fund, according to the New York Post.
‘SQUAD’ DEM REP JAMAAL BOWMAN FIRE ALARM FOOTAGE RELEASED AFTER GUILTY PLEA: ‘BOLD-FACED LIAR’
Dan Mitzner told Fox News Digital that the group is not explicitly targeting Republicans and Independents in the district, but working to ensure all Jewish residents and unaffiliated voters are registered.
“This inclusive and empowering voter education and mobilization program is a first for the district and comes at a critical time,” Mitzner, political director of the Teach Action Fund, said in a press release provided to Fox News Digital.
“The reality is that with an alarming rise in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents, our Jewish community here at home is under threat,” Mitzner added. “It’s essential that the next person we elect to Congress cares about the safety and well-being of the Jewish community and all our neighbors.”
A “Vote Here” sign is seen at a voting precinct. (REUTERS/Emily Elconin)
Mitzner added that only 15% of Democrats voted in the party’s 2022 primary, which he said was “bad for the district, bad for democracy, bad for the country, and bad for accountability.”
Just this week, Westchester Unites opened a voter education office in New Rochelle, according to the press release, where voters can visit for registration and absentee-ballot information and assistance.
A ribbon cutting ceremony for Westchester Unites. (Teach Action Fund )
“We are investing six figures in the first phase of this campaign, and we will not shy away from making sure as many voters as possible have their say between now and the June primary. The stakes for our community are too high to sit on the sidelines,” the press release states.
Bowman’s campaign hit back at the push to register Jewish Republicans and Independents as Democrats, arguing it is an effort to bolster Latimer’s chances in the primary.
“George Latimer held a fundraiser hosted by a Trump mega-donor and has welcomed Republican-funded Super PACs to spend in this race, so it’s no surprise supporters are asking Republicans to vote in a Democratic primary,” campaign spokesman Bill Neidhardt told the New York Post. “George Latimer has abandoned the Democratic Party and voters across the district are deeply disappointed.”
The race between the New York Democrats is already hotly contested, and anticipated to be a nail biter. Bowman defeated three-term incumbent Eliot Engel when he first secured his spot in the House, which was one of the biggest Democratic primary upsets of 2020. Latimer, meanwhile, has long-established roots in the area as a political leader who champions his record of never losing an election in his career.
Neither campaign responded to Fox News Digital requests for comment.
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New York
Mamdani Considers Delaying Pension-Fund Payments to Ease Budget Gap
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is floating a plan to delay payments into New York City’s municipal pension funds — his latest effort to stave off service cuts and a property tax increase as he grapples with a multibillion-dollar budget gap.
The plan, which the mayor’s team has presented to the administration of Gov. Kathy Hochul, could save the city at least $1 billion in the upcoming fiscal year, according to a person familiar with the discussions, and would be unlikely to affect pension payments for current retirees.
Mr. Mamdani’s team said it has yet to iron out the details. Any cost-cutting plan would most likely involve extending the deadline for the city to meet its long-term pension obligations beyond 2032, when it is scheduled to be up-to-date on its payments.
“While our administration has not yet put forward a specific proposal, we are actively assessing options for pension amortization,” Mr. Mamdani’s spokesman, Joe Calvello, said.
Similar proposals have drawn opposition from unions and fiscal watchdogs, with one leading budget expert warning they merely delay the city’s fiscal responsibility to avoid meaningful reductions in spending.
“The city is on a path to correct past fiscal mistakes and properly fund its pension obligations,” said Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, a watchdog group. “It shouldn’t reverse course and stretch this out and make our children pay even more of our bills.”
One iteration of this proposal, presented this month by Julie Menin, speaker of the City Council, projected more than $1.2 billion in savings annually. An effort pushed unsuccessfully by former Mayor Eric Adams last year would have reduced costs by an estimated $1.3 billion in its first year.
Any delay to pension payments would need the approval of Ms. Hochul, who declined to comment.
Pension payments present a continuing liability for the city, which has a large unionized work force that has historically negotiated attractive retirement packages. The city’s total obligation to the five municipal pension systems for existing benefits, through 2032, amounts to $38.9 billion, according to data from the Citizens Budget Commission.
In 2013, under then-Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the city reformed its mandated pension payments following a drop in the assumed rate of return to 7 percent from 8 percent. That reduction meant the city had to pay more money upfront, creating a roughly $60 billion unfunded mandate. To address that, city and state leaders agreed to stretch out payments for future bills through 2032, at which point the added obligation was expected to be paid off.
The costs related to that change account for more than half of the city’s $10.5 billion pension expense this year, according to Ms. Menin’s office — a liability that is likely to grow.
Further delaying pension payments would significantly help Mr. Mamdani as he grapples with a $5.4 billion deficit through June 2027, which he has sought to reverse with risky and unpopular proposals, like raiding the city’s reserves and raising property taxes. He is also pushing Ms. Hochul to increase income taxes on wealthy residents, a proposal that is popular among Democratic state lawmakers but unlikely to get her backing. And he is asking her for more state aid to plug the hole as he navigates his first budget as mayor.
He is expecting to cut $1.3 billion from the current deficit by not expanding a housing voucher program and delaying, with Ms. Hochul’s blessing, a requirement to reduce school class sizes.
The plan backed by Mr. Adams, which Ms. Hochul tried to advance last year, ran into opposition from unions. Officials representing the pension fund for the United Federation of Teachers specifically raised flags about the Adams administration’s ability to carry out the plan, given concerns about the competency of the mayor, who was then under indictment, according to someone familiar with the matter.
Mr. Calvello said that the options being discussed were “distinct from the approach previously advanced by the Adams administration.”
Presidents of the city’s largest public-sector unions, Henry Garrido of District Council 37 and Michael Mulgrew of the teachers’ union, declined to comment on this development.
Mr. Rein urged city officials to consider other approaches to addressing the budget crisis.
“The city’s fiscal problem is a self-inflicted spending affordability crisis,” he said. “The best way to deal with that is to increase spending that works but eliminate spending that doesn’t improve New Yorkers’ life.”
A spokesman for Ms. Menin said she would review the mayor’s proposal when it reaches her desk. She is responsible for negotiating the city’s $127 billion budget with the mayor before it takes effect on July 1.
Mark Levine, the city’s comptroller, called Mr. Mamdani’s nascent proposal “a prudent step.”
“But the once-in-a-generation short-term savings this generates must be used wisely,” Mr. Levine added, “both to support the civil servants who pay into the system and to strengthen the city’s resilience against future fiscal and economic shocks, not as a way to avoid addressing our structural budget challenges.”
Boston, MA
Boston has one of the best public markets in the country, says USA TODAY
Brockton’s Moyzilla food truck offers up Asian comfort food on the go
Moyzilla is a jewel of MA food trucks. Founded by Jon Moy — son of Brockton culinary royalty — it offers Asian comfort food from Brockton to Boston.
Looking for a new marketplace to shop at this spring? You’re in luck – Boston is home to one of the best public markets in the country, according to USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards.
The annual 10BEST awards highlight the best in travel, food and lifestyle, and winners are chosen by a public voting poll after being nominated by industry experts. In the 2026 food awards, highlighting the top food tours, food cruises, farmers markets and more from across the country, Boston Public Market ranked third in the best public market category.
Here’s what to know before you go to Boston’s top-ranked public market.
Why Boston Public Market ranked third
A year-round indoor marketplace in Downtown Boston, Boston Public Market celebrates the bounty New England has to offer with fresh groceries, prepared meals, crafts and specialty items from over 30 local artisans and food producers, with a focus on seasonal items.
Along with browsing through groceries and goods, guests are invited to join the public market for a variety of special events, including trivia, live music, magic shows and face painting.
Boston Public Market is located at 100 Hanover St. on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, directly above the Haymarket MBTA station. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday or 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
What other markets made the list?
Here is USA TODAY’s full ranking of the top 10 public markets in the country:
- Reading Terminal Market – Philadelphia, PA
- Milwaukee Public Market – Milwaukee, WI
- Boston Public Market – Boston, MA
- Eastern Market – Detroit, MI
- West Side Market – Cleveland, OH
- Essex Market – New York City, NY
- Lancaster Central Market – Lancaster, PA
- Midtown Global Market – Minneapolis, MN
- Grand Central Market – Los Angeles, CA
- North Market Downtown – Columbus, OH
Pittsburg, PA
50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. VII – Pittsburgh Quarterly
Mark Opitz, Managing Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh stands at a promising moment of civic reinvention, with an opportunity to build on its leadership in AI, robotics, and advanced innovation to create a more vibrant urban future. A key priority for the mayor could be strengthening confidence in Downtown by continuing its evolution from a 9-to-5 employment center into a mixed-use neighborhood that attracts workers, residents, students, and visitors throughout the entire week.
To advance that vision, the mayor should give consideration to public safety, cleanliness, and mobility, along with creative reuse of underutilized office space for housing, emerging companies, and cultural activity. Equally important is sending a clear, consistent signal that Pittsburgh welcomes investment and partnership. Regulatory predictability, efficient approvals, and strong collaboration among the city, employers, institutions, and neighboring communities can help align development with market realities. By pairing economic ambition with quality of life, the city’s leadership can position Downtown — and the city — as confident, innovative, and open for growth.
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