Northeast
Pride-flag-carrying suspect accused of scrawling ‘anti-Christian statements’ on 3 NYC churches
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Police in New York City are looking for a Pride-flag-carrying suspect accused of defacing three churches with “anti-Christian statements” during a 20-minute hate crime spree last month.
The suspect, who was also wearing a rainbow face covering and pushing a bicycle, scrawled “anti-gay cult” on the façade of the Refuge Church of Christ in Far Rockaway, Queens, at around 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 5, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) said. Far Rockaway is the southernmost neighborhood in the borough of Queens.
Minutes later, the rainbow-clad suspect allegedly tagged the neighboring City of Oasis Church of Deliverance with the same anti-Christian message, police said. Both churches are on Mott Avenue.
In a security video released by the NYPD, the suspect was captured scrawling “anti-gay cult” in black paint on the façade of one of the churches.
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Surveillance footage released by police shows “anti-gay cult” spray-painted outside of one of the impacted churches in Queens, New York. (New York City Police Department (NYPD))
At about 2 a.m., the suspect spray-painted “Welcome Cult Members” on the wall of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church on New Haven Avenue and wrote “cult” multiple times on the sidewalks outside, police said.
The suspect also defaced two religious statues, painting over their faces, police said.
Police said the person is wanted in connection with multiple acts of criminal mischief as a hate crime and the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating.
The Rev. Francis Shannon, who has been a priest at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church for more than eight years, said he was saddened to learn of the graffiti.
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The NYPD released split surveillance images showing a suspect carrying a rainbow flag and pushing a bicycle after allegedly defacing three Queens churches with “anti-Christian” graffiti during an Oct. 5, 2025, hate-crime spree. (New York City Police Department (NYPD))
“It was really heartbreaking learning about the vandalism. I was at my mother’s house, and as soon as it happened, I got sent pictures,” Shannon, 67, told the New York Post. “So when I woke up, I saw them, and it was just really sad.”
“I think this is more of a statement than a hate crime, just anti-institution kind of stuff,” he said.
A surveillance image released by the NYPD shows the suspect carrying a rainbow flag while riding a bicycle shortly before allegedly defacing three Queens churches with “anti-Christian” graffiti during an Oct. 5, 2025, hate-crime spree. (New York City Police Department (NYPD))
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Shannon said he doesn’t believe the graffiti reflects the broader LGBTQ community and urged the vandal to talk out their frustrations instead of acting out.
“I don’t think this is a big part of the LGBTQ movement since he had the flag. I think he’s just the exception,” Shannon said. “I just think he needs to talk it out and not act on it with violence.”
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Northeast
Mamdani-appointed NYC professor who wrote book on ending policing now tasked with shaping community safety
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A sociology professor at Brooklyn College appointed to New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team wrote a book about ending policing.
“I’m excited to announce that I have been asked to join the Mamdani Transition Team to work on community safety issues. A New Era for NYC,” Alex Vitale said on X.
Vitale is the author of “The End of Policing,” published in 2017. The book, which opens by explaining that police don’t exist to help citizens, argues for an end to traditional policing for certain criminal activity, including narcotics use, prostitution, patrolling borders and “misbehaving adolescents.” The book also argues that police shouldn’t combat street gangs.
Alex Vitale, author of “The End of Policing,” speaks during a discussion on school policing at the University of Southern Maine on Thursday, March 5, 2020. Other speakers were, left to right, Portland Police Chief Frank Clark, South Portland School Resource Officer Al Giusto, Portland School Board Chair Roberto Rodriguez and Al Cleveland of Maine Youth Justice. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
On ending gang units, Vitale argues that they are racist.
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“In most cities, gang units function as a mechanism for racialized social control,” the book says in chapter five. “Black and Latino youth are labeled as gang members for hanging out together, while white youth groups are dismissed as harmless.”
Policing borders is also racist, according to the author.
“The expansion of Border Patrol powers has been justified through fear and racism. It legitimizes xenophobic narratives that define immigrants as threats rather than as fellow workers or neighbors,” the book says in chapter six.
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Vitale also describes border policing as “inhumane.”
Chapter nine of the book argues against training police officers on implicit bias, claiming that police officers’ views on race do not matter because the whole system of policing is racist.
Zohran Mamdani delivers a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
“Racism in policing is structural, not simply a product of bad attitudes,” the book says. “Training officers to recognize implicit bias without changing what they are tasked with enforcing is like teaching a soldier to be sensitive while sending him to occupy a foreign country.”
The professor’s faculty profile on Brooklyn College’s website says Vitale has spent 30 years writing about policing and that he consults with law enforcement entities and international human rights organizations.
He teaches courses about African Americans in the criminal justice system, according to his university profile.
Vitale has often called to abolish police on his X account, including bicycle police, police helicopters and police in schools. He has also called to abolish joint terrorism task forces, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Border Patrol and even the presidency of the United States.
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NYPD officers respond to a shooting. (John Nacion/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
He has also called for the NYPD to abolish its gang database.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is also the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state, called on incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul to denounce Mamdani for the appointment.
“Kathy Hochul must condemn Zohran Mamdani’s appointment of Alex Vitale to his transition advisory committee,” she told Fox News Digital. “Vitale is a radical police abolitionist who will destroy New York if he gets his way,”
Neither Vitale nor Brooklyn College returned requests for comment.
Mamdani has hired others who harbor anti-police sentiments.
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Earlier this month, he announced that campaign advisor Elle Bisgaard-Church would join his staff. She has been dubbed the “chief architect” of Mamdani’s campaign proposal to have social workers respond to certain non-violent 911 calls and is affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America.
Mamdani officials did not return a request for comment.
Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
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Boston, MA
The old Bucks shine in upset over Boston
The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled this season without their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. But against the Celtics, it was other veterans who stepped up, the old Bucks shined in a victory.
1. Bobby Portis Jr A+
The 30-year-old has struggled all season but against Boston, Bobby Portis was out if this world. Portis went for a season high 27 points on an absurd 84.6% from the floor. Portis knocked down 5 of his 6 three pointers and gathered 10 boards. Portis presence on the defensive end is always strong, but it was the offense tonight propelling the Bucks to the win.
2. Kyle Kuzma A+
The 30-year-old turned back the clock against the Celtics producing a season high 31 points and shooting 76% from the field. Kuzma anchored the Bucks comeback scoring 25 of his 31 points in the second and third quarters. The Bucks trailed by as many as 14 and ran it up to a 21-point lead late in the fourth.
3. Kevin Porter Jr. A+
Kevin Porter Jr. gathered his first triple double of the season with 18/10/13. The 25-year-old continues to be one of the few bright spots for Milwaukee in a career year. Porter was getting whatever he wanted offensively and created for his teammates at a high level. Most notably Kyle Kuzma who accounted for 7 of his assists.
On the darker side of things, Myles Turner was extinct on the offensive end yet again. Turner had four points and was one of six from the floor while only gathering 3 rebounds. Turner did however help the Bucks hold the Celtics to 13 third quarter points, swinging the momentum back in Milwaukee’s favor. But Turner still has to be better, and prove his worth. Turner played 0 minutes in the fourth quarter, a troubling trend we have seen throughout the season, although tonight didn’t call for his presence.
This was exactly the game the Bucks needed, a win against a top team in the East, but also a win without Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the win is a bright spot in a rather dull season, every win counts in their current sitaution. As more losses could make a Giannis trade more likely.
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Pittsburg, PA
Fowler makes 36 saves in NHL debut, Canadiens defeat Penguins | NHL.com
Fowler made a pair of saves on a Penguins power play to maintain the lead, going to the top of the crease to stop a slap shot from Ben Kindel in the slot at 11:25 and pushing right to deny a one-timer from Erik Karlsson on the rebound one second later.
“He was solid. We had some good looks,” Crosby said. “He looked pretty good in there. It would have been nice to get a little bit more traffic in front of him and test him more that way. The pucks that he was able to see, he did a good job.”
Owen Beck seemed to score his first NHL goal for Montreal at 16:21, but it was overturned when the play was ruled offside on a Pittsburgh challenge.
Rust cut it to 3-1 by chipping in a backhand pass from Crosby 44 seconds into the third period.
Oliver Kapanen scored 15 seconds later, tapping in Slafkovsky’s pass to make it 4-1 at 59 seconds.
“It was good to get it back right away, you know?” Slafkovsky said. “Got back up by three goals. It gives you a little calmness on the bench too”
Karlsson pulled Pittsburgh to within 4-2 on a power play and with the extra attacker at 15:07, scoring his second this season on a point shot through traffic.
The Penguins had 34 shots on goal in the final two periods after being held to four in the first.
“For whatever reason, I don’t think we had our legs,” Rust said. “I don’t think we were executing very well. Thought we were seeing plays. It’s just our passing wasn’t crisp. That kind of thing can slow things down a lot and we can get really disconnected.”
NOTES: Crosby reached 1,719 NHL points (643 goals, 1,719 assists) with an assist on Rust’s goal and is four points behind Mario Lemieux (1,723) for the Penguins record. … Fowler, born in Melbourne, Florida, became the first Florida-born goalie in NHL history. … Fowler is the fourth Canadiens goalie to make his first NHL start against the Penguins, joining Ken Dryden (March 14, 1971), Patrick Roy (Oct. 10, 1985) and Carey Price (Oct. 10, 2007). He is the fourth Montreal goalie in the past 10 years to win his debut, following Mike Condon (Oct. 11, 2015), Charlie Lindgren (April 7, 2016) and Jakub Dobes (Dec. 28, 2024). … Canadiens forward Jake Evans did not play due to personal reasons. He is expected to join the team for a game at the New York Rangers on Saturday.
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