Northeast
The left is all about squatters' rights putting homeowners like you at risk
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It’s no coincidence or “rare practice”— and it’s certainly not a case of “conservatives pounce.” The recent spate of incidents involving squatters is part of a concerted effort to undermine property rights. That includes the March death of a woman in New York, who was allegedly murdered and dismembered by teens who had been squatting in her late mother’s apartment.
Squatting is when people lay claim to another’s property — most often an unoccupied home — with fraudulent legal authority. States have laws against trespassing, but also laws that protect tenants. Progressives have begun misusing tenant protections to promote squatting.
They’re not even hiding it. The Democratic Socialists of America, for example, say they want to repeal laws “that criminalize squatting and other productive occupation of unused housing,” After all, as Karl Marx points out, “The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all private property.”
SQUATTING IN THE US: A HISTORY OF UNLAWFULLY OCCUPYING BUILDINGS, LAND THAT DATES BACK TO BEFORE WWII
So, it’s not really a surprise that uber-progressive New York City has changed the rules to enhance those protections — and to extend them to squatters. In New York state, residents who have occupied a residence for 10 years can make a claim of ownership. This isn’t uncommon; states have adverse possession laws that help keep the property rolls clean.
A group of eight illegal migrants who were found squatting in a Bronx apartment are now facing guns and weapons charges. (WNYW)
But in New York City, according to Newsweek, “squatters cannot be easily removed from the property if they have been living in it for 30 days, as landlords must then navigate the city’s eviction laws—entering a process that can take around two years to complete. Before the process ends, owners cannot change the locks on the properties or remove squatters’ belongings.”
That has led to a slew of confrontations that haven’t gone well for the law-abiding property owners, including the murder already mentioned:
- Adele Andaloro was arrested in March for changing the locks on her own house in Flushing, Queens. A local television station was filming as she entered the home and confronted squatters living there illegally. But when police were summoned, it was Adele who went to jail.
- Real estate broker Ejona Bardhi Shyti found squatters in a Queen property she manages — a property she had just leased to an actual tenant. They claimed they were in the nearly million-dollar home legally, and they have now sued the broker and the owner, with a receipt from Shake Shack filed as “proof” of their legal residency.
- When eight illegal immigrants were found squatting in a Bronx apartment last week, they were arrested — but not on charges of trespass and illegal entry. Instead, they were found with guns and drugs. Still, six were soon released — without bond.
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- And residents of the Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn experienced a “reign of terror,” according to the New York Post; a crew of squatters “wreaked havoc on a Brooklyn block for months, stealing from — and threatening — neighbors before burning a house to the ground last November.”
Lawmakers are responding; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a law that allows for squatters to be evicted immediately.
Adele Andaloro was arrested in March for changing the locks on her own house in Flushing, Queens. A local television station was filming as she entered the home and confronted squatters living there illegally. But when police were summoned, it was Adele who went to jail.
“If you are the victim of squatting you can simply fill out a form, give it to your local sheriff and the sheriff is instructed to go and remove the people who are inhabiting your dwelling illegally,” DeSantis said at the signing ceremony.
Other states are considering reforms, as well. For its part, the Biden administration is calling the problem a “local issue” and that officials should “take action.” But when asked if she would support laws like the new one in Florida, a White House spokesperson declined to say.
But let’s not miss the forest for the trees here; what’s at work is a fundamental dispute over the nature of property rights. But as we know, “property rights are human rights.”
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Michael Capeci is the former chairman of the Bangor GOP.
Let’s be honest about Maine’s current state.
For many families, the cost of living has become unsustainable. Housing is out of reach for many young people. Energy bills keep rising. Many small businesses are struggling under taxes and regulations that make it harder to grow. Rural hospitals are under strain and despite years of increased state spending, the results are not showing up in people’s daily lives.
Concurrently, Maine continues to lose young workers to other states. That is not a statistic, it is a warning sign.
To me, the question in this Republican primary for governor is not about slogans. It is whether we continue with a political approach that has failed to reverse these trends, or whether we nominate someone with new ideas. I think that someone is Owen McCarthy.
Owen is not a political insider. He is an entrepreneur from Patten, a small town where opportunity is not assumed, it is built. He grew up in a working-class family, became the first in his family to graduate from college graduating from the University of Maine, and founded MedRhythms, a healthcare technology company focused on neurological treatment.
He didn’t just talk about opportunity. He built it. That distinction matters, because Maine’s problem is not a lack of debate it is a lack of results. We have seen the trajectory: higher costs, slower growth, and a steady outmigration of young workers. I believe Owen McCarthy represents a break from that pattern.
His Maine 2040 plan focuses on creating 50,000 new jobs in sectors where Maine has real advantages — maritime and defense, advanced forest products, and life sciences. These are export-driven industries tied directly to Maine’s workforce, geography, and institutions. What sets Owen apart is not only what he proposes, but how he approaches governing.
He prioritizes modernizing permitting so projects do not stall. He supports using technology to reduce costs and increase efficiency. He focuses on making it easier to build, hire, and expand in Maine.
That same practical mindset extends to healthcare. Expanding telehealth, strengthening EMS systems, improving provider flexibility, and shifting toward earlier intervention are not abstract reforms. They are system upgrades designed to improve access while controlling costs.
Maine voters consistently respond to competence. They reward candidates who understand problems and present plans to solve them. I believe they are tired of rhetoric that does not translate into results, and skeptical of politics that prioritizes messaging over execution.
Owen’s approach is grounded in solving the issues that shape daily life — affordability, healthcare access, job creation, and government efficiency. That is not just policy positioning. It is a governing model that speaks directly to voters.
Some will point to his lack of political experience. But I believe Maine’s core problems are not the result of insufficient political experience; they are the result of policies that have failed to deliver measurable improvement. Experience inside a broken system, by itself, is not a solution.
If Republicans want to win, this primary must be taken seriously. From my perspective, it is not about choosing a nominee for governor who can energize the base. It is about selecting someone who can compete in a broader electorate that is frustrated and looking for change.
That requires a candidate who can speak beyond the base, not by abandoning principles, but by demonstrating competence and a credible plan to address Maine’s challenges. I believe Owen McCarthy offers that combination. He represents a shift away from managed decline and toward economic execution.
This is not just another primary. It is a decision about whether Republicans position themselves to win Maine or whether they remain trapped in a cycle of repeating the same strategies and expecting different outcomes.
If Republicans want to compete for Maine’s future, they cannot afford to nominate a candidate who only motivates part of the electorate. They need someone who expands it.
I believe Owen McCarthy is that candidate.
And if the goal is to win Maine, then the choice should be unmistakable
Massachusetts
Massachusetts high school under investigation after teachers diagnosed with breast cancer
A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.
The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.
Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.
“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”
“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”
The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.
Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”
“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”
Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.
The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”
“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”
They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.
“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”
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