Politics
NYC voters embrace democratic socialism as AOC, Sanders stump for Mamdani
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Several New York City voters, who spoke to Fox News Digital at a Sunday rally, said New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are the future of the Democratic Party.
Thousands of voters gathered at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens on Sunday for the “New York is Not for Sale” rally in support of Mamdani, the 34-year-old self-identified democratic socialist and frontrunner in the race for Gracie Mansion. Flanked by Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the trio of democratic socialists rallied the large crowd on the first weekend of early voting in the city.
“There’s going to be no party unless they are the future,” Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo, an immigration lawyer who lives in Ocasio-Cortez’s district in Jackson Heights, Queens, told Fox News Digital.
When asked if she identifies as a democratic socialist, like Mamdani, Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders, O’Doherty-Naranjo said, “DSA all the way.”
PROGRESSIVE POWER PLAYERS RALLY VOTERS FOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI AS EARLY VOTING KICKS OFF IN NYC MAYORAL RACE
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., react on stage during a “New York is Not for Sale” rally at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City on Oct. 26, 2025. (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz)
Mamdani is a member of New York City’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. The DSA has endorsed his candidacy and some of its members delivered remarks during the star-studded rally on Sunday.
BERNIE SANDERS, ZOHRAN MAMDANI TEAM UP TO ‘FIGHT OLIGARCHY’ IN NYC
Hallie, who lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, said she supports Mamdani for the “obvious reasons,” including representing “every New Yorker” with his commitment to affordability and safety.
She said that Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez are “absolutely” the future of the Democratic Party and that his candidacy gives her hope.
“I feel like that’s very clear with the turnout for this election, for the primaries, and just like seeing the people that are here filling a stadium just to support him, I think that’s a big indication of the future,” Hallie said.
More than 10,000 supporters packed into Forest Hills Stadium on Sunday, according to the Mamdani campaign.

New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani, center, celebrates with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., right, during an election rally on Oct. 26, 2025, at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. (Andres Kudacki/Getty Images)
“To me, socialism just means that there’s more advocacy and more attention being paid to the working class, the people who are actually uplifting society and working to make it what it is,” Hallie said, explaining that, to her, socialism is about everyone paying their fair share.
“I speak the language of democratic socialism only because he spoke it first,” Mamdani said of Sanders as the crowd joined him in declaring, “New York is not for sale” on Sunday.
The trio has invigorated the Democratic Party’s progressive base at a time when Democrats are still grappling with devastating losses in 2024 as growing discontent with President Donald Trump’s sweeping, second-term agenda.
A slew of state and local leaders also joined the rally, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., who endorsed Mamdani last month and has since campaigned for him.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks on stage during a campaign rally for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City on Oct. 26, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Hochul was heckled by attendees several times during her remarks, who chanted, “Tax the rich!”
Mamdani’s plan to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for his campaign promises, like free childcare, free buses and city-run grocery stores, would require Hochul’s approval, and the governor has ruled out raising taxes.
“I hear ya,” Hochul responded as the stadium erupted with pleas to “tax the rich!”
“I love everything Zoran is bringing to the table as far as giving a new sort of energy and enthusiasm to New York City politics, actually caring about the citizens of New York City, finding life to be affordable and enjoyable and healthy for all of us. I don’t see how anybody couldn’t get behind that,” Matt Ransdell, who lives in Manhattan’s Washington Heights, told Fox News Digital.
Ransdell said Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez “could be” the future of the Democratic Party, adding that the democratic socialist movement of Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani is “so fresh and encouraging.”
“There’s something incredibly communal about it,” Ransdell said. “The way I feel actually bonded, even here at this rally, it’s insane. The energy is infectious,” he said.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a campaign rally at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City on Oct. 26, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
“The voice of the younger generation is speaking as loud as it can, and if the older generation isn’t willing to listen, we’re going to have a problem,” Randsell added.
Lane, another New Yorker who attended Sunday’s rally, said he hopes they are the future.
“Look, not everyone’s going to support him,” Lane said. “He’s got maybe a brand that’s a little bit further ahead of what some people’s tastes are, but I certainly support him. I certainly hope that that’s the direction that the party goes in.”
Lane said he “absolutely” identifies as a democratic socialist, “maybe even further if that’s possible.”
Jessica, who lives in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and works for Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen Z-led progressive political action group, said Mamdani’s campaign has “energized a lot of young people,” inspiring them to get out and vote.
She said Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez “both understand the affordability crisis that young people face right now and are both actually proposing policies to fight that and make young adults’ lives better.”
“Young people are the future of the Democratic Party,” Jessica said. “I think it’s young voters who are canvassing, getting out there, making their voices heard, that’s who’s shaping it,” she said.
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The latest Fox News survey, conducted Oct. 10-14, ahead of the first general election debate last week, revealed that Mamdani has a substantial lead in the race.
According to the poll, Mamdani has a 21-point lead among New York City registered voters with 49% of voters backing Mamdani, while 28% go for Cuomo and 13% favor Sliwa.
Mamdani also rose above the 50% threshold among likely voters, garnering 52% support, while Cuomo picked up 28%, and Sliwa received just 14%.
Politics
MSNBC becomes MS NOW on Nov. 15
MSNBC has set a date for its new name.
Starting Nov. 15, the progressive-leaning cable news channel will be called MS NOW — an acronym for My Source, News, Opinion and World. The famous NBC peacock will no longer be part of the channel’s logo.
Viewers started seeing spots promoting the new moniker on Monday, with the tagline “Same mission, New name.” A larger marketing push will happen in the coming weeks according to a memo from MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler that was obtained by The Times.
The rebranding coincides with parent company Comcast’s spinoff of its NBCUniversal cable channels into Versant, a new company. CNBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, SyFy and E! are also part of the entity.
Comcast is unloading the channels because it believes the mature outlets face a bleak future due to pay TV cord-cutting and are an albatross weighing down its stock price. Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts will own 33% of the shares in Versant, which will trade as a public company under the symbol VSNT on the NASDAQ.
MSNBC will soon be called MS NOW.
(AP)
While the spinoff has been in the works for months, MSNBC viewers have heard little about it on the air until now. The network held a fan festival at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York earlier this month and all of the signage used the MSNBC logo. The name change was referred to several times by the personalities who appeared on stage.
The change required MSNBC to unwind its news operation from NBC News, which supplied correspondents to the channel. A number of NBC News correspondents, including Jacob Soboroff and Ken Dilanian, chose to work for Versant.
The current line-up of MSNBC opinion hosts — including Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Nicolle Wallace, Ari Melber, Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki and Lawrence O’Donnell — will all make the transition to MS NOW.
Although MSNBC employees were initially told the network’s name would be retained, NBCUniversal decided it did not want its brand attached to a network it did not control.
NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff reporting on the wildfire that destroyed his boyhood home.
(NBC News)
Versant Chief Executive Mark Lazarus encouraged his staff to embrace the change in spite of the challenges of marketing a new brand in a highly fragmented media landscape.
“This gives us the opportunity to chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin,” Lazarus wrote in an August memo.
MSNBC has its own Washington bureau, which has already broken a number of stories in recent weeks, including the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and former national security advisor John Bolton.
MSNBC also has a multiyear agreement with U.K.-based Sky News to provide international coverage.
Politics
PHOTOS: The making of Trump’s White House ballroom, a look at the construction progress
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History is being rewritten on the White House grounds, where a new formal ballroom is rising in place of the East Wing. The project has become a political lightning rod, as images of its construction reignite debate over President Donald Trump’s imprint on the nation’s most iconic address.
While the White House has hosted countless ceremonial events, it has never had a dedicated ballroom. The new structure will fill that void, replacing the historic East Wing with a space designed instead to host large-scale gatherings.
FROM THE GILDED OVAL OFFICE TO A NEW MONUMENT: A LOOK AT TRUMP’S RENOVATION PROJECTS
The ballroom is estimated to cost $250 million and will be financed jointly by Trump and private donors.
While the White House has pledged to release details on the individuals and corporations funding the ballroom’s construction, a comprehensive breakdown of contributions has not yet been made public.
Here’s a look at the construction process so far:
SPRAWLING NEW $250M WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM TO BE PAID FOR BY TRUMP AND DONORS
During a July 31 briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt detailed the administration’s plans to construct a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the White House grounds.
Leavitt said the new ballroom will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests and will stay true to the classical design of the White House.
A McCrery Architects rendering provided by the White House of the new ballroom. (The White House)

A McCrery Architects rendering provided by the White House of the exterior of the new ballroom. (White House)
“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,” Leavitt said on July 31.
She added that the new ballroom will be “a much-needed and exquisite addition.”
Politics
Commentary: A youth movement is roiling Democrats. Does age equal obsolescence?
Barbara Boxer decided she was done. Entering her 70s, fresh off reelection to the U.S. Senate, she determined her fourth term would be her last.
“I just felt it was time,” Boxer said. “I wanted to do other things.”
Besides, she knew the Democratic bench was amply stocked with many bright prospects, including California’s then-attorney general, Kamala Harris, who succeeded Boxer in Washington en route to her selection as Joe Biden’s vice president.
When Boxer retired in 2017, after serving 24 years in the Senate, she walked away from one of the most powerful and privileged positions in American politics, a job many have clung to until their last, rattling breath.
(Boxer tried to gently nudge her fellow Democrat and former Senate colleague, Dianne Feinstein, whose mental and physical decline were widely chronicled during her final, difficult years in office. Ignoring calls to step aside, Feinstein died at age 90, hours after voting on a procedural matter on the Senate floor.)
Now an effort is underway among Democrats, from Hawaii to Massachusetts, to force other senior lawmakers to yield, as Boxer did, to a new and younger generation of leaders. The movement is driven by the usual roiling ambition, along with revulsion at Donald Trump and the existential angst that visits a political party every time it loses a dispiriting election like the one Democrats faced in 2024.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has become the highest profile target.
Last week, she drew a second significant challenger to her reelection, state Sen. Scott Wiener, who jumped into the contest alongside tech millionaire Saikat Chakrabarti, who’s been campaigning against the incumbent for the better part of a year.
Pelosi — who is 85 and hasn’t faced a serious election fight in San Francisco since Ronald Reagan was in the White House — is expected to announce sometime after California’s Nov. 4 special election whether she’ll run again in 2026.
Boxer, who turns 85 next month, offered no counsel to Pelosi, though she pushed back against the notion that age necessarily equates with infirmity, or political obsolescence. She pointed to Ted Kennedy and John McCain, two of the senators she served with, who remained vital and influential in Congress well into their 70s.
On the other hand, Boxer said, “Some people don’t deserve to be there for five minutes, let alone five years … They’re 50. Does that make it good? No. There are people who are old and out of ideas at 60.”
There is, Boxer said, “no one-size-fits-all” measure of when a lawmaker has passed his or her expiration date. Better, she suggested, for voters to look at what’s motivating someone to stay in office. Are they driven by purpose — and still capable of doing the job — “or is it a personal ego thing or psychological thing?”
“My last six years were my most prolific,” said Boxer, who opposes both term limits and a mandatory retirement age for members of Congress. “And if they’d said 65 and out, I wouldn’t have been there.”
Art Agnos didn’t choose to leave office.
He was 53 — in the blush of youth, compared to some of today’s Democratic elders — when he lost his reelection bid after a single term as San Francisco mayor.
“I was in the middle of my prime, which is why I ran for reelection,” he said. “And, frankly,” he added with a laugh, “I still feel like I’m in my prime at 87.”
A friend and longtime Pelosi ally, Agnos bristled at the ageism he sees aimed at lawmakers of a certain vintage. Why, he asked, is that acceptable in politics when it’s deplored in just about every other field of endeavor?
“What profession do we say we want bright young people who have never done this before to take over because they’re bright, young and say the right things?” Agnos asked rhetorically. “Would you go and say, ‘Let me find a brain surgeon who’s never done this before, but he’s bright and young and has great promise.’ We don’t do that. Do we?
“Give me somebody who’s got experience, “ Agnos said, “who’s been through this and knows how to handle a crisis, or a particular issue.”
Pete Wilson also left office sooner than he would have like, but that’s because term limits pushed him out after eight years as California governor. (Before that, he served eight years in the Senate and 11 as San Diego mayor.)
“I thought that I had done a good job … and a number of people said, ‘Gee, it’s a pity that you can’t run for a third term,’ ” Wilson said as he headed to New Haven, Conn., for his college reunion, Yale class of ’55. “As a matter of fact, I agreed with them.”
Still, unlike Boxer, Wilson supports term limits, as a way to infuse fresh blood into the political system and prevent too many over-the-hill incumbents from heedlessly overstaying their time in office.
Not that he’s blind to the impetus to hang on. The power. The perks. And, perhaps above all, the desire to get things done.
At age 92, Wilson maintains an active law practice in Century City and didn’t hesitate — “Yes!” he exclaimed — when asked if he considered himself capable of serving today as governor, even as he wends his way through a tenth decade on Earth.
His wife, Gayle, could be heard chuckling in the background.
“She’s laughing,” Wilson said dryly, “because she knows she’s not in any danger of my doing so.”
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