So another male leading a slipping-down life — on our dime, I’m sure — decides to take out his life frustrations on two innocent victims, all while shouting, “Allahu Akbar!”
Just another jihadi wannabe?
Nope — not this time. In our estimation: a sign of things to come.
For months, we’ve been writing in this space about what’s come to be known as the red/green alliance: the increasingly visible overlap between far-left revolutionary politics (”red”) and Islamist extremism (”green”). Last week’s less-than-shocking Upper West Side stabbing in Mamdani’s New York is a perfect avatar of this unholy union.
According to police, Raul Morales allegedly stabbed two men in separate attacks, including a visibly Jewish victim wearing a yarmulke, all while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” Prosecutors have charged him with attempted murder and hate crimes, and investigators reportedly found Marxist literature and writings among the materials recovered from his apartment.
The NYPD is still investigating, and has stated that “mental health” may have been a factor. As if at this point that can possibly be a mitigating factor anymore.
What is striking here is the ideological combination. A suspect allegedly invoking Islamist slogans while surrounding himself with Marxist works is precisely the sort of ideological convergence that has become increasingly common at anti-Israel demonstrations and No Kings rallies, where revolutionary socialist symbolism and Islamist rhetoric often appear side by side.
And if you do a head count: at least 80% of these “activists” will be over-educated, underemployed, white liberals.
How deeply held are these beliefs? Well, in light of the fact that radical Islam holds no place for anything BUT fundamentalist Islam — i.e, no Marx allowed — the answer would appear to be: not very.
Now add the LGBTQ overlay that is almost always present, but that radical Islam ALSO will not abide, and you have a melange of performative idiocy that is inspiring weak-minded losers to violence.
Tellingly, Morales lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side — one of the New York’s whitest, most affluent areas — despite an apparently limited work history (he’s reportedly a “former security guard” with a “drug arrest history”). It’s another reminder that many of those who most loudly denounce the country continue to benefit from the generosity and suicidal empathy that this nation provides.
None of this means that political rhetoric causes a particular crime directly, of course. And responsibility for this attack belongs to the man accused of carrying it out. But political leaders and their supporters do shape the civic climate in which extremists operate. When public officials like Mamdani and the emerging DSA repeatedly frame Israel as uniquely illegitimate or indulge rhetoric that many Jewish residents perceive as hostile, they should not be surprised when unstable individuals hear these dog whistles and conclude that Jews have become acceptable targets.
Jews who — historically — have voted heavily Democrat. Is there no one on the left who can understand context anymore?
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has condemned these attacks, of course. He finally got around to it on X, after his Police Commissioner, Jessica Tisch, did so. In fact, he used much of the same language in his post as she did. Why do I get the feeling some staffer finally woke up and said, “hey, maybe we better get out ahead of this”?
The fact remains that New York is home to one of the world’s largest Jewish communities. As such, this town’s mayor has a responsibility to lower the temperature here, not raise it.
So do the white liberals who are continuing to foment it.
We end with an inescapable conclusion: If the youngsters in City Hall continue to flirt with rhetoric that deepens polarization instead of reinforcing the rule of law and equal protection for all New Yorkers, this will be only the beginning. There will be more attacks like this one.
And next time, it won’t be just from the shadowy realms of radical jihadism. It’ll be coming from a more institutionalized segment of New York life: New York City’s government — and much of its populace — itself.
***
Problems For The Piker Posse
And speaking of the above….
Hasan Piker has become one of the most visible media faces of this incongruous red/green alliance. Now, as we’ve noted, whether those two worldviews are philosophically compatible is almost beside the point. In practice, they often march together.
And if they don’t lead to a stabbing and a criminal case — they could lead somewhere else. As Piker may well find out.
Federal authorities have reportedly been examining the March Cuba convoy involving Piker, Code Pink leaders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans (Roy Singham’s wife), and other activists. Public reporting indicates that Treasury investigators have sought information regarding the financing, logistics, and communications surrounding those trips as part of a broader inquiry into potential sanctions violations.
But as former investigators, trust us: the legal stakes could become considerably higher here, depending on what’s uncovered.
Simply traveling to Cuba or expressing support for the regime is not, by itself, a criminal offense. But violating sanctions that are in place could become so. Further, if evidence were to show that American activists acted at the direction or control of Cuban government officials, investigators could begin examining statutes far beyond sanctions law.
Depending on the facts, that could include the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), in which a person is charged with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign state (the rule is you have to register with the U.S. Attorney General’s office). This is the charge they tried on General Flynn and which they used to take out Paul Manafort.
But there could be further trouble for this crew. If there is evidence that they were in any way acting to funnel information to Cuban authorities relative to U.S. interests, or being directed by Cuban authorities, they would be looking at 18 U.S.C. § 951 — an espionage charge.
And there is a variable here that should concern this bunch.
Cuba’s communist regime appears increasingly fragile amid deepening economic collapse and growing internal pressure. If the regime were to unravel, archives, internal communications, intelligence files, or other government records that participants assumed would never see daylight could suddenly become available to U.S. investigators.
In fact, Cuban officials who might be chargeable on narcotics or other charges for targeting Americans could suddenly be looking to deal. For Piker and Co, yesterday’s fellow traveler could become today’s grand jury star.
That possibility remains speculative, but history has repeatedly shown that the fall of authoritarian governments often produces a flood of documentary and testimonial evidence.
And for dime-store activists who insist their Cuba relationships were entirely aboveboard and part of a glorious Marxist future that is never going to happen, that prospect should be rather… concerning.
Some Good News From The Good Guys
The World Cup bought the rich, the famous, the football fanatics, the politicians, and the party people to New York City. It also brought in sex traffickers and prostitution.
Now, that is true of many large events like the Super Bowl, political conventions, and New Year’s Eve. Prostitution becomes rampant. In the old days, the UN General Assembly was as much a convention of prostitutes as it was global political leaders (not much of a distinction, really).
Prostitution, like many other crimes, has changed with the technological revolution that we are living in. When we started in the NYPD in the 1990’s there was still a good amount of street prostitution. It was diminished –- nowhere near the blatant streetwalkers that plagued pre-Giuliani Times Square and approached drivers outside the Lincoln Tunnel – but it was still there. Just a little less obvious. But making a prostitution collar was still easy, even for a uniformed cop.
In a world prior to cell phones and the nascent days of the internet, street solicitation was how many johns pursued the sex trade. Either that or find one of the many massage parlors or brothels that were an open secret throughout the city. I’m sure a few wealthier clients had phone numbers to call, but that was a rarified practice, open to the rich and privileged (like, say, a certain NY Governor) (aka, “Client 9”).
Now prostitution has changed. In many ways it has mirrored the drug trade. Dealers aren’t out on the street anymore; they operate off cell phones and deliveries. Prostitution has done the same. Moving to the internet and private chat services. And like the drug trade, prostitution has moved to the dark web. The dark web is a non-indexed part of the internet where, with the right web address, a computer with a TOR browser, and an anonymized crypto account, you can buy almost anything you can imagine (and some things that you can’t imagine).
This has made human trafficking investigations harder in many ways. Anonymity on the internet, coded language, dozens of payment systems, and ever-changing locations make investigators’ jobs harder.
Which is why the recent press conference from the NYPD was so remarkable. Prior to the World Cup the Department promised a serious focus on sex traffic during the event.
Some took that as a scare tactic to keep the prostitution racket out of town. But this time the NYPD delivered, saving numerous victims of sex trafficking. It was a full court press of police tactics, both innovative and mundane. In the leadup to the World Cup Final, the NYPD arrested 89 sex traffickers and rescued 43 victims, including at least one child.
The cops used a variety of investigative techniques to meet the current challenges of today, including monitoring chat rooms and watch parties, intercepting communications, and visiting known sex traffickers. They achieved this despite the Vice Enforcement Division being restructured and downsized several years ago (the Special Victims Division has been able to pick up some of the slack, focusing more attention on sex traffickers now rather than simply going after prostitution offenses).
Of course, the City Council has pushed to stymie their efforts. In 2021, a bill was introduced by Councilman Daniel Dromm that would have forced the NYPD to dismantle any investigative body that focused on prostitution-based offenses. Before that, in 2020, then-City Council Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declared, “sex work is work” (a message helpfully amplified by Teen Vogue magazine — just the message our young girls need to hear). It’s the usual kind of tripe foisted on the citizens of New York City by its legislative body.
Fortunately, that bill did not pass, leaving the police with the proper resources to go after prostitution-related offenses, including sex trafficking.
Despite the idiocy of New York City’s political class and the challenges of modern investigations, the NYPD was able to achieve a significant (and overlooked!) success. Their investigative know-how and hard work before and during the World Cup paid off. Victims have been rescued and the city is a safer place because of their efforts.
They should be applauded.
***
Dems Fix Another Election
Donald Trump has once again been decrying fixed elections. His concern lies mostly around shady practices like universal mail-in ballots, deadline shenanigans, unmonitored drop boxes, and the lack of ID requirements. Democrats continue to obfuscate and deny that these practices affect outcomes, refusing to support needed legal changes. They still maintain that our elections are as pure as the driven snow.
Dems refuse to accept that any improprieties exist in our voting system despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of Americans agree that reforms are needed.
One only has to look at the Democrats’ own primaries to see the ridiculousness of these denials. In 2016, the party fixed its own elections to keep Bernie Sanders off the presidential ballot. In 2024 they swapped out Joe Biden for Kamala Harris with no democratic process. And now they have fixed the Maine Senate race.
Anybody could have seen this coming. They supported the campaign of the extremely problematic Graham Platner simply because he was doing well in the polls. There were even allegations that The New York Times, which has become a party mouthpiece rather than a legitimate news source, did not properly report allegations of Platner’s relationship violence until after the primaries were over.
Once again, the Dems were hiding the ball. As soon as Platner’s nomination was secure but became unlikely to lead to victory, they forced him to resign. Like they did in the last presidential election, they then hand-picked a replacement in the form of Troy Jackson, the head of the Maine State Senate and a loyal party apparatchik.
Jackson was not elected to represent the Democratic Party in the Senate race. In fact, he has previously decried the shady dealings that anointed him as the nominee, stating: “I’ve always believed that our democracy is at its best when everyone has a chance to participate—whether I agree with you on an issue or not.” That language doesn’t exactly capture the process that earned him a current shot at the U.S. Senate.
Dem power brokers seem to believe they know what is right for the country, elections be damned.
As an indicator of where the party is these day, they have chosen a left-wing loon in Jackson. He is a Trump hater and Bernie Sanders supporter who wants to abolish ICE, supports transgender women in sports, backs Medicare for All, and opposes voter ID laws. Naturally, he also opposes Israel and wants to cut off funding to that country.
He has also adopted the left-wing anger at the rich and aims to tax billionaires (he likely would want to increase taxes on millionaires as well, but that would hurt millionaire socialist Bernie Sanders).
Jackson does not have an easy road to the Senate. He still has to defeat incumbent Susan Collins. Like in past fixed elections, the Dems may have backed the wrong horse. Details are already emerging that indicate Jackson is a bit of a tyrant (necessary for a party that promotes socialism). He is alleged to run the Maine State Senate through intimidation and angry outbursts. At one point he threw a water bottle during an argument with a female lawmaker.
What happened to, “believe all women”? Or did Platner’s history end that whole thing?
More significantly, Jackson’s support for far-left policies may be a bridge too far for many Mainers. The state is moderate with a fierce independent streak. Someone who supports massive government programs and top-down federal rule might rub the electorate the wrong way.
We will see shortly, as the election is only a few months away. Perhaps the Dems’ political machinations will once more backfire. Susan Collins may be back for a sixth term.
Thirty-six years in office is a little too long in a healthy government, but anything is better than the scam the Dems are running these days.
TRUE CRIME GIRL: A Mother’s Worst Nightmare — Or Simple Revenge?
What would you do if you came home in the middle of the night and found a grown man hiding under your 13-year-old daughter’s bed?
That question is at the heart of a Tennessee case that has ignited fierce debate across the country, pitting every parent’s instinct to protect their child against the limits of the law.
Here are the facts. Thirty-six-year-old Kendra Scott is charged with first-degree murder after allegedly shooting and killing 20-year-old Rodderius Morton outside her Memphis home on July 16. According to investigators, Scott returned home shortly after 1:30 a.m. and discovered Morton hiding beneath her daughter’s bed after the teen had allegedly invited him into the house without Scott’s knowledge.
Police say Scott ordered Morton to leave. The affidavit alleges he complied, walking out of the house and onto the front porch. Moments later, investigators say Scott shot him once in the back of the head. Officers found Morton dead in the front yard, and a witness told police Scott stood nearby holding a handgun while repeatedly saying, “I shot him.” Authorities also say Morton was unarmed.
Scott allegedly told responding officers, “I saw a dude under my kid’s bed, and I did what I had to do.” She now faces charges of first-degree murder and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. Her next court appearance is scheduled for August 3.
Oh — and there is reportedly Ring camera footage of the actual shooting.
The legal battle is expected to focus on whether Scott’s actions were an understandable emotional response or a criminal act. Her attorney, Blake Ballin, argues the incident began with “the worst nightmare of any parent” and questions whether anyone could act rationally after making such a discovery. He has also suggested the evidence is more consistent with a lesser homicide charge than premeditated murder (Tennessee has a “heat of passion” Manslaughter charge).
The case has also sparked discussion about Tennessee’s self-defense laws. Although the state recently expanded circumstances allowing deadly force to protect property, legal observers note those provisions generally require an immediate threat. According to the affidavit, Morton had already left the home and there is no allegation he threatened Scott or her daughter when he was shot—facts prosecutors are likely to emphasize.
Complicating the public conversation are unverified claims from Morton’s former special education teacher, who says he had cognitive disabilities and questioned whether he fully understood the consequences of his actions.
Furthermore, some reporting claims that Morton had been there before — and so apparently wouldn’t stay away. He also reportedly “gathered his things” before fleeing. So: what “things”? His clothes?
Did Scott encounter a naked 20-year-old man under her 13-year-old’s bed?
And is there digital evidence the 13-year-old and Morton were texting prior to his arrival? Did she in fact invite him? (Which shouldn’t matter, really — but juries are comprised of real people recall…).
The case has divided public opinion. To some, Scott is a mother acting on every parent’s deepest fear. To others, the shooting crossed the line from protection to unlawful retaliation. Ultimately, those competing narratives will be tested not on social media, but before a Tennessee jury.
It’s one of those nightmare cases with facts cutting either way. Unless new facts emerge, our prediction: the Manslaughter charge we allude to above.
We’ll stay on it and report back….
This Week’s NIGHTWATCH: A Very Controversial Case Goes To Trial
Friends, join me on The NIGHTWATCH as we take a look at the terrible case of a mother who killed her three children… and doesn’t deny it.
But is it Lindsay Clancy’s fault? Or that of her doctors?
And why — shockingly — is her husband standing by her?
This one is nowhere near as simple as you think. Fortunately, we have Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, board-certified psychiatrist, to break it down for us.
And if you’ve heard about this case and already made up your mind… brace yourself. This doesn’t go where you expect.
See you there — on the NIGHTWATCH.
From The Legal Desk: Is Trump Delivering On Immigration Reforms?
Over the past two weeks, Europe has offered more warnings about mass migration, failed assimilation and extremism. In France, six suspects were detained over an alleged Islamist plot against a synagogue near Paris. In Berlin, a 21-year-old Islamist terrorist drove a van into a crowd near a Pride celebration and then attacked people with a machete, killing one person and injuring 29. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, there is an almost daily stream of migrant violence, or backlash against it.
President Trump has made preventing America from following Europe down this road a central part of his immigration policy. Most attention focuses on removing illegal immigrants already here. But what about controlling who comes next?
The system is a maze of visas, humanitarian programs and court rulings. Here is where things stand.
Asylum: This was the biggest problem under Biden. Asylum seekers generally apply after reaching the United States or appearing at the border. Trump tried to suspend asylum access at the southern border and restore “Remain in Mexico,” requiring certain migrants to wait there while their cases proceed. Courts have blocked parts of both efforts, but the administration has still tightened access, expanded detention and expedited removal, and ended Biden-era policies that allowed large numbers to enter and wait inside the country. Ultimately, however this still needs a legislative fix.
Temporary Protected Status: TPS allows migrants already in the United States to remain when returning home is considered unsafe. Biden repeatedly expanded it, allowing hundreds of thousands to avoid deportation and obtain work permits. Trump has moved to terminate or sharply restrict protections for Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Honduras, Nicaragua and other countries. More than one million people have been affected, although court orders and staggered deadlines mean the changes are still unfolding. Nonetheless, this is happening, and it is a significant change. Status: Ongoing, with some progress.
Refugees: Refugees apply from abroad based on a “well-founded fear of persecution.” Each year, the President sets a ceiling of refugees to be admitted. Biden set the fiscal 2025 admissions ceiling for refugees at 125,000. Trump initially suspended the general refugee program and then set the 2026 ceiling at 7,500, primarily for Afrikaners and other actual victims of discrimination. He later added 10,000 more Afrikaner places, raising the ceiling to 17,500. That is an 86 percent reduction from Biden’s ceiling.
Country restrictions: Trump has simply banned immigration from 19 countries because of security and vetting concerns, including Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Cuba, Nigeria, Venezuela and several others face partial restrictions. Entry is also restricted for people traveling on documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. This addresses not only terrorism and migrant-crime risks, but also public-charge and fraud concerns involving applicants who cannot be properly vetted.
Students: Student visas remain available, but applicants face tougher interviews, security checks and social-media reviews. F-1 visa issuance fell by roughly 40 percent during the peak summer months of 2025 compared with 2024. Applicants who cannot be vetted, support extremist groups, or threaten sensitive American technology will not be admitted.
Workers: Employment visas remain available for skilled, agricultural and seasonal workers. But the administration is applying more scrutiny to whether foreign workers fill real shortages - or simply displace Americans.
Green cards: Green cards remain the traditional path to permanent legal residence and eventual citizenship. Congress controls the main categories, so Trump cannot eliminate them by executive order. He can, however, tighten the screening process — and he has. Applicants now face greater scrutiny of their security risks, finances, health, education, skills and possible reliance on public benefits.
Legal immigration has not ended. Family members, workers, students and permanent residents are still entering. But the focus is shifting from what America can provide the immigrant to what the immigrant can contribute to America.
Nearly 1.4 million people became permanent residents in 2024, but those figures largely reflect Biden-era holdovers. The coming numbers should be lower, more selective and more heavily weighted toward applicants who can demonstrate self-sufficiency, useful skills and successful vetting.
In sum, Trump is replacing a broad, highly permissive humanitarian-entry system with a smaller, more selective one centered on security, assimilation, self-sufficiency and benefit to the United States.
Essentially, Trump is doing what he was elected to do. Whether these reforms will hold post-2028, however, is anybody’s guess.
And finally….
That thing that never happens? It keeps happening.
The Red-Green alliance is no longer theoretical. It is marching in the streets, preaching from activist platforms, flirting with foreign regimes, and now showing up in criminal narratives where Marxist literature and Islamist slogans occupy the same deranged space. Paul Mauro is right: the alliance does not need philosophical coherence. It needs shared enemies — Israel, police, borders, Western civilization, and America’s constitutional order. Add guilty white liberals, overeducated radicals, and institutional cowardice, and the result is a movement that excuses extremism while pretending to fight oppression.