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Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Mira Nair's Son Making Waves In NYC Politics
Zohran Mamdani isn't your typical mayoral candidate. For starters, he's the son of a legendary filmmaker. But instead of walking red carpets, he's knocking on doors in Queens, fighting housing battles, and launching a mayoral campaign that feels like a Gen Z fever dream. With bold, subversive ideas, TikTok tactics, and small-dollar donor energy, Mamdani is shaking up NYC politics as the city gears up for its mayoral election in November 2025. And yes, he's even going head-to-head with big names like Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who resigned in 2021 amid controversy but remains a heavyweight in the state's political scene. Here are a few things to know about NYC's millennial maverick: He's the son of a critically acclaimed director and a Ugandan academic—born in Kampala, raised in NYC, now eyeing City Hall. His mom is the iconic Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, anyone?) and his dad is Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani. Talk about a power parent combo. Born in Kampala on October 18, 1991, Zohran spent early childhood in Uganda and South Africa before moving to NYC at age 7. NYC-raised, Bowdoin-educated, and already organizing in college—Zohran didn't wait to get political. Zohran grew up in Morningside Heights, crushed it at Bronx Science, and graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a degree in Africana Studies. Oh, and he didn't just chill, he co-founded the 'Students for Justice in Palestine' chapter there. His middle name, Kwame, was chosen to honour Ghana's former President. Zohran's dad gave him the name 'Kwame' after Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first Prime Minister and then President. It is not just a name, but a whole political vibe. Zohran helped stop evictions and secured major debt relief for NYC taxi drivers. Zohran started out fighting evictions, then set his sights on NYC's broken taxi medallion system, where drivers had to shell out huge amounts just to drive a cab. When the bubble burst, they were drowning in debt. Zohran helped get $450 million of it wiped clean. He was the first South Asian elected to NY Assembly. In 2020, he made history as the first South Asian guy ever elected to the New York State Assembly, and he's been repping Astoria (aka District 36) since January 2021. He moonlighted as rapper Mr. Cardamom. His campaign vibes are straight out of Bollywood with iconic Deewar and SRK moments. And yes, he's speaking in Hindi. Zohran's plan? Free buses, rent freezes, and going after rich universities. Small donors powered him to $8 million before he stopped fundraising. He also took a chilly plunge into the freezing Coney Island waters to protest rent hikes. Yes, there's a video. Yes, it has 800k+ views. AOC's all in on team Zohran. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is backing Zohran, calling out his skill at bringing working-class communities together. Love him or not—or maybe you're just here for that viral icy plunge video—Zohran Mamdani is switching up NYC mayor race vibes. The big moment lands on June 24, when voters hit the polls for the Democratic primary that could change everything, meaning things are about to get interesting.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Who is Zohran Mamdani? Meet the NYC mayoral race candidate with a Mira Nair connection
Six months ago, many New Yorkers did not know Zohran Mamdani's name. Now, he's in second place in the mayoral race. Mamdani, a progressive state assemblyman from Queens, has surprised the political world with his strong fund-raising numbers, populist proposals, and videos that have gone viral on social media. The 33-year-old has been making the case that he is the strongest candidate to beat the front-runner in the race, former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who has a well-funded super PAC supporting him. Born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, to acclaimed Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and noted academic Mahmood Mamdani, Mamdani moved to New York City at the age of 7. His middle name, Kwame, pays tribute to Ghana's revolutionary leader Kwame Nkrumah. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and went on to graduate from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a degree in Africana Studies. During his time at Bowdoin, he co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, marking the start of his political activism. He became a naturalised US citizen in 2018. He was elected to the New York State Assembly for the 36th District in 2020, becoming the first South Asian man, the first Ugandan, and the third Muslim to hold that position. Mamdani is a practising Shia Muslim. He recently married Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-born illustrator whose work has been featured in publications such as The New Yorker and The Washington Post. As per a report by NYT, the self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani has pledged to tackle the city's affordability crisis with bold proposals, including rent freezes for nearly one million rent-stabilised apartments, free public buses, and city-owned grocery stores. He plans to fund these initiatives by raising taxes on the wealthy, a stance that has unsettled business leaders who support Cuomo. 'We live in the most expensive city in the United States of America, and it's a city that used to be one of dreams that is now just one of struggle,' he said on MSNBC this week. Known for his progressive vision, Mamdani has captured attention with his populist platform and viral social media presence. He has used his platform to push left-wing policies and shift the ideological centre of Albany politics, as he is now vying to become the city's first Muslim mayor. Mamdani, a millennial, is also drawing comparisons to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Zohran for mayor on Thursday for the upcoming June 24 Democratic primary. A post shared by Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@zohrankmamdani) 'Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,' Ocasio-Cortez said as quoted by NYT. 'In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.' While only a few of the 20+ bills he has introduced have become law, Mamdani is recognised more for mobilising public opinion and supporting broader movements like Good Cause Eviction and Build Public Renewables. An outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, Mamdani has also drawn controversy for his positions on Israel. Most recently, as per a report by NYT, a Republican city councilwoman from Queens, Vickie Paladino, sparked outrage by calling for his deportation, despite his citizenship, citing his political views and naturalisation timeline. Mamdani responded by denouncing the rhetoric as Islamophobic and emblematic of Trump-era politics, the report added. Thank you Sunset Park for rallying and canvassing with us on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. Always so proud to stand with my incredible colleagues in elected office, @alexaforcouncil and @marcelaforny. — Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 1, 2025 While former Governor Andrew Cuomo leads Mamdani slightly in current first-choice polling, ranked-choice simulations show Mamdani closing in by the final round. Backed by the Working Families Party and UAW president Shawn Fain, Mamdani's campaign has over 20,000 volunteers canvassing citywide. In a recent debate, he branded Cuomo 'corrupt' and called himself 'Donald Trump's worst nightmare — a progressive, Muslim immigrant.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Lifelong student,' Bowdoin College grad to work for State Department
May 25—Bowdoin College graduate Khalil Kilani navigated international systems as an Iraqi refugee as a young child. Now, he hopes to help families like his by shaping humanitarian policy and diplomacy in the U.S. Department of State. "My family lived through that system, and going through that and seeing how it's successful, and how it can work for people, and [we've been] interacting with international organizations since we were young," said Kilani, who was born in Jordan but resettled in Portland in 2009. Kilani, a Bowdoin computer science major and government minor, received the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship, which will fund him through two years of graduate school at Columbia University and culminate in a placement at the State Department. Kilani's undergraduate experience took him to Peru, Denmark and Washington, D.C., and down to Arizona to learn about the Mexico-U.S. border. Kilani said hands-on programs, like Bowdoin's Public Service in Washington trips and a summer internship at the State Department, further solidified his interest in diplomacy. "Being able to work with diplomats and combine my passion for service work, for learning languages, for meeting new people — it was really the intersection of all of that," Kilani said. Kilani has worked with the McKeen Center for the Common Good throughout his time in college and traveled to Peru in 2022 with the program. There, he taught English, helped renovate a school for disadvantaged children and built a fundraising campaign to help residents sell alpaca wool. His love for language has also served him well as an alumni ambassador at the Portland-based youth writing organization, The Telling Room, which he also attended as a high school student. Wendy Van Damme, associate director for public service at the McKeen Center, said Kilani's "good judgement, thoughtful guidance and commitment to excellence" have strengthened the center's programs and "inspired many students to explore public service." "Khalil served as a summer intern at the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the office that years ago supported his own family's journey," Van Damme said. "He is pursuing a career in diplomacy, which will use his skills as much as his kindness. Through everything he does, Khalil reminds us that a life in service to others is both possible and powerful." Batool Khattab, Bowdoin Arabic professor, noted that Kilani also won the college's Prize for Excellence in Arabic this year. "I have known Khalil since his first year at Bowdoin, when he enrolled in my Elementary Arabic class," Khattab said. "Over the years, I've seen him grow into a focused and capable young man, ready to take on opportunities beyond college. Khalil has shown consistent dedication to both his academic work and his extracurricular responsibilities." At Columbia, Kilani will earn his master's of international affairs with a focus on international security and diplomacy. Traveling the world and learning about new cultures for a living is like staying in school forever, Kilani said. "I love being a lifelong student," Kilani said. Kilani was set to graduate along with a class of 520 students on May 24. Commencement took place on the Main Quad at Bowdoin. This year's honorary degree recipients were Michele Cyr, the former chairperson of the Bowdoin College Board of Trustees and Jeremy Frey, a Passamaquoddy basket weaver. Presenting the commencement addresses were poet and 2025 graduate Weatherspoon — the recipient of the Goodwin Commencement Prize — and graduate Carina Lim-Huang, who won the Class of 1868 Prize for her speech. Copy the Story Link
Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The blizzard of actions in the first 100 days of President Trump's second term, visualized
'It's a shift to see efforts to bring all of the executive branch within the president's political and personal control,' said Andrew Rudalevige, a Bowdoin College professor and senior fellow at the Miller Center at University of Virginia. 'That's not unprecedented in American history, but it's very different than the history of the last, say, 50 years since Watergate.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Remaking the federal bureaucracy — and punishing critics Advertisement Trump has focused much of his executive power on efforts to shrink the federal workforce, remove critics from positions of power, and sideline his opponents. Among the actions the Globe counted in its analysis, nearly 40 were related to 'staffing and agencies,' and among those, there were more than 20 firings or purges of government employees. 'I think there has been a lot of attention to ways in which the president can assert more control over, really, everybody in the executive branch. When people talk about personnel as policy, they're usually talking about, you know, political appointees,' said Rudalevige. Advertisement But he added that Trump's moves have gone far beyond typical shakeups of top agency officials. Indeed, Trump has spent considerable time on efforts to make it easier for federal workers to be fired, challenging the independence of insulated federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and punishing his perceived opponents. A record-breaking 100 days for executive orders Though Trump has not signed many pieces of legislation — just five so far — he's broken modern records for executive orders. As of Monday, Trump has signed more than 135 executive orders this term, according to the Federal Register, more then triple the number signed by former president Joe Biden during his first 100 days. His orders have run the gamut from 'This has been a consequential 100 days, but I wouldn't mistake the sheer number of orders for power or for their effectiveness,' Rudalevige said. 'A lot of them are held up in court, and a lot of them, I think, are issued simply to issue them, and to say, 'I am acting on this.' And what actually happens down the line? We don't know.' Immigration, education were the most common policy focuses Actions targeting education, immigration, transgender rights, and DEI initiatives were the most common policy areas for Trump in his first 100 days, according to the analysis. But more than half of Trump's moves on education were part of his attack on colleges and universities that his administration deems either antisemitic or engaged in DEI practices. His education-related actions have mostly included freezing grant funding, canceling government contracts, and taking steps to dismantle the Department of Education, according to the data. Advertisement Out of 223 major actions analyzed by the Globe, 26 of them targeted the nation's immigration system, beginning on day one when Trump rescinded several Biden-era immigration measures. New England figures prominently A review of the data showed that actions that targeted New England were most commonly related to higher education: In his first 100 days, Trump issued warnings to nine New England colleges and universities over alleged antisemitism, froze billions in grants and contracts to Harvard University and Brown University, and threatened Harvard's tax-exempt status. See all the actions with New England implications below. Explore the data See all of the notable actions by the Trump administration during its first 100 days, color-coded by topic and organized in chronological order. Methodology The Globe began tracking the most notable moves of Trump's second term in February, summarizing and regularly updating his administration's newsworthy actions. Many actions, such as a slew of related executive orders targeting the nation's military, were grouped together for brevity. The tracker is not comprehensive: Routine staff appointments, proclamations, and memoranda were generally not included, nor were public comments, threats, or promises. The Globe categorized each action, and analyzed the resulting data. If an action fell under more than one possible category, a second or third category was added. (For example, Trump's freeze of billions in funding to Harvard was categorized as 'education,' 'higher education,' and 'New England'.) Christina Prignano can be reached at
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Four Maine college presidents sign national letter decrying Trump education 'overreach'
Apr. 22—Four Maine higher education leaders have signed on to a letter accusing the Trump administration of "unprecedented government overreach and political interference." Safa Zaki of Bowdoin College, Garry Jenkins of Bates College, David Greene of Colby College and James Herbert of the University of New England all added their names to the letter, published Tuesday by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. More than 230 presidents of colleges, universities and scholarly societies throughout the country have signed so far. "We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight," the letter reads. "However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live and work on our campuses. We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding." Though the letter primarily represents private institutions, leaders from a handful of state colleges and universities signed on, including University of Massachusetts Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes and Eastern Connecticut State University President Karim Ismaili. A spokesperson for the University of Maine system declined to comment. In recent months, the Trump administration has pulled or threatened to pull federal funding from higher education institutions that don't comply with his agenda on student protesters, admissions practices and transgender athlete policies. The administration has also revoked the visas of hundreds of international students. On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine filed a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies behind the visa revocations, asking that a judge restore the visas of any New England students who have had them wrongfully removed, and protecting future students from the same actions. In Tuesday's letter, the colleges argue they should be places of open inquiry where faculty, staff and students can exchange ideas and share different viewpoints, "without fear of retribution, censorship or deportation." The letter ends with a call for an end to the current federal interference. "The price of abridging the defining freedoms of American higher education will be paid by our students and our society," it reads. "On behalf of our current and future students, and all who work at and benefit from our institutions, we call for constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic." Greene, president of Colby, said that although national attention has focused on a handful of high-profile institutions targeted by the administration, the threat of sanctions carries massive consequences for nearly all the country's colleges and universities. "Great harm could come to colleges and universities small and large, urban and rural, in red states and blue, if the government moves away from being a vital partner in supporting access to higher education and the groundbreaking research that fuels America's innovation economy," Greene said in a written statement. "Like Democracy itself, America's universities are imperfect, yet no system of higher education in the world comes close to matching the intellectual richness and contributions of the one which we enjoy in this country." In an email Tuesday afternoon, Doug Cook, Bowdoin's director of communications, said, "President Zaki is going to let the letter speak for itself." A UNE spokesperson said Herbert also "believes the letter speaks for itself, and he has nothing further to add at this time." A Bates spokesperson referred questions to a statement on the college's website, which acknowledged Jenkins signing on but did not provide additional details. The letter comes as the Trump administration has targeted the funding of a number of colleges and universities, demanding policy changes to bring campuses in line with the federal government's agenda. Harvard University on Monday sued the Trump administration for attempting to withhold more than $2 billion in grants after the school refused to agree to changes proposed in a letter the administration sent April 11. Those demands included suspending certain student organizations and sweeping changes to admissions policies. Weeks earlier, Columbia University faced sharp criticism for acquiescing to policy changes that included adopting a new definition of antisemitism and pursuing with the administration calls "intellectual diversity" on campus. Both Harvard and Columbia's presidents signed the letter Tuesday. New signatures were continuously added to the letter throughout Tuesday evening. Other signatories represent colleges from California to Kalamazoo, including all but one member of the Ivy League as of 6 p.m. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link
