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New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Meet the NYC singles looking for the 'right' stuff — and to Make America Hot Again
The hottest pickup line in singles bars today? 'Hi, I'm MAGA.' No longer is it a liability to be an out-of-the-closet Republican — it's actually a calling card, young singles told The Post. Comely conservatives are simply looking for a mate to MAGA with — and they're breaking through in big, blue cities, at right-wing ragers, on targeted dating apps and at Trump rallies. Advertisement 'It's never been a better time to date as a conservative,' crowed CJ Pearson, co-chair of the GOP Youth Advisory Council, who punched back against a January New York magazine piece smearing his diverse DC inauguration party as all-white. 'Being conservative right now is the coolest it's ever been,' added the single DC-based political advisor, who boasted that women want to be with a guy who's a 'provider and who they feel safe around.' Good luck finding that in a guy 'with pronouns in his bio,' he added. Advertisement 20 'Being conservative right now is the coolest it's ever been,' CJ Pearson, co-chair of the GOP Youth Advisory Council, told The Post. Getty Images for DailyWire+ Red hot and heavy For MAGA singles looking for love, like Raquel Debono, 'hotness is a bipartisan issue.' That's why she founded Make America Hot Again, a cheeky movement throwing parties for young conservatives around NYC at hotspots like downtown's Sincerely, Ophelia and Trump Tower. 'No more of these stuffy CPAC vibes,' the 29-year-old said. 'We actually have fun and we're normal.' Advertisement 20 Raquel Debono, shown at a Make America Hot Again event, formerly worked for the Date Right Stuff app and now runs Make America Hot Again events. Nick Tan 20 Raquel Debono is shown among singles ready to mingle at a Make America Hot Again black and white party. Alan Shindelman With her regular bacchanals that can swell to as many as 300 people, love is definitely in the air. And apparently in the bathroom stalls. Advertisement 'There was a couple in the bathroom who were doing something highly inappropriate at my last party,' Debono told The Post about the politically-charged passion at a May bash, which attracted 50 sharp-dressed attendees. 20 Paula Scanlan, Raquel Debono and Debra Lea party it up at a Make America Hot Again event. Nick Tan 20 Raquel Debono rocks a signature red Make America Hot Again cap alongside Emily Wilson at a get-together. 'It was getting hot and heavy in there,' she said. 'At least there was a happy ending somewhere.' The 29-year-old single lawyer from the West Village is happy to watch love blossom from the sidelines. 'That's why I throw these — I'm trying to find my husband,' Debono said of the parties that have a lopsided 60-40 split in favor of guys heavily representing the 'bro and tech vote.' 'I have met a few lovely young men, but as they say, the coach doesn't play.' Politically-right prospects 20 Vanessa Simon, a Queens Republican and former city council candidate, told The Post that being a conservative single 'raises your stock' these days. Advertisement In the golden age of conservatism, with control of the House, Senate and White House, singles are feeling fancy-free. 'It raises your stock,' Vanessa Simon, a former Queens Republican city council candidate, told The Post about dating as a female conservative in NYC. 'It's actually a conversation starter — definitely not a deal-breaker.' The 30-something credited the 'silent majority' with the ease of meeting MAGA-adjacent men in the city, even when she drops the Republican-bomb into conversation: 'I've yet to have a guy walk away. 'It's a really good time for conservatives to date.' Advertisement Yet political junkies are nothing if not strategic. 20 Vanessa Simon said she's 'yet to have a guy walk away' when she's identified as being with the GOP. @vanessa4ny/instagram 20 When it comes to finding single allies, conservative Toria Brooke basically feels it 'really matters' to be in the right place at the right time. 'It really matters putting yourself in a place geographically' that's going to yield the 'highest chance of meeting like-minded people,' said 32-year-old Toria Brooke, a conservative commentator and reporter who lives outside of Nashville. Advertisement Back when she worked in NYC, the guys she met mostly leaned left 'unless they were in finance.' Nashville, with its healthy share of 'bigger, bearded, rugged men' — a breath of fresh air from the 'yuppie, feminine' dudes proliferating in other cities — was a big draw. 20 Toria Brooke sees a huge — refreshing — difference between NYC and Nashville. She cites 'patriotism' as being hot — prevalent at the fundraisers and movie premieres at Mar-a-Lago she attends — though she's not found lasting love, yet. Advertisement 'I've made some great connections, but it's just the luck of the draw.' 'We can't give up' 20 Brent Morden, vice president of the New York Young Republican Club, said you just need to 'know where to look' to find conservative singles in the Big Apple. 20 Dan Huff (center) is the founder of Date Right Stuff for conservative singles. Nick Tan But don't count out the Big Apple, said singles. 'There are plenty of options in New York — if you know where to look,' claimed Brent Morden, vice president of the New York Young Republican Club, whose wild December gala made Post headlines. Date Right Stuff, an app for singles with shared values, has seen 'tens of thousands of downloads right after the election,' according to 40-year-old co-founder Dan Huff. The 'big bump' adds to the app's some 400,000 total downloads as the team focuses on New York with sought-after events that have drawn 'hundreds of attendees and generated strong buzz.' 20 The Date Right Stuff party attracted loads of well-dressed singles on Election Night. Nick Tan 'There's a spark in New York now, a reawakening,' added Huff, a former lawyer in the Trump White House who said the app boasts at least 75 marriages. 'Our main focus is to build critical masses in these Democratic cities to make sure these people have somewhere to go,' added Micaela Bishop, the app's 29-year-old New York-based chief growth officer. 20 Micaela Bishop works as the chief growth officer for Date Right Stuff. Nick Tan 20 Gianna Prignano said the number of Republican men in NYC is in women's favor. 20 A Date Right Stuff party draws right-leaning singles in New York City. Nick Tan 'It's probably easier for a woman to find a conservative guy than it is reversed,' asserted New York Young Republican Club recruitment chair Gianna Prignano. However, the 25-year-old Westchester native admitted the climate is better now than it was four years ago. 'I feel like it's at the beginning of us turning around. We can't give up on New York.' 20 Members of the New York Young Republicans Club gather to celebrate NYYRC's 114th anniversary and the inauguration of the club's new president, Stefano L. Forte, late last month in New York. REUTERS 20 'Our main focus is to build critical masses in these Democratic cities to make sure these people have somewhere to go,' Micaela Bishop told The Post. Nick Tan 'In such high demand' MAGA men insist the pendulum has already swung back in favor of 'traditionalism.' Trad wife is in and 'girlboss is out,' asserted the 22-year-old Pearson, adding that women are 'over it' when it comes to 'beta male cucks.' 'Right now, liberal women are super into conservative men,' he said. 'It feels a little rebellious.' Pearson said he's turned the heads of women in bars when he evangelizes about the issues he holds dear, like not splitting the bill anymore. 'Conservative men are in such high demand,' adding that women are done 'splitting the bill or Venmo-ing someone for a $5 cup of coffee.' 'Gen Z is yearning for a return to tradition,' asserted Pearson, 'and we're actively bringing that about.' 'If I can spread the good word and bring them over to our side, I've done my duty.' For Nashville's Toria Brooke, it's self-defeating to soften values for the sake of a potential romance that's doomed to fail along political divides. 'You save yourself a lot of trouble by trying to fit a square peg in a round hole,' she lamented. 'There's nothing better than a conservative woman,' Pearson said, specifically someone who knows she doesn't 'need' a guy, but wants a man 'being a man.' 20 Toria Brooke shuns 'trying to fit a square peg in a round hole,' she told The Post. He believes the concepts of 'emasculation' and the 'obsession over toxic masculinity' are finally being put out to pasture. 'Conservatives have the most fun,' he said. 'You can be unfiltered and not worry about getting cancelled or losing your livelihood.' As Debono said in her video: 'Who would disagree with a hotter America? Well, liberals would. That's who.' 'The best is yet to come' 20 Isabella DeLuca slaps down stereotypes and assumptions about conservatives. Stephen Yang For Isabella DeLuca, the narrative that conservatives are 'close-minded, xenophobic and bigoted couldn't be further from the truth.' The 25-year-old conservative, who spoke openly about her arrest and pardon for her two-minute entry into the Capitol on January 6, thought she would have been married 'with at least a kid or two by now,' like her mom was at her age. 'Friends my age feel behind,' said the Long Islander, who knows 'getting married and having a family' would 'fulfill' her. 'I don't want to spend the duration of my 20s partying and quote-unquote living my life to come into my 30s and realize I made a mistake.' 20 Long Island resident DeLuca says she would be 'fulfilled' starting a family. Stephen Yang For the single Morden, thinking of the New York Young Republican Club's upcoming 'Sail Away Summer Soiree' evokes the president's favorite mantra, 'The best is yet to come.' 'I haven't found love yet,' said the New Yorker, 'but I'm very optimistic for myself.'
Technical.ly
4 days ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
Developers aren't discounting the tech industry — but only if companies value humans over AI
Tech workers are reckoning with years of declining market power and a fundamental shift in what it takes to build a sustainable career. That was front and center at PyCon US 2025 last week, the country's largest annual gathering of Python developers. The Pittsburgh conference took place against a backdrop of layoffs, AI disruption and growing uncertainty about the future of tech work. Attendees, who ranged from software developers to data scientists, said new AI tools are changing the tech industry. While some questioned the stability of tech work moving forward, others were optimistic it would lead to greater demand for developers, not less. 'If you want to create a full-fledged product with deeply thought features, it is something that needs a human touch,' Abhishek Amin, a DC-based software engineer who's been using Python for over a decade, told 'So, programming is not going to go anywhere, and it is as important as it has always been.' Even as AI tools become more capable of generating code, many developers said human expertise remains essential. Otherwise, companies risk exposing themselves to a host of vulnerabilities, according to Fahad Baig, a senior data architect from Phoenix, Arizona. 'I think there's less and less code actually written by people nowadays, but being able to understand and explain the code that's being generated is still extremely valuable,' Baig said. To compete in today's job market, knowing how to code still matters — but it's no longer the golden ticket that some say it used to be. Tech professionals at the conference said just knowing programming languages won't guarantee employment. 'Knowing the basics will always be important, I think,' said University of Missouri computer science student Alissa Chimienti, who's preparing to enter the job market, 'but you definitely need to strive above that. The job market is so over-flooded with people who know how to code that you really have to set yourself apart.' In Pittsburgh, programming languages, like SQL, Python or Java are some of the top skills in local job postings, though the number of postings has been declining in recent months. For many, learning Python still seems like a path to a successful, sometimes high-paying career, even if that's in industries other than tech. It was the fifth most in-demand skill in Pittsburgh in May 2025, according to Lightcast data, and in some regions, companies are willing to pay top dollar for it. 'Where I came from, Python is the highest paid [skill], because when you learn Python, you can enter different fields,' said Freilla Mae Espinola, a software engineer from the Philippines and executive director of the Python Asia Organization. Some attendees questioned whether programming skills will continue to lead to the kind of stable, high-paying careers they once did, so they're job hunting with a different ethos in mind. One software developer, Lan Phan, who recently moved to Pittsburgh, said she's more focused on finding work that's creatively fulfilling than simply secure. Within the current disrupted tech landscape, there's an 'opportunity for new creative companies to come about and take those skills that people have to do new things,' Phan. The 'enshittification' theory To better explain the current instability in the tech industry, Cory Doctorow, a science fiction author, activist and journalist who delivered the keynote address, offered a framework for understanding the broader forces at play. He spoke about 'enshittification,' his term for the decline of digital platforms as they prioritize profits over value. The idea is a 'tragedy in three acts,' Doctorow said. First, a platform is good to its users by creating real value. Then, the platform abuses those users by making things better for its business customers. And finally, the platform abuses its business customers in an attempt to harvest as much profit as it can. Doctorow theorizes that four forces can resist this process: competition, regulation, interoperability and labor. For many years, tech workers were that fourth and final constraint that held the line, but mass tech layoffs and increased competition for limited job positions have changed that. Last year, the industry saw more than 150,000 job cuts across nearly 550 companies. So far this year, more than 22,000 workers have been laid off, and according to attendees, some developers were even let go en route to the conference. 'Tech workers' power never came from solidarity; it came from scarcity,' Doctorow said. Doctorow urged developers not to give up their sense of agency. 'For every 'enshitifying' code there is 'disenshittifying' code waiting to be written,' Doctorow said. 'Every 10-foot wall invites the 11-foot code ladder.' As tech workers' power wanes, some look to unions Efforts to unionize in the tech industry have made headlines in recent years, but it's relatively new territory, according to keynote speaker Doctorow. 'Tech workers, we are a strange kind of workforce,' Doctorow said during his speech. 'We have historically been very powerful, able to command very high wages and respect, but we did it without joining unions. Union density in tech is abysmal. It is almost undetectable.' Since 2019, some established unions have launched campaigns to organize workers in the tech industry. Years of activism have culminated in some successful organizing, like Google employees forming the Alphabet Workers Union or the New York Times tech workers organizing under a new unit of the Times-Guild of New York. It's mostly the success stories that stand out, though. Everett Rommel, a data engineer from New Jersey, said he tried to organize in a previous position as a data analyst, but when that effort wasn't recognized by management, he decided to leave for a different job. 'We are losing our market power,' Rommel said, 'and unions are being pitched as a way to sort of gain back a little bit of market power.' Others argue that the fast-paced nature of the tech industry clashes with traditional union structures, where slower decision-making could hinder innovation. Still, Rommel said, organizing, or finding a new job if it doesn't work out, might be harder today, especially under the current administration. If tech workers are serious about building collective power though, Rommel said, there needs to be a push for sectoral bargaining. That would mean collective bargaining across the entire industry, not just individual workplaces. The tech workforce in some sense already does this. Open source communities and collaborative platforms already show how developers can come together across organizational lines, said Baig, the data architect from Arizona, but turning that spirit into labor power won't be easy. 'I don't know if you have that much power individually,' Baig said, 'but, collectively, I think there is a path where you can 'deshitify' the internet.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Local NBC anchor Leon Harris who went viral for shaky news segment before resignation admits months later he was boozed up
The award-winning DC-based anchor who went viral on Thanksgiving for a cringeworthy news segment finally revealed this week he was boozed up on air – and didn't even realize how shaky he was. Now-former NBC4 Washington journalist Leon Harris addressed the uncomfortable moment in which he struggled mightily while delivering the news, including stumbling over words and awkward hesitations. He said he had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner within four hours between shows, but that was enough to push him off kilter. 'I ended drinking in between shows and then went on the air and I was more affected than I thought I was, even at the time I felt I was perfectly fine,' he told former CNN co-anchor Daryn Kagan in her new YouTube show, 'Call Me Friend.' 'I ended up getting pulled off the air. People were calling, they were thinking that I was having a stroke. It was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me.' 'My body has changed and I can't drink anymore,' added Harris, who had faced past drinking problems. 'And I didn't realize it.' Harris said his boss had to come into the station on the Thanksgiving holiday and instructed him to get in an Uber to go home. He took a leave of absence following the broadcast — a video of which quickly spread across social media — and last month jointly announced with NBC4 Washington that he was leaving the station for good. 'I kind of knew it was coming, but the station just felt it was too much of a negative event, it was too well-publicized that they didn't feel comfortable in bringing me back,' Harris told Kagan. 'Even though I left, I went immediately into rehab.' When he announced his permanent departure, he said it was a 'difficult decision' but that he had to focus on his health after 40 years of non-stop work. At the time, he didn't provide more details. Harris previously worked at CNN with Kagan, the interviewer, and other local DC stations. The talented broadcaster covered a myriad of historic news events, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the OJ Simpson trial and the 9/11 terror attacks. He also won numerous local Emmy awards. The journalist said it was gut-wrenching when he first viewed viral footage of his 'career-altering' screw-up. 'It was like 'oh my god,' I had no idea that I was that far gone,' he said. 'And it was clear and it was obvious.' Harris previously spoke about his struggle with alcohol in March 2022 after he ran into trouble for crashing into another car while driving under the influence. 'I've had a battle with alcoholism,' he said this week. 'I did not really fully appreciate that.' The broadcast journalist said he still gets phone calls from concerned friends who only recently saw the shocking video, but he reassured them he's in better shape now. He said he hasn't thought of having a drink since Dec. 14, 2024, after getting crucial help, but might always be reminded of the difficult moment. 'And knowing that it's on the internet and still alive is something that I'll never be able to live down,' Harris said.
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Local NBC anchor Leon Harris who went viral for shaky news segment before resignation admits months later he was boozed up
The award-winning DC-based anchor who went viral on Thanksgiving for a cringeworthy news segment finally revealed this week he was boozed up on air – and didn't even realize how shaky he was. Now-former NBC4 Washington journalist Leon Harris addressed the uncomfortable moment in which he struggled mightily while delivering the news, including stumbling over words and awkward hesitations. He said he had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner within four hours between shows, but that was enough to push him off kilter. 4 Former NBC4 Washington journalist Leon Harris addressed the uncomfortable moment in which he struggled mightily while delivering the news. 'I ended drinking in between shows and then went on the air and I was more affected than I thought I was, even at the time I felt I was perfectly fine,' he told former CNN co-anchor Daryn Kagan in her new YouTube show, 'Call Me Friend.' 'I ended up getting pulled off the air. People were calling, they were thinking that I was having a stroke. It was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me.' 'My body has changed and I can't drink anymore,' added Harris, who had faced past drinking problems. 'And I didn't realize it.' Harris said his boss had to come into the station on the Thanksgiving holiday and instructed him to get in an Uber to go home. He took a leave of absence following the broadcast — a video of which quickly spread across social media — and last month jointly announced with NBC4 Washington that he was leaving the station for good. 'I kind of knew it was coming, but the station just felt it was too much of a negative event, it was too well-publicized that they didn't feel comfortable in bringing me back,' Harris told Kagan. 'Even though I left, I went immediately into rehab.' 4 Harris said he had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner within four hours between shows, but that was enough to push him off kilter. NBC 4 Washington When he announced his permanent departure, he said it was a 'difficult decision' but that he had to focus on his health after 40 years of non-stop work. At the time, he didn't provide more details. Harris previously worked at CNN with Kagan, the interviewer, and other local DC stations. The talented broadcaster covered a myriad of historic news events, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the OJ Simpson trial and the 9/11 terror attacks. He also won numerous local Emmy awards. 4 Harris said his boss had to come into the station on the Thanksgiving holiday and instructed him to get in an Uber to go home. NBC 4 Washington The journalist said it was gut-wrenching when he first viewed viral footage of his 'career-altering' screw-up. 'It was like 'oh my god,' I had no idea that I was that far gone,' he said. 'And it was clear and it was obvious.' Harris previously spoke about his struggle with alcohol in March 2022 after he ran into trouble for crashing into another car while driving under the influence. 'I've had a battle with alcoholism,' he said this week. 'I did not really fully appreciate that.' 4 When he announced his permanent departure, he said it was a 'difficult decision' but that he had to focus on his health after 40 years of non-stop work. At the time, he didn't provide more details. NBC 4 Washington The broadcast journalist said he still gets phone calls from concerned friends who only recently saw the shocking video, but he reassured them he's in better shape now. He said he hasn't thought of having a drink since Dec. 14, 2024, after getting crucial help, but might always be reminded of the difficult moment. 'And knowing that it's on the internet and still alive is something that I'll never be able to live down,' Harris said.
Axios
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Lovin' Life Music Fest's most popular dishes
Lovin' Life Music Fest will return in May 2026. In the meantime, you can track down some of the festival's most popular bites. Why it matters: The food, like the talent, came from all over. Some vendors are Charlotte favorites, others are road-trip worthy and a couple have built their brand on being regulars at festivals and events across the country. Here are the most popular dishes we spotted in the festival's Culinary Village, in no particular order. Fried spring rolls and pork dumplings from Saku What to expect: You won't have to go far to try these crispy, golden bites. Saku's brick and mortar restaurant in Uptown is a sought-after spot for sushi and cocktails before a night out. Stop by: Saku Yakitori and Sushi Bar is at 123 E. 5th St. in Uptown. The Funky Farmer from Roti Rolls What to expect: Roti Rolls, which claims to be Charleston's first food truck established in 2010, still regularly operates around the city with a menu of roti-style tacos, rice bowls and sides like creole mac n' cheese. What's in it: Coconut curried veggies, pickled onions, arugula and salsa verde. Stop by: Check their Instagram for food truck schedules and upcoming pop-ups. Rice Bowls from Bun'd Up What to expect: A DC-based Korean eatery known for its modern twist on Asian street food like steamed buns and rice bowls. What's in it: This particular rice bowl is filled with a heaping serving of Chicken Fried Rice, an order we saw flying out of their vendor tent frequently. Stop by: Bun'd Up has a stall D.C.'s Union District Market and a full-service restaurant in Arlington, V.A. Teriyaki Chicken Soba Noodles from Island Noodles What to expect: You might have a hard time tracking down this Hawaiian food truck, known for its wok-fried soba noodles. Island Noodles has built its brand around serving at "high profile events across the U.S. and Canada," according to its Instagram. But if you're a festival regular, there's a chance you'll cross paths with them again. What's in it: Wok-fried soba noodles topped with teriyaki chicken — bonus points for the takeout packaging. Loaded fries from The Chili Man What to expect: The Chili Man is a Charlotte legend. Owner Vic Werany (AKA The Chili Man) ran his popular Chili Dog Stand in Uptown for 16 years before retiring in 2020. Lovin' Life brought him back for the weekend, much like they did with Mr. K's last year. What's in it: Fries topped with chili, cheese and crushed Fritos. It's not that far off from The Chili Man's most famous item — the "Frito Pie Dog."
