Latest news with #WhitneyTilson
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Readers sound off on officials' cooperation, ICE agents and the Knicks' coach
Brooklyn: As a Democratic voter who has yet to feel a real spark of excitement about any mayoral candidate, I read with interest 'Mamdani: From 'Who?' to No. 2' (June 1). While I agree in principle with democratic-socialist ideas such as taxing the rich to provide services like free child care, I just don't see Albany getting behind them (and I don't know how any New Yorker can think that a NYC household earning $1 million a year qualifies as 'rich' given the cost of living!) At this time, when social services, environmental protections and immigrant rights are under attack by the federal government, we need a mayor who will band together with the governor to fight back as a united front. That said, this concern applies to frontrunner Andrew Cuomo even more than Zohran Mamdani (photo). Cuomo had a frosty relationship with Gov. Hochul when she was his lieutenant governor, and he clearly resents that he was forced to resign and she got his job. Given his reputation as an alpha-male bully, a Cuomo mayoralty could well be plagued by power struggles between NYC and Albany, distracting our state and city from the real issues we face on the President Trump front and elsewhere. Perhaps we should start taking a closer look at the mayoral candidates still stuck in low-polling 'who?' limbo, as they may have a better shot at cultivating a constructive relationship with Hochul. Katherine Raymond Staten Island: I find myself in agreement with most of the issues Whitney Tilson is raising in the Democratic mayoral primary. However, I have never seen one commercial or received any mailing advertisements about him. The only article I read was in your paper. I think that he needs to let more people know what he stands for. When I mentioned his name to others, they all responded the same way: 'Who is she'? Phyllis O'Callaghan Manhattan: No thanks to Voicer Gene O'Brien, who knocked the Democratic candidates for mayor without offering any solution about who deserves our vote. Your advice, sir, is about as worthless as giving medicine to the dead. Thanks for nothing. Richard Simon Jersey City: Father's Day is a day dedicated to acknowledging, appreciating and celebrating the multifaceted role of fathers in our lives and in society. It is a time to reflect on the impact fathers have made to their families. This might mean remembering his sagacious guidance, unwavering support or the sacrifices he made to provide for his family. Indeed, the word 'father' has real meaning. Unfortunately, there are far too many men who fail to comprehend the enormous responsibilities that come with fatherhood. To them, I strongly recommend they use a contraceptive. There are far too many neglected and unwanted children in the world, and we don't need these men who are not mature enough to accept the role of father adding to those numbers. Kamala Jasmine Patel Effort, Pa.: Every day, ICE is locking up undocumented people, even when they show up for court. When will we see the owners of the businesses that profit from hiring undocumented labor paraded through cities in handcuffs? Kathleen Slattery Staten Island: I pledge to interfere with ICE stormtroopers persecuting helpless people. I do not recognize their authority over me or over anyone. I know that I may get killed doing this, but I will be satisfied to be one of the first people killed in our second American Civil War to reestablish our free U.S.A. constitutional democratic republic, which has been attacked and occupied by MAGA maggot domestic enemies. Gary Perl Bayside: I wonder if ICE agents hide their faces behind masks because they are ashamed of what they do. Alex S. Avitabile White Plains, N.Y.: When the economy looks good, President Trump says it's his economy. When the economy takes a downturn, Trump says it's Joe Biden's economy. Now Trump claims it's Biden's fault that the Boulder, Colo., attacker was in the country and not deported. The fact is that he was in the country on a legal work permit that expired on March 28, under Trump's tenure. It is Trump's fault that he was still in the country after his permit expired and not deported by his stormtroopers, also known as ICE. Steve Howe Brooklyn: A few weeks ago, Trump called Elon Musk a 'great patriot.' Now he claims Musk is angry because Tesla and electric vehicles have taken a hit. Musk was never a great patriot. He was always in it for himself — for money, for power and for his brand. The guy voted for Barack Obama twice, and then he's Trump's right-hand man?! Zero integrity. Peter Magnotta Manhattan: If we put Sean 'Diddy' Combs, R. Kelly, Trump and Musk in a cage match, the pay-per-view proceeds would more than eliminate the U.S. national debt. Susan Kain Ashburn, Va.: Republicans are having second thoughts about their prospects in the 2026 midterm elections, and they're watching closely to see what happens this November in Virginia. Nov. 4 of this year will be the day millions of Virginians will decide who will be their next governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, as well as General Assembly delegates. Republicans are viewing the election as the proverbial canary in the coal mine, possibly presaging the results in the major congressional races in 2026 if enough red-state voters realize that Trump's policies are failing. Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw encouraged us to reevaluate our positions when necessary: 'Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.' Mike Barrett Forest Hills: A Voicer recently asked if Trump keeps dumping on Harvard University because they didn't accept him. No! It's because they didn't accept his son Barron. He's such a petty tyrant! Dori Strassman Raleigh, N.C.: If all Christians knew about what Jesus taught his followers, could they not condemn abortion or not be true Christians? Jews and Muslims believe that Jesus is a holy person but do not believe all that he taught, yet believe many of his teachings. The Catholic Church may have been the one group that turned the election because they became more vocal. Joseph J. Rothengast Bronx: After nearly two decades of misery and losses, the Knicks finally found the road to success under the stable and consistent guidance of Tom Thibodeau. To most Knick fans, it appeared that the team at last had found its own version of the Warriors' Steve Kerr or the Spurs' Greg Popovich. But no — as always, Knicks ownership found a way to mess things up! I guess winning 50 games or more for two seasons in a row, making the playoffs four out of the past five seasons and competing in the NBA Eastern Conference finals wasn't enough to satisfy team owner Jim Dolan. This guy is perhaps the worst team owner, not only in the NBA, but in all of professional sports. What this team needs is not a new coach, but a new owner. Carlos B. Martinez Bronx: I am a substitute teacher with the NYC Department of Education. I had the opportunity recently to spend time outside with the students. I told some of them that when I was a kid, we played neighborhood-wide tag on our bikes. One fourth-grader told me that that was good because we were helping the environment and getting exercise. I told him we were just playing and having fun. When did play become a lesson? Kathleen Hughes St. Albans: To Voicer Richard Warren: What is 'simply' forced sex? Please define 'run-of-the-mill rape.' Those terms diminish the severity of the assault, along with the physical and mental trauma suffered by the victim. I believe that a rapist can be reformed, however, the penalty should be determined by a judge and jury. Stephanie Revander
Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Democrats vying for NYC mayor spar over defunding police, combating ICE
Democratic mayoral candidates sparred over whether to defund the police during the New York City mayoral debate Wednesday night, with many candidates distancing themselves from the once-popular progressive position. Candidates also discussed how to best combat President Donald Trump, particularly when it comes to his illegal immigration crackdown. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the current frontrunner in the mayoral race, said: "We have to admit what we did wrong. The people on the stage, almost without exception, were all defund the police … and now they're calling for more police. We wouldn't need more police if we didn't defund them in the first place." After saying this, several other candidates quickly turned the tables on Cuomo, accusing him of also leading the charge on defunding the police, something the former governor adamantly denied. "I used the words defund the police, I said I don't support defund the police," said Cuomo. While some candidates said they actually support increasing the police presence in New York City, others suggested increasing "mental health outreach workers" on the streets and subway trains. Progressive New York state Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani suggested, "We are going to put together dedicated teams of mental health outreach workers who will be deployed to the top hundred subway stations with the highest levels of mental health crisis and homelessness." Whitney Tilson, a hedge fund manager, blamed positions such as Mamdani's as being responsible for Trump's rise in popularity among New York City voters. "I do think we Democrats have to stop giving Trump gifts," said Tilson. "When we let ourselves be defined by our far left, by socialists, with their 'defund the police' nonsense and open borders, et cetera." "One area that I do agree with Trump is, is that when, a socialist like Zohran on here tweets that the NYPD is quote, 'wicked,' and calls to defund and dismantle the NYPD, that that is madness," he said, adding: "That is costing us elections since Trump has doubled his share of the New York City vote in the last three elections, from 17% to 30%." "We've got to move away from the far left, the socialism is sinking our party and our city," said Tilson. Candidates also discussed how to address the rise in crime and shoplifting in New York City and addressed whether bail reforms passed by the state under Cuomo are responsible for the spike. Michael Blake, a former Obama aide, suggested a "guaranteed" median income could be the solution to rising shoplifting. "If we help New Yorkers make and keep more money in their pocket in the first place, then we wouldn't have people speaking about shoplifting. That's why we need the local median income. That's why we have to have guaranteed income. That's why I have to help people on the front end. So, we're not talking about them being on the back," said Blake. Regarding Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, candidates largely doubled down on New York City's sanctuary city status and on further limiting local police's ability to cooperate with ICE. Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams was widely lambasted for being willing to cooperate with the Trump administration and ICE when it comes to immigration enforcement. Asked whether she would tip off migrants about federal immigration enforcement operations in New York City, current city council speaker Adrienne Adams asserted that if elected, "my mission is and will be to protect the immigrants." Adams said, "I will absolutely use my bully pulpit to warn, as I'm doing as city council speaker pretty much on a daily basis." Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller, meanwhile, said he would build a network in the city government that would enforce New York's sanctuary laws and "absolutely warn people before they walk into ICE." Zellnor Myrie, a state senator, claimed that sanctuary laws "used to not be political" and "not only would I be warning but I would be assuring them that we have their back right now." Jessica Ramos, a Democratic New York state senator, said she would use city tax resources to combat Trump's immigration crackdown, saying, "We have absolutely have to keep ICE … out of any public institution" and "I want to make sure that in a town with so many lawyers, our immigrants have lawyers." "This is not the first time he's brought ICE to New York. He's done that before and we fought him and we won," said Cuomo. "So, he can be beaten. But he has to know that he's up against an adversary who can actually beat him. And I can tell you this, I am the last person on this stage that Mr. Trump wants to see as mayor," he went on. "And that's why I should be the first choice that for the people of this city to have as mayor." Eric Adams is running for re-election as an independent and thus did not participate in the debate.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
10 Questions With Whitney Tilson
Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund executive, entered the New York City mayor's race last year, hoping to follow in the footsteps of former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as a business leader who is not part of the political establishment. He has portrayed himself as a moderate alternative to the left-leaning candidates and has qualified for more than $2 million in public matching funds. But in a crowded field, he has struggled to rise above 1 percent in the polls. Ahead of the June 24 primary, the leading Democrats in the race visited The New York Times for interviews. We are publishing excerpts from those interviews, and this is the third in the series; our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. We asked Mr. Tilson, 58, questions about 10 themes, with the occasional follow-up, touching on his love for cycling and his escalating criticism of Zohran Mamdani, a progressive state lawmaker. We've written previously about where Mr. Tilson and the other candidates stand on key issues and which candidates are raising the most money in your neighborhood. I'm trying to elevate the issue of fixing our schools. It's the single biggest part of our budget, and I think it's the root of so many of the other problems we see in our city, from the school-to-prison pipeline to affordability. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meet the NYC mayoral candidates: Whitney Tilson
NEW YORK (PIX11) – Political newcomer Whitney Tilson is trying to shake up the crowded Democratic race for New York City mayor. He discusses how he would tackle safety, housing and affordability on PIX11 Morning News. Watch the video player for the full interview. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC mayoral candidate Whitney Tilson touts business sense: ‘Not a career politician'
NEW YORK (PIX11) – It is just over four months until the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. In the field of 10 candidates, Whitney Tilson wants to set himself apart. Tilson is a former hedge fund manager, a role he had for nearly two decades. Now he publishes investment newsletters. As for public service, Tilson helped found the nonprofit Teach for America. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Tilson joined PIX on Politics and discussed what separates him from the other candidates running for New York City mayor. 'I think we need someone who is not a career politician…' Tilson said. 'There is no business person in the race and so that's the lane. It's a narrow lane in this Democratic primary, but I'm the only one in it.' Watch the video player for the full interview. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
