NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on political tightrope calls Oct. 7 attacks ‘painful,’ war in Gaza ‘genocide’

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel as he attempts to navigates a complicated political dynamic, calling the day “profoundly painful” for many New Yorkers while also criticizing Israel for carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza.

Three years ago, Hamas launched a massacre in Israel, killing around 1,200 and taking 251 hostages. The attacks prompted Israel’s military offensive in Gaza to eradicate Hamas, in which some 70,000 Palestinians have been killed.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Mamdani said the Hamas attacks were “horrific war crimes” that are “profoundly painful” for many New Yorkers while also calling out destruction in Gaza and the actions of both the Israeli and U.S. governments. The war has displaced nearly 2 million people and destroyed homes, infrastructure and other public services.

“We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss,” he said in a statement, concerning the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7. The mayor then pivoted to the war that followed: “The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza,” the statement said.

—New York Daily News

Saudi Arabia grilled at federal appeals court over 9/11 terror attack

Loved ones of 9/11 victims say Saudi Arabia flashed its “desperation” before a federal appeals court panel deciding if the kingdom should be held responsible for the murderous al-Qaeda terror attacks a quarter-century ago.

Lawyers for Saudi Arabia and the 9/11 kin went before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Lower Manhattan, just blocks from Ground Zero, on Wednesday. History unfolded during the 90-minute hearing as Circuit Court Judge William Nardini admitted, “It is a difficult case, and we will take it under advisement.”

The kingdom cited employment law and sovereignty rights as a basis to throw out the lawsuit filed against them by 9/11 families. Still, attorney Gavin Simpson won a round of applause from families packing the courtroom for saying the court needs to “eliminate the bizarre” and let the loved ones seek justice.

Circuit Court Judge William Nardini chastized the outburst, but let both sides have their say. A lower court has ruled that the 9/11 families should be allowed to sue Saudi Arabia under JASTA (the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act) passed by Congress in 2016, and that was the focus of Wednesday’s hearing.

—Boston Herald

Senate candidates boost spending on Spanish ads ahead of midterm elections

DALLAS — U.S. Senate campaigns in Texas have ramped up their Spanish-language advertisement spending, reflecting the pivotal role Hispanic and Latino voters could play in November’s midterm election.

Between the May 26 Republican runoff election and Sept. 30, the candidates and their allied groups spent a combined $4 million on ads in Spanish, according to a Dallas Morning News analysis of data from AdImpact, a political advertisement tracking firm. Of that sum, Democratic candidate James Talarico’s campaign spent about $2.6 million, while Republican Ken Paxton and his allied groups spent about $1.4 million.

Though that represents about 2.4% of all ad spending in the race between the runoff and Sept. 30, most has been concentrated in that last month.

In September, the Talarico campaign spent four times as much money on Spanish spots as it had between the runoff and August. Paxton groups spent about 80 times as much in September as it did from the runoff to August, though its earlier spending was miniscule compared to Talarico’s.

—The Dallas Morning News

Putin is spending a record $200 billion on the war this year

Russia’s military spending is on track to hit a record this year after Vladimir Putin added almost $60 billion to the outlays set out in the budget.

The Russian president ordered the dramatic shift for the war in Ukraine late last year after concluding that talks with the U.S. in Alaska were not going to lead to an acceptable deal to end the fighting.

Defense expenditure is expected to approach 17 trillion rubles ($199 billion) by the end of this year, about 40% higher than the original plan announced by the government at the end of 2025, two people close to the government said, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public.

The amount is nearly at the level projected for next year under the new budget officials unveiled last week. It’s the latest signal that Putin is prepared for the war with Ukraine to continue escalating. Moscow has already intensified attacks with missiles and faster, harder-to-intercept drones, striking energy facilities, transportation, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure.

—Bloomberg News