Hakeem Jeffries endorses Zohran Mamdani
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani on Friday, two days after the second and final mayoral debate.
The long-awaited decision comes despite Jeffries’ criticism of Mamdani’s affiliation with Democrat Socialists of America, which warned it will run primaries that target Jeffries and other House leaders. Jeffries noted in a broadcast interview that Mamdani’s focus during the debate on affordability, and his recent confirmation that he would keep Jessica Tisch as Police Commissioner, won over his support.
“Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” Jeffries said in a statement to the New York Times.
Endorsements from prominent Democratic leaders such as Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — who has not made an endorsement — have been a topic of speculation in the heated race. Jeffries, one of the highest recipients of funding from pro-Israel lobbying groups, was reluctant to endorse Mamdani over his stance on Israel and previous statements to defund the police, which Mamdani has now retracted. Jeffries recognized these “areas of principled disagreement” in his statement.
With early voting open since Saturday and Election Day approaching on Nov. 4, Mamdani is leading the polls. He is expected to stay in the lead, with republican nominee Curtis Sliwa’s insistence that he will not drop out of the race, dividing anti-Mamdani voters.
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protest Israel’s military drafts
Over 100,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews protested outside of the Israeli consulate in Manhattan on Sunday to denounce Israel’s decision to draft religious ultra-Orthodox Jews, who have long been exempted from military service.
The protest was organized by the Central Rabbinical Congress of the U.S.A. and Canada, which represents ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups across North America. Demonstrators held signs that read “TORAH OBSERVANT, NOT IDF SERVANT” and “We will not serve in an army of a state we don’t recognize” and gave speeches in Hebrew and English. Protesters asserted that the Torah forbids the creation of a Jewish state, and denounced the Israeli government’s insistence on ultra-Orthodox men serving in the military following October 7.
When the state of Israel was established in 1948, Israel’s defense ministry exempted the Haredi community — which encompasses all Orthodox sects — from mandatory military service, because their primary occupation was Torah study.
In 2024, the Supreme Court of Israel unanimously ruled that Israel must draft Orthodox Jews into its army. Since then, Haredi-led protests have erupted in Israel and now in New York City, home to the largest Haredi population outside of Israel. Over 1,000 Haredi men received arrest warrants for not serving when drafted, and last month Israel arrested over a 100 men who attempted to leave the country for an annual pilgrimage despite being drafted.
“Americans are unaware of Israel’s horrific treatment of Orthodox Jews. From night raids in Orthodox neighborhoods to checkpoints to arrests of Yeshiva students, Israel is persecuting the very religious people that it claims to protect,” protest organizer Rabbi Isaac Green said in a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Diwali celebration ends in neighborhood fire
Two residential homes in Queens caught on fire early Wednesday morning because of fireworks from a nearby Diwali celebration, the New York City Fire Department said.
The South Asian Festival of Lights is traditionally celebrated with fireworks in other areas of the world, however, all consumer fireworks, including sparklers, are illegal in New York City.
FDNY reported no fatalities, but two people were taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for minor injuries. The fire, which was caught on video and posted on X, also damaged the exteriors of homes in the area and parked vehicles. Multiple noise complaint calls were made to 311 before the fires broke out. Juanita Colon, a resident who complained about the fireworks, told CBS News that the police did not address her concerns.
“I never thought in a million years I would go through this,” Colon told CBS. “We got nothing now because everything is ruined. My son has no clothes. We have to be in a hotel room living out of a hotel.”
In Edison, New Jersey, seven homes caught on fire on Monday following Diwali celebrations. The city’s mayor and fire chief made a video warning residents of the dangers of fireworks and promoting safe ways to celebrate the holiday.
The investigation of the Queens fire is ongoing and there are no arrests reported.
Contact Leena Ahmed at [email protected].