Virginia Democratic attorney general candidateJay Jonesonce fantasized about shooting the Virginia House speaker in texts with another lawmaker,but anyone who relies on The New York Times for information would have no idea.Last week, text messages sent by Jones in 2022 to a fellow lawmaker surfaced showing him discussing giving then-Republican House of Delegates Speaker Todd Gilbert "two bullets to the head," even suggesting that if Gilbert witnessed the murder of his own children that it would encourage him to pivot on policy. Jones has since apologized.Other controversies have emerged, including allegations that Jones had said if more police were killed it would reduce the shootings of civilians, which he denied. And after areckless driving convictionin 2022, Jones served 500 hours of "community service" to his own Political Action Committee.VIRGINIA AG CANDIDATE ONCE REFERENCED PUTTING TWO BULLETS TO THE HEAD OF GOP LEADER, TEXTS SHOWThe Times, the leading political newspaper in the country,failed to mention Jones from October 3 when a bombshell National Review report revealed the Democrats extreme rhetoric through Wednesday morning, according to a search of its archives. There has been no coverage of his texts, the scandal they have created or even a "Republicans-pounce" type of article.The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Texts obtained by Fox News Digital Friday showed an August 2022 conversation between Jones then a recently departed delegate from Norfolk and another lawmaker after the death of Del. Joe Johnson, D-Bristol, at age 90.DEMOCRATS STAND BY VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL WHO FANTASIZED ABOUT KILLING GOP LAWMAKER"Hence the glowing tributes fromthe Rs.Damn, that (message) was for Mark," Jones texted Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chester.At the time, several House Republicans including leadership offered eulogizing words for Johnson, who had been known as an aisle-crossing, friendly moderate. One of those who had kind words for Johnson was then-House SpeakerTodd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah.Jones told Coyner that Johnson "leaked everything to your [Republican] caucus. Its why Gilbert gave him such a glowing tribute.""If those guys die before me, I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves," he continued. "Send them out awash in something."At that point, Coyner appeared to attempt to rein in the conversation, texting, "Jay Jones."But Jones continued, adding, "Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head."Joneswas not yet finished condemning the House leader."Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time," he wrote.Coyner tried again to end the conversation: "Jay. Please stop.""Lol. OK, OK," he replied.LIBERAL MSNBC PANELIST CALLS FOR VIRGINIA AG CANDIDATE TO DROP OUT OVER VIOLENT TEXT MESSAGESIn another message to Coyner, Jones considered whether Gilbert and his wife Jennifer were "breeding little fascists."Jones has apologized for the texts, calling the remarks "embarrassing and shameful," and said he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family.While the Times has failed to cover Jones, the paper did manage to run multiplearticlesin 2014 about a Republican congressional aide who was forced to resign after facing backlash for a Facebook post insulting Sasha and Malia Obama.Fox News Digitals Joseph A. Wulfsohn, Andrew Mark Miller and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump announced this week that the UFC White House event will take place on June 14, his 80th birthday, and ring announcer Bruce Buffer is counting down the days.Dana White has promised the biggest card in the fighting companys history, as fighters will enter the ring on the South Lawn near the Oval Office."Its an honor to appear at the White House and on the White House grounds. Keeping the whole event nonpolitical and the sporting event that it is, itll be, probably, the highest-watched pay-per-views in the history of pay-per-views" Buffer told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "Its gonna be incredible, the fight roster will probably be incredible, you cant really say anything negative about it. Its gonna be amazing."CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMEver since Trump first announced the idea, there has been wide speculation about what fights could occur in the nations capital, with the most popular potential bouts being Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall and Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler.White once confided that just about everyone on the UFC roster wants to get the call for the event, and Buffer echoed those sentiments."Every fighter on the roster wants to fight at that event," Buffer said. "Conor McGregor, hes always saying, I want to come back, I want to come back. And we havent seen from him with all hes been doing over the last years, but if thats an event hes going to come back at, that would make it big. If Jon Jones comes in to fight whomever, whether its Tom Aspinall, whatever, that would make it bigger. Theres so many great fighters on the UFC roster. Its gonna be an awesome night, theres no question."DANA WHITE PROMISES 'GREATEST FIGHT CARD EVER ASSEMBLED' FOR POTENTIAL WHITE HOUSE UFC EVENT IN 2026White has long credited Trump for helping grow the UFC into what it is today. In a recent appearance on Logan Paul's podcast, White said that Trump supported the company when "venues didn't want us" and "sponsors [and] television was terrified of us.""So, the way he supported us in the beginning was great. And anything that happened to me in my career, he would be the first guy to reach out," White said.But White has catapulted the UFC into a must-watch staple, making a deal worth nearly $8 billion to have premier events on Paramount Plus."When Dana took over, because we were almost dead before Dana took over as far as a sport, and then when The Ultimate Fighter first happened with Forrest Griffin and Stefan Bonner when almost 15 million eyeballs were watching that fight, and under the tutelage and guidance of Dana, hes a maverick," Buffer said of the UFC president. "Hes got the Midas touch, hes taken it to where it is. Thank God hes got the passion and power and nonstop energy to keep it going. Im proud to be on that UFC rocketship piloted by Dana White and everybody at the top and have my first class seat to continue to go where its going. All the way to the White House grounds and beyond."Just like Star Trek said, to areas never before explored, or however they put it."Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X,and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Senate Democrats blocked Republicans bid to reopen the government for a sixth time on Wednesday as pressure and threats from the White House increased.Its been "Groundhog Day" in the Senate for eight days but unlike the 1993 Bill Murray comedy, theres been little, if any, forward progress among the cast of senators. Talks are still ongoing, but those have yet to take the leap to full-blown negotiations to end the government shutdown.The night before the vote Wednesday morning, a bipartisan group of lawmakers met to discuss the shutdown, and a way out, over Thai food in Washington.SENATE STALLS ON SHUTDOWN VOTE AMID WARNING FURLOUGHED WORKERS MAY LOSE PAYSen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said the groups goal was to find a way to reopen the government and keep it open, rather than repeat the same cycle when funding runs out again Nov. 21."We're not working on a solution to reopen the government. We're not negotiating. We have a clean CR they've got to accept," Mullin said. "Our whole goal is, how do we avoid, if we do reopen it, how do we avoid shutdown."Congressional Republicans are adamant that the best path forward is to pass their continuing resolution (CR), which would keep the government open until Nov. 21, add millions to bolster member security and include a fix to Washington, D.C.s budget that was overlooked by the House earlier this year.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., intends to keep putting the same bill on the floor and hopes that fractures form within the Democratic caucus' unified front. So far, however, only three Senate Democratic caucus members have split from the larger group: Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine.But Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have made the fight to reopen the government about healthcare, specifically through the blunt instrument of expiring tax credits under Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA)."Nothing's changed," Thune said. "We all understand, you know what they want to do, and we're not averse, as I've said repeatedly, to have that conversation. At some point, they have to take yes for an answer."SENATE REPUBLICANS CONFIRM MORE THAN 100 TRUMP NOMINEES AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUESWhile the credits dont expire until the end of the year, Democrats argue that come the start of open enrollment on Nov. 1, Americans who rely on the subsidies will see a sharp increase in their premium costs unless Congress acts."We believe that the pressure that the American people are putting on the Republicans, which are already seeing signs of cracking, are going to get them to come to the table, and we can negotiate a good deal for the American people," Schumer said.But their ask isnt totally one-dimensional, either. Their counter-proposal to the GOPs CR laid out in sharper terms that they want a permanent extension to the Obamacare subsidies, to see guardrails put on President Donald Trumps ability to claw back funding through the rescissions and impoundments process, along with a full repeal of the "big, beautiful bills" healthcare title and the return of canceled funding for NPR and PBS."Listen, this is a unique moment, a unique moment where we can demand that we're only going to vote for a budget that helps our people and stops the lawlessness," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said. "I want the ACA subsidies restored, but I also would be a sucker to vote for a budget that allows Trump to continue to get away with this level of corruption and allows him to just cancel the spending in the bill for states like Connecticut."SCHUMER'S SHUTDOWN HOLDS AS SENATE DEMS BLOCK GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENTLingering in the background are the threats from the administration led by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought. He has already withheld nearly $30 billion in infrastructure funding for blue cities and states, and through a pair of memos, ordered agency layoffs and suggested furloughed workers may not receive back pay.The latter move runs counter to a law signed by President Donald Trump guaranteeing back pay for furloughed workers after the 2019 shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.While firings were thought to be around the corner, Trump appeared to give some breathing room on the issue on Tuesday."Ill be able to tell you that in four or five days," Trump told reporters. "If this keeps going on, itll be substantial, and a lot of those jobs will never come back, but youre going to have a lot closer to a balanced budget."Still, Senate Democrats remained unfazed by the threats, particularly the latest of workers going without back pay."I'm not sure Trump's floating it," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said. "He's got underlings who were floating submarining one of Donald Trump's accomplishments. It was Donald Trump that made that guarantee when he signed the bill in January 2019, and now he's got functionaries in OMB suggesting they may go back on what he promised. I hope he takes pride in his work."

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is facing backlash after using an image of an emaciated Israeli hostage in an Instagram post allegedly showing Palestinians suffering.The post read, "The suffering of Palestinian prisoners is not a matter of opinion it is a fact of systemic cruelty and dehumanization. Humanity cannot be selective. Justice cannot have borders." It also included three images, including one of hostage Evyatar David, who was taken from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023.The image of David was a still frame from a Hamas propaganda video. In the video, David appears extremely frail as he describes the conditions in captivity and says he hasnt eaten for days. The part of the video that shocked many was when Davids captors forced him to dig his own grave.GRETA THUNBERG'S ALLEGED JAIL COMPLAINTS CALLED 'BRAZEN LIES' BY ISRAELI GOVERNMENTYeela David, Evyatars sister, commented on the post saying Thunberg needed to do research before posting "things you dont understand." She then added that, "every minute you are not deleting the post, you are becoming a bigger joke. Embarrassing."The post, which contained multiple images, appears to have since been edited and the slide with Davids image is no longer visible. The comment section, however, is full of reminders that his image was there with users decrying the "lies" showcased in the post.The slides were part of a collaboration post with Thunberg, Yasmin Acar, a member of the steering committee of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition; the Gaza Sumud Flotilla and two other accounts.ISRAEL CLAIMS GRETA THUNBERG'S FLOTILLA SEEKING TO BREAK GAZA BLOCKADE HAS HAMAS TIES, CITES DOCUMENTSThe first slide of the post read, "The world is rightly horrified by what the Sumud Flotilla hostages are enduring," referring to detainees arrested when Israel intercepted their fleet last week. "Their suffering is real and no human being should ever be subjected to such pain, fear or humiliation." The post then goes on to compare this to the plight of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, with the activists asserting that over 11,000 Palestinian "hostages and prisoners" were held in unhygienic and inhumane conditions.The group also included a video from 2015 in their post showing Ahmad Manasra, who was 13 at the time. Manasra was arrested in 2015 in connection with a Jerusalem stabbing attack during what is often called the "Knife Intifada," according to The Jerusalem Post.The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a screenshot of the deleted slide next to a zoomed-in version of the still image of David, declaring, "Ignorance blinded by hate is trending.""Greta Thunberg posted about Palestinian prisoners using the image of Israeli hostage Evyatar David - starved, abused, and forced by Palestinian Hamas to dig his own grave," the ministry wrote on X.Thunberg, who became renowned for her climate activism while still in high school, has become a vocal critic of Israel since the war in Gaza began. She has participated in two Gaza-bound aid flotillas, both of which were intercepted by Israeli forces.Fox News Digital reached out to Thunberg for comment.

JERUSALEM As negotiations continue in Egypt on the U.S. roadmap for peace, Fox News Digital obtained video from the U.S.-based Center for Peace Communications (CPC), revealing that anti-Hamas militias have endorsed President Donald Trumps peace plan to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages.This comes amid reports of heavy fighting last week between an anti-Hamas clan and terrorists from the jihadi Hamas movement in a neighborhood in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip that could mark a sea change in local governance in the war-ravaged area.The full-throttle support from the anti-Hamas militias for Trumps plan could potentially mean more trouble for the terrorist movement that has ruled Gaza with an iron fist for the last 17 years.Three of the anti-Hamas militias publicly endorsed Trumps peace plan for Gaza, according to the CPC video. Yasser Abu Shabab, the head of the Popular Forces militia in Rafah, said, "We see in President Trumps plan a path to halt the bloodshed and bring peace to the Middle East."WHO IS THE GAZAN CHALLENGING HAMAS RULE, AND DOES HE HAVE A CHANCE?Ashraf Al-Mansi, leader of the Popular Northern Forces, said, "We, in the Peoples Army, Northern Forces in the Gaza Strip, extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to U.S. President Donald Trump."Rami Hillis, the leader of the Popular Defense Forces, said his organization and the honorable clans in the Gaza Strip "will exert our utmost efforts and our capabilities to ensure the success of this proposal." Two years ago, on Oct. 7, the Hamas terrorist movement invaded Israel and slaughtered roughly 1,200 people, including more than 40 American citizens."This marks the first time that anti-Hamas militias have proven on the ground their ability to challenge Hamas in open combat and to expel them from their areas. We have seen minor clashes before, but this seems to mark a major escalation,"said Michael Nahum from CPC.The CPC, along with an American news organization, the Free Press, posted footage on X about the deadly clashes on Friday that reportedly resulted in the killing of 20 Hamas terrorists, including a commander.AS TRUMPS GAZA DEAL NEARS, FAMILY WARNS ISRAEL NOT TO FREE ANOTHER SINWARAccording to the CPC, the infamous Hamas"Sahm Unit," which is "known for brutally suppressing Gazan dissident voices, went toKhan Younis" with the goal of arresting local Palestinians and "transferring them to a hospital for interrogation and possible execution."On the same day as the clashes, Israel Defense Forces disclosed that Hamas had built sophisticated terrorist tunnels on the compounds of two hospitals the Jordanian Field Hospital and Hamad Hospital in the Gaza Strip. The tunnel adjacent to theJordanian hospital contained a workshop for the production of missiles. The use of hospitals and medical facilities as weapons areas by Hamas is considered a war crime under the Geneva Convention.Hamas claims it entered Khan Younis to detain Palestinians who are collaborating with Israel. The al-Mujaida clan in southern Gaza resisted the Hamas assault of roughly 50 Hamas terrorists aboard five pickup trucks armed to the teeth, including with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Hamas reportedly murdered five members of the large al-Mujaida family.The anti-Hamas militias have reportedly received support from Israel. Nahum said they are growing, and there are now four and probably as many as 10 militias across the Gaza Strip. "For the first time in a generation, we really might be looking at the end of Hamas rule in Gaza," said Nahum.There are an estimated 20,000 Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, according to some assessments.

The largest high school district in California is the latest in the state to pass a resolution calling for the protection of girls' sports from trans athletes, opposing current state law. The resolution, which passed this week, came weeks after a controversial incident involving a girls' volleyball game.Kern High School District (KHSD) trustee Derek Tisinger told Fox News Digital that he and his colleagues had to witness a Christian school forfeit to one of the schools in its district over a trans athlete last month.Bakersfield Christian forfeited its freshman/sophomore game to Ridgeview High School in the final week of September, with the explanation that "As a school grounded in the authority of Scripture, we affirm the biblical view that sex is determined by God at conception."CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMFor Tisinger and many of his colleagues, witnessing this was difficult."People try to say, hey, it only affects a small amount of people, but there were probably 30 girls that practiced and dreamed their whole life about playing volleyball, and they didn't get to play," Tisinger said."To sit here and talk about this, it's almost ridiculous."Tisinger also has sympathy for the trans athlete in his district at the center of the situation."This young man, he has every opportunity to play in any sport, men's sport, he can play golf, tennis, he can do whatever he wants to do, but I don't believe that he has the right to come in and displace a girl on a team and take her playing ability away and possibly taking away a chance for her to get a scholarship down the road," he added.Tisinger, a former teacher, led the effort to pass the resolution, which was authored by Chino Valley Unified School Board President Sonja Shaw. Tisinger's effort resulted in a 3-2 passing vote, making Kern High School District the 16th institution in California to pass a resolution calling for the change."People in our community and our district know that we are concerned about biological boys playing in girls' sports, and we don't want it to happen," Tisinger added.But Tisinger said he and many of his colleagues had to weigh potential backlash, and even legal action if they were to pass it.INSIDE GAVIN NEWSOM'S TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL CRISISA group of activist parents and teachers sent a letter to the KHSD suggesting potential legal action if they did not stand by the state's laws to enable biological males in girls' sports."Your district could be at risk for litigation," read a copy of the letter obtained by Fox News Digital."Your role is clear: uphold California Education Code. Ensure that your school athletics programs are not implementing this discriminatory pilot policy locally. The law is on the side of fairness, privacy, and dignity. Lets keep it that way."But Tisinger also heard the message from the federal government and President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order for schools to only allow females in girls' and women's sports or risk potential loss of federal funding. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently suing California state agencies for refusing to comply with this executive order.Tisinger believed this resolution was a way that his district could pick a side in the conflict that he could get behind."We're being threatened to be sued on both sides, so if were going to be sued, let's be on the right side of this," Tisinger said he told his colleagues at the Monday meeting to pass the resolution."The threat of losing federal funding, that's a pretty serious situation, so we don't take that, I don't take that lightly. I don't want to lose federal funding. Our school district, we have around 45,000 students. So for us, it's critical that we have the federal funds to pay our wonderful teachers that we have and take care of our students. So we shouldn't be in a situation where we're being blackmailed one way or the other."Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The last remaining fugitive, who was part of a group of New Orleans jail inmates that escaped earlier this year, was involved in a standoff with authorities in Atlanta, authorities said.Derrick Groves was taken into custody following the incident, the Louisiana State Police (LSP) said."Through a coordinated effort involving Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, the New Orleans Police Department, the Atlanta Police Department, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, 28-year-old Derrick Groves, was apprehended on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia after a brief stand-off," an LSP statement to Fox News said.NEW IMAGES SHOW ARMED EX-CON HUNTED FOR TORTURING, KILLING ELDERLY COUPLE AFTER RUSE TO ENTER HOME: POLICEGroves, 28, a four-time convicted killer who has been on the run for five months, and nine other inmates escaped on May 16 from the Orleans Parish Justice Center.At the time of his escape, Groves was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder following a 2024 conviction for opening fire at a Mardi Gras block party that killed two people and wounded several others.Aside from the nine inmates, many of whom have been charged with heinous violent crimes, several relatives and jail staffers have been arrested on suspicion of aiding the escapees.ALLEGED CINCINNATI ATTACKERS WALK FREE AFTER BOND CUTS, POLICE HUNT EIGHTH SUSPECTThe Orleans Justice Center is operating at only 60% staffing, and at the time of the escape, four supervisors and 36 staff members were monitoring 1,400 inmates, authorities said.Many of the fugitive inmates were captured within weeks of their escape.Darriana Burton, a former Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office employee believed to be Groves girlfriend, was arrested in June on suspicion of helping him escape from the jail.An arrest affidavit states that she allegedly coordinated contact between Groves and individuals outside the jail and communicated information related to the escape.

Former MLB star Mo Vaughn expressed his sympathy for Pete Rose and his family because the baseball legend did not get into the Hall of Fame while he was alive.MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred posthumously removed Rose from the permanently ineligible list in May 2025, months after his death, allowing Rose to finally be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame."I feel bad for him and his family that now that he has passed on and is in the heavens, that now we're gonna take him off (the permanently ineligible list)," Vaughn told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"I love Pete Rose. I think Pete Rose is baseball. I think he exemplifies everything that baseball is."The 1995 American League MVP said that Rose should be granted some latitude for his mistakes. Rose became a polarizing figure when news of his gambling on games rocked the sports world, and he received a lifetime ban in 1989.Rose admitted to gambling in 2004 after years of claiming his innocence.AARON JUDGE'S CLUTCH HOME RUN LEADS YANKEES TO HISTORIC COMEBACK IN MUST-WIN GAME 3 OVER BLUE JAYS"If there is a guy that I feel should be inducted, should be granted some latitude. And I know, oh, you know, well, you need to apologize. Listen, we all get, we all make mistakes," Vaughn said. "He didn't bet against his team. He was betting for his team."Vaughn also cited Major League Baseballs partnerships with gambling companies as another reason Rose should be inducted.Rose is MLBs hit king with 4,256 career hits. He was the National League MVP in 1974 and was a 17-time All-Star, a three-time World Series champion and a three-time batting champion.Vaughn played in the major leagues for 12 seasons. He spent eight with theBoston Red Sox,two with the then-Anaheim Angels and two with the Mets.The three-time All-Star had a .293 career batting average with 328 home runs and 1,064 RBI. He has a podcast called "The Mo Vaughn Podcast," which debuted in August. He has interviewed former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, six-time All-Star Kenny Lofton, and many other former players.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reminded business leaders on Wednesday that socialism already failed New York City when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and progressive activists rallied against Amazon's plan to build a headquarters in Queens.During Crains New York Business mayoral forum Wednesday morning, less than one month away from Election Day, Cuomo railed against the threat that Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani's policies pose to the city's economy."We are not socialists," Cuomo said. "We all saw the foreshadowing of the danger of this philosophy when we lost the Amazon project in Queens and 50,000 jobs due to socialist opposition."Cuomo told business leaders New York City is at a crossroads it will either "decline dramatically" under Mamdani or "pivot and actually see a rebirth."CUOMO CALLS NYC MAYORAL RIVAL 'DANGEROUS,' WARNS SOCIALISM WOULD BE 'DEATH KNELL' FOR CITY"My opponent's proposal to provide free everything funded by raising taxes is pure ideological fantasy," Cuomo said during his opening remarks.ZOHRAN MAMDANIS POLICIES 'WON'T WORK' IN NEW YORK, ANDREW CUOMO ARGUESAnd Cuomo is pointing to one consequential business flop as proof that socialism has no place in the capitalist capital."We are a financial and commercial capital. We are a regulated capitalist economy," Cuomo said, clearly criticizing Mamdani's self-identified "Democratic socialist" policies and distaste for capitalism.During his tenure as governor, Cuomo courted Amazon to build its second headquarters in New York, personally urging founder and CEO Jeff Bezos to choose Long Island City and offering billions in state and city incentives, along with infrastructure and workforce commitments to seal the deal.But the deal was met with mounting backlash from community activists and progressive lawmakers, such as Ocasio-Cortez, who rejected the estimated $2.5 billion in incentives for Amazon."Now what I DON'T want is for our public funds to be funding freebie helipads for Amazon+robber baron billionaires," Ocasio-Cortez wrote in 2018, "all while NYCHA and public schools go underfunded & mom+pops get nowhere near that kind of a break."In 2019, Amazon announced they had decided that "after much thought and deliberation" not to move forward with their plan to build headquarters in Long Island City in Queens."A number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City," Amazon shared in a statement.Alfredo Ortiz, CEO of Job Creators Network, told Fox News at the time that Ocasio-Cortez's "reckless scuttling of the Amazon deal cannot be overstated.""Not only did AOC cost New York 25,000 good-paying jobs, she sent a message to job creators everywhere that they were no longer welcome in her city," he said.Amazon had anticipated creating at least 25,000 jobs in Long Island City, with the governor's office projecting the potential growth to 40,000 jobs over 15 years.During Mamdani's remarks at the business forum on Wednesday, the socialist candidate quoted Bezos, whom he described as "a man whose tax burden I would love to significantly raise.""Jeff once said not to me personally, but in public You have to be willing to be misunderstood if youre going to innovate. And make no mistake, my friends: when I am mayor, this city is going to innovate," Mamdani told the room of New York City business leaders.But Mamdani's plans to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for ambitious campaign promises, like free buses, free childcare and city-run grocery stores, have triggered skepticism among the business community.Cuomo, in particular, has seized on that skepticism in the race for Gracie Mansion, telling business leaders on Wednesday that "now is the moment for New York City to regain the crown as the greatest city on the globe."Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Veteran comedian Bill Burr unleashed on critics of his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, saying he doesnt "give a f---" what anyone thinks about his appearance at a comedy festival in Riyadh.The outspoken comic made the remarks during a special live recording of "Conan OBrien Needs a Friend" on Sunday, responding to backlash over performing in the kingdom amid concerns about human rights and free expression."I really dont give a f---, and if it affects my career, Ive been to LAX enough in my life, Ill f---ing sit home for a little bit," Burr said.BILL MAHER CRITICIZES DAVE CHAPPELLE FOR REMARKS ON FREE SPEECH AT SAUDI COMEDY FESTIVAL"I will actually tell you LAX is slightly sadder than Saudi Arabia," he added.Burr's remarks came after he and approximately 50 other comedians traveled to the Middle East to appear at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The festival, organized under Saudi Arabias General Entertainment Authority, was promoted as part of the kingdoms Vision 2030 cultural reforms, though critics contend such events are meant to gloss over the countrys human rights record.CHAPPELLE SAYS IT'S EASIER TO SPEAK FREELY AT SAUDI ARABIAN COMEDY FEST THAN IN USA, BRINGS UP CHARLIE KIRKAt one point, however, Burr insisted the festival served as a sign of forward progress in the region."The general consensus is, How dare you go to that place and make those oppressed people laugh, you f---ing piece of s---. I cant believe you went to that place. I cant find it on a map, and this bot said I was upset about it, so now I am,'" he quipped.WASHINGTON POST REBUKES DAVE CHAPPELLE, OTHER TOP COMEDIANS FOR PERFORMING AT SAUDI COMEDY FEST"Its one thing to wear clothes made by sweatshop labor. Its quite another to go to the factory and make them laugh. I cant believe how much anger I had about this issue after it went viral.""All of these sanctimonious c---s out there who dont really sincerely give a s---," he added at another point, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Burr likened human rights violations in Saudi Arabia to current events in the U.S., particularly drawing on immigration raids conducted under the Trump administration."Were f---ing grabbing moms and dads and sticking them in a van for making illegally made f---ing tacos to go to Alligator Alcatraz," he said."Its f---ing insane and, someday, theyre going to be out of Brown people to put in those vans, theyre still gonna have the vans, so you shouldnt be feeling comfortable about it. Thinking that youre not going to be in it."