Far-left New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the creation of a new city agency that sounds like his version of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Mamdani said Thursday that the Commission on Government Efficiency would meet with community organizers and union members in order to improve coordination with city government efforts.

‘A reminder that when republicans expose and root out fraud it’s smeared as racism, starving children, leaving the poor to die.’

“This morning we are introducing COGE — the Commission on Government Efficiency,” Mamdani said. “This Commission will find ways for our city to work smarter, faster, and more effectively for working people. New Yorkers deserve a city government as careful with their money as they are.”

He went on to take a shot at tech billionaire Elon Musk, who headed up the DOGE agency until he had a falling out with the president.

“Elon Musk took that language and used it to cut as many jobs that were as critical as possible for so many of the neediest people across the country and across the world,” the mayor said. “Ours is going to be a focus on actually delivering efficiency.”

Mamdani was immediately mocked by critics, including independent journalist Nick Shirley.

“This sounds a lot like DOGE … Weird how your own governor questioned me when I speculated the sudden increase in spending in areas like childcare in NYC and now you do this. (Which is a good thing btw!),” he responded. “Cutting waste, fraud, and abuse should be the most nonpartisan issue in America as it affects everyone.”

“Remember when Democrats ridiculed President Trump and his administration for tackling government waste?” wrote Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. “Looks like they ran the numbers and found eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse is quite popular.”

“A reminder that when republicans expose and root out fraud it’s smeared as racism, starving children, leaving the poor to die, etc. I suspect there will be a (d)ifference in coverage of this unserious ripoff of DOGE,” TV producer Spencer Brown said.

“Is this satire? DOGE was ridiculed endlessly and now the folks who were outraged are doing it themselves?” another user replied on the X platform.

The DOGE appropriation was also infuriating to liberals still angry about the agency’s acts.

“Mimicking the DOGE name is an insult to every fired federal worker and everyone harmed or killed by USAID cuts,” another user said. “Wish the team was a little less clever and slightly more thoughtful.”

RELATED: Mamdani’s wife apologizes for insulting Israel, using N-word and gay slur in past tweets

Musk promised through DOGE to find and cut trillions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse. Critics say the agency did very little to actually help the budget, which has spiraled into more debt under Trump’s second term so far.

Mamdani meanwhile was praised by many on the left for supposedly balancing the budget that had a $12 billion deficit. Critics point out that he did it by pushing pension payments into the future — basically mortgaging the future finances of the city to cover current costs.

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​Department of government efficiency, Elon musk, New york city, Zohran mamdani, Politics 

Dozens were injured and five people were killed when a North Carolina-based E&P Travel bus drove into stopped traffic in Virginia on Friday at about 2:35 a.m., according to police.

An investigation found that the driver of the bus was a Chinese national who could not speak English, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

‘This is one of the most tragic things I’ve ever seen. Absolutely tragic.’

The driver identified as 48-year-old Jing S. Dong.

The bus plowed into a Chevy SUV that had slowed for a construction zone and propelled that vehicle into an Acura SUV and other vehicles.

Dong’s bus was carrying 34 travelers from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Forty-four people in the incident were transported to hospitals in Fredericksburg and Stafford, according to officials. Three of those had critical injuries.

“I’ve got to say, this is one of the most tragic things I’ve ever seen. Absolutely tragic,” said Federal Transit Administration spokesperson Peyton Vogel at the scene.

Duffy posted the findings from the investigation to social media.

“Local police confirm the driver of this motorcoach — a man from China who became a U.S. citizen — doesn’t speak English. He received his commercial drivers license from New York State in 2024,” Duffy wrote.

“Unacceptable. This is exactly why we are holding states accountable, enforcing the rules of the road, and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English,” he added. “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.”

He also vowed that any company, trainer, or school involved in putting Dong on the road would receive “intense scrutiny” over the incident.

RELATED: Security camera shows school bus blow through stop sign and get hit by city bus, 6 people hurt

Dong was also injured in the crash.

“My prayers are with the loved ones of the innocent lives lost and those who were hurt in this horrific crime,” Duffy concluded.

The investigation into the crash closed traffic on the I-95 south lane for about four hours.

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​Bus crash, Chinese national, Foreign drivers, Lethal crash, Politics 

The star of the upcoming “Supergirl” movie says she has one major weakness — and it isn’t Kryptonite.

It’s the online trolls.

‘I’m actively trying not to engage — although how could you not?’

Super grrrl

In a recent Variety interview, Australian actress Milly Alcock talked about dealing with fan backlash — specifically reaction to comments she made about working on “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon.”

Speaking to “Vanity Fair” in March, the 26-year-old said the role “definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on,” before adding, “We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies. I can’t really stop them. I can only be myself.”

Now Alcock says any fans who took this as some kind of feminist male-bashing are way off base.

“I didn’t even say ‘men’ — I said ‘people’! And they got so angry. I was like, ‘You’re proving my point. You’re proving my point!’”

While Alcock said she struggles not to let her haters get to her, she admitted that the “pain” of such interactions allow her to connect with her superhero character, who also has to navigate a dangerous world filled with evildoers.

RELATED: BOX OFFICE KRYPTONITE: ‘Supergirl’ star flames fans ahead of premiere

Frazer Harrison/WireImage

Christian dads

For Alcock, what makes “online forums” especially dangerous is the “unhealthy relationship” they encourage users to have with celebrities.

Especially worrisome are the posters who — like most supervillains — disguise themselves.

“[P]eople whose profiles have no photo, who are burner accounts. Or someone’s name and then ‘Dad of four, Christian,’ which is hilarious to me. But I mean, whose opinion do you really care about? If you’re pissing the right kind of people off, you’re doing OK.”

RELATED: ‘Supergirl’ star expects backlash because fans have ‘weird ownership of women’s bodies’ — the responses are hilarious

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Child of the internet

Although Alcock’s theory is that all comic-book movie characters let their fans down, it seems more likely that her later admission that she spends too much time online is the actual culprit.

While being described as a child of the internet who finds it really hard to put down her phone, Alcock said it was “because sometimes people reinforce beliefs that you have about yourself, and you’re like, ‘Now someone’s said it! It’s true!’ And you’ve got to remind yourself that it’s not.”

“Sitting at a café and watching people and reading alone — just being a participant in real life — has been helpful,” she told the outlet.

She chalked this behavior up to her age, despite having had major acting roles her entire adult life.

“I’m Gen Z! Yeah, I grew up online, so I’m actively trying not to engage — although how could you not?”

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As more Christian influencers on social media claim to receive signs from God in the form of symbols from the world, BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey is urging believers to exercise discernment.

While Stuckey believes that the intention and anxiety behind asking God for a sign is “natural and understandable,” she notes that “when we get into this mode of asking for God, for some particular natural sign … from the world, then we can actually foster more anxiety and more confusion.”

“Not only within ourselves, but also with the people that we influence,” she adds.

One social media influencer asked God for a sign in the form of a bluebird on a window sill, breaking down in tears as she recalled the story on her Instagram.

“She asked God for a bluebird sign, landing on the window sill, to indicate whether or not she should write a book,” Stuckey comments, pointing out that the sign of the bluebird has become very popular on social media.

“I do think it’s interesting that in a span of just a couple of months, all of these Christian creators happen to see bluebirds they claim as a sign from God. And they are encouraging others, some of them, to ask God for similar signs,” she says.

And while Stuckey urges believers to exercise caution, she does point out that there are examples in Scripture of asking God for signs.

“If we look at Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant prayed for a clear sign while searching for a wife for Isaac. He asked that the right woman would not only give him a drink, but also offer to water his camels. And Rebecca did exactly that,” Stuckey explains.

“And then Moses in Exodus 3–4 expressed doubt when God called him at the burning bush to lead Israel. In response, God gave him three confirmatory signs to show the people: his staff turning into a snake and back, his hand becoming leprous and then healed, and the Nile turning to blood when poured on dry ground,” she continues.

While these examples are clear indicators that it’s OK to ask God for a sign, Stuckey points out that Scripture also “warns against demanding them or asking God for them in order for Him to confirm His character or to confirm His will for you, especially when it stems from unbelief or a hardened heart.”

“I think when our theology is being influenced by New Age culture, we are in as much trouble as ancient Israel was when they were being influenced by outside pagan nations,” she explains.

“It is possible for this to really hurt our mind and our heart and our soul if that is what we’re doing,” she adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Relatable, Allie beth stuckey, Christianity, Lindsey gurk, Bluebird, God, Sign, Religion, Bible, Relatable with allie beth stuckey 

Kathleen Kennedy may have left her post in January, but her influence is still being felt at Disney studio Lucasfilm.

The former studio president became synonymous with underperformance during her tenure and was often at odds with fans over her choices to feminize popular intellectual property.

Disney’s break-even point for the film is somewhere between $500 million and $600 million for a worldwide gross.

Kennedy curse

At the time of her departure, Kennedy still had two films yet to be released, and one of those was “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” which opened on Memorial Day weekend.

While the film showed some promise with $33.8 million on opening night, attendance sunk to half by Memorial Day, concluding with about $82 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo.

Disney had projected $97 million to $98 million for the four-day opening but got nowhere close. In fact, the movie now ranks below “Solo: A Star Wars Story” — which took in $84.4 million in its opening — as Disney’s lowest “Star Wars” debut. To make matters worse, the “Solo” movie only had three days to attract fans to its opening rather than four.

For many people, that is a boatload of cash, but for “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” its worldwide total of $168 million is barely enough to recover its budget of an estimated $165 million.

Furthermore, Collider reported that Disney’s break-even point for the film is somewhere between $500 million and $600 million for a worldwide gross. The Han Solo movie, for example, only made $393 million worldwide.

RELATED: How Hollywood tries to masculinize femininity — and makes everyone miserable

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney

Vote Pedro?

Disney still has another Kennedy project slated for the same time next year with “Star Wars: Starfighter,” set for release on May 28, 2027. Kennedy is credited as producer for that film, which features much bigger star power than the most recent flick, which included the outspoken activist Pedro Pascal.

Pascal has openly talked about helping co-stars with their gender journeys and comes from a staunch communist family in Chile.

“Star Wars: Starfighter,” however, has more widely liked performers like Ryan Gosling and Amy Adams attached to the film.

RELATED: FEMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Kathleen Kennedy leaves ‘Star Wars’; is it too soon for fans to celebrate?

CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Fan slander

Kennedy took “Star Wars” fans head-on during her time at the studio, even accusing them of attacking women who were unhappy with her productions.

In what has now become a trope, Kennedy blamed a “male-dominated” fanbase for the reason the show “The Acolyte” underperformed.

“I think a lot of the women who step into ‘Star Wars’ struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal,” she said in 2024.

Kennedy noted that “anyone who engages in bigotry, racism, or hate speech … I don’t consider a fan.”

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​Star wars, Disney, Align, Movies, Pedro pascal, Kathleen kennedy, Entertainment 

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman expressed her anger at tents that appeared outside of her home, but it apparently wasn’t homeless people who took up residence on her sidewalk.

It was a prankster who claimed to have organized the encampment to protest against the failing policies in Los Angeles about the homelessness crisis.

Raman also claimed that the failures of the city government are what led her to run for mayor after claiming that she had successfully addressed homelessness as a city councilwoman.

Raman spoke about the tents on a podcast with Adam Conover and expressed anger at the political stunt.

“I woke up this morning to a sound of commotion outside of my window, and I looked out the window, and I realized that there were people setting up what was I think a fake encampment, like a homeless encampment outside of my house,” she said.

“Multiple people gathered there filming it … shooting something with cameras and things like that outside of my house!” she added. “I think to make a political video that would talk about how, I don’t want this at all, but … this is somebody who wants encampments on our streets.”

Conover claimed that she had actually cleared out more encampments than her predecessor, and Raman agreed.

“I have two little kids; they didn’t see it, luckily, this morning,” she continued. “But I feel badly that I’m even subjecting them to that at all. But it has definitely, this has gone far beyond what I expected the campaign to be about.”

The videos showed men acting like homeless people pushing tires, sitting on a mattress, and pretending to be strung out on drugs in front of her home.

Conover went on to claim that setting up fake tents outside of her home was “harassment” and blamed Spencer Pratt, who is also running for mayor, even though he had no apparent connection to the stunt.

Raman also claimed that the failures of the city government are what led her to run for mayor after claiming that she had successfully addressed homelessness as a city councilwoman.

The organizer of the tent stunt told KTTV-TV that he had nothing to do with the Pratt campaign, though he said he was a fan.

“This is happening all over the city. And we brought it to her doorstep so she can see what other people are going through,” said the organizer, who wanted to remain anonymous.

“We’re basically doing a parody ad for [Raman],” he added. “Like if we were in charge of her campaign, this is the ad that we would make.”

RELATED: TMZ tries to nuke Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign — and gets bitten in the Bass

The Pratt campaign responded by posting a video of Raman previously rolling her eyes at residents who were upset at their children being exposed to homeless encampments.

“I don’t think a kid’s going to be safer because a tent is 500 feet away from a school. It’s, like, whatever,” Raman says in the video.

“God blessed me with some stupid opponents,” Pratt added.

The organizer also responded to her comments on the Conover podcast.

“It’s a public street. I can see why she’s upset, but she should think about everybody else who’s going through the same thing constantly but being ignored,” he added.

The organizer said the effort was being funded by donors across the country.

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​Nithya raman, Homeless crisis, Los angeles mayoral election, Spencer pratt, Politics 

Military officials, defense analysts, and critics have warned in recent years about the state of America’s military readiness and the risk of exhausting its stores of critical munitions.

The U.S -Israel war with Iran — a conflict which saw a 39-day bombing campaign with over 13,000 targets struck followed by a fragile ceasefire interrupted in recent days and weeks by additional strikes — has spread America’s missile inventory particularly thin.

According to a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. “has enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war, but the depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict. The time needed to rebuild those inventories has thus become a major concern.”

‘Democrats destroyed our military.’

War Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged during a Senate hearing on April 30 that it will take “months and years” to rebuild the military’s stockpiles of various munitions. The CSIS report attempts to give a better idea of the turnaround for replenishing the stocks of specific systems.

The think tank estimated, for instance, that the U.S. will not be able to replenish its prewar inventory of Tomahawk cruise missiles — over 850 of which were reportedly fired just in the first four weeks of the conflict and fewer than 200 of which are made per year — back to prewar levels until late 2030 or early 2031.

American Enterprise Institute fellows Mackenzie Eaglen and Todd Harrison noted in an assessment last year that the U.S. expended over 150 THAAD interceptors — terminal high-altitude area defense interceptors — defending Israel in June 2025 during its 12-day conflict with Iran.

At the time, that accounted for nearly 25% of America’s total number of THAAD interceptors — each valued at roughly $12.7 million — and reportedly three times the average annual procurement since 2010.

The new CSIS report puts the number of THAAD interceptors used in the current conflict somewhere between 190 and 290.

RELATED: US reaches new ceasefire deal with Iran — but there’s a catch

Aftermath of a missile strike on a building in Tehran on March 1. ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

With a projected annual production capacity of 96 THAAD interceptors at the current maximum rate and a potential expanded annual production capacity of 400 in light of the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion defense budget proposal for 2027, the CSIS report predicts a replenishment of the prewar stock sometime in mid- to late 2029.

An estimated 1,060-1,430 Patriot missiles — a variety of missile Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently been begging Trump for more of — were fired in and around Iran since Feb. 28. Again, a return to prewar inventory isn’t expected until mid-2029.

The estimated turnaround for replenishing the prewar stock of standard missile-3s is early 2029; standard missile-6s is late 2028-early 2029; joint air-to-surface standoff missiles is mid-2027; and precision strike missiles is late 2026.

The analysts suggested that during this inventory gap, some munitions could be substituted, but swaps will invariably carry with them certain downsides.

“Alternative ground attack munitions, for example, are short- or medium-range and increase vulnerability of the launch platforms,” said the report. “Alternative counter-drone systems are expensive.”

The Trump administration evidently doesn’t share the outlook of the report’s authors.

Following the publication of the CSIS report, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to the Military Times that the U.S. military “has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump’s strategic goals and beyond.”

“Even still, the president has urged our defense contractors to constantly produce more made-in-America weapons, which are the best in the world,” continued Kelly. “Democrats destroyed our military, but President Trump rebuilt it. Think-tank armchair quarterbacks are not read into sensitive information and have no idea what they’re talking about.”

While the military remains tight-lipped about how many missiles and munitions were expended during Operation Epic Fury, the administration was provided with some idea as to how much was spent monetarily.

Jules Hurst III, the Department of War’s acting comptroller, testified earlier this month that the U.S. had spent roughly $29 billion on the war.

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​Army, Defense contractors, Department of war, Iran, Israel, Military, Munitions, Navy, United states, War, Politics 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ comfortable lead has dwindled significantly, with the incumbent now in a tight race with L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, according to the latest polling.

A poll, conducted May 19-24 by the University of California Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, showed Bass receiving 26% of the vote, Raman close behind with 25%, and Pratt securing 22%.

‘It’s going to boil down to turnout.’

The Times reported that Bass’ slight lead was “statistically insignificant,” according to pollsters. It further noted that prior polls showed Bass with a stronger lead over her challengers, which has since narrowed. Meanwhile, Raman and Pratt have made steady gains.

Only 10% of the 1,913 registered voters surveyed said they were still undecided ahead of the June 2 primary, down from 26% in a March poll. Analysts predicted that Bass is likely to receive enough votes to head into a November runoff with either Raman or Pratt.

When asked which issues they care about most, nearly all surveyed Pratt supporters said they care about addressing waste and political corruption, as well as crime and public safety.

RELATED: The one big liberal media lie about Spencer Pratt that no one is mentioning

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Bass and Raman supporters, who gave similar responses to one another, prioritized protecting immigrants, moving the homeless indoors, and building more affordable housing.

In a one-on-one race between Bass and Pratt, those surveyed gave Bass an 18-point lead, with 12% undecided and 12% choosing neither or stating they would not vote. In a potential runoff between Raman and Pratt, Raman secured 45% to Pratt’s 28%, with 16% undecided and 11% choosing neither or declining to vote.

RELATED: Spencer Pratt’s viral campaign is turning into a political nightmare for Karen Bass

Etienne Laurent/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Although the mayoral race is nonpartisan, Pratt, a registered Republican, is running in a city where less than 15% of the population is registered as Republican.

“You’ve got three very different candidates, each with very different constituencies, all within the margin of error. It’s going to boil down to turnout,” Mark DiCamillo, the director of Berkeley IGS polls, told the Times. “Pratt is an unusual candidate and is generating a lot of enthusiasm in the primary, but he trails by double digits to Raman and Bass in a runoff.”

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​News, Spencer pratt, Karen bass, Nithya raman, California, Los angeles, Election, Politics