New York is sending the military into NYC’s subway, avoiding actual problem

The military is about to invade the New York City subway. On Wednesday, New York’s corporate-sponsored Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul announced she’s deploying 1,000 National Guardsmen, state cops, and other police officers to carry out bag checks in the country’s largest mass transit system in effort to deal with a supposed “surge” in crime.

Corporate media has whipped the city into a frenzy after a handful of frightening events and the NYPD released a seemingly frightening statistic. They say crime on the subway increased 20% during the first two months of 2024 compared to 2023.

The actual numbers tell a different story: the number of crimes went from 217 to 261—in a system that sees over 4 million riders—every single day. Not to mention, total crime on the subway has actually been in decline for the past few years.

But but but: This is only one point in the governor’s five point plan, which also calls for harsher punishments for offenders and more cameras in the subway (despite the fact the state already has a plan to put a cameras in every subway car by 2026). What the governor’s plan does not address is what actually causes violent crime in our society: poverty, inequality, and inadequate access to mental healthcare.

New York City is one of the most unequal, and unaffordable cities in the country. Manhattan’s bottom 20% earn an average of $10k per year. Meanwhile the average monthly rent for a three bedroom apartment is $6,276 per month. That puts modest-sized housing out of reach for most of the city’s eight million residents, where one out of every four children lives in extreme poverty.

Hochul, who has taken millions in donations from corporations and real estate lobbyists, has refused to raise taxes on her rich benefactors to help solve the city’s ongoing epidemic of inequality. Meanwhile, because of budget cuts, the city has been forced to close public libraries on Sundays. But maybe more guns in the subway will make some feel safer.

🗞️ Making news right now…

Here are the top stories making news this morning.

• State of the Union: President Biden will give the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress tonight at 9 p.m. eastern. He’s expected to call for a cap on all out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and renew tax proposals for large corporations, among other things.

• Meanwhile, in the Middle East: Biden’s administration has apparently been using a loophole to send weapons and bombs to support Israel’s genocide in Gaza—without Congressional approval.

• Guilty: A jury has found the armorer for the Alec Baldwin movie “Rust” guilty of involuntary manslaughter. She’s facing three years in prison.

➡️ Question of the Day

Yesterday it became (mostly) official: Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for president. How did he do it?

Yesterday’s results: Yesterday we asked, do you think the iconic yet problematic photo taken on VJ Day should be banned from display in government buildings?

ADN76 voted no and said: “It's disappointing to see the VA prioritize preserving a controversial image over fostering a safe and respectful environment for all individuals."

While Dominic voted it depends… “While acknowledging the problematic aspects of the photo, I believe its display should be accompanied by context and discussion to educate viewers on its complexities. How to actually do that is beyond my paygrade 😂”

👀 Stories kept out of your feed…

Here are some stories the algorithms may be keeping out of your feed.

On politics…

• Who will Nikki Haley supporters support now that she’s out of the race? The Washington Post spoke with 40 different voters on their plans for the general election.

• At a private, previously unreported meeting at the White House, Bernie Sanders had a stark warning for President Biden.

• Are Biden and the Democrats are sleepwalking into a potential Trump win? This writer thinks so.

• Of course he did: Mitch McConnell finally endorsed Trump.

• Also: Why the next six weeks could be the critical stretch of the 2024 election.

On abortion healthcare…

• Why we should be thanking the Alabama Supreme Court for its ruling on IVF.

• Alabama lawmakers rushed to pass a bill protecting IVF services in the state last night, though some women say the law doesn’t go far enough.

On climate change and the environment…

• Duh doy: New study suggests planet-warming emissions will soar if Donald Trump is re-elected.

• U.S. companies will have to start telling the public about their climate risks, but the rule is significantly scaled back from what was originally proposed.

❤️ Good News: 85 years later, one family pays forward an incredibly kind gesture

Almost a hundred years ago, the Dongs, a Chinese-American family in California, couldn’t find a home to rent because of racist laws that favored white people. The only people who would rent to them were a Black couple, Emma and Gus Thompson, who helped them get on their feet and eventually let them buy the house they rented.

Fast forward to today and the Dongs are paying it forward. Now financially successful, they are making an incredible gesture to thank the Thompsons. They’re selling that house and donating the money—$5 million—to Black college students. “It’s just exactly what’s appropriate,” Ron Dong, 86, told NBC News.

This morning, we salute these two families for exemplifying the very best of the human race. 🤗