NYC Chases Wall Street South

Or I should say Mamdani chases Wall Street firms away from NYC. Mamdani won't be happy until he drives every financial business out of NYC, and he won't be happy then, because he won't have any money for his programs. Wall Street giant Apollo aims to open ‘second headquarters’ outside NYC — in latest fallout from Mamdani’s war on the wealthy

Yet another major Wall Street firm is poised to expand outside New York City – the latest blow to the Big Apple’s tax coffers thanks to Mayor Zohran Mandani’s war on wealthy residents and businesses, The Post has learned.

Private equity giant Apollo Global Management, headquartered in Manhattan, has decided to open a new business hub — internally dubbed its “second headquarters” — in either Florida or Texas with an official decision likely to be made public in the coming weeks, people close to the matter say.

I can't help but think "expand outside NYC" is really "we are moving, but we don't want to say that." They probably also have employees who don't want to leave NYC, though why, given what is going on anyone would want to stay in NYC is beyond me.

Apollo paid a whopping $1.276 billion in income taxes in 2025, up from $1.062 billion the year before. While filings don’t break down how much of that went to the Big Apple, the city stands to lose a hefty revenue stream as the firm looks to expand elsewhere.

I don't understand the Left. They want to provide all kinds of services, except police apparently, but they don't want the businesses that provide the funds for those services. I guess math is hard.

Apollo isn't the only firm looking to ditch NYC. Ken Griffin was singled out by Mamdani, and who did that help? NY leaders desperately try to stop billionaire bigs from fleeing city over Mamdani.

Most are not being that visible about the moves.

The splashy one-two punch of Citadel CEO Ken Griffin and Apollo Global Management honcho Marc Rowan pledging to expand outside New York City has been coupled with a silent wave of businesses “quiet quitting” the city over its hostile environment, insiders told The Post.

Wall Street firms typically don't want the publicity. I think Apollo only spoke out after Mamdani targeted Citadel. But it didn't start with Mamdani. New York (City and State) has impossibly high taxes.

Even before Mamdani, the Empire State has steadily watched its standing as a business haven slip.

New York lost $660 billion in economic growth over the past decade, leading all 50 states, according to economic data from the Committee to Unleash Prosperity.

Red states, particularly Florida and Texas, have started to scoop up disaffected New York residents and businesses.

There is more. Statistics on people leaving NYC. Some info on the business that have left. The effort to get Bloomberg to run for mayor. Again.

The loss of Wall Street business could deal a major blow to New York City’s finances, which are buoyed by taxes on bonuses from the sector.

Math and politics. Probably not a winning combination.

Because Cutting Taxes Is NOT an Option

Democrats, or socialists/communists, cut taxes to deal with a budget deficit? Not on this planet. Gooder and Harder, NYC: Mamdani's Plan to 'Nickel & Dime' You to Death

It seems so long ago and far away [Steve, it was maybe last month —Editor] that New York City's Democratic Socialist Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, promised residents everything from free bus rides to universal child care to free groceries — because you just know that nobody was going to prosecute shoplifters at Mamdani's crony-run grocery stores.

Now, as the New York Post put it late Tuesday, comes the bill that will "nickel-and-dime New Yorkers with hidden fee hikes" to pay for all the free stuff that Mamdani won't actually, you know, deliver at all.

There is no money for free bus rides, extra health care for kids, or anything else Mamdani promised to get elected.

I'm old enough to remember the old Democratic Party. "Ask not what your country can do for you..." has morphed into "Free Stuff!" (OK, so I don't remember Kennedy. I did learn about him in school.)

The biggest belly laugh was when Mamdani promised $368 million in savings from “improving the efficiency of public services” and another $947 million by merely "improving our financial management, claiming revenue that the city is owed, and accurately estimating expenses."

Oh yeah. That'll work!

How can one city spend so much money, and still not work?

Click thru for the whole thing.

Murders, Robberies Surge in NYC subway

But hey, crime is down overall. Or not being reported... it is hard to say which is true. Exclusive | Murders, robberies surge in NYC subway, NYPD data shows

If you've been living under a rock, you might not have known about the recent, high-profile murder in NYC.

A maniac repeat-offender pushed an elderly man to his death on Manhattan subway stairs Thursday, cops said — the fourth homicide in or around the subway this year, up from just one a year ago at this time.

Because the attack started "above ground" (or at the top of the stairs) NYPD did not count this as a transit crime. Of course not, because why would you want to include a murder on the stairs of the transit system as being committed in the transit system?.

Robbery in the transit system has also shot up by 18% so far in 2026 over the same span last year, to 156 from 132, according to NYPD data.

Felony assault is down 6% so far this year, to 209 from 221, but has increased 16% over the same period in 2024 and 60% from seven years ago.

So is crime up, or down? You decide. And you can click thru for more statistics.

NYPD says that arrests are up. No mention of what the DA is doing with all those arrests, or how long people arrested for violent crimes actually spend in jail.

Why the hell does anyone want to live in NYC?

Antisemitism in New York City

The PR story is that it is a bastion of tolerance. Maybe not. Hateful anti-Israel mob descends on historic NYC synagogue, clash with cops in chaotic protest

A hateful mob of keffiyeh-clad anti-Israel protesters flooded the streets near a historic Manhattan synagogue Tuesday night — clashing with cops as they repeatedly shouted “Israel should not exist.”

It was an organized "protest."

The 7 p.m. protest was led by the anti-Israel activist group Pal-Awda NY/NJ, which promoted the rally with slogans such as “No settlers on stolen land” and “Stop the sale of stolen Palestinian land.”

Not their first "protest."

Click thru for details.

Take Public Transit? Maybe When It Is Safe

Didn't NYC just institute a tax for driving to force people onto transit? Exclusive | NYC train, bus robberies climb 21% from same period last year

There were 128 muggings on trains and buses as of April 5, a 21% surge over the 106 from the same period last year and experts fear it will get worse.

Felony assaults ticked down 6% in the same period, from 171 to 160, but that sum does not include the three horrific attacks on innocent straphangers Saturday by an unhinged, machete-wielding maniac. Assaults are up 60% when compared to pre-Covid 2019.

Mamdani's solution? Cut the NYPD budget.

Under former Mayor Eric Adams, the NYPD deployed 300 additional officers for train patrols in January 2025 to combat crime and improve the perception of safety. The cops specifically targeted overnight shifts with two officers per train.

Crime went down under that initiative, but overtime cuts in February under Mayor Mamdani’s new administration reduced those patrols.

Because things will magically get better on their own, or something.

Now I understand the NYC is broke, but maybe they should prioritize public safety a bit higher. I know the democrats won't do that.

Crazy People Are Riding Public Transit

Crazy people are dangerous, and making NYC transit the kind of place to avoid. Machete-wielding NYC maniac who slashed 3 elderly straphangers at Grand Central Terminal called himself ‘Lucifer’

A criminal slashed three elderly people with a machete — while calling himself “Lucifer” — in an unprovoked attack and was fatally shot by cops at Grand Central Terminal Saturday morning, police said.

This is the backdrop of NYC taxing people for NOT taking transit.

But they have that communist mayor doing stuff like cutting the NYPD, because reasons.

Officers also “attempted to deescalate” and offer assistance, saying “We are going to get you help,” Tisch told reporters.

But Griffin advanced toward them with the blade extended, she said.

“One officer discharged his firearm striking the perpetrator twice,” Tisch said.

It is a good thing that legal, defensive weapons are not allowed on NYC transit; someone might have been hurt. Or something.

NYC Mayor Mamdani Refuses to Blame Criminals for Crime

No. It is the fault of the inanimate object. NYC Mayor Mamdani criticized for blaming guns after baby shot in Brooklyn | Fox News

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from local politicians and onlookers on social media over comments he made that critics say places blame on guns rather than criminals in an incident involving the shooting death of a 7-month-old child in Brooklyn.

The bit that caught my attention...

"If only New York had strict gun laws," Power the Future Executive Director and New York City native Daniel Turner posted on X.

If only.

Click thru for the trolling.

Terror, Media Bias, and More

THE FIRST STREET JOURNAL asks a question about terrorists. Why are so many violent haters of Western civilization themselves children of wealth and privilege?

The Philadelphia Inquirer published photos of the homes of the two Bucks County, Pennsylvania, ‘men’ charged with throwing homemade bombs at a protest outside of Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence, in New York City.

One had an estimated value of $2,238,200. They other home had an estimated value of $668,000.

Now, unless you've been living under a rock, you probably saw how CNN treated the attempted bombing in New York.

The internet is forever pic.twitter.com/jWni68aymN

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 10, 2026

That isn't the end of it, of course.

The two were taking exception to a protest organized by (as The Philadelphia Inquirer called him) "far-right provocateur Jake Lang."

Did you catch that? The headline itself states that Messrs Balat and Kayumi were “inspired by ISIS,” but it is Jake long who is described as a “far-right provocateur.” Provocateur is defined as someone who provokes other people to take rash actions or break the law. Reporters Jesse Bunch, Ellie Rushing, and Maggie Prosser have, by the use of that description, placed blame on Jake Long for the crimes of the actual (alleged) criminals.

Click thru for the rest.

Self-Defense in NYC?

No shots were fired, so that probably explains no charges. (They don't really seem to like self-defense in NYC.) Homeowner spooks off burglars with gun during NYC home invasion

Moshe Borukh woke up to an intruder in his home, where his wife and his 3 kids were.

The bungling thief had been spotted on home security cameras rummaging through the kitchen with a phone flashlight, searching for the key fob to Borukh’s Bentley, while two other burglars waited outside, according to footage obtained by The Post.

You can click thru for the details. One was interesting.

Officers told the brave homeowner that two other vehicles in the area had been stolen that night and that the robbers responsible for breaking into his home likely had a “quota” for the number of cars they had to steal.

Quota implies an organization.

And Mr. Borukh doesn't have much faith in the city or state government, or the criminal justice system, to do much about crime.

So even in New York City, self-defense may be your right. I'm not sure I would count on that.

Is Anyone Shocked That Safety of Jews Is NOT a Priority?

From Matt Margolis at PJ Media: Mamdani Goes Full Antisemite on Day One

Is it even worth saying “We told you so” at this point? There’s really no satisfaction about being right about Zohran Mamdani, and now we all have to sit and watch him not only destroy New York City but also turn it into a haven for antisemitism.

On day one of his administration, Mamdani tossed Jewish safety concerns straight into the trash. Within hours of taking office, he revoked several executive orders Eric Adams had put in place to protect the city's Jewish community and support Israel.

This isn't a new phenomenon in the Democratic Party.

I’ve been warning for years that antisemitism has become more fashionable in the Democratic Party, and I blame Barack Obama for that. He made antisemitism fashionable in the party, paving the way for the party’s increasingly radical anti-Israel and anti-Jewish agenda.

But then this is what New York City voted for.

Hat tip to Charlie Martin at Instapundit COMRADE SCORPION MEET COMRADE FROG:

NYC Residents Start to Realize that Police Won't Be There to Protect Them

That they are late coming to that realization is amazing to me, but better late than never. From the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF - the trade association for the firearms industry) we get a story from New York City. New York Understandably Seeing Surge in Second Amendment Interest, Gun Purchases

Gun store retailers are working overtime to quell anxious and worried residents of the nation’s largest city, even as those customers are shocked to realize they aren’t able to walk in, purchase a firearm, and leave with their new gun that same day – or week, or even month.

The Left goes on at length about how easy it is to purchase a firearm. Sadly, in places like New York City, that is just not the case.

The red tape in New York amounts to barricades against the exercise of a Constitutional Right, put in place by politicians who hate freedom, and self-reliance.

There are several reasons for the increase in permit applications. Riots during the Lockdown. Decreases in punishment thanks to "prosecutors" like Alvin Bragg. Police have been retiring at increasing rates, and the recent election of Zorhan Mamdani has created a new surge in police retirements. (Cops can't answer your 911 call, if they are not working for the city.)

Click thru for much more in the way of detail.

Hat tip to Bearing Arms: It's Not Surprising That Residents in Big Apple Are Turning to Gun Ownership

Mamdani is going to be the best gun salesman New York City has ever seen. He doesn't believe in prisons, policing, or literally anything other than letting criminals run rampant across the city. That may be fine for a nepo baby who will have taxpayer-funded security while he's in office--generally staffed by the same cops he's spent years demonizing, ironically enough--but the rest of us can't outsource our protection to other entities.

And this first came to my attention from Jews Can Shoot.

Take Public Transportation They Said

But they can't make it safe. NYPD search for suspect who slashed 2 men at Union Turnpike-Kew Gardens subway station in Queens - ABC7 New York

Police are searching for a suspect who slashed a 42-year-old man and 50-year-old man with a sharp object in two separate attacks at a Queens subway station.

The incidents occurred on the southbound "E" train platform at the Union Turnpike-Kew Gardens subway station around 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday.

And that is not the only incident.

This is from a couple of days back. Man stabbed during argument on Brighton Beach subway

Officers were alerted, and the suspect was taken into custody. The victim was also taken into custody after punching the suspect in the face during the course of the arrest.

Public transit sounds great, doesn't it? Two stories in about 2 days. Three crimes. Do we think the new, cop-hating mayor of NYC will make things better?

Jewish New Yorkers Waking Up to Self-Defense Reality

From the New York Post: Jewish New Yorkers rushing to buy guns for protection after anti-Israel Zohran Mamdani’s victory

Jewish New Yorkers are arming themselves before an anti-Israel “mayor who despises us” takes the helm of New York City, several told The Post this week.

Michael Bergida, who opened a gun shop in Marine Park, Brooklyn, called Samson Armory — a nod to the Biblical Israelite warrior and symbol of sheer strength — said his new business is booming.

There a disturbing statistic on the right to bear arms in NYC.

Licenses can take between six months and a year to get in NYC, and only after completing a mandatory state concealed-carry class that includes 16 hours of classroom study and two hours of live fire training.

The class I understand... I had to take a class, but a year? After I took my class, I made an appointment with the county sheriff's office, and got my permit in a week, or two at the most.

And the realization that understaffed and underfunded police are not going to save you.

“The NYPD is all retiring – we have to fight for ourselves. People are freaking out over Mamdani – anyone who has any Christian-Judeo values,” [Michael Bergida, who opened a gun shop in Marine Park, Brooklyn, called Samson Armory] claimed, adding that he largely works with the Jewish community, who are tougher than bubbe’s brisket.

There is more, click thru.

This is by way of The Times of Israel: ‘We ain’t fleeing’: Demand for firearms said to rise among NYC Jews after Mamdani elected

In 2022, several Jewish gun owners sued New York State after the implementation of the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, which prohibited firearms in “sensitive locations,” including places of worship like synagogues.

The plaintiffs argued the law infringed on their ability to freely practice their religion while facing persistent antisemitic threats, violating the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion, and the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms. New York passed the law after the US Supreme Court invalidated a previous state law restricting concealed carry permits, ruling that the requirement for applicants to demonstrate “proper cause” violated the Second Amendment.

And that was from Jews Can Shoot.

ICE Is Recruiting from NYPD

Is anyone shocked? ICE Is Already Recruiting Cops Away From NYPD - Pirate's Cove

At the end of October, the city announced plans to add 5000 officers to NYPD, which was in the middle of a "staffing crisis."

Then the good people of NYC elected a cop-hating, law-and-order-hating, guy to be the next mayor.

So ICE made a social media post, saying "come work for us." They listed some reasons.

Those who can retire with full benefits/pensions will. Those who are close may, or may just ride it out, doing the bare minimum, not wanting to get involved with anything, just like during defund the police/Black Lives Matter. Those who are on the job and not vested will look at this ICE offer and jump

So the NYPD staffing crisis will get worse. It will be open season on any group that the fascists in Antifa don't like. Crime will soar. People who can get out, will get out and move to places with law and order, and lower taxes.

Democracy is the system where the population gets the government they want. I don't think they are ready for the follow-on consequences of their choice.

Bankers Leave NYC for Dallas

He promised higher taxes, on an already high tax base. I'm only surprised that they didn't leave before this. Escape from New York: Bankers flee Mamdani for Texas

New York’s new socialist mayor-elect swept to victory this week on promises for universal free childcare, free buses and freezing rents on the city’s rent-controlled apartments.

But paying for these measures will mean tax rises. Mamdani wants to increase corporation tax from 7.5pc to 11.5pc and add 2pc to the income tax rate for those earning $1m

But you can't tax people who don't live or work in your city.

For some, Mamdani’s new regime means Texas is on course to take New York’s crown as the financial capital of America.

“It’s hard to remain a financial capital when you despise capitalism. Cities run by people who have never run a business or met a payroll are killing their own proverbial golden goose,” says Chris Furlow, chief executive of the Texas Bankers Association.

Hat tip to Instapundit.

Concealed Carry in NYC

NYC is still not obeying the law, or so says a lawsuit. OSD 349: What’s going on with gun carry in NYC?

It has been three and a half years since the Supreme Court struck down may-issue carry permit regimes in NYSRPA v. Bruen. How are things going in New York City, which ran the final boss of may-issue regimes?

Things are so bad that they stopped reporting on the statistics around gun permits. They didn't do that because they were doing such a great job of cutting through the red tape.

And our final useful data comes from Milani et al v. New York City (PDF), a federal lawsuit from a group of New York gun owners arguing that NYC’s permitting process remains unconstitutionally burdensome.

You can read all of the ways that NYC and NYPD drag their feet to delay permitting.

They had to stop releasing the statistics on the length of time it takes to process permits. It would have fueled more lawsuits.

Gang Violence Called a Mass Shooting

By calling gang violence a "mass shooting," the politicians in NYC want to obfuscate the cause of the problem. Deadly NYC mass shooting inside Taste of the City Lounge Brooklyn

As Colion Noir has pointed out, (see the link below) the two are very different, and call for different solutions. But the powers that be don't want to have that conversation. They want to blame in inanimate object. Blame the people? Advocate for individual responsibility? This is New York City.

The shooting took place in a place called Taste of the City Lounge. It is a full bar, with hookah, and food.

They have had problems all summer.

“It’s not surprising. Anyone who says they’re shocked is lying for the cameras,” a woman in her late 40s who lives across the street said, attributing the violence to “gang kids.”

“They’ve been fighting lots of times, all summer. Yelling and screaming at each other. It’s just over and over,” she said.

So they have ongoing problems, but the city can't shut them down. Why?

Another neighbor, who gave his name only as Allen, 66, and lives several doors down from the lounge, said he frequently hears arguments and fights there.

So now there are 3 dead, and 8 wounded. Or more. Will the city shut them down now? Or will they just dance in the blood and call for more worthless gun control? Any bets on if the guns were legally owned?

Gang Violence or Mass Shooting? it is a one minute clip from a much longer conversation. The whole conversation is good, but it is 3 hours plus. It is the Joe Rogan Experience, after all, though I do enjoy the conversations that Colion Noir has.

Not a Random Shooting. Not a Gun-Free Zone

Another shooting in the "gun free zone" that is Times Square? How can this be? Innocent bystanders, including NYC tourist, shot in Times Square fight

The 17-year-old gunman was inside the restaurant Raising Cane on Broadway when he got into an argument with a Citibike rider just after 1 a.m. and decided to settle his beef by leaving the eatery — and opening fire, sources said.

He went onto the street and fired three shots at a group of about a dozen Citibike riders, striking one of them — a 19-year-old — in the foot as well as a man, 65, standing on the sidewalk, the sources added.

He "fired shots into the group," probably because he had no idea how to aim a firearm. Others were shot as well.

How may laws were violated? Starting with the 17-year-olds are not allowed to own pistols, and end with the worthless "Times Square is a gun free zone" laws, quite a few. Don't shoot people unless it is self-defense. I'm pretty sure that's a law in NYC, though I'm not a lawyer. Everything else seems to be against the law in NYC.

The hat tip goes to Legally Armed America and the video BREAKING: Times Square Shooting - Another criminal ignores gun laws

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg HATES Self-Defense

DA Bragg loves the career criminals and hates the law-abiding people of NYC. Exclusive | CVS clerk slams DA Alvin Bragg for charging him in self-defense stabbing

Alvin Bragg's office decided to charge Scotty Enoe in the death of someone he was forced to defend himself against. Forced, because Alvin Bragg, and the Progressive Left running NYC and NY State, refuse to stand up for law and order.

The former CVS worker cleared in the stabbing death of a violent shoplifter slammed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for charging him at all — instead of standing up for hardworking New Yorkers.

A serial shoplifter came into the CVS, threatened workers, and this guy defended himself and his coworkers. DA Bragg tried him for murder.

Click thru for the details.

This isn't the first time Bragg has gone after someone working in a store.

But some of Bragg’s prosecution choices have sparked outrage, including his initial decision to charge Harlem bodega worker Jose Alba with murder for fatally stabbing an ex-con who attacked him inside his store.

Or the first time Bragg has gone after someone forced to defend themselves in the lawless wasteland that is NYC.

Last year, straphanger Daniel Penny was also ultimately acquitted at trial in the chokehold death of homeless man Jordan Neely aboard a Manhattan F train on May 1, 2023.

Enoe noted the similarities between his case and Penny’s, who he said was “standing up for the people.”

As Mr. Enoe said, Alvin Bragg refuses to stand up for the hard-working people in New York, and instead takes the side of the criminals.

Liberal Policy Doesn't Work. Liberals Want More of It

Their own study says it's a failure. So they're going to keep it. NYC public schools boss admits ‘restorative justice’ discipline policy needs work — but is here to stay — as police incidents spike

Still, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos insisted the $100 million push toward the softer discipline style — which favors “meditation rooms” and phone calls to parents over suspensions — was here to stay.

But what does the data say?

The comments came as the new study, released by the Manhattan Institute think tank Thursday, found the new disciplinary policy has largely been a bust — with police incidents in schools doubling to 4,200 reports this year and “chronic absenteeism” spiking to a whopping 35%.

Shocking incidents and data cited in the report pointed to increased disruptive behaviors and questions over classroom safety and academic progress since the reforms began in 2015 under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, and continuing under Mayor Eric Adams.

Somehow I am not surprised that Liberals don't give a damn about classroom safety or academic progress. They are liberals, and the way the feel about a policy is more important than if that policy actually works or not.