Can We Now Talk About Voter Fraud, Or Is That Still Forbidden?

And which one are you?

The show PBS News Weekend is nearly at an end, but no one will miss it if they were looking for hard-hitting journalism.  As the start of New York City mayor-in waiting Zohran Mamdani’s term looms, there are plenty of stories to cover, with concerns about the viability of his left-wing policy promises and his propensity to surround himself with anti-semites, as well as his own related controversies. Sunday evening’s segment on PBS wasn’t one of those. Attaining a level of journalistic integrity perhaps only previously reached by Teen Beat magazine, Sunday’s PBS News Weekend gushed over man-candy Mamdani’s “remarkable rise” to mayor with his campaign photographer, Kara McCurdy. It wasn’t exactly a segment designed to quiet the complaints of ideological bias at PBS or win its public funding back. ANCHOR JOHN YANG: Few American politicians have come as far as fast as Zohran Mamdani. He began 2025 as a little-known state legislator, and in the first minutes of 2026, he'll be sworn in as the mayor of New York, often called the second toughest job in America. Photographer Kara McCurdy documented his remarkable rise as Mamdani's campaign photographer. She's been capturing images of Mamdani since before his first race for State Assembly in 2020. Ali Rogin spoke with her about her experience watching history unfold through her camera lens. Rogin brought the gush, and also brought on a pro-Mamdani gusher of a guest. ALI ROGIN: You have been photographing the mayor elect since even before his first campaign for state Assembly. What did you think of him when you first got to know Zohran Mamdani? KARA McCURDY, Mamdani Campaign Photographer: I thought this guy is so charismatic. And we really connected initially on our shared politics. And so I really value that. This was somebody who felt such a deep conviction to what he believed in, that he was, you know, willing to talk to me, who was a complete stranger at the time when we met about his politics and even bring me into the fold and show me how we could kind of share this with so many more people, all of New York City and now all of the world, really. ROGIN: Knowing now what he's achieved in such a short political lifetime. Did you ever think that he could reach these heights of his political career so quickly? Ugh. McCurdy came off like the president of the Valley Girl branch of the Mamdani fanclub. McCURDY: Zohran is somebody who, you know that what he's going to go after, he's going to get. He really, if he has a vision, he's going to see it through. I`m not sure that anybody could have predicted even the past 12 months, but I always believed that he was going to be somebody that was going to make a big splash in local politics. ROGIN: Was there a moment where you realized that in his run for mayor that he was really going to transcend this kind of dark-horse candidate position in the race? MCCURDY: I think I started to pick up on it in the mayoral campaign early, just seeing the voters and the supporters, engagement and enthusiasm, not just about Zohran himself, but about what he was running on. I remember that I was out with him walking around in March, and people were stopping us from across the street in the dark, yelling his name because they saw him and they weren't just yelling, Zohran Mamdani, I'm voting for you. They were yelling, "I'm voting for universal childcare. I'm voting for fast and free buses." And I think it was around that time that I really started to realize this thing is much more widespread than I can really even grasp. Finally, Rogin posed a real serious question: How cool are Zohran’s wedding photos? MCCURDY: It has been absolutely surreal to see just how far these photos have gone. I feel very fortunate for that. And I think that people really cling to them because they're so relatable. They are truly just a couple that wants to go and get married and celebrate the core of their relationship, which is the simply two people being in love…. This journalism-free love letter to a leftist was brought to you in part by Consumer Cellular. A transcript is available, click “Expand.” JOHN YANG: Few American politicians have come as far as fast as Zohran Mamdani. He began 2025 as a little known state legislator, and in the first minutes of 2026, he`ll be sworn in as the mayor of New York, often called the second toughest job in America. Photographer Kara McCurdy documented his remarkable rise as Mamdani`s campaign photographer. She`s been capturing images of Mamdani since before his first race for State assembly in 2020. Ali Rogin spoke with her about her experience watching history unfold through her camera lens. ALI ROGIN: Kara, thank you so much for being here. You have been photographing the mayor elect since even before his first campaign for state Assembly. What did you think of him when you first got to know so Zohran Mamdani? KARA MCCURDY, Mamdani Campaign Photographer: I thought this guy is so charismatic. And we really connected initially on our shared politics. And so I really value that. This was somebody who felt such a deep conviction to what he believed in, that he was, you know, willing to talk to me, who was a complete stranger at the time when we met about his politics and even bring me into the fold and show me how we could kind of share this with so many more people, all of New York City and now all of the world, really. ALI ROGIN: Knowing now what he`s achieved in such a short political lifetime. Did you ever think that he could reach these heights of his political career so quickly? KARA MCCURDRY: Zohran is somebody who, you know that what he`s going to go after, he`s going to get. He really, if he has a vision, he`s going to see it through. I`m not sure that anybody could have predicted even the past 12 months, but I always believed that he was going to be somebody that was going to make a big splash in local politics. ALI ROGIN: Was there a moment where you realized that in his run for mayor that he was really going to transcend this kind of dark horse candidate position in the race? KARA MCCURDY: I think I started to pick up on it in the mayoral campaign early, just seeing the voters and the supporters, engagement and enthusiasm, not just about Zohran himself, but about what he was running on. I remember that I was out with him walking around in March, and people were stopping us from across the street in the dark, yelling his name because they saw him and they weren`t just yelling, Zohran Mamdani, I`m voting for you. They were yelling, I`m voting for universal childcare. I`m voting for fast and free buses. And I think it was around that Time that I really started to realize this thing is much more widespread than I can really even grasp. ALI ROGIN: So this sort of photography is not what you were typically doing. You do a lot of weddings and elopements, but when you started working with Zohran, you talked about creating his visual identity. And so I want to know, how did you approach this assignment? KARA MCCURDY: What we were able to derive from those first few photos was this thread of storytelling, which is something that he and I are both drawn to. Every single photo that we take and every opportunity that we have to start a new shoot is an opportunity to tell a story, whether those are stories of working New Yorkers or the story of somebody running for state assembly. And that`s something that translates the very easily back to wedding and elopement photography. When I`m shooting a wedding, I`m telling the whole story of an entire day. When I`m photographing Zohran Mamdani, I`m telling the full story, not just of him, but also of his policies and what that means for New Yorkers. ALI ROGIN: I also have to ask you about these images of Zohran and his wife Rama Duwaji`s wedding at New York City Hall. They went absolutely viral. And I want to know, what does it mean to you to see these pictures get. Get shared so widely? And why do you think that was? KARA MCCURDY: It has been absolutely surreal to see just how far these photos have gone. I feel very fortunate for that. And I think that people really cling to them because they`re so relatable. They are truly just a couple that wants to go and get married and celebrate the core of their relationship, which is the simply two people being in love. It`s not a giant production. It costs $25 to get married at City Hall, so it is quite accessible to many people. And it`s something that a lot of people can see themselves in. You know, we took the subway there. We didn`t get into a private car, and once we got there, it was raining, and we had to deal with that just like any other normal person getting married at City Hall might do. It`s the most human photos that you`ll see of a wedding day. ALI ROGIN: Kara, I want you to walk us through some of your favorite images and why they stick out to you. KARA MCCURDY: One of my earliest favorites is from 2021, after the hunger strike, and we had won $450 million in debt relief for taxi cab medallion owners. And there`s a taxi driver whose liftings are into the air, and you can feel the relief and the joy. It`s very, very happy, and I love that. So some of my favorite, favorite images come from one of my favorite evenings on the mayoral campaign when we walked the length of Manhattan. And that, for me, was a really special night because so many New Yorkers got to come out and randomly see Zohran Mamdani in the streets by surprise. But then they just started joining us and walking with us. And I have this gorgeous shot that`s in front of a supermarket, and you can see the walkers are taking up the entire block. It was just a beautiful representation of how we`re not just bringing Zohran into City Hall, we`re bringing all New Yorkers in with us. This is a movement for all of us. And then I also -- I have a photo from primary election day before many people knew who he was, although he seemed like a celebrity most of the time to me at that point. And we are on an escalator, and he`s trying to hand out literature to anybody who will listen to him. And you can see the face of a man who simply could not care less about Zohran Mamdani. He doesn`t know who he is. He doesn`t stop. He doesn`t turn. He doesn`t say anything. He just keeps going. And Zohran is opposite. He`s full of glee and joy, and that is really such a beautiful dynamic between himself and voters. I think he`s willing to talk to anybody. He`s willing to share his beliefs with anybody. And this is a really beautiful moment from before. Too many people knew who he was, and we don`t get those anymore. ALI ROGIN: Kara McCurdy, thank you so much for speaking with us. KARA MCCURDY: Thank you for having me.

The notorious "Florida man" didn’t just live up to his reputation in 2025 — he shattered it.The Sunshine State became a rolling highlight reel of off-the-rails antics, including a meth-fueled birthday joyride on a stolen train and a crazy police bodycam video capturing the arrest of a costumed suspect as stunned families watched in disbelief at a Chuck E. Cheese.'Would y’all put Mickey Mouse in handcuffs?'So we hereby present the top five wildest incidents of the year involving the infamous "Florida man."1. Key West chaos: Man with meth pipe hijacks tourist train on birthday, police sayAs Blaze News reported in July, a 57-year-old Florida man allegedly celebrated his birthday with a meth-fueled joyride by hijacking a tourist train in Key West.Citing the arrest report, WPLG-TV said Jonathan Patrick Winslow stole the Conch Tour Train and even managed to pick up "two random passengers" while driving the trolley. When confronted by cops, Winslow had a meth pipe in his possession — and he told deputies that it was a "weed pipe," according to the police report.Police said Winslow told officers he previously worked at the Conch Tour Train Depot, that he merely "borrowed" the train — and that "today is his birthday."Despite it being his birthday, Winslow was arrested and hit with burglary, grand theft auto, and drug charges.2. Kids watch in shock as man in a mouse costume is arrested at Chuck E. CheeseWhat was supposed to be a fun, innocent time for children devolved into a bizarre arrest caught on police bodycam footage that captured officers arresting a Chuck E. Cheese mascot — with kids and parents watching.Blaze News reported in September that 41-year-old Jermel Jones was accused of allegedly purchasing items with someone else's credit card."We’re gonna detain the mouse," a police officer is heard telling a fellow cop on bodycam footage as they enter the pizza restaurant in Tallahassee.An officer about to confront the man in the mouse costume is heard telling a woman, "Chuck E.’s a little bit busy, ma’am." A police officer orders the man in the costume, "Chuck E., come with me. Chuck E! Chuck E! Stop resisting! You’re being detained! Stop resisting! Let it go! Do not cause a scene here, sir."The Chuck E. Cheese mascot is handcuffed and then escorted out of the children's restaurant as parents and kids watch in stunned disbelief.A woman is heard yelling at the officers, "I would like y’all to walk him out the door instead of traumatizing all these children seeing someone like Chuck E. Cheese get arrested."She then asks, "Would y’all put Mickey Mouse in handcuffs?"Jones was arrested and charged with theft of a credit card, criminal use of personal identification information, and fraudulent use of a credit card totaling over $100.3. Florida man offers cops alcoholic drink during car chase — then gets tasedOnly in Florida does a police pursuit include a suspect casually offering officers an alcoholic drink mid-chase.In April, police were called to a local market after a report of a theft of alcoholic beverages, according to the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.Blaze News reported that 39-year-old Richard Christopher Smith of Miami was driving a black minivan in circles near the market, after which a miles-long police chase ensued.The sheriff's office said Smith was holding a can of Ketel One vodka spritz out the window of the minivan as he drove by a deputy attempting to pull him over. Smith is heard in the bodycam video telling the officer, "I was just going to give you a drink, that’s it."The sheriff's office said in a statement, "We don’t know if he was expecting us to just say 'Cheers!' and let him go, or what."Officials added, "After his toast, Smith attempted to ram two patrol vehicles in the midst of getting all four tires flattened by spike strips." The minivan slowed down, and the crazy police pursuit ended several miles away in the parking lot of a business at the Sebring Airport. Bodycam video shows Smith exiting the minivan and being greeted by cops with their guns drawn and ordering the suspect to get on the ground.However, the suspect is seen not obeying orders and walking toward a deputy — and Smith gets tased and falls headfirst on the pavement.According to the bodycam video, Smith asks officers why he's being arrested, to which the deputy replies, "A lot of stupid s**t, right now."Smith is heard saying to the officers in the bodycam footage, "You guys had fun, though, right?"Jail records show that Smith was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, driving under the influence, refusal to submit to a DUI test, and petty theft.4. Here's how an alligator sent Florida folks flyingFlorida motorcyclists were sent flying over their handlebars after slamming into a large alligator on a highway.Blaze News reported in June that two motorcyclists collided with a six-foot alligator on Interstate 4 in Orange City. The impact of hitting the alligator crossing the highway sent both riders soaring into the air.Motorcyclist Cameron Gilmore told WESH-TV, "I saw it, like, 10 feet in front of me, and I just, you know, I thought — I knew I was going to hit it. It kind of just happened so quick." Gilmore added, "I didn't even have a second to do anything. Couldn't put on the brakes or not. And I just had to hold on."Gilmore said the collision caused him to "start flying for a long way."The two bikers were rushed to the HCA Lake Monroe Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.5. Sex offender gets rejected at job interview — reacts by flinging bottles of urineA Florida man reportedly turned a denied job interview into a criminal spectacle and threw bottles of urine at a store.As Blaze News reported in April, 51-year-old John Connaughton asked for a job interview at a door store in St. Petersburg.Connaughton was rejected, after which he lashed out by hurling multiple bottles filled with urine at the front of the store, according to an arrest affidavit. Urine splattered on building materials and splashed at least one employee, court documents say.The affidavit accused Connaughton of causing more than $1,000 in damage "to various building materials" by "splattering [them] with urine." Image source: Florida Dept. of Law EnforcementConnaughton reportedly fled, but two men chased after him. Connaughton — a registered sex offender — raised his skateboard over his head as if he were going to hit one of the men with it, according to the arrest affidavit.The St. Petersburg Police Department arrested Connaughton, and he was charged with felony battery, criminal mischief, and two counts of aggravated assault, according to court records.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Although she rarely takes center stage, Melania Trump's fashion always stands out.The former model turned first lady is no stranger to a show-stopping look. Whether it's her signature six-inch stilettos or a regal black-tie gown, Melania has donned many memorable outfits throughout 2025. Here are seven of her best looks so far. 7. Commander in chic White House Press Pool/Getty ImagesMelania sported a classy pinstripe skirt suit at the military parade over the summer, paired with a gray satin pump. The pinstripe's color is inverted from black with white stripes to a subtle cream color with darker stripes, providing a summery twist on a beloved classic. The choice of a skirt suit over a pant suit is a refreshing choice that contrasts with the professional attire of working women in Washington. The tailoring flatters her figure without overly exaggerating her contours, making for a simple yet stunning ensemble. 6. Burberry bound Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty ImagesEn route to an oversees trip to the United Kingdom, Melania wore a gorgeous Burberry trench coat, undoubtedly a nod to British fashion and craftsmanship. The floor-length silhouette and popped collar add dramatic flair to a classic coat, paired with oversized sunglasses for a true model-off-duty look. Melania's brushed-back, low ponytail softly frames her face while still letting the coat speak for itself. A stark contrast from the casual airport clothes most Americans are used to, Melania's travel outfit balances effortlessness with classic style. 5. Cheetah girl Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesA true veteran of the fashion industry, Melania knows when to take a risk and how to pull it off. Melania flaunted a fabulous leopard coat during the 2025 International Women of Courage Award Ceremony, flawlessly utilizing a bold print as a sort of neutral.The warm brown tones of the coat complement her hair color and complexion, making for a soft interpretation of an otherwise bold print. The print itself is also small enough to remain eye-catching without being distracting. Leopard print made a comeback in 2025, but it has arguably always been a fashion-forward classic, just like much of Melania's timeless wardrobe. 4. Lace and lawmakers Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images Melania is known for her elegant play on suit wear, and this black lace ensemble from the 2025 White House Congressional Ball is no exception. Melania's feminine take on a traditionally masculine suit features a soft velvet coat contrasted with satin lapels and an intricate yet modest lace undershirt (Lauren Sanchez, take notes).Melania understands that the challenge is not just to find a fashionable outfit, but to find one that also flatters her features. The subtle but effective femininity of the suit pairs beautifully with her golden cascading hair, yet another indicator of Melania's impeccable fashion instincts. 3. Suede sisters Photo by Yui Mik - WPA Pool/Getty ImagesMelania knows how to dress for the occasion, perfectly complementing Kate Middleton, the princess of Wales, during an overseas visit in the English countryside. The neutral color palette and suede coat put on display the perfect balance between classic, Ralph Lauren-esque Americana and traditional British outerwear.Once again taking into consideration her complexion, the camel-colored coat pairs beautifully with her warm-toned hair and creme-colored trousers, making for an incredibly chic ensemble. 2. Inaugural icon Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesEasily one of her most iconic looks was from one of her first public appearances in 2025 during her husband President Donald Trump's inauguration. The sleek navy skirt suit with matching stilettos were beautiful pieces on their own, but the star of the show was her eye-catching headwear that made several headlines. Melania's wide-brimmed hat was often paired with a demure grin or a quick glance that dazzled photographers and attendees alike. This stylish showstopper is one of her many looks that simply speaks for itself. 1. Emerald alliance Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Melania's best look in 2025 was an emerald-green floor-length gown she wore while the White House hosted Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. The color choice is undeniably stunning as is the silhouette of the strapless gown. The delicate ruching throughout the front of the gown elongates and flatters her figure beautifully without appearing too showy (again, Lauren Sanchez, take notes). The slight sheen of the fabric adds just the right glamorous touch to the jewel-toned dress and matching pumps. Melania's elegance and class shine most in this gown. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

NYC Democrats Begin Painting the City Marxist Red as Commie Mamdani Prepares to Take Office

Sterling's Rx for America: Shut It All Down – Close Borders, Defund NGOs, End the Fraud Gravy Train

You'll be hard-pressed to find a more versatile and dynamic controller for your smart home than the surprisingly affordable Flic Duo.

Train companies said services between Britain and continental Europe would resume on Wednesday but warned of further disruption after technical failures suspended travel the day before and left some passengers stuck on trains all night.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that President Donald Trump should visit Ukraine to help close a peace deal with Russia.