INTERNACIONAL
Mamdani’s education plan’s ‘lack of merit’ could fundamentally change student outcomes: GOP leader warns
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
NEW YORK, N.Y. — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s education agenda might be the most concerning of his administration and would have a damaging impact, a local GOP leader told Fox News Digital, arguing that schools will be shifting away from merit-based achievement under Mamdani’s tenure.
Mamdani has proposed phasing out the city’s gifted and talented programs for younger students over inequity concerns, a move critics argue could limit academic opportunities for high performers from low-income families.
«That’s my biggest concern,» Forte told Fox News Digital. «The lack of merit and the lack of competitiveness…is going to lead to test scores declining and the quality of our education declining significantly.»
MAMDANI CONFRONTED ON ‘THE VIEW’ OVER APPOINTEE WHO CALLED HOMEOWNERSHIP ‘WEAPON OF WHITE SUPREMACY’
Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, speaks during a Bloomberg Television interview at City Hall in New York on Jan. 29, 2026. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)
Forte went on to caution that Mamdani and the people he appoints would «gut» the entire program.
«He’s going to gut the gifted and talented program. He said this already,» he said. «Who he’s put into the Department of Education here in New York, gonna gut the program.»
He said Mamdani would transform the system into one «based on race and racial quotas,» undermining academic fairness in schools.
«It’s not going to be about merit anymore,» he said. «It’s going be about what is somebody’s skin color? What is their race? They’re going to make this an equity-based system based on race and racial quotas, and a lottery system. That is no way to have education. That is no way to educate students.»
But he said this would backfire, with Mamdani’s plan ultimately harming students.
«What this is going to do is lower test scores across the board, it is going to lower expectations across the board, and students are going to suffer because of it.»
‘ZOHRANOMICS’: NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST MATH DOESN’T ADD UP
Turning to the new curriculum, he said teachers will eventually lead students to «hate their history.»
«We don’t know what he’s going to be implementing as curriculum,» he said. «We don’t know what he is going to do with American history. We don’t know what’s he’s gonna do with the history of New York.»
«Is that going to be standard operating procedure for all of New York schools? Is that what they’re going to be teaching? That they hate their history?» he added.
Shortly after taking office, Mamdani appointed Kamar Samuels, a longtime New York City educator and Manhattan superintendent, as the city’s next schools chancellor, which many critics took issue with given Samuels’ history of attempting to dismantle the gifted and talented program.
Teacher unions and their potentially increasing power under Mamdani are another issue Forte raised, saying they «will play a more active role.»
«The teachers’ union is the most, I don’t even want to call them progressive. They’re more than that,» he said. «The most socialist, militantly woke organization in the country. That doesn’t make sense. That’s not good.»
He said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten is going to be «a very powerful figure in Mamdani’s New York.»
«That is going to be what is educating the next generation of Americans and they’re not keeping their politics out of the classroom,» he added.
Forte also targeted teacher training programs. He said they are shaping how future educators will think and teach.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Zohran Mamdani announces new members of his team at the Brooklyn Public Library Greenpoint Branch in Brooklyn, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Shawn Inglima/ New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
«We have to do something about the teacher colleges where they are teaching the next generation of educators how to be Marxist, how to be liberals…and how to indoctrinate the next generation of students.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office and the American Federation of Teachers for comment.
Mamdani found himself in hot water on education last week when he announced that his first veto as mayor was to derail a bipartisan bill aimed at combating antisemitism by expanding protest security safeguards for places of education.
curriculum, dept of education, zohran mamdani, controversies education, teachers, campus radicals
INTERNACIONAL
Americans travel to Pakistan to free Christians trapped in modern-day slavery: ‘God’s hand was in it’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Idaho resident Aaron Hutchings arrived at a Pakistani brick factory in January. The devout Christian told Fox News Digital that he was shocked to see children turning bricks under the hot sun to work off the debts that their families had incurred, sometimes over the course of generations.
Within hours of his arrival, Hutchings paid off the debts for two enslaved Christian families and escorted them to freedom, breaking the «curse that they’ve had for hundreds of years.»
There are up to one million Christians working in slave and bonded labor in Pakistan, according to Emma Hall, a persecution researcher working with charity Open Doors U.K. and Ireland, told Fox News Digital. This could comprise as much as 30% of Pakistani Christians, counted at 3.3 million in the 2023 census and accounting for 1.37 percent of the population.
WATCHDOG HIGHLIGHTS NATIONS WHERE CHRISTIANS FACE PERSECUTION AROUND THE GLOBE
After paying the debts of a family of Pakistani Christians, Aaron Hutchings embraces newly-freed brick laborers. (Courtesy: Aaron Hutchings)
Hall noted that «extreme poverty drives desperate families to accept advance loans (peshgri) for emergency and basic needs, trapping them in cycles of debt bondage where repayment systems are structured in ways that make exit extremely difficult.»
Emmanuel Hernandez said he was shocked when he first heard that Christians in Pakistan were living in debt-based enslavement in Pakistan’s brick-making industry. After traveling to Pakistan to meet the woman who would later become his wife, Hernandez witnessed bonded laborers at a brick factory for the first time.
«Never in my life have I seen such hopelessness,» he told Fox News Digital. «At that moment, I committed myself to rescuing one family a year for the rest of my life.»
In January 2025, Hernandez started the nonprofit Project Jubilee. He says that it is «by the grace of God» that people have already donated enough through the nonprofit to save 300 Pakistanis from slavery.
GRAHAM FAMILY RESPONDS TO GLOBAL CRACKDOWN ON CHRISTIANS WITH $1.3M DEFENSE FUND AND URGENT CALL TO ACTION
Born into bonded labor in Pakistan, children must flip bricks in the hot sun outside of Lahore, Pakistan. (Courtesy: Aaron Hutchings. )
Though Project Jubilee will save any bonded slave, regardless of race or faith, Hernandez said that «98% of the people we rescue are Christians, and that’s because they’re second-class citizens» in their country.
The average cost to help one family is about $8,500, Hernandez said, because Project Jubilee recognizes that slaves needed more than debt relief to escape the cycle of bonded labor.
«Our goal is for them to succeed in life and make sure that they never go back,» he explained. To accomplish this, Hernandez and his team pay lawyers to take care of all applicable paperwork, and help each family with two months of rent and food. They also get families in touch with a local minister, pay for children to attend school and purchase every family a tuk tuk, a motorcycle taxi, which they can use to create income.
He said that in most cases, factory owners are grudgingly accepting of letting slaves go after their debts are paid off. But in some cases, he says owners have put a cap on the number of families Hernandez’s group can free in a month, or told them that they’re «never allowed to come back again.»
AFRICA’S CHRISTIAN CRISIS: HOW 2025’S DEADLY ATTACKS FINALLY DREW GLOBAL ATTENTION AFTER TRUMP’S INTERVENTION
A family of brickmakers speak with American Christian Aaron Hutchings before learning they will be freed from their debt. (Courtesy: Aaron Hutchings.)
Hutchings found Hernandez’s online profile in late 2025 and messaged him, asking to be part of his effort. Retired from the IT world, Hutchings said he is «just a normal guy who wanted to do something…to help people.»
After a short conversation over the phone, Hernandez invited Hutchings to come along to a trip to Pakistan in January. Hutchings agreed. It was during this visit that Hutchings freed two families and reported he «just got hooked.» He admits that the process is highly emotional. «It changes an entire family’s future for generations,» he explained.
Hutchings said that it is especially impactful to witness the change that freedom brings to children. «We get to ask them, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?» Hutchings said. «They probably haven’t even really thought about that. They’re [thinking] ‘I’m going to be a brick worker for the rest of my life, just like my parents.’»
Hutchings started his own nonprofit, Intentional Faith Foundation, which he now uses to collect donations from people who want to help free more slaves.
Christians demanded justice during a protest in Islamabad condemning attacks on churches in Pakistan on August 20, 2023. Pakistan is one of the top 10 worst countries for Christian persecution, according to a new report. (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)
NIGERIA NAMED EPICENTER OF GLOBAL KILLINGS OF CHRISTIANS OVER FAITH IN 2025, REPORT SAYS
Just months after his first journey, Hutchings returned to Pakistan in May to free an additional ten families. After video of his visit went viral, Hutchings said that his nonprofit raised enough funds to save another family from enslavement.
The practice of bonded slavery was outlawed formally in Pakistan in 1992, Hall says, but «enforcement remains weak.» Discrimination extends beyond the bonded labor environment, with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom noting in 2025 that there were «recent and escalating attacks against religious minorities» in Pakistan, including Christians.
During his recent visit, Hutchings learned that securing housing was difficult, with many landlords refusing to rent to Christians. Eventually, a Pakistani Christian group working with families was able to find housing and jobs for parents, and located a teacher for the children who were largely illiterate.
After paying the debts of a family of Pakistani Christians, Aaron Hutchings embraces a newly-freed brick laborer. Courtesy of Aaron Hutchings. (Courtesy: Aaron Hutchings.)
In a 2023 report, Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights released a series of recommendations for diminishing the pain that bonded labor brings to approximately three million Pakistanis. In her introduction, the group’s chairperson stated, «It is deeply appalling that in the 21st century, slavery persists in the form of bonded labor.»
Among its recommendations are forbidding children from laboring in brick kilns, helping laborers access justice and creating unions for collective representation. They suggest registering all brick kilns, increasing the use of automated machinery, and encouraging brick purchasers to buy bricks from kilns «that provide a safe and decent working environment.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Representatives of the Pakistani government did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about the enforcement of laws against bonded labor, or about the treatment of Pakistani Christians. Neither Hutchings nor Hernandez reported having complications with the Pakistani government when working to free brick kiln laborers.
For Hutchings, the work has been transformative. «Looking back, it is hard to see any of it as random. I believe God’s hand was in it from the beginning, and even though we were doing all of this to show Jesus’ love towards these people, we ended up receiving more than we gave.»
pakistan, christianity religion, persecutions, human rights
INTERNACIONAL
Israel volvió a atacar los suburbios de Beirut a pesar del alto el fuego respaldado por EEUU: «Hezbollah está a la fuga”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Spencer Pratt’s independent bid to make the Los Angeles mayoral runoff hangs in the balance nearly a week after Election Day.
With the jungle primary leaving incumbent Democrat Mayor Karen Bass already ruled to have advanced to a November runoff, Pratt’s margin over Democrat City Councilmember Nithya Raman has slimmed to just 1% with a few thousand ballots left to make up the difference.
Pratt led Raman by just 7,494 votes in the latest AP elections tally with 78% of the vote counted to date. Bass remained in first place with 235,180 votes (34.8%), while Pratt had 184,596 votes (27.3%) and Raman had 177,102 votes (26.2%).
Los Angeles County continues to count ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received by Tuesday, June 9, drawing the attention of the Republican National Committee. The election results must only be counted within 30 days and certified by July 10.
CALIFORNIA’S SLUGGISH VOTE COUNTING RIPPED ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM: ‘EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING’
Either independent Spencer Pratt or Democrat Nithya Raman will advance to a November runoff against incumbent Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. (HIGHFIVE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
«The California primary ended on June 2, 2026; yet California is still counting ballots,» the RNC website tracker counting the seconds since polls closed reads.
«The state’s election system is a complete joke. The RNC is tracking every hour it takes California to finish the count.»
The latest ballot update gave Raman another boost, as she picked up 23,514 votes in the latest batch, more than double Pratt’s 10,336-vote gain. That cut Pratt’s lead by 13,178 votes in a single day and pushed the contest for second place into uncertain territory.
Pratt posted a meme to X decrying the ongoing ballot count in the race.
«Me trying to figure out how votes get counted in LA,» he wrote Saturday night.
Los Angeles Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt had become a viral sensation with his campaign ads, but pundits now expect his upstart campaign to unseat a Democrat mayor is going to come to an end. (Highfive/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Under California’s top-two primary system, if no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election. The AP reported that Bass advanced to the runoff after finishing first in the crowded mayoral primary, while Pratt and Raman continued battling for the remaining November spot.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pointed to California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom when discussing the delayed results.
«The question to the rest of the world is what happened to California elections? Well, I’ll tell you, it’s Gavin Newsom,» McCarthy told Fox News’ «Sunday Morning Futures.» «When Gavin Newsom was elected governor of California, you knew who was elected in a day to two days. Now it takes more than weeks, almost a month.»
«Why did we get here?» McCarthy continued. «Gavin changed a number of election laws in which you want to see is what did he do and why did he cause it?»
WATCH: LEFT-WING LA MAYOR FACES REALITY TV CHALLENGER’S BLUNT TAKEDOWNS IN HEATED MAYORAL DEBATE
The slow count has drawn heightened attention because later-counted ballots have steadily cut into Pratt’s lead.
Longtime Democrat strategist Michael Trujillo told The California Post on Saturday that the trend pointed to a likely runoff appearance for Raman, calling the late ballot counting «normal» for California and telling critics to «go back to where you came from.»
«I was always a little jealous of east coast elections getting so much attention in the media and on this app, yeah nevermind,» he wrote on X. «The stupidity from these out of state analysts and reporters and the bots and fake accounts it brings to what is really a very NORMAL process happening in Los Angeles and California is annoying.
«Go back to where you came from, thanks.»
Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman might wind up No. 2 to fellow Democrat Mayor Karen Bass and advance to the November runoff. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
SPENCER PRATT SEIZES ON HOMELESSNESS REMARKS BY KAREN BASS, BLASTS DEMOCRAT FOR FAILURES
Conservatives on X are decrying the probability of Pratt being shut out of the runoff.
«Spencer Pratt is likely going to be overtaken by far left Nithya Raman today,» Robby Starbuck wrote on X. «This graph shows the count on Election Day through last night. «Nithya did this by suddenly winning 1st in every new ballot drop.
«North Korean ‘elections’ have more self respect. Even they’d find it absurd for 3rd to suddenly jump to 1st place in every ballot drop DAYS after an election. It’s just ludicrous.»
That post also brought the attention of X owner Elon Musk.
«The reason ID is banned in California (and New York) elections is to enable large-scale fraud,» Musk claimed on X, replying to Starbuck’s post. «When you combine no ID and mail-in voting, fraud is de facto legalized.»
SCOTUS CONSERVATIVES SIGNAL READINESS TO CURB LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS
Starbuck noted the historic run Raman’s count has made.
«ChatGPT can’t find a single example of a 3rd place candidate surging, days AFTER Election Day, to overtake 2nd place,» he wrote Sunday morning. «It couldn’t find 1 example in all of American history. That’s what’s happening with Nithya Raman & Spencer Pratt.
«Los Angeles has 3rd world country elections.»
Democrats merely point back to an overwhelming edge in registered Democrat voters versus Republicans, even if Pratt is running as an independent.
«IF SOMETHING CAN BE EXPLAINED BY A CONVOLUTED CONSPIRACY THEORY—OR SIMPLE MATH—THEN MATH ALWAYS WINS,» Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., wrote on X. «LA Registered Voters. Approximate number of Dems: 1,224,737 Approximate number of Republicans: 326,292.»
RNC RAILS AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S LATE MAIL-IN BALLOT COUNTING AMID NATIONAL LITIGATION: ‘IT IS ABSURD’
Americans «want to see election integrity,» McCarthy told host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.
«They want to see transparency and they want to see timely reporting: We had that in California,» McCarthy, a former Republican House member in the deep-blue state, said. «We were very liberal in the rules about absentee ballots, but we had accountability.»
«We had cut off voter registration 30 days before the election. That helps the registrars to know who’s going to vote and the candidates,» he continued. «Now we have same day voter, and you don’t have to show ID. Gavin changed the rules where he mails ballots to everyone. So he took away the choice to Californians to vote in person or to vote absentee. Everybody gets mailed a ballot. But he didn’t clean up the rolls. So that raises doubt in people’s minds.»
McCarthy noted Raman’s Election Night disappointment was originally telling.
«When you look at the LA mayor’s race, the third place person gave it like a concession speech that night and cried, and she was getting the most votes in the last drop,» McCarthy said. «So if she didn’t even believe that she could move up, that puts in question to the whole election itself. And that’s why it brings doubt to people.»
President Donald Trump had weighed in, too, with the RNC pointing to the pending Watson v. RNC Supreme Court decision on late ballot counting due soon.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Watson decision might come before the end of June.
«.@POTUS is right,» the RNC’s Election Integrity unit posted on X. «That’s why the RNC has boots on the ground and is fighting in the Supreme Court to stop ballots received after Election Day from being counted. MAKE ELECTIONS SECURE AGAIN!»
democrats elections, primary results, spencer pratt, california, independents
Americans travel to Pakistan to free Christians trapped in modern-day slavery: ‘God’s hand was in it’
La mora llegó a las cuotas de electrodomésticos: casi uno de cada dos préstamos que dan los comercios sufre atrasos en los pagos
Tiroteo con nueve heridos a pocos kilómetros del cuartel general de Inglaterra en el Mundial
Qué ver en Netflix, la miniserie de 4 episodios que cuenta todo sobre la vida de Rafa Nadal: «Rafa»
El gasto público en ChatGPT para funcionarios se dispara: de un solo contrato en 2022 a más de 1.300 tres años después
Israel volvió a atacar los suburbios de Beirut a pesar del alto el fuego respaldado por EEUU: «Hezbollah está a la fuga”
Desde Neuquén, Myriam Bregman pidió “organizar la bronca para terminar con Milei y su legado”
Cuantas reservas internacionales quieren acumular Milei y Caputo para evitar el riesgo K en 2027
Murió el Indio Solari, mítico cantante de Los Redonditos de Ricota
Senado: postergan el proyecto de propiedad privada por dudas de los bloques aliados sobre compras de tierras por extranjeros
POLITICA22 horas agoDesde Neuquén, Myriam Bregman pidió “organizar la bronca para terminar con Milei y su legado”
- ECONOMIA1 día ago
Cuantas reservas internacionales quieren acumular Milei y Caputo para evitar el riesgo K en 2027
- CHIMENTOS2 días ago
Murió el Indio Solari, mítico cantante de Los Redonditos de Ricota
