Nation
Kayleigh McEnany tests positive for COVID-19
After the President’s COVID-19 diagnosis late last week, a number of aides in his close circle have subsequently also tested positive for the virus including White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
McEnany tested positive on Monday after “testing negative consistently… since Thursday.” She’s asymptomatic and the White House Medical Unit has assured that no members of the press were in close contact with her, according to her statement.
McEnany added in her statement, “… I definitely had no knowledge of Hope Hicks’ diagnosis prior to holding a White House press briefing on Thursday. As an essential worker, I have worked diligently to provide needed information to the American People at this time.”
She also said she will quarantine, while still “working on behalf of the American People remotely.”
Immigration
New York City Mayor Eric Adams Announces End to Controversial Migrant Debit Card Program
The world is watching in amazement as so much is changing incredibly quickly once former President Donald Trump was re-elected. Among the decisive actions was progressive Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams announcing he will end its contentious migrant voucher program, which provided prepaid debit cards worth up to $18,500 for migrant families.
The decision was announced Thursday by City Hall, and comes as Mayor Eric Adams has taken a more critical stance toward the city’s migrant policies and has shown openness to collaborating with former President Donald Trump on immigration reforms.
The Daily Mail reports that the program, which distributed over $3.2 million in total cash value to around 2,600 families, aimed to assist migrant households in purchasing necessities. Initially, the program was designed to cover expenses at supermarkets and bodegas; a family of four with two children could receive up to $350 per week, depending on the children’s ages.
However, the program’s future grew uncertain after City Comptroller Brad Lander removed Adams’s authority to make no-bid contracts for emergency initiatives, such as the $400,000 contract granted to the financial services company MoCaFi to operate the program, adds the Daily Mail. William Fowler, a spokesperson for City Hall, confirmed that the program will end at the close of the year but left open the possibility that it could be restarted in the future—though this time through an open bidding process.
Critics of the program, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott and rapper 50 Cent, questioned why resources were allocated to migrants over struggling New Yorkers. Abbott labeled the initiative “insanity,” arguing it misplaces the city’s priorities. 50 Cent, originally from Queens, expressed his confusion on Instagram, posting, “WTF Mayor Adams call my phone…maybe TRUMP is the answer.”
Supporters of the voucher program argue that the initiative offsets strain on local resources caused by the recent surge in migrants, allowing families to spend money directly in local stores rather than the city providing boxed food and supplies. Adams has defended the program, claiming it saves New York City $600,000 a month, or $7.2 million annually, by redirecting funds into the local economy.
Joseph Borelli, the City Council’s Republican minority leader, acknowledged that the city does save some funds through this model but questioned the overall spending on migrant support, particularly as it becomes a growing political issue.
Fowler added, “We will continue to implement and learn from innovative pilot programs like the immediate response cards program as we care for hundreds of new arrivals every week.”
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