Hotels involved in the resettlement of illegal immigrants are making lots of money through New York City’s shelter program, a former hotel worker said Monday on Fox News Channel. The average cost of a hotel room jumped from $277.92 in 2022 to $301.61 in 2023, and more than 130 hotels have joined the city’s shelter program by opening their doors to migrants, The New York Times reported. The shelter program is seen as a factor in the shortage of hotel rooms for tourists and other travelers, and Carlos Arellano, the former hotel worker, said owners are “loving this because the money is just going around and around.” “When you walk into hotels to work at them, the main hotel staff is not doing anything, they are standing around, but yet they still charge the city for any little thing they can,” Arellano told “Fox and Friends” guest host Rachel Campos-Duffy. “And when you see 10 workers on the first floor of the lobby of the hotel, only two of them are really working. Meanwhile, the hotel will still be charging the city for all 10 staff members. And you really don’t know what’s going on in there until you work in one of these places, but the costs just keep being driven up by the hotels.” WATCH: “I like to tell people when you see someone, like a politician on the news, saying, ‘Oh, we regret this, we wish this wasn’t happening,’ it’s all lies,” Arellano continued. “Everything from the politicians to the owners of the hotels, everybody is loving this because the money is just going around and around.” The hotels receive anywhere from $139 to $185 per room per night for sheltering migrants, whether or not the rooms are occupied, according to the Times. Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, announced budget cuts in November, including closing libraries on Sundays and freezing hiring for the New York Police Department, as part of efforts to address the costs of housing migrants arriving in the city. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that the Border Patrol had 1.6 million encounters with illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2021, 2.2 million in fiscal 2022, and 2 million in fiscal 2023, with 1.1 million encounters so far in fiscal 2024, which ends Sept. 30. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, began busing illegal aliens from the border to New York City and other so-called “sanctuary” cities in 2022. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation The post ‘Money Going Around’: Worker Reveals Why Hotels Are ‘Loving’ NYC’s Shelters for Illegal Aliens appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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The Washington Post, the dominant but least credible newspaper in Washington, D.C., lost $77 million in 2023.   As the website Unleash Prosperity Hotline noted: “It seems that The Post is in a race with the Los Angeles Times and CNN (which lost $400 million last year) to see which news outlet can go bankrupt first. “ No other business operates like the journalistic establishment. TV ratings are down. Newspaper losses are up. Public trust in the media is at an all-time low as reflected in Gallup and other polls. As Pete Seeger sang in a totally different context a half century ago “We’re waste deep in the Big Muddy and the big fool said to push on.” Journalism, if we can still call what increasingly reflects advocacy and not reporting, is the only business of which I am aware that doesn’t care what a sizeable demographic thinks about it. Media elites blame the Internet and declining ad revenue for lost subscribers and dwindling viewership. That’s an effect, not the cause. When I began my syndicated newspaper column in 1984, I was able to “sell” editors on the idea that the political and religious demographic felt ignored and that if they picked up my column they might see a surge in subscribers. Many did and those who did saw a surge. Today, hedge funds own most major city newspapers. Their managers care nothing about real journalism, only the bottom line. Layoffs are common and real journalists are not what they once were. The revolving door between government and the networks and newspapers is at warp speed. Why do papers like the Post and New York Times bother with opinion pages when it appears to many that it is all opinion and mostly from the left? If I owned a restaurant (and my wife does), I wouldn’t be in business very long if the menu consisted only of the foods I liked. If customers complained and I told them I don’t care and will continue to offer food that what I like, they would go elsewhere, and I would soon be bankrupt. This is precisely what is happening in the media. Reporters are isolated from mainstream America. Few appear to attend church. Few know any conservatives except in stereotype. A prominent New York Times columnist once asked me: “Are you still writing your column?” I should have said: “Yes, are you?” but wanted to be polite. The elites only read and watch each other’s material and appear on programs that reinforce what their audiences already think. Yes, some conservatives do the same, but they have fewer outlets. A free press is the only profession mentioned in the Constitution. The Founders, some of whom were often excoriated by the newspapers of their day, still understood that freedom of the press was essential to a strong constitutional republic. With freedom comes responsibility to report the news (all of it, not just that which agrees with one’s opinion) as accurately and as fairly as possible. As radio talk show host Chris Plante has said, “The greatest power the media have is the power to ignore.” Ignoring certain stories is just as biased as slanting those that are covered through the lens of a secular-progressive worldview. While I have lost about half of the 500 newspapers that once carried me at the peak of my column’s success, I am still trying to remind readers of the economic, social, political, and foreign policies that worked within memory of most people over 40. Our challenge is to reach younger people with the importance of a free and fair press. Without it, the country will sink ever deeper into the “Big Muddy.”

Famous actor Richard Dreyfuss has never been a fan of the political correctness that’s taken over Hollywood — but it all came to a head this Memorial Day weekend at an event called "An Evening with Richard Dreyfuss and Jaws Screening," in Beverly, Massachusetts. Dreyfuss showed up on stage in a dress covering his clothes, before delivering a rant described by attendees as transphobic, sexist, and homophobic. The attendees recalled Dreyfuss calling Barbra Streisand a “genius” but calling women “passive” and saying that’s why her movie "Nuts" “sucked.” He also reportedly made disparaging remarks about the MeToo movement and spoke out against listening to transgender youth. While fans across the country are shocked, Glenn Beck spoke to Dreyfuss last year and gained real insight into the actor’s beliefs — something those fans likely don’t understand. “He was never a Hollywood insider. He’s here to sound the alarm, to protect the Constitution, to stir the healthy dissent, to protect the lone voice. He told me right before the podcast that I was the one who outed him in Hollywood,” Glenn said on "The Glenn Beck Podcast" last year. “When I apologized, I didn’t realize that, he said, ‘No, no, it was one of the best things that’s happened to me.’ He has been committed to nothing less than saving America,” he added. And Dreyfuss then confirmed this himself. “There are people who now think that opposing views are un-American. They don’t know that opposing views are entwined and threaded through the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and what we show to the world we believe in,” Dreyfuss told Glenn, noting that kids don’t learn about history these days the way they used to or should. “I certainly think that when we allow our kids to tell us what is valuable and what is nurturing, we’re going to the wrong people,” he explained. Before finishing their conversation, Dreyfuss left Glenn with a pearl of wisdom — which is a far cry from what fans angry at his performance over the weekend seem to believe he is capable of. “It infuriates me that people don’t understand what this place means, what an advance on human progress this country is all about, and how quickly we can abandon it without a second thought,” Dreyfuss tells Glenn. "I once said that we hold this pearl in our hands, and then we think, ‘Yeah who cares,’ and we toss it away, and it lands on the top of the stairs and we trip over it and we fall down through this state of constant decay — until we reach Donald Trump and the cheapening of every great thought, every great move that we gave to humanity. And it just kills me.” “It’s beyond my ability to comprehend why people who are in a position to burnish our reputation make it filth, choose to make it filth. I just don’t get it,” he finished. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

A suspected illegal alien has been arrested and charged with several crimes in Virginia after he reportedly abducted a Louisiana girl and held her "against her will."Just before 4 a.m. on Wednesday, a young Hispanic girl phoned police to request assistance at a Love's truck stop in Covington, Virginia, about 90 miles northwest of Lynchburg.The press release described Castro only as 'an adult male' and implied that he is in the U.S. illegally since ICE has issued an immigration detainer against him.Members of the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office and the Virginia State Police were quickly dispatched to the scene. When they arrived, they located the girl who had called them.Few details have been released regarding the immediate investigation into the girl's complaint, but a press release from the sheriff's office said that "the officers determined that the female was from Louisiana and was being held captive against her will."In the Love's parking lot, officers located a dark gray four-door sedan registered in Arkansas and came to believe that a man had abducted the girl and kept her inside the vehicle.Police also quickly zeroed in on a suspect: Diego Soch Castro. The press release described Castro only as "an adult male" and implied that he is in the U.S. illegally since ICE has issued an immigration detainer against him. Blaze News reached out to the sheriff's office in hopes of learning Castro's age and presumed nation of origin but have not yet received a return call.It is unclear where the alleged abduction may have occurred: Arkansas, Louisiana, Virginia, or someplace else. Whether the suspect and victim knew each other prior to the alleged abduction and how long the suspect had allegedly been holding the girl hostage are likewise unknown.Castro was arrested and charged with abduction, indecent liberties with a minor, and assault and battery. The girl was taken to an area hospital for evaluation and then placed into the care of child protective services. The press release claimed that an investigation into the matter remains "ongoing."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

United States District Judge Aileen Cannon recently rejected special counsel Jack Smith's request to place a gag order against former President Donald Trump.On Friday, Smith's team asked Cannon to modify Trump's conditions of release to prohibit him from making "statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of" the classified documents case against Trump.'Failure to comply with these requirements may result in sanctions.'Smith's team claimed the gag order was "necessary because of several intentionally false and inflammatory statements recently made by Trump that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago."Trump is facing 40 felony charges for allegedly maintaining classified documents and obstructing the federal government's attempts to seize those records. The charges pertain to a raid conducted by the FBI at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022. Earlier this month, Cannon moved to postpone the trial due to several unresolved pretrial motions. The decision came shortly after Smith's team admitted that the federal government did not properly maintain the evidence gathered at Trump's property. His team conceded that some documents were no longer in the same order. The prosecution also admitted that the colored cover sheets that indicated various classification levels were brought in by investigators.Trump shared posts on Truth Social regarding recently released court filings that stated federal agents who raided Mar-a-Lago were authorized to use deadly force.Smith's team claimed Trump's posts made a "grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents" and "falsely suggest[ed] that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him."Trump's defense team responded to the prosecution's gag order motion, arguing it "willfully disregard[ed] required procedures.""The Government has contacted counsel for defendant Trump, who stated that they object to the Motion and the timing of the conferral on a holiday weekend; it is their position that the Government has not provided an opportunity for meaningful conferral," Smith's team wrote in its motion. "They do not believe that there is any imminent danger, and asked to meet and confer next Monday."Trump's attorneys claimed that Smith's team had demonstrated "bad-faith behavior" by filing the motion just ahead of the holiday weekend. On Monday morning, Cannon rejected the prosecution's request and threatened Smith's team with sanctions."[T]he Court finds the Special Counsel's pro forma 'conferral' to be wholly lacking in substance and professional courtesy," Cannon wrote in her decision. "It should go without saying that meaningful conferral is not a perfunctory exercise.""Because the filing of the Special Counsel's Motion did not adhere to these basic requirements, it is due to be denied without prejudice. Any future, non-emergency motion brought in this case -- whether on the topic of release conditions or anything else -- shall not be filed absent meaningful, timely, and professional conferral," Cannon continued. "Failure to comply with these requirements may result in sanctions."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

CNN legal analyst Randy Zelin told host Kate Bolduan the prosecution in former President Donald Trump's case in New York City was far from proving beyond a reasonable doubt that he was directly involved in paying off Stormy Daniels.Both the defense and prosecution gave their closing arguments on Tuesday after the weeks-long trial that has limited Trump's ability to actively campaign in the 2024 election. “The burden of proof is an important one to remind everyone: It’s on the prosecution, right? They need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he commit — that Donald Trump broke the law. And you think after listening to all of this, you think they fell short. How?” Bolduan asked Zelin. 'It’s simply about: Did the former president know that books, his records, false entries for legal fees, Michael Cohen was his lawyer ...' “They fell way short because let’s start with reasonable doubt. What is reasonable doubt? And it’s not simply a doubt based upon reason. Any time a human being needs to make an important decision in life, if you have enough information, for example, doctor says you need open heart surgery. ‘Doc, go ahead and schedule. I don’t have a reasonable doubt.’ Conversely, if I say, ‘I appreciate it, but I need a second opinion, I need more information,’ that is having a reasonable doubt. There is reasonable doubt all over this case," Zelin explained."Where is Keith Schiller? Where is Allen Weisselberg? How did Michael Cohen get away with stealing $30,000? Hold a pity party for him — made $4 million on this, thought he’d be chief of staff. He’s a fixer! If the plumber comes to my house to fix my leak, I could be home. That doesn’t mean I know how he’s doing it and what it’s taking to be fixed," he continued."Stormy Daniels, let’s hold a pity party for her. Why do we need to know whether or not the former president wore a condom or not?" he asked. "It’s simply about: Did the former president know that books, his records, false entries for legal fees, Michael Cohen was his lawyer, getting intent to cover up the election or to protect his family? It’s everywhere. Everywhere!" — (@) While Trump's defense team was in the middle of its closing arguments, President Joe Biden's campaign held a press conference outside the courthouse to highlight the "contrast." Actor Robert De Niro was brought to the presser and went on a lengthy rant, claiming Trump winning the election will be worse than 9/11 because he will not only destroy the country, but possibly the world.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Actor Robert De Niro is known worldwide for his portrayals of iconic mobsters and tough guys on the silver screen going all the way back to the early '70s. Whether it was the newly murderous young Vito Corleone in "The Godfather Part II" or the harrowing psychopath Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver," De Niro sure can cast an intimidating presence in front of a camera. Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images (left); Photo by FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images (right) But a different kind of lens was trained upon De Niro Tuesday morning in New York City when he appeared on behalf of the Biden administration to perform a full-on takedown of former President Donald Trump — and right outside the Manhattan courtroom where closing arguments were underway in Trump's Stormy Daniels trial.But De Niro may not have been counting on the many Trump supporters who showed up to heckle and call out the actor — and the pushback went on pretty much from start to finish. 'I mean, this is really ... even these people over here are kinda ... it's kinda crazy. It's really crazy. And this thing ... Donald Trump has created this. He should be telling them not to do this. But he's just ...' One video caught De Niro — wearing a COVID mask — walking down a street with a crew of nearly 10 men when one observer yells out to the actor, "Walk the street by yourself! I dare you!" Believe it or not, De Niro actually turns around to look at who's yelling at him. Perhaps life was imitating art in a "you talkin' to me?" kind of way. In another clip, De Niro is standing in front of his microphone as multiple people are heard yelling at him from a distance — one hollers a "f*** you!" — and the actor has a hard time dealing with the vitriol and completing sentences: "I mean, this is really ... even these people over here are kinda ... it's kinda crazy. It's really crazy. And this thing ... Donald Trump has created this. He should be telling them not to do this. But he's just ..." Blaze News earlier Tuesday reported on De Niro's ill-advised argument with an individual who verbally challenged him during the news conference. "On January 6, while Republican lawmakers despicably tried to keep the loser Trump, the loser Trump, in the White House, and Trump-inspired insurrectionists stormed the Capitol, brave men and women from law enforcement put their lives on the line to defend this country. Our democracy. They are the true heroes," De Niro said, according to video of his remarks.Turning to former U.S. Capitol Police Officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone — both of whom were standing behind De Niro during the news conference — the actor continued, "These guys are the true heroes. They stood and put their lives on the line for these low lives, for Trump." With that, someone near the press conference blurted out to De Niro, "They lied under oath." De Niro didn't like that — and he appeared to lean into his wise-guy persona with the volume and tone of his voice:De Niro: "They lied under oath? Who lied under oath? What are you telling me?" Crowd member: "Those two traitors behind you." De Niro: "Excuse me?" Crowd member: "Those two traitors behind you." De Niro: "They lied under oath?" Crowd member: "That's right." De Niro: "What are you saying?" Crowd member: "They're traitors." De Niro: "They're traitors?" (Psst. That's what the guy said, Bobby.)"I don't know, I don't even know how to deal with you, my friend. I don't even know how to deal with you," the actor went on. "They stood there; they didn't have to. And there were other ones in there who probably were in with them a little bit, too, and they found a way to get around — not these guys. They stood there and fought for us, for you. For you!" "They weren't fighting for me," the crowd member responded. "No? No, they fought for you, buddy, you're able to stand right here now," De Niro persisted. — (@) For his closing act, De Niro got into a heated verbal altercation on the way back to his vehicle as detractors crowded around him as well as the group of men apparently protecting him.Pro-Trump folks yelled out "wannabe!" and "sell-out!" and "nobody!" and "movies suck!" and "little punk!" NBC News reported."You're not going to intimidate!" De Niro yelled back, pointing his index finger. "That's what Trump does, to try to intimidate! ... We are going to fight back! We're trying to be gentlemen in this world, the Democrats! You are gangsters! You are gangsters!" "You're washed up!" another person hollered at the actor, who clearly had enough by that point and fired off a nifty "f*** you!" at his adversary.On the plus side, at least one person hollered, “I loved you in 'Taxi Driver'!” 'You are gangsters!': Robert De Niro clashes with Trump supporters in New York youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The new policy against issuing public political statements will apply to administrators and governing board members.