Mamdani gives influencers special access as Signal use raises records-law questions

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is giving special access to a network of approximately 200 social media influencers who take City Hall talking points and videos to promote municipal programs online to residents, according to a new report.

The report, by the Columbia Journalism Review, highlights that the online personalities get their talking points through an encrypted Signal group text, called "NYC Creators Announcements."

Signal offers a disappearing-messages feature that can automatically delete messages after a set period of time if enabled. It is unclear whether that feature is active in the Mamdani administration’s group, raising questions about compliance with city record-keeping laws.

Questioned by reporters whether the use of Signal possibly breaks city laws, Mamdani said, "My administration will always strive to fully comply with all legal requirements, including those that relate to the preservation of city records."

THIS IS WHAT MAMDANI JUST BANNED FOR NEW YORK CITY STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS

"If there are any departures from what is legally required, my administration will look into it immediately and take corrective action," Mamdani added on Wednesday.

The use of Signal for government communications made major headlines last year, when then-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth came under fire after sensitive, real-time details about U.S. military strikes were shared in a Signal group that included a journalist.

The Columbia Journalism Review report also said influencers are not paid by the city for participating in the group or for their coverage, although some receive payments from marketing and advertising firms with contracts from city agencies for work on specific messaging campaigns. The municipal programs promoted include voting, healthcare, immigration and tenants’ rights, participatory budgeting and composting.

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City employees told researchers the payments to influencers for their work ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 per campaign, according to the report.

The Signal group was formed out of Creators4Zohran, a group that supported Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign. Mamdani rocked the political world by winning election as the first socialist mayor of the nation's most populous city.

The group chat is steered by Emilia Rowland, the New York City director of new media and cultural communications. Rowland and her staff push out daily updates, talking points, and clips that the influencers can use in their posts.

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The chat operates like a traditional press list used by communications teams to send updates and information to reporters.

Cities are increasingly using influencers to promote municipal services, policies and to engage the public more directly than through traditional media.

"New Yorkers get their news in a wide variety of ways, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we communicate information from city government directly to the people of the city, whether that means to all of you, to TV, to radio, to social media, to content creators and so on and so forth," Mamdani emphasized.

Fox News Digital reached out to City Hall but didn't receive a response at the time this report was published.

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Australia’s 'Queen of Infomercials' wants 'no-strings attached fun,' the O-dome is back & you’re not weird?

It's the first Thursday in September. Love is in the air and to prove that, we have Trinity Rodman showing up at the US Open in a crop top supporting her tennis player boyfriend Ben Shelton.

I'm not going to allow this week's True Romance to get off on the wrong foot. Keep the thoughts about wearing an article of clothing that reads "I heart my boyfriend" on it as a crazy girlfriend move to yourselves.

I don't want to hear it. She doesn’t have to do that in order for all the influencers who have descended upon the tournament to know that he's taken. They already know that. This is about love.

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We still believe in that around here. Cougars have made a strong case for a long time now that they also believe that love has not died, and we're going to learn from a jaguar who is taking it another step further.

Plus, we have good news about a certain tent at a certain festival making its triumphant return from disaster. And the cherry on top, if you will, this week is the realization that you're not as weird as you thought.

But before we get into all that, I had someone reach out with a question about cheating. It involves Sleep Number beds. The question is, has anyone ever gotten busted having an affair because of the Sleep Number app?

I think it's likely that someone has. If you, or someone you know, had the restful sleep, heart rate, or number of times getting out of bed in the middle of the night data, betray you, and reveal an affair. I want to hear about it.

WIFE AND MISTRESS JOIN FORCES AFTER SEXT MISTAKE, ALLEGED ONLYFANS ROMANCE SCAM & MARRYING THE LOGICAL CHOICE

Go follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook and keep sending your emails here: sean.joseph@outkick.com (anonymously if you prefer).

Rozz Switzer, a former Australian TV presenter, actress, media entrepreneur, and sometimes referred to in her home country as the "Queen of Infomercials," is now a happy jaguar.

She's at the top of the romantic food chain when it comes to older single women enjoying the company of young men.

"I'm embracing what I call the Jaguar effect. The pumas are the girls in their 30s, the cougars are in their 40s but the 50s onward is the jaguars. As you know, jaguars are the pinnacle of the cat world, the apex predator!' she told the Daily Mail recently.

Fascinating, am I right? Is all this cat talk how so many end up with a house full of cats? I'm no scientist, so I can't answer that.

I know you’re on the edge of your seat, as am I, prepared for more feline love talk. Let's do that and leave the science to someone else to figure out.

"Nothing is above them in the food chain. They are solitary by nature... they don't need anyone. Single and thriving. Rather than chasing, I let things come to me and I choose," Switzer continued.

"Think of the car, they didn't call it a cougar, they called it a Jaguar because it is sleek and sophisticated."

That's right, they do call it a Jaguar and not a cougar. And it is sleek and sophisticated. Cats and cars are what you want in a love life with no strings attached.

"I got all the way to my 50s and now I am enjoying them! I am now so busy and I don't need a man in my life to give me the things I already have," she explained.

"If I like the company I will have the company. It's the Jaguar effect, I get to pick and choose. It doesn't have to have any connection at all, it is all for fun and pleasure!"

Well there you have it. A form of romance that on paper looks like it could be lonely and have a slight scent of cat food. That couldn’t be further from how it works when practiced in the real world.

In reality, it's sleek and sophisticated, and you're the apex predator in a cat world. It's about fun and being drama free. I know that would appear to the untrained eye as if there are unresolved issues with relationships. That's silly.

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There's good news on the Orgy Dome front. Burning Man will take place with its special tents fully erected. Last year's pounding took it out.

But the folks responsible for making the magic happen every year asked for help and the people came through for the Orgy Dome.

The NY Post is reporting that the "hedonist hideaway" is "back up and running." They received the donations necessary to erect it.

They're stocked up on protection, and it's a go on getting the dome rocking during this year's festival. Sure there's lost time to make up for, but not without throwing safety out the window.

"We want an atmosphere where people are playing, and not walking around staring at people, or looking at people to pick up on. A lot of our guests, they don’t want to be picked up on by singles," an organizer said of the dome.

I had originally planned to go with another story in this slot, but when this popped up this morning, I took it as a sign. I always go where the romance takes me, and today it took me to the Orgy Dome at Burning Man.

I may still, in the future, use the other story. So I'm not going to spoil it here. The return of the Orgy Dome has far too much romance in it to ignore.

On top of that, it was a slice of good news that I felt went well with the realization that you're not quite as weird as you thought you were.

You could be under the impression that your romantic preference is weird. Okay, it could be a little weird, but not as weird as you think it is.

There are a few mentioned here by the freaks on Reddit that I would never have guessed would be romantic preferences and even if there are others into them, they're still pretty damn weird.

I mean necks, veins, and hands? What is going on with that? If any of those are your romantic preferences, I need to know more about them. Here's the proof that you're not that weird:

-------------

That's all I have this week. Keep the song of the week suggestions coming. I had a few to choose from this week. If I didn’t get to yours, I'm keeping a list and will work them in.

Thanks for reading the column each week. Remember, if you were caught cheating by the Sleep Number app, I want to hear from you. Also, I need romantic preference explanations for necks, veins, and hands.

You can reach me, anonymously if you prefer, at sean.joseph@outkick.com. And go follow along on Twitter and Facebook.

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Raiders name Kirk Cousins as Week 1 starting quarterback, Fernando Mendoza will begin career as backup

Mendoza-Mania will not be coming to Las Vegas just yet.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday that the team is naming Kirk Cousins its Week 1 starting quarterback against the Miami Dolphins, meaning Fernando Mendoza will begin his career as a backup.

"(Cousins has) played really good football, I’m really happy with all three of (the) quarterbacks. Kirk’s had a really good offseason, very good camp, and he’s earned it," Kubiak told reporters.

When asked if he expects Mendoza to play at all this year, Kubiak deflected the question and said the team is focused on the Dolphins.

Raiders general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady have been advocates about letting a rookie develop behind a veteran quarterback, which makes the team's decision to roll with Cousins unsurprising.

Spytek said Mendoza has shown the team everything it learned about him in the draft process when talking to reporters Tuesday.

"He’s a tireless worker. He loves football. He loves his teammates. He’s energetic on the field. He’s self-critical. He’s self-aware. He’s very accurate," Spytek said during a recent press conference. "His time is coming, but he’s got to earn it every day, and he knows that. I think we’re all very pleased with the person and his work ethic and his commitment to being a great quarterback."

When asked if the team has a proof of concept for how to best develop a young quarterback, Spytek cited examples from multiple different processes.

"Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, Patrick Mahomes, but Jayden Daniels. Like you said, there’s success stories and failures in both ways," Spytek said. "We’re just trying to build the best team we can and play the guys that are most ready to play, and have a constant competition in every room, not just the quarterback room, but every room."

Brady, Rodgers, Love and Mahomes all sat during their rookie years and, in some cases, multiple seasons before taking over starting jobs and flourishing. Daniels, however, started as a rookie and thrived, winning The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and making the Pro Bowl after leading the Commanders to the NFC championship game.

Kubiak said Brady has been a great resource for the team when it comes to making the decision on the team's starting quarterback.

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Cousins signed a two-year deal with the Raiders in the offseason after being released by the Atlanta Falcons following a tumultuous two seasons.

Cousins was benched in Week 15 in 2024, the first year of the deal, for rookie Michael Penix Jr. after the four-time Pro Bowler struggled down the stretch as he battled through injury. Cousins started eight games last season, including the final seven after Penix tore his ACL, and the team had a 5-3 record in his starts, including winning the last four.

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In 10 games and eight starts last season, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The veteran quarterback has the 19th-most regular-season passing yards (44,700) and 15th-most passing touchdowns (298) in NFL history.

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Cousins also had familiarity with Kubiak from their time with the Minnesota Vikings. They spent three seasons together, with Kubiak serving as Cousins’ quarterbacks coach for two seasons and offensive coordinator for another in Minnesota.

Cousins will hope that familiarity will pay off when the Raiders play the Dolphins in Week 1.

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Alabama AG Marshall fires back at USPS mail-ballot order critics: ‘This is about securing elections’

Republican Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall argues that his Democratic counterparts do not care about election integrity in the same way Republicans do, as they attempt to block measures designed to root out illegal voters they have long claimed do not exist.

Marshall addressed a legal challenge brought by 25 Democratic state attorneys general challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that included provisions for federal agencies to help states ensure only citizens receive mail-in ballots, and for the U.S. Postal Service to institute practices to make the ballots trackable.

"The left, because they’re concerned about losing at the midterms, want to be able to obstruct this administration’s efforts to ensure the integrity of our elections," Marshall told Fox News Digital this week, ahead of Thursday's oral arguments before U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston.

"You have to wonder – when those that are objecting to this – how confident they can be in the security of their elections, as opposed to becoming just a partisan opportunity to ensure the Democrats win and keep conservative voices from being heard, not only in local and state levels of government, but particularly in Washington."

DHS PLANS COSTLY CRACKDOWN ON STATES THAT DON’T COOPERATE ON ELECTION SECURITY

Marshall led a letter in July from 13 Republican attorneys general, backing the U.S. Postal Service's following up on Trump's March 31 executive order that set up an audit of states' voter rolls.

"There shouldn't be a reason why we object to that, but yet Democrats simply don't want to have fair elections in a way that people can have confidence," Marshall claimed.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic Attorneys General Association for comment on Marshall's remarks, but they did not immediately respond.

Democrats, in various arguments to block the audit of voter rolls before the mailing out of absentee ballots, claim that it would lead to "disenfranchisement," "chaos," "unconstitutional overreach" and a partisan "power grab."

Democrats' concern is that if they refuse to share their voter rolls with the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to crosscheck the eligibility of legal voters, the USPS can stop the mailing of state's absentee ballots.

"USPS's interest in correcting an unsubstantiated problem through likely unconstitutional means is dwarfed by the overwhelming risk of pervasive disenfranchisement of citizens who need access to mail ballots in order to vote," Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama, wrote in her restraining order against the Trump administration.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM RESTRICTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

"The postal service is not a partisan organization. As the postmaster said, I think most recently, we're just there to deliver the mail. They're experts in how it is that this can be configured."

Marshall stated that the problem of voter fraud is documented, not "unsubstantiated," as Talwani put it, with evidence in his own state.

USPS WOULDN'T DELIVER BALLOTS IN STATES THAT REFUSE TO FORK OVER MAIL-IN VOTER INFO UNDER PROPOSED RULE

"This is not a solution looking for a problem," he said. "This is in response to what we know is going on across the country. And this provides a commonsense, straightforward way for states to be able to ensure elections, but most importantly, for the people of this country to have belief that their elections in fact are accurate."

MAIL-VOTING CRACKDOWN MOVES AHEAD AS TRUMP COURT WIN OPENS DOOR TO FEDERAL ACTION

"It's not a shock that Democrats are standing up the ability for us to pass the SAVE [America] Act because they don't want to allow for there to be assurances of what is already in the law: That somebody here illegally cannot be able to vote," he added. "But here we have the president being able to make sure that we are allowing for government resources to be used in an appropriate way to simply allow those who are qualified to vote, vote, and those who aren't, don't."

Marshall has little confidence that the Obama-appointed judge in Boston is going to side with the Trump administration and the law.

"I would be remiss if I didn't say that I would fully expect her to continue with the Democratic Party line," he said. "The Trump administration has already filed a request with the First Circuit to try to get a stay of that order, but yet we're going to continue to battle this case along with the administration and look forward to standing beside them when they obtain this victory."

TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS

Marshall maintains Republicans are not stopping anyone from getting an absentee ballot – they're just trying to make sure the process is conducted legally and securely.

"Here we have a barcode that allows us to be able to connect it directly with the voter – we have the assurance that that ballot is being cast by the person in fact that receives that ballot," he said. "Democrats and Republicans alike ought to praise this as a commonsense effort to be able to restore election integrity in this area, but it's not a shock that Democrats have opposed it."

MORE THAN A QUARTER-MILLION NONCITIZENS MAY BE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 4 KEY STATES, DHS ALLEGES

Marhall pointed to the 2005 bipartisan commission chaired by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker that identified mailed absentee ballots as being susceptible to fraud.

"This is about securing elections, not interfering with states' abilities to conduct elections, and we think that we'll be able to eliminate many of the issues that we've seen, including in Alabama, that have occurred in the past."

The restraining order Talwani issued will remain in place for up to one more week while she considers whether to issue a longer-term preliminary injunction blocking the rule. The hearing is Thursday in Boston, but the fight will go on from states on both sides as the midterm mail-in ballot season officially gets underway.

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NY Gov Kathy Hochul accuses Trump of 'defunding the police,' says DHS is 'withholding' counterterror funds

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul accused President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security of "withholding" millions of dollars in counterterrorism funding.

"The Department of Homeland Security, the agency created in response to 9/11, is withholding 40% of New York State's counterterrorism funding," Hochul asserted during a press conference with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday.

"That 40% adds up to $87 million," she said.

FLASHBACK: MAMDANI TORCHED FOR RECYCLING 9/11 TRIBUTES AFTER YEARS OF NEAR-IDENTICAL POSTS

The Democratic governor accused the president of "defunding the police" and said he is "endangering public safety to yet again extract revenge on a blue state."

"Don't play political games with people's lives. Release the $87 million you owe us," Hochul said to the president.

"Because if you don't release the counterterrorism funding, you're betraying every family that lost someone on 9/11. You're betraying every police officer and firefighter who puts their lives on the line every single day. And you're betraying every New Yorker who no longer believes that the federal government is there to protect them," she said.

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN FIRES BACK AFTER DEMOCRAT CHRIS MURPHY CLAIMS ICE IS 'TERRORIZING LITTLE KIDS'

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the DHS on Tuesday.

Mamdani declared that "the federal government's refusal to provide $87 million in critical public safety and emergency readiness funding that was promised is so unacceptable."

RETIRED PORT AUTHORITY OFFICERS TELL MAMDANI, HOCHUL TO STAY AWAY FROM GROUND ZERO ON 9/11

"We are talking about the money needed to fully fund 12 bomb squads across New York. We are talking about the money needed to ensure that in the event of a catastrophic attack, the FDNY can communicate internally and respond effectively. And we are talking about making sure that should New Yorkers ever face a radiological threat, our first responders have the training, the equipment and the capabilities they need to respond. To put it simply, there is no excuse for the federal government to leave the nation's largest city to shoulder this burden alone," he said.

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LeSean McCoy throws his support behind the guy who allegedly scammed women by posing as a 49ers player

The world is still unpacking the lengths to which one man and his alleged accomplice are accused of going to scam women out of money by making them believe he played for the San Francisco 49ers.

Just when you thought that team's offseason couldn't take any more wild turns, right?

But it turns out that Daejon Love (great name) has some support in his corner, courtesy of ex-NFL running back LeSean McCoy.

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OutKick's Dan Zaksheske — who covered this story as far back as 2024 — wrote last week that the 35-year-old Love was arrested in Boise, Idaho with alleged accomplice Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

With that, photos and videos of Love seemingly pretending to play for the Niners started making the rounds, showing the lengths the alleged ruse went to.

Running routes on the beach while wearing a helmet will go down as an all-timer...

The legal process is underway, but former NFL star LeSean McCoy likes the cut of Love's jib. He said as much on a recent episode of his show, "Speakeasy."

"I love Daejon Love, and let me tell you why," McCoy said, winding up for a doozy. "Every time a man does something, they want to crucify us for it. I watch women do this all the freaking time!

"Yo, you go to social media, you see the girl, she has all these bags," he continued. "Birkin this, Birkin that, nice house, nice car, all this stuff. 'I'm a self-(made) millionaire, I got all these things going on,' right? So you meet her, you date her, and now, as your girlfriend you like, 'Oh, she's been scamming me.'"

I get what he's saying... but how many of those women pretended to sign NFL contracts and ran routes in the sand with a Riddell on their noggins?

Maybe one gave it the old college try, but I'm pretty comfortable saying it's zero.

Neither one is cool, but they're very different.

There's a pretty big difference between presenting yourself as something you're not and doing that to allegedly scam twenty-six women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California out of $1.3 million.

I'm with Shady on this part of his argument: just be yourself.

Whether you're posing with expensive handbags or trying to convince people you signed an NFL deal, people will find out eventually. It's better to just accept what you are than get caught being something you're not.

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It's the same message I have to dudes losing their hair.

Brother, you're not fooling anyone; just accept it or shave it off and move on.

It's always going to be less embarrassing than having your toupee fly off when you're playing a pick-up game of hoops at the Y.

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El-Sayed torched online after uneasy union member struggles through campaign event

A woman delivering remarks at a news conference held by Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Monday appeared visibly nervous and repeatedly paused during her speech, prompting a wave of speculation on social media about the reason for her unease.

The woman, whom El-Sayed's staff identified as a union member employed by a truck factory, paused at multiple points during her speech, was breathing heavily and appeared uneasy. El-Sayed and Democratic State Sen. Mallory McMorrow both attempted to comfort the woman as she trudged through her remarks.

Some conservative commentators on social media questioned whether the woman had been coerced into speaking at the event, while others used the moment to criticize El-Sayed's campaign organization. These claims drew the ire of Mallory McMorrow, who ran against El-Sayed in the state’s Democratic primary but has since endorsed his candidacy.

"She had never spoken at a press conference before. Beforehand, she shared with me that she was really nervous. But she told me it was important for her to be there as a UAW member because she believed in using her voice for her fellow members and for working families," the state senator wrote on X. "But the way you all are tearing her apart … It's callous, cruel and it's no wonder why so many people absolutely despise this moment that we're in."

DEMOCRATS' CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN

Some commentators focused on the union member's race, tying the episode to broader criticism of El-Sayed's support among Black voters in the Democratic primary.

BLACK VOTERS RIP DEMS OVER TAKING THEM FOR GRANTED IN EL-SAYED'S BACKYARD: ‘HUSH US UP’

"Abdul's support from black Michiganders summed up perfectly in 40 seconds," radio host and conservative columnist Derek Hunter wrote on X.

"The El Sayed campaign is in free fall," Trump administration official Richard Grenell said.

Others questioned whether the woman even wanted to be speaking at a campaign event.

"Are they holding a gun to her back?" an organization purporting to represent Democrats backing GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers posted in response to the clip.

"She seems to be under duress! Looks like she’s being coerced into speaking. Very eerie!" conservative commentator Link Lauren wrote.

"Is it just me or does she look hostage-level nervous?" another X user asked.

"Haven't seen someone set themselves on fire for no reason like this since Aaron Bushnell," Daily Signal senior correspondent Tony Kinnett posted.

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT MALLORY MCMORROW DROPS OUT OF SENATE RACE WEEKS BEFORE PRIMARY

Zaid Jilani, a left-of-center journalist, responded to criticisms of the union member by stating that "conservatives lose a lot of support by being needlessly cruel."

The El-Sayed campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

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