NYC public defender terminated over antisemitic social media post targeting Israelis

A public defender with Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) was fired over a social media post in which he appeared to call for violence against Israelis. Despite sharing the same acronym as the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, Brooklyn Defender Services is a New York City public defense organization with no affiliation to it.

Lucas Gomez, a public defender, recently responded to a post in which someone asked, "What everyone needs to start asking is ‘who will take 7 million Israelis in?’" Gomez wrote in response ,"No one needs to ask this question when firing squads exist," according to screenshots posted on X by the watchdog group StopAntisemitism.

"An employee from Gomez’s own office alerted us to his vile post calling for ‘firing squads,’" a spokesperson for StopAntisemitism told Fox News Digital, adding that "it is beyond alarming that an attorney entrusted with upholding the law would engage in such violent rhetoric." 

The organization argued that Gomez’s law license should be revoked.

In response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, Gomez apologized for the post and said the "indefensible" comment came from "misplaced emotions" about the war in Gaza.

"I want to sincerely apologize for my post. It was not only inappropriate but distasteful and offensive. The post came from misplaced emotions related to the ongoing genocide in Palestine and seeing footage of that every day," Gomez told Fox News Digital. "The post was awful, indefensible, and a lapse of judgment. It was not a representation of my character or who I am as a person. It was also not a representation of Brooklyn Defender [Services]."

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BDS condemned Gomez’s online comment as "hateful," and announced his termination in a public statement.

"In his recent post on X, Lucas Gomez made a hateful statement that is antithetical to everything BDS stands for and what we unequivocally expect from our employees," BDS Executive Director Lisa Schreibersdorf said. "In addition to advocating violence and antisemitism, Lucas Gomez tarnished the reputation of Brooklyn Defender [Services] and of each of our dedicated public defenders."

Schreibersdorf also said that BDS works to "uplift the humanity of all people and to seek kindness, justice and mercy in our courts and in our society," adding that Gomez’s post was "an affront" to the organization’s work.

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The StopAntisemitism spokesperson noted that since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre, antisemitism has been "rampant" online.

"What we are seeing now is not new, but it has become shockingly open and normalized in ways we can no longer ignore. That is why it’s more critical than ever to call it out and expose Jew-hatred that is simmering in our society," the spokesperson said.

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StopAntisemitism noted in a thread following the screenshots of Gomez’s post, that it had previously featured another New York City public defender on its platform. 

In November 2023, Victoria Ruiz, who was affiliated with New York County Defender Services (NYCDS), was caught tearing down hostage posters. A representative confirmed Ruiz’s identity to Fox News Digital at the time. In a statement to Fox News Digital, NYCDS said Ruiz resigned "effective immediately." NYCDS condemned Ruiz’s "highly insensitive actions."

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

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Mamdani takes aim at Trump's immigration policies in fiery Staten Island speech: 'We are fighting to keep NYC a sanctuary city'

New York City's Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, brought his anti-Trump campaign swing to Staten Island on Wednesday, blasting President Donald Trump's signature immigration reform agenda. 

Trump was once again front-and-center in the race for Gracie Mansion on Wednesday as Mamdani continued his "Five Boroughs Against Trump" tour at the Istanbul Bay Authentic Mediterranean Restaurant on Staten Island. 

"As we gather here on an island, where nearly 1 in 4 were born outside of this country, an island where 30% of its residents speak a language other than English, it's an island that we know is not immune from this horrific crackdown. We are seeing from the Trump administration. We are seeing it and feeling it," Mamdani said. "And we know that it has nothing to do with safety. It has to do with punishment."

While Trump campaigned for president last year on securing the border and deporting illegal immigrants, Mamdani is campaigning for mayor this year on protecting New York immigrant communities amid Trump's deportation rollout. 

Joined by Staten Island District Staten Island District Leader, Jasmine Robinson, Immigration Rights Activist, Yesenia Matas, and President of the Staten Island Democratic Association, Ali Ansari, Mamdani focused Wednesday's event on Trump’s "horrific attacks on New York City’s immigrant communities" in which he continues to "rip New Yorkers off the street without due process."

MAMDANI ZINGS CUOMO IN RENT-STABILIZED HOUSING SPAT DURING ANTI-TRUMP TOUR STOP

"It is not enough to fight against authoritarianism. What are you also fighting for? We are fighting to keep this city a sanctuary city," he said.

Mamdani said earlier this month that New York City and the United States are facing a "dark moment." He then called the Trump administration an "authoritarian government" and slammed ICE for "abduct[ing]" immigrants."

According to Mamdani's campaign website, he is committed to "Trump-proofing NYC," by removing ICE from "all City facilities" and strengthening sanctuary city laws. 

ZOHRAN MAMDANI LAUNCHES ANTI-TRUMP TOUR ACROSS FIVE BOROUGHS IN NEW YORK CITY

Resistance to Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration dominated headlines during New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, in which Mamdani handily won in June. 

Primary contender and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander—whom Mamdani cross-endorsed and campaigned with in the primary—was arrested by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents in June after being accused of assaulting a federal officer as he tried to escort a migrant from their federal immigration court hearing. 

While Lander ultimately faced no charges, the incident catapulted Trump's illegal immigration crackdown onto the New York City campaign trail. 

After being detained for several hours, Lander joined fellow primary candidates outside 26 Federal Plaza, an immigration facility in Manhattan, as Mamdani called the incident "fascism." 

It was one such instance of elected officials being detained by federal immigration officials as they protested Trump's deportations, including Newark mayor Ras Baraka in neighboring New Jersey. 

Sen. Alex Padilla of California was also forcibly removed and handcuffed by federal agents earlier this year when he shouted questions about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a press conference. 

Protests rejecting ICE have erupted across the country this year, particularly in Los Angeles, where protests delved into riots, leading Trump to authorize the National Guard without Gov. Gavin Newsom's request – the first time in 60 years. 

During incumbent Mayor Eric Adams' tenure, New York City became an epicenter of the migrant crisis as President Joe Biden's administration lifted COVID-era Title 42 expulsions and Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, began sending busloads of migrants to New York City from his border state.  

As the situation unfolded, Adams began speaking out against Biden's immigration policies, calling New York City's migrant crisis a state of emergency. 

When Mamdani declared victory in the Democratic primary, he described his vision for New York City’s future as a place "where the mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump's fascism, to stop mass ICE agents from deporting our neighbors and to govern our city as a model for the Democratic Party." 

Meanwhile, Adams built a reputation during his tenure for challenging Biden's immigration policies while vowing to coordinate with Trump's illegal immigration crackdown, including working alongside Trump's border czar, Tom Homan. 

Adams has also cozied up to Trump since he was elected in November, visiting both Mar-a-Lago and the White House. Trump's Justice Department dropped bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy charges against Adams earlier this year. 

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Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., weighed removing Adams from office following a slew of City Hall resignations after Adams' case was dropped. 

Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo are both running as independent candidates in New York City's mayoral race, and Curtis Sliwa is the Republican nominee. The election is on Nov. 4. 

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report. 

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Celeb's cancer warning, plus Viking diet and 'super ager' secrets

TOUGH LOVE — A viral video shows a stepdad using exercise as punishment after his stepson told his mom to "chill," sparking millions of views and mixed reactions. Continue reading…

MISSING LINK — New research reveals that lithium in the brain could help protect against neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease. Continue reading…

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President Trump shakes up Hollywood with revamped Kennedy Center awards list

The Kennedy Center Honors are heating up this year — and Hollywood celebrities are at the heart of the buzz.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced the stars set to be honored at the highly anticipated ceremony in December. 

The honorees this year are country legend George Strait, Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone, rock band KISS, English actor Michael Crawford and iconic singer Gloria Gaynor, known for her hits, including "I Will Surive" and "The Eye of the Tiger."

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Trump, now chairman of the Kennedy Center, ramps up efforts to reshape the honors program — pushing for a glitzier, star-studded celebration.

"The 48th Kennedy Center Honorees are outstanding people, incredible, we can't wait… in a few short months since I became chairman of the board, the Kennedy Center, we've completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution," he said in his speech. 

When reporters asked Trump how involved he was in selecting the 2025 honorees, he didn’t hold back.

"I was about 98% involved… they all came through me," he said. 

Trump explained he personally greenlit each honoree, and made it known that some didn’t make the cut.

"I turned down plenty, they were too woke… I had a couple of wokesters. No, we have great people. This is very different than it used to be."

While taking aim at the state of Hollywood awards shows, Trump didn’t miss the chance to swipe at the Oscars.

"Look at the Academy Awards — it gets lousy ratings now, it’s all woke. All they do is talk about how much they hate Trump, but nobody likes that. They don’t watch anymore..."

Trump ended his "very long answer" by saying he "was very involved" in the selection of the Kennedy Center Honorees.

Fans hoping to check out the Kennedy Center website Wednesday afternoon were met with an unexpected message: "You are currently in a temporary waiting room."

After President Trump revealed the blockbuster list of Kennedy Center Honorees, the Center’s official website was flooded.

"We are experiencing high traffic. You are currently in a temporary waiting room to enter the Kennedy Center website."

The waiting room page also explained that the feature was "in place to manage traffic," and users would be redirected to the main site as demand eased.

At the time of publication, the number of users "in line ahead of you" was listed at more than 300.

HOUSE REPUBLICAN APPROVE RENAMING THE KENNEDY CENTER OPERA HOUSE AFTER MELANIA TRUMP

The president previously told Fox News Digital, "The Kennedy Center is coming back. It was not properly taken care of and we are taking it back and we are going to turn it back into something great." 

Sources told Fox News Digital that the president is committed to revitalizing the Kennedy Center, with some suggesting it should eventually be renamed "the Trump–Kennedy Center." 

The Kennedy Center has two affiliates — the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera. The new leadership team is currently working on business plans with its affiliates to ensure the Kennedy Center has larger endowments and "greater sustainability."

Earlier this year, on February 12, Trump appointed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center and fired multiple board members.

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At the time, he said that he and then-chair David Rubenstein "do not share [the same] Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture," according to the announcement on Truth Social.

"Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP," Trump wrote in the post. 

The opera house in the Kennedy Center is the second-largest theater in the center, with 2,347 seats.

The opera house also serves as the site for the annual Kennedy Center Honors, the nation's highest award for lifetime achievement in the arts.

Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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Popular weight-loss drugs linked to sudden vision loss, research suggests

New research has discovered certain weight-loss medications could be associated with an increased risk of serious eye conditions, and even vision loss.

Two studies, published in JAMA, analyzed how semaglutide and tirzepatide — which include popular drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound — impacted eye health in Americans with type 2 diabetes over a two-year period.

One study found a modest risk of developing non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAOIN) – a rare eye condition that can lead to sudden vision loss due to lack of blood flow – in association with semaglutide and tirzepatide.

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Out of more than 159,000 study participants with type 2 diabetes, 35 developed NAION, compared to 19 people in the comparison group.

The Ohio-based researchers also noted an increased risk of developing "other optic nerve disorders," identified in 93 patients.

Although the second study did not observe a "statistically significant difference" in NAION in GLP-1 drug users, there was a small increase in diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that can damage the retina.

DIABETIC PATIENTS TAKING GLP-1S MAY FACE INCREASED RISK OF EYE DISEASE, STUDY SUGGESTS

While individuals with type 2 diabetes on GLP-1s showed a modestly increased risk of diabetic retinopathy, the researchers concluded that fewer patients experienced sight-threatening complications from the disease.

"These findings suggest that all patients with type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1 RAs, regardless of preexisting diabetic retinopathy, should be regularly screened and monitored for potential complications," the study authors concluded.

Sue Decotiis, M.D., a medical weight loss doctor in New York City, said she believes more studies are required to confirm the association between these drugs and vision loss, as these studies report some conflicting results.

"NAION is a rare condition of the optic nerve that, although serious, has not really been shown to be increased by these studies," Decotiis, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. "We need more studies for certain."

Diabetic patients already face a high incidence of eye disease related to blood flow and nerve damage, the expert noted.

"Eye complications are often directly related to the degree or lack thereof of diabetes control."

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In most cases, GLP-1 drugs reduce the severity of type 2 diabetes, therefore reducing the incidence of eye diseases, Decotiis noted.

These drugs have also been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, like hypertension, and to improve circulation, which can improve eye health.

For diabetics who are starting a GLP-1, Decotiis recommends having an exam done by an ophthalmologist and scheduling follow-up exams throughout treatment.

"We should take precaution with methodical ophthalmic care for diabetics on these drugs," Decotiis said. "However, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water."

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Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, provided the following statement when contacted by Fox News Digital.

"Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from the use of our medicines very seriously. NAION is a very rare eye disease, and it is not an adverse drug reaction for the marketed formulations of semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy) as per the approved labels in the U.S."

"Novo Nordisk, on its part, has conducted an analysis across randomized controlled clinical trials with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including a blinded ophthalmologist evaluation to confirm NAION diagnoses. Our current assessment is that these data do not suggest a causal relationship between GLP-1 RA use and NAION events."

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Israeli NGO works behind the scenes to coordinate aid to Gazan civilians

An Israeli nongovernmental organization is working behind the scenes to provide a critical link between the Israeli military and international organizations with one goal in mind: Get humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.

"We really became this informal connector and facilitator between the Israeli authorities and the humanitarian community," IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer said.

IsraAID has worked in 64 countries and is currently the largest humanitarian organization based out of Israel. 

UNICEF OFFICIAL SAYS GAZA MALNUTRITION REACHES 'FAMINE LEVELS' AS HUMANITARIAN AID TRICKLES IN

Polizer says there is broad consensus now that a concerning humanitarian level was reached in Gaza with pockets of malnutrition across the strip. He notes that it isn’t only food that is needed by the civilian population, but also medicine, water and nutritional provisions.

"When we reach severe malnutrition levels, we know that just rice and flour is not going to solve the problem," Polizer added. "We need nutritional supplements, we need people to get protein." 

ISRAEL SECURITY CABINET APPROVES PLAN TO OCCUPY GAZA CITY

For nearly five months, there was no consistent flow of aid. That has changed in recent weeks with thousands of trucks being distributed along with airdrops of supplies to civilians. Recently, the entry of commercial trucks was partially approved.

"The declared policy of Israel for two and a half months after the ceasefire collapsed was that nothing comes in," Polizer said. "That was the policy because the plan was to pressure Hamas."

The IsraAID CEO says the focus must be on saving lives, not on playing the "blame game." He urges the United Nations, the Israel Defense Forces, the  Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and all humanitarian organizations to work together and find solutions.

"As a humanitarian organization, the concept of ‘do no harm’ is really our Bible," Polizer added.

A few months after the war started, IsraAID started to receive requests from global humanitarian organizations they had worked with in Afghanistan and Ukraine, asking for help to facilitate aid deliveries to Gaza.

These groups had issues with customs clearance and approval from the Israeli military to deliver supplies to Palestinians in Gaza. These were problems IsraAID could help solve.

Despite the political and cultural differences, Polizer said the Jewish community of the United States is stepping up to donate and support finding solutions for the hunger crisis in Gaza.

"You can support the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but it does not mean you are anti-Israel," he concluded.

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Venezuela human rights hit new low as US puts $50M bounty on Maduro's head: State Department

FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. State Department’s annual human rights report delivered a grim assessment of conditions in Venezuela, declaring that human rights have fallen to a new low following reports of widespread abuses and state-sanctioned repression, particularly after the July 2024 presidential election when Nicolás Maduro clung to power. 

"The human rights situation in Venezuela significantly worsened," the report reads. "Throughout the year, and particularly after the July 28 [2024] presidential election, Nicolás Maduro and his representatives engaged in serious human rights abuses, reaching a new milestone in the degradation of the rule of law" after the election, according to the U.N. Independent International fact-finding mission on the country in September.

According to the most recent State Department report, credible evidence indicates a dramatic escalation in arbitrary or unlawful killings, disappearances, torture and harsh prison conditions. NGOs and U.N. observers documented extensive restrictions on freedom of expression, with journalists and human rights defenders facing arrests, harassment and censorship. The judiciary remained deeply compromised — unable or unwilling to hold perpetrators accountable for abuses.

AG BONDI OFFERS $50M FOR ARREST OF VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLÁS MADURO

The report noted that the United Nations International Fact Finding Mission stated at least 25 people were killed in the first days following the July 2024 elections, including two children. 

Pro-Maduro leaders "harassed and intimidated privately-owned and democratic opposition-oriented television stations, media outlets, and journalists" through threats, property seizures and prosecutions.

The sweeping report, which will go public Tuesday afternoon, also calls out Brazil and South America for human rights abuses. 

In a parallel diplomatic maneuver, the U.S. Department of Justice, backed by the State Department, significantly increased the reward for Maduro’s capture from $25 million to $50 million. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Maduro of leading one of the world’s most notorious narco-trafficking operations, including associations with the Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa cartel and the infamous Cartel of the Suns. The Drug Enforcement Administration has reportedly seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his allies, with nearly seven tons directly tied to him.

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This nullified the previous reward levels — $15 million initially set during Trump’s first term, later raised to $25 million under the Biden administration. Venezuela’s foreign ministry dismissed the bounty as a "political propaganda operation."

The State Department report highlights an alarming absence of credible efforts by Venezuelan authorities to investigate or prosecute those responsible for human rights violations. Security forces, including the military, police, and colectivos — pro-Maduro armed groups — were repeatedly implicated in abuses, yet the justice system remained ineffective, allowing a culture of impunity to flourish.

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Maduro was indicted in Manhattan court in 2020, during the first Trump administration, on narco-terrorism charges. 

The dictatorial Venezuelan leader held onto power after the 2024 presidential election where the U.S. and much of Europe recognized his opposition as Venezuela’s duly elected president.

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