Michigan Primary Could Cement Democratic Socialists' Grip on the Party

Tuesday's Democratic primary in Michigan is more than a local contest.

A victory by Abdul El-Sayed would mark a pivotal advance for the Democratic Socialists of America and their allies, installing one of the movement's most prominent figures in a competitive U.S. Senate seat and amplifying their influence if Democrats reclaim the chamber next year.

In a state that Donald Trump carried narrowly in 2024, it would signal that the hard-left surge that produced New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and multiple House upsets has reached the industrial heartland.

Recent polling shows El-Sayed, a former Detroit and Wayne County public health official, holding a clear lead over four-term Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.

An Emerson College survey of likely Democratic primary voters found him ahead 54% to 39%.

Mitchell Research put the margin at 52% to 38%. RealClear Politics' average stands near 50.5% to 40.3%.

Younger voters and progressives drive the gap; older and Black voters lean toward Stevens.

Prediction markets have priced El-Sayed as a heavy favorite.

El-Sayed has the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; the full Squad, the United Auto Workers, and DSA organizers who have poured resources into Michigan.

He has attended DSA events and shares much of the group's domestic agenda: Medicare for All, free childcare, a higher minimum wage, and ending the Senate filibuster.

Yet he insists he is "not technically or practically DSA" and supports regulated capitalism rather than socialism.

The distinction matters little to critics or to the DSA itself, which sees the race as validation of its strategy of capturing Democratic primaries.

The sharpest controversy centers on Israel.

El-Sayed has repeatedly described Israel's military campaign in Gaza as genocide, called the Israeli government "as evil as Hamas," endorsed an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo, and declined to affirm Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.

He frames U.S. aid as money better spent on American schools and healthcare.

Jewish Voice for Peace Action gave him its first-ever Senate endorsement.

Stevens, by contrast, has received substantial support from pro-Israel groups, including heavy independent spending by an AIPAC-linked super PAC that has helped make this the third-most-expensive Senate primary on record.

Traditional Democrats and a growing number of independents view El-Sayed's positions as electoral poison in a swing state.

Video two months ago

 Former Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., warned that nominating a "far-left socialist candidate" in Michigan risks repeating past defeats.

Jonathan Cowan of the centrist group Third Way argued El-Sayed would need to renounce DSA influence, affirm Israel's right to exist, and abandon past "defund the police" rhetoric to have any chance against Republican Mike Rogers, who is running unopposed in the GOP primary.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Congressional Black Caucus have lined up behind Stevens, arguing she is the safer general election choice.

Polls of a potential November matchup show Stevens essentially tied with Rogers while El-Sayed often trails.

If El-Sayed wins the nomination and Democrats later take the Senate, he would become a high-profile national voice for the DSA's program — Medicare for All, aggressive wealth taxes, and an anti-Zionist foreign policy — much as Mamdani has done from Gracie Mansion.

The party's establishment fears that success would further alienate moderates and independents already skeptical of the left's maximalist agenda.

For democratic socialists, however, Michigan is proof that their vision can expand beyond coastal strongholds.

The voters will decide Tuesday which direction the Democratic Party takes.

© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

 

Wait, Are Those Tears? Seattle's Socialist Mayor Cracks As Even the Lefty Media Turns on Her

It's been eight days since two gunmen opened fire at the Bite of Seattle food festival on July 26, killing two and injuring four others, including a toddler. In the immediate aftermath, serious questions were raised about the city's response to the attack, specifically about the fitness of its socialist mayor, Katie Wilson, and the whereabouts of its AWOL police chief, Shon Barnes.

As RedState has previously reported, crime is so bad under Wilson's watch that residents have begun putting up walls and other kinds of barriers to keep criminals out of their neighborhoods. And they're getting precious little protection from the police.

Noticeably missing from the Sunday night press conference was Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes,

 

whose underlings that were actually present seemed somewhat unprepared for the media crush. 

(One of the gunmen was killed in the gunfire and the other, 15, is facing assault and firearms possession charges.)

Police Chief Barnes, it turned out, was often not in the city, opting to spend a significant amount of time in Chicago, where his family still lived. His underlings did their best Keystone Kops routine in the hours after the shooting, putting off a press conference to inform the public of any remaining danger until the "dignitaries" arrived. 

And, boy, Barnes did not like being called out for being missing in action after the shooting. 

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes was caught on camera during a heated confrontation with a reporter who asked him why he wasn't present in the city at the time of the deadly Seattle Center mass shooting on Sunday.

Barnes participated in a press conference with Mayor Katie Wilson late Monday morning, where they provided details on the Bite of Seattle food festival shooting that killed three people and injured four others, including a toddler.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) and city officials fell under public scrutiny after taking nearly five hours to issue official statements and information. 

During the initial press conference around 11 p.m. Sunday night, Barnes was not present, with Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis instead providing details.

Barnes was clearly feeling the heat of actually being called out by media for his part-time policing schtick. Did we mention his annual salary was $360,485, not including bonuses and benefits? Wilson, who had apparently been perfectly fine with Barnes' no-show gig up until that point, apparently decided to deflect attention away from her own poor performance by throwing him under the bus (where he, admittedly, deserved to be).

Barnes resigned on Thursday.

Attention then turned to Mayor Wilson, who is now firmly in the hot seat about the city's post-shooting response and the overall dismal state of Seattle. Amazingly, even the lefty city's lefty media were pressing her for answers, and she looked on the verge of tears as she attempted to bat away their questions at a weekend press conference. 

The media was laser-focused on Wilson allegedly using Barnes as the "fall guy" for the city's embarrassing post-shooting response. What was she trying to hide? Did her office delay briefing the public so her guests could be there for it? Did the city properly staff the Bite of Seattle with enough law enforcement to keep citizens safe? Will she do any other than fire people and spout progressive platitudes about gun violence?

The list goes on and on.

Wilson may have found a convenient fall guy in Barnes, but firing her absentee chief doesn't erase her own publicly unimpressive performance. When Seattle needed true leadership, she faltered. And, now, she thinks teary press conferences are going to save her from having to answer for it. 

Spare us the quivering voice and watery eyes, Katie – Seattle needs a mayor, not another victim.

 

World Top Female Tennis Player Follows Sophie’s Lead — Demands Testing to Keep Men Out of Her Sport

Aryna Sabalenka, the current No. 1 women's tennis player in the world and a four-time major champion, is endorsing the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) newly implemented genetic testing requirements for its athletes.

Speaking at a press conference during the Canadian Open, the Belarusian star discussed the need to preserve fairness on the women’s tour.

 

"Biologically, men are way stronger than women, so I feel like it would not really be fair for women to compete against biological men," she told reporters. Sabalenka added that she is fully prepared to undergo the genetic screening herself, calling the policy a necessary step to protect the integrity of the sport.

"If they want to test us all, I'm happy to do that. It's pretty fair, and let's keep it that way."

Her comments closely mirror the recent stance taken by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who similarly defended the boundaries of women’s sports against biological males.

 

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READ MORE: Forget the Finger Point, Sophie Gives Booing Portland Fans a New Hand Gesture to Cry About

WNBA's ‘Big Mama Stef’ Tried to Send a Pro-Trans Message to Sophie Cunningham — It Backfired Hard

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Sophie is going to get more press because of the current dynamics of the WNBA and her personal popularity. That said, Sabalenka's stance should not be ignored. She is demanding the top body in her sport keep men out. And she is leading by example.

Sabalenka brings a unique perspective to the debate after competing against Nick Kyrgios in a December 2025 Battle of the Sexes exhibition match in Dubai.

At the time, Kyrgios held an ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) ranking of No. 671. The rules implemented were meant to intentionally handicap Kyrgios by taking away his serve. At the same time, Sabalenka’s side of the court was reduced by 9 percent based on average movement speed differences between men and women.

The optics of this were ridiculous. The advantage the male opponent had over his female counterpart was laid out before your very eyes.

ESPN tennis analyst and former professional player Patrick McEnroe, who is 60, would later claim he could “easily” beat Sabalenka if they were truly competing. 

The brother of tennis legend John McEnroe further suggested the top 17-year-old junior boy in the world would defeat Sabalenka by a score of something like 6-1, 6-1.

“I don’t say that to denigrate women’s tennis… I love women’s tennis," he added.

Cunningham has set the sports world on fire with her own comments, which, if the mental illness crisis weren't as amplified as it is in this country, would not be controversial.

"I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men," she said.

The world's top women's player and one of the most popular women's basketball players are on the same page here — men do not belong in women's sports. It’s no longer a debate. It’s a line that should never have been crossed in the first place.

 

Why Trump Is 'Furious' With Jeanine Pirro

If the reports are accurate, then the worst news is that D.C. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro probably got chewed out by President Trump over the reflecting pool. The good news is that she’s not fired. The president is said to have blown his stack after Pirro decided to drop the charges against David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist accused of vandalizing the pool lining. It was later determined to be a faulty installation. Pirro did not offer her resignation at this meeting yesterday either 

President Trump met with Jeanine Pirro at the White House on Monday, hours after saying that she had “choked” when she concluded that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was not the work of vandals, as the president has claimed.

Ms. Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., arrived at the White House on Monday afternoon and was taken to meet with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting. She was not fired by Mr. Trump, nor did she offer her resignation in that meeting, according to two people briefed on the outcome.

[…]

The decision to drop the charges set Ms. Pirro — a longtime ally and loyal appointee of a president — on a collision course with Mr. Trump, who has made sure to inflict consequences on people within his orbit who contradict his claims. In her filing, Ms. Pirro openly undermined Mr. Trump’s narrative that the Reflecting Pool’s peeling liner was caused by people slashing its coating with knives.

Oh, but there was intrigue for a few hours.

 

So, They're Basically Kidnapping Native Americans to Commit Medicare Fraud

Nick Shirley has done well in exposing the nationwide fraud system. It’s gaining exposure, but I feel like the actual scale is comparable to Brazil's GDP at this point. The daycare centers operated by Somalis and some East Asians are a bizarre racket. In New York City, Shirley found a center with nearly 7,000 members, each billed $1,600. Daycare and senior centers seem to be a gold mine.

Post reporter confronts senior daycare centers in Flushing, Queens after accusations of rampant fraud https://t.co/lJ592DYVom pic.twitter.com/TK1FQcqjBX

— New York Post (@nypost) August 4, 2026

🚨 Here is the full 53 minutes of my crew and I exposing New York fraud, we uncovered over $190,000,000 in fraud as these fraudsters use the elderly and needy to commit fraud through adult and personal home care scams in NYC. Your tax dollars are paying for elderly Koreans and… pic.twitter.com/9OiTL5p9zx

 

— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) July 10, 2026

Now, NewsNation found that drug rehab and addiction treatment centers are another gold mine. Some of it you cannot make up: in Arizona, Native Americans are being kidnapped, held captive, and billed $8,000 day:

 

I heard about rehab centers essentially abducting Native Americans in Arizona, holding them hostage, and billing medicaid $8000 a day. I went there to look into it - and it was so much worse than I expected.
My full story is tonight on @NewsNation at 11pm. pic.twitter.com/FZIaW7Jy6X

— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) August 3, 2026

The vans frequent Indian reservations and circle the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. They’re sent by sober homes, promising to help struggling Native Americans but are actually doing the opposite.

Stewart says the facility operators would take people and give them more drugs.

“To keep you there. Keep you in the house. They want you to stay addicted because then you will think I get to stay for free and you get to just be there,” she said.

Stewart said the sober houses locked the Native Americans inside, like a prison. Some even had barbed wire to keep people from getting out. Then, the homes started billing Medicaid through the state agency “Access.”

The network press release has more—this will be a three-part series.

In a new three-part exclusive report presented on NewsNation, senior national correspondent Brian Entin investigates sober living facilities in Arizona, where thousands of Native Americans seeking treatment for addiction using their American Indian health care plans became victims of alleged Medicaid fraud. Scammers discovered a loophole in the American Indian Health Program (AHIP), which is part of the Medicaid system, and learned that registered providers can bill Medicaid directly for services, such as therapy sessions, addiction services, or behavioral health treatment. Once a scam provider was able to get an eligible patient into their fraudulent sober living homes, they’d start billing Medicaid for treatments the person would never receive. As they brought in more people, they were able to make more money. Some facilities were charging upwards of $8,000 a day. As part of the scheme, scammers were allegedly recruiting, and in some cases kidnapping, vulnerable people with promises of free addiction treatment. According to advocates, Native American elders who had no prior drug or alcohol addictions were also brought into these homes.

Reva Stewart, whose cousin vanished at the hands of a fraudulent sober living home, tells NewsNation that Native Americans are locked inside of these homes—some even with barbed wire—where scammers begin to bill Medicaid through a state agency. Ms. Stewart claims that the fraudsters were mostly Nigerians, Somalians, and Rwandans who managed the homes, adding that, “A couple of our women were impregnated by the managers of the house…We know of one woman who they took the baby from her, and we don’t know where the baby is to this day.” Angel Cruz, whose daughter was a victim of the state’s sober home crisis, believes that her daughter was being held against her will, saying, “She told a friend she was trying to get away from there. Trying leave.”

Attorneys John Brewer and Dane Wood, who are representing thousands of victims in a class action lawsuit accusing Arizona of ignoring warning signs and failing to stop fake sober living homes, say the fraud totals $3 billion. Mr. Brewer told NewsNation, “It was kidnapping, and it became so prevalent that everyone in the Native American communities would call it white van syndrome. These white vans were in parks, convenient stores, everywhere picking people up. They needed the bodies in these sober living programs. And they fed them alcohol and drugs to keep them under control, and the state knew this back to 2019. They kept them addicted to keep billing longer, and these victims wouldn’t even know where they were at. Let alone the name of a provider.”

Wild stuff. 

 

Aaron Rodgers bashes Fauci for pleading the Fifth at Senate hearing, reigniting NFL vaccine debate

Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets looks on before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida.

When asked about his mindset going into his final NFL season during an episode of ESPN’s “The Patt McAfee Show” Pittsburgh Steelers four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, instead turned the conversation to heavily criticize Dr. Anthony Fauci following his hearing last week when he refused to answer any questions from lawmakers.

“Can you tell us about your mindset coming into your last season?” Pat McAfee asked.

“I’m gonna plead the Fifth like that absolute coward Tony Fauci. Absolute coward. Are you kidding me? You get a pardon and you’re and you pleaded over 100 times at the White House? What are you scared of, Tony? I thought you were the science. ‘I am science,’ and you get up there and can’t answer a question? What are we doing,” Rogers said.

The quarterback referenced an infamous response by Fauci in a 2021 interview where he upheld his COVID-19 policies by saying “I am the science.”

At the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing led by Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times. The questioning focused on Fauci’s pandemic response and policy choices, as the former chief medical advisor faced accusations of funding gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China.

Long before Aaron Rodgers criticized the former government health official on “The Pat McAfee Show,” he drew heavy public criticism for claiming he was “immunized” while withholding that he had not received a COVID-19 vaccine.

 

However, he later clarified he meant he was undergoing an alternative, homeopathic treatment protocol designed to raise his antibody levels, rather than receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, which contained an ingredient he had an allergy for.

What started as a controversy over his personal vaccination status quickly expanded into a broader debate encompassing NFL protocols, vaccine mandates, big pharma and Fauci directly.

“Spending the entire time writing in his diary about how fun it is to be famous. You gotta be kidding me,” Rodgers continued. “What are you going to say about me now? Seriously, what are they going to say about me now? Now, you can’t talk about the COVID stuff because obviously it was made in a lab in China. That’s like not even questionable anymore. Tony Fauci is an absolute criminal.”

“It’s been a great life and a great career, and it’s nice to be sitting on this side now especially after that coward pled the Fifth over 100 times. I thought you had a pardon there, Tony. Why couldn’t you answer one question the entire time?”

Rodgers stated he could not take the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines due to an allergy to polyethylene glycol, an ingredient in both shots. He added that concerns over reported side effects led him to avoid the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as well. Instead, he submitted details of an alternative immunization protocol to the NFL, but the league rejected his request to classify him as vaccinated.

The veteran quarterback went on to bash ESPN after what he described as a failure to provide enough coverage regarding the scandal with former NFL insider Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

“What is the network doing?” Rodgers said. “You have literally an individual that maybe used to work at ESPN that covers our league at the highest level, and there’s a major scandal, and it’s just like nobody can (expletive) talk about it? What are we even doing here?”

 

John Kennedy Slams John Thune as Coward for Punting SAVE Act

 The Senate just chose to punt. Instead of forcing a fight over the SAVE America Act — President Donald Trump’s top election-security priority — Senate leaders moved a short-term continuing resolution to keep the lights on through the midterms and into December. That choice has lit a fuse inside the GOP, with Senator John Kennedy publicly scolding Majority Leader John Thune for what Kennedy calls cowardice. This is not a polite disagreement. It’s a fight over priorities, power, and whether Republicans will actually fight for what they say they believe in.

Senate advances a short-term stopgap, not the SAVE America Act

Senators voted to advance a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown rather than take up the full SAVE America Act. The move keeps funding in place through the midterms and into December, which is sensible on the surface. But for Trump allies and many grassroots conservatives, “sensible” looks an awful lot like giving Democrats and the media the comfortable narrative that Republicans won’t push when it matters. Instead of forcing votes on SAVE, leadership chose a calendar that lets members go on recess instead of settling the big fight now.

Why the MAGA wing is furious — and why Kennedy is yelling

President Trump has been blunt: don’t leave until you pass SAVE. Senator Kennedy has joined the chorus, saying Thune is “being a little too cautious” and urging leadership to force a vote or use reconciliation. Some senators even floated nuking the filibuster. Their point is simple: if Republicans want to win the argument on election integrity, they need to give voters a clear choice and not hide behind procedural excuses. If you promise action and then take a pass, you hand momentum to the other side.

The arithmetic argument and the filibuster reality

Leader Thune insists the math isn’t there — that you need 60 votes to clear a filibuster and the Senate plainly lacks them. That is not an elegant argument, but it is realistic. Changes like reconciliation or altering filibuster rules are politically explosive and risky. Thune is betting that keeping Senate norms and avoiding a major train wreck before elections is the safer course. Conservatives who are tired of cautious hedging see that as leadership choosing comfort over consequence.

 

 Conservatives now face a choice: fight smart or lose loud

The bottom line is this: Republicans can either force a showdown and own the outcome, or they can punt and explain to voters why they folded. Pushing for reconciliation or a rules change would be bold and likely unpopular in some quarters, but boldness is what the base wants. If the party keeps prioritizing confirmations and short-term deals over landmark policy, the post-midterm talking points will sound hollow. Senator Kennedy is right to call for a vote — even if the result is uncertain. At some point, leading means taking real risks, not booking plane tickets for August.

Judge Bars NY From Forcing Nuns to Refer Patients for Assisted Suicide

The federal court just handed a temporary win to Catholic nuns and faith-based health ministries that sued New York over the state’s new assisted-suicide law. The government agreed to a consent order that stops the state from enforcing the law’s counseling and referral rules against these religious groups while the legal fight plays out. It’s a short stay, but an important one for conscience and for common sense.

Court Issues Consent Order — What It Does

A U.S. district court in the Northern District of New York entered a consent order that bars New York from applying parts of the Medical Aid in Dying Act to the named Catholic orders and ministries. In plain English: the state can’t force nuns or their hospitals to counsel patients about how to kill themselves or to send patients to providers who will do it. The Becket Fund, which represents the plaintiffs, called it a temporary shield while the groups seek a preliminary injunction on constitutional grounds.

Why the Referral Requirement Is the Real Issue

This fight isn’t about whether some terminally ill person can choose their care. It’s about whether the state may compel religious caregivers to help them choose death. The law contains a narrow religious carve-out — but it still forces objectors to make referrals. That turns a conscience protection into a trap. If government can make a nun refer someone to assisted suicide, it can make any believer sing from the state’s script. That’s not liberty; it’s coercion dressed up as “access.”

 

The Legal Road Ahead

The consent order only pauses enforcement; it doesn’t settle the case. Plaintiffs argue the law violates free exercise and free speech by compelling religious ministries to facilitate assisted suicide or face fines, licensing penalties, and even criminal exposure. State officials, including Attorney General Letitia James and regulators at the Health Department, can still defend the law and may file opposition papers. The next steps are briefing, hearings on the preliminary injunction, and likely appeals that could reach higher courts — a legal tug-of-war that will matter in other states that have similar laws.

Religious Liberty, Public Policy, and Common Sense

This moment should remind conservatives and neutral-bystanders alike that conscience matters. Faith-based hospitals and religious sisters do vital work caring for the sick and dying. Forcing them to act against their beliefs—even indirectly by making referrals—undermines their mission and pushes vulnerable people away from life-affirming care. New York’s promise of “freedom” and “bodily autonomy” rings hollow when the state requires priests and nurses to help carry out a state-designed death plan. The consent order is a modest, sensible pause. Now courts must decide whether the state gets to compel conscience or whether religious freedom still means what it says.

 

CartoonDems

 

Mamdani Renews $1.86 Billion Hotel Shelter Contract Through '29

The administration of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has renewed a contract worth up to $1.86 billion that allows hotels across the city's five boroughs to provide emergency shelter for homeless individuals and families through 2029, the New York Post reported on Sunday.

The three-year agreement with the Hotel Association of New York City Foundation, which represents nearly 300 hotels, runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. The contract enables the city to use hotel rooms as emergency shelter when needed to meet its legal obligation to house people seeking assistance.

A spokesperson for the city's Department of Homeless Services (DHS) said, "Over the last 15 years, DHS has faced numerous crises that forced it to rely on commercial hotels to temporarily house clients."

The spokesperson added, "DHS is focused not only on upholding New York City's right to shelter but improving outcomes for all the New Yorkers we serve. As such, we continue to work to transform the city's shelter system by opening new, high-quality shelters while gradually phasing out the use of commercial hotels for families with children."

City officials said renewing the contract would ensure sufficient emergency capacity while the shelter system transitions to more permanent facilities. Under New York City's right-to-shelter mandate, the city is legally required to provide shelter to anyone who requests it.

As of July 31, 82,929 adults and children were staying in New York City shelters, according to DHS.

"By exercising the renewal option of the agency's master contract with HANYC, DHS will be able to retain critical hotel capacity, as needed, while we work to bring more traditional capacity online, reduce reliance on hotels, and rightsize our shelter footprint over the coming years," the spokesperson said.

Officials emphasized that the contract authorizes up to $1.86 billion in spending, but said the city may not ultimately spend the full amount because hotels will only be activated as shelters when additional capacity is required.

New York City dramatically expanded its use of hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce crowding in congregate shelters and later relied on the same strategy during the migrant influx, when thousands of asylum seekers arrived in the city.

At the peak of that crisis, roughly 150 hotels, motels, and inns were converted into temporary shelters.

The Hotel Association of New York City Foundation said it secured the original contract in January 2025 after winning a competitive bidding process.

"It is a continuation of HANYC's well-documented role as a responsible stakeholder since the COVID crisis when the organization moved, pro bono, over 18,000 people from shelters to hotels on an emergency basis from May 2020 to December 2021," said Vijay Dandapani, the organization's chief executive officer.

In addition to the hotel contract, DHS awarded more than $87 million in contracts under its Integrated Commercial Hotels Program to provide on-site services for homeless residents staying in hotels.

Housing Works received a $47.2 million contract, while Neighbors 4 Neighbors was awarded $40.28 million to provide support services and assist homeless individuals and families with daily needs.

The city's continued reliance on hotels has drawn criticism from some who argue that removing thousands of hotel rooms from the commercial market contributes to high lodging costs in one of the nation's most expensive tourism markets.

Homelessness advocates, however, said the practice remains necessary while the city struggles with limited shelter and affordable housing capacity.

Brian Freeman ✉

Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.

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