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A prominent jazz group and a dance company have canceled shows at Washington’s premier performing arts center to protest its renaming to include US President Donald Trump.Family members of late president John F. Kennedy and Democratic politicians have already expressed outrage over the change this month at the Kennedy Center rebaptizing it the Trump-Kennedy Center.Now artists are voicing their disapproval. Several who were scheduled to perform end-of-year and 2026 shows at the center have pulled out.The Cookers, a veteran jazz ensemble, voiced “deep regret” they would not be performing on New Year’s Eve as planned.  “Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice,” the group said in a statement that did not give a reason for the cancellation.But the band’s drummer, Billy Hart, told The New York Times that the center’s name change had “evidently” played a role in their decision. Richard Grenell, the Trump-appointed president of the arts center, denounced the artists canceling shows and said they “were booked by the previous far left leadership.””Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome,” he wrote on X late Monday.Late last week, Grenell accused another jazz artist, Chuck Redd, of a “political stunt” and said the center would be seeking $1 million in damages after the musician cancelled a performance he hosts there annually on Christmas Eve, according to a copy of a letter from Grenell seen by AFP. A New York dance company, Doug Varone and Dancers, withdrew from a performance scheduled for April. They posted on Instagram Monday, “With the latest act of Donald J. Trump renaming the Center after himself, we can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution.”And last week, folk singer Kristy Lee announced on social media that she was cancelling a January 14 performance as “losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck.”Trump has stamped his mark on the Kennedy Center since the start of his second term as part of an assault on cultural institutions that his administration has accused of being too left-wing.A number of musicians and other artists had already pulled out of performing at the center after Trump named himself its chairman and replaced most of its board with people loyal to him.The new management of the center has cut drag shows and events celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, and it has hosted conferences for the religious right and invited more Christian artists.According to US media reports, ticket sales have declined since the new board of directors took over.

The United States hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuela drug boats, President Donald Trump said Monday, in what could amount to the first land strike of the military campaign against trafficking from Latin America.The US leader’s confirmation of the incident comes as he ramps up a pressure campaign against Venezuela’s leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Trump of seeking regime change.”There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “So we hit all the boats and now we hit the area, it’s the implementation area, that’s where they implement. And that is no longer around.”Trump would not say if it was a military or CIA operation or where the strike occurred, noting only that it was “along the shore.”Sources familiar with the operation told CNN and the New York Times that the CIA had carried out a drone strike on a port facility. The strike was believed to be targeting the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though no one was present at the time of the operation and there were no casualties, the US media outlets reported.There has been no official comment from the Venezuelan government.The Pentagon earlier referred questions to the White House. The White House did not respond to requests for comment from AFP. Asked on Monday if he had spoken to Maduro recently, Trump said they had talked “pretty recently” but that “nothing much comes out of it.”Trump revealed details of the operation after being asked to elaborate on comments he made in a radio interview broadcast Friday that seemed to mention a land strike for the first time.”They have a big plant or a big facility where they send, you know, where the ships come from,” Trump told billionaire supporter John Catsimatidis on the WABC radio station in New York.”Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard.” Trump did not say in the interview where the facility was located or give any other details.Trump has been threatening for weeks that ground strikes on drug cartels in the region would start “soon,” but this is the first apparent example.- Fresh US strike in Pacific -US forces have also carried out numerous strikes in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug-smuggling boats.The administration has provided no evidence that the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, however, prompting debate about the legality of these operations. International law experts and rights groups say the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings, a charge that Washington denies.After Trump spoke Monday, the US military announced on social media that it had carried out another strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two and bringing the total killed in the maritime campaign to at least 107.It did not specify where exactly the strike took place.The Trump administration has been ramping up pressure on Maduro, accusing the Venezuelan leader of running a drug cartel himself and imposing an oil tanker blockade.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran of fresh strikes and said Hamas would have “hell to pay” if it fails to disarm in Gaza, as he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.Speaking at a news conference with Netanyahu in Florida, Trump threatened to “eradicate” any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program or ballistic missile arsenal following US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.Trump also downplayed reports of tensions with Netanyahu over the second stage of the fragile Gaza ceasefire, saying that Israel had “lived up” to its commitments and that the onus was on Palestinian militant group Hamas.”If they don’t disarm as they agreed to do, then there will be hell to pay for them,” Trump told reporters at his lavish Mar-a-Lago resort. “They have to disarm in a fairly short period of time.”Hamas’s armed wing reiterated earlier on Monday that it would not surrender its weapons.A top political adviser to Iran’s supreme leader on Monday said any aggression against his country would be met with an “immediate harsh response.””Iran’s #Missile_Capability and defense are not containable or permission-based. Any aggression will face an immediate #Harsh_Response beyond its planners’ imagination,” Ali Shamkhani wrote on X.- ‘Productive’ meeting -Netanyahu said his meeting with Trump had been “very productive” and announced that Israel was awarding the US leader its highest civilian honor — the first time it has gone to a non-Israeli citizen.Trump, the self-proclaimed “president of peace,” has been keen to move onto the next phase of the Gaza truce, which would see a Palestinian technocratic government installed and the deployment of an international stabilization force.While some White House officials fear Netanyahu is slow-walking the process, Trump said he had “very little difference” with the Israeli premier and was “not concerned about anything that Israel’s doing.”During their fifth meeting in the United States since Trump’s return to power this year, Netanyahu also appeared to have steered the US leader toward focusing on Israel’s concerns about Iran.Israeli officials and media have expressed concern in recent months that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it came under attack during the 12-day war with Israel in June.Trump said Iran “may be behaving badly” and was looking at new nuclear sites to replace those targeted by US strikes during the same conflict, as well as restoring its missiles.”I hope they’re not trying to build up again because if they are, we’re going have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup,” Trump said, adding that the US response “may be more powerful than the last time.”But Trump said he believed Iran was still interested in a deal with Washington on its nuclear and missile programs. Tehran denies that it is seeking nuclear weapons.- Focus on Gaza -Trump and Netanyahu’s talks also focused on other regional tension points, including Syria and the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.Trump said he hoped Netanyahu could “get along” with Syria’s new president, a former Islamist rebel commander who toppled long-term ruler Bashar-al-Assad a year ago, despite a series of Israeli strikes along their border.Netanyahu’s visit caps a frantic few days of international diplomacy in Palm Beach, where Trump hosted Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday for talks on ending Russia’s invasion.The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump’s first year back in power, and Washington and regional mediators have hoped to keep their foot on the gas.The Axios news site said Trump seeks to make announcements as soon as January on an interim government and an international force.But Trump gave few details beyond saying that he hoped “reconstruction” could begin soon in the Palestinian territory, devastated by Israeli attacks in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks.The disarmament of Hamas however continued to be a sticking point, with its armed wing again saying that it would not surrender its arms.”Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation remains,” the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a video message.

The United States has hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuela drug boats, President Donald Trump said Monday, in what could amount to the first land strike of the military campaign against trafficking from Latin America.The US leader’s confirmation of the incident comes as he ramps up a pressure campaign against Venezuela’s leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Trump of seeking regime change.”There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “So we hit all the boats and now we hit the area, it’s the implementation area, that’s where they implement. And that is no longer around.”The US leader would not say if it was a military or CIA operation or where the strike occurred, saying only that it was “along the shore.”Asked if he had spoken to Maduro recently, following an earlier phone call in November, Trump said they had talked “pretty recently” but said that “nothing much comes out of it.”Trump had been asked to elaborate on apparent throwaway comments he made in a radio interview broadcast Friday that seemed to mention a land strike for the first time.”They have a big plant or a big facility where they send, you know, where the ships come from,” Trump told billionaire supporter John Catsimatidis on the WABC radio station in New York.”Two nights ago we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard.” Trump did not say in the interview where the facility was located or give any other details.There has been no official comment from the Venezuelan government.The Pentagon earlier referred questions to the White House. The White House did not respond to requests for comment from AFP. Trump has been threatening for weeks that ground strikes on drug cartels in the region would start “soon,” but this is the first apparent example.- Fresh US strike in Pacific -US forces have also carried out numerous strikes in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug-smuggling boats.The administration has provided no evidence that the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, however, prompting debate about the legality of these operations. International law experts and rights groups say the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings, a charge that Washington denies.After Trump spoke Monday, the US military announced on X that it had carried out another deadly strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two and bringing the total killed in the maritime campaign to at least 107.It did not specify where exactly the strike took place.The Trump administration has been ramping up pressure on Maduro, accusing the Venezuelan leader of running a drug cartel himself and imposing an oil tanker blockade.

The US military said Monday two people were killed in a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Eastern Pacific, bringing the total killed in Washington’s campaign in the region to at least 107.In a post to X, US Southern Command said “intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” adding two men were killed.The post included a black-and-white video of the “lethal kinetic strike” on a small boat, with what appeared to be two explosive flashes and flaming debris visible.Since September, the US military has carried out at least 30 strikes on what it says are boats used to smuggle drugs to the United States, with the majority of the attacks occurring in the Eastern Pacific. Some have also occurred in the Caribbean Sea.The administration has provided no evidence that the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, prompting debate about the legality of these operations.International law experts and rights groups say the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings, a charge that Washington denies.The US military’s post did not specify where exactly the strike took place.News of the latest attack came after US President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that Washington had hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged drug boats in Venezuela, in what could amount to the first land strike of the military campaign said to target drug trafficking.In recent months Trump has waged a pressure campaign against Venezuela’s leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Washington of seeking regime change to gain access to the Latin American country’s massive oil reserves.The US has also imposed a partial naval blockade on Venezuela and recently intercepted oil tankers. Trump says he does not need lawmakers’ approval to strike suspected drug cartels at sea or on land in Venezuela, citing concerns over information leaks.

US singer Beyonce is now a billionaire, Forbes magazine said Monday, becoming only the fifth musician to achieve such a milestone.The 44-year-old entertainer joins a select club that includes her husband, rapper Jay-Z, as well as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna, according to the publication, known for its rankings of the world’s richest people.Beyonce reached the landmark after several very lucrative years.In 2023, her Renaissance World Tour grossed nearly $600 million. She then reinvented her musical profile in 2024 with the Grammy-winning country album “Cowboy Carter” before staging the world’s highest-grossing tour of 2025.Combining these earnings with income from her music catalog and other deals, Forbes estimated that Beyonce brought in $148 million in 2025 before taxes, making her the third highest-paid musician in the world.The publication did not provide a more specific estimate of the former Destiny’s Child member’s net worth, who founded Parkwood Entertainment to manage her career and productions.Forbes said that while Beyonce has expanded her business empire with ventures such as a hair care brand, a whiskey label and a clothing line, most of her personal wealth derives from her music, along with her global tours and controlling the rights to her back catalog.

US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday for crucial talks on moving to the next stage of the fragile Gaza truce plan.The two leaders also discussed Iran, with Trump saying that if Tehran rebuilt its nuclear facilities the United States would “knock them down.”Trump played down reports of tensions with Netanyahu, saying that “he can be very difficult” but that Israel “might not exist” without his leadership following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks. “We have about five major subjects that we’re discussing, and Gaza will be one of those,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort ahead of the bilateral meeting.Trump called again on Hamas to disarm as part of the next phase of October’s Gaza ceasefire, after the Palestinian group’s armed wing vowed to keep its weapons.”There has to be a disarming of Hamas,” Trump said.Netanyahu responded by saying that “we’ve never had a friend like President Trump in the White House.”The Israeli premier also met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ahead of his talks with Trump.The meeting, the fifth between the two leaders to be held in the United States this year, comes as some White House officials fear both Israel and Hamas are slow-walking the second phase of their ceasefire.Trump is reportedly keen to announce as soon as January a Palestinian technocratic government to replace Hamas’s rule in Gaza, and the deployment of an international stabilization force.- Fragile ceasefire -Netanyahu’s visit caps a frantic few days of international diplomacy in Palm Beach, where Trump hosted Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday for talks on ending Russia’s invasion.The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump’s first year back in power, but his administration and regional mediators want to keep up the momentum.The first phase of the truce deal stipulated that Hamas release the remaining hostages, both dead and alive, taken during its 2023 attack on Israel. The group has so far returned all the living captives and the remains of all but one. Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas is supposed to lay down its weapons. An interim authority is meant to govern the Palestinian territory, and the international stabilization force (ISF) is to be deployed.Both sides, however, have alleged frequent ceasefire violations.Hamas’s armed wing reiterated earlier on Monday that it would not surrender its weapons.”Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation remains,” the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a video message.- ‘Harsher consequences’ -The Axios news outlet reported on Friday that Trump wanted to convene the first meeting of a new Gaza “Board of Peace” that he will chair at the Davos forum in Switzerland in January.But it said that senior White House officials were growing exasperated with what they viewed as efforts by Netanyahu to stall the peace process.The Israeli and US administrations are increasingly at odds on many key issues, including Israel’s continued strikes on Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and in Syria.On Iran, Israeli officials and media have expressed concern in recent months that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it came under attack during the 12-day war with Israel in June.Trump told reporters Monday he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal but warned it would face a repeat of US attacks on its nuclear facilities “fast” if it tried to rebuild its program.Iran on Monday denounced the reports as a “psychological operation” against Tehran, emphasizing it was fully prepared to defend itself, and warning renewed aggression would “result in harsher consequences” for Israel.Trump added that he hoped Netanyahu could “get along” with the new president of Syria, the former commander of an armed Islamist rebel group, following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad last year.

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to become the US city’s first Muslim mayor, and the youthful optimism of his Democratic Socialist platform will be put to the test as he takes office Thursday with high expectations.- Festive swearing in -At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, New York Attorney General Letitia James — friend to Mamdani, foe to President Donald Trump — will swear in the new mayor in a private ceremony at a subway stop called Old City Hall Station. The underground venue reflects his “commitment to the working people who keep our city running every day,” his office said.At midday, left-wing stalwart Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will preside over a much larger swearing-in ceremony open to the public outside City Hall.At a neighborhood celebration, festivities will echo “one of his core messages… that this is a great city, and we like living here,” said Lincoln Mitchell, a Columbia University political science professor. – Policy agenda -The mayor-elect, an avowed socialist, campaigned on addressing the prohibitive cost of living in the metropolis of 8.5 million. One of his key proposals is freezing rent on more than a million apartments, but it’s unclear if the city board that handles rent control — packed with appointees of outgoing Mayor Eric Adams — will be supportive.Details of Mamdani’s other campaign promises — the construction of 200,000 units of affordable housing, universal access to childcare, publicly owned supermarkets and free buses — have yet to be spelled out.But Mamdani has one ace in his pocket: an excellent relationship with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who approves measures like the tax hikes he seeks.Once an election is over, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,” New York University lecturer John Kane said.- Opposition to Trump -Despite expectations to the contrary, the late November Oval Office meeting between Trump and Mamdani was cordial and calm. Mamdani “wisely sought a point of common ground with Trump: wanting to make New York City a better place to live,” Kane said.Trump can “be surprisingly gregarious toward those that he perceives to have little leverage over,” Kane added.But federal immigration officers are increasingly active in New York, which could become a flashpoint.- Reassuring the public -At 34, Mamdani is one of New York’s youngest mayors and his political resume is short — he’s held office once previously, as a local representative in the State Assembly.To compensate, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides, recruited from past mayor’s offices and former president Joe Biden’s administration.Mamdani has also already opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate sector leaders debunked those claims in recent weeks.As a defender of Palestinian rights, the mayor — Muslim and of Indian origin — will also have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership style. Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.- ‘Cultural figure’ -“The mayor of New York is always a cultural figure,” Mitchell said.Mamdani has already reflected some of his generation’s cultural tastes with his brief forays into rap music, improv classes in Manhattan, and wearing what the New York Times called “the quintessential entry-level suit for a 30-something striving to be taken seriously.”New Yorkers have also noted his enthusiastic support of his wife, Syrian-born artist Rama Duwaji, with approval.Her Instagram account has gained more than a million followers since November, according to Social Blade statistics.And on the cover of The Cut, New York magazine’s revered fashion and culture publication, she recently marked her own path — the hallmark of every young generation of city dwellers striving to make it there.”At the end of the day, I’m not a politician. I’m here to be a support system for Z and to use the role in the best way that I can as an artist,” she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of his fragile Gaza truce plan.Netanyahu is also expected to try to shift some focus onto Iran, amid reports he will call for more US strikes on the Islamic republic.The meeting at Trump’s lavish Mar-a-Lago resort — the fifth between the two leaders to be held in the United States this year — comes as some White House officials fear both Israel and Hamas are slow-walking the second phase of their ceasefire.Trump, who said Netanyahu had asked for the talks, is reportedly keen to announce — as soon as January — a Palestinian technocratic government for Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force.The two leaders are to meet at 1 pm (1800 GMT), the White House said.Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said Netanyahu would discuss the second phase of the agreement, which involves making sure that “Hamas is disarmed, Gaza is demilitarized.”He will also bring up the “danger Iran poses not only to the region of the Middle East, but the United States as well,” Bedrosian said before flying out with the Israeli premier. In recent months, Israeli officials and media have expressed concern that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it came under attack during the 12-day war with Israel in June.But Sina Toossi, a researcher at the Center for International Policy (CIP) in Washington, said Trump’s insistence that US strikes in June destroyed Tehran’s nuclear program had “removed Israel’s most powerful historical justification for US support for war with Iran”.Netanyahu’s new focus on Iran’s missiles is “an effort to manufacture a replacement casus belli,” Toossi told AFP.Iran on Monday denounced the reports as a “psychological operation” against Tehran, emphasizing it was fully prepared to defend itself, and warning renewed aggression would “result in harsher consequences” for Israel.- ‘Phase two has to begin’ -Netanyahu’s visit caps a frantic few days of international diplomacy in Palm Beach, where Trump hosted Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday for talks on ending Russia’s invasion.The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump’s first year back in power, but his administration and regional mediators want to keep up the momentum.Trump’s global envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner hosted senior officials from mediators Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Miami earlier this month.The timing of the Netanyahu meeting is “very significant,” said Gershon Baskin, the co-head of peacebuilding commission the Alliance for Two States, who has taken part in back-channel negotiations with Hamas.”Phase two has to begin,” he told AFP, adding that “I think the Americans realize that it’s late because Hamas has had too much time to re-establish its presence.”  The first phase of the truce deal stipulated that Hamas release the remaining hostages, both dead and alive, taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The group has so far returned all the living captives and the remains of all but one. Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas is supposed to lay down its weapons — a major sticking point for the Islamist movement.An interim authority is meanwhile meant to govern the Palestinian territory, and the international stabilization force (ISF) is to be deployed.Both sides, however, have alleged frequent ceasefire violations.- ‘Frustrated with Netanyahu’ -The Axios news outlet reported on Friday that Trump wanted to convene the first meeting of a new Gaza “Board of Peace” that he will chair at the Davos forum in Switzerland in January.But it said that senior White House officials were growing exasperated with what they viewed as efforts by Netanyahu to stall the peace process.”There are more and more signs that the American administration is getting frustrated with Netanyahu,” said Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House.”The question is what it’s going to do about it,” he added, “because phase two is right now going nowhere.”Israel is continuing to strike Hamas targets in Gaza, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon despite another ceasefire there. Syria will also be on the agenda.Mekelberg said Netanyahu could be attempting to shift attention from Gaza onto Iran as Israel enters an election year.”Everything is connected to staying in power,” he said of the long-time Israeli premier.

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to become the US city’s first Muslim mayor, and the youthful optimism of his Democratic Socialist platform will be put to the test as he takes office Thursday for a four-year term that faces high expectations.- Festive swearing in -Just after the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, New York Attorney General Letitia James — friend to Mamdani, foe to President Donald Trump — will swear in the new mayor. In a high-stakes tit-for-tat, James recently sued Trump, and he tried to have her indicted in return.At midday, left-wing icon and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will preside over a ceremony outside City Hall.At a neighborhood celebration, festivities will echo “one of his core messages… that this is a great city, and we like living here,” said Lincoln Mitchell, a Columbia University political science professor. – Policy agenda -The mayor-elect, an avowed socialist, campaigned on addressing the prohibitive cost of living in the metropolis of 8.5 million. One of his key proposals is freezing rent on more than a million apartments, but it’s unclear if the city board that handles rent control — packed with appointees of outgoing Mayor Eric Adams — will be supportive.Details of Mamdani’s other campaign promises — the construction of 200,000 units of affordable housing, universal access to childcare, publicly owned supermarkets and free buses — have yet to be spelled out.But Mamdani has one ace in his pocket: an excellent relationship with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who approves measures like the tax hikes he seeks.Once an election is over, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,” New York University lecturer John Kane said.- Opposition to Trump -Despite expectations to the contrary, the late November Oval Office meeting between Trump and Mamdani was cordial and calm. Mamdani “wisely sought a point of common ground with Trump: wanting to make New York City a better place to live,” Kane said.Trump can “be surprisingly gregarious toward those that he perceives to have little leverage over,” Kane added.Federal immigration officers are increasingly active in New York, which could become a flashpoint.- Reassuring the public -At 34, Mamdani is one of New York’s youngest mayors and his political resume is short — he’s held office once previously, as a local representative in the State Assembly.To compensate, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides, recruited from past mayor’s offices and former president Joe Biden’s administration.Mamdani has also already opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate sector leaders debunked those claims in recent weeks.As a defender of Palestinian rights, the mayor — Muslim and of Indian origin — will also have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership style. Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.- ‘Cultural figure’ -“The mayor of New York is always a cultural figure,” Mitchell said.Mamdani has already captured some of his generation’s cultural trappings with his brief forays into rap music, improv classes in Manhattan, and wearing what the New York Times called “the quintessential entry-level suit for a 30-something striving to be taken seriously.”New Yorkers have also noted his enthusiastic support of his wife, Syrian-born artist Rama Duwaji, with approval.Her Instagram account has gained more than a million followers since November, according to Social Blade statistics.And on the cover of The Cut, New York magazine’s revered fashion and culture publication, she recently marked her own path — the hallmark of every young generation of city dwellers striving to make it there.”At the end of the day, I’m not a politician. I’m here to be a support system for Z and to use the role in the best way that I can as an artist,” she said.