Mark Penn, a former Clinton White House advisor and pollster, sounded the alarm Wednesday over Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, calling it a “9-1-1 moment” for the Democratic Party. Appearing on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom with Dana Perino, Penn harshly criticized Mamdani as an “anti-Semitic socialist” and warned that the party was in danger of being hijacked by far-left ideology. “Mamdani’s base of support is college-educated young people making $100,000,” Penn said. “The struggling working class voted for Cuomo.

SEE IT: House Republicans erupt in cheers after Trump’s signature ‘big beautiful bill’ passes, chanting “USA!” on the floor.

IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, also known as Effie Defrin, provided an operational update on Thursday, detailing the current phase of Israel’s military campaign targeting the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.
“Hamas’s governing hold is cracking, its stability is shaken day by day,” Defrin stated during the briefing.
He emphasized that Israeli ground forces are conducting broad operations across multiple areas, with five separate divisions currently operating inside the Gaza Strip. “IDF soldiers are intensely maneuvering in an extensive area. Five divisions are maneuvering in Gaza. We will present plans for the future to the political echelon so we can achieve the war’s objectives: the return of the hostages and the collapse of Hamas rule.”

Firefighters were struggling Thursday to bring a major wildfire on Greece’s southern island of Crete under control, hampered by gale force winds whipping up the flames. Thousands of people were evacuated from hotels and homes overnight after the fire started Wednesday afternoon in the Ierapetra area on the island’s southern coast, officials said. The head of the hoteliers’ association of Ierapetra and southeastern Crete, Giorgos Tzarakis, told local media about 5,000 tourists had been evacuated from the area, and that several homes and businesses had been damaged. By Thursday morning, 230 firefighters backed by 10 water-dropping helicopters were battling the flames advancing through forest and farmland.

Family getting up: Wednesday (7/09/25)Morning R’ Hynie ZebedeSon Mrs. Lea AsherDaughter

In a strategic effort to stall a Republican push to pass Donald Trump’s signature “one, big, beautiful bill,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took over the House floor in the early hours of Thursday morning, exercising a leadership privilege known as “magic minutes” to speak for an unlimited amount of time.
This rarely used procedural tool allows congressional leaders to hold the floor without time restrictions, giving Jeffries the ability to delay proceedings for as long as he chooses without being interrupted.
The House had just passed a procedural hurdle with a 219-213 vote, clearing the way for a final vote later in the day on the sweeping tax and spending legislation championed by Trump.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called off his first visit to Japan and South Korea to focus on Middle East issues