Socialist NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani once voiced his “love” for the five leaders of a notorious nonprofit convicted of funneling more than $12 million to the terror group Hamas.
The former C-list rapper-turned-far-left-pol praised the heads of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development – known as the “Holy Land Five”– in a shocking 2017 rap track uncovered by the antisemitism-fighting group Canary Mission, and made public in a one-minute video segment released Friday.
NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (in middle) appearing a rap video for his song “Nani” when he went by “Mr. Cardamom.”Mr. Cardamom/Youtube
The five heads of the now-defunct Texas-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development — Shukri Abu Baker, Mohammad El-Mezain, Ghassan Elashi, Mufid Abdulqader and Abdulrahman Odeh — were all convicted in 2008 by a federal jury of funding Hamas.
“Mamdani sent his ‘love’ to convicted Hamas funders,” the Canary Mission said. “Let that sink in.”
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo – the frontrunner heading into Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary – said the revelation of Mamdani’s terror-loving lyrics is a “new low.”
“This is not a pro-Palestinian aid, this is not humanitarian,” said Cuomo at an unrelated event in the Bronx.
“This is him saying he loves – that is his own words — he loves the Holy Land Five, who are convicted, funders of Hamas. It’s disgusting and despicable.”
In December 2001 – three months after 9/11 — the feds shut down the Holy Land Foundation, seized its assets and designated it a terror group. The group reportedly raised $57 million from its inception in 1992 through 2001 but only reported $36 million to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2000, it raised $13 million, making it the nation’s largest Muslim charity.
“My love to the Holy Land Five. You better look ’em up,” the Queens assemblyman says in a song called “Salaam” about growing up Muslim in New York.x/canarymission
“Mamdani sent his ‘love’ to convicted Hamas funders,” the Canary Mission video says. “Let that sink in.”x/canarymission
In 2004, a federal grand jury in Dallas charged the quintet and the Holy Land Foundation with providing “material support for terrorism” to Hamas in its bid to create a Palestinian state by eliminating Israel.
Following a 2007 mistrial, the five were convicted in 2008 on 108 counts, including supporting terrorism, tax fraud and money laundering.
With federal agents in the background, Shukri Abu-Baker, CEO of the Holy Land Foundation in Richardson, Texas, conducts a satellite interview in Arabic with the Al Jazeera television network Tuesday, Dec 4, 2001.ASSOCIATED PRESS
Their sentences ranged from 15 to 65 years in prison for each. Three of them are already free men.
In another part of the track, the Israel-hating Mamdani — who is polling a strong second in nearly all polls heading into Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary behind only ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo — raps, “No ban. No wall. Build it up. We’ll make it fall.”
The antisemitism-fighting group responds to the video saying:” No ban, no wall—that’s an open door for criminals and chaos.”
Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development former chairman Mohammed El-Mezain arrives at the federal court in in Dallas, Texas, Monday, Oct. 22, 2007.ASSOCIATED PRESS
Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development former fundraiser Mufid Abdulqader arrives at the federal court in in Dallas, Texas, Monday, Oct. 22, 2007.ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sara Forman, executive director of the pro-Israel New York Solidarity Network and treasurer of its Solidarity PAC that raises money for candidates backing Jewish causes, said no one should be shocked by the Canary Mission’s finding.
“Zohran’s entire political career has been rooted in anti-Zionism, from promoting rallies linking Ferguson to Sheikh Jarrah to his rap urging people to look up the Holy Land Five,” she said.
“What’s surprising is that it has taken until the end of a long mayoral campaign for everyone to wake up and realize he has been telling us his positions all along.”
Reps for Mamdani’s campaign did not return messages Saturday.
As surveillance footage of an increasingly popular violent street crime hassurfaced from South Carolina, police are warning Americans of the disturbing trend.
The crime is known as “jugging,” a type of robbery in which criminals surveil banks and ATMs, watching for victims who withdraw large sums of money. When those victims finish their transactions, the “juggers” will usually follow them to a secondary location, where they will rob the victims, often inside their vehicles.
“Jugging rhymes with mugging, it’s spread from Texas to South Carolina,” Fox News Senior Correspondent Steve Harrigan said on “America Reports” on Friday.
“Some police there weren’t even sure what the word meant until the crime started happening in their own districts. Law enforcement warns that it could be over in a flash.”
In the footage, captured on April 26, a man can be seen struggling inside the front passenger area of a red truck, before jumping out of that vehicle and into a silver SUV.
Jugging is a type of robbery where perpetrators watch for victims who take out large amounts of money at banks and ATMs.FOX News
The SUV then speeds off, and it is captured from different surveillance angles fleeing the parking lot.
Cpl. Cecilio Reyes of the Mauldin, South Carolina, Police Department explained how the crime typically plays out.
“They are scoping, and they will watch you as you’re either coming in or going out of the bank, or watch you do ATM withdrawals, seeing how much you’re getting cash wise,” Reyes said.
Harrigan described a wave of jugging arrests in Texas, before the practice began spreading to North and South Carolina.
“In one place in South Carolina, a landscaping business owner went in a bank unaware that he was being observed, took out his weekly payroll, stopped at a gas station for a soda, and two juggers – they usually work in teams – pulled up alongside his Chevy, broke through the window and made off with what his entire payroll was, $6,000.”
Harrigan also reported that the Texas legislature is working to make jugging a specific felony, with harsher penalties than simple robbery.
A member of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Tehran alongside a member of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, a senior Lebanese security source told Reuters and the Iraqi group said on Saturday.
The source identified the Hezbollah member as Abu Ali Khalil, who had served as a bodyguard for Hezbollah’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah. The source said Khalil had been on a religious pilgrimage to Iraq when he met up with a member of the Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada group.
They travelled together to Tehran and were both killed in an Israeli strike there, along with Khalil’s son, the senior security source said. Hezbollah has not joined in Iran’s air strikes against Israel from Lebanon.
Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada published a statement confirming that both the head of its security unit and Khalil had been killed in an Israeli strike.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli aerial attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs in September.
Israel and Iran have been trading strikes for nine consecutive days since Israel launched attacks on Iran, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said it does not seek nuclear weapons.
Video shows Belarus opposition leader Syarhei Tsikhanouski in an emotional embrace with his wife after his prison release
Other prisoners freed in the U.S.-brokered deal include former journalist Ihar Karnei
Tsikhanouski was seen emerging from a van with a shaven head, smiling and immediately stepping up to hug his wife in a long embrace, a video released by her office showed.
The release was brokered by U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg, a spokesperson for Lithuania's prime minister said.
Five Belarus nationals were released along with three Poles, two Latvians, two Japanese citizens, one Estonian and one Swede, Lithuania said.
Tsikhanouski's wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a prominent opposition figure, posted video of her and her husband meeting Karnei and other freed prisoners.
Every evening, nurse practitioner (NP) Arnold Facklam arrives at South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta, Georgia, an hour before his two physician counterparts. As an NP nocturnist, a hospitalist who works overnight, Facklam’s role is to supplement the care provided by the physicians on his team.
He believes he offers a valuable service to his Apogee Physicians hospitalist group, able to spend more time with patients than his doctor colleagues, who carry bigger patient loads, while freeing them up to handle more acute cases.
“Both physicians and NPs do the same tasks, but they divide them up differently,” said Facklam, a hospitalist for 18 years. “Programs of a certain size need to bring in experienced NPs and PAs [physician assistants] that can step into the role and do the tasks to take care of the patients from admissions to discharge, and consultations.”
The classic definition of a hospitalist as a primary care physician is rapidly evolving and the vast majority of hospital medicine groups today use advanced practice providers such as NPs like Facklam, for adult care, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM)’s latest industry reports.
In most hospitals, NP hospitalists supplement the care their physician counterparts provide, though some small rural hospitals may staff their hospitalist programs entirely with NPs with oversight from a collaborating physician who may not be on duty at the time.
Whether to reduce staffing costs or fill gaps in physician shortage areas, hospitalists are navigating a new landscape to determine the most effective use of NPs in the hospital setting.
Physicians and NPs sharing hospitalist responsibilities are learning how to divide their duties, improve their professional relations, and maintain job satisfaction. Medscape Medical News consulted a handful of hospitalists about the pros and cons of the new staffing models.
Value of NP Hospitalists
Saving money tends to be the biggest advantage of using NPs as hospitalists. The average total compensation for NPs was $135,000 in 2023 or about 60% less than for physician hospitalists, $321,000, according to Medscape’s 2024 compensation reports for physicians and NPs.
Third party private insurers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reimburse NPs at 85% of the physician rate, which can help reduce costs.
Among the other benefits of using NPs, they help reduce hospital wait times and because they tend to manage fewer patients than doctors, can spend more time with them, according to research cited by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
NPs also fill a void in patient care when hospitals have difficulty attracting physicians or are short-staffed in small or rural hospitals, which tend to be workforce shortage areas.
The Health Resources & Services Administration projects a 22% staff shortage of hospital physicians by 2035. Meanwhile the US Bureau of Labor Statistics consistently reports NPs among the nation’s fastest-growing occupations with a projected 46% growth rate between 2023 and 2033.
Nikhil Sood, MD
In the past few years, Nikhil Sood, MD, has witnessed “a monumental” increase in the number of NPs working alongside him as a hospitalist at Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert, Arizona.
“Utilizing NPs’ expertise can significantly improve care delivery,” said Sood, who treats patients with cancer. NPs also can alleviate physician burnout and enhance patients’ access to care, he said.
“I have partnered with NPs who are outstanding clinicians, meticulous in their work, empathetic in nature, and collaborative. They bring a nursing perspective…often identifying psychosocial or care coordination issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.”
Monique Nugent, MD, MPH, appreciates the specialty care the advanced practice providers on her hospitalist team offer patients. She finds them fully capable of supplementing physician care.
“They work really well with our group. They are a huge support, and they are no less hospitalists than physician hospitalists,” Nugent said about her Advanced Practice Professional (APP) colleagues specializing in cardiac and oncology care at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts.
“Patients benefit from people with a specialty and who know how to navigate medicine.”
Challenges of NP Hospitalists
Nugent doesn’t believe hospitals should focus solely on the savings just because APPs traditionally earn less than doctors.
“You still need highly qualified people…You have to invest in the person if you want them to do good work,” she said.
Hospitals should provide support such as case management, a safe patient load, and an appropriate level of malpractice insurance, Nugent said.
Monique Nugent, MD, MPH
“If a hospital has 200 patients and there are 20 doctors who take care of 10 patients each, you can’t replace the doctors with APPs and expect them to be comfortable caring for the same number of patients. It’s not simply a math question,” she said.
Staffing calculations also need to include additional administrative requirements for APPs mandated by law and whether states require physician oversight of APPs, Nugent stressed.
More than half of the states give NPs full practice authority to manage patients independently of physicians, but only a handful of states offer full or optimal practice authority for PAs.
“If the system employs PAs and NPs simply because it costs less, they are missing the value they bring to the system,” she said. “How can we support everyone in their practice so we can support the patient? I work with NPs that are really great at their job. Working that way allows us to be great,” Nugent said.
John Nelson, MD, who co-founded the SHM, said hospitals may add NPs or PAs because they can’t recruit doctors in rural areas, or they want to pay less for staffing. But those hospitals may not have carefully considered exactly what the APPs will do, their job description, how they will help doctors see patients, said Nelson, a hospitalist and partner in Nelson Flores Hospital Medicine Consultants.
In some cases, physician hospitalists are partly to blame for the lack of direction APPs receive. The doctors are happy to gain assistance even with menial tasks and without the responsibility of paying salaries, they don’t worry about wasteful spending, Nelson said. “Hospitals are not paying enough attention to realize what is going on.”
Facklam said his hospitalist program clearly defines the job responsibilities of the team. When he starts his duties at 6 PM, he works on admissions and when physicians come in at 7 PM, he provides cross coverage for the hospital and three outlying facilities.
He realizes there has been a rapid increase in APPs as hospitalists created a challenging dynamic for physician hospitalists. Some understand and trust the credentials and capabilities of APPs and allow them the freedom to work effectively. But those who never worked with NPs may not know what to expect and may fear NPs will take their jobs.
“It’s a work in progress,” Facklam said of physician-APP relationships. “I think it takes time for people to realize [APPs] are qualified and capable of serving in the role they are asked to do.”
But Facklam admits he may have been accepted by physicians faster than other NP hospitalists with a quicker adjustment period as a former critical and emergency care nurse and paramedic. “I had experience that led up to it. If it was someone else, they may take a little longer to feel comfortable,” he said.
Hospitals also have to navigate state and federal regulations regarding NPs, including how they can bill state and federal insurance companies and whether they need physician oversight, hospitalists said.
Nearly half of NP and PA work is billed as a combination of both independent and shared services billing with the collaborating or supervising physician, according to SHM’s latest State of Hospital Medicine Report.
Working Effectively as Hospitalist Team
For NPs to make a smooth transition into hospitalist teams, ensuring quality and safety, requires a strategic and organized environment, Sood said. He added that such integration is particularly important when providing specialty care, such as in cancer hospitals, where there’s a high rate of clinical complexity.
“Patients frequently require intricate decisions regarding chemotherapy side effects, palliative care strategies, or complications from immunotherapy. Practical experience and oncology-specific training are essential,” he said.
John Nelson, MD
He doesn’t think NPs should be expected to operate autonomously in high-acuity or complex settings without sufficient support. “This not only affects patient outcomes but can also create unnecessary pressure on the NPs.”
A team-based approach allows NPs and physicians to regularly consult each other and manage patient care, Sood said. While NPs deserve to be respected and empowered, they also should be “guided by clear practice scopes, mentorship, and structured clinical pathways,” he said.
Nelson believes APPs can contribute professionally to the hospitalist team and find greater job satisfaction if they collaborate with physician hospitalists and receive appropriate training.
In 2024, about 11% of NPs held certifications in acute care, according to AANP. Acute care generally focuses on the type of treatment patients receive in a hospital such as for accidents or emergencies.
APPs also should have a “significant say” about their roles on the team and how they could have the most impact, Nelson said. “They should be part of the conversation if not leading it.”
Caregivers ofterminally ill patientsoften turn to health professionals to learn what to expect in the final weeks, days, and hours of life. Regardless of the underlying cause, many signs and symptoms are similar during this period.
Addressing families’ concerns proactively can ease discomfort and anxiety and help prevent crises during hospital stay. Below are the key topics to discuss with caregivers as death approaches a patient.
Sleep
Patients spend increasing amounts of time sleeping and may struggle to keep their eyes open because of fatigue and metabolic changes related to the dying process. Families should make the most of the time when the patient is alert, even at night, and avoid waking them.
Restlessness
Restlessness or agitation may arise during periods of wakefulness, making it difficult for patients to return to sleep. These symptoms, which are sometimes associated with mental confusion, may reflect real distress resulting from metabolic changes and the perception of loss of autonomy.
Speaking calmly, acknowledging patients’ concerns, and suggesting comfort measures can help. If these steps are ineffective, neuroleptics or sedatives may be prescribed to aid in rest.
Disorientation and Hallucinations
As death approaches, patients often become progressively disoriented in terms of time and place, even with regard to close relatives and caregivers. Hallucinations may occur, particularly in long-standing older adults. Patients might report seeing deceased loved ones or describe comforting visions or memories, which can distress families. In these moments, caregivers must not correct or rationalize their experiences. Instead, they should encourage patients to share their feelings and explore their emotional states.
Social Withdrawal
It is common for patients to withdraw socially as their condition worsens. They may lose interest in activities such as reading newspapers, listening to music, watching television, visiting friends, and seeing family. Although difficult to witness, caregivers can offer a gentle and unobtrusive presence by talking softly or simply holding the patient’s hand.
Nutrition and Hydration
Interest in eating and drinking gradually decreases and can vary from one day to the next. Patients tend to need less food and liquids in response to metabolic changes during the end-of-life process. At this stage, eating no longer has a nutritional purpose or contributes to increased energy or improved prognosis. Instead, mealtimes should be seen as moments of comfort, and it is advisable to offer foods the patient enjoys. Do not force-feed, as it may cause discomfort. Small pieces of ice or flakes of frozen fruit juice can be refreshing and offer relief to the patients. When swallowing becomes impossible, oral intake should be stopped to avoid aspiration.
Incontinence and Urinary Disturbances
Loss of urinary and/or bowel control is common at the end of life and may affect the patient’s dignity and comfort. Keep the patient clean by changing soiled clothes and sheets regularly and using diapers or protective clothing to ensure proper hygiene and prevent skin irritation or infections. If a patient cannot urinate, a catheter may be required. Advise caregivers that urine output decreases and darkens as death approaches.
Reduced Senses
Vision and hearing often decline days and hours before death, sometimes with increased sensitivity to light and sound. Keeping the room dim and avoiding sudden noise to prevent discomfort and disorientation in patients. It is important not to assume that the patient can no longer hear or feel; hearing is typically the last sense to go.
Physical Signs
An increase in temperature is common during the final days and hours. Causes include inflammation from tumors, infections, or metabolic changes. A temperature above 38 °C does not always indicate discomfort or the need for medication. Caregivers can apply a cool, damp cloth to the forehead to help lower the temperature and, at the same time, feel helpful.
In the hours before death, the skin may redden, become sweaty, and warm to the touch if the body temperature rises. Similarly, near death, a noticeable decrease in body temperature may occur, especially in the extremities such as the hands, arms, feet, and legs, associated with cyanosis and mottling of the skin. Cooling of the body is a natural process that occurs when circulation slows and vital organs begin to stop functioning. Sometimes, the skin on the face takes on a yellowish hue with paleness that is more pronounced around the mouth.
Breathing patterns also change as bodily functions slow. Breaths may become shallow and irregular, and the accessory muscles of respiration may be engaged. The interval between breaths can lengthen, and patients may take several rapid, shallow breaths, followed by a long pause before regular breathing resumes. These cycles deepen over time and can be distressing for families.
As consciousness fades, in the final hours/days of life, patients lose the ability to swallow or clear their oral secretions. Air passes through these accumulated secretions, resulting in noisy breathing in approximately half the terminally ill patients. Families and caregivers may find this sound unsettling, fearing the patient is choking. Changing the patient’s position or administering medication for dry secretions may help reduce the sound but may not eliminate entirely.
