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Health & Wellness: Global Wellness Summit Releases 10 Wellness Trends for 2026 for $6.8 Trillion Wellness Economy

In 2026, we’ll see a backlash against over-optimization and the bold return of pleasure and joy; women finally getting their own lanes in longevity and sports; longevity expanding into real estate and beauty; and wellness tackling major crises: disaster preparedness, microplastics and nervous system exhaustion

Global Wellness Institute’s Beth McGroarty, VP, Research & Forecasting, GWS/GWI and Jane Kitchen, Trends & Media Analyst, GWS Trends Authors, discuss the  Future of Wellness report at the recent Global Wellness Summit in New York City © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) released its annual Future of Wellness report, the longest-running, most detailed (150-page) forecast of the big ideas that will transform health and wellness in the coming year.

There have been more shakeups in the wellness market in the last couple of years than in the last 20. The market has been rewritten by high-tech, medical, hyper-optimizing approaches—from the boom in longevity clinics to the avalanche of diagnostics and wearables. At the same time, powerful new desires for a no-tech, deeply human, social and emotional wellness are raging. These polarities, which now define the wellness market, resonate across the new report.

2026 will be another year of shakeups. A year of corrections and backlashes, a crucial year for women, one where longevity moves in new directions, and where major environmental and human crises are tackled.

Four Themes for 2026:

1)     An Over-Optimization Backlash: The Revenge of the Human 

The backlash against stressful, high-tech wellness will reach activist levels. Wellness experiences will embrace what humans actually are: imperfect, emotional, relational and sensory—and hardwired to seek pleasure and joy. Offerings will pivot to meaning over measurement, catharsis over clinical data, self-expression over self-surveillance. “The Over-Optimization Backlash” serves as the framing trend, detailing the many ways we’ll move beyond performance to sensation, emotional repair and embodied care. “The Festivalization of Wellness” explores a rising wave of healthy, cathartic wellness raves and gatherings, where music, dance and creative expression mean wild, collective and emotional release. If fragrance has long been about status, celebrity and corporate sameness, the “Fragrance Layering” trend predicts that the ancient art of combining scents will get a modern reimagining: fragrance as a creative, cultural and deeply personal language.

2)     The Year of Women 

Major gender inequities in multibillion-dollar markets will get corrected. If the booming longevity market was built for men, “Women Get Their Own Lane in Longevity” goes in depth on how the future is female. Because women age very differently, with the ovary acting as “command central” of women’s health, longevity will pivot to women’s healthspan, requiring a whole new longevity paradigm and diagnostics and interventions targeted for every life stage. If men have owned sports, “Women & Sports: The Revolution Continues” details how the women’s sports economy is at its long-awaited tipping point, with a boom in new leagues and female fandom, female athletes as marketing powerhouses, and women globally turning from lonely fitness to empowering sports.

3)     Longevity Expands in New Directions 

Longevity will move in other bold directions. “Longevity Residences” investigates how it’s moving out of clinics and resorts and into the home, with a new wellness real estate category that supports longer, healthier lives through preventive medicine and diagnostics, biohacking, AI-enabled health tracking and more. “Skin Longevity Redefines Beauty” argues that the traditional focus on anti-aging is shifting. Innovations in skin longevity and regeneration will introduce a new era of beauty that merges cutting-edge biotech, AI, skin diagnostics and new active ingredients.

4)     Wellness Tackles Major Environmental and Human Crises

In our age of multiple crises, from terrifying climate events to brains barraged by bad news, crisis management becomes a pillar of wellness. “Ready Is the New Well” predicts that if wellness always promised prevention, the next wellness wave is about survival itself, where having a disaster plan becomes as essential as having a fitness plan. “Tackling Microplastics as a Human Health Issue” provides a deep scientific overview of how microplastics are present throughout the human body and increasingly linked to serious health issues. If we’ve had decades of false wellness “detox” rhetoric, the microplastics threat looks to be real, and in 2026, public health and the wellness market will move from awareness to action. With modern, digital life keeping our nervous systems in a state of fight-or-flight, “The Rise of Neurowellness” explores how regulating the nervous system is wellness’ next frontier, deploying everything from new consumer neurotech to somatic practices to calm our nervous systems before breakdown occurs. 

This is the only wellness trends report based on insights from hundreds of health and wellness experts that gather each year at the Global Wellness Summit. Each trend is packed with new ideas, sub-trends and examples of the companies blazing these new trails.

 “Each year, The Future of Wellness report delivers essential insights into the forces reshaping the global wellness landscape,” said Amway chief marketing officer Melodie Nakhle. “As the exclusive sponsor, we remain committed to advancing credible, science-driven innovation that helps people lead healthier, more vibrant lives. This research strengthens our ability to deliver meaningful solutions for communities around the world.”

Amway is the exclusive sponsor of this report. A health and wellbeing company founded in 1959, Amway has a presence in more than 100 countries and territories around the world.

Probing deeper, these are the Top 10 Wellness Trends:

Top 10 Wellness Trends 

Women Get Their Own Lane in Longevity
Men have dominated the longevity market, but the future is female

At the Global Wellness Summit “playground”, we get to try out new technology like the Technogym © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The booming longevity market—like medicine before it—is tacitly male: women’s path to health is extrapolated from men’s data and protocols designed for men. That era is ending. Research mounts that women age fundamentally differently, with the ovary functioning as “command central” for women’s health, and its decline (aka menopause) dramatically accelerating systemic aging in women. This leads to a cascade of conditions women suffer far more and longer: from immune disorders to dementia to osteoporosis. Men suffer no such “gonadal death” and stark “before” and “after” health decline.

Slowing/stopping ovarian decline will be the next big biotech breakthrough, and women scientists are busy working on it, from ovarian stem cell therapies to tackling ovarian fibrosis. And with the new framework that “ovary-span” is the lynchpin to women’s healthspan, the wellness market will now move beyond managing menopause symptoms to tackling ovarian aging and its specific health fallouts. This requires a new longevity paradigm: interventions tailored to women across every decade (from their 20s to 90s), ovarian aging tests becoming the new vital sign, hormone replacement therapy boomeranging back as longevity medicine, lifestyle interventions that best preserve ovarian reserve—with strength training reframed as a non-negotiable for women’s longevity. The trend details how basically every wellness market is now pivoting from treating menopause to more serious whole-life, medical-wellness longevity programs for women: wellness resorts, longevity clinics, big telehealth and women’s platforms, gyms, diagnostics and wearables. And as women finally shape longevity, its “bro” culture will change, too: less ultrahuman optimization; more human approaches.

The Over-Optimization Backlash
Pushing back on peak wellness

We’re living through a modern wellbeing paradox: never before has health been so measurable—and never before has it felt so psychologically demanding. Sleep is scored, glucose is graphed, aging is tracked, and wellbeing has shifted from something we feel to something we perform correctly. Therapists warn that data-driven wellness can tip from motivation into fixation, turning insight into pressure. As health data multiplies, many experience analysis paralysis rather than clarity, overwhelmed by constant self-tracking and fear of “getting it wrong.” While longevity research, diagnostics and health technology have undeniably expanded human potential, optimization without integration is proving costly. The over-optimization backlash marks a decisive cultural pivot away from peak wellness and toward something far more human. In response, the fastest-growing spaces in wellness are prioritizing nervous-system safety, emotional repair and pleasure over metrics: social saunas are growing around the world as ritual, not endurance; brands like On and Nike are ditching performance language for campaigns about softness, presence and joy; clinics are reframing aesthetics as psychological care rather than correction; and new technologies are quietly regulating the body in the background, without dashboards or demands. From scream circles and somatic release classes going viral on TikTok, to pleasure-forward food, low-stimulation retreats and regulation-focused wearables, the trend is evident: wellness is no longer about optimizing harder—it’s about feeling safer, more connected and more alive.

The Rise of Neurowellness
Regulating the nervous system is the next frontier of human health

Neuroaesthetics is a new field. The arts have significant impact on health, wellness and longevity © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Neurowellness is moving from niche to mainstream as people realize one of their biggest health bottlenecks isn’t willpower, it’s nervous system overload. Sleep has become the on-ramp. Wearables turned a private struggle into a daily metric: “What’s your sleep score?” When scores stay low, the message is clear: the autonomic nervous system is stuck in low-grade fight-or-flight, showing up as fragmented sleep, anxiety, inflammation, brain fog, hormonal disruption and burnout. That visibility is driving a wave of interventions that go beyond supplements and mindset. “Hard-care” neurowellness is arriving through consumer-friendly neurotech: vagus nerve stimulation devices like Pulsetto, EEG-guided sleep tools like Elemind and neurofeedback platforms like Myndlift that bring nervous system training into therapists’ offices, not just homes. Flow’s recent FDA approval for an at-home neuromodulation device adds clinical momentum, signaling a path to reimbursement and wider adoption. At the same time, long-standing “soft-care” wellness anchors are being re-framed as nervous-system medicine: breathwork, touch therapy, yoga and Feldenkrais are increasingly recognized for their measurable effects on regulation, making them more mainstream, more repeatable and, in some settings, even prescribed. Next, expect brain–body research, including Stanford’s focus on whole-system connections, to push neurowellness into everyday spaces: mental health care, local fitness studios, hospitality, real estate and next-gen destination spas and clinics—making regulation a quietly built-in feature of modern life.

Fragrance Layering
The new art of combining scents to create unique personalized identities

Fragrance layering—the art of combining scents to create a personalized olfactory signature—is changing the way we express ourselves, shape our moods and interact with others. Once associated mainly with luxury and seduction, fragrance is re-emerging as a cultural and emotional language, echoing ancient traditions from Egypt, Arabia and India, where scent signified ritual, status and meaning. Today, Gen Z and Millennials are reviving this heritage through experimentation, fueled by TikTok, indie fragrance communities and brands like Kayali and Rare Beauty that encourage mixing, mood-shifting and the creation of “fragrance wardrobes.” This rise of “smellmaxxing” coincides with experimental cocktailing, social-coded scents and layering workshops, which transform fragrance into a participatory, skill-based hobby. Layering is extending beyond personal fragrance into spaces and experiences, with environments crafted to carry evolving aromas that shape mood and ritual. Technology is amplifying this, as smart fragrance systems and AI tools allow scents to shift dynamically throughout the day, responding to activity, context or emotional state. In an era of homogenous beauty products, fragrance layering offers both creative freedom and social currency—a way to express identity, foster connection and reclaim individuality through scent.

Ready Is the New Well
Preparing for climate disaster is the new preventative wellness

Long Island after Super Storm Sandy. No place is safe from climate or other disasters. An emerging wellness trend addresses the ongoing stress and anxiety, with community groups forming to help when disaster strikes, the new “preventative wellness.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Wellness has always promised protection—from disease, from burnout, from the slow erosion of mental health. But the next wave of wellness will promise something different: survival itself. Just as preventive medicine once transformed healthcare, disaster readiness is becoming the next evolution of everyday resilience, where having a disaster plan is as essential as having a fitness plan. This shift connects mental health, physical readiness and community interdependence into one continuum of care. The implications for the global wellness economy are vast. Gyms and fitness studios will double as emergency shelters; wellness retreats will teach readiness; and demand for disaster-proof architecture will surge. But perhaps the greatest opportunity lies in the industry’s ability to hold both sides of the psychological spectrum at once—supporting people who live in chronic fear of what might happen, while also caring for those navigating the emotional fallout of what already has. As disasters become inescapable, the most forward-thinking companies will prioritize practical, proven solutions that put people’s minds at ease.

Skin Longevity Redefines Beauty
Move over anti-aging: innovations in skin regeneration usher in a new era

Patrick Kullenberg, Chief Innovation Officer, NA for L’Oreal Groupe, discusses innovations in skin care with Claire McCormack at the Global Wellness Summit © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

A transformation is sweeping the beauty and wellness industries as “anti-aging” is rapidly being replaced by the concept of skin longevity. This emerging vertical merges cutting-edge biotech, proactive skincare and holistic wellness, reframing the conversation from reversing the unwanted effects of time to optimizing the skin’s health and function over the long term. Skin longevity honors skin as the body’s largest organ and a key marker of overall health. It’s driven by demographic realities—people are living longer and seeking solutions to maintain long term health and vitality—and by a philosophical shift, treating skin as a diagnostic tool and reflection of overall health. The movement is gaining significant momentum, backed by major investments and deep scientific research. Advances include sophisticated skin diagnostics, such as L’Oréal’s Cell BioPrint, and the development of new active ingredients and regenerative treatments. These innovations are creating a new age of personalized, preventative care. The trend extends beyond the face to encompass “hair longevity,” with a focus on scalp health and regenerative therapies for hair. Industry experts concur that skin longevity is a defining turning point in beauty and wellness, where the cross-pollination of science, biology and technology is unlocking unprecedented horizons for personalized, visible results and long-term health optimization.

The Festivalization of Wellness
A new wave of healthy, wild, cathartic wellness raves and gatherings

A flash mob in Llublijana, Slovenia, part of a global trend of “festivalization of wellness” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

A new wave of group wellness events is reshaping the global wellness landscape, marking the rise of the “festivalization of wellness.” These gatherings respond to widespread economic stress, social fragmentation and digital overload by prioritizing human connection, collective energy and emotional release. Inspired by festival and rave culture, wellness raves, sober morning dance events and multi-day immersions are reframing wellbeing as experiential, social and identity-driven rather than prescriptive or perfection-oriented. Spanning movement, music, sauna culture, learning and creative expression, they emphasize participation over performance and lower barriers to entry by creating judgment-free spaces where people explore what intuitively feels good. Around the world, sober morning raves, grief raves and headphone-led somatic dance experiences like Sanctum are turning dancefloors into spaces for emotional release, connection and catharsis. At the same time, mass-participation fitness festivals such as Hyrox attract hundreds of thousands of athletes and spectators to sweat, celebrate and heal together. Luxury resorts from Six Senses and Soneva to SHA Wellness are now hosting immersive multi-day wellness festivals, while mainstream music events like Wilderness, Lost Village and Envision are embedding breathwork, rituals and recovery zones into their lineups. The result is a global shift where wellness becomes social, expressive and identity-shaping—built on joy, belonging and shared experience rather than discipline and optimization. By making wellness playful, inclusive and culturally relevant, the festivalization of wellness is redefining health as belonging, connection and sustainable joy.

Women and Sports: The Revolution Continues
More women become empowered as athletes as the women’s sports economy booms

More women are becoming empowered as athletes as the women’s sports economy booms. Tennis Star Coco Gauff is co-creating fashion lines © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

This trend captures a long-overdue cultural and economic reckoning as women’s athletics moves from the margins to the mainstream—reshaping fitness, media, fashion, fandom and business along the way. Around the world, new leagues like the Professional Women’s Hockey League, League One Volleyball and the upcoming Women’s Professional Baseball League are launching alongside bold, culture-forward events such as Athlos in New York City, which turned women’s track and field into a Times Square spectacle complete with instant prize payouts and a Ciara concert. Female fandom is exploding too, visible in the rapid rise of women’s sports bars like The Sports Bra (now franchising nationwide), record-breaking attendance at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup and massive global viewership for women’s cricket in India. At the same time, female athletes are becoming cultural and commercial powerhouses: Coco Gauff co-creating fashion lines, Ilona Maher and Sloane Stephens launching beauty brands, Allyson Felix building a motherhood-centered footwear company, and media platforms like Togethxr rewriting who gets visibility and voice. On the ground, this momentum is changing bodies and behaviors—women are lifting heavier, joining grassroots leagues, filling women-only gyms from Dubai to Shanghai, and embracing strength over thinness as both a physical and political act. Together, these shifts signal a structural change, not a moment: women’s sports are no longer asking for permission, but actively redefining what power, performance and possibility look like—on the field, in culture and across the global wellness economy.

Tackling Microplastics as a Human Health Issue
We’ve grasped the severity of the microplastics crisis; this year is about action

Microplastics have crossed a critical threshold—from an environmental problem to a direct human health concern. Once associated mainly with oceans and wildlife, these microscopic particles are now being detected in human blood, lungs, placentas and even the brain. Each year, an estimated 130 million metric tons of plastic enter the environment, breaking down into particles we ingest through bottled water and packaged food, inhale from synthetic clothing fibers in household dust, and absorb through everyday consumer products. Early research links this exposure to inflammation, hormonal disruption, cardiovascular disease and potential cognitive effects. As concern grows, the wellness and medical sectors are moving from observation to intervention. In London, private clinics are already offering costly treatments claiming to reduce microplastic loads in the body, while consumer-facing innovations such as plastic-free underwear are also emerging. Looking ahead, microplastics may become a routinely measured health marker—tracked alongside cholesterol or inflammation—and plastic exposure a factor shaping architecture, fashion, food systems and healthcare. The challenge now is not awareness, but whether society acts quickly enough to reduce exposure at the source, before the smallest pollutants create the largest health legacy.

Longevity Residences
Healthspan finally comes home

Susan Magsamen, Executive Director, International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, discusses Intentional Spaces Roadmap: 2026 Collaboration with the GWI © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

A new category of “longevity residences” is emerging within wellness real estate, designed to support longer, healthier lives. This trend signals a major shift in how—and where—longevity is delivered, as real estate becomes an active participant in extending healthy life rather than a passive backdrop. Around the world, a new generation of longevity-focused communities is embedding preventive medicine, advanced diagnostics, biohacking and AI-driven personalization directly into daily living. The Estate is building a global network of residences where architecture, circadian lighting, diagnostics and concierge medicine operate as a continuous longevity system; Australia’s Elysium Fields has plans to pair luxury living with on-site MRIs, brain scans and anti-ageing clinics; Velvaere in Utah will integrate Fountain Life’s early-detection diagnostics into its ski-in, ski-out community; and Tri Vananda in Thailand is blending medical longevity science with holistic design, biophilia and multigenerational living. Unlike traditional wellness real estate, these residences go deeper—tracking biomarkers, personalizing care over decades and removing friction from proactive health behaviors. Fueled by an aging global population, soaring investment in longevity tech and the rise of concierge medicine, longevity residences reflect a growing realization that true healthspan gains happen at home, not during one-off clinic stays. For culture and capital alike, the message is clear: longevity is no longer a service you visit—it’s a lifestyle you live in, and the home is becoming the most powerful longevity tool of all.

The Global Wellness Summit brings together leaders and visionaries to shape the future of the $6.8 trillion global wellness economy which is forecast to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029, according to the Global Wellness Institute’s  2025 Global Wellness Economy Monitor.

U.S. Dominates Global Wellness Market

The Global Wellness economy hit $6.8 trillion in 2024 and is forecast to grow to $9.8 trillion by 2029, according to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2025 Global Wellness Economy Monitor © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

The non-profit Global Wellness Institute (GWI) released its annual “Country Rankings” report, packed with data on the wellness markets of 145 countries. The new research identifies the countries and regions with the fastest growth rates, and reveals the amount of money spent annually on wellness in each nation.

The five largest wellness markets are: the US ($2.1 trillion), China ($950 billion), Germany ($281 billion), Japan ($262 billion) and the UK ($261 billion). Together these five nations represent a whopping 58% of the total wellness economy.

The U.S. wellness economy amounted to $2.1 trillion in 2024, 32% of the global spend according to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2025 Global Wellness Economy Monitor © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

Among the largest wellness markets, the standout five-year growth leaders are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico, Poland, the UK, the Netherlands, Canada, the US and Australia. For smaller markets, the growth stars include Croatia, Cuba, Romania, Costa Rica and Kazakhstan.

The Global Wellness economy accounted for 6.12% of global GDP in 2024, according to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2025 Global Wellness Economy Monitor © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

The new research is a story of global growth for wellness: Each of the top 25 largest markets have surpassed their pre-pandemic (2019) sizes, most by sizable margins, despite economic challenges for many of the nations. The growth shows that, as GWI partner economist Thierry Malleret put it, the wellness industry is not only resilient—it resists shocks—but is “anti-fragile”: it actually improves under stress and shocks.

Composition of the U.S. Wellness Economy © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The US, which accounts for a staggering one-third (32%) of the total global wellness economy, is a striking example of that. If a record number of Americans report high stress and a healthcare system in crisis, its wellness market remains unstoppable. It grew by over $130 billion just between 2023 and 2024—a gain roughly the size of Italy and Australia’s entire wellness markets.

The 20th annual Global Wellness Summit will be held in Phuket, Thailand, November 10-13, 2026 © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

In addition to an annual conference, held at a different location around the globe, GWS also hosts annual in-person events such as the Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium and the Beauty & the Brain Symposium, along with virtual gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes and Wellness Sector Spotlights. The 20th annual Global Wellness Summit will be held in Phuket, Thailand, November 10-13, 2026.

The Future of Wellness 2026 Trends Report can be purchased for $95 at https://content.globalwellnesssummit.com/2026-trends-report

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New Yorkers Come Out in Force to Show Solidarity, Demand ICE Out of Minneapolis, Cities

Thousands of New Yorkers rallied and marched in solidarity with Minneapolis and to demand New York stand firm against the Trump administration’s lawless brutality © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

By Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com, news-photos-features.com

Less than a full day before the murder of a 37-year old Minneapolis ICU nurse at the hands of ICE, thousands of New Yorkers were out on the street rallying and marching in support of removing ICE from Minneapolis, in solidarity with the unions, workers and businesses that walked out and shut down the city on January 23rd under the banner, “ICE OUT FOR GOOD National Day of Solidarity.”

“Protect Democracy from the President!” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

They unified in horror and outrage after the murder of 37-year old mother and activist Renee Good, but mere hours later, there was yet another, as 37-year old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, acting as a monitor and assisting a woman assaulted by ICE, was also brutally murdered even after he was thrown down by half dozen agents, in a volley of bullets at close range, in the back of his head. It looked more like an execution than a “law enforcement action.” Because that is what it was. The feds immediately blocked out medical aid and state investigators, and had to be mandated by a judge not to destroy evidence.

New York’s unions stand in solidarity with Minneapolis © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Organized by DSA, Hands Off NYC, the NY Immigration Coalition, 1199SEIU, Make the Road NY, UFT, New York Working Families Party, Rise and Resist, DC37, Indivisible NYC, and dozens of partners, the protesters numbering the thousands were representative of every race, ethnicity, and age group – a reflection of New York City.

They spoke out against rising fascism and to pressure corporations, including Target, Amazon, Home Depot, and Palantir, “to stop collaborating with would-be authoritarians and instead stand up for our communities.”

“Every week sees a new escalation — they are arresting children and local movement leaders in Minneapolis! It’s vital that we stand together and speak out against these attacks on our rights and our people.”

“Silence is too costly,” declared one of the faithleaders. “They are killing our neighbors, our souls…March for justice. Enough is enough.”

“No more family detentions, detentions for profit. Reject cruelty of greed. We want justice now. Abolish ICE,” another said.

Rallying against the technocrats enabling lawless brutalizing of migrants and Americans. New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Gathering in front of a statue of George Washington, they decried a wannbe king and a society where lives are cheap but property sacred.”Stand up against the most sinister enemy.”

A Hands Off Coalition leader, a teacher and climate organizer and mother of two, said, “We are heart broken at the lawless, violence ICE assaults, who murdered a mother in cold blood, raid schools and day care centers, tear gas protesters, separate children from parents, detain a five year old in the cold.” And not just in Minneapolis, but in New York City. “These innocent children will never be the same. This regime is waging war on families, cutting funding for food, education, health care, violating the environment” for the benefit of corporate greed of Amazon, Palantir, and Home Depot.

“No Techno Fascist Overlords.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Palantir is particularly singled out as an accomplice to the violence, using its super-duper AI data collection and spying technology at hospitals, schools, transportation systems it sells to government to target immigrants and activists, so ICE can kidnap, corporations can replace workers with machines, and governments can bomb and Peter Thiel and Alex Karp can make more money in one week, propping up the dictator wannabe Trump, than the average worker earns in a lifetime of toil.

“I refuse to live in a country where the feds terrorize, families are torn apart,” Brendan Griffith, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, told the crowd. “Stand together. An attack on one is an attack on all… NYC stands with Minnesota. Nearly 50 percent of NYC workers are immigrants. NYC is a union town. We want a country where workers can move through their lives with dignity.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

“I refuse to live in a country where the feds terrorize, families are torn apart.,” Brendan Griffith, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, told the crowd. “Stand together. An attack on one is an attack on all… NYC stands with Minnesota. Nearly 50 percent of NYC workers are immigrants. NYC is a union town. We want a country where workers can move through their lives with dignity.

“No Slave Patrol 2.0, profiting off rounding up people based on the color of their skin. This isn’t about citizenship. It’s about creating a white ethno state.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Another speaker equated what is happening as tantamount to the Fugitive Slave Act. “No Slave Patrol 2.0, profiting off rounding up people based on the color of their skin. This isn’t about citizenship. It’s about creating a white ethno state.”

They implored every level of New York government to stand up for immigrants, defend our people.

One of the striking NYC nurses urged the state government to keep our immigrant patients safe, refuse to collaborate, and protect the immigrants who are the medical and health care providers. One fourth of New York’s healthcare workforce are immigrants. “Our staff fears ICE.”

“Pass the New York for All Act.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

They are advocating for the state to pass the New York for All Act (S2235/A3506), proposed state legislation restricting cooperation between local/state law enforcement and federal immigration authorities (ICE/CBP). It would prohibit local agencies from inquiring about immigration status, sharing sensitive information with federal agents, or facilitating detentions, aiming to protect immigrant communities – in other words expanding the Sanctuary City to the state.

Trump has used sanctuary cities and states to justify withholding federal funding in the billions. 

Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY) was among the New York elected officials at the rally supporting New York and Minneapolis © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The acceleration of violence and lawlessness by federal agents, hyped up by Trump aide Stephen Miller, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Greg Bovino who commands the enforcers to believe they are above all law and can disregard civil rights with impunity, has prompted Senators, Congressmen and Governors to lash out (but not until after the House, helped with seven Democratic votes, passed increasing funding for ICE, hopefully prompting Senate Democrats to take a stand).

“Free balls for Members of Congress who have lost theirs.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Governor Kathy Hochul, who has sued the Trump administration for withholding billions of dollars in appropriated funds to New York to extort support for his mass deportation policies, came out forcefully against ICE, after the latest horrific killing of Alex Pretti,and called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who repeatedly lies and covers up her agency’s criminality, to resign.

“Videos don’t lie. And don’t stop believing what your eyes tell you,” Governor Hochul declared. “Their cruelty, these instances, what is going on and unfolding in streets of America today shocks the conscience of every human being with a heart.

“Don’t let America become a police state.@ New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

“When federal agents use lethal force against civilians and then prevent state authorities from fully investigating, it violates the basic principles of a democracy. What it does is makes everyone feel unsafe — everyone. Nationwide over the last 13 months, ICE has detained hundreds of U.S. citizens, and dozens of people have died in their custody.

“Now, Donald Trump’s handpicked leader of the Department of Homeland Security has proven to be unable and unwilling to follow the law to stop these killings. Kristi Noem has referred to these peaceful protesters as “domestic terrorists” and lied about the shooting victims being the aggressors. She told law enforcement officers to put on masks and military fatigues to basically treat the American public as the enemy.

“Governor Hochul: Defend New York!” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

“[Noem] has shown a profound disregard for human life and created a culture where people feel unrestrained in how they’re handling encounters with the people in this country. Kristi Noem has forfeited her right to lead, and I’m calling on her to resign as Secretary of Homeland Security or Donald Trump to do the right thing and just fire her. And if not, she must be removed or impeached. And Gregory Bovino — who has helped lead, and defend and escalate these operations — should also be fired.

“It’s a shame I have to say this in America, but no one is above the law. No one, not an ICE agent, not a federal officer, not the President of the United States. And make no mistake, when these people who have abused the power entrusted to them by their offices are finally out of power, states, including New York, will hold them accountable.”

Here are more photo highlights:

Faithleaders bless the gathering. New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“Jesus said…” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“Jesus Was Woke.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“We Love Immigrants. Hands Off NYC.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“ICE off our streets!” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“ICE out.@ New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“Abolish ICE.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“Justice for Renee Nicole Good.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“Money for Education, not Oligarchs.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“Stop ICE terror. It’s Time for a General Strike.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“Freedom from Fear.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“American Terrorist $: Palantir.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“Racism is the Disease. Revolution is the Cure.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“The Working Class Will Dethrone All Kings.” New York protests ICE and a lawless Trump administration © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

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© 2026 News & Photo Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles,Inc. All rights reserved. For editorial feature and photo information, go to www.news-photos-features.com,email editor@news-photos-features.com.Blogging at www.dailykos.com/blogs/NewsPhotosFeatures

Anti-Trump Activism, Civil Rights, Civil Rights-Human Rights, Donald Trump, Global Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration-Migration-Refugees, Inequality, Military Issues, News & Photo Features, Protest, Public Safety, Health, Security, Social Justice, Trump Administration

New Yorkers Join ‘Free America Walk Out’Protests Marking trump’s Full Year in Office: Year-End Review & Photo Highlights

ICE Out for Good National Day of Solidarity with Minnesota declared for Friday, January 23

Find an event in your area* and explore other ways to take action

New Yorkers stood in frigid cold on January 20, 2026, marking one full year since trump’s return to office, under a “Free America Walk Out” umbrella. A crowd swelled to hundreds across the street from trump tower on Fifth Avenue – one of multiple demonstrations across the city and more than 600 across the country –  to chant, sing and sneer, waving signs calling for ICE OUT NOW, stay out if Greenland and impeach tRump. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
 

By Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com, news-photos-features.com

New Yorkers stood in frigid cold on January 20, 2026, marking one full year since trump’s return to office, under a “Free America Walk Out” umbrella. A crowd swelled to hundreds across the street from trump tower on Fifth Avenue – one of multiple demonstrations across the city and more than 600 across the country –  to chant, sing and sneer, waving signs calling for ICE OUT NOW, stay out if Greenland and impeach tRump. 

The Party for Socialism & Liberation rallies on January 20 to call for revolution by workers to remake America to work for and by the people © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

An hour later an even more animated crowd organized by the Party for Socialism & Liberation, rallied in front of the New York Public Library to call for revolution by workers to throw out the imperialists, capitalists here and around the world, and remake America to work for and by the people. They gave more of a vision of what might happen if Congress doesn’t rein in trump’s daily abuses of the Constitution and dismantling of the institutions that are foundational to a functioning democracy in the United States. They are calling for a general strike, beginning on Friday, January 23, in support of Minneapolis’ plan to strike.

ICE Out for Good National Day of Solidarity with Minnesota declared for Friday, January 23 © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

(Indivisible is organizing an ICE Out for Good National Day of Solidarity with Minnesota declared for Friday, January 23. Find an event in your area* and explore other ways to take action)

“Stand Up. Walk Out. Free America.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Protesters decried the deployment of unconstitutional attacks on Americans in the course of his mass deportation crusade by ICE and other federal agents, decried the invasion of Venezuela and pirating of oil, and his latest threats to take over Greenland whether or not Greenlanders want to be acquired. (No where in his remarks about Greenland does he even suggest that Greenlanders have a say.)

“Greenland is for Greenlanders.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

A review of trump and his administration’s actions during this first year of enacting his Project 2025 shows some predominant themes: extortion and bullying and using gangster tactics to force, intimidate, threaten governments, corporations, universities, law firms, media companies to his will; defying the Constitution and court decisions; use of military force abroad (bombed 7 countries including Venezuela, iran, Nigeria and threatening Greenland) as well as in American cities; not to taking actions for his personal enrichment; unleashing a retribution campaign that overturns the Rule of Law, including pardoning the 1600 January 6 insurrectionists responsible for 5 deaths and injuring 140 Capitol police and turning the entire Justice and law enforcement apparatus for his own benefit, while giving a go-ahead to every fraudster, drug trafficker, domestic abuser who pays him a toll , including selling pardons for millions of dollars. Rule of Law? Pshaw.

“Ice Lies. Moms Die.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Here’s a bit of a Year in Review of what you may have forgotten:

Day One, tRump signed (no doubt using an auto-pen!) 1,600 pardons for the January 6 insurrectionists who tried to overturn the 2020 election, in the process causing 5 deaths and injuries to 140 Capitol officers. With that action, trump sent a message that illegality in the service of Trump will be pardoned (next up, 2026 midterms, then 2028 election!).

He has continued to sell pardons to every fraudster, drug and human trafficker, and domestic abuser who pays him $1 million or more, as well as those who commit violence in support of him.

“No Kings. No Oligarchs. No Dictators..” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

He breaks the Constitution’s prohibition against emoluments by on a daily basis accepting gifts and favors from those who then get favors from his administration, including accepting a $400 million “gift” from Qatar of a jet to be reconfigured for Air Force One at a cost to taxpayers of $1 billion, which he has said he would keep after (if ever) he leaves office. That set the stage for a parade of gifts from billionaires, corporate executives, government heads, climaxing with Machedo bestowing her Nobel peace prize on trump in the hopes he would support her to take over Venezuela’s government (fat chance), on top of the billions of dollars from foreign sources and criminals to purchase and bolster the value of his crypto crap, winning his okay on everything from arms sales and relief from his onerous and unconstitutional tariffs. In justt his first year, he has squeezed $1.4 billion from the presidency for his own pocket, not counting the millions in selling pardons (for which he has forgiven over $1 trillion in restitution to the victims).

Protesters in front of Trump Tower, a reminder that trump regards every negotiation as a real estate deal; also, he went bankrupt five times and stuck taxpayers with the bill. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
 

He has unleashed tariff war (in violation of Constitution which gives that power to Congress), using tariffs to extort countries and companies to do his bidding, while pushing up financial desperation of Americans who pay the tariffs like a tax.

“Resist.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Unleashing DOGE to fire 20% of the federal workforce, shut down agencies, research, and public services, pushing out experts in everything from climate change to public health to cancer research, and decimating the entities that gave the USA “soft power” across the world, such as USAID (shutting it down has already caused 600,000 deaths and growing), and shutting down Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia and Radio Liberty (now moving to force Stars & Stripes to only report positively on Pentagon, while shutting out media entities that did not take a pledge to the Pentagon).

“This is what a patriot looks like.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Trump has cancelled billions in grants, funding to blue states and municipalities (while he charges Democrats who call for police reform as “defunding police” he is the only one who has actually defunded law enforcement), to extort them to follow his anti-immigrant and anti-DEI vendettas.

“Disarm. Defund. Abolish ICE.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

While tRump inherited from President Biden the strongest economy on the planet, his policies have resulted in the loss of 1 million jobs and a breathtaking $2 TRILLION increase to the national debt – even without a global pandemic or Great Recession.

Meanwhile, Americans suffer from inflation that has not come down where Biden brought the rate to, 3%.

“We the People.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

He has withdrawn from every international climate action, immigration, human rights organization and treaty, and is bullying other countries into throwing out the migrants that have sought asylum.

“Hands off Immigrants and Greenland.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

He has unleashed retribution campaign on political enemies, while shifting focus of every law enforcement agency from international crime, cybercrime, election interference, political corruption, drug cartels, human and drug trafficking, domestic violence to his mass deportation crusade, at the same time he has overturned any concept of Rule of Law, fair and equal justice for all, and justice “without fear or favor” – hallmarks of a functioning democracy.

“Fuck ICE.” “Fuck trump.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

He has extorted universities, law firms, media to end DEI and pay him homage – systematically trying to undue and remake the culture that over the last 30 years has become accepting and respectful of differences in race, religion, ethnicity, gender and age. Instead, he has shut down the civil rights division, overturned police brutality consent decrees and instructed the DoJ to instead invite white males to sue for some fantasy of being discriminated against in education or jobs.

“Impeach.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

He has reversed any steps toward environmental protection and climate action – forcefully undoing standards and funding in order to reestablish fossil fuels as the predominant energy of the economy, while also undermining public health. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has basically said that lost lives would no longer be considered in evaluating environmental regulation. Think about that.

‘Hands off our bodies! Hands off our rights.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

His tax policy has shifted trillions of dollars to the top 1% who now have more wealth than the bottom 90% of Americans, while taking away health care from 22 million people, and threatening to topple the entire health care system. He doesn’t care.

“Stand with NATO.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

He has gone after every alliance that has prevented the outbreak of a World War III, and enabled unprecedented prosperity – that is, until he took power. Showing he is merely Putin’s Puppet, he is bringing NATO to the brink of collapse, while he policies have incentivized Putin to continue his genocidal war against Ukraine and Netanyahu to continue his aggression against Gaza (while trump promised he could end the war on his first day, it is Kamala Harris who would have ended the war in Ukraine and in Gaza within months of taking office.)

“Our dissent will only grow.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

And he has provoked war without notifying Congress, let alone get the authorization required under the Constitution (so much for his claim of “ending 8 ½ wars”, spending billions and billions of dollars in order for him to giddily watch the violence unfold on a video screen. And he basically said that because Norway snubbed him for the Nobel Prize, he felt no obligation to pursue peace.) Actually, he is itching to provoke a war because he desperately wants to be a War President, cementing power using Martial Law and the Insurrection Act, let alone having the fantasy of the country patriotically rallying around his flag.

“Does this ass make our country look small?” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Rather than “Make America Great Again” trump’s policies are incentivizing all our allies, from Europe and the United Kingdom, to Canada, Mexico and Brazil to detach from the United States – making new deals with China and Latin America. “America Alone.”

Trump at Davos has embarrassed the United States, yet again, and caused the rest of the world to mock and distrust Americans for bringing back this corrupt, ignorant, degenerate, deranged megalomaniac sociopath to office.

“No Kings.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

In response to Canadian PM Mark Carney describing the tearing apart of the Canada-US alliance as “a rupture, not a transition,” Trump chided, “They should be grateful to us. Canada lives because of the United States, remember that…”

And he mocked European leaders, and dismissed the sacrifices that Europeans made in World War II, and that NATO members, including Greenlanders, made on behalf of the United States after 9/11 – the only time in history when Article 5 was triggered.

“No ICE. No war. No deal.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

If there is a bottom line, it can be summed up this way: Billionaires added more than $1 trillion in wealth in 2025, surging by 16 per cent, three times faster than the past five-year average, to $18.3 trillion The wealthiest 1% of U.S. households held 31.7% of all wealth – $55 trillion– the highest percentage (and the greatest wealth gap) since tracking began in 1989, and exceeds the combined wealth of the bottom 90%. Elon Musk, alone, has more wealth than the combined wealth of the bottom half of the population. The gap is now as great as it was in France at the time of the French Revolution, and during the Gilded Age (before income tax and unions).

Here are more photo highlights of the day’s events:

“ICE out.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“It’s Time for a General Strike.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“From NY to Minneapolis, stop ICE terror.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching for Humanity. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Marching down Fifth Avenue. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“It’s Time for a General Strike.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

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© 2026 News & Photo Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles,Inc. All rights reserved. For editorial feature and photo information, go to www.news-photos-features.com,email editor@news-photos-features.com.Blogging at www.dailykos.com/blogs/NewsPhotosFeatures

Health Care, News & Photo Features, Obamacare, Public Health, Republicans, Trump Administration

Fact Sheet: What’s in Trump’s ‘Great Healthcare Plan’

After 10 years of promising a healthcare plan that would be better and cheaper than the Affordable Care Act , and with a healthcare crisis unfolding as millions lose access to care through unaffordable insurance premiums or closing of hospitals and clinics, Donald Trump has finally come out with a one-page, 827-word plan. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

After 10 years of promising a healthcare plan that would be better and cheaper than the Affordable Care Act , and with a healthcare crisis unfolding as millions lose access to care through unaffordable insurance premiums or closing of hospitals and clinics, Donald Trump has finally come out with a one-page, 827-word plan. It is intended to repeal and replace Obama’s hard-won Affordable Care Act – 1000 pages with 10,000 more detailing implementation –negotiated and compromised over 18 months at a cost of all Obama’s “political capital.”

Let’s be reminded about what Obamacare did – and what Republicans have tried to repeal (and not replace) more than 80 times, doing now by sabotage what they couldn’t accomplish legislatively: it capped the amount that insurance companies could spend on marketing, administration and profit to 20%; it covered children on parents’ policy through age 26; it ended the higher premiums on “pre-existing conditions” (who doesn’t now, after COVID?) and on women just for the likelihood of having babies. Obamacare brought the obscenely high rate of uninsured to the lowest, 7.4% (half of what it had been), and covered a record 24 million in 2025 (50 million since its inception).

The United States, the richest, most powerful, most advanced country in human history, is also the only high-income nation without universal health coverage. Americans pay the most for health care and have some of the worst outcomes. Senator Bernie Sanders, who has been championing universal health care or some version of Medicare for All, says 68,000 people die each year for lack of access to health care. (https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Fact-Sheet_Medicare-for-All-2023.pdf)

Trump’s single-page plan to control the massive $5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry, representing nearly 18% of the nation’s GDP, the largest U.S. employer with over 17 million workers, that only continues to grow because of the aging population, increased demand, and yes, progress in medicine.

It boils down to this: in Trump’s America, health care is a privilege, not a right.

(See Doctors Running to Serve in Congress Blast Trump’s ‘Great Healthcare Plan’)

This is from the White House: –Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com

CALLING ON CONGRESS TO LOWER HEALTHCARE COSTS: Today, President Donald J. Trump called on Congress to enact the Great Healthcare Plan, a comprehensive plan to lower drug prices, lower insurance premiums, hold big insurance companies accountable, and maximize price transparency.
 
LOWERING DRUG PRICES: The Great Healthcare Plan lowers prescription drug prices for all Americans by building on President Trump’s historic actions to reduce costs for American patients.

The Great Healthcare Plan calls for codifying the Trump Administration’s Most-Favored-Nation deals to get Americans the same low prices for prescription drugs that people in other countries pay. This would build off President Trump’s landmark actions that made insulin more affordable in his first term and the successful voluntary negotiations following his recent Executive Order to lower drug prices. Voluntarily negotiated deals with HHS/CMS will be grandfathered in.                                                      

The Great Healthcare Plan makes more verified safe pharmaceutical drugs available for over-the-counter purchase. This will lower healthcare costs and increase consumer choice by strengthening price transparency, increasing competition, and reducing the need for costly and time-consuming doctor’s visits.    

LOWERING INSURANCE PREMIUMS: The Great Healthcare Plan would execute the President’s vision to send money directly to the American people, lower health insurance premiums, and cut kickbacks that raise insurance premiums. 

The Great Healthcare Plan stops sending big insurance companies billions in extra taxpayer-funded subsidy payments and instead send that money directly to eligible Americans to allow them to buy the health insurance of their choice.         

The Great Healthcare Plan funds a cost-sharing reduction program for healthcare plans which would save taxpayers at least $36 billion and reduce the most common Obamacare plan premiums by over 10% according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The Great Healthcare Plan will end the kickbacks paid by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to the large brokerage middlemen that deceptively raise the cost of health insurance.

HOLDING BIG INSURANCE COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE: The Great Healthcare Plan ends the days of insurance companies using complexity to make it difficult for Americans to hold them to account by creating the “Plain English” insurance standard and requiring insurance companies to prominently post the profits they take out of premiums as well as information on the frequency with which they deny care. 

The Great Healthcare Plan creates the “Plain English” insurance standard by requiring health insurance companies to publish rate and coverage comparisons upfront on their websites in plain English—not industry jargon—so consumers can make better insurance purchasing decisions.                                                  

The Great Healthcare Plan will require health insurance companies to publish the percentage of their revenues that are paid out to claims versus overhead costs and profits on their websites.

The Great Healthcare Plan will require health insurance companies to publish the percentage of insurance claims they reject and average wait times for routine care on their websites.

MAXIMIZING PRICE TRANSPARENCY: The Great Healthcare Plan requires any healthcare provider or insurer who accepts Medicare or Medicaid to prominently post their pricing and fees in their place of business and ensure insurance companies are complying with price transparency requirements.

In President Trump’s first term, he issued historic regulations requiring hospitals and insurance companies to post prices in various forms.

The Biden Administration failed to enforce these requirements and took no actions to help patients access actual prices.

The Great Healthcare Plan requires all healthcare providers and insurers to answer to their patients up front on the prices they will be charged—restoring accountability, transparency, and rightly giving power back to patients.

 
DELIVERING ON PROMISES TO LOWER THE COST OF HEALTHCARE: President Trump promised to lower healthcare costs for ALL Americans and The Great Healthcare Plan will build off of critical actions already taken in his second term to help Americans afford high-quality healthcare.

On May 12, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients” directing the Administration to take numerous actions to bring American drug prices in line with those paid by similar nations. Since that time, the Administration has secured 16 deals with major pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices in line with those paid in other developed nations, providing substantial price relief on numerous products taken by millions of Americans.

Shortly after returning to office, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Making America Healthy Again by Empowering Patients with Clear, Accurate, and Actionable Healthcare Pricing Information,” directing the Administration to, after years of neglect by the Biden Administration, promote universal access to clear and accurate healthcare prices. Since that time, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has ramped up enforcement against hospitals out of compliance with price transparency rules, finalized improvements to hospital price transparency rules, and proposed significant improvements to price transparency rules for insurance companies.

In his historic Working Families Tax Cuts law, President Trump expanded access to health savings accounts for up to ten million people on Obamacare, took the most significant actions to reduce healthcare fraud and abuse in history, and made the largest investment in rural healthcare ever.

Civil Rights, Congress, Democracy, Donald Trump, Trump Administration, US Congress

New Democracy Index Finds American Democracy ‘Collapsed’ as Trump Government ‘Slid into Authoritarianism’ in 2025

“While it’s clear that authoritarianism has taken hold in America, we are not without recourse through elections and mobilization.”

Capitol Building, Washington DC. A new Democracy Index finds the US government under Trump in 2025 “slid into authoritarianism,” a historic collapse in just 12 months. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

WASHINGTON—The Century Foundation and Nate Schenkkan, Freedom House’s former director of research, announced the development of a new democracy index, United States Democracy Meter, which finds that the U.S. government under Trump in 2025 “slid well into authoritarianism.” While other established indices have previously found the United States to be gradually declining over the past twenty years, no measure has yet tracked the historic collapse of U.S. democracy on the scale we’ve seen in the last 12 months.

Based on in-depth analyses of the health of state institutions, non-state sectors, individual rights and elections, Century’s Democracy Meter scored the U.S. at a 57 out of 100 this year, down from 79 in 2024—an astonishing 28 percent drop in just one year, a decline so large that it’s typically only seen when countries have coups, our researchers say. To put this in context, our analysis suggests U.S. democracy is at greater risk than at any time since Watergate, and it may even be approaching its pre-Civil Rights Movement lowpoint.

“It’s no secret to anyone watching the world around them that America is suffering from a surge in authoritarianism,” said Nate Schenkkan, the report’s lead author. “But seeing it all laid out—especially against the backdrop of what’s happened in 2026 so far—is staggering and should force everyone to think about how seriously we take preserving and restoring our democracy.”

“Our democracy is not self-executing.  Failing to vigorously defend and improve it only sows the ground for authoritarian movements and actors,”said Thanassis Cambanis, Director of Century International and coauthor of the report. “While it’s clear that authoritarianism has taken hold in America, we are not without recourse through elections and mass mobilization.”

The report reveals that the core problem for the United States is the expansion of the executive branch’s powers, aided by a Republican-controlled Congress’s acquiescence and abetted by a highly ideologically aligned Supreme Court. More than half of America’s overall drop in score was in the evaluation of the category “state institutions,” which covers the executive branch, Congress, the judiciary, and grand corruption. This category fell from 22/30 points to 10/30.

The only category that did not have a decline was elections, with the score holding at 12/15 both years, as the lack of federal authority over election administration has so far prevented the Trump administration from changing the rules of the game. Elections can still be a means of contesting and changing power.

“American democracy is at greater risk than at any time since Watergate, and it may even be approaching its pre-Civil Rights Movement lowpoint.

“The U.S. government has become authoritarian in its intentions and its practices, even if it cannot always achieve its authoritarian goals.”

Alarming but Not Irreversible

“The swift decline of U.S. democracy this year is alarming. It is the result of choices by the right wing of American politics, which is committed to transforming the state from the inside out, and complacency, particularly from elite institutions, about the risk of authoritarianism. Importantly, however, the right wing has not yet succeeded in consolidating an authoritarian system. The United States’ size and diversity, tradition of independent civil society, its wealth, and its decentralized electoral system all make it difficult to keep power.  

“The typical post-World War II democracies to which the United States is most often compared—Canada, Japan, and those in Europe—have not had these sorts of democratic declines. Other less healthy democracies have experienced similar collapses, but only after coups, attempted coups, or major shocks. The democratic decline in the United States over the last year is remarkable in modern history. 

“The first priority for action is to defend the areas that are still robust, and will be needed for democracy to make a comeback. Media, civil society, and the protection of individual rights are essential to halting and then reversing democratic decline. For the opposition to have a chance of winning power, the electoral system needs to be sustained. These institutions need to be protected through legal campaigns, but also through protests, donations, and individual choices.

“The second priority—possible to pursue if there is a change in political power—must be to remedy the gaping structural weaknesses in the U.S. system. The executive’s ability to enact such rapid and extralegal changes in such a short time has been conditional, first and foremost, on the Supreme Court’s highly partisan tilt and the Republican Congress’s abdication of its role. Neither branch has acted to check the executive, and have mostly supported it running roughshod over the law and the constitutional order. When even federal judges are no longer extending to the government the “presumption of regularity,” and are expressing frustration that the Supreme Court operates without clear reasoning, the system is broken.

“Democracy is not self-implementing. Without decisive action to address these issues, it will remain vulnerable to concerted efforts to undermine it. The first responsibility is to defend democracy, and the second one is to rebuild it.”

See the report: https://tcf.org/content/report/centurys-new-democracy-meter-shows-america-took-an-authoritarian-turn-in-2025/

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Protection, Governor Kathy Hochul, News & Photo Features

Governor Hochul Makes $265 Million Available for Water Quality, Climate Resiliency Projects Across NYS; Hails Decision to Allow Offshore Wind to Move Forward

Ashokan Reservoir. Governor Hochul announced more than $265 million in grants to support projects that will help protect drinking water, improve climate resilience, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms, and secure access to clean water. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

I’m betting Nassau County Bruce Blakeman doesn’t bother seeking any of this $265 million in state funding for water quality and climate resiliency projects  because he doesn’t want to give Hochul a win. Likes to claim she hasn’t done anything in 5 years, but that’s because he’s shut County out of all the state programs that would fund infrastructure projects, including making Nassau’s dangerous roads safer. I would also bet that Blakeman, if he (god forbid) becomes NYS Governor, will end the state’s leading climate action and resiliency initiatives, and reverse course like his puppetmaster Trump did, opening the state to drilling and pipelines again, canceling the clean energy projects – wind and solar, EV charging stations – that have been so-hard fought for and just taking hold. Hochul’s focus on water quality and climate resiliency projects is all the more vital coming just after the ex-Long Island Congressman, now EPA Chief Lee Zeldin declared that lives lost would no longer be factored in decisions to regulate air and water quality. Take that in.

Meanwhile, Governor Hochul issued a statement after a federal judge in Washington issued a ruling allowing the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project to move forward – projects considered vital to supplying Long Island with sufficient, affordable energy without contributing to climate change – after the Trump Administration tried to shut them down: – Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com

We just received word that a federal judge in Washington has sided with us and the company Equinor, and other companies who are providers of offshore wind. The developer, Equinor, sued because the Trump administration arbitrarily issued a stop work order on a project that had been underway, contemplated for over a decade as part of our [renewable] energy strategy. The work was done. The platforms are built. Thousands of workers from Long Island to New York City and beyond have been working through all kinds of weather — extreme weather — to do something that is critically important for our energy future and has been contemplated as part of our grid. The Trump administration shut it down, we went to court and now the stop work order must be lifted and people get back to their jobs.

And I’m sick and tired of having to go to court time and time and time again to stop these decisions. They’re designed to do nothing other than hurt workers, hurt our states, hurt our economy and hurt our energy future.

So we won. The federal court ruled in favor of restarting the work at Empire Wind Offshore Wind Project, clearing the way for it to go forward. And this is what we’re talking about, two of these projects that were shut down along the East Coast. Two were in New York, Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind off the coast of Long Island.

They were stopped under the bogus pretense of national security. When I heard this, I said one thing, “I’m the Governor of New York. If there is a national security threat off the coast of New York, you need to tell me what it is — I want a briefing right now.” Low and behold, they had no answer. They had fake claims about radar. Radar can be addressed and handled as it has happened on many other projects in the past.

So, we rallied just last Friday on Long Island, surrounded by hundreds of hardworking union members, environmentalists, residents, businesses, who are part of the supply chain. Businesses, Republicans and Democrats stood together with us to say, “Turn it back on, lift the stop work order.” And I’m really proud that a judge has agreed with this, that the billions of dollars of private investment can stay right here in New York. And also reminding us that energy security is part of national security. We have been contemplating on this for years to literally next year, or perhaps even later this year to turn on this clean renewable energy source, to power half a million homes in Brooklyn alone.

When they shut this down right before Christmas, shut it down, it drove a huge hole in our energy resiliency grid planning. So, I’m proud to say that the company has been successful in court. We’re going to continue doing what we have to do every single step of the way, but for now the wind turbines will be turning on.

–Karen Rubin, editor/news-photo-features.

$211 Million in Water Quality Improvement Grants for 175 Projects Protecting Drinking Water, Updating Water Infrastructure, Reducing Contributors to Harmful Algal Blooms

 $55 Million in Resilient Watersheds Grants for 24 Climate Resiliency Projects To Alleviate Flooding and Safeguard New Yorkers from Severe Weather

Complements Governor Hochul’s 2026 State of the State Historic $3.75 Billion Commitment to Water Quality

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $265 million in grants to support projects that will help protect drinking water, improve climate resilience, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms, and secure access to clean water. The funding complements the historic environmental investments announced earlier this week in the 2026 State of the State, building upon the record support for New York’s premier grant programs that fund critical water infrastructure, protect drinking water and safeguard communities.

“Every New Yorker deserves clean water, which has been a top priority of mine since taking office,”  Governor Hochul said. “These grants continue our critical investments to update aging water infrastructure across the state. They will also help our local governments enhance resiliency against flooding caused by severe weather, again demonstrating our commitment to a safe, affordable, and sustainable future for all New Yorkers.” 

Today’s announcement is supported by funding from multiple grant programs administered by the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) and investments from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund and other sources. The programs help protect New York State communities and water quality, while reinforcing the State’s support for municipalities by making these critical projects more affordable and minimizing the financial burden on local taxpayers. 

More than $209 million was awarded to 131 projects through DEC’s Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program.  WQIP grants fund projects that directly improve water quality or habitat, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency or protect a drinking water source. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

A total of $2.9 million is being awarded to 44 projects through DEC’s Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 System Mapping Grant (NPG) to fund projects that help pay for the initial planning of water quality improvement projects such as replacing undersized culvert, green infrastructure, and State permit-required storm sewer mapping in urban areas. NPG projects reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff entering lakes, rivers, and streams and improve resiliency against the impacts of climate change. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

Governor Hochul also announced $55 million in new grant funding for 24 climate resiliency projects in 15 communities across New York State. EFC, in coordination with DEC, administers the Resilient Watersheds Grants (RWG) program funded through the Bond Act. RWG projects were selected to reflect the diverse, statewide issues that New Yorkers are facing and include stream and floodplain restoration, removal of dams, culverts and other barriers, culvert replacements and property buyouts. The RWG program builds on the success of DEC’s Resilient NY, which delivers state-of-the-art studies of flood-prone, high-risk watersheds across the State. All awarded projects were recommended actions by Resilient NY studies or a comparable flood study.  A full list of grant awards can be found here.

RWG awards include two projects in Yonkers, where an announcement was made with State and local partners. The City of Yonkers will receive two grants totaling more than $6.66 million for culvert replacement and streambank stabilization along Troublesome Brook near the Scarsdale Road and Manhattan Avenue crossings. The announcement also celebrated two WQIP grants in the Lower Westchester area: the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Sleepy Hollow Local Development Corporation will receive $600,000 to construct a salt storage facility and protect water quality in the Hudson River and groundwater. Save the Sound, Inc., will receive $2 million for dam removal and critical habitat restoration along the Bronx River.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said,  ”Since taking office, and most recently in the 2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul continues to provide unprecedented resources to invest in climate resiliency and water infrastructure to support communities across the State. With more than $265 million from multiple programs, including $185 million supporting improvements in environmental justice communities, the awarded projects will help our municipal partners achieve meaningful reductions in flood risk, protect drinking water, improve aquatic habitat and safeguard residents from increasingly severe weather events.” 

New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Maureen Coleman said,  “Governor Hochul is investing billions in water infrastructure every year to help local governments affordably advance crucial water quality and resiliency projects. By pairing Environmental Bond Act funding with other State program funding to support new and signature programs, every dollar goes further and brings New York closer to a safer, more sustainable future. The new Resilient Watersheds Grant program will jumpstart flood-mitigation projects in some of the most at-risk communities while creating good-paying jobs that drive local economies.”

Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “Now more than ever, when the federal government is trying to halt New York’s progress towards environmental goals, it is crucial that our state continue leading on environmental stewardship. Today’s announcement of $211 million in grant funding through the Water Quality Improvement Project Program is a reflection of the Senate’s commitment to ensuring New York’s communities are more resilient to extreme weather events and safeguarding our state’s water resources. I am proud to stand with my partners in government, including Governor Hochul and DEC Commissioner Lefton, to announce these vital investments.”

State Senator Peter Harckham said, “This major investment from the state through water quality improvement grants will ensure public health standards, support local municipalities and businesses, and create good jobs as well. Maintaining safe, accessible drinking water sources and supply systems is integral to future growth and prosperity, and I thank Governor Hochul, my colleagues in the State Legislature and the Department of Environmental Conservation for making the financial commitment to see this through.”

New York State’s Commitment to Water Quality Improvements

Governor Hochul remains committed to ensuring New Yorkers have access to safe, clean drinking water. As outlined in the 2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul is proposing a bold five-year, $3.75 billion commitment to modernize New York’s water systems, providing $750 million annually to provide clean water while also unlocking the state’s economic potential. This historic funding level will also continue to uplift and support New York’s premier water programs, such as WQIP, the Water Infrastructure Improvement program and the Lead Infrastructure Forgiveness and Transformation program. In addition, the new Smart Growth Water Grant Program will fund the essential sewer and water infrastructure required to build new housing and support the state’s growing economy.

Since 2017, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature have invested $6 billion in clean water infrastructure to replace aging water mains, upgrade sewage treatment plants, replace lead pipes, filter toxic PFAS chemicals and much more. The Governor’s new commitment would raise that total to nearly $10 billion.

New York’s Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act  

On November 8, 2022, New Yorkers overwhelmingly approved the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act. State agencies, local governments, and partners will be able to access funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency and create green jobs. Bond Act funding will support new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. A total of $1.9 billion is invested to date. Learn more at www.environmentalbondact.ny.gov.  

About the Consolidated Funding Application 

The grants announced today were issued following completion through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process. The CFA was created to streamline and expedite the grant application process. The CFA process marks a fundamental shift in the way state resources are allocated, ensuring less bureaucracy and greater efficiency to fulfill local economic development needs. The CFA serves as the single-entry point for access to economic development funding, ensuring applicants no longer have to slowly navigate multiple agencies and sources without any mechanism for coordination. Now, economic development projects use the CFA as a support mechanism to access multiple state funding sources through one application, making the process quicker, easier, and more productive. Learn more about the CFA here. 

Public Safety, Health, Social Safety Net, Trump Administration, US Congress

Congressman Suozzi Joins Bipartisan Letter Expressing Outrage at SAMHSA Cuts to Long Island Without Warning

Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) expressed outrage over sudden cuts to grants to Long Island nonprofits providing drug treatment, alcohol counseling, and mental health care, $2 million in cuts to his 3rd Congressional District alone – nationwide 2000 organizations were cut off from $2 billion in funding. After 100 Congressmembers sent a letter to HHS Secretary RFK Jr., the cuts were reversed. “This pattern and practice of cutting programs without warning that not-for-profits are counting on, in the middle of the fiscal year, is unfair, unproductive, and maddening.  While I’m relieved these cuts were reversed, we can’t keep doing this,” said Suozzi. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Washington, DC – Yesterday, the Trump Administration, suddenly and without warning, notified several agencies across Long Island and throughout America of the immediate termination of grants. Several Long Island institutions quickly reported to Congressman Suozzi’s office that nearly $2 million in SAMHSA grants have been cut, and possibly more. Nationwide, 2000 organizations have been cut off from $2 billion in funding.

Congressman Suozzi reached out to the affected organizations. He joined more than 100 colleagues in the House of Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, on the attached letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy to express bipartisan outrage at these sudden cuts. 

“We strongly urge you to rescind all of the terminations immediately. Too many people across the country are suffering without the necessary resources. We must ensure that SAMHSA programs serve their congressionally intended purpose of getting lifesaving resources to our communities,” the letter reads. 

That evening, the cuts were reversed. 

“This pattern and practice of cutting programs without warning that not-for-profits are counting on, in the middle of the fiscal year, is unfair, unproductive, and maddening.  While I’m relieved these cuts were reversed, we can’t keep doing this,” said Suozzi.

“Without warning, grants were terminated. It’s a reckless and awful move that undermines efforts to deliver drug treatment, alcohol counseling, and mental health care,” said Suozzi. “These programs are how we save lives and help our neighbors and loved ones escape the grip of opioids and other addictive drugs. Cutting off already-awarded grants throws organizations into chaos and puts patients at risk. Addiction and mental health crises do not stop mid-year, and neither should the support systems people depend on.”

Nearly $2 million in funding cuts would have impacted organizations in the 3rd Congressional District. CN Guidance has reported $1,250,000 in cuts to programs to address child trauma, drug addiction, and mental health first aid training. The Family and Children’s Association has reported $125,000 in cuts to mental health first aid training. The YES Community Counseling Center has reported $544,970 in cuts to its Bridge Program to curb addiction in young adults.

Suozzi’s office is in contact with local organizations and will ensure their funding cuts are reversed.

The bipartisan letter to Health and Human Services is here.

Anti-Trump Activism, Democracy, News & Photo Features, Republicans, Trump Administration

Clintons Refuse to Testify in House Epstein Investigation as Act of Resistance Against Weaponizing Government

Hillary, Chelsea and Bill Clinton at Clinton Global Initiative 2025. The Clintons have spent their time out of public office developing ongoing programs that benefit millions of people around the world. Over the last 20 years, the CGI community across business, philanthropy, and government – more than 10,000 organizations and individuals – have partnered to launch more than 4,200 commitments that have improved the lives of more than 500 million people in over 180 countries © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

In what can only be considered a kangaroo court intended to trap former President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton in further prosecution (echoing the perjury charge that led to Clinton’s impeachment because, as Senator Lindsey Graham said, “character counts”), the Clinton have refused to testify before the House Oversight Committee. MAGA GOP Chairman James Comer promised to bring charges of contempt of Congress. In a letter to Comer, they lay out why they are resisting this latest act of weaponizing government for retribution and political gain—Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com

Chairman Comer,

We want to take a moment, given everything, to address you directly.

This past year has seen our Government engage in unprecedented acts, including against our own citizens. People have been seized by masked federal agents from their homes, their workplaces, and the streets of their communities. Students and scientists with visas permitting them to study and work here have been deported without due process. The people who laid siege to the U.S. Capitol have been pardoned and called heroes. Agencies vital to the country’s national security have been dismantled. Universities, media companies, and law firms have been subjected to threats to their funding, access, and licensing unless they made concessions and surrendered their right to constitutionally protected free speech. American troops have been deployed on the streets of our towns and cities. The Justice Department has been used as a weapon, at the direction of the President, to pursue political opponents. And most recently and searingly, an ICE agent killed an unarmed mother only days ago.

Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences.

For us, now is that time.

We are lucky by virtue of the positions we held, and the protections afforded by them. But we are not blind. Every day we see the country we have dedicated our lives to improving take step after step after step backwards.

As chairman of this powerful congressional committee, you have immense power to target anyone and subject them to closed door interrogation and more. The decisions you have made, and the priorities you have set as chairman regarding the Epstein investigation, have prevented progress in discovering the facts about the government’s role.

The facts speak for themselves: You subpoenaed eight people in addition to us. You dismissed seven of those eight without any of them saying a single word to you. You made no attempt to force them to appear. In fact, since you started your investigation last year, you have interviewed a total of two people. Two.

A legal analysis prepared by two law firms and provided to you yesterday makes clear your subpoenas are legally invalid. You claim your subpoenas are inviolate when they are used against us yet were silent when the sitting President took the same position, as a former president, barely more than three years ago. We call on you to release that analysis to the public to allow them to see how this is yet another example of the casual disregard of the law of the land. All the while, you have done nothing with your oversight capacity to force the Department of Justice to follow the law and release all its Epstein files, including any material regarding us as we have publicly called for.

Over the last year in the House, extending health care for Americans in any state succeeded only because enough Republicans joined with Democrats. The fact that the public and we are seeing any of the Department of Justice’s Epstein files is only because four Republicans, out of 220, joined every Democrat to reach the minimum number of Members to force a vote. You were not one of those four. Even now, despite the Department of Justice’s failure to follow the law the Congress passed, you have chosen not to consider subpoenaing the sitting Attorney General to follow the law.

Despite everything that needs to be done to help our country, you are on the cusp of bringing Congress to a halt to pursue a rarely used process literally designed to result in our imprisonment. This is not the way out of America’s ills, and we will forcefully defend ourselves.

Indeed, bringing the Republicans’ cruel agenda to a standstill while you work harder to pass a contempt charge against us than you have done on your investigation this past year would be our contribution to fighting the madness.

We have tried to give you the little information we have. We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific. If the Government didn’t do all it could to investigate and prosecute these crimes, for whatever reason, that should be the focus of your work – to learn why and to prevent that from happening ever again. There is no evidence that you are doing so. Instead, you have forced the victims to relive their painful experiences, while doing little to give them and everybody else what’s deserved: truth and justice. There is no plausible explanation for what you are doing other than partisan politics.

You accepted the least from those who know the most but demand the most from those who know the least. To say you can’t complete your work without speaking to us is simply bizarre.

You have asked what we know. To answer your inquiry, we are providing you with the same or more than seven of the other eight individuals you subpoenaed regarding the handling of the Epstein investigations and prosecutions, which may be why you have not publicly released their written statements.

We expect you will say it is not enough. We expect you’ll reject it. You may even set out an empty chair or stand in front of the cameras and outright dismiss what we have provided. We expect you will direct your committee to seek to hold us in contempt. You may even release irrelevant, decades-old photos that you hope will embarrass us. You will say your caucus, and the Speaker and the President are behind you 100%. We hope, perhaps in vain, that they will not allow you to singlehandedly hijack the Congress by unilaterally making this decision for your colleagues, your party, and our country.

You will say it is not our decision to make. But we have made it. Now you have to make yours.

We are prepared to make our case to your 45 committee members, and if need be, more. Importantly, we also will defend ourselves in the public arena and ensure this country knows exactly what you are doing and why you are doing so, instead of helping the American people who need this Congress’s work and protection.

For most people, maybe even the bulk of the Congress, today will be the first they learn of this dispute. We are confident that any reasonable person in or out of Congress will see, based on everything we release, that what you are doing is trying to punish those who you see as your enemies and to protect those you think are your friends.

Continue to mislead Americans about what is truly at stake, and you will learn that Americans are better at finding the truth than you are at burying it.

Continue to pursue autopens instead of penning laws Americans need, and you will learn that you are signing away any remaining chance of being on the right side of history.

Continue to abet the dismantling of America, and you will learn that it takes more than a wrecking ball to demolish what Americans have built over 250 years.

Sincerely,

Bill Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Later, a spokesperson for the Clintons added:

You probably don’t know this because James Comer doesn’t want you to. President and Secretary Clinton swore to the truth under penalty of perjury. James Comer hasn’t told you that and has instead resorted to lying in every appearance he’s made this week. 

We are fighting back with facts and accountability. 

He is lying with impunity.

FACT: Bill & Hillary Clinton took the extraordinary step of – without being asked – each submitting comprehensive statements to Jim Comer directly in two documents. Each was a sworn legal document listing everything they have to offer. Read what the Clintons said. It’s a lot. And when Comer says it’s not enough, he won’t admit he was given the opportunity to tell us what else he wanted. 

TRUTH: Below is what the Democrats on the Committee said today. It’s all worth reading – but the most important part is in bold. The Clintons have provided sworn legal statements (attached), going above and beyond what others Comer excused have done. You can see for yourselves how comprehensive they are, how little the Clintons know, and why there is absolutely no reason for them to appear. We have, from the beginning, over and over, approached this process in a good faith and truthful manner and will continue to do so, no matter the transparent game he is playing.

If you’d like to see any of the letters we’ve sent to Comer, or the sworn declarations provided by the other individuals he’s excused, we’re happy to share those as well. As a comparison, you can see how much more we provided. 

Statement read into the record today by Oversight Committee Democrats. 

Committee Democrats support cooperation with the Committee and believe that anyone with firsthand knowledge of the crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, or the actions of their co-conspirators, should come forward and provide that information to the Committee. That commitment flows directly from Oversight Democrats’ determination to pursue the truth about the horrific crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell—no matter where the facts lead.

With today’s proceeding, the Majority has relentlessly pursued Secretary Clinton, yet the Majority has taken no steps to enforce the duly issued, bipartisan subpoena for the release of the full Epstein files in the possession of the Department of Justice. Nor has the Majority moved to compel numerous other witnesses with firsthand knowledge of Epstein’s criminal enterprise—including Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell—to appear before this Committee. 

Adding to these concerns is President Trump’s direction to his Attorney General, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation—via a Truth Social post—to initiate a criminal investigation into prominent Democrats, including President Clinton, to distract from his own close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.  And President Trump likewise has, for years, famously and repeatedly demanded that DOJ investigate and prosecute Secretary Clinton.

President Trump’s targeting of the Clintons is part of a continuing pattern in which President Trump has weaponized the Department of Justice against his perceived political enemies, including, among others, former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and most recently, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Against that backdrop, Oversight Democrats have grave concerns about the President’s publicly stated expectation that DOJ and the FBI will incriminate leaders of the opposition party, as well as the President’s demonstrated willingness to use the nation’s law enforcement agencies to distract from his own lengthy relationship and interaction with Epstein.

Finally, yesterday the Committee received factual declarations from former President Clinton and Secretary Clinton regarding their interactions with Jeffrey Epstein. I am entering those declarations, both dated January 13, 2026, together as Exhibit A.

Committee Democrats reaffirm that this investigation is not political and not partisan. Its purpose is truth and justice for the victims and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes.

See: CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE STEPS UP COMMITMENT TO MEET UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES TO CLIMATE ACTION, GLOBAL HEALTH, HUMANITARIAN AID, DEMOCRACY, FREE PRESS

Governor Kathy Hochul, Gun Violence Prevention, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul, Public Safety-Crime-Law Enforcement

Safer Streets: Crime in NYC Falls in 2025, NYC Remains Safest Big City in USA

New York City remains the safest big city in the country. New 2025 data released by the NYPD show that the city is safer above and below ground, with murders, retail theft, robberies, and subway crime continuing to decline. Shooting incidents and the number of individuals harmed by gunfire also reached record lows last year across the city © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch today announced that New York City remains the safest big city in the country. New 2025 data released by the NYPD and detailed this morning during a press conference show that the city is safer above and below ground, with murders, retail theft, robberies, and subway crime continuing to decline. Shooting incidents and the number of individuals harmed by gunfire also reached record lows last year across the city.

“When I became Governor, I made keeping New Yorkers safe my top priority and tackled crime head-on in New York City and across the state. Since then, I have made unprecedented investments in police and public safety – more than $3 billion – to make New York’s neighborhoods and subways safer,” Governor Hochul said.“Our aggressive approach is paying off: crime has fallen to record lows, making New York a safer place to live, work and visit. I look forward to continuing this work with Mayor Mamdani, Police Commissioner Tisch and the brave men and women of law enforcement who sacrifice so much to ensure New York remains the safest big city in the country.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, “Last year, New York City had its safest year for gun violence ever. This achievement—among many others—is a testament to the leadership of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the dedication of the NYPD, and the tireless work of community-based organizations that help keep our neighborhoods safe. This work, however, is not done. Together with Police Commissioner Tisch and Governor Kathy Hochul, we will continue to drive down crime—addressing the needs of New Yorkers and working with our officers to deliver public safety.”

“These historic reductions in crime did not happen by chance or accident — they are the direct product of a deliberate, data-driven strategy achieving unprecedented public safety milestones for New York City,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said. “The NYPD drove shooting incidents and shooting victims to the lowest levels in recorded history and delivered the safest year on our subway system, outside of the pandemic era, since 2009. These numbers describe an agency that’s firing on all cylinders: taking down violent gangs, removing thousands of guns off the street, and shattering record-low violent crime numbers. New York City is still the safest big city in the country, thanks to the extraordinary work of the women and men of the NYPD who answer the call every day to protect and serve.”   

The following data were compiled by the New York City Police Department as of December 31, 2025.

Record-Lows for Shooting Incidents and Victims, Shattering Previous Records 

In 2025, New York City recorded 688 shooting incidents, shattering the previous record low set in 2018 by 10 percent with 66 fewer shootings (688 vs. 754). Compared to 2024, shooting incidents declined 24 percent, a staggering 216 fewer shootings (688 vs. 904). In the fourth quarter of 2025, shooting incidents decreased 36 percent (134 vs. 211) compared to the same period last year. In December, there were only 35 shooting incidents citywide — the fewest shootings ever recorded in any single month in New York City history. 

For comparison, Chicago – a city of roughly 3 million people — recorded more than 1,400 shooting incidents last year, more than double New York City’s total, despite having roughly one-third of the population. Philadelphia — less than one-fifth of the size of New York City, with 1.5 million people — recorded more than 825 shooting incidents in 2025.    

The number of people shot in New York City also fell 5 percent to a historic low in 2025 with 856 shooting victims citywide, compared to the previous low of 897 reported in 2018. Compared to 2024, shooting victims declined by 22 percent, a stunning 247 fewer people shot (856 vs. 1,103). In the fourth quarter, the number of shooting victims fell by more than 34 percent (161 vs. 246), with December experiencing the lowest victim total ever recorded.    

The historic decline reflected a citywide effort, with reductions across all five boroughs in 2025 and Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island each recording the lowest number of shooting incidents in their history. Shooting incidents declined by 38 percent in Manhattan, 26.7 percent in Staten Island, 25.4 percent in the Bronx, 24.4 percent in Queens, and 15 percent in Brooklyn.

The NYPD’s work to remove guns from the streets and take down the most dangerous gangs also helped achieve historic lows in shootings. Last year, officers seized more than 5,293 illegal guns and NYPD detectives carried out 70 gang-related takedowns, getting the most dangerous criminals off the streets and out of our communities. 

Reductions in Major Crime Across All Five Boroughs   

In addition to addressing gun violence, the NYPD successfully drove down major crime by implementing a data-driven, precision policing strategy that resulted in consistent declines throughout the entire year. The Department deployed an unprecedented number of officers assigned to nightly foot posts to areas with high crime across precincts, public housing, and the subway system. This targeted strategy led to a three percent decline in major crime in 2025 (121,542 vs. 125,026). 

Across the city, murders declined by 20.2 percent (305 vs. 382), with 77 fewer murders compared to 2024. In December, there were only 15 murders citywide, down nearly 38 percent from 2024 (15 vs. 24). Alongside those reductions, the NYPD’s Detective Bureau maintained a murder clearance rate of 69 percent in 2025. Murders also decreased in four of the five boroughs. On Staten Island, murders fell by more than 60 percent in 2025, with no murders reported in December. Murders decreased 33 percent in Manhattan, 24 percent in Brooklyn, and 18 percent in the Bronx. In Queens, murders increased seven percent.  

Citywide, robberies declined by nearly 10 percent, with 1,600 fewer incidents compared to last year (15,065 vs. 16,696). For the month of December, robberies declined by 15 percent (1,039 vs 1,224). Burglary dropped nearly four percent (12,777 vs. 13,301), marking the third consecutive year of declines. In December, burglary decreased by more than 15 percent (1,017 vs. 1,201) and by 9.9 percent (3,168 vs. 3,518) in the fourth quarter. Auto theft decreased by five percent (13,520 vs. 14,233) citywide in 2025, with a nearly eight percent (3,127 vs. 3,386) drop in the fourth quarter compared to 2024. Grand larceny declined nearly two percent (48,034 vs. 48,963).   

In the city’s housing developments, crime declined by 3.6 percent (5,794 vs. 6,009). Hate crimes decreased by 12 percent compared to 2024 (576 vs. 657). Antisemitic incidents were down three percent, but still accounted for 57 percent of all hate crimes reported in 2025, despite Jewish New Yorkers representing approximately 10 percent of the city’s population. 

Rape incidents increased by 16 percent (2,049 vs. 1,767). The rise in reported incidents is partly attributed to legislative changes made in September 2024 that importantly broadened the legal definition of rape in New York State to include additional forms of sexual assault.

Domestic-violence-related rapes increased by 25 percent, and now account for roughly half of all reported rape cases citywide. To address this concerning trend, the NYPD launched the Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) in October 2025 — the largest unit of its kind in the nation with 450 fully dedicated domestic violence investigators — to investigate domestic violence cases, build stronger relationships with survivors, and receive enhanced training. The NYPD continues to encourage survivors of sexual assault to come forward and report these incidents. 

Felony assault increased slightly: 29,792 vs. 29,684, or 0.4 percent. During the month of December, however, there were 106 fewer felony assault victims compared to the same period in 2024 (2,235 vs. 2,341), a decrease of 4.5 percent citywide. The increase in felony assaults is largely driven by assaults on public sector employees and domestic violence. Assaults on public sector employees, which include police officers, increased by roughly 25 percent in 2025. Domestic violence incidents accounted for 41 percent of recorded felony assaults. To address this issue directly, the Domestic Violence Unit will continue its work with providers and survivors to prevent and investigate domestic violence incidents.

Safest Year on the Subways in 16 Years, Excluding the Pandemic Years   

Below ground, the NYPD delivered the safest year on the subways since 2009, excluding the pandemic years. For six consecutive months, major crime on the subways declined, contributing to a four percent reduction in 2025 (2,160 vs. 2,251). Officers recovered an all-time high of 77 firearms, which helped drive a reduction in shooting incidents from eight to three as well as a reduction in shooting victims from 14 to three. This decline in violence also contributed to a drop in murders in the subway system, which reached their lowest levels in five years and declined by 60 percent (four vs. 10) from 2024. 

Transit robberies reached their lowest levels ever, including the pandemic years, and fell 12.5 percent (398 vs. 455), compared to last year. Grand larceny pickpocketing within the subways declined to its lowest level outside of the pandemic years, down nearly 44 percent (122 vs. 217), compared to last year. 

In January, the NYPD strategically shifted officers onto trains and platforms where the vast majority of transit crime — 73 percent in 2025 — occurs. Governor Hochul secured $77 million in the current state budget to support this effort and has committed to funding an additional $77 million for enhanced patrols in her FY 27 Executive Budget proposal. This additional funding and targeted deployment has led to a more secure, orderly transit system. New Yorkers are feeling the results: a recent MTA poll revealed that seven out of ten subway riders say they feel safe in the transit system, an increase of 12 percent from the start of 2025. Finally, the NYPD continues to deploy drones to monitor, respond to, and intervene in subway surfing incidents.  Drones enabled 163 rescues and overall subway surfing incidents declined 37 percent (11 vs. 16) compared to 2024. 

Addressing Retail Theft

In addition to these historic declines the NYPD’s revamped strategy on retail theft led to a 14 percent (52,696 vs. 61,328) decline in retail theft citywide compared to 2024. Last year, the NYPD developed and executed a new strategy to respond to retail theft, a recidivist-driven crime, including identifying the patterns driving retail theft, concentrating resources at high-propensity locations during peak hours, and shifting from pass-through enforcement to sustained investigation.