Thousands of Americans turned out in the South Bronx Thursday night to support former President Donald Trump and hear how he plans to reverse the perilous trends that have begun or worsened under the Biden administration.

Despite leading with the headline, "Trump bombs the Bronx," Axios acknowledged that the "sight of Trump speaking to several thousand people in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in deep blue New York is a sign of the realignment happening between the two parties."

"Trump's GOP is becoming more working class and a little more multiracial," the publication noted. "Democrats are gaining with more well-educated voters in the suburbs."

Just weeks after suggesting black children in the Bronx "don't even know what the word 'computer' is," and calling a New York Supreme Court justice an "extremist" for following the law, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul concluded on CNN's "The Lead" Thursday that the constituents of this diverse crowd of working-class Americans were "clowns."

Host Jake Tapper led into Hochul's seeming "basket of deplorables" moment by noting, "Donald Trump, former President Trump, he's holding an event shortly in the Bronx in an effort to attract voters of color, Latinos and African Americans — historically a loyal voting block for Democrats, especially African Americans."

"The truth is this is, this is a sport, this is politics of margins. What more do Democrats need to do to solidify and mobilize their base?" asked Tapper.

"Well, I'll tell you what won't make a difference at all Jake and that is for Donald Trump to be the ringleader and invite all his clowns to a place like the Bronx," said Hochul. "New York will never, ever support Donald Trump for president. We know him better than anyone and that means we understand what he's all about is just for himself. So this state will go solidly behind Joe Biden for president as it has in the past."

'Biden only leads Trump — whose negative favorability rating is not much worse than Biden's — by a 'narrow' nine points.'

Trump only nabbed 16% of the vote in the borough and 37.8% of the vote in the state in 2020 — a state that has not thrown its support behind a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan — yet he assured the enthusiastic crowd, "We're going to win New York," and implored them to vote in numbers "too big to rig."

A Wednesday Siena Poll indicated that the delta is no longer insurmountable: Biden only leads Trump in New York 47-38%.

“In a state that hasn't voted for the GOP candidate for president since Ronald Reagan 40 years ago, and where Democrats hold a 26-point enrollment advantage over Republicans, Biden only leads Trump — whose negative favorability rating is not much worse than Biden's — by a 'narrow' nine points," said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.

"While 18% of Democrats support Trump, only 9% of Republicans support Biden, and independents are evenly divided, 37-37%," continued Greenberg. "There is only a small gender gap as Biden leads with men by five points and with women by 12 points."

In other words, the so-called ringleader's tent is more populous than Hochul may like to think.

Hochul told Tapper, "So, if he wants to spend his time doing these made-up fake rallies and pretending there is support here, be my guest because while you're doing that, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's out there on the other side, making sure he is delivering for Americans. And so go ahead, spend all the time you want in New York because we'll be with Joe Biden, and Joe Biden is out there winning over the rest of the battleground states."

Biden is currently failing to win over the rest of the battleground states.

'Right now, this election is about President Biden's economic record and America's economic future.'

A Cook Political Report survey released Thursday indicated that in a horse race including third-party candidates, Trump is leading Biden in Arizona by 4 points, in Georgia by 4 points, in Michigan by 3 points, in Nevada by 8 points, in North Carolina by 8 points, and in Biden's home state of Pennsylvania by 3 points. The two are presently tied in Wisconsin.

In terms of a head-to-head, Trump is leading Biden by 1 point in Arizona, 3 points in Georgia, 2 points in Michigan, 9 points in Nevada, 7 points in North Carolina, and 3 points in Pennsylvania. Again, in a head-to-head they are dead even in Wisconsin.

"Right now, this election is about President Biden's economic record and America's economic future," said GS Strategy Group president Greg Strimple. "When it comes to who voters trust to move the economy forward, Trump is in the driver's seat."

While abortion remains an animating issue for Democrats, the pollsters indicated Biden's advantage on the issue isn't enough to "offset Trump's overall strength on bringing down the cost of living."

Watch the full rally here:

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New York deploys National Guard in subway to reduce crime, but is that what it's really about?

It appears woke cities are beginning to acknowledge that their soft-on-crime policies are actually encouraging more crime. Funny how that works.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, for example, has decided to send 750 National Guard troops to New York City’s subways to crack down on the growing violence.

While crime in the subway is up 45% year on year, Glenn Beck doesn’t believe a pseudo-military state is the best solution.

“She says that’s going to help with crime in the subways,” Glenn says, but “there’s another way to do that.”

That other way, of course, is enforcing the laws and jailing criminals, rather than mimicking the stop-and-frisk method.

“So, she sends in 750 uniformed National Guard soldiers with orders to search bags for weapons and other dangerous stuff — so, isn’t that stop and frisk? I think that is,” Glenn says.

In one recent story that illustrates Glenn’s point of enforcing the law and jailing criminals, four people were arrested in connection to three incidents of human remains being found on Long Island.

All four were charged on Wednesday with first degree hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, and concealment of a human corpse. All four pleaded not guilty; however, they have not been charged with the murder of the two victims.

They’re now on unsupervised release.

“Wouldn’t it be better to put the people who are charged with crimes, even grizzly, heinous crimes, into jail, and not let them right back out on the street? I’m just saying, that’s an idea,” Glenn says.

Glenn believes there’s a reason the increase in crime and the real solutions are being ignored — and it’s not mere incompetence.

“This administration is doing nothing but empowering all the people that would love to see us live in chaos,” Glenn says.

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NY Gov. Kathy Hochul announces plans to use 'surveillance' to monitor hate speech on social media

The woke state of New York is using “hate speech” and “safety” to justify monitoring citizens’ social media accounts using surveillance technology.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who Sara Gonzales says “is in the competition for the worst ever,” recently came out with a statement claiming that New York is ramping up its surveillance protocols in an effort to counter online negativity.

“We're very focused on the data we're collecting from surveillance efforts – what's being said on social media platforms – and we have launched an effort to be able to counter some of the negativity and reach out to people when we see hate speech being spoken about on online platforms. … Our Social Media Analysis Unit has ramped up its monitoring of sites to catch incitement to violence [and] direct threats to others, and all this is in response to our desire, our strong commitment to ensure that not only do New Yorkers be safe but they also feel safe,” Hochul stated.

“Of course, she is saying this in relation to the anti-Semitic attacks that are going on,” says Sara, who acknowledges that the “pro-Palestine rallies that are happening [are] very, very unnerving,” but that doesn’t excuse the “problems with government monitoring your speech on social media.”

Sara astutely points out that this is coming from the same party that said Donald Trump “incited violence … on January 6 when he told people to peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard.”

That and the fact that people in the U.K. are literally being arrested for “deadnaming or misgendering someone online” in the name of “hate speech” has people concerned that Hochul’s efforts are about a lot more than just monitoring anti-Semitism.

The problem with policing people’s social media platforms for “hate speech” and “inciting violence” is the matter of who gets to determine how those terms are defined.

“Don’t get me wrong,” says Sara, “a credible threat is a credible threat and should be treated as such.”

Unfortunately, from what we’ve seen from the left, “hate speech” can be as benign as disagreeing with the newfound gender ideology, and “inciting violence” can amount to encouraging people to exercise their right to peacefully protest.

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9-year-old abducted while on family camping trip found alive in cupboard of suspect's trailer: Governor

Charlotte Sena, a 9-year-old girl from Saratoga County, went missing Saturday while on a camping trip with family in upstate New York. Police suspected that she had been abducted and was "in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."

Hundreds of first responders, family members, and friends scoured Moreau Lake State Park and the surrounding area for the girl, hoping to find the child unscathed.

Following a tactical raid on a trailer just miles away from the family's home, New York State Police announced Monday night that the fourth-grader had been found "safe and in good health."

According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Charlotte's "abductor is behind bars."

While police employed various high-tech aids in their search, it appears what ultimately led them to the girl was the suspect's brazenness.

What's the background?

TheBlaze previously reported that the NYSP issued an AMBER Alert Sunday morning, indicating that the girl, from Greenfield, New York, had been abducted on Saturday around 6:45 p.m. near Moreau Lake State Park, Loop A, Site 18, in Gansevoort. The alert noted the girl "was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."

Missing posters noted that the girl is blonde, green-eyed, 4 feet 6 inches tall and 90 pounds, and had last been seen wearing her bike helmet, an orange Pokemon shirt, and dark blue pants.

Charlotte Sena was out bike-riding with friends but had elected to do one more loop down a paved road, which cut through a heavily wooded area.

When she didn't return after 15 minutes, her family began looking for her.

Police indicated that her bicycle was located in Loop A around 6:45. Two minutes later, her mom called 911 to report Charlotte missing.

Bloodhounds, divers, forest rangers, air boats, ATVs, and drones were deployed in the search that followed, which ultimately involved roughly 400 people. The FBI and 34 volunteer fire departments also jumped in to assist state and local law enforcement.

Moreau Lake State Park was closed to the public, and the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted the airspace over the park to protect search aircraft.

Trisha, Charlotte Sena's mother, told the Albany Times Union her daughter is a "good kid" and "trusting," stressing, "I just want my daughter back."

The Sena family told NBC News in a statement, "We just want her returned safely like any parent would. No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all."

Hand-delivered evidence

Hochul told CNN that around 4:20 a.m. on Monday, the suspect "literally drove up to the family's mailbox assuming they were not home" and left an apparent ransom note.

The NYSP had been monitoring the home while the child's parents continued their search in Monreau Lake State Park. However, when the suspect hand-delivered the note, police were absent, having reportedly been called to another scene. While thus able to slip away, the suspect unwittingly left critical evidence behind: his fingerprints on the letter.

"That was instrumental in leading us directly to the suspect," added Hochul.

The police reportedly tested the note for fingerprints and searched law enforcement databases for a match. Although unsuccessful in their first attempt, the second search resulted in an apparent match to fingerprints from a 1999 DUI conviction in Saratoga, according to Newsweek.

After investigators identified 46-year-old Craig Nelson Ross Jr. as their suspect and ascertained that he was living in a trailer behind his mother's home on Barrett Road, Milton, two SWAT teams were dispatched.

Around 20 Special Operations Response Team members and an FBI SWAT team reportedly made entry just after 6 p.m. on Monday.

"They had what they call a dynamic entry tactical maneuver, and within the camper they located the suspect," said Hochul.

Ross got banged up in the process, having reportedly resisted arrest.

— (@)

Police found the 9-year-old stowed away in a cabinet in the trailer.

"She knew she was being rescued," said Hochul. "She knew she was in safe hands."

"Law enforcement teams were relentless in finding this little girl — putting the pieces together and leaving no cabin unturned — to bring Charlotte home to her parents," Hochul wrote on X. "Charlotte is safe and her abductor is behind bars tonight."

The Albany Times Union indicated that Ross' arrest was made less than three hours after NYSP said the search had been expanded over 46 linear miles.

It is unclear whether Ross knew of the Sena family prior to the abduction; however, Newsweek noted that his car registration is listed at an address near the Sena family home.

FBI joins search for missing 9-year-old Charlotte Senayoutu.be

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'When the nightmare begins': FBI joins the search for 9-year-old feared to have been abducted while camping in upstate New York

Nine-year-old Charlotte Sena is feared to have been abducted Saturday whilst on a camping trip with her family in upstate New York's Moreau Lake State Park.

The FBI has joined the search, and the 4,691 acre park has been closed until further notice amid growing concerns that the little girl faces "imminent danger."

What are the details?

The New York State Police issued an AMBER alert Sunday morning, noting that Sena, from Greenfield in Saratoga County, is believed to have been abducted on Saturday around 6:45 p.m. near Moreau Lake State Park, Loop A, Site 18, in Gansevoort, New York. The alert indicates the girl "was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death."

Sena is described has having long, blonde hair and green eyes, standing at 4 feet 6 inches tall, and weighing around 90 pounds. She was last seen wearing an orange tie-dye Pokemon shirt, dark blue pants, and a gray bicycle helmet. Police ask anyone with information pertaining to the abduction to call NYSP at 518-457-6811 or to dial 911.

— (@)

WCBS-TV reported that the fourth-grader had been biking with friends, but had elected to do one more loop alone down a paved road, which threads through a heavily wooded area.

"Last evening, she went out on a bike ride; it wasn’t dark, right around dinnertime, and did a couple of loops with close friends she considers her cousins," said Gov. Kathy Hochul. "And then she decided, after going around True Bay, she said she just wanted to go around one more time by herself – be that big girl, do it by herself."

"Literally 15 minutes later, she hadn't come back yet," continued the governor. "And that's really when the nightmare begins."

"At approximately 6:45 p.m., Charlotte's bike was located in Loop A, and at 6:47 p.m., Charlotte's mom, Trish, called 911 to report the child missing," said NYSP Lt. Col. Richard Mazzone.

Yesterday, 9-year-old Charlotte Sena went missing in Moreau State Park.\n\nFor more than 18 hours teams from @nyspolice, @NYstateparks Police, Forest Rangers, UAS, and URT have been searching the grounds.\n\nMy heart is with Charlotte's family and loved ones as the search continues.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@Governor Kathy Hochul) 1696188454

The search underway

Jené Sena, an aunt of Sena, told USA Today that the past few days have been a "nightmare" for her family, adding that the girl's parents and over 30 family members are helping police in their search.

Trisha, Sena's mother, told the Albany Times Union her daughter is a "good kid" and "trusting," stressing, "I just want my daughter back."

The Sena family told NBC News in a statement, "We just want her returned safely like any parent would. No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all."

Extra to bloodhounds, divers, forest rangers, air boats, and ATVs, police are utilizing drones and other technology in their sweep of the park.

In addition to on-the-ground efforts, police have also been working to trace cellphones utilized in the area around the time Sena went missing and gathering surveillance video, reported WCBS.

The Times Union reported that the FBI is now assisting the NYSP in the search.

As of early Monday, hundreds of personnel from various state agencies, including members of the Schenectady Fire Department, were reportedly combing the area for the girl.

FBI joins search for missing 9-year-old Charlotte Senayoutu.be

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Mayor Eric Adams admits influx of illegal aliens under Biden 'will destroy New York City'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) used to have to travel by plane to feign heartbreak at the fallout of what she claimed was a "manufactured crisis." Owing to the Biden administration's failure to secure the southern border, Ocasio-Cortez recently admitted she has been spared the need to leave New York City for a repeat performance, as "this crisis is in our own backyard."

Ocasio-Cortez is not the only open-borders and sanctuary city champion in NYC now unable to ignore the devastating impact of Democratic policies and mismanagement.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams' campaign to have fliers distributed at the U.S.-Mexico border telling illegal immigrants not to make life more difficult for him appears to have failed, leaving him at wit's end.

At a town hall on the Upper West Side Wednesday night, Adams stressed that "this issue will destroy New York City."

"Let me tell you something, New Yorkers: never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to. I don't see an ending to this," said Adams. "We're getting 10,000 migrants a month. One time, we were just getting Venezuela. Now we're getting Ecuador. Now we're getting Russian-speaking coming through Mexico. Now we're getting Western Africa. Now we're getting people from all over the globe that made their minds up that they're gonna come through the southern border and coming to New York City."

The New York Times indicated that over 100,000 illegal aliens have stormed the city, overwhelming services intended for down and out American citizens. Having had its 200 shelters maxed out, the city has been dumping illegal aliens into humanitarian centers, converted hotels, school gymnasiums, and religious buildings, as well as imploring citizens to do what Adams is unwilling to do himself: bring the unwelcome guests into their homes.

The city is also looking to enroll nearly 20,000 migrant children in public schools this fall, which may similarly have an adverse impact on the legal population.

Though apparently unwilling to stem the flood of illegal traffic into the country, the Biden administration has suggested that NYC offload its problem to federal-owned facilities farther afield, such as a tax office on Long Island and Atlantic City International Airport, reported Bloomberg.

However, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) appears keen to respect NYC's sanctuary status, stating, "We cannot and will not force other parts of our state to shelter migrants, nor are we going to be asking these migrants to move to other parts of the state against their will."

The cost to NYC of reaping the whirlwind of Democrats' open-border policies and sanctuary city invitations has grown to at least $12 billion just to house and care for the illegal aliens. This price tag has prompted Adams to demand that the Biden and Hochul administrations "step up."

Adams underscored Wednesday, "We have a $12 billion deficit that we’re going to have to cut. Every service in this city is going to be impacted, all of us."

"I said it last year when we had 15,000 and I'm telling you now with 110,000. The city we knew, we're about to lose, and we are all in this together, all of us," he added.

Adams took a not-so-subtle shot at President Joe Biden, noting that "month after month I stood up and said this is gonna come to a neighborhood near you. Well, we're here, we're getting no support on this national crisis."

While the mayor made a veiled dig at Biden, he saved his most vicious barb for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has bused illegal aliens to sanctuary cities around the nation, proving every time leftists' rhetoric to be hollow. Even though the Republican governor is desperately trying to solve their shared problem — having his latest effort thwarted once again by the Biden administration and a federal judge — Adams suggested Abbott is a "madman."

TheBlaze recently noted that a new Siena College poll found that 82% of New Yorkers called the migrant crisis serious and 52% called it "very serious," having likely become unable to ignore the multitudes of illegal aliens straining the system, some of whom are contributing to the city's worsening crime.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) emphasized that this is a "crisis of their own making."

"It's very similar to cashless bail," said Lawler. "When you create a sanctuary city policy that invites migrants to come regardless of their status, you are going to get a lot of people coming, and now they can't handle the influx."

— (@)

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Tearing Down Trump

New York AG appealing ruling that prevented Democratic governor from throwing Americans in quarantine camps for indefinite periods without review

Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James is appealing a 2022 court ruling throwing out a state regulation over its glaring illegality. If successful, James' appeal will restore the power to Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration to arbitrarily detain American citizens for indefinite periods and force them into quarantine camps.

What is the background?

The regulation, Section 2.13 "Isolation and Quarantine Procedures," was adopted and enshrined in the New York Code, Rules and Regulation in February 2022. It went into effect April 22, 2022.

This regulation enabled the state commissioner of health to "issue and/or ... direct the local health authority to issue isolation and/or quarantine orders ... to all such persons as the State Commissioner of Health shall determine appropriate."

"For the purposes of isolation orders, isolation locations may include home isolation or such other residential or temporary housing location that the public health authority issuing the order determines appropriate," read the regulation.

Those detained at home or in a New York concentration camp without trial or proof of infection were to be monitored "to ensure compliance with the order."

In April 2022, state Senator George Borrello (R), Assemblyman Mike Lawler (R), and Assemblyman Chris Tague (R) joined pro-freedom citizens' group Uniting NYS in suing Gov. Kathy Hochul, Department of Health Commissioner Bassett, the Department of Health, and the Public Health and Health Planning Council over the New York's forced "Isolation and Quarantine" regulation.

Borrello said, "From the start of the pandemic I was deeply concerned that the expansive ‘emergency’ powers that were given to the Executive Branch would establish a permanent precedent. Unfortunately, that is precisely what we are seeing here in New York State."

"It’s an unconstitutional overreach that violates the required separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government. It must be challenged," added Borrello.

Tague said, "This policy’s aim to forcibly isolate law-abiding citizens is reminiscent of actions taken by some of the ugliest tyrannical regimes history has ever known. It has no place standing as law here in New York, let alone anywhere in the United States."

Their suit claimed that the Hochul administration not only lacked the statutory authority to promulgate 10 NYCRR 2.13 "Isolation and Quarantine Procedures," which had been adopted as an emergency regulation on Feb. 22, 2022, but that it was "not the least restrictive way in which Respondents could try to achieve their goal."

The lawsuit intimated that Hochul and others had acted in a despotic manner, having "exceeded their executive powers, thereby usurping the power of the NYS legislature" and "misleading the public."

They noted that it violated the NYS Administrative Procedure Act, the Separation of Powers doctrine, and Public Health Law and had been enacted "against the will of the NYS Legislature which refused to act on the topic."

New York Judge Ronald Ploetz happened to agree.

In his July 2022 decision, Ploetz noted that "adoption of Rule 2.13 was invalid of the pre-existing provisions adopted by the Legislature."

"Involuntary detention or hospitalization ... triggers Constitutional protections including the right to counsel ... as well as proof of the need for detention by clear and convincing evidence," wrote Ploetz. "No such due process protections are afforded by Rule 2.13. The Commissioner has unfettered discretion to issue a quarantine or isolation for anyone, even if there is no evidence that person is infected or a carrier of the disease. Further, the Commissioner sets the terms, duration, and location of the detention, not an independent magistrate."

Ploetz underscored, "Involuntary detention is a severe deprivation of individual liberty, far more egregious than other health safety measures, such as requiring mask wearing at certain venues," noting that it could result in unemployment and family breakdowns.

The regulation was deemed "null, voice and unenforceable as a matter of law."

Hochul and her administration were also prohibited from both enforcing 2.13 or readopting it.

The Democratic fight to detain Americans on a whim

The Brownstone Institute reported that on March 13, 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) formally submitted an appeal to overturn Ploetz's ruling and restore the illegal quarantine regulation.

Rather than file an appeal before the November elections, during which Hochul and James were on the ballot, the Brownstone Institute noted James waited until the January 2023 deadline came around.

Concerning the belated appeal, Sen. Borrello said in a statement, "It is disappointing, but not a surprise, that state officials have chosen to pursue an appeal of Judge Ploetz’s ruling declaring Rule 2.13 unconstitutional and 'null and void.' Their actions are an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars and an attempt to defend an indefensible policy. The constitutional separation of powers and the right of due process are principles that cannot be compromised."

"This case has been on solid ground from the start and Judge Ploetz’s ruling only confirmed that. The notion that a state agency could unilaterally adopt a policy that mandates authoritarian-style isolation and quarantine procedures would have been unimaginable a few short years ago," said Rep. Lawler. "However, the extreme government control and overreach that was disturbingly normalized during the pandemic has given rise to actions like this one. It has to stop and that is why we won’t give up."

Assemblyman Tague stated, "This unconstitutional power-grab must be stopped in its tracks. If Rule 2.13 is allowed to stand, I guarantee that we will see more frightening intrusions on our civil liberties in the years ahead."

"I am calling on the governor and the attorney general to accept the court’s ruling and stop this waste of taxpayer resources on this futile fight," said Tague.

Bobbie Anne Cox, the attorney instrumental in bringing the lawsuit against Hochul's health regime, wrote on her Substack, "Every New Yorker, every American, should know that our government wants complete and utter control to lock you up or lock you down, with no proof that you are sick, for an indefinite amount of time, regardless of age, and with no path for release once imprisoned."

While James appears keen on enabling the Democratic governor to lock up law-abiding citizens, the attorney general has been an advocate for no-cash bail and a critic of police conducting arrests during traffic stops, in both cases helping to keep criminals on the streets.

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The Rick & Bubba Show - LIVE - Oct. 27, 2022

As crime rates soar, New York Gov. attempts to 'improve public safety' by changing law so that 'inmates' will now be referred to as 'incarcerated individuals'

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has just signed a law that stipulates "inmates" in her state will now be referred to as "incarcerated individuals," a move that is unlikely to stymie the surge in violent crime that has recently plagued nearly every major metropolitan area in America, including New York City.

According to a statement released by her office, Hochul claims that the language change will help "justice-involved" persons feel better about themselves and may perhaps encourage them to engage more seriously in their rehabilitation efforts.

"Individuals impacted by the criminal justice system have long noted that terms such as felon, inmate, prisoner, and convict dehumanize individuals and perpetuate the idea that incarcerated people should be permanently demonized and stigmatized," the statement reads in part. "This language change within state law will reduce stigma against people involved in the criminal justice system and therefore eliminate barriers to opportunities that they face."

Hochul also added that "[b]y treating all New Yorkers with dignity and respect, we can improve public safety while ensuring New Yorkers have a fair shot at a second chance."

Democratic state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who sponsored the legislation, agreed.

"For too long, we as a society have thought of incarcerated individuals as less than people," Gustavo said. "The use of the word ‘inmate’ further dehumanizes and demoralizes them. This is another concrete step our State is taking to make our criminal justice system one that focuses on rehabilitation, rather than relying solely on punishment."

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo actually signed the legislation making the language change last summer. However, due to legal technicalities, the law had to be re-signed in the 2021-2022 legislative session, according to WYRK.

While Cuomo, Rivera, Hochul, and other New York officials appear optimistic that the change in language will dramatically alter the self-esteem of convicted criminals, it is unlikely to alter the wave of violent crime in New York City or the depleted morale of the NYPD who have been charged with combating it.

Fox 5 NY reports that violent crime on NYC subways last month was up 57% over July 2021. Meanwhile, big city police departments are struggling to attract new recruits and retain those already on staff.

"We’re getting more calls for service and there are fewer people to answer them,” said Philadelphia police spokesperson Eric Gripp. “This isn’t just an issue in Philadelphia. Departments all over are down and recruitment has been difficult."

Still, Gov. Hochul remains confident that the new law "correcting outdated terminology" will mitigate the "harmful stigma against incarcerated people."