A rabbi was caught along with seven other men allegedly trying to arrange for underage sex, and he was caught with a damning item.

The sting operation was conducted by the New York State Police in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation between Aug. 27 and 28 in Onondaga County.

The men allegedly arranged to have sex through text messages and believed they were doing so with a teenager.

The eight men were charged with attempted rape in the second degree, according to a state police release.

Court documents indicated that an undercover officer pretended to be a 14 or 15 year old during the operation. The men allegedly arranged to have sex through messaging apps and believed they were doing so with a teenager.

All of the men separately arranged to have sex at hotels or at hotel parking lots in Syracuse, Liverpool, or Salina.

"Each one of these individuals came in contact with law enforcement during their search for an actual child," said Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Woodfork for Onondaga County.

Police said Rabbi Peter Schaktman was arrested for trying to arrange sex with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old boy. He allegedly had sex lubricant in his possession at the time.

Schaktman and the following four men were arrested on Aug. 27:

Jarod M. Groah, age 42, from Frankfort, NY
William D. Sheehan, age 53, from Syracuse, NY
John L. Dejesus, age 34, from Syracuse, NY
Xiaoqing Qi, age 37, from Syracuse, NY

These three men were arrested on Aug. 28:

Marvin D. Knapp, age 44, from Syracuse, NY
William D. Whitfield, age 41, from Seneca Falls, NY
Kevin M. Lapoint, age 65, from Cicero, NY

Temple Emanu-El, a Jewish temple in Utica, released a statement saying the rabbi was suspended over the heinous allegations and they were cooperating completely with law enforcement.

"Temple Emanu-El is shocked and deeply troubled by the serious criminal charges involving Rabbi Peter Schaktman," the temple said. "We recognize the sadness, confusion, anger, and many unanswered questions this news may create for members of our congregation and the broader community. Our thoughts are with all those who may have experienced harm and with their loved ones."

The eight men were arrested in separate cases unrelated to each other.

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AOC made socialism cool. Now the socialists want her gone.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is trying to remain the darling of the Democratic Party while keeping one foot in the socialist movement that made her famous. If the rumors of a 2028 presidential run are real, that balancing act is about to get much harder.

The Democratic Socialists of America draw the fault line. The word “socialism” still repels plenty of mainstream voters, and recent candidates have discovered how quickly old radical rhetoric can become a liability. Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong lost after her old “Cancel Thanksgiving” post resurfaced. In Minneapolis, Omar Fateh’s mayoral campaign took heat over a video in which he appeared to pledge loyalty to Somalia.

For years, Ocasio-Cortez made socialism look glamorous to young progressives. Now the socialists are asking whether she is still socialist enough.

The DSA’s celebrity ecosystem is not helping. Hasan Piker, the radical-left streamer, went viral again for saying “America deserved 9/11” and calling himself a “terrorist supporter.” Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, once friendly with Piker, has since tried to downplay that relationship.

AOC is trying to hold onto the movement without letting it dictate the terms of a national campaign. That is becoming difficult because the DSA itself keeps moving left.

Its new platform calls for abolishing the presidency, the Senate, and the Supreme Court, along with police and prisons. Last month, the organization celebrated Fidel Castro as an “organizer,” a “fighter,” and “a stalwart symbol of anti-imperialist struggle and self-determination.” DSA co-chair Ashik Siddique was unable to offer much of a defense when CNN asked how the Castro tribute would play with Florida voters.

The tension burst into the open after a recent interview in which Ocasio-Cortez emphasized her membership in New York City DSA rather than the national organization and brushed aside questions about why she had not endorsed other DSA candidates such as Hong.

The DSA’s Liberation Caucus, which openly embraces Marxist-Leninist-Maoist politics, fired back. It withdrew support for a hypothetical AOC presidential run, accusing her of a “retreat from socialist politics,” insufficient solidarity with Palestine, and failure to participate in the group’s “Federal Socialists in Office” work. It warned that a presidential campaign would bring “even more capitulations to the imperialists.”

That is AOC’s problem in miniature. The politician most responsible for making democratic socialism fashionable now risks becoming too mainstream for the people who helped build her brand.

Sarah Rice/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The DSA has grown quickly. Membership doubled from roughly 50,000 in 2020 to more than 100,000 by 2026 and reached about 120,000 by July. Growth, however, has exposed factions: a national organization, local chapters with different political incentives, and ideological caucuses competing to define what socialism is supposed to mean.

That makes national politics awkward. The DSA wants influence without compromise, but influence in a coalition party requires compromise almost by definition. The more successful one of its politicians becomes, the more likely activists are to accuse that politician of betrayal.

AOC is now caught in the trap she helped build. To become a plausible national Democrat, she must reassure voters who recoil from communism, Castro nostalgia, police abolition, and revolutionary theater. To keep the DSA left happy, she must prove she has not been domesticated by Washington.

For years, Ocasio-Cortez made socialism look glamorous to young progressives. Now the socialists are asking whether she is still socialist enough.

Shane and Joe show us what real activism looks like

It all started on a patch of waterfront property in New York, right next to the East River.

The latest wave of perceived liberal activism made its way to Joe Rogan and Shane Gillis' ears through the sage wisdom of a traveling entertainer: They were tearing apart a park.

'The park should be defended!'

Instead of a sign-wielding mask-wearer debating the merits of universal basic income and banning landlords, the news came from comedian Ari Shaffir. Typically, Shaffir is telling tales about getting an exorcism in South America or doing stand-up comedy in China, but this time he was looking to stop the destruction of a beloved New York City landmark.

Shaffir told Rogan and Gillis about Manhattan's East River Park, land that had been torn apart by floods from Hurricane Sandy. In response, New York City officials planned to raze the park, add eight feet of dirt, and rebuild the park anew on top, all in the name of flood prevention.

Activists agreed with Shaffir and said removing access to the 57 acres next to the water was unfair to locals.

Gillis did not agree.

"You're not defending parks!" he said, badgering Shaffir. "F**k that park!"

"The park should be defended!" Rogan chimed in.

From that moment, "Protect Our Parks" was born: an impromptu news panel with no preparation and no censorship, addressing actual issues.

Averaging between 2 million and 5 million views per episode on YouTube alone, the series of podcasts has not only become one of Rogan's most popular iterations, but it has become a battle of political perspectives.

Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis/Getty Images

Across 17 episodes and counting, Gillis brings his Bud Light-American viewpoint, backed by historical knowledge. This is often at odds with Rogan's "question everything" mantra, while Shaffir offers real-world traveler's experience.

The fourth member of the group, Mark Normand, is admittedly usually on substances and just looking to add punch lines. He's not lacking in intellect; he just picks his punches.

The resulting conversations within the group often turn out to be newsmakers because of the sheer number of viewers each comedian represents. Normand has a quarter-million podcast subscribers on YouTube alone and another 2 million+ social media followers. Shaffir has well over a million combined, too. Add those to Gillis' and Rogan's reach, and each episode is dwarfing network news.

Most recently, discussed topics ranged from immigration and trans athletes to Ulysses S. Grant and the Civil War. The opinions are unpredictable.

When Rogan talks about how the WNBA "can't define what a woman is," or when Gillis declares America needs "somebody who’s willing to abuse their executive power," progressive minds will not be surprised.

But when Shaffir says the U.K. "hate[s] immigrants so hard," viewers understand this isn't an echo chamber.

In fact, the show is far closer to a real discussion than anything cable news could hope to accomplish. No filters or network notes means Gillis can counter anti-American hearsay from Rogan while Normand criticizes Israel to Shaffir, even if viewers label the show as "compromised."

Critics have further attempted to demonize the podcasts for having hypocritical moments, or "effortlessly" forgiving "racism" by even having these discussions.

But others have seen the forest through the trees; friends don't let each other get away with everything. One video, seen 250,000 times, compiled Gillis' opposition to Rogan's political views. This is not exactly partisan programming.

Progressives should get on board with protecting our parks. If they want to chant, ad nauseum, "Show me what democracy looks like!" (and they do), perhaps they will get their answer by watching.

As for East River Park; the city agreed to reconstruct the area in parts to allow access to different sections at different times. However, the project that started in 2021 is still unfinished to this day.

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NY woman who allegedly thanked Allah for 9/11 schemed to BOMB state Capitol — and aimed to ATTACK White House

A plot to bomb the New York state Capitol and kill lawmakers has been thwarted, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The 35-year-old woman had allegedly planned to kill as many as possible, destroy as much of the building as she could, and then escape to the ISIS-controlled territory in Syria.

She posted anti-American messages that included, 'Praise be to Allah for September 11th.'

Jessica Bowie was arrested on Wednesday as she gained possession of what she believed to be an explosive device for her mission.

The criminal complaint said Bowie was documented running reconnaissance on the Capitol building numerous times.

Bowie allegedly outlined her deadly plot to an informant.

"I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting. I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well," she is quoted as saying.

"I want it to have a affect on the American system. And destroy some of the taghut," she added, which the agent said referred to anything that takes a person's focus away from Allah.

The charging documents went on to say that she wanted to return to commit acts of terrorism against other targets including the New Year's Eve celebration in New York City as well as the president in the White House.

She also posted anti-American messages that included, "Praise be to Allah for September 11th," as well as an indication that she pledged allegiance to ISIS.

One image included in the release was of Bowie allegedly scanning items at a Home Depot that included nails to be included in the bomb.

Bowie made her initial appearance in federal court on Thursday after being arrested at a McDonald's near her residence on Sherman Street.

She was charged with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. She faces a possible sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted as well as a fine of $250,000.

"This case is yet another example of how this FBI is built to not only identify threats of terrorism quickly, but to stop their alleged plots before they are able to harm the American people," said Matt Fodor of the FBI National Security Branch.

"This is just the latest example of this FBI stopping an alleged terrorist in their tracks - in 2026 we’ve already disrupted 400+ such attacks at home and around the world," read a statement online from FBI Director Kash Patel. "For any individual who may be considering harming Americans in the future: know that we will find you."

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FBI descends on disgraced Democrat Eric Swalwell: Report

The FBI raided Eric Swalwell's home in the national capital on Sunday as part of an ongoing investigation into sexual assault allegations against the former Democratic congressman from California, sources familiar with the probe told CNN.

The previous day, federal agents reportedly confronted Swalwell at the San Francisco International Airport and confiscated his electronic devices.

'End the scourge of domestic violence and sexual assault.'

When asked for comment, a spokesman for the Justice Department told Blaze News, "We don't comment on the existence of investigations or lack thereof."

The FBI declined to comment.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported in early April than a former congressional staffer had accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her twice while she was allegedly too intoxicated to consent. The woman also alleged that the Democrat sent her an image of his penis via Snapchat.

Three other women accused Swalwell of various forms of sexual misconduct. One of the accusers, a woman named Ally Sammarco, alleged to CNN that Swalwell sent her unsolicited nude images.

Swalwell responded in a video statement claiming that "these allegations are flat false."

Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

"I've certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife," said the Democrat.

Despite his protest and denials, the damage was done.

Swalwell — shown in newly declassified FBI documents to have allegedly admitted to having sex with suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang — ultimately ended his gubernatorial campaign in California and resigned from Congress in April.

In the wake of the damning reports, both the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office launched investigations into possible wrongdoing on Swalwell's part.

In L.A., Swalwell is accused of allegedly drugging and raping a woman named Lonna Drewes in 2018.

Swalwell is also alleged to have sexually assaulted a former staffer in a New York City hotel room in April 2024.

Swalwell's attorney did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Swalwell is apparently being held to his own standard. After all, he noted in March 2021, "There’s nothing political or partisan about acting decisively to end the scourge of domestic violence and sexual assault."

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VIDEO: Socialist New York lawmaker gets absolutely TORCHED for claiming theft is caused by poverty

A New York state assemblywoman who identifies as a democratic socialist went viral online after posting a video of herself claiming that people steal toothpaste and soap because of poverty.

The socialist dogma that theft is caused by wealth inequality is a common claim that was also proclaimed by far-left Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

'Tolerating crime leads to escalation of crime. This has been proven in every society across time and ours is no different.'

"Most of what we say were crimes of poverty, people who were stealing things like toothpaste, people who were stealing things like soap. And that means if you're stealing those things, you need them," said Emily Gallagher during a speech in front of the Manhattan Criminal Court Thursday.

"And we are choosing to protect billion-dollar companies like CVS and Walgreens over the people who are struggling to get by," she added. "So I would say that the true crime is that there is such incredible wealth disparity in this city that there are people who can be thrown in jail simply for having a biological need."

Gallagher went on to say she's pushing for more treatment rather than jail and called on people to defend previous criminal reforms that are being threatened by "fearmongering" by "the right-wing media."

Her post of the speech clip went viral after critics lambasted her claims and hit her with ridicule.

"This is such tired rhetoric. People steal for opportunity more than need. Where do you think that tube of toothpaste ends up? On the street. For sale. To buy drugs. I know. I used to do that all the time. Just tell the truth. Stop lying," responded a recovery advocate.

"They definitely should be incarcerated for stealing. Otherwise nothing prevents people from stealing, stores close or lock up merchandise, life gets worse for the 99% of people who have no intention of stealing," said another critic.

"Tolerating crime leads to escalation of crime. This has been proven in every society across time and ours is no different. I've endured poverty and unfair circumstances but NEVER did I steal," read another reply.

"Something tells me you’d feel differently if someone stole your lunch," joked one user.

Despite the online blowback, Gallagher defended her comments and again implied that people are getting imprisoned for stealing toothpaste.

"Using arrests and jail as a way to punish struggling people doesn't reduce crime. Each incarcerated person costs the state over $500,000 in taxpayer dollars per year, and the data from decades of trying this tired approach is clear — it does not work," she said to Fox News Digital.

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Shotgun-toting homeowner blasts tires out of burglary suspects' car — and alleged crooks hilariously fall in line

A homeowner in Richmond, New York, noticed something on his home security system Sunday night that prompted him to call 911 — and also to grab his shotgun and confront the disturbance himself.

"He was receiving live surveillance footage of two individuals entering a property that he owns," Undersheriff Michael Rago of the Ontario County Sheriff's Office told WHAM-TV. "He lives close by, and while he remained on the phone with the 911 center, he responded to the location."

'We actually received a 911 call from one of the occupants in the residence.'

The homeowner arrived to find a suspicious vehicle parked discreetly on the property and lights flickering inside the home, Rago added to the station.

With that, the homeowner called out to those inside his property and shot out the vehicle's tires, WHAM said.

"At that time, we actually received a 911 call from one of the occupants in the residence, stating that they were in there and that they were going to cooperatively exit with their hands up," Rago added to the station.

When deputies arrived, they took 19-year-old Alexandria Mosher and 22-year-old Dominick Wood, both of Lima, into custody, WHAM reported.

Deputies found Mosher and Wood in possession of items from inside the home, the sheriff's office told the station, adding that the pair were charged with second-degree burglary before being released after their arraignment.

The homeowner has not been charged, the station said.

"A word to the wise is to understand ... when you can and can't use deadly physical force," Rago noted to WHAM. "This wouldn't be considered deadly physical force. ..."

The undersheriff also offered the following advice, according to the station: "At the end of the day, you know ... we don't need more victims. We don't need victims injured. We don't need suspects or defendants, you know, injured. ... I come back to being a being a good witness for law enforcement."

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New York rabbi nabbed in underage sex sting — and brought disgusting item to hotel, cops say

Success Academy Sues New York State For Suppressing AP Test Scores

AOC made socialism cool. Now the socialists want her gone.

Shane and Joe show us what real activism looks like

Whistleblower In Letitia James’ Office Says He Was Ordered To ‘Target Trump’

NY woman who allegedly thanked Allah for 9/11 schemed to BOMB state Capitol — and aimed to ATTACK White House

FBI descends on disgraced Democrat Eric Swalwell: Report

VIDEO: Socialist New York lawmaker gets absolutely TORCHED for claiming theft is caused by poverty

The Supreme Court Sanctioned Immigration Birthplace Fraud, But Not Marriage Fraud

Shotgun-toting homeowner blasts tires out of burglary suspects' car — and alleged crooks hilariously fall in line

SF Giants commentator compares gays to black people as 'oppressed' minority following Christian protest

Are victims of parental abuse exempt from God’s command to honor their mother and father?

Surrogacy Left These 21 Children Parentless After Alleged Abuse. Until It’s Banned, They Won’t Be The Last

Fleetwood Mac’s real breakup story: Death before motherhood

Pro-Abortion Culture, Not Just Abortion Itself, Is Dangerous And Deadly For Women

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