New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent plea for wealthy residents to return to the Empire State reveals more than she likely intended. When a state’s chief executive effectively says, “We need your money,” it’s not a sign of strength, it’s an admission that the model is broken.

Her plea to well-to-do former residents comes across as a comedy skit: New York is already overtaxed and overregulated, but please come back as we are in the process of enacting higher taxes and imposing more anti-growth regulations. 

For years, New York has operated under the illusion that ever-higher taxes and ever-expanding government services can coexist with economic dynamism. That illusion is now colliding with reality. High earners, the very people who fund a disproportionate share of the state’s budget, have been leaving for places like Florida, where the tax climate is lighter and the regulatory burden far less suffocating. 

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The problem isn’t that wealthy New Yorkers suddenly lost their civic spirit. It’s that New York has made it increasingly irrational to stay.

Start with spending. Under Hochul, state spending has surged by roughly 20%, an increase so large it exceeds the entire budgets of many states. That growth isn’t driven by necessity; it’s driven by a political culture that treats taxpayer dollars as an inexhaustible resource.

Consider Medicaid, one of the biggest cost drivers. New York spends more per recipient than any state in the nation, with total program costs reaching into the tens of billions annually. More than a third of residents are enrolled, far above national norms. This isn’t compassion, it’s inefficiency on a grand scale. When nearly half the population depends on government health programs, the system isn’t just generous; it’s structurally unsustainable.

Compare that with Florida. The contrast is stark. Florida has no state income tax, a smaller Medicaid footprint and significantly lower per-capita spending, yet it continues to attract businesses, investment and people.  Its economy has grown faster, its unemployment rate has been lower, and its population is rising, not shrinking.

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Meanwhile, New York piles on additional burdens through regulation, especially in New York City, where zoning rules, labor mandates and compliance costs make it extraordinarily expensive to build, hire, or expand. These aren’t abstract complaints; they translate directly into higher housing costs, fewer job opportunities and slower growth.

The state’s defenders argue that these high taxes fund vital services. But that raises a more fundamental question: does New York truly need to provide all the services it currently does, at the scale and cost it does so?

When public school spending far exceeds that of other states without delivering superior outcomes, or when healthcare costs dwarf those elsewhere with no clear advantage in results, the issue isn’t funding, it’s governance. Throwing money at problems is not the same as solving them.

Hochul’s appeal to wealthy taxpayers inadvertently underscores a dangerous dependency. A fiscal system that relies so heavily on a small number of high earners is inherently fragile. When those taxpayers leave, as many already have, the entire structure begins to wobble.

If the governor is serious about keeping successful, productive people in New York, the solution isn’t to beg them to return. It’s to make the state worth staying in.

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That means lowering marginal tax rates, not threatening to raise them. It means reining in spending, especially in massive programs like Medicaid, through efficiency reforms and eligibility discipline. It means rolling back excessive regulations that choke business formation and drive up costs, particularly in New York City.

Most importantly, it means rethinking the role of government itself. New York doesn’t need to be everything to everyone. It needs to be a place where ambition is rewarded, not penalized.

The wealthy won’t return because they’re asked. They’ll return when New York once again earns their investment.

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Vanilla Ice is mourning the loss of his late co-star Chuck Norris, who passed away at the age of 86 on March 19.

The 58-year-old rapper, singer and actor, who was born Robert Van Winkle, teamed up with Norris for the forthcoming comedy-action film “Zombie Plane.” 

During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the “Ice Ice Baby” hitmaker recalled working with Norris on what would become the action icon’s final movie.

“What a legend,” he said. “And you know to have him at 86-years-old be in the movie with us and full on there, man, like just would still kick our a–!”

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 “He’s America’s bada–,” Vanilla Ice continued. “We all knew that his wasn’t just Hollywood fluff. He was real. This guy could really put a foot of whip a– on you and send you down, man, some kind of scissor kick or something, and you’d never see it coming. And he was always in great shape.”

“I mean this guy was just — if you want to pattern yourself after someone’s life, this dude is awesome, man,” he added. “He’s definitely one of the true American heroes out there and one of mine for sure.”

Vanilla Ice shared how he initially reacted to the news of Chuck Norris’ death, noting that it immediately brought a wave of memories. 

WATCH: VANILLA ICE SAYS HIS LATE ‘ZOMBIE PLANE’ CO-STAR CHUCK NORRIS ‘WOULD STILL KICK OUR A–’ AT 86

“I found out about Chuck’s passing today, man, and it was just a sad moment,” he said. “The guy was a legend.  But, wow, you know, anytime a legend goes like that, you instantly think back to all the movies. The first one is obviously his most famous one, ‘The Way of the Dragon’ with Bruce Lee. You can go all the way through the 80s’ with ‘Delta Force,’ too, I don’t know, ‘Expendables.’” 

“I guess the last film he did was with me, which hasn’t even been released yet,” he continued. “And that definitely hit me home. So I’ve already talked to most of the people that are on the production and our hearts all dropped because he was such a sweetheart, such an awesome dude and a legend.” 

“All of us were super excited to have him in this film,” Vanilla Ice added.

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The Grammy Award nominee recalled his final conversation with Norris, describing how the former karate champion expressed his excitement about filming “Zombie Plane” and was especially enthusiastic about the film’s action elements. 

“Oh man, we were joking because we made a comedy, you know, it’s a zombie plane, so to all the zombie fans out there, there’s quite a few of them — Chuck Norris is now a member of the zombie family, and it’s amazing,” he said with a smile.

Vanilla Ice remembered telling Norris about “Zombie Plane” during a FaceTime call while the “Jump Around” singer was already filming the movie in Australia.

“I was explaining it to him, and we showed him some clips, and he’s like, ‘Oh heck yeah, that is awesome,'” Vanilla Ice recalled. “Because there’s a lot of whoop a– in there, and he loves that stuff, I mean, why wouldn’t he? But action is his thing and this was a perfect action movie and for him to be in there is just such a huge honor for all of us, man. Even the production and everybody, man, not just me, but you know, to have somebody like that, a legend in there, it’s just poof.”

Vanilla Ice told Fox News Digital that he was thrilled when he first learned that Norris was joining the cast of “Zombie Plane.”

“When I found out that he was gonna be on board — I mean I got excited right then and there,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Whoa, wait a minute really, did I hear that right? Don’t tease me on that because that’s one of my American heroes right there for sure.’ And what an honor and a big wow and that’s where I was at on that.”

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“And I’ve seen his part, and it’s amazing,” Vanilla Ice continued. “I mean the guy has it. He’s all there, and he really crushed it in this role.”

WATCH: CHUCK NORRIS CO-STAR VANILLA ICE SAYS LATE ACTION ICON ‘CRUSHED IT’ IN HIS FINAL ROLE: ‘ONE OF MY AMERICAN HEROES’

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Vanilla Ice recalled that he was starstruck when he first met Norris years ago at a Hollywood event, sharing that he had idolized the action star when he was growing up. 

“I had to kind of geek myself over to him because I’m such a fan,” Vanilla Ice said. “I didn’t even know if he knew who I was but he did. But he was much cooler to me, you know what I’m saying, and he was super nice and just shook my hand and what a great dude, man.” 

He continued, “And you know, you feel intimidated a little bit when you’re next to someone like that, because you remember as a kid, even before I was born, he was making movies, but all the way through.”

“I mean, he’s got tons of movies, and as a kid like me, who is into motocrossing and jumping skateboards and bicycles and always coming home to mom and bloody or muddy or stitches — this guy was our hero,” he added.

“We had Evil Knievel, Chuck Norris, we had Bruce Lee, he was an American hero too. But you know what I’m saying, Chuck Norris was the man. And to fit so many different roles so perfect, they all kind of fit around him and just, it was him. It was always him.”

A plot synopsis for “Zombie Plane,” which is slated for theatrical release in 2027, reads: “When a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles is overrun by zombies, an eclectic band of passengers – led by celebrities-turned-secret agents – must unite to save humanity.” In the action comedy, both Norris and Vanilla Ice play fictionalized versions of themselves — elite operatives known as Agent Chuck Norris and Agent Vanilla Ice.

The film also features a large ensemble cast including Sophie Monk, Ice-T, Brian Austin Green and Cody Simpson, along with a range of celebrity cameos.

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Vanilla Ice recalled that he was so eager to see Norris in the film that he pleaded with a producer to send him some unedited clips of his performance. 

“‘Don’t be one of those guys that says you got to wait till it’s finished. Let me see something man. This is Chuck Norris,'” Vanilla Ice remembered telling the producer.

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 “And he did, and he sent me these clips and different clips of him doing it and, oh, what a pro man!” Vanilla Ice said with a laugh. “For me to see him doing this and being a part of this movie is awesome.”

WATCH: CHUCK NORRIS’ FINAL CO-STAR VANILLA ICE RECALLS HIS LAST CONVERSATION WITH ACTION LEGEND BEFORE HIS DEATH AT 86

“And I think people are gonna love this as zombie people,” he continued. “It’s a hilarious movie. Quite a few cameos in this movie too. And it’s just awesome, top to bottom. And I wish that it wasn’t his last movie. I wish he had many, many, more. But I mean, you know, hey, I’ll take it right now for 86. I will take a contract. I mean that’s a good life.”

Reflecting on Norris’ life and lasting legacy, Vanilla Ice said, “It’s sad to see him go, man. But let’s remember him through his movies and through what we know through pop culture. And he’s a humongous part of American pop culture, of the world, you know? But he’s close to our hearts here.”

“Everybody’s mourning a legend today and he will definitely not be forgotten man,” he added. “That guy has laid a mark and made his mark on this earth.”

Loyal CNN viewers and critics alike were taken by surprise last week at the “experimenting” some of its on-air talent dabbled in.

Anderson Cooper began anchoring his primetime show Wednesday from the newsroom instead of his studio, positioning himself at a table normally used as CNN data guru Harry Enten’s work station, Fox News Digital learned.

Cooper has appeared without a jacket and with rolled-up sleeves while speaking into a large desk microphone. And during a panel discussion, he and his guests discussed the Strait of Hormuz with a physical map on the table, a departure from the interactive map Cooper had used earlier in the week.

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On Friday, Jake Tapper anchored the first hour of “The Lead” from his office similarly accompanied with a large microphone on his desk.

“So, you’re probably wondering what’s going on, why we’re in my office for the first hour of ‘The Lead’ today. So, it’s an experiment,” a tieless Tapper told viewers. “This is my actual desk where I do my actual work, not the desk in the studio. And we thought we would bring you into the space where we and my team do our actual journalism and plan the show every day.”

Tapper showcased his office decor filled with memorabilia from losing presidential campaigns while guests of his sat on the couch adjacent to his desk.

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While Tapper’s experiment lasted only the first hour of Friday’s show, Cooper’s is ongoing — carrying over into this week. 

For some, the image of the large microphones invoked the members of the late CNN icon Larry King or revered broadcaster Edward R. Murrow. But for others, the aesthetic changes were made to have the CNN anchors look more like podcast hosts.

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However, their colleagues say the so-called experiment “didn’t work.”

“Look, I’m all for experimentation. The network has been static for far too long. I applaud the experimentation,” one CNN insider told Fox News Digital. “The question is whether this is the experiment you want to be running? But the good news is that if doesn’t work, you can try something else.”

Regarding CNN’s effort to podcastify their shows, they say talents like Cooper and Tapper don’t fit the mold.

“You need looser personalities, not just looser sets,” the network staffer said.

A second CNN staffer says the changes that were made on Cooper and Tapper’s shows were an attempt by CNN at “being something we aren’t.”

“Podcasts are a place people go not because of the look, but because of the product,” they said. “Joe Rogan, as the obvious example, is all opinion. He’s smart and all those great things, but ultimately he’s not trying to be a journalist.”

“There’s room for that on primetime, on cable, including CNN,” they continued. “But Jake, what he is, is not what podcasts are. Anderson? He has a very successful podcast. But Anderson — the news anchor — that’s a different thing. There is room for many things. TV isn’t podcast, even though podcast has video.”

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Not everyone soured on Cooper and Tapper’s on-air experiment. A third CNN staffer told Fox News Digital they “liked” what the anchors have done. Former CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza applauded his ex-employer for trying out different formats.

“Would you rather them keep doing the same old, same old that isn’t working?” Cillizza asked on X.

However, defenders were outnumbered by critics who mocked Cooper and Tapper. Liberal journalist Taylor Lorenz reacted, “This is so funny what the hell are they doing,” while The Bulwark’s Tim Miller joked, “Looking forward to @JohnBerman from the bathroom stall.” 

CNN did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

CNN’s podcast-tinged tweaks come with network on the brink of new ownership, as Paramount’s $111 billion offer to take over Warner Bros. Discovery moves forward. And as a result, Paramount owner David Ellison would oversee two struggling news organizations: CNN and CBS News.

There has been speculation whether Ellison would appoint Bari Weiss, his hand-picked editor in chief of CBS News, to also take over CNN. While broadcast news was something Weiss had no prior experience in, she certainly knows a thing or two about podcasts. 

Weiss entered the podcast world in 2021 as host of “Honestly,” and her digital publication The Free Press, which Ellison acquired for $150 million, produces several other podcasts. But CNN staffers are dreading the prospect of Weiss becoming their new boss.

Likely adding to the anxiety of CNN’s newsroom is the support Ellison has received from the Trump administration. Earlier this month, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth scolded the network for what he called an “unserious” report suggesting the administration underestimated the effect its war with Iran would have on the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”

Ellison vowed CNN will maintain editorial independence if the Paramount takeover happens.