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NYC Dem, Hochul aide under investigation over alleged migrant shelter bribes

Published

2 weeks ago

March 31, 2026

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether a New York City Council member and her sister, a top aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul, accepted bribes or kickbacks tied to city funding steered to a migrant shelter provider, according to a search warrant obtained by The Associated Press.

The March 19 warrant seeks evidence of possible criminal conduct involving Councilmember Farah Louis, a Brooklyn Democrat; her sister, Debbie Louis, Hochul’s assistant secretary for New York City intergovernmental affairs; and Edu Hermelyn, husband of Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.

A spokesperson for Hochul said Debbie Louis was placed on leave last week after the governor became aware of the federal corruption probe. Someone answering a phone number associated with Louis ended the call when asked by the AP about the investigation, and the AP reported messages left for Farah Louis and Hermelyn were not returned.

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According to the warrant, investigators are examining whether the three received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a Brooklyn nonprofit that historically provided in-home care for sick and elderly clients.

As New York City’s migrant influx intensified in 2022, BHRAGS broadened its work to include emergency shelter operations for asylum seekers and other homeless services. Since then, public records show the group has been awarded more than a dozen contracts worth upward of $200 million from the city’s Department of Homeless Services.

“This is political persecution driven by the far-right, targeting immigrants and the leaders who stand with them,” a political insider tied to Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told the New York Post on Monday. “There are no charges at this time, and the facts will ultimately lead to this case being dropped on its merits.”

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An attorney for BHRAGS executive director Roberto Samedy declined to comment to the AP.

The warrant also seeks records of money transfers and communications involving Edouardo St. Fort, a former New York Police Department sergeant who retired in 2023. That same year, records indicate his firm, Fort NYC Security, secured a $3 million contract from the Department of Homeless Services. AP calls and emails seeking comment from St. Fort were not returned.

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The warrant’s existence does not mean charges are imminent. It indicates only that federal investigators convinced a judge they had sufficient grounds to search for and seize potential evidence.

The probe lands amid broader scrutiny over how New York City awarded emergency shelter contracts during the migrant crisis, when the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers strained the city’s shelter system and prompted officials under then-Mayor Eric Adams to rapidly expand housing capacity through outside providers.

Some of those arrangements have drawn criticism from watchdogs and political opponents, who questioned the speed, scale and oversight of the contracting process.

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The figures named in the warrant are all connected to Brooklyn’s Democratic political establishment, which has been rocked by a series of ethics controversies in recent years.

Hermelyn, who once served as a senior adviser to Adams, stepped down after questions were raised about whether his role as a Brooklyn district leader conflicted with rules barring certain dual government positions. He also went on to advise former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during Cuomo’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign.

The Trump administration, led by fraud investigation czar VP JD Vance, has prioritized federal law enforcement investigations nationwide.

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Just this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s Treasury Department announced it is offering whistleblowers a major financial incentive to help expose fraud, directing would-be tipsters to the Treasury.gov website, telling Fox News on Monday that the administration has already received more than 700 leads.

Treasury’s whistleblower page says eligible tipsters can receive between 10% and 30% of monetary sanctions collected for successful actions.

While Minnesota fraud among the state’s Somali community has made headlines thus far thanks to independent journalist Nick Shirley’s reporting, Bessent actually praised that state for having some level of transparency that is not permitted in California or New York.

“That’s why that young man, Nick Shirley, was able to go to see the scams, because it was: This is the name of the facility; this is the address; this is how much money they got,” Bessent said. “Oh look, it’s an empty storefront. There’s no one here. New York, California are hiding it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Lorne Michaels’ ‘SNL’ grip on cast exposed in new documentary

Published

55 minutes ago

April 17, 2026

Addison Blake

For decades, Lorne Michaels has loomed as comedy’s ultimate gatekeeper — the man “Saturday Night Live” stars believed could make or break their careers.

But filmmaker Morgan Neville painted a different picture of the legendary boss after speaking to cast members including Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, John Mulaney and Chris Rock for a documentary project decades in the making. “LORNE” hit theaters on April 17.

Neville said the documentary captures a wide range of perspectives from past and present “Saturday Night Live” cast members who have wrestled with Michaels’ outsized influence over their careers.

“I mean, some of these people, he was their boss. Some, he was a former boss,” Neville told Fox News Digital. “And I think people have all different kinds of experiences of Lorne — where they think of him as the person that controls everything about their fate. You know, how many minutes they get on air, where their career is gonna go. I mean, I understand why people are neurotic about Lorne, and people feel like, ‘Oh, he didn’t get this, or he doesn’t understand this.'”

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But Neville said that view of Michaels’ influence only tells part of the story.

“But I also get what John Mulaney says in the documentary, which is Lorne’s protecting people in ways they don’t understand at all, you know?” he explained. “And I think one thing … that I’ve seen is that Lorne is totally paying attention and trying to do the right thing for the right person at all times. But that may seem unfair sometimes to people, you know. And again, if they feel like their entire future is in his hands, that’s a lot of weight for all of them to carry. But I think there’s also this sense from the outside that Lorne is sitting on the throne of comedy, deciding who makes it and who doesn’t make it.“

Michaels himself feels “beleaguered” and “in the trenches,” according to Neville. The comedy giant’s main focus is on solving the little problems and trying to make next week’s live show work.

“He feels like he’s barely making it himself, which is crazy,” Neville said. “But I think it’s part of what motivates him … but he’s very focused on the challenges immediately in front of him. He’s not one to take a victory lap, really, or to think about the big picture of things.”

WATCH: NEW DOCUMENTARY REVEALS LORNE MICHAELS’ TIGHT CONTROL OVER ‘SNL’ CAST

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Michaels began his career as a writer for Canadian radio and television before moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s. He worked on shows such as “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” before NBC decided to take a chance on the young comedy writer. Michaels’ idea for a new late-night show that blended sketch comedy and live music evolved into “Saturday Night Live.”

The show quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and would launch the careers of many famous comedians, including John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell and more.

As the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” came and went in February 2025, Michaels realized, “this is kind of the end of an era.”

“I think Lorne is going to stay as long as he can,” Neville clarified. “But he’s not going to be doing this for another 50 years. So it was just kind of an understanding of, if we’re ever going to do it, now is the time to do it. I think that’s his thinking.”

Neville said it feels like a rare chance to finally witness what comedy fans have heard about for years — seeing this almost “‘Wizard of Oz’ character in action” — watching how he moves through the show, assembles it, and thinks, and how “SNL” ultimately reflects his vision.

“I mean, everything about the show, from the hours it keeps to the way it’s made to the culture of the show is so directly related to Lorne,” Neville said. “…I can’t think of another example of any show that is made in the form of its creator in such a way.”

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Neville pointed to the “liveness of the show” as the true defining element — not just that “SNL” is live, but how “significant that is to everything about the show.”

There’s very little second-guessing, with decisions driven largely by a “first instinct, go” mentality. That immediacy puts both performers and the audience in the moment, essentially deciding together whether a sketch works.

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The other element that sets the late-night comedy show apart — the writer is king.

“A 24-year-old writer can be writing a sketch and then essentially directing it and have it on national TV three days later,” Neville explained. “There’s kind of like a real meritocracy to it too, that it’s just… the laughs win, what’s funny, wins.”

Fey was hired as a writer in her 20s and quickly rose through the ranks to become the show’s first female head writer. Other notable young hires included Conan O’Brien, Mulaney, Seth Meyers and Adam McKay.

Michaels has almost “resisted hierarchy,” Neville said, instead focusing on creative freedom to shape the show’s long-term evolution.

“It’s part of why I think he now embraces change so much, that the show has to change,” Neville explained. “Even if things are going well.”

“In a way, if things are going well, Lorne’s worried,” he added. “Because two years from now, it’s not going to be going well, because all the successful people are going to get movie deals or go off and do other things. And he knows it’ll go badly. But when the show’s not doing well, he’s happy because he knows in two years it’s going to gel. And suddenly, he sees what it’s going to become. So he’s always kind of thinking a couple years in the future, which in television is unheard of pretty much.“

Latest

Multiple researchers with top security clearances gone without a trace and more top headlines

Published

55 minutes ago

April 17, 2026

Addison Blake

1. Multiple researchers with top security clearances gone without a trace

2. Justice Thomas explains what progressivism is actually doing to America

3. Joe Rogan criticizes Trump for getting into one of the ‘craziest’ wars

FEELING BLUE — Progressive firebrand wins congressional seat, dealing blow to slim Republican majority. Continue reading …

SECRECY FIGHT — Charlie Kirk case stalls as accused shooter delays plea and eyes media limits. Continue reading …

CASE BREAK — Singer D4vd held without bail after 14-year-old’s dismembered body found in his Tesla. Continue reading …

MISSING MANNERS — Viral airport lounge scenes spark outrage as travelers raid buffets and kids go wild. Continue reading …

THREAD BY THREAD — FBI lab testing DNA evidence from hair sample in Nancy Guthrie’s home, sources say. Continue reading …

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SHELTER FROM NORM — Illegal immigrants in homeless shelters got free sex changes under Newsom’s watch. Continue reading …

LOCKED OUT — Trump admin announces expansion of visa restriction policy in Western Hemisphere. Continue reading …

PRODIGAL TRUTH — Did Trump compare himself to Jesus? Franklin Graham responds to viral post. Continue reading …

GLASS HOUSES — Over 4,000 juveniles were locked up under Bill Clinton as Hillary blasts Trump. Continue reading …

Click here for more cartoons…

POWER PLOT — Carville tells Dems to quietly prepare power grab with DC, Puerto Rico statehood and Supreme Court packing. Continue reading …

FAITH VS FUNDING — Trump administration axes $11M Catholic Charities contract for unaccompanied minors. Continue reading …

OUT OF THIS WORLD — GOP lawmaker says ‘the government is not telling us everything’ about UFOs. Continue reading …

UNHOLY ALLIANCE — ’60 Minutes’ accused of baiting Trump into clash with Pope Leo XIV over Iran. Continue reading …

GREGG JARRETT — Long-hidden documents reveal first Trump impeachment was a total fraud. Continue reading …

CHARLES STIMSON — Clarence Thomas warns America: liberty dies when we choose comfort over courage. Continue reading …

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RING RAGE — WWE star Kit Wilson expresses support for Cody Rhodes after Pat McAfee promo. Continue reading …

CURTAIN PULLED BACK — Lorne Michaels’ ‘SNL’ grip on cast exposed in new documentary. Continue reading …

DIGITAL’S NEWS QUIZ — What was Eric Swalwell’s fate? Which ’80s icon is dating Heather Locklear? Take the quiz here …

LONGEVITY QUEST — Peptide injections may hit shelves with RFK Jr’s push, FDA could ease restrictions. Continue reading …

MEAL DEAL — Doctors in training take on culinary care — in the kitchen. See video …

KAYLEIGH MCENANY — Networks that championed ‘MeToo’ won’t cover Swalwell allegations. See video …

JOHN KIRIAKOU — Brennan pushed for espionage charges despite lack of evidence. See video …

Tune in as rising gas and grocery costs complicate midterm messaging amid new tax refund claims and escalating global pressure campaigns. Check it out …

What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…

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Doctors in training learn cooking skills to help patients amid America’s chronic disease crisis

Published

55 minutes ago

April 17, 2026

Addison Blake

Future doctors at some medical schools are learning more than anatomy, pathology and pharmacology these days. They’re learning to cook healthy foods patients will actually want to eat.

The training is part of a growing field called culinary medicine, which blends cooking skills with nutrition education. It’s gaining momentum at medical schools nationwide, The New York Times recently reported, with schools like Tufts University launching courses in 2025.

In many programs, that means stepping into a kitchen and learning to prepare meals firsthand, not just studying nutrition from a distance.

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“It’s combining the culinary arts with evidence-based medicine and educational techniques to teach nutrition in a way that young doctors and other health care professionals can use in counseling and talking to patients,” Dr. Ron Quinton, medical director of Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine in New Orleans, told Fox News Digital.

Rising rates of diet-related diseases, including diabetes, obesity and heart disease, are fueling demand for more nutrition-focused care, experts say.

“Most people are eating the standard American diet, which is high in saturated fat, high in sugar, high in salt,” Quinton added. “There are at least 13 obesity-related cancers that are directly diet-related,” he noted.

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At Tulane’s School of Medicine, students work through mock patient cases before heading into the Goldring Center’s teaching kitchen — one of the nation’s first, established in 2012 — to prepare healthy, flavorful and affordable meals.

“We don’t want to make bland food,” Quinton said.

They also don’t want patients thinking they must overhaul their diets overnight, he said.

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“Our first goal is to add things to their diet,” he said. “We’re not trying to take things away.”

One of the first cooking lessons Tulane students get, meanwhile, is about a familiar favorite: tacos. Quinton said the program adds more vegetables than traditional versions and uses homemade, low-sodium seasoning.

“A big part of our teaching is substituting things for what we consider bad for you — the sugar, the salt — and putting spices and other things in so the food tastes just as good,” Quinton said.

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Jordan Lo, a fourth-year Tulane medical student planning to pursue neurosurgery, said the teaching kitchen has given him tools he already uses when talking with patients during clinical rotations.

“Patients ask me, ‘How can I eat healthier? Where can I go to get better recipes?'” Lo said.

Understanding nutrition can benefit doctors in any specialty, particularly in preventing conditions such as stroke linked to diet, he said. “Knowing about food and culinary medicine and how it affects your patients just overall makes you a better doctor.”

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He said the hands-on classes show students how to make healthier meals feel doable at home.

Students learn simple tips — like prepping ingredients and using small bowls to stay organized — that they can pass on to patients.

The kitchen lessons also challenge assumptions about what “healthy” food looks like.

Lo said one surprising recipe was a dark chocolate mousse made mostly with avocado. Quinton pointed to black and white bean brownies as desserts that deliver more fiber with less fat than traditional versions, adding that they’re favorites of his grandkids.

More than 60 medical, nursing and residency programs now use versions of Tulane’s curriculum, with newer programs emerging at schools like Tufts University as part of a broader “food is medicine” movement.

Tuft’s launched a course in 2025 that brings together medical, dental and nutrition students to learn in partnership with Community Servings, a nonprofit that provides medically tailored meals to people with serious and chronic illnesses.

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Eliza Leone, a registered dietitian nutritionist and instructor in the program, said the training focuses on turning nutrition advice into practical guidance for patients.

“What’s more meaningful than telling your patient, ‘You should eat more calcium,’ is saying, ‘Here are a few recipes that incorporate calcium,'” she told Fox News Digital.

Research shows doctors are more likely to encourage healthy eating habits when they practice those behaviors themselves, Leone noted.

“You can’t have nutrition without food, so you have to know how to make food that tastes good and also meets your nutritional needs,” she said.

Interest in culinary medicine is growing, Leone said, as more students seek hands-on nutrition training and schools respond by expanding programs.

Quinton agreed the trend is here to stay, as more doctors shift toward preventing disease rather than reacting to it.