Penn Station stabbing suspect in custody, at least for now

Comrade Zohran Mamdani

Five commuters were stabbed at New York’s Penn Station late Sunday night in what authorities are calling a “random attack” by a “deranged man,” which in modern New York political terminology means “a vibrant expression of urban diversity.”

The suspect is in custody, at least until the city’s revolving-door justice system remembers that accountability is problematic and decides he deserves a taxpayer-funded second, third, or seventeenth chance, depending on his melatonin level and political affiliation.

The bloody attack has once again raised concerns about public safety in the city, particularly with President Trump scheduled to be directly above Penn Station tonight at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 between the Knicks and Spurs. Apparently, even attending a basketball game in Manhattan now comes with the ambiance of a live-action crime documentary.

Five victims were hospitalized, including one with serious injuries.

The rampage reportedly began shortly after 7 p.m. at the busy Midtown transit hub. According to officials, victims suffered injuries ranging from minor to severe before Amtrak police apprehended the suspect.

An Amtrak spokesperson confirmed the arrest, while stunned commuters posted images online showing police tending to bleeding victims in the station.

 
The New York Times reported that six individuals were stabbed, including the suspect himself, who reportedly suffered “minor injuries,” proving once again that in New York, the criminal often winds up getting nearly as much sympathy as the people he attacked.

New Yorkers also learned from the Daniel Penny saga that intervening to stop violent chaos can be a faster route to prosecution than actually committing the violence. So naturally, most commuters now keep their heads down and pray they are not the next contestant in Gotham’s nightly lottery of urban disorder.

Meanwhile, Democrats continue insisting Americans should abandon their cars and embrace public transit while refusing to address the violent crime, rampant homelessness, untreated mental illness, and general lawlessness that make many people avoid public transit in the first place. 

It's beginning to sound like London's mayor trying to ban knives because they're used in terrorist [Islamist] attacks on Londoners.

Naturally, Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded with the kind of sterile bureaucratic statement that sounds like it was generated by an AI trained entirely on diversity seminar pamphlets.

“I’ve been briefed on the horrific stabbing at Penn Station. Based on the information available right now, six people were stabbed and the alleged perpetrator is in custody following a swift response from the Amtrak Police Department,” he wrote on X. 

He almost added: "My heart goes out to the real victim in this incident, the man who was fed up with the system and went on a stabbing spree."

“My heart is with everyone who was injured, [whatever that actually means] their loved ones, and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence. I’m wishing each of the victims a full and speedy recovery. I’m grateful to the Amtrak Police Department and the first responders who acted quickly to apprehend the suspect and provide emergency care. There are currently no impacts to Amtrak service. My administration is in contact with Amtrak officials as they investigate this incident.”

Noticeably absent from the statement was any serious plan to stop criminals from terrorizing commuters in the first place. But perhaps that would conflict with the Mamdani governing philosophy that crime is less a criminal issue and more a misunderstood form of economic self-expression.

Under the progressive worldview, the real villain is not the guy stabbing strangers at Penn Station. It is apparently “systemic inequity,” “housing insecurity,” or insufficient access to taxpayer-funded artisanal co-ops.

And because this is New York City, there is a very good chance the suspect already has a rap sheet long enough to qualify as serialized fiction. Odds are he has been arrested repeatedly, released repeatedly, and excused repeatedly, all in the name of “equity” and “criminal justice reform.” After all, isn't he the real victim here?

At some point, normal people begin to notice the pattern. The city arrests violent offenders, progressive activists demand compassion, leftist judges release them, politicians hold press conferences, and commuters continue bleeding on subway platforms while the ruling class lectures everyone about the importance of taking mass transit to save the planet.

Maybe this is all a secret plan to lower the planet's population for the sake of the environment. Who knows?

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

BREAKING: Massive earthquake kills dozens, injures over 200 in Philippines

Dozens of people were killed and more than two hundred injured on Monday after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck the Philippines.

The tremor struck south of the island of Mindanao, shaking at least twenty-two million people with severe or moderate force. Officials confirmed at least thirty-two deaths, more than two hundred injuries, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents in what was described as the strongest earthquake to hit the country in nearly four decades.

The quake prompted tsunami warnings across the region, although American officials quickly stated that Hawaii faced no threat. Warnings were also issued for nearby areas including Taiwan, Japan, Guam, and Papua New Guinea.

"The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind," said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "I am in constant communication with our regional offices and local chief executives on the ground."

Mindanao is the second-largest island in the Philippines and is home to more than twenty-seven million people. Earthquakes are common in the region. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, at least thirty-five earthquakes measuring above magnitude 7 have struck the area since 1900. 

Marcos Jr. also announced that he had ordered "the suspensions of all classes in all levels across affected areas in Mindanao until further notice. The safety of our children comes first."He urged residents to take tsunami warnings seriously, telling them to "move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind."

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated a 42 percent chance that the death toll would fall between ten and one hundred people, and a 32 percent chance that fatalities could range from one hundred to one thousand. The agency also estimated a 39 percent probability that economic losses would total between one hundred million dollars and one billion dollars. Officials said the earthquake was caused by thrust faulting, a process in which one section of the Earth's crust moves upward over another along a fault line.

One local resident told The New York Times that he rushed to higher ground with his young daughter after the earthquake struck.

"I was very scared, my knees were trembling," Julius Golez said. "We were crying; so many other people were also crying."

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

Israel and Iran announced Monday that they would stop attacking each other, bringing a temporary end to the Middle East’s newest round of “No, YOU calm down first.”

AI Generated

Israel has decided to stop its attacks on Iran following pressure from President Trump and ongoing ceasefire negotiations, according to Israeli and regional officials cited by the Times of Israel.

Sources say the arrangement was reached after both countries simultaneously realized they were running low on missiles and emotionally exhausted government spokesmen who claimed they were "too pooped to pop."

A regional official said the United States informed Iran there would be no further Israeli strikes if Tehran halted its missile attacks. Iran later announced it would stop attacks if Israel ended its offensive, marking the first time in modern diplomacy that two enemies settled a conflict with the international equivalent of “Fine, whatever.” 

Anyone with a functioning cortex knows this is only a temporary ceasefire and Iran will be the first to break it when they think Trump is looking elsewhere.

An Israeli official told Hebrew media that the decision to pause strikes came at Trump's request, reportedly after the president spent several hours on the phone saying, “Guys, seriously, knock it off. I’m trying to enjoy my Monday, and the Knicks are leading in the finals.”

At the same time, the official stressed that Israel's campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon will continue, because apparently the Middle East still believes in having side quests.

“The sense is that this round of fighting is behind us,” the official said. “We are awaiting a final decision from the political leadership.”

Citizens across the region celebrated the news by cautiously checking whether anyone meant it this time, deciding those chances are about equal to finding a beached whale in Times Square.

The development comes after Iran launched its first direct missile attack on Israel since the ceasefire took effect, prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes on military targets inside Iran and reminding the world that ceasefires in the region often come with optional terms and conditions.

According to reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump spoke by phone Monday before Tehran signaled it was prepared to halt attacks if Israel ceased operations tied to the latest escalation.

At publishing time, both nations had reportedly resumed yelling at each other online and fired off offensive emojis.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

IDF confirms strikes on Iran, explosions reported across multiple Iranian cities

The Middle East remains a giant powder keg, and on Sunday, Israel reminded the Iranian regime that if you FA you're gonna FO.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Israeli warplanes struck targets in western and central Iran following Tehran’s latest barrage of ballistic missiles aimed at northern Israel. The IDF released a brief statement confirming the operation.

“A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force struck targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran,” the military said, adding that more details would be released later.

Reports quickly surfaced of explosions rocking multiple Iranian cities. Reuters, citing local media, said blasts were heard in Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan, a sign that the strikes were not isolated or symbolic.

The Israeli response came only hours after Iran launched another wave of ballistic missiles toward northern Israel, continuing the regime’s long-running strategy of escalation through direct attacks and proxy warfare.

According to Reuters and Iranian state media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed Israel used “air-launched” ballistic missiles in the operation targeting sites inside Iran.

At this stage, the full extent of the damage remains unclear, but one thing is obvious: Israel is signaling that Iranian aggression will not go unanswered. The Netanyahu government has made it abundantly clear throughout this conflict that it intends to hit back hard whenever Tehran tests the limits.

And now, with explosions reported deep inside Iran itself, the regime is getting a firsthand look at what escalation really means.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

Trump wants Israel to take the punch and not punch back at Iran

Upon learning that Iran, unprovoked, fired missiles at Israel, President Trump said: I’m calling Netanyahu ‘right now… to tell him not to retaliate’ for Iran’s missile attacks."

Thankfully there were no reports of injury or damage after ten missiles were fired at the Jewish state. Trump, ever the deal-maker, said he doesn't want the Iran deal to get "blown up." He also said that he isn't happy that Israel targeted Hezbollah in Beirut earlier.

The Transportation Ministry says that buses around the country will operate at 75% of their usual activity today amid renewed missile attacks from Iran and the cancellation of schools.

The ministry says that, in accordance with Home Front Command instructions, the light rails in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as well as the Israeli Railways train system will operate as usual.

Schools will also be closed tomorrow.

According to Hebrew media outlets, underground light rail stations in central Israel will remain open overnight for those who want to use them as bomb shelters.

After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s phone conversation with US President Donald Trump ended,, the premier held a discussion with top security officials, according to Hebrew media reports.

Trump said earlier that he'd call Netanyahu to tell him not to retaliate against Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on the north as Washington aims for a deal with Tehran, after Israeli officials vowed a strong response to the attacks.

Following Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel, the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories says crossings with the Gaza Strip will remain closed until further notice.

As much as I like most of what President Trump has done and is doing, I cannot understand how he would want Israel to be attacked, whether successfully or not, and stand by doing nothing. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself. I know if the shoe were on the other foot, aka the missiles in the other country, ours, President Trump would retaliate with shock and freaking awe.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

One killed, five wounded near Judea and Samaria, Israel's rescue services said

In the shadow of a conflict that has long tested the limits of human endurance and political illusion, assailants launched several shooting attacks close to the Israel's Judea and Samaria on Sunday, killing at least one person and wounding five others, according to Israel’s rescue services.

Israel’s police swiftly killed one jihad terrorist. 

Large numbers of soldiers fanned out across the area, searching on foot and from the air for further threats. The scattered locations of the shootings initially suggested a coordinated assault, the kind of nightmare scenario that has haunted these border communities since the horrors of October 7.

Rescue services from Magen David Adom reported the first incident at a gas station near the town of Kokhav Yair, on the Israeli side of the boundary, shortly after 10:30 a.m. Further attacks followed in quick succession: in Tsur Natan, Tsur Yitzhak, and near the settlement of Sal'it inside the West Bank itself.

The perpetrator, police later revealed, was not the imported jihadist many had instinctively feared, but a Palestinian citizen jihadi living in Israel from the nearby Arab town of Taybeh.

Local residents were ordered to remain indoors; children were held in lockdown at their schools. “Since Oct. 7, the scenario we were expecting was terrorist crossing into our towns from over the boundary,” said Oshrit Gani Gonen, the regional council head for the affected area. “I don't think that anyone imagined that we would discover the attackers were Israeli citizens.”

Here, then, is the bitter and recurring truth of this conflict: even the most vigilant defenses against the enemy without cannot fully guard against the enemy within. What was meant to be a clear frontier of threat has once again revealed itself as something more porous and more treacherous, a reminder that the ideologies which fuel this violence do not always respect the neat lines drawn on maps, nor the assumptions of those who would prefer to see it as a simple territorial dispute.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

IDF expands control in Gaza by 70%: Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza, November 19, 2024. (MAAYAN TOAF/GPO)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the weekly Cabinet meeting with the sort of grim clarity that has become necessary in a nation fighting enemies on every border. Bibi reiterated that Israel now controls more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip and will soon control 70 percent, a reality that underscores both the scale of the campaign and the determination behind it.

Israel, he said, is engaged in a war against terrorism on multiple fronts, not as a matter of political theater, but as a matter of national survival.

“In the Gaza Strip, we are clinching Hamas from all sides. … We don’t allow them to arm themselves or harm us, and we also eliminate their senior commanders,” he said. [Notice how their leaders are getting younger and younger.]

It is worth pausing on what such statements would sound like if uttered by almost any Western nation after enduring years of rocket fire, massacres, kidnappings, and relentless terror. Yet Israel alone is routinely expected to prosecute a war while simultaneously apologizing for waging it.

Netanyahu continued by detailing Israel’s operations in Lebanon, where Israeli forces killed 350 terrorists in “the past week alone.” The Israel Defense Forces, he noted, captured Beaufort Ridge, uncovered extensive underground terrorist infrastructure, and is completing the eradication of terror villages near the border.

“We are hitting them very hard, and we know that Hezbollah is on the run. We will not allow firing on our territory or on our communities, and we will act accordingly,” Israel’s leader said.

The language is direct because the reality is direct. Hezbollah is not a misunderstood social movement. Hamas is not a humanitarian organization with unfortunate side interests. These are terror entities whose stated objective is the destruction of the Jewish state and the murder of its citizens.

And still there are brainless anti-Zionists who either lie or believe that Israel is lying about the October 7 atrocities committed by Hamas in spite of the video evidence provided by the terrorists themselves.

Netanyahu also addressed the situation in Judea and Samaria, where Israeli security services continue to prevent attacks with relentless frequency.

“In Judea and Samaria, along the seam line, the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Israel police thwart hundreds of terror attacks a year,” he said.

But even the most vigilant security apparatus cannot stop every act of barbarism. Netanyahu acknowledged this painful truth while referring to Sunday morning’s terrorist attack in central Israel, which killed one civilian and wounded several others.

According to Channel 12, the attack was carried out by a lone terrorist identified as Omar Yassin, a 21-year-old resident of Taibeh, an Arab city in central Israel. Israeli forces subsequently raided his home.

Netanyahu thanked the security forces who acted swiftly to eliminate the terrorist and capture his associate, a reminder that in Israel, the distance between ordinary life and sudden atrocity is often measured in seconds, and that the burden placed upon its security services is one few other democracies could endure for long.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

Cleveland Clinic Agrees To Stop Chopping Off Kids' Twigs And Berries After DOJ Finally Notices It's Illegal

The Department of Justice announced another resolution arising from its ongoing national investigation into violations of federal law in connection with sex-rejecting procedures on minors.

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation has entered into agreements with the Department and the Ohio Attorney General that include a decades-long commitment to not perform or offer sex-rejecting procedures—which include the administration of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones—for minors.

Cleveland Clinic has also agreed to pay a monetary penalty and, in a landmark commitment, dedicate additional millions to help provide essential medical care for individuals living with the harmful consequences of such misguided medical interventions performed on them as children and adolescents who are called “detransitioners”.

“The Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to protecting America’s children,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Just as the resolution with Texas Children’s, today’s resolution with Cleveland Clinic furthers that commitment and puts these providers on notice that this Department will vigorously enforce federal law where children are put at risk.”According to the terms of the agreements, which the Department reached in coordination with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Cleveland Clinic - a partner in other Administration priority initiatives - will pay $308,000 to resolve allegations regarding false billings submitted to public and private payors to secure insurance coverage for sex-rejecting procedures on minors.

As part of the resolution, Cleveland Clinic has committed $2 million to provide restorative care for de-transitioners, the very victims of these predatory and dangerous practices - regardless of their insured status or ability to pay.

The agreements come less than a month after the Justice Department announced its resolution with Texas Children’s Hospital, which the Department secured through a partnership with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. As previously announced, Texas Children’s agreed to pay a $10 million penalty and, much like Cleveland Clinic’s commitment today, create the first-of-its-kind clinic dedicated to treating de-transitioners. Texas Children’s also agreed to permanently cease providing any sex-rejecting procedures to minors.

These historic commitments pair the cessation of these dangerous practices masquerading as medical treatment with substantial investments in remediating the destruction they cause and restoring the health of the victims.

In working towards this settlement, the United States acknowledged that Cleveland Clinic took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperation with the Department in its investigation. At all times during the investigation, Cleveland Clinic remained cooperative, proactive, and solution-driven, as highlighted by its multi-million dollar commitment to providing care to the victims who most need it.

“I am grateful that institutions like Cleveland Clinic and Texas Children’s have decided to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” said Brett Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “Cleveland Clinic’s commitment to providing millions of dollars towards care for de-transitioners is emblematic of just that. I am grateful for this resolution with Cleveland Clinic, but our work is far from over, and our division will continue to work tirelessly to protect America’s children and hold accountable those that have preyed on vulnerable children, whether they be pharmaceutical companies or medical providers.”

These matters and the investigations into sex-rejecting procedures on minors are being led by the Justice Department’s Civil Division Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.

The claims resolved by the United States in the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Cleveland Clinic has denied all allegations.

In a stunning turn of events, one of America's most prestigious hospitals has discovered that chemically castrating and surgically mutilating confused middle-schoolers might not actually be "healthcare." Sources say the clinic's doctors are shocked - shocked! - to learn that handing out experimental hormones like candy and billing insurance for it could draw federal scrutiny.

"Look, we were just following the science," said a visibly sweating hospital administrator who definitely does not want his name used. "The science that said puberty is a disease and every tomboy secretly needs a fake penis. How were we supposed to know the DOJ would get all weird about it?"

Experts remain divided on whether this sudden burst of sanity will spread to other elite medical institutions, or if they'll just wait for the next administration to green-light turning playgrounds into gender assembly lines again. For now, de-transitioners finally have a little help picking up the pieces after the medical establishment's greatest "oopsie" since lobotomies were considered progressive.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet