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New York City social services head resigns as 18 people died from cold weather

The holdover commissioner of New York City‘s Department of Social Services handed in her resignation to Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday after the city recorded 18 deaths caused by extremely cold weather in recent weeks.

Molly Wasow Park, who was appointed by former New York City Mayor Eric Adams in 2023, stepped down after facing weeks of job uncertainty under the new mayor.

Her resignation followed a major winter storm that rolled through the city last month. At least 18 people have been found dead outside in the frigid temperatures, leading to increased pressure on the Mamdani administration’s homeless outreach services.

Park’s departure was unrelated to the deadly cold snap that hit New York City because Mamdani was reconsidering the department’s leadership beforehand, the New York Times reported. Her resignation was reported by the Gothamist.

“When the final evaluation happens, I’m sure there’s going to be instances where we find instances where we could have done something different,” she told the New York Times. “I feel like in an awful lot of cases, we did what we needed to.”

Park is set to testify on Tuesday before the New York City Council to answer questions about the weather-related deaths.

The string of deaths started on Jan. 24 when New York City first saw snowfall. Since then, City Hall has taken extra precautions in bringing unsheltered homeless people inside.

On Monday, Mamdani revealed his administration had placed over 1,400 homeless people into shelters and safe havens. Another 33 were involuntarily transported for their safety.

“Until temperatures warm up, I ask all of you in this room and outside of it to please continue to take additional precautions,” he said. “Stay safe, stay indoors, and please, New York, let’s keep looking out for one another.”

Park left just before the Department of Social Services was about to implement a new rule requiring homeless people to show proof they’ve been living on the city streets for at least six months in order to qualify for a safe haven or stabilization bed. Homelessness advocates have argued it will make the process of finding shelter more difficult for the city’s most vulnerable.

Mamdani’s office is repealing the policy, which was being carried over from the Adams administration. The rule is no longer taking effect this Thursday.

“We will work to establish a new standard that provides the flexibility needed to protect some of the city’s most vulnerable residents and ensure they can …

‘I Voted’ sticker helps convict non-citizen who cast ballot in 2024 as election security debate heats up
Ask who never gets charged.

A Colombian woman living in Massachusetts was convicted on a series of federal identity theft and identity fraud charges, including voting illegally in the 2024 presidential election, the Justice Department said.
Federal officials have pointed to the case as a rare, documented example of non-citizen voting prosecuted at the highest level, highlighting it amid renewed debate over voter identification, citizenship verification and election security ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The Colombian national, Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, was convicted on federal charges of identity theft, passport fraud and illegal voting, including in the 2024 presidential election. She was captured on surveillance video displaying an "I Voted" sticker on Election Day, underscoring what Justice Department officials characterized as a flagrant disregard for U.S. laws.
"Her actions were not a one-time mistake or accident," the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Special Agent in Charge, Shawn Rice, said in a statement.
WATCHDOG SOUNDS ALARM OVER POTENTIAL NONCITIZEN VOTING AND FOREIGN INFLUENCE AHEAD OF MIDTERMS
Officials have highlighted Orovio-Hernandez's case as an example of successful interagency cooperation and enforcement, as election security concerns have intensified in the run-up to the 2026 midterms.
The verdict "sends a clear message: identity theft and fraud against federal benefit programs will not go undetected or unpunished," said Amy Connelly, special agent in charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General in Boston.
The Trump administration, for its part, has touted her conviction as an example of the pitfalls of weak voter identification standards or vetting procedures.
Officials in several U.S. states have already moved to tighten their individual verification standards and procedures in hopes of cracking down on any fraudulent voting efforts and shoring up voter confidence. 
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS PENNSYLVANIA PROVISIONAL BALLOT RULING, IN A MAJOR LOSS FOR GOP
The conviction comes amid renewed scrutiny of election administration nationwide, including a recent FBI raid at an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, that authorized a broad seizure of election records, voting rolls and other data tied to the 2020 election, according to a copy of the warrant.
Some Senate Democrats have cited concerns over the news that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present at the raid, though she stressed in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital that the ODNI’s Office of General Counsel "has found my actions to be …

Discussion Thread: Congressional Sessions, Hearings, and News Conferences on February 10th, 2026
Same show, different day.

News and Analysis
AP: Trump’s immigration chiefs are set to testify in Congress following protester deaths
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Where to Watch
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C-SPAN: U.S. Senate - February 10, 2026 (10 a.m.)

C-SPAN: Homeland Security Immigrations & Customs Officials Testify at Oversight Hearing (10 a.m.)

C-SPAN: Telecommunications Executives on FBI Surveillance of Senators & Others (10:15 a.m.)

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C-SPAN: House Democratic Caucus Leaders on Trump's Agenda (10:45 a.m.)

C-SPAN: U.S. House of Representatives - February 10, 2026 (12 p.m.)

C-SPAN: U.S. Senate - February 10, 2026 (2:45 p.m.)

Burt Jones-appointed committee subpoenas Nathan Wade in Fani Willis investigation
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade is facing subpoenas from a Georgia Senate committee in connection with its investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. 

Wade has been subpoenaed to appear before the Senate Special Committee on Investigations on Feb. 13, according to Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who appointed all members on the panel. The development comes after the special committee grilled Willis just before Christmas over her handling of a 2020 election case against President Donald Trump. Willis was also pressed on her decision to hire Wade to help prosecute the case while they were having a romantic relationship. 

“The Senate will continue to prioritize accountability and transparency for Fulton County taxpayers,” Jones said in a statement.

 “DA Willis’s evasive testimony in December left the committee with more questions than answers, especially in light of contradictory statements others, including Nathan Wade, had previously made. The committee plans to hear testimony from Mr. Wade and [Deputy District Attorney] Jeff DiSantis that will hopefully shed more light on DA Willis’s abuse of her office. This committee will continue to seek accountability and transparency for millions of dollars wasted at the expense of Fulton County taxpayers,” he added. 

The development comes as Jones campaigns to become Georgia’s next governor, with his first TV ad hitting the airwaves on Monday. He is one of many Republican contenders vying to succeed outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA). But state party leaders have appeared to coalesce behind Jones, as he touts his credentials as a Trump-endorsed candidate. 

“Iron sharpens iron, so competition never has bothered me,” Jones told the Washington Examiner earlier this week. “It doesn’t change the fact that I’m the only Trump-endorsed candidate in the race.”

Trump denied accusations he sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia illegally after Willis led the state in the case against him in 2023. The case was thrown out last year after Willis was disqualified over the Wade scandal. 

The now-dismissed case took a turn last month when the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into the 2020 election, scrutinizing Trump’s concerns that there were voter discrepancies at the time. At the time, the FBI raided Fulton County’s election office, seizing thousands of 2020 ballots and sparking renewed controversy in the state. 

FULTON COUNTY SUES FOR FILES TAKEN BY FBI RAID

In a recent …

‘I Voted’ sticker helps convict noncitizen who cast ballot in 2024 as election security debate heats up
Ask who never gets charged.

A Colombian woman living in Massachusetts was convicted on a series of federal identity theft and identity fraud charges, including voting illegally in the 2024 presidential election, the Justice Department said.
Federal officials have pointed to the case as a rare, documented example of noncitizen voting prosecuted at the highest level, highlighting it amid renewed debate over voter identification, citizenship verification and election security ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The Colombian national, Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, was convicted on federal charges of identity theft, passport fraud and illegal voting, including in the 2024 presidential election. She was captured on surveillance video displaying an "I Voted" sticker on Election Day, underscoring what Justice Department officials characterized as a flagrant disregard for U.S. laws.
"Her actions were not a one-time mistake or accident," the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice said in a statement.
WATCHDOG SOUNDS ALARM OVER POTENTIAL NONCITIZEN VOTING AND FOREIGN INFLUENCE AHEAD OF MIDTERMS
Officials have highlighted Orovio-Hernandez's case as an example of successful interagency cooperation and enforcement, as election security concerns have intensified in the run-up to the 2026 midterms.
The verdict "sends a clear message: identity theft and fraud against federal benefit programs will not go undetected or unpunished," said Amy Connelly, special agent in charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General in Boston.
The Trump administration, for its part, has touted her conviction as an example of the pitfalls of weak voter identification standards or vetting procedures.
Officials in several U.S. states have already moved to tighten their individual verification standards and procedures in hopes of cracking down on any fraudulent voting efforts and shoring up voter confidence. 
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS PENNSYLVANIA PROVISIONAL BALLOT RULING, IN A MAJOR LOSS FOR GOP
The conviction comes amid renewed scrutiny of election administration nationwide, including a recent FBI raid at an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, that authorized a broad seizure of election records, voting rolls and other data tied to the 2020 election, according to a copy of the warrant.
Some Senate Democrats have cited concerns over the news that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present at the raid, though she stressed in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital that the ODNI’s Office of General Counsel "has found my actions to be consistent …

Nancy Guthrie case: Why criminals are turning to cryptocurrency for ransoms
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.

As the search for Nancy Guthrie stretches into a second week, her alleged captors are reportedly seeking a $6 million Bitcoin ransom, illustrating how cryptocurrency has reshaped the business of extortion.
Guthrie, 84, the mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie, was abducted from her home in Arizona, with investigators later confirming only limited details about a ransom demand.
Bitcoin is a digital currency that operates without a central authority like a bank or government, allowing people to send money directly to one another over a network of computers.
TIMELINE: NANCY GUTHRIE DISAPPEARS AS SHERIFF SAYS ‘EVERYBODY’S STILL A SUSPECT’
"Criminals increasingly request cryptocurrency in ransom and extortion cases because it is fast, global and does not rely on traditional banking rails that can delay or block payments," explained Ari Redbord, global head of policy at TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence and crypto-forensics firm.
"Cases like the alleged crypto ransom demand in the Nancy Guthrie case highlight how this dynamic is playing out in the real world," added Redbord, a former federal prosecutor and senior U.S. Treasury official.
NANCY GUTHRIE DISAPPEARANCE: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ALLEGED RANSOM NOTE AND ITS DEMANDS
It remains unclear whether payment of the $6 million would secure the 84-year-old’s release. What's more, despite repeated public pleas from the Guthrie family, neither proof of life nor direct contact with her has been provided.
Still, Redbord cautions that the same technology that makes cryptocurrency attractive to criminals can also expose them. 
"The moment a wallet address appears, investigators have something actionable. Funds can be tracked in real time, associations identified and networks mapped in ways that are impossible with bulk cash or informal value transfer systems," Redbord said.
He added that cryptocurrency has fundamentally altered the economics of ransom and extortion — often in ways perpetrators fail to fully appreciate.
"Crypto has changed the economics and incentives behind ransom and extortion by increasing speed and reach, but it has also given law enforcement and national security teams unprecedented visibility," he added.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Guthrie or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. If you have any information concerning this case, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit a tip online.

Schumer, Jeffries trash Trump's DHS proposal as 'incomplete and insufficient'
What's the endgame here?

The top two congressional Democrats have, for now, rejected President Donald Trump and Republicans’ offer to avert a shutdown as the deadline rapidly approaches.
For several hours Monday night, both Republicans and Democrats were near-radio silent about the nature of the counter-offer from the White House. That was, in part, because some lawmakers had no idea what was in it.
But the silence appeared to spell yet another positive step toward averting the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Until Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., trashed the offer Monday night.
SENATE RACES TO AVERT THIRD SHUTDOWN AS DHS DEAL TAKES SHAPE
"Republicans shared an outline of a counterproposal, which included neither details nor legislative text," the duo said in a joint statement.
"The initial GOP response is both incomplete and insufficient in terms of addressing the concerns Americans have about [Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s] lawless conduct," they continued. "Democrats await additional detail and text."
While not the death knell for negotiations to fund DHS or to agree to a short-term funding extension, it does slow some of the optimistic momentum that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said was building over the weekend.
REPUBLICANS WARN DEMOCRATS' ICE REFORM PUSH IS COVER TO DEFUND BORDER ENFORCEMENT
Democrats’ prime objective is reining in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. They finally turned over their legislative proposals to rein in DHS and ICE to Republicans on Saturday.
The proposal they submitted included items that are a bridge too far for Republicans, including requiring ICE agents to get judicial warrants, unmask and have identification ready — some in the GOP warn doing so would lead to more agents being doxxed, when a person’s private information is made public, like their address.
The White House’s counter-offer was in response to Democrats’ list of demands and has been kept under heavy lock and key.
SHUTDOWN AVERTED FOR NOW, BUT SENATE WARNS DHS FIGHT COULD TRIGGER ANOTHER IN DAYS

Before Schumer and Jeffries’ rebellion, Republicans were already mulling turning to another short-term funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), for DHS. That’s because after the House passed the Trump-Schumer funding deal last week, lawmakers had only eight days to figure out how to fund the trickiest of all federal agencies.
Now, the Friday deadline is quickly bearing down on Congress, and …

DC warns of measles exposure during March for Life as national cases climb
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Health officials in Washington on Sunday warned that thousands of attendees at this year’s March for Life may have been exposed to measles. 

“DC Health was notified of multiple confirmed cases of measles whose carriers visited multiple locations in the District while contagious,” DC Health said in a statement. “DC Health is informing people who were at these locations that they may have been exposed.”

The March for Life rally and concert on Jan. 23 was listed as one of the sites linked to measles exposure, as well as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic University of America, Ronald Reagan National Airport, Union Station, and several Metro transit lines, according to DC Health.

DC Health did not include the number of confirmed cases.

Adding to mounting calls for spread prevention, Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, urged the public to get vaccinated as cases surge. “Take the vaccine, please. We have a solution for our problem,” he said in a CNN interview Sunday. 

Oz said CMS has “advocated for measles vaccination all along,” and added that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also supports getting vaccinated against the disease. 

When HHS released the new schedule for childhood vaccination, the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine was included as a recommended vaccine for children ages 4 through 6. 

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through respiratory droplets and can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a space. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported that as of Feb. 5, there were 733 confirmed cases of measles reported in the United States, with 92% of cases associated with outbreaks. At the end of 2025, the CDC reported 2,267 cases, of which 89% were associated with outbreaks. 

Of those who have contracted measles, nearly 30% are under the age of 5, and of all measles cases, 95% of those who contracted the disease were unvaccinated or did not confirm they had received the MMR vaccine. 

ICE FACILITY IN TEXAS STRUGGLES WITH MEASLES OUTBREAK

South Carolina accounts for 546 measles diagnoses this year, with additional cases having popped up at the end of 2025.

Utah and Arizona follow South Carolina in the number of cases, with 72 and 25, respectively.

BETWEEN COMPASSION AND CRISIS: The Supreme Court's Stray Dog Directive and India's Moral Reckoning
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.

Part 9/10:
Nov 24 Hyd - 3 juveniles pour petrol on a street dog and set her on fire. She runs 200 meters while burning alive before collapsing. No suo moto cognizance.
Dec 24 Mum - A mother dog and her 6 puppies poisoned outside a housing society. Bodies found in garbage bags. No suo moto cognizance.
Jan 25, Bgl - Street dog beaten to death with iron rods by security guards for "entering the premises." No suo moto cognizance.
But one unverified newspaper article about a child's death (family says meningitis, not rabies) and the Supreme Court of India issues orders to remove 1 mn dogs in 8 weeks.
Tell me again this is about justice.
While the SC was obsessed with "protecting children" from dogs, here's what was happening to dogs with zero judicial intervention -
Chennai, Oct 24 - Resident catches puppy "barking too much", throws it from 4th floor balcony. Puppy dies on impact. Case filed. Bail granted same day.
Del, Aug 24 - Man angry about dogs near his car. Pours acid on three sleeping strays. 2 die slowly over days. 3rd loses eyes. Man fined ₹5,000.
Pune, Sep 24 - College students film themselves beating stray dog with cricket bats "for fun". Police - "Juveniles, can't do much"
Kol, No 24 - Housing society hires exterminator to poison all dogs in the area. 23 dogs die. Society president - "They were a nuisance". No arrests.
Where were the suo moto orders? Where were the emergency interventions? Where was the judicial outrage?
The math is clear, 1 human life = 1mn dog removal orders. 1 dog life = ₹5,000 fine if you're lucky.
This isn't about protecting life. It's about whose life the SC considers worth protecting.
That's the legal value of a dog's life. ₹100. A parking ticket costs more.
And when humans act on that declaration - burning puppies, poisoning mothers, beating strays to death - the system shrugs, "just a dog"
The street dogs didn't invade our cities. We built cities on their territories. They're not encroachers, we are.
THE SC's SELECTIVE COMPASSION - 1 child's death (unverified cause): Remove all dogs. Build 5K shelters. 8 weeks.
Thousands of dogs tortured, burned, poisoned, beaten annually. Why? Because dogs don't have families who can file PILs. Dogs don't have media connections. Dogs don't vote. Dogs are legally property, not beings. And property doesn't get suo moto protection.
India doesn't have a stray dog crisis. India has a human cruelty crisis that targets the voiceless.
3.7mn alleged bites (fabricated number) triggered constitutional intervention. Thousands of documented tortures, burnings, poisonings, murders of dogs - nothing.
The system isn't broken. It's working exactly as designed. Protect humans from the mildest consequence of coexisting with animals. Protect animals from nothing, not even the worst human sadism.
Final Part 10 next - Justice for the Voiceless

Megan Khoo: Starmer must answer for Jimmy Lai
This looks less like justice and more like strategy.

Megan Khoo is Policy Director of Hong Kong Watch

This week British citizen Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong. At 78 years old, held in prolonged solitary confinement and with deteriorating health, Lai will most likely die in prison.

In the lead-up to his conviction and sentencing, time was of the essence. Yet Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid little more than lip service to the fate of Jimmy Lai during his visit to China this month. Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai’s son, criticised the Prime Minister for failing to place conditions on his father’s release in negotiations with Xi Jinping. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch likewise described the trip as a failure, given that the Prime Minister was unable to secure the release of one of his own citizens.

The visit to China also immediately followed the UK government’s approval of plans for a Chinese mega embassy in the heart of London. Despite mass protests and seven years of objections over security risks and concerns about espionage, the Labour government approved the development. This decision was widely seen as paving the path for Keir Starmer’s trip to Beijing.

Local residents near the proposed site have since launched a judicial challenge that could ultimately reach the Supreme Court and delay construction for up to five years. The government should take this challenge seriously and reconsider a decision that risks enabling transnational repression and endangering Hong Kongers and other dissidents living in Britain.

On X, Keir Starmer showcased his China visit and claimed to have secured billions of pounds in investment deals to support the British economy, yet made no mention of Jimmy Lai. Following Lai’s sentencing, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper released a statement expressing concern for his health and called on the Hong Kong government “to end [Lai’s] appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family”. The Foreign Secretary also reiterated that the Prime Minister raised Lai’s case with Xi Jinping and promised to “rapidly engage further” on the matter. That engagement must be more than rhetorical. It should involve concrete conditions and sustained pressure, led directly by the Prime Minister, to secure Lai’s release.

In response to Lai’s sentencing, the Home Office also announced an expansion of the British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa scheme to include Hong Kongers who were under 18 at the time of the 1997 handover. The government estimates that up to 26,000 people may relocate to the UK through this route over the next five years, helping to uphold Britain’s commitments to Hong Kongers. This long-awaited change, championed by Hong Kong Watch and others, is most welcome. It closes a significant gap that left …