NYPD Commissioner Tisch’s brother calls Mamdani ‘enemy’ of Jewish people at charity dinner, sources say

NEW YORK — NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s brother called Zohran Mamdani an “enemy” of the Jewish people during a private charity dinner Wednesday night — a slam that comes on the heels of the incoming mayor’s decision to retain Tisch as the city’s top cop, two sources with direct knowledge of the comment told the Daily News.

Benjamin Tisch, the younger brother of the NYPD commissioner as well as the CEO of the Loews Corporation, took the shot at Mamdani while delivering remarks at an annual charity gala hosted by the Met Council, a nonprofit dedicated to combating Jewish poverty.

A source who attended the gala hosted at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Columbus Circle said some in the crowd were taken aback by Tisch’s comment, given that his sister just accepted Mamdani’s offer to remain NYPD commissioner once he’s sworn in as mayor Jan. 1.

“It was just like ‘wow, he’s actually going to go there,'” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

—New York Daily News

Mass. church draws reaction from ICE brass over sign at Nativity scene

A church in Dedham, Mass., has drawn reaction from top brass at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after placing a sign in its Nativity scene that reads “ICE was here” where Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus are supposed to be.

The sign on the display outside St. Susanna Parish and was the idea of Reverend Stephen Josoma. Underneath the “ICE was here” message, the sign goes on to read “The Holy Family is safe in our Church … If you see ICE please call LUCE at 617-370-5023.”

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons responded to the display in an interview with the Boston Herald, calling it “sad political rhetoric” that only adds fuel to the fire of political division.

“It’s very sad, especially during the holiday season. ICE agents and officers are human beings, too. We don’t want to be referred to in things like that. The brave men and women of ICE are out there doing a dangerous job every day,” Lyons told the Herald.

—Boston Herald

Extremely rare ‘dinosaur mummy’ makes its way to Minnesota for study

WINONA, Minn. — It’s hard to overstate how rare and exciting a dinosaur mummy is.

And yes, the fossil called "Medusa” could be a dinosaur mummy — the remains of an Edmontosaurus about 66 million years old that researchers believe contains a significant amount of skin and tendon tissue.

It’s so rare that only about a dozen such fossils exist worldwide — and it’s come to Winona.

“We don’t know exactly what’s going to emerge from the rock when we prepare it,” said Winona State University geoscience professor W. Lee Beatty. “If that’s what happens, then this is going to be a really rare thing.”

—Star Tribune

Modi rolls out red carpet for Putin, defying US pressure

Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi for his first state visit to India since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, showcasing warming ties that have angered the U.S. and led to hefty trade tariffs.

Putin was welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who embraced the Russian leader after he disembarked from his plane Thursday evening in New Delhi. The two leaders watched a group of traditional dancers on the tarmac before driving together to a private dinner hosted at Modi’s residence.

India is rolling out the red carpet for the Russian president, who has defied attempts by many leading Western democracies to cast him as an international pariah.

The stakes are high for Modi, who is seeking to assert India’s strategic autonomy after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped tariffs of 50% on the nation’s goods to punish New Delhi for its close ties with Russia.

—Bloomberg News