October 24, 2026 - Day 1
- Manhattan - 24,704
- Bronx - 9,994
- Brooklyn - 23,296
- Queens - 20,839
- Staten Island - 7,382
*Unofficial as of Close of Polls 86,215
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Early Voting Check-Ins General Election 2026
DHS Issues Statement After Illegal Alien Attacks Iwo Jima Memorial in Quantico, Virginia and Decapitates Statue
The suspect was granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by the Obama Administration
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after an illegal alien was arrested for attacking the Iwo Jima Memorial in Quantico, Virginia, decapitating one of the statues with a sledgehammer.
According to local reporting, the barbaric act of vandalism was carried out in the evening on October 21. A man wielding a sledgehammer attacked the Iwo Jima Memorial outside Marine Corps Base Quantico, and was still “actively damaging” the statue when Prince William County police arrived to arrest him.
The Iwo Jima Memorial in Quantico, Virginia, following the attack
The decapitated head of one of the statues in the memorial
The suspect is Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, an illegal alien from Mexico. He has been charged with felony destruction of property and trespassing with intent to damage property. His criminal history includes an arrest in Stafford County for trespassing in 2022.
The suspect: Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano
“This hateful illegal alien attacked a memorial to our brave Marines, decapitating one of the statues with a sledgehammer,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “He had been granted DACA by the Obama Administration. Criminals like this who clearly hate America have no business being in our country. We must never allow the history of our great nation to be torn down by illegal aliens who have zero respect for our country and our values. This criminal will soon face justice.”
Soriano illegally entered the United States at an unknown date and location in 1999. He was granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in October 2014 by the Obama Administration, which was renewed by the Biden Administration. His DACA has since expired.
Oregon Man Sentenced to Two Years and Nine Months in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
Fentanyl Found Inside Vehicle During Traffic Stop
U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott Bradford announced that Eder Fletes Calix, 24, of Beaverton, Oregon, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing more than 700 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
The sentence follows a multi-agency investigation that began in March 2025, when an Oregon State Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Fletes Calix. During the encounter, the trooper observed drug paraphernalia and cash in the vehicle. Both Fletes Calix and a co-defendant fled the scene on foot, prompting the execution of a search warrant that revealed more than 400 grams of compressed fentanyl powder inside the vehicle.
Over the following months, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) continued the investigation and observed multiple drug transactions involving Fletes Calix and his co-defendant. Agents seized additional quantities of fentanyl from buyers during two separate stops in May and June 2025.
On July 2, 2025, federal agents arrested Fletes Calix and executed multiple search warrants, including at a Beaverton residence where he had been renting a room. Agents recovered approximately $22,000 in cash, drug packaging materials, digital scales, and additional quantities of fentanyl.
In total, investigators seized approximately 767.9 grams of fentanyl powder from the defendants’ vehicle, residence, and related transactions.
During a post-arrest interview, Fletes Calix admitted he knew the substance was fentanyl and acknowledged that he and his co-defendant were selling it.
Fletes Calix pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. In determining the sentence, the Court considered the severity of the offense, the volume of fentanyl involved, and Fletes Calix’s lack of criminal history.
The case was investigated by the DEA and the Oregon State Police.
Four Individuals Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Make and Distribute Animal Crush Videos Involving Monkeys
The Justice Department announced that four additional individuals have pleaded guilty in connection with a conspiracy to create and distribute videos depicting extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
According to court documents, Ernest Chavez, of Arizona, pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute so-called “animal crush” videos. In addition, the following individuals pleaded guilty for their role in the conspiracy:
- Mary Longoria, of North Carolina, pleaded guilty on July 16 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2.
- Kimberly Anglin, of Connecticut, pleaded guilty on Aug. 12 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2.
- Patrick Naylor, of North Carolina, pleaded guilty on Aug. 14 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17.
Chavez, Longoria, Anglin, and Naylor were among 11 individuals indicted in 2025 based on their involvement with various online groups dedicated to the creation and proliferation of monkey torture videos.
According to court documents, the defendants and their co-conspirators used Telegram, an online messaging application to gather online and discuss topics for upcoming torture videos. The conspirators would then funnel money to individuals in Indonesia willing to carry out requested acts of torture on camera using various online payment applications. Nicholas Dryden, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of the sources of videos at the time and was previously sentenced to 108 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)’s Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
The USFWS’ Office of Law Enforcement and the FBI investigated the cases.
Governor Hochul Announces Increased State Police and Local Law Enforcement Patrols to Combat Impaired and Reckless Driving Through Halloween
Traffic Enforcement and Patrol Period Begins Sunday and Will Run Through Saturday, Oct. 31
Governor Urges New Yorkers To Stay Vigilant and Not Drive Impaired; Halloween Is the Deadliest Day for Pedestrians Under the Age of 18
44,545 Citations Issued During 2025 Enforcement
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that State Police and local law enforcement will increase patrols through Halloween, targeting impaired and reckless drivers. The enforcement campaign, which is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, runs from Sunday, October 25, through Saturday, October 31.
“Everyone should be able to enjoy their Halloween and make some great memories,” Governor Hochul said. “Unfortunately, too many drivers still make poor decisions behind the wheel that lead to deadly consequences to themselves and others. We’ve made it clear we have no tolerance for those who drive impaired, drive distracted or speed. The New York State Police and our local law enforcement officers will be out in force looking for anyone who hasn’t gotten the message.”
During last year’s initiative, law enforcement officers issued 44,545 citations, including 1,210 for impaired driving and 8,701 for speeding.
Motorists can expect several sobriety checkpoints and additional DWI patrols during the enforcement period. In addition to targeting impaired drivers, law enforcement officers will also be looking for drivers that are distracted or speeding.
Other impaired driving campaigns occur around the Super Bowl, St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, late summer leading up to Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and mid-December through Christmas and New Year’s.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2019 to 2024, 201 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes on Halloween night involving at least one driver who had a blood alcohol level of .01 or higher, and 176 people were killed in crashes that involved a drunk driver with a BAC of .08 or higher. More than half (54 percent) of people aged 21-34 killed in traffic crashes during this 5-year period were in drunk-driving crashes.
Victims in these drunk-driving crashes included 31 pedestrians and 144 drivers and passengers. The risk of pedestrian fatalities is 43 percent higher on Halloween compared to any other night, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which was based on 42 years of NHTSA data. The JAMA study also found that children between the ages of 4 and 8 are 10 times more likely to be hit by a vehicle on Halloween than on any other evening.
P P N A NOVEMBER 10 MEETING - The NYC Dept of Sanitation at Bronx House located at 990 Pelham Parkway South
The PPNA has booked a very hard to get and excellent guest for its Tuesday Nov.10 meeting at Bronx House located at 990 Pelham Parkway South. Starting at 7 pm. the NYC Dept of Sanitation will be there to answer ALL your questions ,issues and concerns. Please join us on November 10.
2026 VNNA FALL FESTIVAL – SUNDAY OCTOBER 25 –12PM TO 4PM
COME AND ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON FILLED WITH FUN ACTIVITIES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN!
FACE PAINTING – PUMPKIN PAINTING – CANVAS PAINTING
DAFFODILS – FOOD GIVEAWAY – RAFFLES
Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance
Secretary Mullin Visits U.S. Coast Guard Facilities in North Carolina
United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin visited the U.S. Coast Guard’s Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) and Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, witnessing demonstrations of the Coast Guard’s aviation capabilities and workforce.
Secretary Mullin was joined on his tour by Capt. Christian Polyak, commanding officer of ALC; Ed Gibbons, executive director of ALC; Capt. Mark Lay, commanding officer of ATTC; Cmdr. Walter Fredenhagen, executive officer of ATTC; and Senior Chief Lake Downham, an aviation survival technician. The tour included the ALC warehouse and the ongoing construction of the Coast Guard rescue swimmers’ training site.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the United States Coast Guard has been supercharged and is stronger than ever before,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “During my tour of the Aviation Logistics Center and Aviation Technical Training Center, I watched demonstrations of the aviation capabilities that allow the Coast Guard to be just as effective in the sky as they are on the water. The Coast Guard is critical to securing our homeland, including the great state of North Carolina, and it is my honor to serve as Secretary of the department that includes the brave men and women of the Coast Guard.”
Secretary Mullin tours the U.S. Coast Guard’s Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Secretary Mullin speaks to Coast Guard personnel, including rescue swimmers, divers, and tactical team members, at Air Station Elizabeth City
The ALC is the Coast Guard’s only aircraft depot maintenance and overhaul facility, employing nearly 2,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel. As the sole industrial complex for Coast Guard aviation, ALC provides depot-level maintenance, engineering, supply, procurement, acquisition, and information services.
The ATTC shapes the future of Coast Guard fitness and readiness through the Operational Fitness Training (OFT) “C” school. Developed by ATTC’s Athletic Performance Branch, OFT is a mission-focused physical training approach designed to build operational readiness and physical resilience among Coast Guard personnel.