Adams on Cuomo independent bid chatter: ‘I don't focus on what other candidates are doing'
'I don't focus on what other candidates are doing. I focus on what I am doing,' Adams said during an appearance on CNN's 'The Lead' with Jake Tapper.
'I came from behind when I ran in 2021, I was head of 13-point deficit from the leading opponent in the race,' he told Tapper. 'And as you see, we were successful. I know I did campaign, I know how to speak to voters.'
The mayor added, 'I'm a working class mayor. I'm a blue collar mayor, and I would resonate in the residents of this city. They see I'm one of them.'
His comments come days after New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani seemed to edge out Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary — though results in the city's ranked-choice voting system are not final. Cuomo conceded to Mamdani, 33, after Tuesday's ballots were counted.
Adams launched his own independent bid following the election.
When asked if he's considered following in the mayor's footsteps, Cuomo told CBS News on Wednesday that he is 'assessing that landscape.'
Mamdani also dismissed the chatter, saying he's 'not at all' concerned about that possibility.
Asked about the self-proclaimed democratic socialist's perceived victory and what it means for the general election, Adams slammed the state lawmaker — who has lobbied for Palestine to become its own U.S.-recognized state — for being a 'pro-Hamas' candidate.
'I'm not competing against him only for what he's done and praising Hamas,' he told Tapper, a after highlighting the ways he believes Mamdani has backed the U.S.-designated terrorist organization amid its war with Israel. 'I'm competing against him because this is not a socialist city, and that much of what he's promising to people, which I think is really deplorable, people that are struggling like my family did of living without the means that we needed.'
Adams earlier in the week also accused his opponent of being disingenuous.
'He's a snake oil salesman,' Adams told 'Fox & Friends' on Wednesday. 'He would say and do anything to get elected.'
Tapper questioned the incumbent mayor on reports that he made a deal with the Trump administration to ramp up immigration enforcement in the Big Apple, following the Justice Department's decision to drop federal corruption charges against him.
'I never met the president prior to him running for office, never met in my life. He talked about the unfairness of the charges while he was on the campaign trail. And the first time we met, he also articulated the unfairness and the Justice Department used the same system that determines if someone should be indicted,' Adams said.
'They use that system to determine that I should not have been indicted, and the charges were dropped with prejudice,' he added.
The mayor has denied the allegations in the past, even after several DOJ officials resigned following the Trump administration's move to drop the corruption charges.
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The Hill
2 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump, Ukraine prod Putin in hunt for deal
Morning Report is The Hill's a.m. newsletter. Click here to sign up here. In today's issue: ▪ West applies pressure to Putin ▪ Trump takes aim at mail-in ballots ▪ Texas moves past redistricting opponents ▪ Hamas: Open to ceasefire President Trump embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House and voiced optimism Russia will come to the table to end its brutal war against Kyiv, even as questions linger over unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine in a potential peace deal. Trump used Monday's Oval Office appearance with Zelensky to amp up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to join trilateral talks to end the war, while an extraordinary delegation of seven European leaders, during their own White House meeting, sought to bolster Ukraine's negotiating position. Later, Trump said he spoke with Putin and began arranging a potential bilateral meeting between the Russian leader and Zelensky at a time and location to be determined. It would mark the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky since Russia's full invasion in February 2022. 'After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.' SUIT UP: Monday's visit by Zelensky marked a 180-degree flip in tone and friendliness compared to the Ukrainian leader's disastrous February visit that ended in a televised shouting match inside the Oval Office. Zelensky showed up at the White House on Monday in an all-black suit sans tie, a noticeable change from his standard military outfit earlier this year that won immediate praise from Trump. ' I cannot believe it, I love it,' Trump said upon greeting Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader opened his remarks by touting a letter first lady Melania Trump wrote to Putin raising concerns about the plight of children amid Russia's invasion, a moment that seemed to resonate with the president. Zelensky thanked Trump nearly a dozen times in the opening minutes of the meeting, after sparking Vice President Vance 's ire earlier this year for a perceived lack of gratefulness over U.S. military aid. And Trump and Zelensky repeatedly dodged when pressed by reporters on issues in which they have disagreed, with Trump passing on a chance to swipe at Zelensky for not holding wartime elections and joking it'd be something he might consider. Earlier this year, he had called Zelensky a 'dictator without elections' and declared he didn't hold cards in the war. The Hill's Niall Stanage has five key takeaways from Monday's meeting. UNITED FRONT: Trump, Zelensky and other European leaders projected a unified front during Monday's gathering. The leaders all spoke about their desire to end the war, though some sticking points emerged throughout the afternoon. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued there should be no follow-up meeting with Putin without a ceasefire agreement. Trump shrugged off the suggestion, insisting a ceasefire was not a prerequisite to obtaining a peace agreement. Trump has said it will be up to Ukraine to determine the issue of potential territorial concessions as part of any peace agreement, though he has at times indicated there will need to be 'land swaps.' It's a marked reversal for Trump, who ahead of his summit with Putin last week in Alaska declared he was 'not going to be happy' if he left Anchorage without promises for a ceasefire and there would be 'severe consequences.' The president has since embraced Putin's plan for peace: a broader agreement that includes territorial losses for Kyiv. ▪ The Washington Post: In maps, the Ukrainian territory Russia controls — and wants to keep. ▪ The Hill: What could Article 5-like security guarantees look like for Ukraine? ▪ The New York Times: Can Zelensky trust Trump? Ukraine's fate may depend on the answer. BALL IN PUTIN'S COURT: It's now up to the Kremlin to respond to Trump and the West. While Zelensky and the Europeans met with Trump at the White House, Russian attacks on large Ukrainian cities and villages near the front killed 14 people and injured dozens more. But even if Putin agrees to the meetings with Zelensky and Trump, experts question the Russian leader's commitment to a peace process. Matthew Boyse, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center on Europe and Eurasia, told Morning Report that Putin sees Trump's efforts to end the war as an opportunity to lock in territorial gains he was unable to secure on the battlefield — from Crimea to the Donetsk region. 'By excluding a ceasefire from discussion, Putin can continue attacking Ukrainian civilians with impunity while the process — undefined in length and with unclear modalities — plays out,' Boyse said. 'By signaling a vague openness to compromise, he plays with everyone's hopes for an end to the war — all while reiterating his maximalist demands.' Steven Pifer, a former U.S. diplomat affiliated with Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation and the Brookings Institution, echoed those concerns. Putin believes he can prevail on the battlefield, Pifer told us, adding his terms for peace are not close to anything Ukraine would be willing to accept. 'Putin will only be prepared to bargain in a serious way when he is persuaded that he cannot achieve his goals on the battlefield and that the military, economic and political costs of continuing to try will only escalate,' Pifer added. 'Unfortunately, President Trump has not put in play the kind of cards … that might begin to change Putin's mind.' After Monday's meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron praised Trump's optimism for a deal but expressed pessimism at Putin's willingness to resolve the conflict. ' A great deal is a deal with security guarantees and a robust peace,' Macron told NBC News. 'As far as I'm concerned, when I look at the situation and the facts, I don't see President Putin really willing to get peace now, but perhaps I'm, I'm too pessimistic.' Smart Take with Blake Burman Here's a story that's not getting enough attention: Is the United States government about to take a stake in a Fortune 500 company? The Trump administration is reportedly in talks to make a roughly 10 percent investment in Intel, the chipmaker that currently has a market cap hovering around $100 billion. This comes after the administration also cut a deal earlier this summer for 15 percent of MP Materials, a rare earth materials and magnetics producer. There's a history of the government taking positions in major companies, largely to rescue them in times of crisis and emergency. Is this one of those times? If not, did a new standard just get set for future administrations to pick and choose which companies the government should own? Burman hosts 'The Hill' weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. 3 Things to Know Today U.S. wage growth has slowed for all workers, but it's falling at the fastest pace for employees at the bottom of the income ladder. Newsmax agreed to pay $67 million to settle a defamation lawsuit after Dominion Voting Systems sued the conservative cable outlet for broadcasting false claims its machines rigged 2020 election results. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, in prepared remarks in Chicago, praised professional legal collegiality that she said 'operates continually through the strain of disagreement' and allows the 'judicial system to work well.' Leading the Day TRUMP SEEKS TO END MAIL-IN BALLOTS: The president on Monday revived his years-long and unsubstantiated charges that voting by mail leads to election fraud, advocating the elimination of mail-in ballots in states, along with the use of voting machines. The arguments — which Trump toned down last year at the request of some Republican candidates who ended up prospering over Democrats, thanks to mail-in and early voting in key swing states — came roaring back to life after he said Putin discussed the issue during their summit in Alaska on Friday. The president on social media and during an Oval Office question-and-answer session with reporters on Monday vowed to ' lead a movement ' to eliminate 'corrupt' mail-in ballots and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. He also said he would use his presidential power to outlaw the practice. 'Mail-in ballots are corrupt; you can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots, ' Trump said, adding lawyers are already drafting the executive order. 'It's the only way [Democrats] can get elected.' Election laws vary by state and not all states permit absentee voting and vote-by-mail using the U.S. Postal Service. Many states and voters have embraced early voting and by mail as conveniences to expand participation, safeguard against weather emergencies and, in some states, produce faster tallies of election results. Eight states and Washington, D.C., allow all elections to be conducted entirely by mail, while other states permit some elections to be carried out using mail-in ballots. Trump erroneously said Monday that the United States is alone in conducting elections by mail. In fact, 34 countries or territories allow postal voting, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, an intergovernmental organization that works to protect democratic institutions. Among nations that allow ballots by mail are Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. During Trump's first term, a commission he created to examine allegations of voter fraud in the 2016 election quietly disbanded without finding evidence of widespread voter misdeeds, a complaint Trump lobbed after his Electoral College victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Former Vice President Mike Pence at the time was the chair of the president's Commission on Election Integrity. Trump revived election fraud allegations in 2020 when he lost to former President Biden. Pence formally presided over the congressional certification of the results on Jan. 6, 2021, which he repeated on CNN on Sunday was the right move. 'I know we did our duty,' he said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), in a statement on Monday, said Trump's assertions about corrupt voting by mail are not based in 'fact or reality.' NATIONAL GUARD: The governors of Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee have agreed to send hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to join guard soldiers sent by West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio to bolster Trump's crackdown on crime in the nation's capital. CONGRESSIONAL MAPS: Texas Democrats on Monday ended their two-week standoff during a legislative special session and returned to the Lone Star State amid an ongoing partisan redistricting battle. Texas Republicans, who back Trump's efforts to secure at least five additional GOP House seats next year using redrawn congressional maps, said they would move quickly toward that goal. California Democrats, long critical of the GOP for gerrymandering districts, now say they want to block the Texas GOP's plans using a form of ends-justify-the-means checkmate and redrawn Democratic maps. It would require a special California election in November. Republican candidates in the Golden State could be impacted, The Hill's Julia Mueller reports. ▪ The Hill: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says he wants to thwart the redistricting effort launched in California. 2026 CONTESTS: Republican Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania's treasurer, announced on Monday she will challenge Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who is seeking reelection in 2026. In a video posted on social media announcing her candidacy, Garrity highlighted her closeness to Trump and said she is running to make the state more affordable and attractive to younger residents. Shapiro, the state's popular incumbent, is among top Democratic governors eyed as a possible 2028 presidential contender. Meanwhile, former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) on Monday formally announced his 2026 campaign to try to win a seat now held by Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Brown lost reelection last year by 3.5 points to Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno. In Maine, oyster farmer Graham Platner (D), a political novice, announced his long-shot bid to try to defeat veteran Sen. Susan Collins (R) next year. The Democratic Party has been trying to recruit Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) to enter the race. ▪ NBC News: Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley (R) denies he harbors presidential aspirations. But he irks Republican colleagues as he works to carve out a lane with working-class voters. 'To say he's not viewed as a team player in any way would be an understatement,' one administration official said. EPSTEIN SAGA: Former Republican Attorney General Bill Barr sat for a deposition with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday as it launched a probe of evidence related to the late Jeffrey Epstein, who died in a jail cell in 2019 awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Barr testified he did not know of any information that would implicate Trump, committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told reporters. The GOP chairman said the Justice Department on Friday will begin turning over Epstein materials to the committee. Attorney General Pam Bondi in early July said the Justice Department had no Epstein client list or information about Epstein to release publicly, a stance that sparked intense pushback from Trump supporters this summer. Bondi reportedly advised Trump in May that his name appeared among many others in the government's Epstein files. Meanwhile, the DOJ on Monday named Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as co-deputy FBI director, a surprise addition. Where and When The president will sign legislation at 1 p.m. in the Oval Office. The White House daily press briefing is scheduled at 1 p.m. The House will hold a pro forma session at 10 a.m. and will return to work in Washington on Sept. 2. The Senate will hold a pro forma session at 10 a.m. Zoom In WEIGHING HEALTH: Some experts say 'regulatory neglect' allows potentially dangerous drugs not approved by the Food and Drug Administration to reach consumers. They worry that copycat versions of the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro are proliferating in an era of ample consumer supplies. The Hill's Joseph Choi reports how versions of weight loss drugs are sold by pharmacies that compound medications from ingredients found in the brand name drugs, even when shortages of available medications no longer exist. META CHATBOTS ARE NOT PG: ' Sensual' chatbot conversations deemed unacceptable with children caught lawmakers' attention on both sides of the aisle, forcing the parent company of Facebook and Instagram back into lawmakers' crosshairs as the company expands into artificial intelligence. Elsewhere GAZA: Hamas accepted an updated proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that was presented by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, Axios reports. The move is an effort to avoid a major new Israeli military offensive to occupy Gaza City. The source told Axios the deal Hamas accepted is '98 percent similar' to the last U.S.-backed proposal, which Israel agreed to. But talks broke down when Hamas did not. The news came after Trump urged Israel to expand its attacks on Hamas, saying the hostages would not be freed until Hamas was 'confronted and destroyed.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel hasn't received written word from Hamas about the proposal, but 'I hear the reports in the media, and from them you can gather one thing — Hamas is under immense pressure.' Netanyahu also criticized massive street protests in Israel against his handling of the Gaza war and failure to secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages. It's estimated that upward of 400,000 people joined marches across Israel on Sunday. 'The people who are calling today for the war's end without Hamas's defeat are not only toughening Hamas's stance and distancing our hostages' release, they are also ensuring that the atrocities of October 7 will recur time and again, and that our sons and daughters will have to fight time and again in an endless war,' Netanyahu said. ▪ CNN: Egypt warns Israel that mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza is a 'red line.' SHIFTING SUPPORT: Younger Republican voters and GOP contrarians are piping up to challenge the broad consensus in the Republican Party that has been in lockstep with policy on Israel. In The Movement newsletter later today, The Hill's Emily Brooks explores how the dynamic is growing more apparent in the halls of Congress, on social media and in public polls. Opinion The Closer And finally … 📖 Ever return a library book a few days, or even weeks, late? The San Antonio Public Library recently received a book 82 years after it was due. The book — 'Your Child, His Family, and Friends' by marriage and family counselor Frances Bruce Strain — was checked out in July 1943 and returned this past June from a person in Oregon, according to the library. 'After the recent death of my father, I inherited a few boxes of books he left behind,' the person wrote in a letter that the library shared on Instagram. 'The book must have been borrowed by my Grandmother, Maria del Socorro Aldrete Flores (Cortez). In that year, she transferred to Mexico City to work at the US Embassy. She must have taken the book with her, and some 82 years later, it ended up in my possession.' The library eliminated overdue fines in 2021. Not accounting for inflation, the 1943 overdue book fine of 3 cents a day would amount to nearly $900. Adjusted to today's money, 3 cents amounts to 56 cents a day — or a fine of more than $16,000.
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mediators await Israeli response to new truce offer
Mediators were awaiting an Israeli response Tuesday to a fresh Gaza ceasefire plan, a day after Hamas accepted the proposal and signalled its readiness for a new round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war. The foes have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war resulting in two short truces and the releases of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but they have ultimately failed to broker a lasting ceasefire. The efforts have been mediated by Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, with frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy aiming to break the deadlock. Egypt said Monday that it and Qatar had sent the new proposal to Israel, adding "the ball is now in its court". According to a report in Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera, the latest deal proposes an initial 60-day truce, a partial hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners and provisions allowing for the entry of aid. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept "an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war". Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media that his group had "opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past". Hamas's acceptance of the proposal comes as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad to end the war. On Sunday, tens of thousands took to the streets in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to call for the end of the war and a deal to free the remaining hostages still being held captive. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The new proposal also comes after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to conquer Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, fanning fears the new offensive will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir -- who has staunchly opposed ending the war -- slammed the plan, warning of a "tragedy" if Netanyahu "gives in to Hamas". - 'Unbearable' - Gaza's civil defence agency reported that 27 people were killed Tuesday by Israeli strikes and fire across the territory. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City, where he said "artillery shelling continues intermittently". The Israeli military declined to comment on specific troop movements, saying only that it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" and took "feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm". Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military. Sabra resident Hussein al-Dairi, 44, said "tanks are firing shells and mortars, and drones are firing bullets and missiles" in the neighbourhood. "We heard on the news that Hamas had agreed to a truce, but the occupation is escalating the war against us, the civilians," he added. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 62,004 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable. az-avm-ds/acc/smw Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas GOP now faces clear path to redraw congressional maps in Trump-backed push
Texas Republicans now face a clear path to redraw the state's congressional maps after state House Democrats ended their 15-day walkout and returned to the Capitol on Monday. In California, meanwhile, Democrats on Monday began work on a series of proposals that would counter the GOP's Texas map with five more Democratic-leaning districts of their own. Here's a look at where things stand in the redistricting arms race playing out in the nation's two largest states: When will Texas Republicans pass their maps? The House is set to reconvene Wednesday, and Republicans are expected to move quickly to approve a new map, which would create five more Republican-leaning seats. But it's not yet clear just how quickly Republicans will finish their redistricting effort and if it will happen this week. With Democrats still absent, the legislature ended its first special session last Friday. But that same day, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called a second special session — a move aimed at showing Democrats couldn't outlast his party's efforts. The redistricting plan needs the Senate's approval, too — but that appears to be little more than a formality. President Donald Trump continues to push for Texas Republicans to act, saying on Truth Social Monday evening, 'Please pass this Map, ASAP. THANK YOU TEXAS — MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Texas Republicans took a step toward approving the new maps Monday, when the state's House Redistricting committee approved new congressional maps in a 12-8 vote. The map, which is slightly different than the one considered during the first special session, will head to the Calendars committee before moving to consideration on the House floor. Will Texas Democrats flee again? House Speaker Dustin Burrows is trying to make sure they don't. Shortly after Burrows gaveled the House into session, he ordered the doors locked and said the Democrats who'd fled the state earlier would be 'released into the custody' of a designated Department of Public Safety officer who would ensure their return Wednesday. Burrows had signed civil arrest warrants for those absent Democrats, but they were unenforceable outside of Texas. Still, Democrats had already used their only viable option to delay passage of new maps, and acknowledge they are unlikely to do so again. Democratic state Rep. Ramon Romero, who showed reporters his permission slip to leave the state Capitol, said, 'This is the way the state does business.' 'Do you think if we weren't gonna come back, we would've walked in here today? Absolutely not,' he said. 'But we're gonna become friends by the time this is over, we're gonna have some good Mexican food together. I am gonna try to get away at some point or another.' 'I'm kidding,' he added. When will California Democrats pass their maps? California Democrats are on track to pass their own redistricting push by Thursday. Party leaders formally introduced their proposed constitutional amendment to redraw the state's congressional maps through 2030 on Monday, along with legislation describing the new districts and a bill calling for and funding a November special election. All three bills must pass with a two-thirds majority vote, though the constitutional amendment doesn't require the governor's signature. The bills must sit for 72 hours before members can vote on them. The Senate and Assembly's elections committees will meet at 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 a.m. PT/1:30 p.m. ET, respectively, to consider the bills. What are California Democrats and Republicans saying? California Democrats and Republicans held dueling press conferences Monday. State and congressional Democrats framed their redistricting push as both a response to Texas and a check on increasing authoritarianism from Trump. 'They are so scared to face real oversight and accountability that they're rigging the system to stay in power,' US Rep. Pete Aguilar said of the Trump administration. 'So, we're here today to make it clear that we're not going to sit on the sidelines and we're going to play offense.' Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire dismissed complaints from California Republicans opposed to mid-cycle redistricting, saying they were speaking out of 'self interest.' 'The only reason that we are here is because of President Trump and American Republicans and their leadership,' he said. 'So, candidly, I think that is fake outrage and crocodile tears.' During their press conference, California Republican assemblymembers condemned partisan gerrymandering – or 'Gavinmandering,' – as Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher said Monday. 'We will stop, hopefully, this from moving forward,' Gallagher said. 'But I tell you what: Even if we don't, the voters are on our side. We believe at the end of the day the voters want to keep fair and independent elections.' Senate and Assembly Republicans introduced a joint resolution Monday urging Congress to put forward a constitutional amendment to require all states to use nonpartisan, independent redistricting commissions to draw congressional and legislative district lines. 'We're saying that should be the case in Texas, that should be the case here,' Gallagher said. 'But you don't abandon your principles here in California, and that's what Gavin Newsom is doing when he says fight fire with fire.' CNN's Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.
