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In a historic upset, 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani declared victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, positioning himself to become the city’s first Muslim mayor; with 93% of votes counted, Mamdani led with 43.5% to Cuomo’s 36.4%.
Despite ranked-choice voting still underway, Cuomo conceded, praising Mamdani’s campaign as “smart” and “impactful”; if confirmed, Mamdani will likely become the frontrunner for the November general election in heavily Democratic New York City.
Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, detained by ICE after a missed court hearing, was transferred across multiple facilities and ultimately lost her mid-term pregnancy at Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana after being denied adequate medical care for days; her experience reflects broader allegations of abuse, neglect, and poor conditions in ICE detention centers under the Trump administration.
Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth admitted uncertainty over the extent of damage to Iran’s nuclear sites after US bombing, with leaked Pentagon and DIA assessments suggesting Iran’s program may only have been delayed by a few months; Trump wavered between calling the attack “very severe” and acknowledging “the intelligence was very inconclusive.”
While Trump compared the strikes to the atomic bombings of WWII in terms of conflict-ending impact, Hegseth downgraded his initial claims of “obliteration” to “moderate to severe” damage; Israeli officials also expressed mixed assessments, though one senior officer insisted Iran’s nuclear program had been set back “years.”
A classified US Defense Intelligence Agency assessment found Trump’s recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites likely only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months, with key equipment like centrifuges capable of restarting soon.
The report also indicated much of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile had been moved prior to the strikes, possibly to undisclosed secret sites, casting doubt on Trump’s earlier claims that the facilities had been “obliterated.”
Iran’s Parliament passed a bill to suspend all further cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei acknowledged that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “badly damaged” after repeated US and Israeli attacks, a shift from earlier efforts by officials and state media to downplay the impact.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte likened Trump’s handling of the Israel-Iran crisis to “daddy” using “strong language” to control “two kids in a school yard,” echoing Trump’s own comparison and his earlier tough rhetoric following the Qatar-brokered ceasefire.
At the NATO summit, Donald Trump confirmed US commitment to the alliance, stating “I stand with Article 5,” despite previous criticism of member countries' defense spending.
Ahead of the summit, Trump had avoided directly endorsing Article 5, but his statement signals support for NATO’s mutual defense principle as he prepares for a press conference.
Across the US, armed federal immigration officers are increasingly concealing their identities with masks, balaclavas, and casual clothing while conducting raids, arresting protesters, and confronting Democratic critics, raising concerns among civil rights and law enforcement experts.
A federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration to try to return Jordin Melgar-Salmeron, who was deported to El Salvador in violation of a court order; it's the fourth time since March courts have intervened over illegal or improper deportations.
Mike Johnson said he believes the War Powers Act — a Nixon-era law limiting presidential authority to wage war without Congress — is unconstitutional.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she’s open to potentially becoming an independent and caucusing with Democrats, expressing a willingness to explore alternatives to the current political status quo.
See you this afternoon.
— Aaron
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