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US News

NYC Mayor Indicted Amid Growing Administration Scandal

What's going on: FBI raids. Top officials resigning. (Robo)Cops. Welcome, folks, to the Adams Administration. Last night, a grand jury indicted New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, on federal criminal charges, according to several news reports. The New York Times, which first reported the news, said the charges are expected to become public today when the indictment is unsealed. The charges came hours after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), along with other officials, called on Adams to resign. It also follows the resignations of several of his top aides earlier this month, including the police commissioner and the city’s top lawyer, amid a federal investigation into whether Turkey (and other foreign governments) illegally funneled donations to Adams’s campaign. Earlier this month, federal agents raided homes and seized the phones of several administration members (many involved are long-time Adams associates with intriguing ties). Despite all the messiness, Adams insists he won’t resign. In a statement last night, he said: “If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”

What it means: Shortly after he was elected, Adams said: “Trust me when I tell you, there’s never going to be another mayor like me.” From the way things are unfolding, he may have been right in all the wrong ways. Other NY politicians have been embroiled in scandals. But the federal indictment against Adams marks the first time a sitting NYC mayor has faced criminal charges. NYC’s public advocate Jumaane Williams, who’d take over if Adams resigns, called the scandal “the worst since Tammany Hall,” likely referring to the infamous 1930s investigation linking New York politicians to organized crime. Even if Adams doesn’t resign, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has the power to remove him from office. In the meantime, all this has the potential to impact day-to-day operations in the city.

Related: A Timeline of What Led to the Mayor’s Indictment  (NYT Gift Link)

US News

The US Planned 5 Executions in the Span of a Week — Is Capital Punishment on the Rise?

What's going on: The scheduled executions of five inmates on death row in the past week are putting a spotlight on capital punishment in the US. Since Friday, three men have died by lethal injection in South Carolina, Missouri, and Texas (the state with the most executions in the country). Another two men will be put to death today in Alabama and Oklahoma. While five executions in one week is unusually high, experts attribute the timing to coincidence. Still, if the remaining two executions are carried out, it will be the first time since 2003 that five inmates have faced the death penalty in one week, putting the US on track to reach 18 executions this year. However, the number could increase before the end of December.

What it means: The number of executions in the US has been on the rise since 2021, following years of decline from a peak in the ‘90s. Last year, authorities in five states executed 24 people by lethal injection. The death penalty remains legal at the federal level and in 27 states — though some haven't carried out executions in years and six states have put them on hold for various reasons, including accessibility to execution drugs, as well as concerns over botched injections and wrongful convictions. It comes as support for the death penalty has also waned in recent years. A 2023 Gallup poll found that 50% of Americans surveyed believe capital punishment is applied unfairly. There have been Democratic efforts to abolish the practice at the federal level (reminder: President Joe Biden campaigned on it), but little progress has been made.

Related: How Painful Is the Most Common Method of Capital Punishment? It’s Up for Debate (CNN)

Politics

Harris and Trump Are Honing In on a Top Issue for Voters: The Economy

What's going on: Former President Donald Trump and VP Kamala Harris pitched their dueling economic policies in key swing states this week. It comes as the Harris team handed out an 80-page policy paper on cutting taxes for the working class and investing in small businesses. The VP has previously said she supports tax credits for new parents, a federal ban on price gouging for groceries, and a subsidy for first-time home buyers. In her first solo network interview last night, Harris told MSNBC she plans to do all of this without raising taxes on Americans making less than $400,000 a year. But she did not offer any other substantive details. Meanwhile in North Carolina, Trump talked to voters about tariffs (again). He threatened to put a 200% tariff on John Deere if the company moves most of its jobs to Mexico. He also pledged to cut corporate taxes to 15% for companies that produce their goods domestically. In the Venn diagram of Harris-Trump economic policies, there is some overlap. Both candidates said they support cutting taxes on tips.

What it means: The economy and inflation are top concerns for voters and could be decisive for swing state voters. Trump’s economic strategy takes a page right out of his 2016 and 2020 playbooks, positioning himself as a strong businessman — a tactic that has resonated with many voters. However, recent polls show Harris is closing the “trust gap” between herself and Trump on economic issues. As for which candidate offers better economic policies? New polling from The Wall Street Journal found that most economists do not support key proposals from either side, like eliminating taxes on tips, punishing grocery stores for price gouging, or imposing up to 20% tariffs on imported goods. You might not have guessed it, but both candidates majored in econ.

Related: A Secret Service Agent Is Under Investigation for Allegedly Assaulting a Harris Aide (NBC)