What to know today
- TRUMP AT NATO SUMMIT: President Donald Trump held a news conference today at the NATO summit in the Netherlands, where leaders announced that they have agreed to increase their defense spending target to 5% of their gross domestic products by 2035.
- U.S. TO MEET WITH IRAN: Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials would meet next week on how to move forward following U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear enrichment sites. Trump continued to claim the strikes devastated Iran's nuclear program, contrary to a U.S. intelligence assessment that the damage set the program back by only several months.
- ZELENSKYY MEETING: Trump also told reporters that he had "a good meeting" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit after Zelenskyy said on social media that the two had a “long and substantive” talk and “discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace."
- NEW YORK CITY ELECTIONS: Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded the New York democratic mayoral primary to state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani last night. Mamdani led the 11-candidate field of democratic candidates late yesterday after the first round of ranked-choice voting.
New York’s mayoral primary casts bright light on ranked choice voting — and its future nationally
New York’s high-profile mayoral primary this week shined a bright light on the nation’s ongoing experiment with ranked choice voting, reopening the debate over the relatively new, unique and complex system.
New York City is among the 63 jurisdictions — which include cities, states and counties — that have in recent years implemented ranked choice voting for some or all of their elections.
Advocates have argued the system gives lesser-known candidates greater opportunities to compete and encourages politicians to build consensus and broaden their appeal, since voters have the ability to choose more than one name on their ballots.
Critics have pointed out that tabulating ranked choice ballots takes longer and delays final results and contend the system sows confusion among voters.
CIA says U.S. strikes ‘severely damaged’ Iran’s nuclear program
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said today credible intelligence indicated that Iran’s nuclear program was “severely damaged” in recent U.S. airstrikes and that several key sites were “destroyed.”
A Defense Intelligence Agency initial assessment leaked yesterday found that the U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites may have set back the country’s nuclear program by only several months, a more limited impact than Trump stated after the strikes.
The precise damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the viability of its broader program have become politically charged issues, with Trump and his deputies denouncing the leak of the DIA report and the news outlets that reported it. democratic lawmakers have accused the White House of possibly overstating the effect of the strikes.
Ratcliffe said on social media that the CIA’s findings were based on “credible intelligence” and that they contradicted what he called “illegally sourced public reporting regarding the destruction of key Iranian nuclear facilities.”
Rep. McIver after arraignment: 'We're excited about going to trial because the facts are on our side'
Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., who pleaded not guilty today to two counts of allegedly forcibly assaulting two different officers, told reporters alongside members of the House democratic Caucus that she’s “excited” about going to trial.
McIver said at the Capitol that she’s not guilty and that she will not “be intimidated” by the administration and the Justice Department. She said she’s “confident” and “excited” about the trial, saying, “Facts are in my corner.”
“I’m not guilty, and this is exactly what has been said over and over again. This is political intimidation. This is Trump weaponizing the DOJ, and we will not be intimidated in that. I want to thank all of those that have been supportive,” she said. “We feel confident. We’re excited about going to trial, because the facts are on our side. We are going to fight this case through, and no matter what headline the DOJ puts out, it does not matter, because the facts are in my corner.”
democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., started the event, saying they stand with McIver “to the end.”
“We can’t stop reiterating the fact that this administration has been trying to send a chilling effect to members of Congress, state legislators, state governors, state city mayors, just using his authoritarian inclinations to sow fear among the members who are doing their job,” Clarke said.
“And so we stand firmly with LaMonica, knowing that there but for the grace of God go each and every one of us, and we are not going to be fearful in this moment. We are going to be brave,” she said. “We are brave. We are courageous. We will stand with LaMonica to the end, because if they can break LaMonica McIver, they can break the House of Representatives.”
House unanimously passes resolution condemning Minnesota shootings
The House passed a bipartisan resolution today condemning the shootings in Minnesota this month that killed democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and injured democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
The vote was 424-0.
"All acts of political violence are unconscionable, and every leader across the political spectrum must speak with one unequivocal voice against it," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on X after the vote. "As elected officials, we have a responsibility to set the example for civility and demonstrate that our political rivals are not our enemies."
Police have arrested Vance Boelter in connection with the shootings, which authorities said were politically motivated. Boelter faces state and federal charges.
Dozens of protesters arrested today on Capitol Hill
U.S. Capitol Police arrested more than 40 people on Capitol Hill today in connection with protests over the Trump administration's proposed cuts to government spending.
A group of 34 people, who were protesting health care cuts in the Republicans' so-called big, beautiful bill, were arrested and accused of illegally demonstrating inside the Russell Senate Office Building, according to Capitol Police.
Eight more protesters were arrested after they disrupted a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing this afternoon at which the director of Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, testified in connection with a $9.4 billion rescissions package request from the White House.
The protesters held posters saying, “DON’T LET VOUGHT SEIZE POWER.”
Both groups of protesters were charged with crowding, obstructing and incommoding, a Capitol Police spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said an additional person was arrested for crossing a police line outside where arrests were being processed.
Trump navigates the most complex foreign policy crisis of his presidency, one ‘Truth’ at a time
As the conflict between Iran and Israel heated up, and in the wake of surprise U.S. attacks on Iran, Trump has been carrying out the delicate art of diplomacy through blunt social media posts, full of the bravado — and capital letters — that characterize much of his communications.
“There is not another military in the World that could have done this,” Trump posted Saturday on Truth Social, announcing the airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
“This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD,” he added in a follow-up. “IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!”
For many in the United States — including some elected officials — Trump’s posts were the primary way to learn about what was happening. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said he learned about the strikes that way.
Rural communities brace for Medicaid cuts in Republicans’ big bill
Reporting from Hermann, Mo.
Like many Americans, Cierra Matthews doesn’t have time to pay close attention to the flood of policy changes and announcements coming out of Washington, D.C. So when the single mom of two boys heard that her Medicaid benefits could be affected because Republicans are proposing changes to the social safety net program, she was shocked.
Members of Congress, Matthews said, are “covered no matter what, so they don’t have to worry about it. So how is that fair to just take it away from somebody that does have to worry about it because of finances or because of a job?”
“I don’t think it’s fair that they don’t care enough to think about that and that they get to live in that happy little bubble of theirs,” she said in an interview Friday.
Matthews lives in a rural community 90 minutes west of St. Louis, where she works in the public school system and falls below the poverty line. She is one of 72 million people in the United States who rely on Medicaid for her health care, and before Missouri voted to expand Medicaid access in 2020, she was uninsured.
She said Medicaid saved her life: She received a mental health diagnosis and is on medication that her sons said transformed their mom into a different person.
Trump calls Mamdani a '100% Communist Lunatic'
In two posts on Truth Social, Trump blasted Mamdani, writing, "democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor."
He added that Mamdani "looks terrible" and that his "voice is grating."
Trump also blasted other democrats in his posts, calling Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., "our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer," and saying Schumer is "groveling" over Mamdani.
He also called Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, "low IQ," writing, "After years of being left out in the cold, including suffering one of the Greatest Losses in History, the 2024 Presidential Election, the democrats should nominate Low IQ Candidate, Jasmine Crockett, for President."
Schumer went to hospital after feeling lightheaded
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., went to the hospital this morning after he felt lightheaded in the gym.
Schumer, who missed a news conference on Capitol Hill this morning, attended one after he returned from the hospital.
A spokesperson said Schumer was "at the Senate gym this morning and got lightheaded. Out of an abundance of caution, he went to the hospital to be treated for dehydration and is now back at work in the Capitol. He wants to remind everyone to drink some water and stay out of the heat."
Washington had a high of 98 degrees today.
Republicans propose rural hospital fund to address Medicaid concerns in Trump's big bill
Senate GOP leaders are working on a last-ditch effort to alleviate concerns from several Republicans about the potential impacts to their states from the Medicaid provisions in their sweeping domestic policy bill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told NBC News yesterday that they are "working on a solution for rural hospitals," adding, "I think we’re making good headway on that solution."
A draft proposal from the Senate Finance Committee, the panel that has jurisdiction over Medicaid, would create a $15 billion fund for rural hospitals and providers, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the proposal. That would drive up the overall cost of the bill if it’s included.
But multiple Republicans — including Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Susan Collins of Maine — said the $15 billion figure falls short of what is needed.
The American Hospital Association, a lobbying group representing the industry, warned this month that the House-passed legislation “would result in a $50.4 billion reduction in federal Medicaid spending on rural hospitals over 10 years.”
As part of the broader legislation for Trump's agenda, Republicans are limiting the health care provider fee that states, with the help of the federal government, use to fund Medicaid, particularly in rural areas. According to Republicans, that fits within their targeting of “waste, fraud and abuse” in Medicaid, because, they say, blue states abuse the tax to provide benefits to undocumented immigrants.
But the reality for dozens of rural areas across the country is that the Medicaid changes would lead to billions in funding losses, and the consequences could be devastating, as Tillis said in a document he shared with his colleagues.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said the fund “is a good way to start” alleviating his concerns about the Medicaid provisions his party is negotiating. Still, Cassidy said he is “leaning towards supporting” the bill even if the fund won’t be large enough to fix the issue.
Sen. Bernie Sanders asks democratic leaders who haven't immediately endorsed Mamdani: 'Which side are you on?
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., criticized the top democrats in Congress today for not immediately endorsing Mamdani for mayor of New York as he leads the first-choice vote in yesterday's democratic primary election.
“democratic leadership, sadly, too often, is tied to the billionaire class and their campaign contributions. What the democratic leadership has got to do is make a choice. Which side are you on? Take money from the billionaires or you’re going to fight for the needs of working-class people?" Sanders said in an interview.
Both Senate democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., praised Mamdani in separate statements this morning but stopped short of endorsing him.
Sanders, a Brooklyn native who endorsed Mamdani, a democratic socialist, said Mamdani’s victory is an indication of where the energy is in the democratic Party — primarily because candidates like Mamdani are focusing on the things that voters care about.
"People cannot afford child care," said Sanders, who added that Mamdani "talked to the needs of the working class. He was prepared to take on the billionaire class and their super PACs, mobilize people at the grassroots level who knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors. That’s how you win elections."
'I plead not guilty,' Rep. LaMonica McIver pushes back on DOJ charges in federal court
Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., pleaded not guilty this morning to a trio of federal charges brought by the Justice Department accusing her of assaulting immigration officers outside a New Jersey ICE detention center during a congressional oversight visit last month.
“Your honor, I plead not guilty,” McIver said at today’s hearing. U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper set a Nov. 10 trial date before he adjourned the hearing, which lasted only five minutes and was standing-room only.
If she is found guilty, McIver could serve a maximum of eight years in federal prison on two charges of forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officials brought by Trump-appointed interim U.S Attorney Alina Habba. The third charge, a misdemeanor, carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
“McIver forcibly impeded and interfered with federal officers as they attempted to arrest an individual outside the Delaney Hall Federal Immigration Facility in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 2025,” the Justice Department wrote in a news release announcing McIver’s indictment this month.
The charges drew staunch pushback from McIver and a cascade of congressional democrats, who called them “political intimidation" by the Trump administration.
McIver told a large crowd of supporters outside the New Jersey courthouse this morning that the truth and the facts will be on her side as the case moves to trial.
democrats react to Mamdani's primary success
Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., criticized Mamdani in a statement as "too extreme to lead New York City" and "the absolute wrong choice for New York."
"His entire campaign has been built on unachievable promises and higher taxes, which is the last thing New York needs," she said in a statement on X, going on to add that Mamdani "has demonstrated a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments."
Gillen is expected to face a tough 2026 race, which is the Cook Political Report characterizes as a “toss up.”. Gillen narrowly defeated the incumbent Republican Anthony D'Esposito in 2024.
democratic congressional leadership also posted to X about Mamdani's race.
House democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., congratulated Mamdani, saying he "ran a strong campaign that relentlessly focused on the economy and bringing down the high cost of living in New York City."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Mamdani "ran an impressive campaign that connected with New Yorkers about affordability, fairness, & opportunity." He did not congratulate Mamdani in the post.
Neither Jeffries nor Schumer endorsed him in their comments.
Bove denies any 'quid pro quo' in Eric Adams case
Bove was pressed by senators on both sides of the aisle about his role in the decision to drop federal criminal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams earlier this year, and called allegations of a quid pro quo "false."
The decision was "a valid exercise of prosecutorial discretion," Bove said.
The decision to drop the case led to a number of prosecutors resigning and accusing the department of striking a deal with the democratic mayor on Trump's immigration policies.
Bove, at the time, contended the September 2024 indictment of Adams came too close to yesterday's mayoral primary in June and that it limited Adams’ ability to aid Trump’s crackdown on immigrants and fight crime. Both Bove and Adams have denied that there was any kind of illicit deal.
The "department thought the prosecution placed an inordinate burden on the mayor's ability to protect the city," Bove told the committee.
Asked by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., if he'd had any conversations with the White House about the decision, Bove declined to answer the question.
Pressed by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., if there had been any sort of deal with Adams, Bove said, "Absolutely not."
Trump judicial nominee pushes back on whistleblower claims
Emil Bove, a top Trump Justice Department official who's been nominated for a federal appeals court judgeship, said at his confirmation hearing today that he never told any DOJ attorneys to ignore a court order.
A whistleblower complaint by a fired DOJ employee made public yesterday alleged that Bove told subordinates they would need to consider ignoring court orders the day before the administration carried out deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.
"I have never advised a Justice Department attorney to violate a court order," Bove said.
The complaint by Erez Reuveni said Bove had told attorneys in the March 14 meeting that if the AEA deportations were blocked, "that DOJ would need to consider telling the courts ‘f--- you’ and ignore any such court order,” according to the letter.
Asked by Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., if he'd said anything like that, Bove said, "I have no recollection of saying anything of that kind in the meeting."
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, seemed unconcerned by the allegation, referring to it as a "coordinated political strike."
Iran’s strategic blunders paved the way for humiliating defeats, experts say
Less than two years ago, Iran’s government sounded triumphant.
It was November 2023, just weeks after Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and a senior Iranian general was predicting that the regime and its proxy forces in Gaza and Lebanon were poised to vanquish Israel, the United States and other enemies.
“We are fighting America, Zionism and all those who are targeting the greatness and honor of the Islamic Revolution of Iran,” Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said in a speech in the city of Kazvin.
“We are on the verge of conquering great heights. ... We are completely overcoming the enemies.”
Now Iran is in its most precarious position since the early 1980s.
Trump doubles down on claims that nuclear facilities were obliterated, despite initial intelligence report
When pressed by NBC News' Kelly O'Donnell about an initial intelligence report that said Iran's nuclear program was set back by three to six months, Trump repeatedly claimed that Iranian nuclear facilities were obliterated.
Asked whether he was disputing the initial report, Trump said, "The report said what it said, and it was fine."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that Iran's nuclear program was "obliterated." He also said that the intelligence report had low confidence in its conclusions "because all of the evidence of what was just bombed by 12 30,000-pound bombs is buried under a mountain, devastated and obliterated."
Trump then criticized journalists for coverage of the intelligence report.
Iran restores internet connectivity, signaling a return to normal
Iran is restoring its internet connections with the rest of the world, the country’s minister of communications, Sattar Hashemi, said on X, as Tehran's ceasefire with Israel takes effect.
Two companies that track global internet connectivity, Kentik and Cloudflare, confirmed the country was coming back online.
Iran directed its internet providers to shut off access to the broader internet last week, claiming it was due to fears of Israeli cyberattacks. The country’s domestic, government-run web services remained accessible, but chat apps that Iran cannot easily monitor, like WhatsApp, became impossible for most Iranians to use and many people were cut off from news from the outside world.
Trump threatens to make Spain pay twice as much for resisting NATO defense spending increase
Trump singled out Spain for pushing against an increase in defense spending, threatening to make it pay double.
"We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We're going to make them pay twice as much," the president said. "And I'm actually serious about that."
NATO members agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of their GDP, but Spain declined to commit to the target.
Trump says he had a 'nice' meeting with Zelenskyy
Trump said during his press conference that he had a good meeting with Zelenskyy at The Hague about Ukraine's conflict with Russia.
"Couldn't have been nicer, actually," he said, adding that the Ukrainian president has been "fighting a brave battle."
"I took from the meeting that he'd like to see it end," Trump said.
The president also said that he'll be speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I consider him a person, I think, [who] has been misguided," Trump said.
Trump says U.S. will meet with Iran
Trump said that the U.S. would "talk with" Iran next week, adding, "we may sign an agreement, I don't know." He said that he didn't think an agreement to curtail its nuclear program was "that necessary."
"I don't care if I have an agreement or not," he said. "The only thing we'd be asking for is what we were asking for before, about we want no nuclear, but we destroyed the nuclear. In other words, it's destroyed."
"We're going to meet with them, actually," he added. "We're going to meet with them."
Trump doubles down on claim that U.S. strikes resulted in 'obliteration' of Iranian nuclear sites
Trump doubled down during his news conference at The Hague on his claim that the U.S. strikes he authorized on three major Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend resulted in total "obliteration."
He pushed back against the early assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency that the strikes only set the nuclear program back by a few months.
"The document said it could be very severe damage," Trump said. "Since then, we've collected additional intelligence. We've also spoken to people who have seen the site, and the site is obliterated, and we think everything nuclear is down there. They didn't take it out."
Trump asserted that Iran didn't move any nuclear materials before the strikes either. "We think we hit them so hard and so fast, they didn't get to move. And if you knew about that material, it's very hard and very dangerous to move."
"It's very, very heavy. It's very, very hard to move. And they were way down. You know, they're 30 stories down. They're literally 30, 35 stories down underground," he said.
Trump and Zelenskyy meet in the Netherlands
Trump and Zelenskyy held a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit, both sides confirmed. Details on the meeting have not yet been provided.
Zelenskyy called the meeting "long and substantive," saying in a post on X that they "discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace."
"We spoke about how to protect our people," he said. "We appreciate the attention and the readiness to help bring peace closer. Details will follow."
NATO allies agree to higher 5% defense spending target
NATO allies today agreed to more than double their defense spending target from 2% of gross domestic product to 5% by 2035, in the most decisive move from the alliance in more than a decade.
In a joint declaration, the Western military bloc said it was “united in the face of profound security threats and challenges,” in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the “persistent threat” of terrorism.
Teen DOGE staffer ‘Big Balls’ has left the Trump administration
One of the most talked about staff members of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency has left the federal government, continuing a stream of DOGE-related departures.
Edward Coristine, the 19-year-old nicknamed “Big Balls” who joined DOGE as one of its original staffers, has left his job and the administration entirely, a White House spokesperson said yesterday. The spokesperson did not provide details.
U.S. lawmakers urge Pentagon to back submarine deal with Australia and Britain
U.S. lawmakers urged the Trump administration to recommit to a nuclear submarine deal with Australia and Britain, saying it was vital to “deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.”
A Pentagon official said earlier this month that the deal, known as AUKUS, was under review to ensure it was “aligned with the President’s America First agenda,” amid concerns that the U.S. is not building nuclear-powered submarines fast enough to sell some to Australia as agreed under the deal.
“This is a defense alliance that is overwhelmingly in the best interest of all three AUKUS nations, as well as the entire Indo-Pacific region,” the lawmakers said in the letter sent Monday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
They said much progress had already been made on the deal, with Congress passing related legislation, U.S. shipbuilding rates accelerating and Australian naval officers undergoing joint training.
The letter was signed by Reps. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who are co-chairs of the Friends of Australia Caucus, as well as Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala.; Adam Smith, D-Wash.; and Trent Kelly, R-Miss.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters in London yesterday that he was “not going to speculate about what the review will ultimately say” and that Australia supported the review as a “perfectly natural step for an incoming administration to take.”
Trump rejects reports indicating U.S. strikes set Iran's nuclear program back only months
Trump and his top Cabinet officials are disputing reports that indicate the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities set Iran’s nuclear program back by only a few months — despite his initial claim that the U.S. “obliterated” the program.
Speaking to reporters in the Netherlands today, Trump repeatedly referred to the strikes as causing “obliteration.” He claimed that he thinks the U.S. strikes set Iran back decades. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the president's comments.
“That hit ended the war. I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing,” Trump said, referring to the U.S. hitting two Japanese cities with nuclear bombs that led to the end of World War II and killed an estimated 110,000-210,000 people.
NBC News and other outlets reported yesterday that an initial assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency concluded the U.S. strikes only set Iran’s nuclear program back by three to six months, according to sources with knowledge of the report.
Senate Republicans scramble to resolve tense divisions as Trump threatens their vacation over his big bill
The Senate bill’s Medicaid cuts are too aggressive for politically vulnerable Republicans.
Its clean energy funding cuts are too tame for conservative House Republicans, who are threatening to sink the legislation.
And the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, or SALT, is a nonstarter for key blue-state House Republicans.
The GOP-led Congress is barreling toward its own deadline to pass the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” and it’s getting messy in the final stretch as Trump ramps up the pressure on lawmakers to put it on his desk by July 4.
Andrew Cuomo concedes the New York City mayoral primary to Zohran Mamdani, who leads in the first-choice vote
State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is the leader as first-choice votes are tallied in the New York City democratic mayoral primary, ahead of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who declared his rival the winner even though no candidate is set to secure a majority in the first round of the ranked choice election.
Mamdani had been surging in the race’s final weeks as he touted a progressive vision for a new direction for the city — one with rent freezes and city-run grocery store price caps, free city buses and more. He boosted his appeal with energetic direct-to-camera videos, as well as moves such as spending a weekend night before Election Day walking the length of Manhattan, stopping to chat with voters and record clips along the way.
And he won the backing of prominent liberal politicians in the city as the flag-bearer of a unified, progressive effort aimed at depriving Cuomo of a political comeback.