Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is retreating from a proposed identification system for New York City's new taxpayer-subsidized grocery stores, after critics pointed out the mayor opposes ID requirements for voting. The reversal came days after Jeanny Pak, head of the city's Economic Development Corporation, told reporters at a July 27 news conference that the administration […] The post NYC Mayor Mamdani backs away from grocery store ID plan after voter-ID hypocrisy goes viral appeared first on American Almanac .
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is retreating from a proposed identification system for New York City's new taxpayer-subsidized grocery stores, after critics pointed out the mayor opposes ID requirements for voting. The reversal came days after Jeanny Pak, head of the city's Economic Development Corporation, told reporters at a July 27 news conference that the administration was exploring a "library card-esque" system to "target New Yorkers" and "manage who's buying" at five planned city-run stores. Mamdani himself had called Pak to the podium to explain how the city would keep people from taking advantage of the program, Newsmax reported . The backlash was swift. President Trump, Sen. Rick Scott, Elon Musk, and others seized on…Open
Luigi Mangione's legal team is demanding that a New York judge either livestream his state murder trial or explain why the public cannot watch, setting up a transparency fight weeks before jury selection begins. Mangione's attorneys filed a written request with New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro on Friday, asking the court to broadcast […] The post Luigi Mangione pushes for livestreamed state murder trial, accuses prosecutors of controlling courtroom access appeared first on American Almanac .
Luigi Mangione's legal team is demanding that a New York judge either livestream his state murder trial or explain why the public cannot watch, setting up a transparency fight weeks before jury selection begins. Mangione's attorneys filed a written request with New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro on Friday, asking the court to broadcast the trial live or, at minimum, set up a live overflow feed inside the courthouse so journalists and members of the public who cannot get a seat can still follow the proceedings in real time. The 28-year-old defendant, accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan sidewalk in December 2024, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and multiple weapons…Open
A former congressional staffer has built a verified, anonymous review platform that lets Capitol Hill aides rate the lawmakers they work for, and the early results put mostly Democratic offices at the bottom of the list. David Tennent, founder of Capitol CNCT, launched the tool called "The Scoop" on July 20. It works like a […] The post Former Hill staffer launches anonymous review platform so aides can grade their bosses in Congress appeared first on American Almanac .
A former congressional staffer has built a verified, anonymous review platform that lets Capitol Hill aides rate the lawmakers they work for, and the early results put mostly Democratic offices at the bottom of the list. David Tennent, founder of Capitol CNCT, launched the tool called "The Scoop" on July 20. It works like a Glassdoor for Congress: current and former staffers log in with their House or Senate email addresses, submit reviews of the offices where they worked, and those reviews go live after Capitol CNCT screens them for authenticity. Within a week, verified ratings had already begun sorting congressional offices into winners and losers. The platform arrives at a moment when Capitol Hill's workplace culture is under sharper…Open
Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination survived a Senate Judiciary Committee vote after two Republican holdouts struck a last-minute deal, but several GOP senators remain undecided ahead of a floor vote he cannot afford to lose. The committee advanced Blanche's nomination 12-10 on Tuesday, sending it to the full Senate after weeks of delay caused by […] The post Todd Blanche clears Senate committee on a 12-10 vote, but full confirmation remains uncertain appeared first on American Almanac .
Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination survived a Senate Judiciary Committee vote after two Republican holdouts struck a last-minute deal, but several GOP senators remain undecided ahead of a floor vote he cannot afford to lose. The committee advanced Blanche's nomination 12-10 on Tuesday, sending it to the full Senate after weeks of delay caused by opposition within the president's own party. Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had refused to back the nomination until the Justice Department addressed their concerns over a controversial $1.8 billion fund and a sweeping IRS immunity deal that shielded President Trump and his family from audits. Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer who took over as acting…Open
The Trump administration has quietly ramped up American intelligence operations inside Cuba in recent months, deploying spies and assets to the island as part of a broader campaign to force the communist government into political and economic reforms, or push it from power entirely. Two people familiar with the plans told Politico that the effort […] The post Trump administration expands CIA operations in Cuba to pressure communist regime appeared first on American Almanac .
The Trump administration has quietly ramped up American intelligence operations inside Cuba in recent months, deploying spies and assets to the island as part of a broader campaign to force the communist government into political and economic reforms, or push it from power entirely. Two people familiar with the plans told Politico that the effort includes an increased CIA presence on the island, paired with tightened sanctions, a cutoff of Venezuelan oil shipments, public messaging campaigns aimed at the Cuban people, and legal action against former Cuban leader Raul Castro. The scope of the intelligence buildup remains undisclosed, and four agencies, the CIA, the White House, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Office of the…Open
California Assembly Republicans voted Monday to strip Heath Flora of his minority leader post after a report revealed two state ethics investigations and more than $11,000 in campaign funds spent at a Sacramento bar, a swift downfall that exposed deeper fractures inside the caucus. The ouster came one day after The California Post reported that […] The post California Assembly Republicans remove Heath Flora as leader after ethics probes surface appeared first on American Almanac .
California Assembly Republicans voted Monday to strip Heath Flora of his minority leader post after a report revealed two state ethics investigations and more than $11,000 in campaign funds spent at a Sacramento bar, a swift downfall that exposed deeper fractures inside the caucus. The ouster came one day after The California Post reported that the Fair Political Practices Commission had opened two separate investigations into Flora, a Republican from Ripon who took over the leadership post last year. One probe, launched after an October 2025 complaint, examines Flora's role as an intermediary on more than $1.15 million in behested payments, donations solicited from special interests on behalf of third parties, since May 2023. State…Open
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) speaks to The Hill ahead of the critical Democratic Senate primary in Michigan between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens. Read more from The Hill: https://thehill.com/ #DebbieDingell #Senate #Michigan #MichiganSenate #HaleyStevens #AbdulElSayed #Democrats #DNC
Ukraine has accused Russia of a war crime after a video was released that showed a man attempting to escape a deadly drone. The video shows a street vendor running away from a drone that pursued him around a van before it exploded. He dove for cover behind a vehicle. More: https://tinyurl.com/pu385hr3 #Ukraine #drones #Russia
A major rescue operation saved 157 migrants after a massive dinghy caught fire and sank in the English Channel, highlighting ongoing challenges with illegal crossings.
A major rescue operation saved 157 migrants after a massive dinghy caught fire and sank in the English Channel, highlighting Britain’s ongoing challenges with illegal crossings. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: A major air and sea rescue operation unfolded in the English Channel early Tuesday after a massive migrant dinghy caught fire and sank, sending 157 illegal migrants into the water. British and French rescue vessels responded to a distress call around 6 AM and pulled everyone from the sea, with several people treated for hypothermia, but no fatalities or serious injuries reported. Maritime officials described the outcome as “miraculous,” crediting the rapid joint response by Britain’s Border Security Command, the Royal…Open
