Today’s notice: Eric Adams had a long weekend. Good bird flu information is hard to find. Puerto Rico statehood advocates like the Canada talk.
It’s Trump’s New York
It was a busy holiday weekend here in New York City, where Eric Adams’ mayorship rapidly moved from “embattled” to “isolated” to — as one plugged-in New York political type told NOTUS — “critical mass.”
If it’s not the end of Adams’ 9 lives, let’s call it life 8-and-a-half. Four top officials in his administration have announced plans to quit en masse. Democrats are calling on him to resign. The swagger has been replaced by humiliation.
At the center of it all is a man who knows a few things about swagger in New York City. Donald Trump held a press conference at Trump Tower the day Adams was indicted, echoing Adams’ claim that the federal charges he faced were Joe Biden committing an act of lawfare because he complained about the city’s then-ballooning asylum-seeker population. Trump’s victory (and huge increase in support in the city) seemed on its face like a big win for Adams — the party-outsiders-in-establishment-persecution brothers riding off together into the sunset. After all, the wealthy and white Democrats who were shocked by Trump’s margins in this city were also shocked that Adams won.
But Trump doesn’t want a partner. His DOJ’s move to drop the charges against Adams wasn’t done in a way that actually freed the independent-minded and, all told, Trump-friendly mayor, but it forced Adams to take an actual partisan side. Democrats had thought that was their thing: Gov. Kathy Hochul could’ve fired him after the charges came down, but many thought that would effectively hand the job to Andrew Cuomo, and so the federally indicted mayor stayed put. Thanks to Trump, Hochul is now being asked once again if she’s going to put an end to this low point in city politics.
Adams may be uniquely vulnerable to Trump’s meddling thanks to this huge quid he needed a pro quo for. But diving into a city’s political machinery seems to be something other mayors can look forward to. Karen Bass got a little bit of it after the LA wildfires. Brandon Johnson is one of the Illinois officials who just got sued by the DOJ over sanctuary city laws. This kind of stuff can really turn up the heat — and cause things to get pretty weird pretty fast. It’s also a kind of big city politicking that shows that while he may claim to be a Florida man, you just can’t take the New York out of Trump.
—Evan McMorris-Santoro
Flying Blind on Bird Flu
There’s no clear end in sight to the bird flu outbreak that has killed millions of birds and sent the price of eggs skyrocketing. NOTUS’ Margaret Manto dives into part of the challenge of fighting the disease: Officials aren’t getting complete — or any — information.
The Trump administration’s new approach to disseminating health and medical data — aka freezing communication from the federal health agencies via executive order — has left state officials and experts with an unclear picture of the scope of infections.
Washington state epidemiologist Scott Lindquist told NOTUS on Feb. 13, for example: “Normally, we would be having pretty regular updates, but I’ve seen one health alert come out last week.” And Alabama medical officer Burnestine Taylor said that her department has had “absolutely no communications” from the federal health agencies recently.
Front Page
- Trump’s Promise to Cover IVF Costs Is ‘Being Worked Through,’ a White House Official Says: After quiet weeks on fertility treatment coverage, an advocacy group expects developments soon.
- DOGE Posts — Then Redacts — What Appears to Be Sensitive HUD Contract Data: Despite DOGE’s attempt to redact the information, it is still readily visible in the post on X.
- Will Congress Stop Playing ‘Whack-a-Mole’ With Chinese Apps?: Some members think a broader approach is needed.
- China Hawks Are Reckoning With the Elon Musk Era: They’re fighting for a voice in Donald Trump’s new administration.
Unintended Consequences Report: Expansionist Edition
Trump’s desire to grow U.S.-controlled territory to include the Panama Canal Zone, Greenland and Canada is confounding many of America’s allies, but at least one group sees an opportunity: the Puerto Rico Statehood Council.
“If the president decides that he’s going to push to join to the union two or three states, well, fine. We want to be one of them,” council chair José Fuentes-Agostini told NOTUS’ Mark Alfred. “We don’t have to be 51, we can be 52 or 53, as long as we get in.”
Q&A: Mark Krikorian
Mark Krikorian is widely regarded as an architect of the restrictionist immigration movement. And sure enough, the executive director of the right-wing Center for Immigration Studies says he thinks Trump is off to a “great start.” We chatted with Krikorian about where he wants to see administration go from here.
On future deportations:
The kind of enforcement you’re seeing now isn’t necessarily the kind of thing that’s gonna spur a lot of people to think about packing their stuff and leaving, but worksite enforcement is, and will yield much higher numbers.
They, both for policy and political reasons, are doing this so-called “worst-first” approach, and it makes total sense, I don’t mean to denigrate it, it’s just that it takes a lot of man power. The next thing you’re going to have to see is worksite enforcement.
How will that impact businesses?
It will be a test of the administration to see when there is enforcement against some business owned by, say, a Republican campaign donor, what do they do? When someone complains — a congressman or donor complains — and calls up their contact at the White House? Then what? I don’t think they’ll cave, but we’ll see.
The question you’re asking is, ‘Will they stay the course on enforcement, even if it becomes uncomfortable for some of their supporters?’ I think the answer is yes.
Can this flurry of immigration activity be maintained?
It’s a sugar high and it will depend on what they do over the next several months whether that new vibe shift continues or just goes back to business as usual.
—Casey Murray
Meet Us: Daniella Diaz
Welcome to “Meet Us” where we introduce you to a member of the NOTUS team. Up today is Daniella Diaz, who joins us as a reporter covering the House Republican leadership and immigration.
- Hometown: McAllen, Texas
- Past: Politico, CNN, Politico again and now NOTUS.
- Why journalism: It’s the Fourth Estate. Without journalism, powerful leaders can go unchecked, and it’s our job as reporters to ask tough questions and remind them people are watching.
- Why AJI/NOTUS: I’m excited to be part of something new.
- Thing you can’t live without: My phone. It’s a terrible addiction I’ve been trying to unsuccessfully break since 2006.
- Best advice you’ve ever been given: My college journalism professor Greg Selber once told me: Never make the same mistake twice.
Not Us
We know NOTUS reporters can’t cover it all. Here’s some other great hits by… not us.
- Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS by Jacob Bogage and Jeff Stein at The Washington Post
- Botched Care and Tired Staff: Planned Parenthood in Crisis by Katie Benner at The New York Times
- Growing Up Murdoch by McKay Coppins at The Atlantic
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