On the eve of the New York City mayoral election, Donald Trump endorsed independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and threatened to pull federal funding if progressive frontrunner Zohran Mamdani wins. In a social media post, Trump called Mamdani a “communist” and urged voters to back Cuomo, despite saying in a 60 Minutes interview that he is “not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other.” Mamdani responded at a final campaign event, stating: “The Maga movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo is reflective of Donald Trump’s understanding that this would be the best mayor for him – not the best mayor for New York City.”
The government shutdown entered its 34th day, with the Trump administration partially funding food aid for millions of Americans after court orders. The administration said it would fully deplete $5.25bn in contingency funds for November’s Snap benefits, but not use other funding to cover the full $8bn to $9bn monthly cost for 42 million recipients.
Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, maintained they have no plans to abolish the filibuster, calling the 60-vote Senate threshold an “important safeguard” against “Democrats’ worst impulses.” This comes despite Trump’s criticism of the measure. Johnson attributed the president’s stance to “passion” and “desperation” to reopen the government.
In California, a state appeals court struck down Huntington Beach’s voter ID law, ruling it violates state law. The court stated that voter ID requirements “may interfere with the ability of eligible voters to cast their ballots by placing a practical and financial hurdle between voters and the ballot box.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta applauded the decision, saying: “No city in our state … can make it more difficult for voters to cast their ballots.”
