Maura Higgins will always be faithful to her friends.
A month after the Traitors alum was announced as one of the first celebrity cast members for season 35 of Dancing With the Stars, Maura…
E! Online (US) – Top Stories
Day: May 28, 2026
Democrats want to move on from 2024. The Bidens won’t let them.
Former first lady Jill Biden put a glaring spotlight back on the debate that ended her husband’s political career while promoting her new memoir. Former President Joe Biden is drawing attention again to his audio interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur as he sues the Justice Department to prevent their release. And his scandal-ridden son Hunter Biden, whose past Republicans repeatedly weaponized on the campaign trail, is making headlines again — this time for appearing on a podcast with flame-throwing conspiracy theorist Candace Owens.
Jill Biden’s stunning admission this week that she thought her embattled husband was having a stroke on the debate stage in June 2024 stood in stark contrast to her positive spin and staunch defense in the moment. And it ripped open barely healed wounds from Democrats’ disastrous effort to hold the White House, setting off a fresh round of backward-looking fingerpointing less than a week after the party’s botched autopsy of the 2024 presidential election.
Leading Democrats say it’s an unnecessary distraction as they push to keep their party focused on a critical midterm — and what voters truly care about.
“We don’t need to be distracted by what the DNC says about the autopsy. I don’t need to be distracted about anyone’s book,” New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, told reporters on the sidelines of a Democratic National Committee meeting in Washington on Thursday. “What I need to do is to focus on making a difference in the lives of people. And that’s what I think they’re getting really frustrated about, is all this nonsense. I don’t think the average Democratic voter, honestly, particularly in New Mexico, gives a damn about that book or the debate anymore.”
Lujan Grisham, who sat on the national advisory board for the 2024 Biden-Harris campaign, stressed that she didn’t mean “any disrespect” to Jill Biden and later said she is a “big Joe Biden fan.”
Still, Jill Biden’s confession that she was “frightened” by her husband’s debate performance landed with a thud among former Biden White House and campaign staffers who were told in the moment to treat the then-president’s halting and haphazard debate performance as little more than a blip.
Meghan Hays, a former special assistant to Joe Biden in the White House who left before the 2024 reelection bid, cautioned that the timing and context of the former first lady’s memoir risks dealing Democrats a setback at a time when they’re on an electoral hot streak.
“I think that they need to sell books, and I think that Dr. Biden wants her story out there,” she said on C-SPAN’s “Ceasefire,” hosted by POLITICO’s Dasha Burns.
“It is not welcome from Democrats,” Hays said. “We have a lot of momentum in our favor … and when we get pulled back into conversations about age and the election in ‘24, it’s never gonna be a good place for Democrats. I think it’s a tough place to be.”
Hays wasn’t the only former Biden official who expressed frustration.
“My reaction was basically: ‘Welcome to the club.’ Every person across America and in your administration wondered the same thing, and instead of acknowledging that, we were told for days to ignore it — that it was just a bad night, just an anomaly,” said another former Biden White House staffer, granted anonymity to speak candidly.
Still, several prominent Democratic strategists, former party leaders and past Biden-Harris officials downplayed the significance of this latest bout of 2024 relitigating, dismissing it as little more than white noise that wouldn’t have much effect on the party’s prospects in 2026 or 2028.
“Let everyone finish venting about ‘24 now and get it out of their systems,” former Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.), who narrowly lost her reelection that year as Trump carried her state, said in a text message to POLITICO, adding that “voters won’t remember any of this in 2028.”
But, she added, “I am a bit unhappy about the DNC’s delayed release of the autopsy of 2024. We don’t need those reminders in writing and we certainly don’t need to give the Republicans any more oppo to remind voters of everything we did wrong in 2024.”
A spokesperson for the Bidens declined to comment. A former Biden White House and campaign staffer, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said in a text message that the party writ large has moved on.
“While it feels painful and traumatic for those who had to deal with this at the time, the public is focused on the current president and related concerns: high gas prices, immigration concerns, [Jeffrey] Epstein,” the person said.
The renewed firestorm around the two-year-old debate comes as other moves by the Biden clan force Democrats to again confront his decline in real time.
Joe Biden is suing the Trump administration in an effort to block the release of recorded interviews with a ghostwriter that were obtained by the Justice Department during a now-shuttered probe of whether he had mishandled classified information. But his effort to stop the tapes and transcripts from going public is dredging up another painful encounter that derailed his second term hopes.
Hur chose not to charge the president in that investigation because he believed jurors would likely see Biden as an“elderly man with a poor memory,” a moment that set off a political firestorm. The audio of Hur’s interviews with Biden, released last year, backed that up.
As Biden tries to keep those tapes under wraps, his son made recent moves to draw more attention to himself and his family.
Hunter Biden has triggered a raft of headlines in recent days after he taped a podcast with Owens, the conspiratorial conservative influencer who has repeatedly attacked the Biden family and the former president’s mental capacity. In the interview, Owens promised not to disparage Joe Biden and even commended Hunter Biden for defending his father. But the widespread media coverage still generated backlash within the party.
Some Democrats are simply ready to sweep the Bidens into the dustbin of history so their party can move forward.
“Nobody wants to relitigate the worst debate performance since the Greek Republic. Why are we talking about this? Why are we talking about Hunter Biden? Why is Hunter Biden talking about Hunter Biden?” said Pete Giangreco, a longtime Democratic strategist who worked on Barack Obama’s campaigns but was not involved in Joe Biden’s or Kamala Harris’ bids.
“Your time has passed, move on. … The Republicans and all their super PACs are going to outspend us three-to-one, four-to-one — that’s what we need to be focused on,” he added.
But the Bidens — and Harris — show no signs of slinking back into the shadows. Harris, who released a book last year criticizing the president with whom she served, has signaled she could mount a third presidential bid in 2028. Joe Biden, for his part, has begun endorsing his former administration officials who are running in midterm contests; one of his picks, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, won her gubernatorial primary last week in the key swing state of Georgia. Jill Biden is embarking on a book tour to promote her work.
And other Democrats say they’re less frustrated at the Biden family itself than they are with their party’s most vocal factions, which descend into a circular firing squad with each drip of new information about 2024.
“I would rather not have to talk about it. But they both have the right to do what they’re doing,” Maria Cardona, a prominent Democratic strategist who backed Biden’s reelection bid, told POLITICO on the sidelines of the DNC meeting. “But we also are in control with how we react to it. So let them do their thing. They are no longer in control of the party. We don’t have to rehash every single word that comes out of it.”
Politics
Lululemon’s We Made Too Much section is the place to shop for everything you need for summer workouts.
And our favorite summer workout ‘fits start with a great pair of shorts that will move with…
E! Online (US) – Top Stories
One Titanic survivor didn’t let go—and now his grandson is making sure his story goes on.
Steven Fong confirmed that his grandfather Fang Lang—who survived the real sinking of the Titanic in…
E! Online (US) – Top Stories
One climate activist is speaking out about her legal troubles.
Pattie Gonia, a drag queen who uses her platform to raise awareness and funds for protecting the planet, pushed back against a…
E! Online (US) – Top Stories
For all the madness associated with modern roster building in college football, where the transfer portal turns winter into a shopping spree and makes it nearly impossible to track who has gone where, the end result is still rather fun: a spring and summer of prognostication, where figuring out how it all might fit together becomes a months-long game. Will ‘Quarterback A’ really thrive in a spread offense? Will ‘Edge Rusher B’ finally put the pieces together under a new defensive coordinator? And what about ‘Running Back C,’ who waited his turn and climbed the depth chart — without transferring — to eventually challenge for playing time? This is what makes the build up to college football so exciting: The debates are never-ending. So with that in mind, here are 10 potential breakout candidates who could become household names in 2026: * Recruiting rankings and historical data courtesy of 247Sports Height: 6-foot-2Weight: 200 poundsClass: Redshirt seniorPrevious schools: TCU (2022-25) Last season: 272 of 413 (65.9%) for 3,472 yards, 29 TDs and 13 INT in 831 snaps Let’s start with the obvious: It’s unusual for a three-year starting quarterback from the power conferences to be featured on this type of list, especially considering how prolific Hoover was at TCU. He threw for more than 9,600 yards and 71 touchdowns in 36 appearances for the Horned Frogs, guiding the program to a pair of nine-win seasons and two bowl victories during that span. Not a single FBS quarterback will enter the 2026 campaign with more career passing yards or passing touchdowns than Hoover, who has one year of eligibility remaining. He’s expected to be the next great one-and-done quarterback prospect for head coach Curt Cignetti, following in the footsteps of Kurtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza, both of whom joined the Hoosiers as transfers. Cignetti’s incredible knack for quarterback development helps explain why Hoover is rightly viewed as a breakout candidate this fall despite everything he’s achieved. Rourke had already been named the 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year at Ohio before throwing a career-high 29 touchdown passes in his only season at Indiana while leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff. And all Mendoza did after throwing for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore at Cal was put together one of the most decorated campaigns in recent memory, punctuated by the Heisman Trophy and a national championship en route to becoming the No. 1 overall pick. Such remarkable precedent suggests that Cignetti can probably elevate Hoover, too. Height: 6-foot-4Weight: 250 poundsClass: SeniorPrevious schools: Georgia (2023-24), Missouri (2025) Last season: 23 total tackles, 9.5 TFL, 9 sacks and 54 pressures in 509 snaps Anyone who watched Miami’s impressive run to the national championship game last season understood the impact that edge rushers Reuben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor had on the Hurricanes’ success. Bain, who became the No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, led the country in quarterback pressures (83) and tied for 18th in sacks (9.5) while logging more snaps (561) than any other player at his position, according to Pro Football Focus. Mesidor, who was selected No. 22 overall in last month’s draft, finished tied for fourth nationally in quarterback pressures (67) and tied for third in sacks (12.5) while logging the second-most snaps (513) of any player at his position. Together, their production never wavered despite hardly ever leaving the field. To begin filling the voids left by Bain and Mesidor, who became the first Miami defensive players selected in the opening round since 2021, the Hurricanes turned to Wilson via the transfer portal. Originally a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, Wilson began his collegiate career in a reserve role at Georgia before carving out more playing time in Year 2. He parlayed the remnants of his recruiting pedigree and improved production into a highly priced move to Missouri as the No. 3 overall player in the transfer portal. Once Wilson entered the transfer portal again in January — this time after amassing nine sacks and 54 quarterback pressures for the Tigers — he committed to Miami as the No. 9 transfer and second-best edge rusher in the portal. Height: 6 feetWeight: 190 poundsClass: SophomorePrevious schools: None Last season: 45 catches for 651 yards and 4 TDs in 542 snaps Unfathomable levels of hype and hysteria surrounding five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood rendered him arguably the most scrutinized freshman in college football last season. Few of Underwood’s classmates, if any, were tasked with shouldering such astronomical responsibilities in exchange for such life-altering dollar amounts. Both the donor fundraising apparatus and football program had been reconfigured or recentered around Underwood, whose landscape-altering flip from LSU to Michigan now represents the high-water mark of an otherwise unsightly tenure under former coach Sherrone Moore, an integral figure in the quarterback’s recruitment. But when the dust finally settled last December, following lopsided losses to then-No. 1 Ohio State and then-No. 13 Texas, sandwiched by Moore’s firing, another freshman on Michigan’s roster had outperformed Underwood. Wide receiver Andrew Marsh, a four-star prospect and the No. 117 overall recruit, turned in an exceptional rookie campaign despite a passing offense that ranked 107th nationally. He finished second in the country for receiving yards among true freshmen, trailing only Malachi Toney of Miami. His final tallies of 12 receptions for 189 yards in a comeback win over Northwestern established new single-game program records by a first-year player. If he and Underwood both adapt quickly to new offensive coordinator Jason Beck, then Marsh should have a chance to become Michigan’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Jeremy Gallon in 2013. Height: 6-foot-7Weight: 237 poundsClass: JuniorPrevious schools: None Last season: 33 catches for 433 yards and 7 TDs in 475 snaps In the modern era of college football, where newly hired coaches can flip rosters instantaneously via the transfer portal, the arrival of Lane Kiffin at LSU was always going to catalyze significant change. And right on cue, the Tigers will enter the 2026 season having secured the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country thanks to 17 blue-chip signees and 41 new players overall. Nine of Kiffin’s transfer signees are wide receivers, a position group that lost its top six contributors from last season, which speaks to how significant the Tigers’ rebuild figures to be in certain areas. There are plenty of new faces for quarterback Sam Leavitt to acquaint himself with in the coming months. Green, however, represents a rare holdover from the Brian Kelly era and someone expected to take another step forward in Kiffin’s scheme this fall. After playing sparingly as a freshman, Green came into his own last October by snagging eight catches for 119 yards and a touchdown against South Carolina, kicking off a string of three straight games with a score. From that point forward, Green caught at least four passes and chipped in at least 45 receiving yards in five of his next seven games. A two-touchdown effort against Houston in the Texas Bowl sent a clear message to Kiffin shortly before the transfer portal opened. Green finished the season third on the team in receiving yards and third in receptions, raising the expectations for him this season. Height: 5-foot-9Weight: 205 poundsClass: JuniorPrevious schools: None Last season: 170 carries for 878 yards and 5 TDs in 350 snaps There aren’t many coaches in college football with better reputations for developing overlooked high school prospects than Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. And if recent results are any indication of where Ferentz stands, the talent in his program keeps getting better: Just last month, Iowa set a new school record with seven players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, most in school history for a single year. It also extended the Hawkeyes’ eye-catching streak of 48 consecutive years with at least one player drafted. Could Moulton be next in line? If he is, the development arc to get there will mirror everything the Hawkeyes have stood for under Ferentz, beginning with an unheralded high school recruitment. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where high-major prospects are everywhere, Moulton was the No. 1,473 overall player and No. 13 tailback in the 2023 recruiting cycle when he committed to Iowa over UConn. No other power-conference program offered him a scholarship. Since then, all Moulton has done is increase his production from 93 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman, to 473 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore, to 878 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. Moulton averaged better than 5 yards per carry in six of his final eight appearances last season, two of which came against ranked opponents, and navigated the entire year without losing a fumble. Height: 5-foot-10 Weight: 210 poundsClass: JuniorPrevious schools: None Last season: 24 carries for 224 yards and 5 TDs in 47 snaps One of the more memorable images produced at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine was shared on social media by Ja’Juan Seider, the associate head coach and running backs coach from Notre Dame. The image showed Seider wearing a white Fighting Irish sweatshirt and flanked by four running back prospects taking the field in Indianapolis, all of whom he’d coached: Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen at Penn State, where Seider worked from 2018-24 under former coach James Franklin; and Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price at Notre Dame, a program he joined ahead of the 2025 season. The unspoken message — that any running back wishing to be drafted should come play for Seider — was resoundingly clear. Each of his pupils from that photo went on to be selected within the first six rounds of last month’s draft, including two in the opening 32 picks alone. Seider’s impressive track record makes placing a wager on Williams, the projected starter at Notre Dame, feel like a relatively safe bet given how effective the Fighting Irish were at running the ball last season: tied for third nationally at 5.69 yards per carry overall. And while the bulk of that production was unquestionably provided by Love (1,372 yards; 18 TDs) and Price (674 yards; 11 TDs), who brought Notre Dame to within a whisker of reaching the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive year, the explosiveness flashed by Williams in reserve duty caught more than a few people’s attention. Williams averaged a staggering 9.3 yards per carry and found the end zone once every 4.8 attempts. He gained more than 200 of his 224 total rushing yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus, and did not fumble. Height: 6 feetWeight: 198 poundsClass: Redshirt seniorPrevious schools: Alabama (2022-23), Florida State (2024-25) Last season: 76 total tackles, 2 TFL, 2 FF, 4 INT in 674 snaps Having added just 32 transfers over the previous four offseasons combined — a reflection, in part, of the resources Ohio State poured into player retention — head coach Ryan Day added 17 new players to compile the sport’s seventh-best portal class overall, trailing only Penn State in the Big Ten. At least five of those newcomers are expected to be plug-and-play starters for a defense that lost seven players to the NFL Draft following an incredible first season under coordinator Matt Patricia. No absence will loom larger than that of safety Caleb Downs, a two-time unanimous All-American and eventual first-round pick. That’s where Little, the son of former NFL safety Earl Little, enters the mix for Ohio State after earning second-team All-ACC honors last season. Originally a four-star prospect in the 2022 class, Little signed with Alabama after taking additional official visits to USC, Florida State and Oregon. He made just eight appearances in two seasons for the Crimson Tide before entering the transfer portal ahead of the 2024 campaign, ultimately landing at Florida State. Even though the Seminoles finished below .500 each of the last two years, Little blossomed into an effective Swiss Army Knife in the secondary. His snap count for 2026 was split between free safety (376), box safety (226) and slot corner (65), which makes Little a potential candidate to fill Downs’ roving role. Little did miss the tail end of spring practice while undergoing a minor knee procedure. Height: 6-foot-2Weight: 200 poundsClass: JuniorPrevious schools: NC State (2024-25) Last season: 39 catches for 629 yards and 5 TDs in 460 snaps College football fans are undoubtedly familiar with the oft-repeated narrative that says USC still doesn’t have the requisite size and strength in the trenches to compete for a national championship under head coach Lincoln Riley. And the program’s spotty record in the NFL Draft largely confirms those suspicions: zero offensive linemen drafted in the first six rounds since 2021; one defensive lineman drafted in the first seven rounds during that same period. That story is far different at wide receiver, a position where Riley and his staff have produced five draft picks over the last four years combined, including two early-round choices last month alone in Makai Lemon (Round 1, No. 20 overall) and Ja’Kobi Lane (Round 3, No. 80 overall). Which means that for the first time in what feels like ages, the Trojans are entering a season with legitimate questions about their receiving corps, especially when factoring in the additional departures of tight ends Lake McRee and Walker Lyons from last year’s squad. That’s why the addition of Anderson, who was rated the No. 11 overall transfer and No. 3 wide receiver in the portal, was so significant as Riley attempts to lift USC into the College Football Playoff for the first time. Anderson is far and away the most experienced, and most proven, player for a position group that will likely lean heavily on underclassmen (Tanook Hines, Zacharyus Williams) and true freshmen (Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley) alike. Put simply, Anderson must deliver if the Trojans want to reach their potential. Height: 6-foot-4Weight: 250 poundsClass: SophomorePrevious schools: Penn State (2025) Last season: 8 total tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack and 15 pressures in 150 snaps After successfully reinventing Ohio State’s defense during an impressive run from 2022-24, the last of which was punctuated with a national championship, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles had enough cachet to effectively handpick his next role. He opted for a new challenge at Penn State, where head coach James Franklin agreed to pay him $3.1 million per year, an eye-catching, market-resetting sum. But almost nothing about the 2025 campaign went according to plan for the Nittany Lions, including the defense. Knowles’ unit finished 56th nationally against the run (142.5 yards per game), 87th in opponent third-down conversion rate (40.9%), and 64th in opponent red zone touchdown rate (58.8%). The two sides parted ways after a tumultuous season, and Knowles was quickly hired for the same role at Tennessee. Despite the ugliness of it all, Knowles still made enough of an impression for several players to follow him via the transfer portal. That group includes safety Dejuan Lane (No. 334 transfer, No. 29 S), linebacker Amare Campbell (No. 144 transfer, No. 10 LB), and defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam (No. 54 transfer, No. 7 DL). But the most notable addition to the Volunteers’ roster this offseason was Coleman, a former blue-chip recruit who flashed elite talent in limited action last year, enough to leave Penn State fans hoping new coach Matt Campbell could keep him. Coleman missed most of spring practice and a series of team activities due to what head coach Josh Heupel described as “off-the-field” issues. If he does return to the program, he is widely expected to win a starting spot in Knowles’ defense this fall. Height: 6-foot-2Weight: 201 poundsClass: Redshirt juniorPrevious schools: Ohio State (2023), NC State (2024-25) Last season: 33 catches for 441 yards and 2 TDs in 532 snaps In 2023, during the thick of Brian Hartline’s tenure as Ohio State’s wide receivers coach, Rogers was among the recruits targeted by the sport’s unquestioned wideout whisperer — an honor for any rising star at that position. Two classes prior, Hartline had signed Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr., a pair of future first-round picks. One year down the line, Hartline would add a budding phenom named Jeremiah Smith, now the best receiver in college football. The same recruiting cycle that included Rogers also featured Carnell Tate, the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Simply being prioritized by Hartline and Ohio State carried real weight given the program’s receiver pipeline. But it never quite worked out for Rogers at Ohio State. He appeared in four games as a true freshman without recording a catch before entering the transfer portal, ultimately landing at NC State. He stepped into a larger role almost immediately, logging at least 380 snaps in each season and finishing with 68 receptions for 919 yards and three touchdowns. That production made him the No. 58 overall transfer and No. 15 wideout in the portal this past winter, which propelled him to another lofty platform at Alabama. Now, Rogers is expected to compete for a starting role opposite former five-star Ryan Coleman-Williams.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Mya is living her own truth.
The singer—who admitted she caused quite a stir by marrying herself in 2013 and depicting the wedding in her 2015 music video for “The Truth”—is clarifying just what…
E! Online (US) – Top Stories
Costco is continuously dropping new products and in time for June, we gathered up a few to highlight, from sweet chocolate-y treats to salty, spicy meat.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
The limit to Lindsay Lohan’s love for her son does not exist.
In fact, the Mean Girl alum couldn’t help to fawn over Luai—who she shares with husband Bader Shammas—as she gave a rare glimpse into…
E! Online (US) – Top Stories
Categories
Hochul knocks Trump’s ‘slush fund’
AFTER 57 DAYS, THE BUDGET IS DONE!
TAXING TRUMP’S BUCKS: Gov. Kathy Hochul believes there should be ramifications for anyone who accepts cash from President Donald Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund — and the money should go toward helping New Yorkers.
“I have no problem with there being consequences for people who accept that money,” she told reporters at an unrelated news conference.
The Democratic governor stopped short today of fully endorsing proposals germinating in the Legislature that would slap a 100 percent tax on payouts from the president’s $1.776 billion fund — a posture she takes with nearly every bill before it’s approved.
But Hochul clearly signaled she would support an arrangement in which payouts are taxed by New York.
“If there’s a tax that goes into a fund that helps New Yorkers, it might be a good way to go,” she said.
POLITICO first reported Wednesday night that New York Democratic state lawmakers are pushing for a vote by next week for a bill that would, in essence, confiscate any payments.
Deputy Senate Majority Leader Mike Gianaris is in the process of introducing a bill in his chamber. Assemblymember Alex Bores, a Democratic House candidate, initially proposed the measure.
Money from the fund is meant for people who are “victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress,” according to Trump’s acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Trump has not ruled out providing some of the money for people who were convicted of crimes in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
In remarks before signing a budget bill, Hochul called the pot of cash “a slush fund.”
“That kind of money — it’s obscene to be setting aside to award people who have committed crimes and injustices, including assaulting police officers on Jan. 6,” she said.
In Albany, lawmakers are racing to get the bill over the finish line by next week. The legislative session is scheduled to end June 4.
New York is among the blue states considering 100 percent taxes on payouts from the fund, which the president announced as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice after he sued the IRS.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week embraced fully taxing the money. Democratic state lawmakers in New Jersey and Wisconsin are also pursuing similar measures.
Some Republicans have blasted the fund, and it’s received a cool reception among the GOP in the U.S. Senate.
Republican candidate for governor Bruce Blakeman, though, steered clear when asked about it this morning.
“I haven’t even focused on it,” said Blakeman, the Nassau County executive and a Trump ally. “I’m too busy focusing on state issues where I can actually make a difference in peoples’ lives.”
His response underscores the politically delicate position the fund puts Republican candidates in this election season.
Blakeman, though, insisted Democrats should be trying to spend the remaining session days addressing utility costs and public safety, not a national issue.
“Those are the things people want the Legislature and the executive branch to focus on,” he said. — Nick Reisman
From the Capitol
HOLTZMAN BACKS ANTI-TRAFFICKING BILL: Former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman worked the halls of Albany today in support of a bill that would allow Jeffrey Epstein’s victims to seek damages from his estate.
“I’ve fought for a long time in Congress and as district attorney against sexual violence against women, so it’s a subject that’s very dear to my heart,” Holtzman said.
The bill is one of several high-profile measures competing for attention in the condensed homestretch of this year’s legislative session where there’ll only be time to pass a handful of complicated bills. But the sponsors have been doing what they can to help raise its profile — state Sen. Zellnor Myrie hosted Epstein’s victims in a committee meeting earlier this month and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal joined the former representative today.
“The fact that Congresswoman Holtzman made the trip to Albany and talked to members really gives it a lot more prominence and chance of passing,” Rosenthal said. — Bill Mahoney
FROM CITY HALL
ZO TENSE: Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch agree that security must be beefed up in Manhattan during this weekend’s Israel Day Parade.
But there was no doubt about the tension bubbling just beneath the surface during a parade security briefing both of them held at NYPD headquarters today.
“It’s the mayor’s decision not to march and it is my decision to march — proudly,” Tisch, the NYPD’s first female Jewish commissioner, said when asked if she’s concerned about Mamdani opting not to join her and thousands of other New Yorkers. Mamdani’s decision to sit out the parade breaks with a long-standing tradition of mayors participating in the annual event.
Standing alongside Mamdani, Tisch said she is also “incredibly proud” that the organizer, the Jewish Community Relations Council, named her an honorary grand marshal of this year’s parade. The event’s theme is “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists.”
Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor and a longtime critic of Israel, insisted he’s committed to making the parade safe for all participants even though he won’t be at it.
“I said on the campaign trail that I wouldn’t be attending the parade, and I’ve made my views on the Israeli government abundantly clear,” he told reporters. “I also said on that same campaign that I would have a responsibility as the mayor of the city to ensure the safety and security of each and every New Yorker, and I don’t believe my presence as the mayor should determine whether or not a New Yorker is safe or secure.”
It would be extraordinarily fraught for Mamdani to attend the parade. His pro-Palestinian supporters would likely be outraged. And parade-goers might be inclined to boo him if he showed up.
Still, Marc Schneier, a Long Island rabbi and frequent critic of Mamdani, said the mayor is signaling by skipping the parade that “the Jewish community of New York is not a constituency he is willing to stand beside.” His takeaway: good riddance.
“We don’t want you anyway,” Schneier said of Mamdani.
In an apparent extension of his long-running effort to troll his successor, former Mayor Eric Adams also announced yesterday that he will march in the parade.
Asked by Playbook after today’s security briefing how he feels about Adams’ parade attendance, Mamdani said: “He’s welcome to spend his time as he so chooses.” — Chris Sommerfeldt
NOT ZO FAST: Citizens Union, a New York City-based government watchdog group, is raising concerns about Mamdani’s newly announced Commission on Government Efficiency, warning that its timeline — particularly a push to advance ballot questions this November — risks being rushed.
While calling the commission’s goals “laudable” the group cautioned that a new charter commission “will have less time to seek public input, conduct research, and deliberate than even the highly criticized, rushed commission established by Eric Adams.”
The new commission comes immediately after Mamdani dismantled Adams’ Charter Revision Commission, first reported by POLITICO. The current mayor’s commission is tasked with proposing government efficiency measures to voters this fall. Mamdani’s team says the commission will hold 10 hearings across the city in the coming months ahead of any ballot proposals.
Citizens Union pointed to the clash between the new panel and the Adams-era commission — which has signaled it may sue to continue its work — as emblematic of the use of charter commissions for political reasons. The group noted that five such bodies have been created in three years, a rate they say erodes public trust and participation.
Kayla Mamelak Altus, a spokesperson for the Adams commission who served as the former mayor’s press secretary, pointed to the commission’s work to add open primaries and told Playbook “the idea of New Yorkers having a voice in the future of their city — and the right to vote in open primaries — terrifies City Hall.” The advent of open primaries, which would expand the pool of voters to more moderates, would complicate a reelection run for Mamdani in 2029.
“We are prepared to pursue all available legal remedies to protect the people’s voice,” Mamelak Altus said.
Mamdani said today the commission, known as COGE — a nod to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency — is part of a “sincere commitment” to improve government.
Asked whether there’s anything he admired and is trying to emulate from Musk’s DOGE, or whether it’s just a similar name, Mamdani told reporters, “It’s just the name, and what it should have been.”
“Elon Musk took that language and used it to cut as many jobs that were as critical as possible for so many of the neediest people across the country and across the world,” he said. “Ours is going to be a focus on actually delivering efficiency.” — Gelila Negesse and Janaki Chadha
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
PAC IT UP: VoteVets is investing $1 million to boost Army veteran Cait Conley, one of five Democrats vying to take on Republican Rep. Mike Lawler.
The ad touts Conley’s military service, saying that “after the Towers fell, [she] answered the call,” and that in Congress, she’ll “take on Trump’s corruption, rein in ICE and bring down costs.”
The ad buy makes VoteVets, a Democratic group that backs veterans, the biggest spender in the primary, according to the ad tracker AdImpact. Conley and Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson have been on the air for weeks, though neither have spent close to as much as VoteVets’ $1 million.
The group also released a poll, conducted by Global Strategy Group earlier this month, showing Conley and Davidson pulling away from the pack — though more than one-third of respondents were still undecided. The survey, which polled 500 likely Democratic primary voters, had Conley with 29 percent of support, Davidson with 22 percent, Tarrytown trustee Effie Phillips-Staley with 6 percent, former TV reporter Mike Sacks with 4 percent and Air Force veteran John Cappello with 2 percent. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 4.4 percentage points.
Earlier this week, two former primary contenders — tech executive and local government official Peter Chatzky and former FBI official John Sullivan — endorsed Davidson, citing her experience as a local elected official. — Madison Fernandez
IN OTHER NEWS
— A CHANGE IN TUNE: Mamdani is considering endorsing Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist, in the NY-13 race, despite committing to support incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat last year. (The New York Times)
— BUFF UP: Facing a $103 million structural deficit, Buffalo scored a $65 million aid boost in state budget deal. (Buffalo News)
— ‘THIS IS INSANE’: In a federal case brought by immigrants detained at 26 Federal Plaza, internal emails show ICE agents were aware and concerned over conditions there. (Gothamist)
Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
Politics