NYC Mayor Adams Indicted Following Corruption Probe
Likely dockworkers strike could shake US economy; Hurricane Helene making landfall; Israel prepares for possible ground incursion in Lebanon
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Good morning,
Hurricane Helene could grow into a major Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall this evening on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Florida’s Panhandle is set to get hit hardest, but heavy rain, winds and flash flooding could extend as far inland into Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas.
The National Hurricane Center said Helene would rapidly strengthen over the eastern Gulf of Mexico before making landfall and bring “unsurvivable” 20 foot storm surge to the coast.
More than 42 million people in Florida, Georgia and Alabama are under hurricane and tropical storm warnings, the National Weather Service said Wednesday. Parts of the Florida coast are under mandatory evacuation orders.
If Helene makes landfall as a Category 3 (or above) storm, this would be the fifth consecutive year a major hurricane hits the US mainland, which has only happened once before.
Thinking of our community in the southeastern US— stay safe!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!
📌 NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS INDICTED, VOWS TO FIGHT CHARGES
Mayor Eric Adams (D) has been indicted on federal criminal charges, becoming the first mayor in New York City history to be charged while in office. Despite a flood of calls for his resignation, he is vowing to fight on, arguing they are “based on lies.”
While the criminal indictment is still sealed— federal prosecutors are expected to announce details today— Adams’s electronics were seized by FBI agents in November in connection to alleged corruption. Sources told THE CITY that Adams is being charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent for taking actions in his official capacity after receiving donations from foreign sources.
WHAT WE KNOW
A few days before Adams’s devices were seized, federal agents searched the Brooklyn home of Adams’s chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs.
The searches were part of a public corruption investigation into whether Adams’s campaign conspired with the government of Turkey to illegally funnel foreign donations into his campaign in exchange for favors.
One of the reported kickbacks was Adam pressuring the Fire Department to approve a new Turkish Consulate in Midtown Manhattan despite safety concerns.
Over the summer, federal prosecutors subpoenaed Adams, his campaign arm and City Hall, requesting information about the mayor’s schedule, his overseas travel, and potential connections to the Turkish government. Subpoenas from July also involved Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
Adams, in a statement, on Wednesday night maintained his innocence and said, “I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became.”
Multiple criminal investigations into the mayor and his inner circle have already led to the resignations of the NYPD commissioner, the head of public schools, and other top leaders in recent weeks.
WHAT’S NEXT
Before news broke of the indictment, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) became the highest-ranking Democrat to call on Adams to step down. She said, “The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration. For the good of the city, he should resign.”
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove him from office.
If Adams resigns, New York City’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, would become the acting mayor. A new election would follow several months later.
📌 EAST COAST PORT WORKER STRIKE COULD HAVE HUGE IMPACT ON AMERICANS
It is increasingly likely that roughly 45,000 dockworkers at major ports along the East and Gulf coasts will go on strike on Tuesday, Oct. 1. From Maine to Houston, TX, the 36 ports that would close are responsible for more than half of all imports by sea.
From bananas to holiday presents, a strike could impact already high prices, shortages, and long waits.
Flashback to COVID times when congestion and shipping containers led to massive waits: Americans would feel this strike only weeks before the election.
AT ISSUE: Workers want 80% pay raises over six years and rules around automation. The two sides are so far apart that businesses have already been redirecting cargo to West Coast ports, where dockworkers belong to a different union.
IMPACTED PRODUCTS
A JPMorgan analysis puts the economic impact of a dockworkers strike at $5 billion a day— about 6% of the US daily GDP.
And for every day of a strike, it will likely take another five or six days to get the ports operating normally again, experts say.
President Biden can step in: under the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, the executive branch has the power to avert a strike or stop one once it starts. In 2002, George W. Bush used the law to end a 10-day lockout of unionized workers on the West Coast.
So far, the White House has said it won’t step in. Remember: Biden has called himself the most pro-union president in American history and invoking the law would be a blow to the union. That said, Biden did prevent a rail strike in 2022 by forcing an agreement on the union.
📌 ISRAEL PREPARES FOR POTENTIAL GROUND INVASION OF LEBANON
Israel’s military chief told troops on Wednesday that airstrikes in Lebanon were aiming to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure, and pave the way for a possible ground invasion by Israeli forces to push the terror group away from the border.
Herzi Halevi, the head of Israel’s military, told troops on the Israeli-Lebanese border that the purpose of an incursion would be to allow the nearly 100,000 displaced Israelis who have been inundated by Hezbollah rockets over the last year to return to their homes near the border.
“This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah,” he said.
It comes as the Biden administration is not giving up on a hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza, and is trying a new diplomatic effort to "pause" fighting in Lebanon to achieve that.
A WEEK+ OF ESCALATIONS
Israel’s comprehensive attack on Hezbollah’s communications— by exploding thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies last week— has turned into ramped-up airstrikes in Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Tuesday that 1,500 “terrorist infrastructure targets in southern Lebanon and deep inside Lebanese territory” have been hit.
A Hezbollah official said that the recent attack on the terror group's communication devices killed, blinded, or severely injured 1,500 of its estimated 50,000 fighters. It is still viewed as better equipped and organized compared to Hamas.
Israel’s attacks since just this Monday have killed more than 500 people, including several dozen women and children, Lebanese health officials said. Lebanon doesn’t distinguish between Hezbollah and civilian deaths.
The Iran-backed group has urged Iranian forces to attack Israel, but Iran has so far refrained from launching any strikes.
FIGHTING UPDATE
On Wednesday morning, Hezbollah fired multiple rockets, including a missile at Tel Aviv— the first time that the Lebanese terror group has gotten a rocket close to Israel's central hub.
The group said it was aiming for the Mossad headquarters, Israel’s intelligence agency. The IDF said it intercepted the missile using the ‘David's Sling’ defense system and no injuries nor damage was reported.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 The Secret Service is investigating a report that an agent groped a Harris staff member (AP)
📌 Senate report details Secret Service failures in response to Trump assassination attempt in Butler (CBS NEWS)
📌 House passes bill to head off government shutdown until December (THE HILL)
📌 Kentucky sheriff pleads not guilty in fatal shooting of judge in his chambers (CNN)
📌 US tracking ongoing Iranian threats to government officials, Blinken says (AXIOS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Russia planning attacks on Ukrainian nuclear power plants, Zelensky warns (GUARDIAN)
📌 US troops deployed to Cyprus as fears of wider Middle East war intensify (CNN)
📌 Murder of Paris student fuels anger at failed deportation (BBC)
📌 Haiti PM says nation far from winning gang war as UN deadline looms (REUTERS)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Meta debuts cheaper Quest VR headset, new AI features (VERGE)
📌 Though it’s not the moon yet, it’s the next best thing for European astronauts (AP)
📌 Google, Volkswagen partner on smartphone AI assistant (REUTERS)
📌 Meet Pesto the Penguin, Australia's nearly 50-pound baby penguin capturing hearts worldwide with its hefty fluff (CBS NEWS)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum settle divorce spat over Magic Mike Money— six years after separating (DAILY MAIL)
📌 Kim Porter’s children say she didn’t write bestselling memoir about Diddy (AP)
📌 Julie Chrisley makes emotional court appearance as her 84-month tax evasion sentence is upheld (PEOPLE)
📌 Taylor Swift endorsement actually hurts Kamala Harris, poll suggests (NEWSWEEK)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: SEPTEMBER 26
1960: Up to 120 million viewers watched the first in a series of historic televised debates between US presidential candidates Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon.
Many credit this debate to Kennedy’s eventual election win, as it showcased his photogenic and energetic persona, while Nixon, who had been recently hospitalized, looked pale and ill.
1964: ‘Gilligan’s Island’ premiered on CBS.
1969: The Beatles released Abbey Road, their last-recorded album.
1984: Prince releases ‘Purple Rain’