Eric Adams announces he will run as independent in New York mayoral race
New York City Mayor Eric Adams will run for reelection as an independent, opting out of the Democratic primary just one day after a federal judge dismissed corruption charges against him.
“I have always put New York’s people before politics and party — and I always will. I am running for mayor in the general election because our city needs independent leadership that understands working people,” Adams said in a Thursday morning post on X.
‘Major blow to the world economy’: Global leaders react to Trump’s tariffs
Leaders from around the world reacted to Trump’s sweeping tariffs, many saying they regret the decision from the White House. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the tariffs are a “major blow to the world economy.”
Chinese auto part suppliers say Americans are picking up the tab for Trump’s tariffs
Eunice Yoon, CNBC
Peter Guo
Eunice Yoon, CNBC and Peter Guo
If you’ve ever fixed your own car brakes, the part you bought could very well have been made by Chinese auto parts supplier Judy Zhang.
Zhang’s company, which is based in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao and supplies brake hoses for thousands of car models in the U.S., is among those targeted by a 25% U.S. tariff on imports of automobiles, including automobile parts, that is set to take effect Thursday.
That’s on top of a 25% tariff imposed during Trump’s first term, plus 20% tariffs he has imposed on Chinese imports since returning to office in January. On Wednesday, Trump announced an additional 34% levy on Chinese imports as part of “reciprocal” tariffs imposed on countries around the world, bringing the total combined tariff on Chinese goods to at least 54%.
Though Trump insists that China, among other countries, will pay for the U.S. tariffs, Zhang and other auto parts suppliers say that the tariffs will most likely be shouldered by American consumers and that they won’t bring manufacturing in their industry back to the United States.
Exclusive: More than 80 progressive groups warn against Trump and Congress’ attacks on the judiciary
Dozens of progressive groups are sounding the alarm over what they’re calling an “unprecedented constitutional danger” presented by the Trump administration and Congress’ attacks on the judiciary as they work to implement a unified agenda.
“We are profoundly concerned by these sweeping proposals and the actions of President Trump, his administration, and his congressional allies to intimidate the judiciary, dismantle the rule of law, and weaponize the executive branch,” more than 80 national and local organizations wrote in a letter obtained by NBC News. “The Trump administration’s authoritarian actions threaten a system of checks and balances that has safeguarded our democracy for nearly 250 years.”
The letter cites Vice President JD Vance suggesting last month that judges “aren’t allowed” to check the executive branch’s power, Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on federal judges who’ve ruled against the administration, and their and congressional allies’ talk of potential judicial impeachments as examples of a “constitutional crisis once dismissed as hyperbole.”
“Our courts are an essential check on corporate criminals and an increasingly lawless executive branch — as well as a defense for regular people,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen and a co-chair of the Not Above the Law coalition of groups that signed the letter. “The Trump administration’s ongoing attempt to retaliate against lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals who challenge them will not be tolerated by those of us who remain committed to fighting for equal justice under the law.”
The letter calls on Congress to step up and attorneys at major law firms, some of whom are among the targets of Trump’s executive orders to speak out. It mentions three bills that it says are particularly concerning, including measures to increase the number of federal judgeships nationwide, make it easier for federal officials to move cases from state to federal courts — where a president has pardon power — and a bill that would ban judges from instituting nationwide injunctions.
If the legislative branch doesn’t come through, the letter warns, “The American public must mobilize to prevent the dismantling of co-equal branches of government.”
Public Citizen, Democracy Forward, and Move On are among the signatories to the letter.
In an NBC News poll last month, 43% of registered voters said the executive branch has too much power, while 28% said the judicial branch wields too much power, and 18% said Congress has too much.
