In Islamophobic Attack, Trump Rails Against Mamdani, NYC Luxury Home TaxPresident Donald Trump ripped New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s progressive “pied-á-terre” luxury property tax on Tuesday, repeating his Islamophobic attacks against the Muslim American leader and questioning whether the federal government can intervene.“Financial, and then Social, RUIN, is a 100% certainty - And then the Radical Left Jihadists charge Congestion Pricing on top of everything else,” the president posted on Truth Social, referring to the tolling program charging motorists to enter the busiest parts of Manhattan. The program is meant to reduce traffic while raising money to improve the city’s public transit system.“This doesn’t work in America, and must be stopped, NOW!” Trump wrote. “I am looking to see if the Federal Government has any legal right to avert this disaster, before it is too late, for the millions of people who cherish New York and want to see it thrive, as opposed to becoming a filthy, crime ridden, decrepit place of mockery and scorn.”Trump has upped his Islamophobic attacks against Muslim American politicians, particularly after progressive Abdul El-Sayed’s recent Senate primary win in Michigan. Describing those public figures as threats to the country puts “a target on the back of Muslim elected officials across our nation,” according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) civil rights group.Latest Live UpdatesFormer US Marine Held In Russia For More Than 4 Years Has Been ReleasedRussia has released an American military veteran who spent more than four years in prison under abusive conditions and was said to be gravely ill and at risk of dying, a group advocating for him said Tuesday.Robert Gilman is on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated, said Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, a group that’s been working to free him and other American detainees abroad.Read more from The Associated Press:Key MomentSix States Have Primaries Today. Here’s Your Cheat Sheet.Alabama is having its second primary (should that be called a secondary?) of the 2026 election cycle, having tossed the results of its first primary in May after the U.S. Supreme Court decided the state could use a redistricting plan that intentionally discriminates against Black people.In Connecticut, in addition to a handful of House seats, Democrats will pick between Gov. Ned Lamont and challenger Josh Elliott. It’s the first time in 50 years a sitting Connecticut governor has been primaried by someone in their own party.Minnesota’s Democratic primary has a now-familiar storyline of an establishment-backed candidate going up against a more progressive rival. In this case, Rep. Angie Craig (D) plays the role of the former, while Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is politically to her left.Voters in South Carolina are voting in a packed primary to fill the Senate seat held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R). Among them: Graham’s sister, Darline, who was chosen to serve out his term after his death.In Vermont, Democrats are voting for governor and lieutenant governor, and hoping to unseat Republican Gov. Phil Scott in the general -- which may be a tall order.And in Wisconsin, Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong and moderate rival David Crowley are facing off for the governorship in a race that’s making the Democratic establishment there awfully nervous.Trump Awards Disgraced Anti-Trafficking Group Millions To Represent Migrant KidsThe Trump administration has awarded a more than $244 million no-bid contract to an anti-trafficking group that years earlier was roiled in controversy after its founder was accused of sexually abusing and trafficking multiple women.Our Rescue, previously known as Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), was given the contract last week to provide legal services for unaccompanied migrant children in the custody of the government’s Office of Refugee Resettlement, according to a notice posted by the federal System for Award Management on Friday. It’s unclear how many children the group will represent.Our Rescue gained notoriety for its global sex trafficking sting operations, which became the inspiration for the 2023 film “Sound of Freedom” portraying the life of founder and then-CEO Tim Ballard. Soon after, multiple former employees accused Ballard of engaging in sexual abuse and trafficking during operations. Ballard resigned as CEO, but denied the allegations.The contract comes after President Donald Trump awarded a similar contract for the same work to a small Houston-based law firm with ties to the administration. Both organizations were hired after the administration failed to pay $65 million to legal aid groups that previously assisted the migrant children. A judge last week ordered the funds be paid to those groups.Luigi Mangione Attends Likely Final Pretrial Hearing As State Murder Trial NearsLuigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down a healthcare CEO, appeared in court Tuesday for what is likely his final pretrial hearing before his state murder trial begins next month.Mangione, 28, walked into court wearing a gray suit and a white collared shirt. He is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, in the back and leg as Thompson left a Manhattan hotel on the morning of Dec. 4, 2024. Read more here:Trump Is Entertaining An Alarming Pitch To Take Over The MidtermsPresident Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled his openness to declaring a national emergency ahead of November’s midterms, suggesting he could embrace MAGA media figures’ pitch of a federal takeover of elections.Real America’s Voice host and conspiracy theorist Wayne Allyn Root, in a post-midnight interview with Trump, tried to “put an idea” in the president’s head that he has the “right” to make such a declaration if the Senate can’t pass the SAVE America Act. That bill would require Americans to prove their citizenship upon registering and to show photo ID to vote in federal elections.Read more here: DOJ Says Trump Can Assert Executive Privilege Over Communication With Private Advisers, CitizensThe Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel has issued a memo stating that President Donald Trump has the right to block the release of “sensitive” communications he has with private advisers and citizens under the banner of “executive privilege.” “Executive privilege can apply to presidential communications with private advisers so long as the communications relate to official presidential decisionmaking, involve or reflect communications with the President or his direct advisers, and are confidential,” states the opinion dated Monday and first flagged by Punchbowl News.The memo is attributed to Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser of the Office of Legal Counsel.Medical Groups Sound Alarm On New Trump Order On Childhood VaccinesCredible medical groups like the American Medical Association and the American Association of Immunologists are raising extreme concern over President Donald Trump’s new executive order calling for overhauled childhood immunization recommendations and for breaking up the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.“Vaccines are among the most thoroughly studied, effective tools we have to protect children from serious vaccine-preventable diseases,” Dr. Willie Underwood III, president of the AMA, said in a statement. Underwood also noted that extensive evidence spanning decades concludes there is no link between vaccines and autism, debunking the White House’s repeated lies.“As immunologists, we have confidence in the rigorous research that demonstrates the safety and efficacy of vaccines, and we know that public confidence in them depends on trust in science,” AAI President Avery August said in a statement. “Policies that depart from longstanding scientific and medical consensus without clear, transparent justification severely risk undermining that trust.”AMA and AAI said they will continue advocating for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ science-based vaccine recommendations, and joined a growing number of doctors and other health care professionals imploring parents to learn more about the evidence behind child immunizations.Congo Ebola Death Toll Tops 2,000Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 2,000, the country’s government said Tuesday, in what is being described as the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record.There are now 4,381 confirmed cases, including 2,011 deaths, since the outbreak was officially declared in May, Reuters and The Associated Press reported, citing a government report. For comparison, it took the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa — the worst in history — nearly five months to hit half of that death toll after it was declared.Health officials have blamed delayed detection, local violence and insecurity, and strained health services for the virus spreading more rapidly than previous outbreaks. There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.Many patients are also seeking treatment too late, with 60% to 70% of patients dying at home, the World Health Organization’s director for Africa said on Monday.“The Bundibugyo virus continues to outpace us,” said Dr. Mohamed Janabi at a press conference.Ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad Sentenced To Death In Absentia For War CrimesA Syrian court sentenced ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad along with his younger brother to death in absentia on Tuesday for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria’s 14-year conflict that left about half a million people dead.The sentences at the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus are the first against Assad or members of his inner circle since the Assad family’s five decades in power came to an end 20 months ago.“Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan during a court session that was aired live on state TV.Read more from the AP:WH Officials Urged Ohio Republicans Against Max Miller Pressure Campaign: PoliticoWhite House officials have urged Ohio Republicans in recent days to avoid publicly pressuring Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) to drop out, according to a Politico report that cited three anonymous sources. Officials reportedly argued that any efforts to boot Miller, who faces serious domestic abuse allegations, would be beside the point given the Republican lawmaker’s refusal to leave the race. Miller has denied the allegations.“They basically told us to back off and let the voters decide,” one Ohio Republican told Politico. President Donald Trump also publicly said he wouldn’t be getting involved in the conversations about Miller’s possible withdrawal and noted that he felt “badly” for the congressman. A White House spokesperson did not respond to Politico’s request for comment. Read more from Politico: See All Updates