Cole Welsh, Editor

Amid a whirlwind of controversy surrounding City Hall, the mayor of America’s largest city has been indicted by federal prosecutors.

According to the 57-page indictment, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with a slew of crimes, including bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations.

With this historic indictment, Adams becomes the first NYC mayor to be indicted while in office.

US Attorney Damian Williams, who is leading the corruption investigation, alleges that Adams abused his current position, along with his past role as the borough president of Brooklyn, to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions.

In one instance, it is alleged that Adams, in exchange for gifts from Turkish officials, pressured the New York City Fire Department to allow Turkey’s new high-rise consulate building to open, even though the property had yet to pass a required inspection.

Adams is also professed to have accepted donations from straw donors, allowing foreign contributors to illegally funnel their money to his mayoral campaign. In doing so, Adams’ overseas donors circumvented federal laws aimed at preventing foreign influence in elections.

The indictment claims that Adams compounded his gains from the fraudulent contributions by using them to defraud New York City and steal public funds. Through applying for the matching funds program that is intended for donations from NYC residents only, it is believed that Adams’ mayoral campaign illegally received more than $10 million in public funds.

Adams is further alleged to have sought and received other illegal benefits from some of the same co-conspirators who channeled money to his various political campaigns. In particular, one Turkish diplomat purportedly gifted Adams and his associates with free or discounted travel on Turkey’s national airline. In addition, federal prosecutors believe that Adams received, among other things, free hotel rooms, meals and entertainment while in Turkey.

Following the breaking news of the indictment, federal agents executed an early morning raid on Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, that led to the seizure of Adams’ cell phone.

While the indictment may have come as a surprise, the investigation surrounding Adams and his inner circle was no secret.

Two weeks earlier, Adams accepted the resignation of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban after federal authorities issued a subpoena for his phones.

Caban’s interim replacement, Tom Donlon, had his own residence raided by federal agents after barely a week into the new job.

Tim Pearson, a former NYPD inspector and senior advisor to Adams, also had cell phones seized.

Last year, federal agents raided the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, seizing several electronic devices, documents and other evidence.

At his arraignment in federal court, Adams pleaded not guilty, vehemently denying any wrongdoing.

However, as Adams faces a sentence of up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all counts, it remains to be seen how these criminal charges will impact next year’s mayoral race, which has already attracted a handful of challengers to Adams’ left and right.

Cole Welsh, Staff

Following a string of primary election victories, Donald Trump and Joe Biden have each secured the nominations for their individual parties, meaning both candidates are poised for a general election rematch.

Last Tuesday, Trump and Biden won their parties’ presidential primaries in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington, with Trump also winning the Republican caucuses in Hawaii.

This shorter series of elections comes a week after Super Tuesday, when both candidates dominated with victories across the country.

With the exception of Vermont, Trump won all of the night’s GOP contests, with his strongest performances coming from Alabama and California. Following her disappointing Super Tuesday performance that only resulted in a narrow victory in Vermont, Trump’s last remaining challenger, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, dropped out of the race.

With a few exceptions, Biden similarly dominated in the Democratic election contests of the night. However, the incumbent lost his party’s caucuses in American Samoa, which were won by little-known challenger Jason Palmer. In a similar fashion to Haley, Biden’s main challenger, U.S. Congressman Dean Phillips, suspended his presidential campaign.

Despite the rematch that some believe will mirror the 2020 presidential election, both candidates face potential and unique challenges in their respective campaigns.

For Trump, there remains a great deal of uncertainty regarding his various criminal trials. However, there does appear to be a bright spot for Trump emerging, as a Georgia judge overseeing his election interference case recently dismissed some of the charges against him and compelled the special prosecutor overseeing his case to resign. In another victory for Trump, his hush money trial in New York City was recently delayed to at least mid-April.

For Biden, much of his challenges stem from his low approval ratings, which have persisted for months. Additionally, some fear that his age and mental condition may deter voters from backing the incumbent in the November election.

Biden faces a series of domestic and international issues. At home, Biden will need to convince voters that he is the best candidate to tackle the rises in crime, illegal immigration and inflation, which have all occurred under his presidency. Abroad, Biden will have to deal with both the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Hamas War.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas is proving to be particularly problematic for Biden, as there is a growing movement for Muslim and progressive voters to vote “uncommitted” in Democratic primaries and caucuses over Biden’s perceived support for Israel. For example, in Michigan, a vital swing state, over 100,000 Michiganders (13.2%) voted “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic primary election. Similarly, on Super Tuesday, Biden only earned 70.7% of the vote in Minnesota, with a significant share of the state’s Muslim and progressive voters selecting “uncommitted” at the ballot box.

Regardless, as polling still predicts a close race in some swing states, it remains to be seen how the general election will play out. With the election further complicated by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign, one can only speculate as to who will occupy the White House come January 20, 2025.

Jorden McVeagh, Editor 

The political debate between Democrats and Republicans has been one that has stood the test of our country’s history. With both sides set in their ideologies, it has become almost a surprise when, if ever, the two parties meet in the middle to agree on something. This divide between the country’s two leading parties may lead to the first-ever US default. Many attribute this possibility to the Republican-led House of Representatives which holds control of the US credit rating. 

Amanda Andrade-rhoades | Reuters

As a result, they are using this control as a negotiation tactic for policies. Many are concerned about what this will do to our relationships with other countries, especially in Asia. In 2011, we had a similar political structure with a Republican-held House where members of Congress continually delayed increasing the borrowing limit needed for the US to pay off some of the debt it was carrying. As a result, the US was demoted from an AAA credit rating resulting in many of their benefactors losing money. Many of these benefactors were in Asia. As a result, many of the larger banks in Japan and China have reduced the amount of money they are putting into US-backed Treasuries. The Bank of Japan and the People’s Bank of China are just two of those that cut back on their Treasury investments. The US Federal Reserve knows what has happened in the past and has warned any investors with money in Treasuries of the risk they are taking on when leaving the money where it is. In a quote taken from a meeting log, one Fed official was quoted saying, “A number of participants stressed that a drawn-out period of negotiations to raise the federal debt limit could pose significant risks to the financial system and the broader economy.” Fed Chair Jerome Powell says that he and his team are more worried about the potential economic problems than the events in Ukraine. It is important to note that he is not talking about the overall implications of both events, but the timeliness of how this economic situation will be discussed in Congress. 

The US’s current debt stands at $31.4 trillion and losing financial credibility could prove to be costly. Former Fed Chair Janet Yellen and her team are in the process of implementing accounting measures to help Washington. While it was not mentioned what those measures are, they are only expected to hold for a few months, thus lawmakers need to act quickly. The article then went on to discuss how the division between the two political parties could be a disaster when other developed countries look at the US. Instead of looking at the US as one market, it will be segmented based on which sector you want to operate or deal in. President Biden realized the substantial impact this may have not only on the US economy but globally as well, saying a default would be a calamity for the global economy. This will be something to keep on the watchlist in the coming months, but according to economists at Goldman Sachs, this deadline will not come until at least August.

Elizabeth Boyle, Staff 

This past week, President Biden gave the annual State of the Union address. The Speech is given in front of all of Congress. In the speech, the current President will address the state of the country, talk about the administration’s accomplishments of the past year, and speak about his upcoming plans for the next year. On Feb. 7 President Joe Biden gave his second State of the Union address and three important points he talked about were bipartisanship, the economy, and healthcare.

            Biden talked about wanting the Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together. After the historic election of Kevin McCarthy to Speaker of the House, which took 5 days and 15 rounds of voting, Biden repetitively mentioned that he wants to continue to work with this new Congress as it starts a new chapter with McCarthy as Speaker of the House. Biden emphasized that his administration was working to end the zero-sum political game by saying, “and, in fact, I signed over 300 bipartisan pieces of legislation since becoming President, from authorizing the Violence Against Women Act to the Electoral Count Reform Act.” Biden continued “And to my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last congress, there is no reason we can’t work together and find consensus on important thing in this congress as well.”  

            President Biden talked about the economy and the historically low unemployment rate. He started off by talking about the importance of the middle class in America. He said, “that’s always been my vision of our country, and I know it’s many of yours: to restore the should of this nation; to rebuild the backbone of America, America’s middle class; and to unite the country.” Biden said that working to fix the economy is a large reason why he ran for President. He explained, “[He wanted] to make sure the economy works for everyone so we can all feel that pride in what we do.” Biden went on to talk about his administration’s employment record and his future plans to improve the economy. Biden said, “We’re not finished yet, by any stretch of the imagination. But the unemployment rate is at 3.4 percent – a 50-year low.” He referred to the inflation and high gas prices and supply chain shortages, vowing that it cannot happen again which was why he proposed and passed the CHIPS and Science Act that has “already created 800,000 new manufacturing jobs.” 

            Biden talked about how his efforts to improve the economy are also a push for improved healthcare prices. He stated, “With the Inflation Reduction Act that I signed into law, we’re taking on a powerful interest to bring healthcare costs down so you can sleep better at night with more security. Biden says he will be working over the next year to bring down the prices of prescriptions in the US. He says, “We pay more for prescription drugs than any major nation on Earth.” Biden used insulin as an example saying that under Medicare, insulin prices will have a price cap of $35 per month for seniors. Biden emphasized his priority of making sure everyone is able to get the healthcare and prescriptions they need at an affordable price. 

Based on the State of the Union address it looks as though in the next year the American public will be seeing some increased efforts to bring down inflation which could include some adjustments to the tax code. Many viewers saw the State of the Union address as a signal of President Biden’s campaign strategy should he decide to run for a second term. In particular, Biden tried to draw a distinction between Democrats and Republicans concerning the handling of Medicare and Social Security. His claim that Republicans want to end/or limit both entitlement programs for seniors was met with jeers by the Republicans in the House chamber. Biden used the verbal outrage expressed by Republicans to claim that it looked like both programs would therefore remain untouched since both parties agreed on their ultimate importance. That was a rhetorical moment for the crowds watching on TV that was belied by the President’s actions on subsequent days when he claimed Republicans want to “sunset,” i.e., place an end date on Medicare and Social Security. The race for the 2024 Presidential election may have started at the State of the Union.