Mamdani’s picks win big in NYC primaries and Iran’s soccer team given new travel rules: Morning Rundown

Candidates backed by Zohran Mamdani unseat fellow Democrats in a slew of races. Trump claims more arrests over alleged vandalism at the Reflecting Pool. And new U.S. travel rules for the Iranian soccer team.

Here’s what to know today.

Zohran Mamdani’s picks take key House primaries

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‘Glorious time to be a New Yorker’: Brad Lander addresses his voters after NY-10 projected primary win

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his key allies secured major wins in congressional primaries yesterday as they looked to build on his 2025 victory.

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In the state’s 12th District, former New York Comptroller Brad Lander dethroned Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman in the primary with about two-thirds of the vote. In the 7th District, state legislator Claire Valdez defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. And in the 13th District, Mamdani-backed Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated 10-year incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat.

The districts, while spread out across three of the city’s boroughs, are among the most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, and all three are among the districts where Mamdani performed the strongest in the mayoral election. The three races were also defined by fiery debates over Israel policy, with the winning candidates all calling the country’s conduct in Gaza “genocide.”

The victories are part of a democratic socialist effort to redefine what it means to be a progressive in the modern Democratic Party.

Read the full story here.

More election results:

New York Assemblyman Micah Lasher won the Democratic nomination in the 12th Congressional District in a race that drew big spending from AI groups.

State Attorney General Alan Wilson is projected to win the Republican nomination for governor of South Carolina after President Donald Trump endorsed him a few days ago.

Maryland state Senate President Bill Ferguson won his Democratic primary despite some backlash over his position on redistricting.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore easily won renomination for a second term, ahead of a potential 2028 presidential campaign.

More politics news:

President Trump said he instructed the Department of Justice to immediately probe oil companies for not lowering gas prices at the pump in line with falling costs, accusing them of “gouging” consumers.

A major housing affordability bill, aimed at boosting home supply and cracking down on large investors, is headed to Trump for his signature after it passed in the House.

The Trump administration has proposed raising the cost of applying for American citizenship by as much as 80%.

Staff Pick: Babies remain sick months after an infant botulism outbreak

In February, the FDA declared an end to an outbreak of infant botulism — the first ever linked to baby formula. Botulism is a horrifying illness, leaving babies without the ability to suck and swallow properly or hold their heads up.

I wondered what became of the 48 babies who were infected in the outbreak, which was connected to ByHeart powdered infant formula. It turns out that the infants had a difficult, monthslong journey back to health as their little bodies had to relearn how to move their muscles. One boy in Portland, Oregon, must undergo an additional surgery next month to help him absorb nutrients.

As I was talking with families, a second outbreak linked to baby formula occurred leaving food safety experts concerned about whether this could become a worrisome trend. — Erika Edwards, medical reporter

Congress delivers sharpest pushback yet on Iran war

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Senate approves war powers resolution in symbolic move rebuking Trump on Iran

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The Senate approved a war powers resolution, rebuking Trump and calling for an end to the Iran conflict. The nonbinding resolution is largely symbolic, directing the president “to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a congressional authorization for use of military force against Iran.”

A White House official said the vote had “no significance” and would not have any force of law. The resolution comes as several GOP senators are pushing back on Trump’s memorandum of understanding with Iran, which lays out terms for negotiating an end to the war.

More on the GOP senators who have broken with Trump.

Related coverage:

For subscribers: Oil prices have fallen back to near prewar levels and brought the promise of cheaper gas and cooling consumer prices. But something new has begun to spook investors.

Trump’s struggle to fix the Reflecting Pool

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New security at Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool

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As criticism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool continues to swirl, President Trump announced yesterday on Truth Social that a sixth person has been arrested in connection to alleged vandalism at the pool. Despite his claims, Trump has provided no evidence of the purported vandalism so far but said the Interior Department “will share” photos.

The arrests — after photos in recent days showed chunks of blue sealant floating at the surface of the water and algae growth turning the water green — add another wrinkle to a project that was originally touted as a $1.5 million to $2 million renovation to make the pool color “American Flag Blue.” But the project has ballooned into a $16.4 million albatross after the administration awarded two no-bid contracts to companies to fast-track the work ahead of July Fourth celebrations.

Since Trump announced his plans for the Reflecting Pool in April, the project has been subject to lawsuits and cost complaints.

Here’s our deep dive on the struggle to fix the Reflecting Pool.

World Cup: Travel guidelines change for Iranian soccer team’s next match

The Department of Homeland Security is adjusting the guidelines for Iran’s national soccer team ahead of its next match Friday in Seattle. The team will be allowed to travel to the city two days ahead of its game, compared to their previous 24-hour window. However, they still will be asked to leave for their base in Tijuana, Mexico, after the game.

The other 47 teams in the tournament receive additional travel time and have the option to stay afterward for recovery. The Iranians have has complained about their treatment, with their coach calling them the “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.”

What a DHS spokesperson said about the new guidelines.

💥 What you missed: Portugal won 5-0 against Uzbekistan. England vs. Ghana ended in a 0-0 draw. Croatia won 1-0 against Panama. Colombia won 1-0 against the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

6️⃣ One for the books: Soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments during Portugal’s match. It was also the 230th match of Ronaldo’s international career, which is the most in history.

🗓 What to watch today: The packed day of games begins at 3 p.m. ET with Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar, as well as Switzerland vs. Canada. At 6 p.m., Morocco vs. Haiti and Scotland vs. Brazil. At 9 p.m., Czechia vs. Mexico and South Africa vs. South Korea. See the full schedule.

📩 Join the excitement: Sign up for The Sports Desk newsletter for more in-depth World Cup coverage.

NBC Select: So many sales, so little time…

Prime Day is in full swing and we’re tracking the best sales to shop. So far, we’ve spotted tons of deals under $50 that are worth buying. Some of the standout deals include 44% off the Oura Ring, 28% off Apple Airpods and 51% off Crocs. Plus, tons of top beauty products are on massive discount. Not a Prime member? Don’t worry, both Target and Best Buy slashed prices across a variety of categories.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.

Read All About It

Cancer death rates in the U.S. have dropped by 35% in the past 35 years, according to a new report. Here’s what’s driving the change.
France followed its hottest ever day with yet more brutal temperatures as a deadly heatwave scorches much of western Europe.

The MLB denied that it targeted San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible references on their hats for the team’s Pride Night celebration and put some of the blame on the team.

A study on Covid vaccines that the CDC’s acting director blocked from publication earlier this year was published in a different journal.

Ukraine has ramped up its strikes on the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula in an effort to put pressure on Vladimir Putin.

A search is underway for Gracie, a giraffe that’s gone missing in Texas.

Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson and Delia Sara Rangel. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.