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RandySF's JournalMystics' Lucy Olsen delivers career-high performance vs Minnesota Lynx
After receiving substantially higher minutes in recent games for the Washington Mystics (8-9), former Iowa women's basketball star guard Lucy Olsen showcased her skills Thursday night vs. the Minnesota Lynx (15-2) in Minneapolis, Minn., as the rookie recorded the best performance of her young career.
Olsen, who was selected by Washington in the 2nd round (No. 23 overall) after spending her senior year with the Iowa Hawkeyes, has started her career primarily coming off the bench. Due to recent injuries to Mystics' starters, she has been able to get more playing time and capitalize on her opportunities.
While Olsen was not listed as a starter against Minnesota on Thursday, she was the Mystics' leading scorer with a career-high 19 points on an efficient 7-for-10 from the field, 1-for-2 from 3-point territory, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in 17 minutes off the bench. In addition to her scoring, Olsen collected three assists and one rebound.
Unfortunately for the Mystics, the team ultimately dropped the contest by a score of 92-75 as the only other players to score in the double-digits were forwards Aaliyah Edwards (15 points) and Shakira Austin (10 points). Making work even harder, the Lynx came into the game hungry to pick themselves off the floor after getting humbled by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final on Tuesday night.
https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/hawkeyes/womens-basketball/2025/07/04/mystics-vs-lynx-lucy-olsen-career-high-points-stats/84467376007/
'Freeze the rent' dominated the Democratic mayoral primary. This year, tenants are staring down a rent hike.
Tenants in New York City’s roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments are likely to see a rent hike next year, after an appointed board votes tonight to approve an increase within ranges starting at 1.75% for one-year leases and 3.75% for two-year leases.
But in the close background of that vote will be the calls for a rent freeze that have dominated the Democratic mayoral primary – and which became a central plank of Zohran Mamdani’s campaign.
Though Mamdani’s victory became clear Tuesday and Adams kicked off his reelection bid two days later, Monday’s vote by the city’s Rent Guidelines Board will offer a salient opportunity to see the two campaigns in stark contrast.
Mayor Eric Adams, who opted to run for reelection as an independent rather than in the Democratic primary, has overseen rent increases for stabilized tenants in every year of his mayoralty. (The mayor doesn’t directly decide on rent hikes but has the power to appoint members of the board and indirect influence over the vote.)
https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2025/06/freeze-rent-dominated-democratic-mayoral-primary-year-tenants-are-staring-down-rent-hike/406399/?oref=csny-homepage-river
Cuomo's wealthy donor base splintering as he mulls independent NYC mayoral run
As Andrew Cuomo considers whether he can drum up support for an independent run for mayor in November’s general election, the wealthy donors who backed his primary bid are splintering.
Some have declared they’re sticking with him despite his 12-point loss in the Democratic primary, while others are now throwing their weight behind Mayor Adams and encouraging the former governor to remove himself from consideration.
Cuomo’s run was in large part fueled by a super PAC called Fix the City that raised a record-breaking $25 million from the likes of Michael Bloomberg and Bill Ackman in his support.
The PAC’s direction remains undecided after Mamdani won the Democratic primary by double-digit points in the third round of ranked-choice voting. Another pillar of support for Cuomo — organized labor — has also drifted towards Mamdani, who rallied alongside the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and building workers union 32BJ on Wednesday.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/07/03/cuomos-wealthy-donor-base-splintering-as-he-mulls-independent-nyc-mayoral-run/
Missouri abortion rights amendment trumps most restrictions, judge rules
Abortion services will resume in Missouri on Monday following a Jackson County court order blocking enforcement of almost all of the state’s laws restricting the procedure.
On Thursday afternoon, Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang, for the third time, issued an order to enforce the abortion rights amendment approved by voters in November. In her previous orders, one in December and one in February, Zhang pointed to the voter-approved constitutional amendment in issuing a temporary injunction blocking abortion restrictions enacted over numerous years by state lawmakers.
State lawmakers have passed a ballot measure asking voters to repeal the abortion rights amendment in 2026, a move being challenged in Cole County Circuit Court.
Surgical abortions resumed after the February decision but ended in May when the Missouri Supreme Court struck down Zhang’s orders on technical legal grounds.
https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/03/missouri-abortion-rights-amendment-trumps-most-restrictions-judge-rules/
PA-07: Crosswell Campaign Raises $320K in First Weeks
Ryan Crosswell, a Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District, announced that his campaign has raised more than $320,000 in the first 21 days.
The Marine and former federal prosecutor says that it is the largest number posted by any PA-07 congressional candidate running for Congress this cycle, despite not even being in the race for the duration of the entire quarter. His campaign will end this quarter with over $245,000 cash on hand.
“This impressive number further proves that Ryan is the candidate best positioned to have the resources needed to compete and win in a general election in this crucial pick-up seat,” said Campaign Manager Noa Worob. “This fundraising haul follows national media coverage and Ryan’s early barnstorming of the district, further demonstrating the enthusiastic response to his campaign for Congress. Ryan will continue to meet voters where they are, earn support from across the district, and build a campaign that will win in November of 2026.”
Crosswell, who resigned from from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section when President Donald Trump tried to force him to drop charges against Mayor Eric Adams, is one of three announced candidates for the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Ryan Mackenzie. Also competing for the nomination is Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine, a former aide to former Sen. Bob Casey.
https://www.politicspa.com/pa-07-crosswell-campaign-raises-320k-in-first-weeks/141959/
NJ-07: Tina Shah (D) raises massive $260,000 in first day as a NJ-7 candidate
In her first 24 hours as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district, Tina Shah raised an extraordinary $260,328 for her bid to unseat Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield).
A practicing physician who served as a health official in the Obama and Biden administrations, Shah announced her candidacy yesterday morning.
“I’m humbled by the outpouring of support our campaign has received in our first 24 hours – it’s a sign that New Jerseyans are hungry for change and ready to elect someone who will work to lower costs and expand access to healthcare,” said Shah. “While Congressman Tom Kean Jr. votes to cut Medicaid in Washington, I’ve dedicated my entire life to serving my patients and my community. That contrast is why voters are responding so strongly to my campaign, and it’s why we are going to flip this seat next November.”
Shah appears to have the highest day-one fundraising haul in the cycle so far in the state. Former Biden SBA official Michael Roth raised $175,000 on his first day, with businessman Brian Varela bringing in $153,000 and former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett with $125,000 on her first day.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/tina-shah-raises-massive-260000-in-first-day-as-a-nj-7-candidate/
NJ-GOV: Sherrill qualifies for matching funds with $1.5 million post-primary haul
Mikie Sherrill has raised almost $1.5 million since winning the Democratic gubernatorial primary on June 10 and has submitted over $1.3 million toward matching funds.
Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli, who announced on July 16 that he’d hit the $580,000 threshold to qualify for matching funds, has raised over $1.8 million for the general election and submitted almost $1.3 million for matching funds.
The state offers a $2-to-$1 match of contributions for Democratic, Republican, and independent candidates who hit the threshold.
Candidates may receive up to $12.5 million in public funds, subject to a $2-for-$1 match, in the general election. That comes with a $18.5 million spending cap, excluding super PACs and independent expenditures. The contribution limit is $5,800.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/governor/sherrill-qualifies-for-matching-funds-with-1-5-million-post-primary-haul/
Exit poll: Public safety tops voter concerns, but NYC Dems reject policing-first approach
Polling showed that public safety was a major concern for people leading up to the Democratic mayoral primary. In response, several candidates made restoring a sense of safety a top priority for their campaigns. One of the main lines of attack from Andrew Cuomo was that his opponent Zohran Mamdani didn’t take crime seriously enough, that he previously supported defunding the police.
But results from an exit poll of voters released this week showed that primary voters preferred victor Mamdani’s approach to the issue. Two in three people surveyed listed crime and public safety, along with homelessness, as one of the biggest issues facing New York City today – behind the high cost of living and housing costs. While Cuomo focused on a gloomy message about a city in crisis, Mamdani was able to connect crime and disorder to affordability, according to advocates.
”What Mamdani did in this race was he made safety, quality of life, a core part of his broader message of affordability. He didn't place it in a silo,” said Vera Action program director Alana Sivin. The group counseled several campaigns on their public safety plans, including Cuomo’s and Mamdani’s. “He very consistently linked safety to affordability by saying that higher costs and rising prices are connected to voters' feelings of being unsafe.”
The survey of 1,136 actual primary voters was conducted between June 23 and June 27 by Change Research. Respondents were reached through text messages and direct marketing ads on social media. The poll has a 3.3% margin of error. Of the voters surveyed, 43% ranked Mamdani No. 1 on their ballots – which paralleled actual election night results. It was commissioned by Vera Action, the political arm of the Vera Institute of Justice – a criminal justice reform advocacy organization.
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/07/exit-poll-public-safety-tops-voter-concerns-nyc-dems-reject-policing-first-approach/406519/?oref=csny-homepage-river
Mamdani won Brooklyn's vote in mayoral primary, data shows, though Cuomo found some footholds
In Brooklyn, Mamdani dominated the mayoral primary, earning 50% of the Election Day vote to Cuomo’s 32%, according to unofficial Board of Elections results. Comptroller Brad Lander, a former Park Slope Council Member, earned 12% of the vote in his home borough.
Mamdani’s strongest support came from northern and central Brooklyn, from Greenpoint to parts of Flatbush.
Those districts also have particularly diverse populations. According to U.S. Census data, in AD57, about 40% of residents are white, 31% are Black, 7% are Asian, and 14% are Hispanic. In AD53, about 48% of the population is Hispanic, 31% is white, 10% is Black, and 8% is Asian.
But he also won in some of southern Brooklyn’s more conservative-leaning districts where Republicans have in recent years unseated longtime local Democratic politicians — despite the fact that those districts largely have more registered Democratic voters than Republicans.
https://www.brooklynpaper.com/breaking-down-brooklyn-primary-election-vote/
Zohran Mamdani looks to consolidate support among NYC power players
Zohran Mamdani said he wants to “introduce himself once more” to New Yorkers — and now his calendar is full of meetings with VIPs.
House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer are on the list of those planning a sit-down. So is Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who was widely criticized last week for misrepresenting Mamdani and falsely saying he used the term “global jihad” on the campaign trail.
The business community has also been calling. The 33-year-old democratic socialist — who has criticized the rise of billionaires amid gaping income inequality — is set to convene this month with a group of CEOs.
“The fact that Zohran handily won the primary certainly surprised most of them,” said Kathy Wylde, the head of the Partnership for New York City, an influential business advocacy group.
https://gothamist.com/news/zohran-mamdani-looks-to-consolidate-support-among-nyc-power-players
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