Eric Adams expected to face charges and A’s play their last game in Oakland: Morning Rundown

New York Mayor Eric Adams is set to face federal charges. Hurricane Helene is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 as Florida readies for ‘catastrophic’ damage. And the Oakland A’s play their last game in the city they’ve called home for over 50 years. 

Here’s what to know today.

New York Mayor Eric Adams expected to face federal charges

New York Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted and is expected to be charged today by prosecutors out of the Southern District of New York, two sources familiar with the matter said. The indictment is sealed and the charges were not immediately clear.

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The Adams administration was already reeling from a series of high-level resignations amid at least four federal probes. One of the investigations is believed to be focused on whether Adams’ mayoral campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources. As part of the probe, the FBI last year searched a home in Brooklyn belonging to Adams’ chief fundraiser. Federal investigators have also been looking into whether Adams pressured the city’s fire commissioner to approve a new building housing the Turkish Consulate despite safety concerns.

Adams, 64, a former NYPD captain and Brooklyn borough president, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In a statement released last night, Adams said that any charges against him would be “entirely false, based on lies.” Watch the full statement.

“If I am charged,” he said, “I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”

Read the full story here, and follow live updates here. 

More coverage of Eric Adams: 

• Calls grew for Adams to resign, including from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and more.

Hurricane Helene barrels toward Florida

Hurricane Helene is expected to become a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall today in Florida, bringing with it a storm surge of up to 20 feet and catastrophic winds that could knock down power lines and trees, the National Hurricane Center warned. The eye of the storm is projected to move over Florida sometime this evening and then turn northwest toward Tennessee on Friday and Saturday, forecasters say. Follow our live blog for the latest updates.

Yesterday, residents in Tallahassee prepared to evacuate their homes and stocked up on sandbags and food supplies. The city’s mayor said it could be the “strongest hurricane in recorded history to ever hit” the area. Operations at Tallahassee International Airport have been suspended, and three major colleges have canceled classes for the rest of the week. Read more about how Florida’s capital city is bracing for the storm.

Israel strikes Lebanon despite push to end bombing campaign that has killed more than 600

The United States, the European Union and almost a dozen other countries called for an immediate 21-day cease-fire to allow for negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah amid fears of an all-out war across the region.

Despite this push, Israel’s foreign minister said this morning that there will be no cease-fire in the north, and the country launched new strikes on southern Lebanon, the latest in a wave of attacks that local officials say have killed more than 600 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. Hezbollah rockets also set alarms blaring in northern Israel this morning after a lengthy lull.

Officials hope that in addition to halting violence between Israel and Hezbollah, the cease-fire will jumpstart stalled peace talks between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 

More Middle East coverage:

• Follow our live blog for updates. 
• Across Lebanon, fear is gripping people who say they don’t want a repeat of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war — or worse, a situation like Gaza.

Harris to meet with Zelenskyy, then head to the border

A planned meeting today at the White House between Vice President Kamala Harris and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — but no meeting between former President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy — highlights a growing partisan divide over the U.S.’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukraine has mostly enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress since Russia’s invasion in 2022, but some Republicans have become increasingly skeptical of continued support for the war effort. Harris said she would continue American support if elected, but what form that support would take is still unclear. Trump has said repeatedly that he would end the war with Ukraine on his first day back in the White House if he’s elected, even if it was on terms favorable to Russia. Read the full story here. 

After the meeting today, Harris will head to Douglas, Arizona. It’s her first trip to the southern border since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. With immigration and border security a weak spot in her campaign, Harris is expected to tout her efforts to push a bipartisan border security plan earlier this year and highlight Trump’s role in sinking it.

More 2024 election coverage:

• At a rally yesterday in Pennsylvania, Harris outlined a $100 billion economic plan to boost manufacturing and investments in artificial intelligence. Here’s what else she envisions.
• In an interview with MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle, her first one-on-one interview with a national news network since becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris said she once worked at McDonald’s, pushing back against Trump’s claim that she didn’t, and said Trump needs to trust women to make their own reproductive decisions.
• Presidential ad spending in Florida has virtually disappeared, but it’s gone up significantly in these battleground states.
• Pro-Harris “woman to woman” sticky notes are popping up in restrooms, at gyms and on tampon boxes. 
• Pop star Chappell Roan said she plans to vote for Harris but stopped short of an official endorsement after days of backlash from her liberal fanbase. 

Politics in Brief

Government funding: President Joe Biden is expected to sign a funding bill that Congress passed yesterday, which would fund the government through Dec. 20 and set up another potential shutdown battle during the post-election lame duck session.

Secret Service scrutiny: Bulletproof glass at outdoor rallies and a higher-than-normal number Secret Service agents surrounding Trump and Harris are among the new protocols in place after the recent attempts on Trump’s life. Meanwhile, an agent in Vice President Kamala Harris’ security detail was placed on administrative leave after an alleged groping incident with a Harris staffer, two law enforcement officials said.

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Read All About It 

• An Alabama inmate whose life was spared two years ago when prison staff struggled to execute him by lethal injection is again set to be put to death — this time, with nitrogen gas.
• A man is accused of throwing an explosive device into a California courthouse where he was set to be arraigned, officials said. The explosion injured three people. 
• Two abandoned Los Angeles mansions owned by a Hollywood producer are covered in graffiti, drawing ire from neighbors and condemnation from city officials.
• Videos from influencers promoting a futuristic Saudi Arabian megacity spread quickly across the internet — and almost as quickly, have started to disappear.

Staff Pick: Oakland says goodbye to major pro sports with final A’s game

Baseball fans in the San Francisco Bay Area will say goodbye to the Oakland A’s this afternoon as the Athletics play their final game at the Oakland Coliseum, which they’ve called home since 1968. A’s owner John Fisher, an heir to the Gap apparel empire, announced last year that the team would move to Las Vegas in 2028. In the meantime, the A’s will play in a minor league ballpark outside of Sacramento for at least three seasons.

A’s fans — equally angry and heartbroken — revile Fisher, and chants of “sell the team” have become a feature of A’s games since the move was announced, even on the road. Stay tuned for updates to this story as the raucous, sell-out game gets underway. — David K. Li, senior reporter, and Dana Varinsky, science and health editor

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified 

Traveling can be a hassle, so don’t let packing add to the stress. These weekender bags have just enough space for everything you need for a a few days away away. And these bag organizers are great for saving yourself from digging around for items.