Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for February 26, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
The Latest
Zohran Mamdani brought props to his meeting with Donald Trump. The surprise meeting between the New York City mayor and the president — it was not on either’s public schedule — points to the open line of communication between the two.
- Trump was clearly taken with Mamdani the last time they met, and still is. Mamdani posted a photo of the president today grinning ear to ear with a faux Daily News front page, splashed with the headline: “TRUMP TO CITY: LET’S BUILD.”
Mamdani definitely has Trump’s ear. Columbia University said this morning that federal immigration agents misrepresented themselves to gain entry to a dorm where they then detained a student. Mamdani said he told Trump he was concerned about the incident, and soon after their meeting she was released.