Happening Today: Chelsea Manning, Julian Assange, Tom Price, Gov. Cuomo

What to Know

  • Focus is shifting to WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange after President Obama commuted Chelsea Manning's sentence
  • Donald Trump's health secretary pick Tom Price, known for his opposition to Obama's health care law, faces a hearing in Washington, D.C.
  • A new poll found that the majority of Americans dislike Donald Trump's use of Twitter, agreeing that tweets can have "major implications"

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Focus on Assange After Manning's Commutation

President Barack Obama's decision Tuesday to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence brought fresh attention to another figure involved in the Army leaker's case: Julian Assange. On Twitter last week, Assange's anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks posted, "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case." Manning is serving a 35-year sentence for leaking classified material. Her sentence is now set to expire May 17. Obama is planning for more commutations in his final days in office.

Cuomo and Trump to Meet in NYC

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat and possible White House contender in 2020, will sit down with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday. Cuomo and Trump are expected to talk about a point of common ground: infrastructure. Cuomo wants to upgrade and rebuild bridges, train stations and airports across New York, while Trump has promised to invest $1 trillion in transportation and infrastructure spending.

Trump’s Health Secretary Pick Faces Hearing

With coverage for millions of people at stake, congressman Tom Price is facing pointed questions about President-elect Donald Trump's health policies — and his own investments in health care companies — from senators considering his selection as health secretary. The orthopedic surgeon-turned-lawmaker from Georgia is scheduled to appear Wednesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. About 18 million people would lose or drop their health insurance in the first year after Obamacare is repealed, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday.

Former President Bush Hospitalized

Former President George H.W. Bush, 92, has been hospitalized, his chief of staff said early Wednesday morning. "President George H.W. Bush was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital as a precaution after experiencing shortness of breath," said Katie Wooldridge, a spokeswoman for Bush's office. Bush, who served as U.S. president from 1989 to 1993, has a form of Parkinson's disease.

Orlando Fugitive Caught, Officer Killed in Texas

The man wanted in the fatal shootings of his pregnant ex-girlfriend and an Orlando police sergeant has been captured, authorities said Tuesday night. The Orlando Police Department tweeted Tuesday that 41-year-old Markeith Loyd was in custody. Loyd has been the focus of a weeklong manhunt. Meanwhile, a Texas police officer died after being shot while responding to a report of an armed man outside a house Tuesday afternoon, and the suspect was later confirmed dead after an hours-long standoff with police.

Report: Abortions at Lowest Level in Decades

Even as the election outcome intensifies America's abortion debate, a comprehensive new survey finds the annual number of abortions in the U.S has dropped to well under 1 million, the lowest level since 1974. The report, which counted 926,200 abortions in 2014, was released Tuesday by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group which supports abortion rights.

Poll: Americans Dislike Trump's Twitter Use

In these divisive political times, the American public actually has a pretty unambiguous message for Donald Trump: "Cool it with the tweets." Nearly seven-in-ten Americans say that Trump's use of Twitter is a bad idea, and only nine percent say they strongly support his use of the 140-character medium to announce policy positions and express his personal point of view, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released late Tuesday.

Contact Us