It’s Wednesday, June 25. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: World War III didn’t happen. A threat to the constitutional right to hunt?

But first: New York City Democrats choose socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor.

I first heard the name Zohran Mamdani from my colleague, Free Press reporter Olivia Reingold. It was late March, and she thought this 33-year-old long-shot mayoral candidate was worth writing about.

In her first story, I learned that his proposals include government-run grocery stores, rent freezes, and free buses. Mamdani’s housing plan alone would cost $100 billion—only slightly less than the entire size of this year’s city budget.

Then there are Mamdani’s views on the police (“We don’t need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety. What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD,” he posted on X in 2020); Israel (“apartheid”); Benjamin Netanyahu (“As Mayor I would have Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York”); and Islamist radicalism (he refuses to condemn the phrase globalize the intifada).

So how did Zohran Mamdani do it? How did this socialist beat Andrew Cuomo, the former governor, to win the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City?

It’s an astonishing political story—one with enormous consequences for the city and the Democratic Party. Olivia spent yesterday in the 100-degree heat reporting it out. And that’s today’s lead story.

Olivia spent the evening at what was supposed to be Cuomo’s victory party, speaking to his donors and supporters as the results trickled in. By the end of the night, Cuomo had given a concession speech.

To see it yourself, watch the video report she put together:

Olivia will also be hosting a Free Press livestream today at 11 a.m. with senior editor Will Rahn to break down the vote and tell you everything you need to know about the man who may be New York City’s next mayor. Watch here or on our homepage.

This livestream is available to paying subscribers only. If you’re not already a paid subscriber, please click below to become one.

—Bari

They Predicted World War III. They Were Wrong.

Eli Lake

Before U.S. bombers struck Iran, Tucker Carlson and other MAGA influencers were making dire predictions about the consequences of such a move. But contrary to their claims, World War III did not break out. And those who thought it might have are at odds with the voters—and the facts. Read full story

Will Trump Keep Public Lands in Public Hands?

Steven Rinella

Republicans are at war. No, not over Iran, but public land. In Washington, Senator Mike Lee is spearheading an effort to sell off up to three million acres of that land. And the backlash from conservative environmentalists, hunters, and conservationists has been severe. One person against the move is best-selling author and host of “The MeatEater Podcast” Steven Rinella. He explains why in his piece for The Free Press today. Read full story

The Government Is Coming for Our Wilderness. The Falconers Aren’t Happy.

Rachel Dickinson

Carnivorous podcasters aren’t the only ones worried about losing public lands. Senator Lee also faces opposition from the skies. Literally. (Okay, not quite.) Today in The Free Press, Rachel Dickinson has a dispatch from Boise, Idaho, where she talks to falconers furious at what they see as a threat to their constitutional right to hunt. Read full story

Fred Smith Built a Great American Company. What Made Him Tick?

Rick Brooks

Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx, died Saturday at the age of 80. Rick Brooks, who used to report on the company at The Wall Street Journal, remembers a great American entrepreneur who often joked that he earned his business degree from the Marines. Read full story