1. At New York’s City Hall, Backstage Player Is Cast in Main Stage Uproar 

   
   

    From left, Rachel Noerdlinger, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Chirlane McCray and Mayor Bill de Blasio on the day that Ms. Noerdlinger was appointed as Ms. McCray’s chief of staff. Credit Rob Bennett/NYC Mayor's Office
    
   A public relations expert credited with helping to transform her last boss, the Rev. Al Sharpton, into a national celebrity, Ms. Noerdlinger was seen as the ideal collaborator for Ms. McCray, a poet and writer eager to play a significant role in her husband’s administration.