Some 1,000 workers downed tools as the Trump administration appealed a federal order to release over $200 million owed to the Gateway tunnel project—a $16 billion, decade-long feat linking New York and New Jersey—leaving funding as frozen as Februar…
Faced with frigid weeks, New Yorkers set a new record for natural gas usage, with National Grid and Con Edison both reporting all-time highs—eight of National Grid's top ten output days hit Long Island between January 23rd and February 7th. Edison customers also endured a freshly-approved rate hike, making the season's only reliable warmth the glow from contemplating next winter’s proposed gas phase-out, now kicked down the road by Governor Hochul.
Newly minted Mayor Zohran Mamdani hauls New York’s perennial “tin cup” to Albany, seeking aid to plug a looming $12 billion budget hole he says is courtesy of his predecessor’s math and an uncharitable state. He’ll pitch higher taxes on the rich, universal childcare, and a rent freeze—just as Governor Kathy Hochul repeats her own “no new taxes” refrain. Fiscal alchemy, it seems, is still out of stock.
Reacting to President Trump’s blunt threats of stepped-up immigration enforcement, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has assembled an Interagency Response Committee, gathering such city worthies as Dean Fuleihan and Bitta Mostofi to coordinate defences against federal crackdowns. The Department of Homeland Security grumbled that Mamdani’s stance aids criminals, but for now, local government prefers trust-building over impromptu ICE visits in the five boroughs.
After nearly a month on picket lines, the New York State Nurses Association—representing 15,000 nurses—has reached a tentative deal with Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian, promising a 12% pay bump, tougher staffing rules, and even first-of-its-kind protections from workplace AI. Contract ratification is underway; if members say “aye,” New York hospitals may rediscover the joys of adequate nursing staff by Sunday.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told Albany lawmakers he still seeks higher income taxes on wealthy residents, despite the city’s deficit shrinking from $12 billion to $7 billion after updating projections. Mamdani blames predecessors for the shortfall and argues new revenue is needed, while Governor Kathy Hochul, on friendlier but fiscally colder terms, prefers not to tax—leaving compromise, if not cash, still in short supply.
New York lawmakers are floating an extra $1 billion for city schools, even as Mississippi and Alabama outperform them in test scores while spending less than half per pupil—Mississippi’s $12,500 to the Big Apple’s $42,200, notes Edunomics Lab. Results, alas, trail the money: New York ranks 32nd nationally after a decade of tests sliding downhill, leaving us to wonder if accountability has dropped off the syllabus.
After a month of what New York calls its largest-ever nurses’ strike, Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals will welcome back over 10,000 staff this weekend, having ratified fresh three-year contracts boasting pay rises, better staffing, and AI safeguards. Yet more than 4,000 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian remain off the clock after rejecting their own deal—a reminder that not every remedy works for every patient.
A new study by Plasma pegs New York City as the U.S. capital of cost-of-living anxiety, with over 26,000 web searches a month lamenting high prices—unsurprising, when rents and essentials routinely swallow nearly every cent of the average $5,250 salary. San Diego and San Francisco trail in the affordability sweepstakes, reminding us that a bigger paycheck often just means a nicer hamster wheel.
