New York City in brief

As sub-zero winds barrel through New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “all hands on deck” strategy has enlisted school nurses, peer outreach and even CUNY campuses to coax people indoors—no small feat when frigid calculations show hypothermia can strike in 15 minutes. Seventeen have died outdoors since January 19, so we’re reminded that in winter, “the city that never sleeps” isn’t great for camping.

After New York endured its worst snowstorm in years on January 25th—one that froze the streets and stranded sidewalks—critics have given newcomer Mayor Mamdani’s administration a decidedly chilly reception. With City Council hearings probing the lacklustre cleanup (and 17 winter deaths), we’re left pondering whether coordination among agencies and property owners could be more glacial—though at least there’s no shortage of post-storm hot air.

As New York nurses enter a fifth week on strike, Mount Sinai’s administration and the New York State Nurses Association inch closer to a deal, spurred by a mediator’s new proposal. Montefiore nurses have already secured safer staffing levels and more posts, though hospitals keep paying top dollar for temporary replacements. Talks persist at the Javits Center, where, at least for now, winter weather outpaces anyone in cooling negotiations.

The National Weather Service warns that an Arctic front will bring subzero wind chills to New York City, with real-feel temperatures plunging to minus 20 degrees and officials invoking “Code Blue” after 17 people were found dead outdoors this fortnight. While Governor Kathy Hochul urges us to take frostbite and hypothermia seriously, the city’s beleaguered ferry service and heating complaints suggest we may need thicker skins—or at least better boilers.

Eyeing mushrooming deficits and a chronic housing shortage, New York City might finally cash in the overlooked “air rights” floating above its own rooftops. By pooling and selling these unused development rights citywide—much as Broadway theatres did in the 1990s—we could unlock billions for affordable housing and fiscal relief. It seems the sky over Gotham may prove less a limit, more a lifeline.