New York City in brief

As President Trump’s domestic policy bill threatens to tighten Medicaid eligibility, New York officials are scrambling to safeguard coverage for millions who rely on the program. The state has floated workarounds to Washington’s stricter vision, hoping to keep its broader net intact—a classic Albany pastime, as local ingenuity meets federal skepticism on the battleground of who foots the bill, and for how long.

As another month of high inflation looms over New York City, locals are tightening their belts—literally—by skipping restaurants and whipping up meals at home rather than splurging on Broadway or boutique shoes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics pegs local inflation persistently above the national rate, though it seems New Yorkers still manage to squeeze plenty of flavor from their famous thin wallets.

The United States Postal Service is waving red flags over its finances, projecting it could run dry by 2027 unless Congress intervenes or users swallow steeper stamp prices—potentially $1 apiece. Plans floated by CEO David Steiner include axing Saturday delivery and shuttering small-town post offices. After years of red ink and fierce competition from private titans, we await to see if the mail can still go through when the money doesn’t.

With New York City’s pandemic-era Emergency Housing Vouchers about to expire, over 5,000 low-income households have until May 1st to apply for public housing or other subsidies, according to the city housing authority. Given 182,000 names already on the waitlist and an awkward shortage of vacant units, the odds are longer than a Manhattan rent receipt—though optimism, like affordable apartments, somehow persists.

With construction finally beginning this fall, the $1 billion Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline, backed by Williams and blessed at a Brooklyn event by officials including Doug Burgum and Chris Wright, promises to send Pennsylvania gas under New Jersey and the New York City harbor to over 2 million area homes. Given recent reversals in both federal and New York policy, sometimes the path to greener energy is paved with well-insulated pipes.