New York’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and Barack Obama visited a Bronx childcare center, serenading toddlers with “Wheels on the Bus” in a push for Mamdani’s universal childcare agenda. Despite a previously withheld endorsement, Obama’s public support aligns with the city’s fast-tracked plan for free care for under-fives. Democratic harmony is easier over picture books—and, apparently, a good-natured pizza debate—than on the campaign trail.
New York City in brief
Top five stories in the five boroughs today
ProPublica reports that in the first seven months of Donald Trump’s presidency, ICE detained parents of at least 11,000 American children—an average of over 50 per day, with mothers particularly affected. Though Joe Biden’s administration continued some practices, rates dropped sharply. The data highlight the perils of policy by numbers: while children were not actually counted like beans, they may have felt similarly shelved.
Two iconic American retailers, 7-Eleven and Macy’s, announced a fresh round of store closures this week—645 and 14 branches respectively—citing surging expenses, dwindling foot traffic and the inexorable rise of online shopping. While shareholders may applaud corporate nip-and-tuck, local communities face fewer jobs and sparser choices; we may have to reminisce about retail therapy in the aisles rather than actually indulge.
New Yorkers found little joy in this year’s auto insurance bills, which topped $4,000 annually—about $1,500 above the national average—thanks to an 80% jump in organized fraud since 2020. Governor Kathy Hochul’s bid to reform the state’s "no-fault" system, now a wellspring for scammers like Zhan “Johnny” Petrosyants, hit political gridlock. Alas, the only thing “no-fault” in Gotham is the victims’ wallets.
New York’s latest flourish in its ongoing class drama features a proposed tax on second homes, championed by City Council and notably Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who also snubbed the Met Gala for extra flourish. As building staff hint at strikes and Manhattan’s inequality casts a longer shadow, we wonder if taxing pieds-à-terre will dent the city’s luxury real estate scene—or just prompt a few more overseas addresses.