The U.S. Senate narrowly approved Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—with Vice President J.D. Vance breaking the 51-50 tie—leaving New York’s hospitals bracing for an extra $8 billion funding drop, thanks to tighter rules on “provider taxes” that buttress Medicaid. The bill, still winding its way through Congress, offers tax cuts and border money, while New Yorkers get cold comfort and a billion-dollar twist on fiscal austerity.
As New York City broiled under a June heatwave—JFK hit a record 102°F—over 110,000 Con Edison customers lost power for hours, exposing the grid’s frayed nerves as fossil fuels retire faster than replacements appear. Leaders from Governor Hochul down pleaded for restraint with microwaves and ACs, a ritual we may have to perfect if summer keeps cranking up the thermostat with such enthusiasm.
Williams Companies, undeterred by a 2020 rejection, has filed again to bury 17 miles of pipeline under Raritan Bay, aiming to funnel Pennsylvania fracked gas into Brooklyn, Queens, and beyond by winter 2027. President Trump’s recent endorsement gave the plan fresh legs, despite New York’s green promises and a wary eye from climate advocates—proof, perhaps, that energy “transitions” sometimes come with a return ticket.
Officials in New York have housed at least five high-risk sex offenders—one convicted of raping a seven-year-old—at a taxpayer-funded Chinatown shelter that sits just 243 feet from Hester Street Playground, despite state law forbidding such proximity. Run by NAICA, a non-profit with $1.3bn in city contracts, the shelter’s location invites equal parts confusion and Manhattan property envy among neighbourhood parents.
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Violent crime in New York City fell notably in the year’s first half, with murders down 23% and shootings at record lows, says the NYPD; the city’s boredom index may soon rival crime rates. Reported rapes, however, have edged up—a caution against premature celebration. As ever, definitions of “safe” remain elastic enough to keep mayoral press secretaries gainfully employed.
FICO announced it will start factoring ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) loans into credit scores for millions of Americans from this autumn, the first major shake-up since these six-week, zero-interest installments took hold. While lenders may enjoy a sharper view of borrowers’ habits, patchy data sharing and provider reluctance mean true transparency may take its time—credit’s history in the US rarely moves at pay-in-four speed.
New York City has logged only 87 traffic deaths in the first half of 2025—a steep 32% dip from last year and tied with 2018 for the lowest such tally since Vision Zero began in 2014. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are down, murders have dropped 23%, and even e-bike accidents have waned; evidently, even in Gotham, less blood is now spilled on both asphalt and other fronts.
Revived by Donald Trump and met with wary assent from Governor Hochul, Williams has reapplied to lay its 23.5-mile Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline under the waters off Staten Island and Queens. Once scuppered by local protest, the natural gas project now courts approval as energy costs pinch New Yorkers—though public hearings loom, as does the prospect of compensating for every soft-shelled casualty along its aquatic route.
New York City officials forecast a six-million-strong tourist wave for America’s 250th birthday bash next July, lured by what organizers like Sail4th 250 promise will be the splashiest maritime spectacle since, well, the last one. Upward of $2.85 billion could flow into city coffers—outpacing even FIFA’s World Cup haul—though New Yorkers may yet wonder if a parade of tall ships beats a subway seat in July.
Gothamist
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