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 a…
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.
Donald Trump signed a bill extending the US government’s ability to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreign communications, despite vocal criticism from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union that warn of eroding civil liberties. The extension—passed by Congress after customary last-minute brinkmanship—grants intelligence agencies two more years to vacuum data, apparently betting that privacy advocates’ patience, unlike emails, is not being systematically collected.
New York authorities report a surge in rental scams, with fraudsters swindling rapid deposits from apartment-hunting families—especially recent immigrants—across Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and parts of Manhattan. The classic ruse: a below-market advert on social media, urgent payment demanded, and then—presto—the “landlord” vanishes. Official warnings abound, but the scammers remain untroubled by high demand or low scruples; score one for creative entrepreneurship.
New York’s Department of Transportation is finally moving forward with a redesign of Grand Army Plaza—its biggest street makeover since Times Square in 2009—but much of the plan still panders to cars. While Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Flynn talk up bolder, bike-friendly visions, we note the city appears content dusting off old blueprints, rather than building the Brooklyn landmark the next generation might actually use.
New York’s Mamdani administration will close the storied 30th Street shelter at month’s end, rerouting single homeless men and child-free families to new intake centers at 8 East Third Street and 333 Bowery. While officials tout better conditions and more staff, advocates warn the speed—and profound lack of wheelchair access—could leave vulnerable New Yorkers waiting for both answers and working elevators.
As FIFA’s World Cup descends on MetLife Stadium this summer, New Jersey Transit plans to charge $150 for train rides to matches (and $80 for buses), while suspending key westbound service—prompting Governor Mikie Sherrill, Senator Chuck Schumer, and assorted politicos to squabble over who should pay. Locals meanwhile can look forward to packed commutes, closed parks, and yet another reminder that “non-profit” doesn’t always mean public benefit.
