The Trump administration pledged $8 billion to overhaul Penn Station, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—under oath—naming Halmar-led Penn Transformation Partners as master developer and entrusting Amtrak to manage the project. New York’s gove…
A new report from the New York City comptroller’s office warns that artificial intelligence could replace tens of thousands of jobs across the city, suggesting a transformation of the local economy not seen in living memory; officials concede they have little idea which roles will disappear, but they’re certain New Yorkers have survived a few technological rumbles—and probably own enough black turtlenecks for another.
New York City endured a tempest Wednesday night, with 2.57 inches of rain in Bellerose and gusts up to 60 mph leaving drivers stranded atop vehicles and subway lines awash. Queens, in particular, was swamped while temperatures plummeted: Newark plunged 19 degrees in 35 minutes. We like our chaos orderly, but the weather, as ever, prefers drama over decorum—rendering Memorial Day picnics soggier than forecast.
New York’s beleaguered Penn Station has found its next champion: state officials have tapped a developer to overhaul the much-maligned transit hub, just after Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy dangled $8 billion in federal largesse for the project. If all runs on schedule—a rare miracle in Manhattan—we may one day navigate Penn without needing a search party or sturdy nerves.
Federal officials and Amtrak have tapped Halmar and Skanska, as Penn Transformation Partners, to overhaul Penn Station—promising a swish new Eighth Avenue entrance, airy concourses and a classical update to Madison Square Garden, for a cool $8 billion. We’re told the plan expands track capacity, but detailed blueprints, and concrete financial commitments, are works in progress—quite like Penn Station itself, these last several decades.
The Long Island Rail Road, fresh off a strike that left more than 300,000 daily commuters scrambling for car keys and shuttle alternatives, resumed service this week after union and management reached a last-minute accord. Governor Kathy Hochul lauded the deal as both affordable for riders and fair to workers—a rare feat in transport politics, though we wonder if anyone will notice come the next late train.
New York’s Community Opportunity to Purchase Act resurfaced at City Hall, as Sandy Nurse and allies seek to let nonprofits purchase distressed apartment blocks before out-of-town speculators swoop. Qualifying buildings—those with four-plus rentals and a knack for violating codes—would get a 90-day nonprofit courtship; if offerless, they can rejoin the capitalist dating pool. The city bets trusted local groups trump absentee landlords, though paperwork may outpace passion.
The House Transportation Committee unveiled the $580-billion BUILD America 250 bill, offering slimmer funding than its $1.2-trillion predecessor and carving a 20% cut from public transit while boosting highways by 8%. Advocates worry its few nods to cyclists and walkers could be steamrolled, and—lacking ironclad safeguards—any bright spots may prove as durable as pothole repair after a Missouri winter.
The UN’s IPCC, after decades spent warning of climate Armageddon, now deems its most apocalyptic projections “implausible,” prompting a modest policy pivot. New York’s Governor Hochul—traditionally fond of green orthodoxy—has okayed a natural gas pipeline and floated revising pricey climate legislation, all to tame bill shock for families. It seems even doomsday prophets occasionally read last season’s forecasts.
