An unexpected shortfall in the United States’ Emergency Housing Voucher fund is forcing over 70,000 low-income tenants toward the door, after the money—intended to last through 2026—evaporated thanks to surging rents, particularly in Manhattan and B…
New York finally noted a mild dip in overdose deaths in 2023—just over 3,000—marking the city’s best rate since 2020, says its Health Department, but opioid fatalities, mostly due to fentanyl, still loom large. Naloxone, the fast-acting nasal spray also known as Narcan, can now be picked up over-the-counter or from community groups, making lifesaving surprisingly literal—and, these days, as close as your neighborhood pharmacy.
A bill in the U.S. House seeks to raise the federal minimum wage to $25, well above the current $7.25 set in 2009; New Jersey’s Andy Kim claims Americans need an economy that “works for all.” Opponents predict a spike in labor costs and unintended consequences. We await, calculators in hand, to see whether more cash in pockets also means fewer jobs on offer.
Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor, proposes higher income taxes for millionaires, resurrecting the perennial chestnut: will the wealthy pack their bags? Data from other locales shows little evidence of mass flight, yet fretters suggest Gotham might finally tip the scales. Economists quibble over just how close the precipice really is—presumably with calculators, suitcases, and a dab of theatre for good measure.
The Supreme Court’s six-to-three ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has eviscerated what little punch the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had left, citing a race-blind interpretation reminiscent of Chief Justice Roberts’s now-famous “stop discriminating” dictum. Congress’s decades-long effort to secure equal ballots looks to be another casualty of the court’s minimalist reading—proof, perhaps, that precedent’s shelf life now rivals that of supermarket milk.
Donald Trump’s disapproval rating reached a new high of 62%, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, as weary Americans grapple with persistent inflation and Washington’s botched dance with Iran. With 76% unhappy about the cost of living and nearly two-thirds critical of foreign policy, even the promise of fewer boots in Germany and whispers of diplomacy leave voters unmoved—though perhaps not quite speechless.
Work on a new underwater pipeline is set to begin off Staten Island this year, despite persistent protests from environmental groups who warn of ecological risks and question the project’s long-term wisdom. The developers counter with assurances about energy security and modern engineering, but as with most large infrastructure, both sides will soon have ample opportunity to test whether hope—or sea water—travels fastest through pipes.
One New York neighborhood finds itself at odds over how to manage shrinking enrollments—a local squabble that mirrors headaches faced by districts across America as birth rates drop and funding formulas wheeze. School leaders must now decide whether to merge classrooms or mothball buildings, no easy task when each change risks bruised egos alongside idle lockers. We suspect the chalk dust will settle only when numbers truly have their say.
New York City’s Resorts World Casino in Queens dealt its first live table games this week, marking the metropolis’s inaugural venture into full-scale casino operations. Genting Americas East, run by Robert DeSalvio, backs the $1 billion affair, aiming to keep some of Atlantic City’s gambling dollars closer to home—though the house, as ever, appears likelier than the average New Yorker to make a sure bet.
