New York City in brief

Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, has marshalled a coalition from over a dozen states to sue the Trump administration after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development slashed $3.6 billion in long-term homeless housing funds, including $109 million vital to New York City. Federal officials tout “self-sufficiency,” while local agencies warn thousands could end up back on the streets—a well-trodden path, it seems, to American self-reliance.

After a chilly start and some federal heel-dragging, New York’s Home Energy Assistance Program is set to re-open for applications in early December, following a weeks-long delay triggered by Washington’s partial shutdown. The state expects roughly $400 million in federal funds to flow soon, with emergency payments for broken boilers and looming shutoffs due in January—just in time for heat to remain as reliable as winter’s bite.

Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, has marshalled 21 states in a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s latest move to exclude some green card holders from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The USDA’s guidance could strip aid from 35,000 New Yorkers (and many more elsewhere), while threatening states with $1.2bn in penalties if they balk—a new twist in the time-honoured tradition of federal-state food fights, now served cold.

The FBI reports that since January, over 5,100 U.S. consumers have lost upwards of $262 million to cybercriminals posing as banks or law enforcement—a testament to the enduring appeal of account takeover fraud. Tactics range from eerily convincing fake websites to ingenious, SEO-poisoned ads funnelling victims to credential-stealing portals, with the loot often vanishing into cryptocurrency wallets. We suggest passwords be memorable, if not poetic, for future would-be savers.

Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a law requiring state-regulated health plans in New York to cover asthma inhalers without copays, starting in 2027, aiming to help the 1.7 million residents with asthma—especially those in the Bronx, where rates are highest. While manufacturers tout $35 caps, out-of-pocket costs persist, and with insurance prices due to climb, we can only hope free inhalers won’t just be a breath of political fresh air.