Donald Trump’s move to freeze federal funding has forced the $16 billion Gateway tunnel project under the Hudson River to grind to a costly halt, leaving New York and New Jersey to sue for $205 million in withheld payments. While the Gateway Development Commission scrambles to backfill holes and mothball machinery, it seems Manhattan’s most ambitious underground ambitions are, for now, buried under bureaucracy as much as bedrock.
New York City in brief
Top five stories in the five boroughs today
New York City’s latest figures show nearly 3,200 of its 40,000 supportive housing units for the homeless—mainly overseen by state agencies—sit empty even as 87,000 people spent a night in shelters and at least 17 perished outdoors during January’s cold snap. Mayor Zohran Mamdani promises action, but for now, the city’s vacancy headache persists in the face of bone-chilling need.
A new analysis finds that American families now spend up to 25% of their income—sometimes more than rent—on childcare, particularly for two-child households which face costs topping $30,000 a year. This squeeze, especially acute in states like New York and California, nudges many parents (often mothers) out of the workforce or into the arms of grandma, provided she isn’t busy enjoying her own retirement.
Zohran Mamdani’s administration, acutely aware of New York City’s 1.4% vacancy rate and rent woes, is conjuring a new housing plan that—markedly—welcomes private developers and fresh financing tricks, while dangling a four-year rent freeze and nodding to union labor. Deputy mayor Leila Bozorg promises tax and insurance reform too, but specifics remain elusive and legal headwinds from landlords look like the only thing gaining momentum for now.
New York officials quietly flagged legal risks from toxic exposure near Ground Zero in a now-public October 2001 memo—even as they assured Lower Manhattan residents it was safe to return, Council Speaker Julie Menin reminded us. Uncovered in a University of Texas archive two decades later, the document forecasts thousands of liability claims and proves, once again, that city secrets take the local train.