New York’s mayor Zohran Mamdani paid his first official White House visit, pitching Donald Trump—Queens native and president—on a $21bn federal grant to transform Sunnyside Yard into affordable homes, parks, and schools. The plan promises 12,000 units and 30,000 jobs if both leaders, fresh from secretive talks, can outbuild the city’s housing woes—and the ghosts of “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD” headlines past.
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Mayor Mamdani and President Trump have held a second, notably unpublicized White House meeting to weigh a $21 billion federal grant for New York’s sprawling Sunnyside Yard housing project—a sum that now eclipses prior estimates by half. If greenlit, the plan promises 12,000 affordable homes and 30,000 jobs atop the city’s busiest rail yard. We await proof that bipartisan bonhomie builds more than just clever Daily News headlines.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s unannounced trip to Washington found him pitching President Donald Trump on reviving the Sunnyside Yards project, seeking $21 billion in federal grants for 12,000 affordable homes in Queens. Trump’s enthusiasm outstripped the ghosts of Ford’s infamous “drop dead” snub, but with past plans gathering dust, we’ll keep our hard hats handy—hopeful, but not holding our breath for any golden shovels yet.
New York’s energy research agency has declared the state’s ambitious climate law—targeting 70% clean power by 2030—unworkable and far too pricey, warning Governor Kathy Hochul of looming $2,300 annual gas hikes per household and $5-a-gallon fuel. Environmental advocates, less impressed, say these estimates skip the long-term upside of renewables, now much cheaper globally. Progress, it seems, runs on promise—and very expensive projections.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has dangled an ultimatum before Governor Kathy Hochul: approve higher taxes on wealthy residents and corporations, or brace for a 9.5% property tax hike to plug a $5.4bn budget gap. Critics, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, see the move as a nonstarter; but as ever, the choice seems to fall somewhere between political pain and fiscal dental work.