New York City in brief

New York City unveiled its “True Cost-of-Living” index, finding about 62% of locals, or over five million people, cannot afford basic expenses—despite government benefits—if they hope to live with dignity, let alone the odd splurge. The Urban Institute helped build the metric, which arrives three years after voters demanded it; now comes the real challenge: convincing landlords, grocers and the IRS to consult the fine print.

Almost half a million New Yorkers, mostly working people just above Medicaid’s threshold, will lose their “Essential Plan” health coverage from July after President Trump’s latest budget bill cut federal funding—though 1.3 million will stay insured. As Albany scrambles for a fix amid unfinished state budget negotiations, those affected are offered little solace beyond pricier insurance or steely optimism about remaining “essential” enough to matter.

Federal prosecutors indicted two men for plotting to detonate a homemade bomb near Gracie Mansion, citing plans to kill as many as 60—a scheme allegedly captured in an unambiguous dashcam recording. The target: Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence in New York. We note that the duo’s ambition evidently outpaced their operational skills, as their aspirations fizzled long before any fuse was lit.

A New York Times exposé recounts how Stephen Miller, the White House advisor, shaped an expansive migration crackdown in Donald Trump’s second term, urging ICE agents to flex arrest powers—even sans warrants—targeting non-white migrants and refugees, notably Somalis. After deadly Minneapolis protests, Miller acknowledged possible “mistakes,” but kept nudging restrictive measures. Policy may be less visible on the streets, but its bureaucratic aftertaste lingers stubbornly in the corridors.

Transport and logistics firms across the United States are quietly reintroducing “fuel surcharges” as oil prices climb, partly owing to tensions with Iran, CNN reports. These subtle add-ons now appear in everything from shipping invoices to grocery deliveries, rarely flagged to consumers—who only notice their wallets slimming. We suspect this kind of creative accounting will be with us longer than the current price of oil.