New York City in brief

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 Brooklyn. Local housing agencies like NYCHA are ushering affected families onto waitlists already 150,000 names long; “affordable housing,” it seems, increasingly belongs to the realm of aspirational fiction.

Spirit Airlines abruptly grounded all 277 flights—including 52 in and out of New York City airports—blaming a rapid rise in fuel prices that overwhelmed its rescue plan. Passengers, lured by lingering $36 fares, instead faced refunds, no rebookings, and lots of hurry-up-and-wait. Rivals like Delta and United offered capped “rescue” fares, but Spirit’s promised cheap seats seem to have truly flown the coop.

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.