Proven Track Record on Free Transit. A free bus pilot Mamdani championed as an assemblyman grew ridership by more than 30%, with the biggest gains among riders earning under $28,000 a year. Assaults on bus operators also dropped nearly 40%, suggesting the model can deliver real benefits.
This week's moments Mon August 24Live
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
6 days agoTaxes & Budget
Mamdani's Team Skips Council Hearing on Pied-à-Terre Tax Rollout
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration refused to appear at a City Council oversight hearing on the rollout of New York City's new pied-à-terre tax — a surcharge on high-value second homes. Council members read 11 pages of questions aloud to empty chairs, intensifying tensions between City Hall and the Council.
READ & RATE
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
TodayTransit
Mamdani's Free Bus Push Blamed for MTA's Millions in Lost Fares
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is standing by his campaign promise of fare-free buses, even as MTA data shows a $35.7 million revenue shortfall and nearly half of bus riders now skipping the $3 fare. Transit officials and union leaders say his rhetoric is making the problem worse.
READ & RATE
NY Governor Kathy Hochul
5 days agoICE
Hochul's ICE Ban Faces Defiance as Seven Agencies Hold Out
Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law banning local police agreements with ICE, but seven New York agencies have not yet dissolved those pacts as an August 25 deadline approaches. Several holdouts have political ties to Hochul's Republican rival, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
READ & RATE
President Donald Trump
5 days agoICE
Trump Picks Lance Schroyer Who Led One of America's Harshest ICE Crackdowns
President Trump has nominated Lance Schroyer, a figure tied to Oklahoma's sweeping immigration enforcement operation — one of the toughest crackdowns on unauthorized immigrants in U.S. history — to lead ICE, signaling how far the administration intends to push its deportation agenda.
READ & RATE
NY Governor Kathy Hochul
3 days agoData Centers
Hochul Walks a Tightrope Between AI Growth and Worker Protection
Gov. Kathy Hochul is navigating a political minefield: she paused new hyperscale data centers to protect ratepayers, while simultaneously holding worker roundtables on AI's impact. Critics say she's scaring off business; supporters say she's finally putting people before profit.
READ & RATE
President Donald Trump
6 days agoImmigration
Trump's Sweeping Crackdown Now Targets Legal Immigration Too
The Trump administration is restricting every major category of legal immigration — from family sponsorships to work visas to diversity lotteries. Analysts project a 33–50% drop in legal immigrants by the end of Trump's term, with major economic consequences on the horizon.
READ & RATE
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
3 days agoHousing
Mamdani Sets Bold 700,000-Home Target to Fix NYC's Historic Housing Crisis
The Mamdani administration released a landmark report saying New York City must build 700,000 new homes over the next decade — the most ambitious housing target in modern city history — while pushing even low-density neighborhoods that have long resisted new construction to do their share.
READ & RATE
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
4 days agoCrime & Safety
Mayor Mamdani's NYPD Keeps Its Ties to Israel Intact
Despite his vocal criticism of Israel, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has done little to change the NYPD's deep institutional ties to Israeli law enforcement — including a liaison officer stationed in Israel, joint training programs, and contracts with Israeli companies.
READ & RATE
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
4 days agoCrime & Safety
Mamdani Accused of "Broken Windows" Policing He Promised to End
Criminal justice advocates say Mayor Zohran Mamdani is still enforcing "broken windows" policing despite his campaign pledges to end it. New data shows low-level arrests remain as high as — or higher than — they were under former Mayor Eric Adams, with people of color making up 93% of those brought to court.
READ & RATE
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
5 days agoUnions
Mamdani Sues to Block $10K Bonus for NYC's Lowest-Paid School Workers
Mayor Zohran Mamdani let a City Council bill granting NYC paraprofessionals a $10,000 one-time bonus become law without his signature — then announced a lawsuit to block it, saying pay raises must go through collective bargaining, not legislation.
READ & RATE
Council Member Amanda Farías
6 days agoLocal
Farías Backs $25M Plan to Green and Open Hunts Point Fish Market
Councilmember Amanda Farías joined Speaker Julie Menin and fellow Bronx Councilmember Justin Sanchez to announce $25 million in city funding for the Fulton Fish Market in Hunts Point — targeting cleaner refrigeration, a public waterfront walkway, and new local economic opportunities.
READ & RATE
Borough President Vito Fossella
6 days agoLocal
Fossella Calls Congestion Pricing Study 'Nonsense' as SI Traffic Worsens
A new NYC Health Department report found congestion pricing did not improve air quality in Manhattan despite an 11% drop in car trips. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, a lawsuit plaintiff against the toll, called the findings proof the program was always a "money grab."
READ & RATE
Assemblymember Rodneyse Hermelyn
TodayParty Politics
Brooklyn Dem Boss Rewrites Rules to Stay in Power
Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn proposed dramatically expanding who votes in the party's upcoming leadership election — a move her opponents say is designed to nullify their June primary wins and block a challenge to her chairmanship.
READ & RATE
Representative Hakeem Jeffries
4 days agoLocal
Jeffries Rejects Medicare for All and DSA Agenda
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries went on Meet the Press and clearly stated he does not support Medicare for All or the DSA's agenda. His remarks highlight a growing split between Democratic leadership and the party's progressive base ahead of the 2026 midterms.
READ & RATE
Senator Jessica Ramos
3 days agoEthical Issues
Ramos Accused of Double-Billing Travel to Campaign and Taxpayers
New York state Senator Jessica Ramos is accused of charging the same travel expenses — hotel stays and train tickets — to both her campaign account and to taxpayers, according to records and former staff interviewed by The New York Times. The allegations span back to at least 2021.
READ & RATE
Council Member Joann Ariola
3 days ago911
Ariola's "Minutes Matter" Bill to Warn of Ambulance Delays
Queens Council Member Joann Ariola introduced the "Minutes Matter Bill," which would require the city to send emergency alerts whenever FDNY EMS has more than 25 pending ambulance dispatches — a threshold that was shattered when over 700 calls piled up in recent months.
READ & RATE
Council Member Justin Sanchez
6 days agoUrban Planning
Sanchez Adds Cleanliness to Year-Round Outdoor Dining Bill
The NYC Council passed a package of bills to bring back year-round outdoor dining. Bronx Councilmember Justin Sanchez's bill within that package requires cafe operators to keep their sidewalk and roadway setups free of trash, pests, and graffiti — or face fines.
READ & RATE
Council Member Julie Menin
7 days agoTransit
Menin Drops E-Bike Registration Push Amid PAC Money Scrutiny
NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin reversed course on requiring e-bike registration just days after championing it, ditching the idea from a 17-bill safety package. Critics point to $170,000 in PAC money from Uber and DoorDash backing her reelection. A major oversight hearing is set for September 30.
READ & RATE
Council Member Susan Zhuang
7 days agoLocal
Zhuang Pushes to Fully Eliminate Property Taxes for NYC Seniors
Brooklyn Council Member Susan Zhuang introduced a resolution calling for full property tax relief for seniors who qualify for the existing Senior Citizen Homeowner Exemption. Right now, even those who get the maximum benefit still owe half their property tax bill.
READ & RATE
Signal made visible
Heat map · 7 daysPixels are NYC's ratings over the last week. You are the yellow dot.