Pragmatic Governing. Mamdani may be choosing stability over disruption — abruptly dismantling NYPD's counterterrorism partnerships could create real security gaps, and a new mayor moving carefully through entrenched institutions isn't the same as endorsing them.
This week's moments Fri August 21Live
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
1 day 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.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
3 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.
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NY Governor Kathy Hochul
5 days agoICE
Hochul Pledges $7.25M to Shield Migrant Children From Deportation
Governor Kathy Hochul, joined by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Attorney General Letitia James, announced $7.25 million in state legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children — stepping in after the Trump administration let a $356 million federal contract expire, leaving over 25,000 children without legal representation.
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President Donald Trump
1 day 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.
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NY Governor Kathy Hochul
1 day 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.
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NY Governor Kathy Hochul
5 days agoNuclear Power
Hochul Bets Big on Nuclear Power to Fix New York's Energy Crisis
Governor Kathy Hochul is pushing an ambitious nuclear energy expansion for New York — more new capacity than the entire U.S. has built in roughly 30 years. The plan puts her at the center of a national Democratic shift toward nuclear, while also sparking a local political fight over who has the better energy vision for New York.
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President Donald Trump
3 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.
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President Donald Trump
5 days agoTaxes & Budget
Trump Threatens Federal Action to Kill Mamdani's Pied-a-Terre Tax
President Trump is pushing to stop New York City's new pied-à-terre tax — a yearly levy on high-value second homes — calling it a "dangerous political experiment" and claiming it will drive wealthy residents out of the city. He's exploring whether the federal government can legally block it.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
TodayCrime & 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.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
TodayCrime & 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.
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Borough President Vito Fossella
3 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."
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Council Member Julie Menin
4 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.
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Assemblymember Emily Gallagher
5 days agoCrime & Safety
Gallagher Sparks Debate About Shoplifting With "Biological Need"
New York State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, a Democratic Socialist from Brooklyn, said at a Manhattan courthouse press conference that people stealing soap and toothpaste are driven by "biological need" — and that prosecuting them protects billion-dollar companies over struggling New Yorkers.
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Representative Hakeem Jeffries
5 days agoSupreme Court
Jeffries Vows Supreme Court Overhaul If Democrats Win the House
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats would pursue major changes to the Supreme Court if they win the House in November's midterms. The push reflects growing liberal frustration with the Court and puts Jeffries at the center of a heated national debate.
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Council Member Justin Sanchez
3 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.
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Council Member Amanda Farías
3 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.
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Council Member Susan Zhuang
4 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.
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What's moving
Signal made visible
Heat map · 7 daysPixels are NYC's ratings over the last week. You are the yellow dot.