Taking Responsibility Will Matter. If Ramos cooperates with investigators and the amounts involved are relatively small, some argue the focus should be on fixing Albany's broken reimbursement system rather than singling out one departed senator.
This week's moments Sat August 22Live
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
1 day 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.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
3 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.
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NY Governor Kathy Hochul
TodayData 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.
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President Donald Trump
3 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.
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NY Governor Kathy Hochul
3 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.
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NY Governor Kathy Hochul
6 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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NY Governor Kathy Hochul
6 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
4 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
6 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
TodayHousing
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.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
1 day 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.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
4 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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Council Member Julie Menin
5 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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Council Member Susan Zhuang
5 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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Assemblymember Emily Gallagher
6 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
1 day 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.
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Senator Jessica Ramos
TodayEthical 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.
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Representative Hakeem Jeffries
6 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 Joann Ariola
Today911
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.
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Council Member Justin Sanchez
4 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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Signal made visible
Heat map · 7 daysPixels are NYC's ratings over the last week. You are the yellow dot.