Zohran Mamdani, freshly elected as New York’s next mayor with a marathon-sized mandate—over a million votes—pledges to freeze rents for the city’s two million rent-stabilized tenants. Fans say he’s tackling relentless cost-of-living pressures, while…
After felling Andrew Cuomo’s comeback bid, Zohran Mamdani was hailed as New York City’s mayor-elect in scenes that ranged from a Brooklyn basement brimming with Bengali chants to a ballroom where the former governor seemed unconvinced by defeat. Promising fare-free buses and rent freezes, Mamdani faces exuberant supporters, a wary party, and a city where the honeymoon phase typically lasts about as long as a subway delay.
Zohran Mamdani, 34, swept to victory in New York City’s mayoral race, besting Andrew Cuomo by nine points and crashing through the city’s century-old youth ceiling; now the democratic socialist faces the unenviable task of herding progressive backers, wary moderates, and a vengeful President Trump—who’s threatening to tighten the federal purse strings—while New Yorkers expect instant miracles, or at least faster subway trains.
A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to fully fund SNAP, America’s food aid programme for some 41.7 million people, despite the government shutdown now dragging to a record 37 days. President Trump derided the move as “absurd” and blamed Democrats for the deadlock. Meanwhile, airports brace for delays; those with an appetite for compromise remain peckish as ever.
The FAA has directed 40 major airports—including New York’s LaGuardia, JFK, Newark, and Teterboro—to cut air traffic by up to 10% this week, after a record-long federal shutdown left air-traffic controllers overworked and unpaid since October 1st. Airlines like American, United, and Delta are now scrambling to reroute thousands of passengers; apparently, even the holiday rush can’t out-fly Washington’s gridlock.
A Manhattan judge declined to freeze New York City’s new self-funded health plan for its 750,000 municipal workers and some retirees, keeping it on track for a January launch with EmblemHealth and UnitedHealthcare at the helm. Comptroller Brad Lander must now decide by November 13 whether to sign off on the billion-dollar saver—which some critics say offers transparency mainly by letting grievances air in open court.
A federal judge in Rhode Island instructed the Trump administration to fund November’s SNAP benefits in full, after officials had planned to cover only 65%, risking empty grocery cards for millions. The White House immediately appealed, insisting courts shouldn’t micromanage shutdown triage. Still, with over 42 million Americans’ dinners on the line, one suspects even emergency reserves go faster when politicians skip the supermarket queue.
Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist from Queens, clinched the mayoralty of New York City on promises to tackle sky-high housing costs and expand child-care, unnerving business leaders as he eyes $70 billion in borrowing and new corporate taxes. Yet Mamdani’s pragmatic nods to revenue alternatives and property tax reform hint that the city’s capitalists are not, for once, entirely surplus to requirements.
Amid a glut of emergencies—over 1.6 million so far this year—New York’s paramedics and EMTs are paid a scant $18.94 per hour, less than dog walkers or delivery drivers, says FDNY EMS Local 2507. With 70% quitting within five years and response times rising, the union’s #StandWithEMS campaign appeals to City Hall for pay parity, lest first responders keep fleeing the rescue for greener pastures.
