New York City in brief

A federal appeals court declined to block a ruling forcing the Trump administration to release over $200 million for the Gateway Tunnel, letting funds for the $16 billion Hudson River rail link resume their subterranean journey. The Gateway Development Commission hailed the lifeline, though full, reliable funding remains in political limbo—proof, perhaps, that money travels faster than New York rush-hour commuters when litigation clears the tracks.

Median rent in northwest Queens leaped 10.4% to $3,754 in January 2026, with Douglas Elliman reporting inventory plunging by nearly 17% to just 907 listings, and bidding wars erupting on over a quarter of apartments. While studios and one-beds edged up, rents for larger units soared by over 30%—we note, with wry envy, that landlords appear more immune to gravity than the average New Yorker.

Nearly a year after the Trump administration sounded the alarm on depleted federal emergency housing vouchers, New York City continues its game of bureaucratic musical chairs. While the Housing Department cobbled together a temporary fix for 2,000 families, NYCHA’s plan for 5,500 households crumbled when HUD rejected new vouchers. As rents climb and options shrink, we await the city’s next “Hail Mary”—or perhaps merely pray for a favourable roll of the dice.

Donald Trump, fresh from his second swearing-in, vowed in January to reclaim America’s free-speech rights, railing against left-wing censorship and promising sweeping executive action. Yet this week, his Justice Department’s failed bid to indict six lawmakers for warning troops against illegal orders—plus a judge halting reprisals against Senator Mark Kelly—suggests that, in Washington, defending the First Amendment remains more complicated than simply invoking its name mid-ovation.

As open enrolment for Qualified Health Plans under the Affordable Care Act ended in New York, the tide of new sign-ups only ebbed slightly, even as future premiums may more than double. Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and the Essential Plan remain available, a small comfort for over nine million insured Latinos—who, having navigated bureaucratic shoals for years, now at least get a lifeline rather than a life jacket.