New York City in brief

Work on the $16 billion Gateway rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey will resume after the federal government released $205 million previously withheld under the Trump administration—much to the relief of officials who sued to unclog the funding. Given the daily 200,000 commuters relying on this century-old crossing, we suspect even tunnel-boring machines have felt a certain pent-up anticipation, if not outright tunnel vision.

Washington unfroze another $77 million for the $16 billion Gateway tunnel beneath the Hudson, yet no worker has so much as lifted a spade: legal wrangling between Donald Trump and New York and New Jersey governors, plus spasmodic funding, have paused construction and sent unions to the barricades. Eventually, America may discover whether starting and stopping infrastructure is the real boondoggle here.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani handed five of his own appointees control of New York’s nine-member Rent Guidelines Board, nudging the city closer to the rent freeze he touted on the campaign trail. With Chair Chantella Mitchell, fellow housing wonks, and a few rotating advocates in tow, the panel gathers data before a June decision affecting two million tenants—a fairer, more affordable New York, or just the same bitter rent debate in new packaging.

After a year of Manhattan’s congestion pricing scheme—a milestone Governor Hochul nearly scuppered—cheerleaders tout $550 million raised and double-digit drops in both traffic and smog. Still, hard-headed observers note that diluted surcharges (unlinked to inflation), scant deterrence for rideshare, and funds diverted solely to MTA megaprojects have meant celebratory cake for some transit users, stale crusts for most, and a faint whiff of what-might-have-been in the city air.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has unveiled the Healthy Families Act, aiming to secure paid sick leave for all American workers—no small feat, given some 27 million currently go without. Endorsed by 88 groups, including heavyweight unions, and co-sponsored by Bernie Sanders, the bill targets a gap that keeps the U.S. trailing its peers. Congress, as ever, will decide if time off for sniffles escapes legislative limbo.