New York City in brief

Average rents in New York City have breached the $4,000 mark—particularly in Manhattan—while vacancy hovers at a meagre 1.4%, according to Associated Press. Local authorities, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, now scramble for tenant protections as many residents spend over 30%, often more than 50%, of their income on housing. It seems finding an affordable flat in the Big Apple now requires both luck and a treasure map.

New York City officials, concluding that four battered public housing developments in Chelsea are past their expiration date, propose demolishing and rebuilding them with a dash of mixed-income gusto; many tenants object, fearing promises to preserve affordable rent may vanish faster than the old buildings themselves. As city planners court private partners, we wonder if New York’s knack for reinvention will extend to keeping everyone housed.

Donald Trump warned Tehran that, unless Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz—recently blocked by its forces—he’ll order attacks on power plants and bridges as soon as Tuesday, promising “hell” and a two-for-one infrastructure day on the Persian calendar. His threats followed news that U.S. forces pulled off a daring rescue of a downed airman in Iran’s mountains. Diplomacy, it seems, is taking a brief holiday.

Governor Kathy Hochul is weighing a plan to let New York public employees hired since 2012 retire at 55—a move the AFL-CIO, speaking for 2.5 million workers, naturally supports, but which could cost taxpayers a cool $1.5 billion. State legislators have been largely sidelined, and local governments fret over the bill. Retirement, it seems, may arrive early—unless fiscal caution misses the party.

Prosecutors in Suffolk County, New York, have charged Phillip González with running a large-scale drug operation after seizing about seven kilograms of controlled substances—chiefly fentanil, some of it laced with the horse tranquilliser xylazine—from his East Patchogue residence. Authorities claim the stash could have killed millions, a business model not noted for customer retention, though the legal standing of “Tranq” in New York may yet keep lawyers busy.