New York City in brief

A Long Island Rail Road strike has halted trains, costing the New York region an estimated $61 million a day, says state comptroller Tom DiNapoli. The stoppage, sparked by stalled talks between rail unions and the MTA, leaves 275,000 commuters and local businesses in the lurch—just as summer tourism approaches. Negotiations resume Monday, but this is one train New Yorkers really prefer on time.

New York’s latest gambit—reforms branded SPEED—seeks to cure the chronic delays plaguing its affordable-housing lotteries, notably by streamlining construction, green-lighting and applicant vetting. Officials tout that digital tweaks to Housing Connect could halve current waits, compressing lease-up from seven to just over three months. For weary families chasing subsidised flats, this is at least faster limbo; the city stops short of promising more actual winners.

Lawmakers and campaigners gathered at Manhattan’s South Street Seaport to tout New York’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would have producers—not just taxpayers—pick up the tab for the 24 million pounds of daily refuse shuffled out of the city, mostly plastic and cardboard. New York spends hundreds of millions dumping its rubbish elsewhere; evidently, waste is our most reliably exported good.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s latest budget eschews a long-promised expansion of New York City’s $2 billion CityFHEPS voucher scheme, opting instead for efficiency tweaks as the city chases a $5 billion deficit and the courts mull lawsuits. Nearly 70,000 households benefit, but eligibility remains tight while state aid lags. For now, eviction prevention will have to wait—though “continuing conversations” remain an inexhaustible municipal resource.

A new MoneyLion analysis finds that retiring comfortably in the US now costs up to $3 million in Hawaii, with the national average topping $1.46 million—$200,000 higher than last year. Social Security’s projected $2,071 monthly payout won’t cover even basic expenses in any state, leaving most households—especially late-saving, housing-strapped Hispanics—relying on hope, spreadsheets, and perhaps the enduring optimism of compound interest.