Mamdani's First 100 Days: Lessons from La Guardia YouTube video by WNYC

Watch the great @brigidbergin.bsky.social interview NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani live here: www.youtube.com/live/1Pu06qH...

Can free buses work in NYC? They were a big hit in Albany nearly 50 years ago. More than a decade before Mayor Zohran Mamdani was born, New York state's capital piloted free buses.

Now, nearly ~50 years later, Mamdani's allies are pushing for a similar pilot program in New York City (again.)

More here in this week's On The Way newsletter, from @gothamist.com and @wnyc.org. gothamist.com/news/can-fre...

Decades before New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani pushed for fast and free buses, the city of Albany had ... the Freewheeler.

From 1978 to 1980, the feds used Downtown Albany as a testing ground for free buses.

Meanwhile, Hochul's expanded immigration bill is facing headwinds in the Legislature because it would allow local police to cooperate with ICE when there's probable cause a person committed a crime.

“That's such an open and general term," Speaker Heastie said.

NY Gov. Hochul backs mask ban for law enforcement, including ICE agents The governor said she’s expanded her proposal to limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

In response to Hochul backing a mask ban, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a statement saying its agents wouldn't abide by it, calling it unconstitutional.

gothamist.com/news/ny-gov-...

One of New York City’s new millionaire residents: Kathy Hochul With $1.86 million in income in 2025, the Democratic governor would be subject to tax she’s opposed.

“New York Gov. Kathy Hochul presents herself as a ‘mom from Buffalo.’ But the Democrat is now a New York City resident — at least for tax purposes.”

More from @gothamist.com’s Jimmy Vielkind:

gothamist.com/news/one-of-...

How NYC's 'radical' pied-à-terre tax became a 'common sense' budget strategy Efforts to impose a tax on luxury second homes once faced fierce opposition, tracing the changes in the city’s political landscape.

"Now, what was once seen as a progressive pipe dream is, in the words of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, a 'common sense plan' for closing the city’s budget gap."

More from @davidfbrand.bsky.social: gothamist.com/news/how-nyc...

NYS Budget Sticking Points | The Brian Lehrer Show | WNYC Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, provides updates on the state's delayed budget.

Gov. Hochul has proposed a tax on New York pieds-à-terre. We talked about that and other state budget news with @joncampbellny.bsky.social on today's show.
www.wnyc.org/story/nys-bu...

Gov. Hochul makes a rare primary endorsement, backing Micah Lasher (her former director of policy) in the crowded NY12 Democratic primary.

Exclusive | Radical DSA honcho behind Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s rise is … a mime Self-avowed anti-capitalist Jenkins, 40, is a proud founder of the Broken Box Mime Theater, where he performs pantomime to “a heart-thumping soundtrack” in full mime makeup.

This article left me speechless. nypost.com/2026/04/11/u...

Former Rep. Eliot Engel, a Dem who repped a Bronx/Westchester district from 1989 through 2020 and was chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has died.

Westchester County Exec Ken Jenkins and two other prominent Democratic officials have confirmed the news.

AP Exclusive: Trump administration admits a glaring error in its New York health fraud accusations President Donald Trump's administration has admitted to a major error in data used to justify a federal fraud probe into New York’s Medicaid program.

Whoops. apnews.com/article/new-...

😂😂😂

Overtime pay at NY state agencies hit $1.6 billion last year, a 23% increase from 2024, per DiNapoli's office.

A big reason why? The prison strike and ongoing staffing issues within the corrections department.

gothamist.com/news/ny-pris...

In New York, a candy bar is subject to sales tax.

A gold bar is not.

Some Democrats say that's absurd and want to change it. But Hochul's budget director says that could mess with NY's gold market -- which he's extremely wary of doing. gothamist.com/news/dealers...

The latest on NY state budget talks:

- Lawmakers returned to Albany to pass a one-week budget extender sent up by Gov. Hochul today.
- They held (or in the Assembly Dems' case, are in the middle of) closed-door conferences.
- They're heading home, to return to Albany on Monday.

New York pension sweeteners could cost $1.5 billion a year State lawmakers ponder a proposal by unions as part of ongoing budget talks.

"Labor unions’ plan to improve retirement benefits for recently hired public workers would cost taxpayers roughly $1.5 billion a year, according to people briefed on the proposal."

More from @gothamist.com's Jimmy Vielkind: gothamist.com/news/new-yor...

Gov. Hochul, lawmakers to miss NY budget deadline yet again Debates over auto insurance, climate change have slowed down state budget talks.

Seven straight years of late NY budgets. gothamist.com/news/gov-hoc...

Lawmakers push Gov. Hochul to back revival of NYC free bus pilot Gov. Kathy Hochul hasn’t ruled out expanding free buses, so lawmakers are proposing a smaller pilot to revive the idea.

Gov. Kathy Hochul hasn't totally shut the door on Mayor Mamdani's vision of fare-free buses in NYC. "Anything can be scaled up," she said in January.

So state lawmakers are thinking small(er) in hopes of getting her on board.

gothamist.com/news/lawmake...

NY won't ask gun permit applicants for social media under court settlement The attorney general’s office has agreed not to enforce a controversial portion of the state’s 2022 gun permitting law.

“New Yorkers applying for concealed carry permits will no longer be required to share their social media accounts with police, according to a settlement proposed in federal court last week.”

More from @gothamist.com’s Samantha Max: gothamist.com/news/ny-wont...

And the article cites!

NY state considering $350M in aid to build stalled Atlantic Yards platform in Brooklyn Developers are seeking public funds to complete the project after two decades of delay, according to state lawmakers. Critics say the initial plan was never feasible.

“We do acknowledge that there will need to be public resources to offset the value of, or the costs of the platform.”

More from @davidfbrand.bsky.social:

gothamist.com/news/ny-stat...

Watch the mail: Nearly 500K NY Essential Plan insured face coverage loss But Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office says the toll could have been worse.

"Nearly a half-million New Yorkers are slated to get booted off of New York’s publicly funded Essential Plan health insurance program in July — and that’s the good news, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office."

More from @clewisreports.bsky.social:
gothamist.com/news/watch-t...

Gov. Hochul says she spoke with Dr. Oz today.

It comes at a time where Dr. Oz is investigating NY's Medicaid program for fraud.

Citing affordability, NY Gov. Hochul looks to punt climate rules Hochul laid out a handful of significant changes she’s urging lawmakers to make to the state’s landmark 2019 climate law.

Hochul's plan to roll back the 2019 NY climate law:

- Push regs (read: cap and invest, likely) to 2030
- Set new 2040 emissions-cutting mandate (since current 2030 mark would be moot)
- A methodology change that would make it easier to hit goals

gothamist.com/news/citing-...

Same vibe tbh

Has NY state's official Instagram account lost its mind? Why are @NYGov, @NYCFerry and more city and state agencies are posting deranged memes alongside public information?

Meet Milly Czerwinski, the 27-year-old who has "run (and strange-ified) @NYGov for a little more than 10 months."

From @gothamist.com's Hannah Frishberg:

gothamist.com/arts-enterta...

‘I need more time’: NY Gov. Hochul asks lawmakers to punt climate deadlines The governor said a mandate to cut emissions 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050 is costly and unrealistic.

Gov. Hochul pleads with lawmakers to punt New York's ambitious climate goals, citing cost concerns.

"Do you want to give ourselves some breathing room? Or do you want to impose those costs on New Yorkers?”

"I need more time."

gothamist.com/news/i-need-...

NY’s top judge faces complaint from GOP lawmakers over sentencing legislation support Chief Judge Rowan Wilson is allowed to express his views on legislation that affects the court system, his spokesperson said.

Republican lawmakers say New York’s top judge crossed an ethical line last week when he endorsed pending legislation that would allow judges to revisit long sentences for incarcerated people.

More from @gothamist.com's Jimmy Vielkind: gothamist.com/news/nys-top...

Big unions want to sweeten pensions. Albany is rallying with them. Critics warn that changes to Tier VI could cost taxpayers billions

"There are few opponents, and people who a decade ago warned of the cost implications are keeping quiet now."

@gothamist.com's Jimmy Vielkind on the push to sweeten public employees' pensions in New York, and the costs local governments and schools could incur. gothamist.com/news/big-uni...