Funds for the Gateway tunnel, the $16 billion infrastructure project linking New York and New Jersey, remain stuck in bureaucratic limbo while the Trump administration appeals a court order to release over $200 million in federal support. Work has halted and nearly 1,000 construction jobs are on ice; some workers want to build monuments, others just want a paycheck—while Trump reportedly wants a station, or even an airport, named after himself.
New York City in brief
Top five stories in the five boroughs today
Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled “Let Them Build,” a reform package aimed at trimming the environmental review thicket that tangles New York’s construction process, currently making projects 56% slower—and $82,000 pricier per unit—than the national norm. Joined by City Hall and county officials, she promises faster housing, water, and park infrastructure; if New Yorkers can’t outpace their bureaucracy, we suppose they’ll just have to outwait it.
Donald Trump has revived his push to add a citizenship question to the US 2030 census, seeking to exclude undocumented immigrants from population counts—a move flagged as unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. A pilot test is now planned for Alabama and South Carolina involving 150,000 homes. We will see, once again, if American political arithmetic proves as creative as its campaign promises.
A federal appeal by Legal Aid Society and Freshfields US LLP seeks to overturn rules preventing the replacement of SNAP benefits stolen via electronic scams, a problem affecting thousands in New York and beyond. Over 40 million Americans depend on this lifeline, yet the USDA’s refusal to restore purloined aid leaves many hungry—not quite the safety net one imagines, unless you fancy holes.
New York City’s rookie mayor, Zohran Mamdani, brandishes his “tin cup” in Albany this week, seeking more funds from Governor Kathy Hochul and a thrifty legislature to plug a looming $12 billion deficit. Despite bold pledges—rent freezes, free buses, universal child care—Mamdani faces Senate skepticism, a state allergic to new taxes, and the unwelcome math that campaign promises come cheaper than balanced budgets.