A rare winter snowstorm delivered up to eight inches across the Northeast, paralyzing New York City’s airports with ground stops and delays—six hours at LaGuardia, four at Newark, just over three at JFK—while Philadelphia fared a touch warmer with h…
While Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral run leaned on grassroots support, his transition into office is enjoying a cash infusion from 244 deep-pocketed donors, with nearly $903,000 in maximum gifts already on hand—roughly 35% of his committee’s haul, besting previous mayors’ tallies. Big names in media, jewelry and biotech join the ranks, making Mamdani’s “working New Yorkers” pitch sound a bit more five-boroughs-and-beyond.
Authorities in Providence intend to press charges soon against a man in his twenties over Saturday’s shooting at Brown University, which killed two and wounded eight. Police, wary of procedural missteps, are meticulously aligning evidence before arraignment—perhaps a novelty in American gun crime. Both the FBI and Providence’s mayor remain tight-lipped, stressing accuracy over speed, even as events outpace the official statements, as so often is the way.
Queens authorities charged 13 people, led by Armando Diaz, in a 780-count indictment for pilfering over $2.2 million in power tools, air conditioners, and detergent from Home Depot stores across nine states—an enterprise as coordinated as a Swiss watch, if slightly less legal. As DA Melinda Katz quipped, if the country matched their efficiency, GDP might outpace even grand larceny.
Volodymyr Zelensky says he still awaits a formal U.S. response on Ukraine’s revised 20-point peace plan, floated ahead of talks in Berlin involving envoys—including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—and the inevitable wrangling with European leaders. While Zelensky believes a concerted American nudge could shift Vladimir Putin’s stance, for now, Washington seems more messenger than mediator, leaving progress somewhere between a ceasefire and a holding pattern.
In New Jersey’s looming 2026 midterms, Democrats have an eager scrum of hopefuls vying for congressional seats while Republicans are struggling to muster a bench, fielding only a handful of candidates in swing districts such as the 9th and 11th. Pundits suggest this exodus of GOP ambition betrays low confidence in their odds—perhaps they’re betting the wave will skip the Jersey shore altogether this time.
After waving goodbye to Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Diaz in rapid succession, we note that David Stearns—ostensibly assembling a “contending” New York Mets—signed Jorge Polanco to plug the gaping hole at first base, despite him having almost no experience there. Talks with the San Diego Padres may patch the leaks, but for now, expectations in Queens seem best kept at single-A level.
We watched the Washington Commanders snap their eight-game losing streak by besting the New York Giants 29-21 in East Rutherford—though with both teams long out of playoff contention, all eyes are instead on draft prospects and job security. Giants fans, enduring a 12th loss, may take small comfort in knowing their mounting misfortunes could finally secure them something in April besides indigestion.
We watched New York’s political machinery spin up, as Julie Menin—child of Holocaust survivors—stepped closer to the City Council Speaker’s chair, reassuring some fretful city-watchers amid mayoral churn. Elsewhere, Power Women of Manhattan honored 350 achievers in high heels, while hockey fans rejoiced over the Islanders’ tight win from the plush Xerox Lounge. We trust the spell of optimism lasts longer than the afterglow of complimentary canapés.
