The city wakes today with district lines redrawn, paychecks in question, and another warning about the cost of keeping the lights on, all while thousands of workers brace for a snow-bound weekend shift ahead. As the impacts of judicial rulings, labor crises, and looming storm prep collide across boroughs and agencies, there’s little room left for stillness. Whether you’re on strike, on shift, or moving through it all, power, electoral, electrical, and institutional, is the headline.

Today’s Forecast

Bitter cold persists today, with temperatures peaking at just 32 degrees but feeling closer to 24 due to sustained wind from the west. Scattered clouds and gusts up to 35 mph will make walking less comfortable, especially near open streets and river crossings. Bundle up and move quickly, another winter storm is expected to hit this weekend. Read More

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What’s Moving Today

Today’s activity in the courts and council chambers could reshape political maps and stir up scrutiny from federal to borough level.

There’s renewed attention on the 11th Congressional District, where a New York judge has ordered the independent state commission to redraw the lines of the Staten Island–Brooklyn seat currently held by Representative Nicole Malliotakis. The court found that the current district boundaries dilute the influence of Black and Latino voters, particularly on Staten Island. The redrawn map could significantly alter political dynamics ahead of this year’s federal elections, with Malliotakis pledging to appeal and potentially take the case to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Eric Dinowitz visited Gravesend Park’s playground in Borough Park following two days of antisemitic vandalism. The park was defaced in total with 57 swastikas and the name of Adolf Hitler, spray-painted across walkways and equipment. Two 15-year-olds have since been arrested and charged. City officials vowed increased patrols and community coordination in the area.

At city level, economic pressures continue to mount for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration. New annual labor statistics show the city added only 27,100 jobs in 2025, a particularly weak performance, with nearly all growth confined to the health care sector. The sluggish job gains deepen concerns surrounding budget gaps and service delivery expectations as the new administration approaches its 100th day.

On the Streets

Con Edison customers can expect higher energy bills this year. Late Thursday, state regulators approved a multi-year rate hike for both electricity and gas. The Public Service Commission signed off on the increases after months of review. The decision arrives just as winter power loads rise across the city and ahead of significant snow forecasted for the weekend. Mayor Mamdani has directed 2,000 sanitation workers into 12-hour shifts starting Saturday, with 700 salt spreaders ready to deploy farther uptown and in the outer boroughs. Streets, highways, and bike lanes are being brined today, which could slow movement through Friday and into the weekend, especially for commuters in areas with older drainage infrastructure.

Yesterday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced two new Elevate You clinics at NYC Health + Hospitals in Woodhull and Queens. These facilities are backed by $4 million from MetroPlusHealth, and aimed at closing care gaps for young New Yorkers ages 16–25. The clinics focus on continuity as patients age out of pediatric services, offering behavioral health, primary and reproductive care, vocational support, and life skills through a consistent care team. City officials say the program directly addresses sharp drop-offs in mental health treatment after age 21, particularly among vulnerable youth. Read More

Under Pressure

Nurses across New York City continue their strike into its twelfth day today, returning to the bargaining table with little progress reported overnight. Today’s session at the Javits Center includes the nurses’ union and three hospital systems. Workers say recruitment and retention are increasingly impossible without significant wage increases. Many striking nurses report side gigs or temporary work just to make ends meet. Some, like Zara Roy, have launched crowdfunding campaigns for food and rent while picketing.

Hospitals are also advancing pressure tactics. Montefiore has warned its striking nurses that they could lose health benefits in 10 days if the labor action continues, escalating tensions even as Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani urge a resolution. Under the surface of wage demands is a wider strain on providers still trying to fill pandemic-era shortages while controlling costs passed on to patients. Major insurers appeared before Congress yesterday blaming escalating hospital and drug prices for premium hikes, a message received coolly by regulators.

Meanwhile, the city’s cold weather has triggered Code Blue advisories for homeless outreach. Under this system, service workers and mutual aid volunteers ramp up shelter placements and wellness checks. Residents seeing individuals in need outside are encouraged to use 311; city teams will provide transportation to warm shelter. Across the system, staff are stretched thin, but coordination between police, outreach workers, and mental health responders is ongoing.

Money & Leverage

Living costs are rising again, quietly, but noticeably.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams released his 2025 “100 Worst Landlords” list, targeting property owners repeatedly cited for maintenance violations and unaddressed safety complaints. One Upper East Side landlord received top billing for persistent failures to meet basic habitability standards, reflecting the chronic imbalance between tenant rights and enforcement power across zip codes.

Still Developing

Public safety remains top of mind today following a series of violent events and legal developments across the region.

Two subway riders were attacked by an individual in unrelated incidents in what police call a violent rampage. One victim was stabbed in the neck, the other beaten after attempting to engage authorities. NYPD officials have confirmed the arrest of the suspect.

In the Bronx, a Port Authority police officer is believed to have been responsible for a murder-suicide carried out Thursday morning in the Spuyten Duyvil section. Law enforcement sources remain cautious with information as the investigation unfolds. This marks the city’s second high-profile officer-involved domestic violence case under review this winter.

On Long Island, a dozen alleged gang members were indicted Thursday in connection with a string of shootings over the past decade. Among the accused is a 14-year-old, part of what prosecutors say was a coordinated effort to maintain territory and retaliate against rivals. The charges reflect an interagency investigation that may continue into broader federal action.

Separately, newly unsealed federal documents revealed that pro-Palestinian student activists had been surveilled based on their writings and participation in protests. The dossiers, prepared before their arrests, raise significant privacy questions. Additionally, a leaked memo from ICE outlines expanded conditions for home entry without warrants, prompting sharp responses from immigrant rights groups especially in New York City, where community trust has been central to local non-cooperation policies.

City Life

As strikes and storms take center stage, two stories this week draw attention to the institutions shaping New York life behind the scenes: schools and civic values.

A special report from WNYC is asking a timely question: who gets to decide what school is supposed to be? Reflections gathered from students, teachers, and school leaders highlight how varying experiences of exploration, constraint, or safety in city classrooms often come down to leadership, funding, and identity. Writer Eve Ewing argues that the meaning of education is often shaped more by systemic gaps than curriculum bullet points, a framing that resonates as City Hall prepares new budget frameworks.

In Putnam County, a Mahopac school board member is under pressure to resign following claims he participated in federal immigration raids across neighboring towns. A local protest group is calling for his removal, citing a conflict between community trust in schools and involvement in ICE operations. While the board has not formally acknowledged the protest, the case raises questions about local accountability and the civic duties of school trustees.

Lastly, New Yorkers are wondering what role city oversight should play in itself. Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber quietly stepped down following a chilled working relationship with the Adams administration, the same mayor who appointed her. Strauber’s office was investigating several probes touching City Hall. Sources close to the matter say her resignation followed extended friction, marking a shift in how internal accountability functions within mayoral oversight.

That’s today in New York.