1/16/2026
Good Morning New Yorker
As the city steps into another cold January morning, a budget deficit looms large, nurses remain off the job, and a beloved Brooklyn pizzeria closes its doors for good. From executive shakeups at City Hall to landmark protections under threat, the weight of the city’s internal pressures is resurfacing across nearly every borough.
Today’s Forecast
It’s crisp and cold, with crystal-clear skies offering visibility and dry streets, but comfort may be elusive: morning temps hover near 23°F, feeling much colder (around 8°F) thanks to strong winds gusting past 30 mph. Bundle up and brace for brisk walks between trains and buildings.
What’s Moving Today
The city’s enforcement priorities and fiscal policies are under renewed attention today.
Mayor Mamdani announced a lawsuit against a major delivery app over driver treatment, signaling the administration’s intent to crack down on workplace violations in the gig economy. That legal move is coupled with what insiders are calling an enforcement “blitz” aimed at restoring compliance across citywide business sectors. Meanwhile, City Council Member Julie Menin is debuting a new round of Council leadership appointments this morning, including committee realignments. And growing fiscal concerns were laid bare as Comptroller Lander confirmed a larger-than-expected budget deficit for the year, adding urgency to budget negotiations in the weeks ahead.
On the Streets
A Manhattan judge dismissed a lawsuit against the controversial Court Street bike lane, ruling that opponents failed to show factual errors in the city’s plan. The ruling clears legal hurdles for the lane’s continued presence through Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights, where it has been both a point of safety relief for cyclists and a source of friction for some residents and businesses. The decision upholds the city’s current cycling infrastructure expansion strategy. Read More
Under Pressure
The city’s healthcare infrastructure remains under strain as the nurses’ strike enters a fifth straight day. About 500 nurses at two Bronx hospitals remain off the job, citing unsafe working conditions and staffing shortages. Negotiations have resumed but remain unresolved, with procedural differences around patient load limits at the center of the dispute. The impact continues to ripple across local emergency rooms and non-critical procedures.
Meanwhile, a flu spike across the five boroughs is disproportionately affecting children. Elementary schools and pediatric clinics are reporting increased absenteeism and longer wait times. City health officials have urged families to vaccinate children if they haven’t already, but some clinics are experiencing temporary vaccine shortages due to the surge.
Separately, a federal review has begun into ten states, including New York, over possible Title IX violations tied to the treatment of transgender student athletes. This adds a layer of scrutiny to school districts already adjusting to post-COVID learning gaps and staffing challenges.
Money & Leverage
Major decisions this week are setting the tone for affordability and preservation battles across the city.
On the Upper West Side, the historic West Park Presbyterian Church may soon lose its landmark status, clearing the way for its demolition and potential redevelopment into luxury housing. Local artists and preservationists are fighting to stop the move, saying the 135-year-old church still serves as a cultural anchor in the neighborhood. Officials have not released an exact timeline for the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s ruling.
Down in Brooklyn, Gino’s Pizza, a community fixture in Downtown Brooklyn, closed yesterday after nearly 40 years in operation. The decision, according to its owners, stemmed from rising rent and declining foot traffic. The shuttering adds to a growing list of long-standing, locally-owned eateries closing due to operating costs. Read More
Separately, a new report from the Department of Small Business Services shows a significant drop in the number of active businesses in the city during the spring of 2025, with hospitality and small retail hit hardest. The report does not predict whether that trend will reverse in the first quarter of 2026.
Still Developing
Security has been increased at churches across Staten Island after a string of incidents reported in the last week, prompting a visible NYPD presence near several congregations. Officials would not confirm whether the incidents are connected.
In Manhattan, a body was found floating along the East River near 23rd Street yesterday afternoon. The NYPD’s investigation is ongoing and the deceased has not yet been identified.
A violent incident on the subway is under investigation after police said a 72-year-old man was beaten by unknown assailants inside a subway station in the Bronx. The motive remains unclear, and the NYPD has released surveillance footage in hopes of identifying suspects.
Another subway rider, a gay man, was slashed in the face in what police are calling a hate-motivated attack on a Manhattan train early Tuesday. The victim is expected to recover. No arrests have been made.
City Life
Students in the Bronx are receiving free laptops this week as part of a Department of Education initiative to close the digital divide. The distribution is focused on middle and high schoolers in lower-income neighborhoods, with more rollouts planned in Queens and Brooklyn next month.
Elsewhere in public education, New York City schools are included in a broad federal Title IX investigation. The U.S. Department of Education is examining a range of potential violations dealing with gender equity in athletics, including policies on transgender athletes. This adds compliance pressure on school administrators already navigating a tight fiscal year.
And in a lighter city moment, National Bagel Day arrives today with dozens of shops offering deals or rolling out signature schmears in celebration. While not an official holiday, it’s one of New York’s favorite unofficial observances, giving commuters a welcome excuse to slow the morning rush.
That’s today in New York.