Temp Tag Fraud Charges, Penn Station Upgrade, Prospect Park Rezoning

Politics & Policy

• Feds Charge Fraud Temp Tag Dealers ID’d in Streetsblog’s ‘Ghost Plate’ Series · Eleven fraudulent car dealers linked to Streetsblog’s April 2023 investigation into fake temporary tags face federal charges. The crackdown targets a black market that endangered public safety. (Streetsblog NYC)
• Albany Reins in Police Collaboration With ICE but Doesn’t Ban Informal Cooperation · New York legislation limits formal police-ICE collaboration but stops short of banning informal cooperation amid ongoing debates over immigration enforcement policies. The measure follows months of negotiations under Governor Hochul. (Isabelle Taft)
• Unrestrained? New York’s highest court weighs whether lawyers can use special petition to get the incarcerated out of shackles in hospitals · New York’s highest court is considering whether lawyers can petition to remove shackles from incarcerated individuals in hospitals, prompted by a case where NYPD shackled a mentally ill man for 26 days against medical advice. (PoliticsNY)
• Mamdani’s City Audits Expose Loopholes in Immigrant Protections · Mayor Mamdani’s audit of six NYC agencies uncovered ICE collaboration loopholes, prompting new policies and training to strengthen immigrant protections citywide. (Documented NY)
• One Daughter’s Fight to Free Her Ill Father from ICE Custody · Newton Waite, a Jamaican immigrant detained by ICE, suffers deteriorating health in custody; his daughter campaigns for his release amid concerns over substandard detention center medical care. (Documented NY)

Housing & Transit

• It’s official: Penn Station is getting a massive upgrade and Madison Square Garden is not moving · Officials announced a major Penn Station upgrade with groundbreaking expected by the end of 2027, while Madison Square Garden will remain in place. (Primary Author: Anna Rahmanan)
• State Lawmakers ‘Not Giving Up’ in Push for Hochul to Fund More Rental Vouchers · Lawmakers seek expanded Housing Access Voucher Program funding to cover 5,500 NYC households losing federal rent aid, pushing Governor Hochul to increase state support. (City Limits)
• Attorney General To Shut Down ‘Predatory’ Law Firm, And What Else Happened This Week in Housing · The AG’s office will close the Tenants Counsel Network for charging illegal fees and abandoning renters in eviction court, ordering refunds to affected clients. (City Limits)
• Advocates Press for More ‘Right to Counsel’ Funds, As New Yorkers Facing Eviction Still Struggle to Get Legal Help · Advocates demand increased funding beyond Mayor Mamdani’s proposed boost to ensure all low-income renters facing eviction obtain legal representation amid ongoing shortages. (City Limits)
• NYC to widen protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue before World Cup · Mayor Mamdani announced expanding Sixth Avenue’s protected bike lane from 6 to 10 feet between 14th and 23rd Streets to improve safety before the summer World Cup. (6sqft)

Culture & Lifestyle

• An Artist’s MFA Show Confronts Columbia University Over Gaza · Alejandro Valencia’s MFA installation critiques Columbia University’s response to Israel’s actions against Palestinians, spotlighting institutional accountability. (Hyperallergic)
• Hundreds of NYC Restaurants Are Offering $26 Dining Deals During the World Cup · Mayor Mamdani launched a six-week $26 dining deal with hundreds of NYC restaurants during the World Cup, aiming to provide affordable food options amid rising consumer prices. (Eater NY)
• Workers Push to Rename Wexner Center for the Arts Over Epstein Ties · Union members demand renaming the Wexner Center, citing founder Leslie Wexner’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein and the name’s negative impact on artists and community. (Hyperallergic)
• FIFA World Cup tickets for $50? For lucky New Yorkers, yes. · Mayor Mamdani announced 1,000 FIFA World Cup tickets will be sold for $50 each exclusively to New York City residents to boost local access amid high prices. (Gothamist)
• Katz’s Deli reopens ‘secret’ dining room closed to public for nearly 80 years · Katz’s Deli restored and reopened the Ludlow Room, a 68-seat secret dining area closed since 1949, reopening a historic NYC culinary space. (6sqft)

Business & Economy

• Hotel union deal puts NYC owners on notice · NYC’s hotel industry agreed to one of the city’s richest labor deals, signaling significant wage and benefit increases that owners must absorb. (The Real Deal)

Civic Services

• NYC audit finds daily Correction Department reports to ICE dating to 2015; Mamdani moves to end practice, adopt reforms · An audit revealed the NYC Department of Correction sent daily detainee data to ICE since 2015; Mayor Mamdani is ending the practice and implementing reforms. (PoliticsNY)
• NYC Preschool Offers Flat Despite Mamdani Enrollment Push · NYC preschool offers remained flat at 99,921 despite Mayor Mamdani’s efforts to boost enrollment and outreach this year. (THE CITY)
• 14-year old killed, another teen injured subway surfing across Williamsburg Bridge · A 14-year-old died and another teen was critically injured after falling from a J train while subway surfing across the Williamsburg Bridge, according to police. (Gothamist)
• State Police Went AWOL During City Patrols — And Supervisor Had No Idea · A rogue NY State Police unit skipped bridge and tunnel patrols citywide, often listening to music instead, unbeknownst to their supervisor. (Streetsblog NYC)
• 1 person died, 36 injured after blast at Staten Island shipyard, officials say · One person died and 36 were injured, mostly firefighters, after a Staten Island shipyard fire and two explosions Friday, officials reported. (Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press)

Events

• MorDance’s World Premier of Unwritten · MorDance premieres Unwritten, a ballet exploring the US Constitution as a living document contested through civic struggle, combining physical ensemble work and movement to highlight inclusion and exclusion. (Dance.NYC)
• WAKE UP- an evening length piece · WAKE UP will perform an evening-length dance piece on May 31, 2026. (Dance.NYC)

DEEP DIVE

NYC looks to rezone neighborhoods south of Prospect Park for new housing

New York City is launching its first rezoning initiative under Mayor Zohran Mamdani targeting the commercial corridors of Coney Island Avenue and McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn’s Kensington area. The plan aims to update outdated single-use zoning laws that have historically restricted new housing development, potentially allowing thousands of new units. The Department of City Planning has begun the community engagement process to ensure residents shape the zoning changes and future neighborhood investments, with an online survey now open for public feedback.

This rezoning effort responds to longtime neighborhood challenges where restrictive zoning has limited affordable and mixed-use development, resulting in rising rents and displacement pressures for working families. The proposal also considers transit infrastructure improvements linked to the Interborough Express, a planned 14-mile light rail connecting Brooklyn and Queens, which will increase transit access in Kensington and surrounding areas. Council Member Shahana Hanif emphasizes that the plan centers community involvement to address decades of disinvestment affecting immigrant and working-class residents.

What happens in the coming months will have real consequences for tens of thousands of residents south of Prospect Park, shaping housing affordability and neighborhood character. The plan’s success depends on balancing expanded housing options—especially income-restricted units—with preserving local small businesses and resisting displacement. The Department of City Planning’s engagement process marks the beginning of what could be a transformative change tailored for a transit-rich, traditionally underinvested community, with critical public input shaping the path forward. Residents are encouraged to participate in this pivotal process before zoning proposals advance. (6sqft)