Courtroom Birth Questions, Second Avenue Subway Groundbreaking,…

Politics & Policy

• Council members want answers about last month’s courtroom birth · Over half the NYC Council sent a letter to Mayor Mamdani, Police Commissioner Tisch, and DAs demanding details on a courtroom birth from last month. The letter seeks accountability and transparency about the incident’s circumstances. (Sahalie Donaldson)
• New York state lawmakers pass bill targeting surveillance pricing · The NY State Legislature passed the One Fair Price Act to outlaw surveillance pricing, preventing companies from charging consumers more based on their data profiles. The bill passed during the session’s final hours. (Luke Parsnow)
• State AG Declines to Prosecute NYPD Officers Involved in Fatal Motorbike Crash · AG Letitia James declined to file charges against NYPD officers involved in a Bronx crash that killed a dirt-bike rider after an unmarked vehicle cut in front of him. James cited the law in her decision following the incident’s investigation. (Greg B. Smith)
• Op-Ed | A budget that truly supports children and families · Mayor Mamdani claimed his first executive budget balanced without social service cuts, but the budget includes reductions to programs critical to New Yorkers’ families. Advocates warn these cuts undermine needed support. (AM New York)
• Budget watchdogs see structural crisis behind Mamdani’s spending plan; Council projects $2 billion revenue boost · Fiscal watchdogs warn Mamdani’s budget leans on one-time fixes, worsening the structural deficit as the Council projects $2 billion more in tax revenue than anticipated. The city’s financial health faces ongoing strain. (AM New York)

Housing, Transportation & Infrastructure

• Second Avenue Subway Breaks Ground Ahead of Big Tunnel Dig Next Year · Officials, including Gov. Hochul, broke ground at East 119th Street for the Second Avenue Subway extension toward East Harlem and eventually 125th Street, marking the start of major tunneling next year. (Jose Martinez)
• World Cup Chaos: Your Guide to Getting Around Midtown and Penn Station During the Games · New Yorkers face month-long disruptions from June through July at Midtown and Penn Station due to eight World Cup matches across the Hudson, including the final at NYNJ Stadium on July 19. (Jose Martinez)
• Broker Fee Law’s First Year: Complaints, Violations and Uphill Climb to Recoup for Tenants · After one year, NYC’s law limiting broker fees generates landlord complaints and more than $15,000 reimbursed to tenants. Enforcement faces challenges despite growing tenant protections. (Samantha Maldonado)
• Whole Foods to open new stores in Bushwick, Cobble Hill · Whole Foods leased a 10,000-square-foot space at 1224 Flushing Avenue in Bushwick for a 15-year term to open a small-format store, its second new Brooklyn location alongside one in Cobble Hill. (6sqft)
• A mini beach opens at Bushwick Inlet Park · The Parks Department opened a 1.7-acre waterfront greenspace in Greenpoint, with restored wetlands, native plants, and a small beach at Bushwick Inlet Park’s new “Motiva” parcel. (6sqft)

Culture & Lifestyle

• You can take a free rooftop tour of the Manhattan Municipal Building starting now · Reservations opened for Centre 360, a panoramic rooftop tour inside the Manhattan Municipal Building’s historic cupola, offering free public access starting this month. (Gerrish Lopez)
• 27 Greenwich Village storefronts are turning into a neighborhood-wide civil rights exhibit · Stonewall National Monument 10 presents a walking tour featuring 27 storefronts showcasing LGBTQ+ history across Greenwich Village through this Pride Month. (Mark Peikert)
• The beautiful Orchard Beach pavilion is open again after a 17-year closure · The Bronx landmarked Orchard Beach pavilion reopened with restored terraces, enhanced amenities, and improved accessibility after closing for 17 years. (Laura Ratliff)
• NYC Tourism + Conventions CEO talks city’s World Cup offerings · The city’s tourism sector preps for the World Cup kickoff by partnering with bars, restaurants, and cultural venues for promotions and discounts across all five boroughs. (Rocco Vertuccio)
• This popular Desi-American hot dog stand has found a permanent home in Dumbo · Chaat Dog, known for its fusion Desi-American hot dogs, secured a permanent spot in Dumbo, becoming a fixture with its unique flavor offerings. (Morgan Carter)

Business & Economy

• In Bay Ridge, impossible to build becomes impossible to stop · Developer Daniel Grinshteyn transformed a Bay Ridge property through 2024 charter reform enabling new housing development in previously opposed neighborhoods. (The Real Deal)
• Compass slides back into antitrust spotlight · The New York Attorney General’s office launched an investigation into Compass’ market dominance, intensifying antitrust scrutiny of the residential real estate giant. (The Real Deal)

Civic Services & Government

• Why NYC school budgets won’t be cut, at least for now, in cases of lower enrollment · Despite falling enrollment, NYC schools will keep initial 2026-27 budgets intact, per Schools Chancellor Samuels, offering stability for principals preparing for next year. (Amy Zimmer, Chalkbeat and Alex Zimmerman, Chalkbeat)
• NYC illegally took newborn from father, keeping them apart for 3 years, court says · A federal appeals court ruled NYC’s child welfare agency unlawfully separated a 6-day-old baby from his father for three years, a decision with implications for family reunifications. (Gothamist)
• Brooklyn jury convicts man in hate-crime killing of O’Shae Sibley · Dmitriy Popov, 20, was convicted by a Brooklyn jury for the 2023 fatal stabbing of O’Shae Sibley, a Black, gay man, rejecting justification claims in a hate-crime case. (Gothamist)
• NYPD closing a swath of Midtown around MSG for Trump visit to Knicks game Monday · Police will close a 10-block area in Midtown around Madison Square Garden to traffic and pedestrians ahead of President Trump’s visit for Monday’s NBA Finals game. (Gothamist)
• LI teen charged in A train shooting that left 15-year-old ‘fighting for his life,’ DA says · A Long Island teen faces attempted murder and weapons charges for shooting a 15-year-old on the A train earlier this year, per the Queens DA’s office. (Gothamist)

Civic Engagement

• CB3 Manhattan is accepting applications for three open seats through April 15 · Residents of the Lower East Side, East Village, or Chinatown can apply online by April 15 to fill three community board seats with Manhattan CB3.
• Apply for NYC Public Advocate’s Youth Advisory Council by June 20 · NYC residents aged 14-21 can apply online by June 20 to join the Public Advocate’s Youth Advisory Council and shape policies affecting youth.
• Submit comments on the MTA’s 2027-2031 Capital Plan by June 30 · New Yorkers can submit feedback online on the MTA’s draft 2027-2031 Capital Investment Plan through June 30 to influence transit investments.
• Bronx CB6 meeting to discuss local parks improvement on June 15 · Bronx residents can attend CB6’s in-person meeting June 15 at 7pm to provide input on parks redevelopment projects.
• New Yorkers can register to vote until June 13 for upcoming Primaries · Residents have until June 13 to register or update registration online to vote in NYC’s June 23 primary elections featuring state and local races.

Events

• Immersive Performance Tours Along the Gowanus Canal · Experience live immersive performances along the Gowanus Canal from June 13 to 27, featuring dance and community art initiatives. (Dance.NYC)
• Translation · BalletCollective presents “Translation,” a contemporary ballet installation with light and sound by Troy Schumacher and Julianna Barwick at The Culture Club, June 4–28; tickets start at $45. (Dance.NYC)
• Advocacy Alert: NYC Primary Election is June 23. Here’s What You Need to Know. · Voters registered with a party must register by June 13 and can vote early June 13-21, by mail, or on June 23 primary day; ranked-choice voting is in effect for some races. (Dance.NYC)

DEEP DIVE

Will Mamdani Ride the Property Tax Tiger?

New York City’s property tax system imposes steep burdens on owners of rent-regulated buildings, whose property taxes have risen sharply even as their building values and financial conditions have weakened. Meanwhile, owners of luxury condos and co-ops enjoy significant tax breaks due to discrepancies in assessed values, worsening inequities between homeowners and landlords. A new NYU Furman Center report reveals these imbalances, showing rental properties pay 40% of property taxes despite comprising only a quarter of the market value, while single-family homes, making up nearly half the value, pay just 15% of the levy.

This inequitable taxation has persisted under prior administrations and now challenges Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who promised reform but has not set a timeline to address the systemic disparities. The Furman report, part of an ongoing effort to expose property tax flaws, highlights that NYC taxes rental buildings at more than 5.6 times the rate of owner-occupied homes — a disparity far exceeding other major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. The mayor’s administration agreed to negotiate with advocates under court oversight but has yet to propose concrete reforms.

The stakes are high: rising taxes on rent-regulated buildings threaten the preservation of affordable housing and disincentivize new development, while favored tax treatment of the wealthy intensifies inequality. Landlords may pass increased costs onto tenants, further straining the city’s rental market. The ultimate test for Mamdani’s administration will be whether it can deliver timely, meaningful reform that balances fiscal stability with housing equity, shaping the city’s housing future for millions of New Yorkers.

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