City Officials 18% Raise, Worst Landlord Forced Sale, Mamdani Budget…

Politics & Policy

• City Council, citywide officials could get 18% raise · A commission recommended an 18.2% salary raise for New York City elected officials, giving them cover to approve significant pay hikes. The proposal is now pending potential adoption. (Sahalie Donaldson)
• Court rules New York’s all-electric buildings mandate does not violate federal law · A federal appeals court upheld New York’s mandate requiring all new buildings to be all-electric, confirming it complies with federal law. The ruling supports the state’s climate goals to cut emissions. (Luke Parsnow)
• Opinion: States Should Protect Workers From Extreme Heat—Or Get Out of the Way · The editorial urges New York and other states to enact laws protecting workers from extreme heat or allow local governments to implement protections. It highlights rising workplace heat risks amid climate change. (City Limits)
• Opinion: Closing Rikers is Environmental Justice in Action · The piece argues closing Rikers Island addresses both criminal justice and environmental crises by repairing harm and strengthening community resilience. It calls for urgent action to shutter the jail complex. (City Limits)
• Opinion: New York Passed Historic Worker Protection Laws. Now We Have to Make Them Real. · New laws providing worker protections require enforcement and awareness to ensure impact, warns this editorial. It stresses accessible rights and reporting are essential for the laws to function effectively. (City Limits)

Housing, Transportation & Infrastructure

• NYC’s ‘worst landlord’ forced to sell three buildings in deal with lender · Lender forced notorious NYC landlord to sell three troubled properties and repair nearly two dozen others as part of a new agreement finalized this week. The move targets remediation of unsafe housing. (Gothamist)
• Where The Most Affordable Apartments Were Built Last Year, And What Else Happened This Week in Housing · Affordable housing remains concentrated in lower-income, high-density areas, with limited development in other neighborhoods. Brendan Cheney of New York Housing Conference says equitable distribution has not yet improved. (City Limits)
• As New York Swelters, Fight Heats Up Between Con Ed and Battery Storage Developers · Battery energy storage could enhance grid efficiency and cut fossil fuel reliance, but regulatory conflicts between Con Edison and developers highlight grid challenges in NYC’s climate response. (City Limits)
• Potential Loophole to NYC’s Green Buildings Law Activates This Summer, Climate Advocates Warn · Renewable energy credits will be available for sale this July, potentially undermining Local Law 97’s requirements for large buildings to reduce emissions. Advocates warn this loophole could stall city decarbonization efforts. (City Limits)

Culture & Lifestyle

• NYC’s Swiss Institute Heads to the Bowery · The Swiss Institute relocates to the Bowery with new exhibitions, including a large mural collaboration between Raymond Pettibon and Abdelkader Benchamma. The move revitalizes the neighborhood’s cultural scene. (Hyperallergic)
• You can now play ping-pong on giant works of art at Rockaway Beach · Six playable art installations have transformed Beach 67 into a creative summer game room, blending ping-pong and public art for visitors and locals alike. (Laura Ratliff, Timeout)
• This Brooklyn brewery is hosting one-night pop-ups from some of NYC’s most iconic spots · Threes Brewing Greenpoint hosts one-night pop-ups with famous eateries Dante, Nom Wah, Veselka, and Peter Luger, offering unique culinary experiences through July. (Laura Ratliff, Timeout)
• Dirty Martini Soft Serve Is the Move at the New Ice Cream Spot From Double Chicken Please · A new ice cream spot opened this week, featuring a signature Dirty Martini soft serve among other unique tastes, highlighted in Eater’s ongoing NYC restaurant round-up. (Eater NY)
• New York Gallery Lyles & King to Close After 11 Years · Lyles & King gallery, known for promoting artists like Mira Schor and Davina Semo, announced its closure after 11 years contributing to the city’s contemporary art scene. (Hyperallergic)

Business & Economy

• National Grid Seeks to Freeze Gas Delivery Rates Through 2028 · National Grid filed a proposal to freeze gas delivery rates until 2028, aiming to ease costs for over 20 million customers in New York and Massachusetts. (PoliticsNY)
• The Croman name is back in the deal flow, featuring the next generation · Jake and Adam Croman have assembled a new Manhattan multifamily portfolio, signaling a return of the Croman family legacy in New York real estate development. (The Real Deal)
• Nir Meir nears trial for fraud case · A judge set a tentative trial date for former HFZ executive Nir Meir on charges of an $86 million fraud involving the XI condo project on the High Line. (The Real Deal)

Civic Services & Government

• To Fight Overdoses, Naloxone Vending Machines Arrive on Staten Island · Staten Island installed naloxone vending machines to provide free overdose reversal kits, aiming to curb rising fatal overdoses in the borough. (Trenton Daniel, Healthbeat)
• Legionnaires cluster emerging on Upper East Side, NYC officials say · Ten cases of Legionnaires’ disease are under investigation on the Upper East Side, prompting a city health alert and efforts to identify the source. (Gothamist)
• Midtown drop-in hub for homeless New Yorkers shutters after after city ends contract · A Midtown drop-in center serving homeless New Yorkers for 35 years closed after the city declined to renew its contract, ending its food, rest, and overnight services. (Gothamist)
• What to know as extreme heat grips New York City · The National Weather Service issued an Extreme Heat Warning for New York City through 9 p.m. Friday with temperatures soaring ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. (Erica Brosnan, Erin Pflaumer)
• City sees safest start to any year on record, Mamdani says · Mayor Zohran Mamdani reported historic lows in shootings and murders during the first six months of 2026, marking NYC’s safest start to a year on record. (Olivia Quinones)

Events

• Where to watch the Macy’s July 4th fireworks for free · Macy’s will launch over 85,000 fireworks shells from three locations—the Brooklyn Bridge, East River near South Street Seaport, and Hudson River—for America’s 250th birthday celebration on July 4. (6sqft)

DEEP DIVE

Mamdani Gets a Budget Deal With New Rental Voucher Funds

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin agreed on a $125.8 billion budget that includes a $175 million expansion for rental assistance, ending a standoff over housing voucher funding. The deal was reached just before the final deadline and passed the Council 45-6. The administration also dropped its lawsuit opposing the city-funded CityFHEPS housing program expansion.

This budget agreement marks a significant policy shift after months of tense negotiations, with the city now dedicating resources to help more New Yorkers face eviction. The new rental program, championed by Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, will support those currently excluded from existing voucher eligibility, reflecting a larger push to address homelessness through rental aid rather than shelter expansion.

The stakes of this deal are immediate and personal for thousands at risk of losing their homes in a city still grappling with affordable housing scarcity. It signals collaboration between the Mayor’s office and the City Council for the first time in this fiscal cycle, potentially ushering in a new era of housing stability efforts as actual policy implementation begins in the coming months. (Katie Honan and Samantha Maldonado)