LISTEN: A New Test of Mamdani’s Winning Streak

It’s been a huge week for the new mayor, who saw the political capital he wagered on this year’s elections pay off big-time and who fulfilled a key campaign promise with the city’s first-ever two-year freeze on two-year rent-stabilized leases. 

But a sudden City Council push to hold up the budget due Tuesday if City Hall doesn’t increase funding for the wildly popular — and thus wildly expensive — CityFHEPS housing vouchers represents a big new test for him.

https://feeds.fireside.fm/faqnyc/rss?azi

It’s a very different new budget dance, with the socialist mayor trying to control the size of his budget. He’s feeling the heat from Council Speaker Julie Menin and a coalition of members ranging from Republicans to progressives who are pushing him to stop fighting  a lawsuit that would force the city to abide by a law mandating billions of dollars in new spending. 

Hosts Christina Greer, Katie Honan and Harry Siegel discuss all that and much more, including the mayor’s much-discussed pool leap, new arrests, charges and raids for various friends of Eric Adams and much more.  

Plus, Straight Arrow News senior politics reporter — not to mention FAQ NYC co-founder — Azi Paybarah joins the pod for a deep dive into his story about a bizarre cluster of zombie AI news sites in a story that starts in SoHo. 

Here’s Azi’s how-to guide to searching smart:

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