New York City

• The Countdown Begins: New York City Awaits Mayor Mamdani - Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in shortly after the New Year’s Eve ball drops, in a private ceremony held at a shuttered relic of the city’s subway.
• On His Last Day, Adams Drops From View but Still Flexes His Muscle - Mayor Eric Adams had one public appearance on his schedule, but that didn’t stop him from naming a third charter commission in the last hours of his administration.
• Mamdani Reverses Call to End Mayoral Control of NYC Public Schools - The mayor-elect’s turnaround came as he selected Kamar Samuels to lead New York City’s school system at a precarious moment.
• Mamdani Will Be First N.Y.C. Mayor to Use the Quran at His Swearing-In - Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, will use two family Qurans and one that belonged to the writer Arturo Schomburg at his two swearing-in ceremonies.
• Tatiana Schlossberg Was a Kennedy, and a Rookie Reporter - Tatiana Schlossberg, who died on Tuesday, was the granddaughter of John F. Kennedy. But as a journalist, her first editor remembers, she insisted on putting in the work.
• Mamdani Chooses a Veteran N.Y.C. Education Leader as Schools Chancellor - The selection of Kamar Samuels, who leads schools on the West Side of Manhattan, could help Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani craft his schools agenda.
• These restaurant chains closed locations in 2025 - Chains like Starbucks, Wendy's and Denny's announced plans to close underperforming restaurants in 2025.
• Home prices are getting slightly more affordable, but down payments are still holding buyers back - Housing is getting more affordable thanks to lower prices and lower mortgage rates, but it still takes more time to save for a down payment than pre-pandemic.
• Guaranteed Income Is Coming to NYC in 2026 — Here's What It Means - New York City is preparing to roll out a guaranteed income program that will provide $15,800 per person to disadvantaged residents. What Happened: The New York City Council has set aside $1.5 million in its 2026 budget for a new initiative
• Guaranteed Income Is Coming to NYC in 2026 — Here's What It Means - New York City is preparing to roll out a guaranteed income program that will provide $15,800 per person to disadvantaged residents. What Happened: The New York City Council has set aside $1.5 million in its 2026 budget for a new initiative