The numbers return (and so do I)

The mayor's executive budget, transit talk, the Inner Circle, and Rat Stanley's trip to balance his chakras!

Is New York City flush with cash or are we teetering towards some major problems?

A few times a year, I am thrown into writing a complicated budget story (“thrown into” aka “my job requirement”) and it sadly does not get easier with time. I always want to make these things as clear as possible to the reader, which can be difficult.

I got into journalism in part because I am bad at math, but the numbers follow me. Still, I hope the story I wrote with Greg David for THE CITY was clear to people about the challenges New York City is facing, and the politics behind a lot of the budget decisions.

This is certainly not the end of the budget. The City Council will continue to hold hearings and negotiate behind closed doors about the mayor’s executive budget, before we have to pass a new one before July 1. So stay tuned for more numbers, and more politics.

Also this week, I interviewed Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers, the council’s majority whip who represents parts of southeast Queens and the Rockaway peninsula, for FAQ. We talked transit and street-safety bills in the council as well as her legislation to provide free swim lessons to New Yorkers. 

Other interesting stories this week:
A cyberattack at One Brooklyn Health breached the data from thousands of patients, according to a class action suit [THE CITY]
Our coverage of the latest Rent Guidelines Board hearing [THE CITY]
A delightful package to help you make your own noodles [BA]
This explains a lot about the Hochul campaign [NYT]

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This year’s Inner Circle featured the most resilient New Yorkers in history: rats. Here are some behind-the-scene photos from my trusty Fuji disposable cameras.

Inner Circle 2023

Before all of this, I spent a week out west visiting the Grand Canyon and taking multiple aura photos to see if they come out the same (a two-source approach to the woo-woo art of putting your hand on a sensor and waiting for a printout in multiple colors.)

I thought it would be funny to bring along that rat with a suitcase we have seen all over the city, and I present Rat Stanley’s trip outside of New York City. If you think this is crazy and not funny, please don’t tell me.

Rat Stanley tried the rolled tacos from Filiberto’s after landing in Phoenix.

Rat Stanley enjoying the long wait for a table in Sedona.

Looking a little worse for wear and admiring those rocks in Sedona. So many rocks!

Is that all it takes, some crystals?

Pondering his existence and role on a planet that can be filled with so many natural wonders, like this giant canyon. Is there any trash down there? What is my purpose?

Rat Stanley did make it back home, like any good rat, but I did leave him on my JetBlue flight. This may be the only instance of a rat not winning in New York City.

I’ll end this newsletter with one of my nephew’s drawings, since today is his birthday! Thanks for reading!