Mamdani takes office, promising sweeping change for New York City … Mamdani repeatedly pledged wholesale changes to city services, a lofty task given the municipal government's gigantic size — it employs more than 300,000 people — and the nest of union contracts and civil service rules that govern that vast workforce.

Mamdani signs executive orders aimed at addressing housing in NYC  —  On his first day as mayor, Zohran Mamdani signed executive orders that aim to address housing in the city Thursday afternoon in Brooklyn.  —  “These are sweeping measures, but it is just the beginning of comprehensive measure …

House Republicans Buried the Jack Smith Transcript on New Year's Eve.  I Read It So You Don't Have To.  —  12 takeaways from Smith's closed-door testimony  —  House Republicans released the 255-page transcript of Jack Smith's closed-door deposition on New Year's Eve.

MAGA Voters F-Ed Around.  In 2026, They're Finding Out.  —  Obamacare spikes are now in effect.  —  ∙ Paid  —  Happy New Year, although 2026 is shaping up to be less than happy for the 22 million Americans who have purchased health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Zohran Mamdani fans disappointed by disastrous ‘block party’ with no food, bathrooms  —  This “block party” was a bust.  —  Scores of Zohran Mamdani fans who braved freezing temperatures to celebrate the new mayor as he was publicly sworn into office Thursday were left disappointed by the bash the socialist pol had promised.

‘A Directive From Above’: Former NYT Editor Lays Out How The Paper Pushes Anti-Trans Bigotry  —  Follow the Trans News Network Bluesky starter pack here, and find our other socials here.  —  The New York Times headquarters, taken from Wikimedia Commons.  —  Subscribe to TNN  —  Support us!

Another Trump Tariff Retreat  —  This time it's a delay for a year on higher taxes on upholstered furniture and kitchen cabinets.  —  One of the striking contradictions of President Trump's tariffs is the way his chorus claims their rousing success even as he carves out hundreds of exceptions.

Medicaid, ICE and a ticking clock for undocumented Californians … “We live in a new reality,” said Velez, the director of policy at the Latino Coalition For A Healthy California, a group that advocates for health policy in Sacramento and funds community health workers on the ground.

Q&A: Curtis Sliwa  —  He lost the race become New York's mayor to Zohran Mamdani, but the Guardian Angels founder tips his red beret to the ‘Z Man.’  —  Curtis Sliwa was the Republican candidate in the 2025 New York mayoral election, his second consecutive losing run for mayor.

Why Trump Is Quickly Losing Hispanic Support  —  His harsh immigration approach pushes away a population that gave him 48% backing in 2024.  —  Click for Sound  —  Forty-eight percent of Hispanic voters supported Donald Trump in 2024.  He and his party ought to make a New Year's resolution for 2026: Listen to Hispanic voters.

Russia Asks United States to Stop Pursuit of Fleeing Oil Tanker  —  The tanker, which had been sailing to Venezuela to pick up oil, has claimed Russian protection, although the U.S. authorities say it is a stateless vessel.  —  The government of Russia has made a formal diplomatic request …

Trump Abandons Efforts to Deploy National Guard to 3 Major Cities  —  The troops had nearly no presence in two of the cities, Portland and Chicago.  But the decision signaled a retreat, at least for now, in one of the president's most audacious attempts to test his power.

Minnesota Families Are Rattled by Threat to Cut Federal Aid for Child Care  —  After the federal government threatened to withhold funds for Minnesota's child-care program, citing fraud concerns, parents and providers warned that the effects could be dire.  —  Minnesota day-care providers …

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Adjusts Imports of Timber, Lumber, and Their Derivative Products into the United States  —  SUPPORTING AMERICA'S LUMBER INDUSTRY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (Act) …