TUESDAY, MAR. 4, 2025

Dear New Yorkers,

Republicans in D.C. are crafting a bill to cut spending and use the savings to pay for tax cuts that could reduce aid to New York by tens of billions of dollars, blowing huge holes in both the state and city budgets.

The result could confront both the state and the city with difficult choices, forcing both to find billions of dollars in additional revenue in the state that already has the nation’s highest taxes. If they’re unable or unwilling to find that money, millions of New Yorkers could be left without health care, food stamps and housing funds.

“We are literally talking about taking food out of kids’ and older adults’ mouths to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest,” the city social services commissioner said last week.

And while final decisions in Washington about this bill are months away, our state and city leadership will have to decide much sooner on whether they should adapt their proposed budgets to prepare for a financial crisis — in March for the state, and June for the city.

Read more here about what Trump’s budget cuts could mean for New York.

P.S. A lot of our readers sent in questions about how federal spending cuts will affect the city — if you’re wondering about any particular program, email [email protected] to help us inform our reporting. 

Weather ⛅

Partly sunny, with highs in the low 50s. 

MTA 🚇 

In the Bronx, the Wakefield-bound 2 skips 219 Street, 225 Street, 233 Street and Nereid Ave from 9:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙 

It’s in effect today, Mar. 4.

By the way…

It’s Women’s History Month! Explore events, tours and recommended readings at the New York Public Library.

Our Other Top Stories

  • Newly announced mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo has faced a barrage of insults from his opponents attacking his record as governor since making his City Hall bid official this weekend. In response to Cuomo’s announcement video about a city in “crisis,” Eric Adams said “I do believe we need to be saved — from him.”
  • Thirty construction workers died on the job in New York City in 2023 — the most in a decade, according to a new report. Among them were 19-year-old Ommatt Cruz, of Staten Island; and Francisco Reyes, 41, and Fernando Lagunas Pereira, 28, who were trapped under debris in a trench while working at John F. Kennedy International Airport. 
  • Despite threats of mass firings, correction officers at 32 state prisons remained out on strike on Monday, according to a state official. New York has used both carrots and sticks in a so-far unsuccessful effort to end the wildcat walkout, with the governor now pushing to get permission from a state judge to begin arresting striking officers.
  • On the latest episode of FAQ NYC, senior New York editor for Politico Sally Goldenberg talks with our hosts about Cuomo (finally) entering the mayor’s race. They dig into why running for office in the city — which Cuomo hadn’t lived in for decades — presents different challenges than running for a state office, how ranked choice voting could affect the former governor and much more. Listen here. 

Reporter’s Notebook

52,000 New Yorkers Hold Federal Jobs, For Now

Just over 52,000 New Yorkers hold federal jobs as the Trump istration speeds plans to drastically reduce the size of the federal workforce, according to data released Monday by the Economic Policy Institute.

EPI didn’t break down the agencies where those people work. The istration has already said it would cut 7,000 Social Security workers, while EPA chief Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from Long Island, has promised a 65% reduction in that agency’s budget, which would mean major job cuts.

While painful for any workers laid off, the New York total is less than 1% of all the jobs in the city. By contrast federal jobs for 13% of Washington, D.C., employment, the EPI said.

— Greg David

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

  • Tuesday, Mar. 4: Run a 5K with the New York Road Runners at Brooklyn Bridge Park. 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Mar. 5: Celebrate Women’s History Month at the book launch of Songs She Wrote: 40 Hits by Pioneering Women of Popular Music. Hear from the author, and hear some musical performances! Manhattan, 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, Mar. 6: As part of Water Works, a yearlong series of lectures and tours exploring the city’s water systems, hear from the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection about the infrastructure that operates behind the scenes to deliver more than a billion gallons of clean drinking water to New Yorkers a day. $15 general ission — SVA Theater in Manhattan, 7 p.m.

THE KICKER:  Explore some of the locations where Oscar-winning film Anora was shot in South Brooklyn, from this 84-year-old Coney Island candy shop to a Mill Basin mansion built by real Russian oligarchs.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday.

Love,

THE CITY

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