Sunday, October 25, 2026
The Socialists Who Elected Mamdani Would Like a Word With His Police Commissioner
Zohran Mamdani’s coalition has found its first real enemy, and it’s the one cop he decided to keep. After an ICE officer shot a man during an immigration operation earlier this month, the NYC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America called on the mayor to remove Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the Adams-era holdover credited with keeping violent crime historically low. Mamdani’s response: “Jessica Tisch is the police commissioner. I have no plans to change that.” No plans. Great word. It’s what people say right before the plans change.
The takeaway — The DSA wants to fire the one official whose numbers are working. That’s the whole ideology in a sentence: the results are fine, but the vibes are wrong. Mamdani is siding with the commissioner for now. Ask yourself how long a mayor holds out against the people who knocked the doors.
New York Has a Plan for Your Building. You’re Not in It.
Meet the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, which the City Council was scheduled to vote on Thursday. If you own a distressed building with four or more apartments and want to sell, you tell the city first, like a toddler asking permission. Nonprofits, tenant groups and some private developers then get 20 days to raise a hand and 70 days to make an offer, and then a window to match outside bids, all before the building hits the open market. The housing department says it initially covers about 2,100 buildings. Mamdani’s for it, and 33 Council members signed on.
The takeaway — You own the building. The city gets to decide who gets first crack at buying it. That’s the nanny state in one bill: your property, their rules, and a months-long waiting room before you can sell it to whoever you want. Make owning harder and you get fewer owners. That’s basic capitalism, and apparently optional at City Hall. The small landlords can’t afford lobbyists and are left saying “extinction” out loud, as Small Property Owners of New York did in January.
Subway Murders Are Up. The Mayor Is “Fully Confident.”
A 17-year-old turned himself in Thursday for killing Darrel Rodriguez, 26, on the northbound E platform at 53rd Street–Seventh Avenue. Through Oct. 18, the NYPD counts 7 subway murders this year, up from 4 in 2025. People shot: 5, up from 2. Felony assaults: 535, up from 480. Mamdani called the killing “an incredibly painful reminder” and said he has “full confidence” in the NYPD.
The takeaway — The numbers are small. The fear isn’t, and nobody rides the citywide average. They ride the E train. Keeping people alive on the way to work is the one job a city can’t get wrong, and “full confidence” is a feeling, not a policy. Everything else is a hobby.