City's Leadership Crisis: Struggling with the Mayor's Position in New York

New York City is abuzz with political activity as the mayoral election is ongoing. The Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani, is the main known candidate for the 2025 election, according to recent search results. Joining him in the race are Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams, and Curtis Sliwa. If all three candidates remain in the race, Mamdani is likely to win. However, should one or more candidates step aside, his chances of winning become tougher.

In education, the New York State Board of Regents is making a significant shift by scrapping its exam-based graduation requirements. This change allows students to graduate by submitting service projects, participating in the arts, or creating portfolios of other artistic or scientific endeavors. While this move may provide more flexibility, concerns have been raised about the potential for more students leaving high school unprepared for citizenship and productive adult lives.

The real estate landscape in New York City has been influenced by the Good Cause Eviction law, enacted in April 2024. This law has strict limits on when landlords can end a tenancy and caps on annual rent increases, which could potentially impact housing quality and supply.

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the ten-year property tax abatement, implemented in 2000, has spurred development and improved housing conditions. However, in 2022, the city halved the property tax abatement, potentially threatening the city's high homeownership rate. Some argue that restoring or expanding the pre-2022 policy is necessary to maintain housing gains in Philadelphia.

Elsewhere, the judiciary has repeatedly stalled Donald Trump's agenda, while he has blamed the Federalist Society for these struggles. However, the Federalist Society helped engineer the president's makeover of the federal courts.

In the cultural sphere, tennis players at the U.S. Open in New York are complaining about the strong smell of marijuana in public areas. Some players believe that marijuana smokers have failed to consider their obligation to those who share public air.

Finally, a quarterly magazine of urban affairs, City Journal, is published by the Manhattan Institute, a non-profit research organization based in New York City. Recent issues have covered topics such as the growth of millionaires in Texas, outpacing New York's growth, and the success of YIMBY in Texas. Cynthia Curran, a contributor to the magazine, has also commented on these developments.