If it feels like we’ve been here before—it’s because we have. Day 38 of the government shutdown has Congress stuck in the political version of Groundhog Day, where everyone swears this time they’ll fix it, only to hit “repeat” like a Netflix user who fell asleep on episode one. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi is officially stepping off the stage—for real this time. It’s the political equivalent of your favorite performer announcing their farewell tour… again. But this one might actually stick, since she’s earned enough standing ovations to rival Broadway’s finest. Back here in New York, the post-election mood feels like the confetti never showed up. “The Statue That Never Was” takes center stage for why Curtis Sliwa didn’t drop out—a project that went from “visionary tribute” to “budget whoopsie” faster than you can say “city permit pending.” Over at City Hall, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is still workshopping his hit single, “Safety, But Make It Community.” Picture it: subway outreach teams, health workers in vacant storefronts, and a whole new agency devoted to making you feel warm and fuzzy on your morning commute—assuming the MTA cooperates and your train ever arrives. It’s bold, it’s ambitious, and it’s one bad PowerPoint transition away from a TED Talk. Finally, as the credits roll on this week’s political chaos, we close with something rare: gratitude. It doesn’t trend, it doesn’t go viral, and it definitely doesn’t filibuster—but it still changes everything.
In the headlines on #TheUpdate this Friday, Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is expected to announce a run for New York governor, according to two people familiar with her plans.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani made a triumphant trip to Puerto Rico for an annual summit that brings New York politicians and lobbyists to sunny San Juan for strategy meetings, workshops and boozy confabs.
And in Washington, a former Justice Department employee who threw a sandwich at a federal agent during President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington was found not guilty of assault in the latest legal rebuke of the federal intervention.