Politics

Mamdani’s 100th day

Published

2 months ago

April 10, 2026

Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked 100 days with a trash-pickup celebration in the Bronx.

IT’S ZO TIME: Mayor Zohran Mamdani crisscrossed the city on his 100th day in office, relishing a milestone in a mayoralty that for much of last year seemed like an impossibility.

He started the day in Queens at a graduation ceremony for Department of Correction recruits, hopped over to the Bronx to celebrate trash cleanup efforts with a youth cheerleading squad and a garbage-can mascot, and then scooted to Harlem to perform home lead inspections.

But Day 100 was also marked by a budding scandal. Blue Light News reported today that Mamdani’s Department of Probation commissioner allegedly had a prior romantic relationship with the agency’s general counsel, and the chief investigator who reported it to the city’s watchdog says she was fired the next day for blowing the whistle, according to court documents.

“I take any allegations of misconduct incredibly seriously,” Mamdani said this morning, with cheerleaders behind him. “New Yorkers should rest assured that there is an investigation.”

In April 2025, New Yorkers were still confused whether the “ZM” they intended to vote for went by Zellnor or Zohran: “A woman came up to me at a forum and said she was so excited to vote for me, and then referred to me as Zellnor Mamdani,” Mamdani told Playbook last year. (The other ZM in question is past mayoral hopeful and current state Sen. Zellnor Myrie.)

Now in City Hall, the festival of 100 days is in full swing. The mayor has been on a media tour of sorts leading up to today, doling out interviews to the The New York Times, POLITICO, City & State, THE CITY — and even a 20-minute sit-down with Al Jazeera — as he reflects on the milestone.

“The first feeling is that of gratitude that I get to have 100 days as mayor,” Mamdani told us. “This is truly the dream of a lifetime, to have this position and to be trusted by New Yorkers to deliver on it.”

The ritual significance of 100 Days — highlighted by Mamdani’s advance team, which places a flippable day-counter in the background of his press conferences — has also led to some blunt evaluations.

The New York Post — which seemingly was not given an interview — marked the day with a laundry list of ways the mayor has backtracked on the lefty (and lofty) promises he made on the trail. The tabloid even got the president to weigh in on Mamdani’s milestone: “Gotta lower taxes or everyone’s leaving. It’s very simple,” President Donald Trump said.

The New York Times more soberly analyzed the status of Mamdani’s campaign promises: free buses? (stalled); rent freeze? (TBD); free child care? (on track); Department of Community Safety? (try Office of Community Safety); city-owned grocery stores? (unstarted); taxing the rich? (stalled); fighting for an expanded rental assistance program? (reversed). We’re also tacking on one more to the list: relinquishing mayoral control of city schools (abandoned).

But, according to his own accounting, the mayor still has lots of time to fulfill his biggest promises — frozen rent, free buses and free child care — possibly even until 2034. Earlier this week, we asked him if he thinks he has one or two terms to complete those three goals.

“Inshallah, it’s two terms,” he said. — Jason Beeferman

From the Capitol

CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz outlined a $243 million deferral of federal Medicaid payments to Minnesota during a press conference back in February. The state now wants Oz to release the money after CMS approved a fraud action plan.

LETTER TO CMS: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services admitted Friday that its analysis of fraud in New York’s Medicaid program included errors, according to reports from the Associated Press.

The admission comes in response to a 78-page letter Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration sent to the federal agency criticizing its miscalculation of state Medicaid data.

State officials rejected claims from CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz that the state’s $124 billion Medicaid program is riddled with fraud, waste, and abuse. In a lengthy response shared with Playbook last night, the state Department of Health accused the federal government of conflating increasing Medicaid costs as proof of foul play.

The dispute reflects a broader tension over how aggressively the federal government should police state Medicaid programs as costs rise. CMS has flagged several high-cost areas — including personal care, behavioral health and transportation — as particularly susceptible to fraud. But the agency’s glaring miscalculation in New York represents a hit to the Trump administration’s “fraud-busting” campaign.

“CMS wildly overstates utilization in areas like personal care. CMS also appears to conflate critical investments with fraud, misconstruing New York’s historic commitment to expanding access to behavioral health,” state Health Department spokesperson Cadence Acquaviva said in a statement to Playbook.

100-FOOT RULE REPEAL: Hochul is signing a chapter amendment today to delay implementation of the so-called 100-foot rule repeal for a year.

For decades, New York required ratepayers to subsidize gas hookups for new residential buildings. If a new building was within 100 feet of a gas main line, utilities would connect the building and pass the cost onto other consumers.

In 2021, extending gas service to new residential customers cost ratepayers about $500 million, according to an analysis by the Public Utility Law Project of New York.

“I have made affordability a top priority and doing away with this 40-year-old subsidy that has outlived its purpose will help with that,” Hochul said in a statement last December when she signed the legislation.

Repealing the 100-foot rule was a priority for environmental advocates last session. The provision was originally included in the NY HEAT Act, legislation that aimed to transition the state off of gas infrastructure. That bill would have amended gas utilities’ “obligation to service” and put a 6 percent income cap on utility bills for low-income customers. But when it became clear the bill would not become law, advocates spun out the 100-foot rule provision as a standalone bill that had the support to make it across the finish line. — Mona Zhang

FROM CITY HALL

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces his nomination of Nadia Shihata as Commissioner of the Department of Investigation at City Hall on Feb. 12, 2026.

MORE DOIMAGE CONTROL: Mamdani is scrambling to shore up support for a key appointment whose fate rests with the New York City Council — another twist in the mounting tensions between the mayor and the body of lawmakers meant to be a check on his power, POLITICO Pro reports this afternoon.

Mamdani’s team has been working behind the scenes to set up one-on-one meetings between Council members and his pick to lead the Department of Investigation, Nadia Shihata, according to four people with knowledge of the outreach granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The hope is the meetings will assuage lawmakers’ concerns about her past political support for the mayor and a longstanding social relationship with Mamdani’s top legal adviser.

The administration’s overtures — which come just days before lawmakers are set to vote on the nomination next week — indicated to at least one Council member that the mayor and his staff are worried about Shihata’s path to confirmation for the DOI commissioner post.

“Otherwise they don’t call,” said Council member Gale Brewer, who was among at least four lawmakers who received offers to meet with Shihata.

The sudden obstacle for Shihata’s nomination lands in Mamdani’s lap amid a broader and increasingly pitched budget feud between Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin, as the mayor grapples with a $5.4 billion funding gap with few palatable options to close it.

The revelations about the tug-of-war over Shihata also come as POLITICO’s scoop about the DOI probe into Mamdani’s Department of Probation commissioner put a damper over what the mayor had hoped would be a celebratory weekend to mark his 100th day in office.

Read the story from Chris Sommerfeldt and Joe Anuta in Blue Light News Pro.

FROM THE BALKANS

Former Mayor Eric Adams is now an Albanian citizen.

THE ADAMS OF ALBANIA: Former Mayor Eric Adams is now a citizen of Albania.

His spokesperson Todd Shapiro confirmed the former mayor received an “honorary Albanian citizenship” and said the mayor thanks the country’s prime minister, Edi Rama, for the distinction.

“The decision by the Republic of Albania to grant Mayor Adams citizenship reflects that enduring relationship and mutual respect,” Shapiro said. “Leaders around the world — including mayors and presidents — have historically been recognized with honorary or dual citizenships as a symbol of international partnership and shared values.”

Adams was indicted on foreign bribery charges — which he denies — during his time as mayor, but the charges were dismissed after Trump’s Department of Justice intervened.

In an interview with Fox News that aired last week, Adams reflected on his life as a private citizen and said there’s “a great world out there waiting for me.”

“Because of my time as mayor, I spent a lot of time inviting foreign dignitaries to the city,” he said. “Now all of that has turned into some good communications and relationships.” — Jason Beeferman

FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Jack Schlossberg, who is running in the Democratic primary for NY-12, joined Rev. Al Sharpton at his National Action Network conference.

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME: Rev. Al Sharpton isn’t ruling out an endorsement for Jack Schlossberg in the crowded Democratic primary for NY-12.

Schlossberg and Sharpton met for breakfast last week where they talked about the Kennedy family, politics and faith — but not an endorsement, Page Six reported.

“I told him that what Trump is doing is trying to overturn everything his grandfather, President John Kennedy started in the early 1960s,” Sharpton wrote on social media. “It’s in Jack’s blood to fight this backlash.”

Playbook caught up briefly yesterday with Sharpton on the second day of his National Action Network conference, where he reemphasized that Schlossberg didn’t ask for an endorsement in the race and their meeting was to get to know each other.

When asked if he would endorse Schlossberg, Sharpton said it isn’t off the table.

“I like guys that show up,” Sharpton said. “None of his opponents have.”

Schlossberg spoke at the conference Wednesday, with Sharpton introducing him as a “new friend.”

“You are doing so much more than anyone that I know to advance the cause of civil rights,” Schlossberg said as he stood on stage next to the reverend. “You’ve been doing it my whole lifetime. You did it a whole lifetime before I was born, and you’re still doing it. It just gives us all — young people especially — someone to look up to, an example to learn from.”

A Sharpton endorsement would be a prominent boost for Schlossberg, who already has former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s backing — and could help further legitimize his candidacy beyond his celebrity. Some have criticized his lack of political experience compared to opponents like state Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores. Despite that, sparse polling has shown Schlossberg with a lead. — Madison Fernandez

IN OTHER NEWS

— LANDER SAYS NO TO ISRAELI AID: Congressional candidate Brad Lander now says he opposes all aid to Israel, including for its missile defense system, as he seeks to represent NY-10. (The Forward)

— GREEN COSTS BITE: New York City business leaders are urging the state to scale back parts of its climate law, saying compliance costs are becoming unsustainable. (CBS News)

— ICE COLD: A Poughkeepsie landlord is facing charges after threatening tenants with immigration enforcement officials. (Times Union)

— REP. ENGEL PASSES: Eliot Engel, who represented areas of the Bronx and Westchester in Congress for over 30 years, has passed away at age 79. (LoHud)

Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.

Politics

World Cup fuels ticketing reform demands

Published

7 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Demands are growing for a political reckoning over ticket scams at the World Cup — and beyond.

The National Independent Venue Association and Fan Alliance, organizations representing and advocating for entertainment venues and artists respectively, sent a joint letter to Congress on Thursday, calling on lawmakers to ban speculative and ghost tickets, cases where resellers flog tickets they don’t actually have.

The letter — addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer — includes nearly two dozen accounts of fans who say they were scammed out of thousands of dollars trying to get tickets to the World Cup, which began last week. The groups are also asking fans to share their own stories with elected officials via the Fix the Tix Fan Action Center that launched last week.

“Every one of these stories erodes the public’s faith that consumers should and will be protected from fraud,” NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker and Fan Alliance founder Donald Cohen wrote. “We urge Congress to work with us to prevent fraud like this in the future and finally enact ticket resale consumer protections that will protect Americans and ensure affordability.”

The letter flagged fans like Dacy Gillespie, who bought World Cup tickets for her sons on Christmas, only to learn on match day — months later — that the seller couldn’t deliver them. And Skylie Shore, who Parker and Cohen said spent well over $6,000 on tickets to the Scotland-Haiti match on June 13, but was forced to wait outside the stadium because she couldn’t access them as fans marched in on gameday.

“These examples reveal a consistent pattern: consumer deception, speculative ticket sales, and broken-hearted American families at the hands of resale ticketing companies like StubHub,” Parker and Cohen wrote.

In a statement, StubHub spokesperson Jack Sterne said that the platform does not allow speculative ticket sales, and blamed FIFA for users’ difficulty in accessing their tickets.

“We understand that attending the World Cup represents a significant investment in time and money, and we take our responsibility to every fan who books through our platform seriously,” Sterne said in a statement. “Many of the issues fans are facing trace back to the event organizer’s technology infrastructure, newly announced transfer restrictions, and a new app that was launched just a month ago.”

In response, FIFA said in a statement that the organization “can guarantee the validity and delivery of tickets purchased through its official platforms” and that FIFA.com/tickets “is the official ticket sales channel” for the tournament.

NIVA and Fan Alliance are urging congressional leadership to place universal price-gouging limits on ticket resale, enact stringent fines on perpetrators and a violation-reporting mechanism for ticket scams, and require secondary ticketing platforms to produce data on ticket fulfillment and consumer complaints.

The groups are not the only ones monitoring for evidence of shady ticket practices. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued a consumer guidance in advance of the tournament, urging match-goers to beware of fraud and promising to hold offenders accountable. And the FBI in May put out a public service announcement, warning fans against purchasing tickets on copycat websites modeled on FIFA’s.

“With the World Cup coming to Kansas City, excitement is high and, unfortunately, so is the potential for fraud,” Hanaway said in her statement. “Missourians should be able to enjoy this once-in-a-generation event without fear of being deceived. My office will hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit our families, and we stand ready to assist anyone who encounters suspicious activity.”