Transcript
Settle down, everyone, put down the pitchforks.I missed you all very much during my mini hiatus,but now I'm back and I'm ready to catch you upon the chaos of early Januaryand move on to more pressing matterslike the deep freeze we're in right now.I'm Jessie Mercury and welcome back to Stoop Politics.While I was gone, the era of audacityhit its first major speed bump.We had mass arrests in the subway,the city council finally buried the Eric Adams saga,and a new budget report just droppedthat's absolutely terrifying.The teacup is fuller than ever.Pull up a stoop,you're gonna need to sit down for this one.Let's rewind a couple weeks to the drama that I missed.Back in episode seven,we told you that the fare was going up to $3and protesters were planning a swipe strikeon the New York subway.Well, it happened and it got ugly.On January 5th and 6th,thousands of New Yorkers jumped turnstiles in protest.They expected Mayor Mamdani,the guy who campaigned on free buses,to look the other way and he did not.Mamdani's NYPD cracked down hard.We saw viral videos of teenagers being tackledfor a $3 fare.The DSA is furious, calling him a traitor to the movement.Mamdani claims he had to do itto stop Trump from seizing the MTA,but the vibes, the vibes were atrocious.Meanwhile, remember those 19 vetoesthat Eric Adams signed on his way out the door?Well, the city council didn't even blink.On January 7th, Speaker Adrian Adams led a voteto override every single one of them,every one of them, 19 to zero.It was a total humiliation for the former mayorand a warning shot to the new one.The Speaker effectively cleared the deck,proving that while Mamdani sits in the big chair,she still holds the gavel.Now, that brings us to this week, I believe.Not only is the honeymoon over,the divorce papers are already being drafted.Hopefully this isn't a signof what's to come with my marriage.Two massive stories brokewhile you were shivering in this weather.First, Washington made its move.Last week, unannounced ice raids took placein Jackson Heights and Sunset Park.Trump is testing Mamdani.He wants to see if the sanctuary city is real.Mamdani didn't send the NYPD to intervene.He hid behind his lawyers.Round one goes to the White House.But the bigger story dropped yesterday,and that's the budget.Mamdani's team released a preliminary financial plan,and it is an all-out bloodbath.We're looking at a $4 billion deficitdue to the migrant crisis and federal cuts.What does that mean for you and me?The free bus pilot that Mamdani promised,well, canceled indefinitely.24-hour libraries, yeah, that's off the table.And the scariest part,they're eyeing cuts to sanitation, disgusting.So if your trash is piling up under the snow right now,don't blame the weather, blame the deficit.All right, so where do we stand?We're three weeks into the new administration.The mayor is fighting his own base over policing.The council is flexing its power,and the money has officially run out.Mamdani ran on audacity,but right now he's governing on survival mode.I promise I won't leave you hanging again,or not anytime soon.We are back on a regularly weekly schedulestarting, well, I guess right now.Next Thursday, we're going to coverthe city council's response to the budget cuts.And spoiler alert, I can tell you right now,they are not happy.I'm Jessie Mercury.Pay your subway fare, or don't, I'm not a cop,and stay warm.
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