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FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025

Dear New Yorkers,

Last night, seven candidates for mayor intensified their messages — including their lines of attack on each other — during the final televised debate, hosted by THE CITY, NY1/Spectrum News, WNYC/Gothamist and other partners.

The two frontrunners, Cuomo and Mamdani, took the majority of punches from one another — and the other candidates, who jockeyed to boost themselves in the race. All the candidates portrayed themselves as leaders who have the vision and chops to turn around a city in disarray.

Cuomo painted his upstart rival Mamdani as too inexperienced to lead, in contrast to his record as governor. He criticized Mamdani for passing only three bills during his tenure in the state legislature.

“To put a person in this seat at this time with no experience is reckless and dangerous,” Cuomo said.

Mamdani responded: “I have never had to resign in disgrace.” He added that Cuomo should learn to pronounce his name: M-A-M-D-A-N-I.

Tonight was the final opportunity for voters to hear the mayoral candidates speak off the cuff before early voting starts this weekend, on Saturday. But it’s not just the mayoral race on the ballot: Voters will weigh in on City Council members, judges, borough presidents and a district attorney.

If the prospect of all those choices has you stressed, don’t panic: We’ve made a tool to help you get to know your City Council district: Who’s running in your area, who your neighbors are — and how they’ve voted recently.

Read more here about the mayoral debate, and learn more about your district here.

Weather ☔

Goodbye sun, we hardly knew ye. Clouds and a chance of showers, with highs in the mid 70s. And the same all weekend — only colder.

MTA 🚇

In Manhattan, the uptown 6 train skips 51 Street, 68 Street, 77 Street, 96 Street, 103 Street, 110 Street and 116 Street all weekend, starting at 9:45 p.m. tonight. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, June 13.

By the way…

We’ll say it again — early voting starts tomorrow. Find your polling place here.

Our Other Top Stories

John Chell, the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed official, used a false identity to try to avoid paying income taxes on money he made moonlighting as a basketball referee for six years, newly-released police disciplinary records obtained by THE CITY reveal. Mayor Eric Adams is at least $1 million in debt to law firms that represented him during his now-defunct federal corruption case, according to new financial disclosures from the Conflicts of Interest Board. Aiming to reduce the number of fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries that power e-bikes, the city is making delivery workers an offer it hopes they can’t refuse: new e-bikes and safer batteries, in exchange for illegal ones. The FDNY commissioner said it was “like trading in a Kia for a Mercedes.” What health policies do the mayoral candidates support? And what can a mayor do about public health, anyway? Your Local Epidemiologist from Healthbeat has the scoop. The health insurance management company Leading Edge (or Omni Advantage) has been repeatedly accused of not paying doctors and leaving patients to foot the bill — and on May 1, they became the provider for thousands of New Yorkers. If you’re a member of THE CITY, then you’re invited to a virtual panel next week! Our reporters will be giving you the inside scoop about the race to City Hall in the final days before the primary. If you’re not a member but still want to come, it’s not too late — donating even $1 will make you eligible to attend. After you donate, keep an eye on your inbox for the deets!

SPONSORED How To Manage The High Costs Of Buying or Owning a Vehicle Whether you’re looking for a way to commute to work or school on your own time, or you’ve been saving up for your own set of wheels to go on countless adventures, in today’s financial climate, managing your vehicle loans efficiently is key. It could help you save money and limit potential headaches down the road. Here are some helpful strategies to manage your vehicle payments: Budget wisely. Before signing on the dotted line, make sure that your monthly payments align with your financial goals. Don't stretch your budget too thin. It’s better to set your car budget first and then find a vehicle that fits that budget, rather than finding a car and potentially being disappointed if it’s more than you can afford. Using a car payment calculator can help estimate your monthly car payment for different scenarios, by inputting the ballpark amount you’d like to finance along with some other basic info. Automate your payments. Some lenders offer the option to automate your monthly payments. This can be an extremely useful tool as it helps you avoid missing your payment and a potential late fees. Make biweekly payments. Instead of monthly payments, consider paying half of your monthly amount every two weeks. By making biweekly payments, you end up making a total of 26 payments in a year, the equivalent of 13 monthly payments rather than 12—helping you pay off the loan a little earlier. Make sure you contact your lender to confirm this is an option. Consider shorter loan terms. Though longer loans often mean smaller monthly payments, they usually come with higher interest rates, which typically ends up costing you more over time. If available, opt for a shorter loan term to save on interest. For more auto budgeting tools and tips, visit autofinance.chase.com/.

Reporter’s Notebook

Albany Re-ups Biz Tax Breaks for NYC Moves

Overcoming opposition from some Manhattan lawmakers, the state Assembly and Senate Tuesday overwhelmingly passed legislation renewing a tax break for companies moving from the city’s central business district to the other boroughs and another for companies moving into older office buildings in Manhattan.

The measures had not been included in the state budget, which extended or increased other business tax incentives including the controversial film tax credit which costs $800 million a year.

The Relocation and Employment Assistance Program, or REAP, provides a $3,000 annual tax credit for 12 years for every employee a company moves to areas north of 96th Street in Manhattan or other boroughs.

The Relocation Assistance Credit for Employees, or RACE, would authorize the city to provide a one-time $5,000 credit per full-time worker for firms moving to Manhattan and leasing at least 10,000 square feet in a building built before 2000. It is capped at 500 employees per firm and 3,000 in total.

Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to sign the legislation. They were backed by real estate groups, business groups outside Manhattan and the Adams administration.

— Greg David

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Friday, June 13: Celebrate the 200th birthday of Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton Army Base with live music, food trucks and fireworks. 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14: It’s Pigeon Fest! In honor of National Pigeon Day and the new giant pigeon statue by the High Line, enjoy pigeon-themed programming. RSVPs are technically closed, but walk-ups “may be permitted.” On the High Line and 30th Street, 12 p.m. Saturday, June 14: Celebrate Juneteenth with the Federation of Black Cowboys at Rockefeller Park in Lower Manhattan. Live music, horseback rides and more! 2 p.m.

THE KICKER: Man bites dog: After a year off due to a contract dispute, legendary hot dog eater Joey Chestnut is in talks to return to the annual July 4th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Friday.

Love,

THE CITY

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