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Tuesday, January 6, 2026

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Dear New Yorkers,

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday night gave Department of Correction leadership 45 days to produce a concrete plan for abiding by a law banning solitary confinement — even as he signed an executive order extending the long-running emergency declaration allowing them to continue bypassing numerous laws and minimum standards.

For years, the DOC has relied on emergency declarations signed every five days by each of the l two mayors, Eric Adams and Bill de Blasio, rather than abiding by those standards and the 2024 law banning solitary confinement at Rikers and the city’s other jails.

In a statement accompanying his own emergency declaration, Mamdani said that he was signing it because “The previous administration’s refusal to meet their legal obligations on Rikers has left us with troubling conditions that will take time to resolve.”

But resolving them may be difficult, given that the new mayor hasn’t yet picked his own Correction commissioner and is relying on his predecessor’s appointment who’s opposed until now any limit on the use of solitary.

It’s also unclear how any plan that the department’s interim leadership comes up with would fit together with a federal judge’s ongoing effort to claim some control of the long-troubled jails system by finding  a remediation manager to oversee key aspects of jail operations.

Read more here about Mamdani’s attempt to buy a little time and chart a different path forward.

Weather 🌧️☀️☁️⛅🌤️🌬️☔🥶

Cloudy, with a high near 38 and a 20% chance of snow.

MTA 🚇

In Brooklyn, no N trains at Coney Island-Stillwell Ave from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s not in effect today, Jan. 6. for Three Kings’ Day.

By the way…

The special election to fill Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s now vacant Assembly seat will be held on Feb. 3.

Our Other Top Stories

About 200 Venezuelans showed up outside a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan Monday to cheer the removal and prosecution of their home country’s president, socialist strongman Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by U.S. military forces over the weekend in what amounted to a takeover of their native country. Elected officials including Gov,. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Mamdani joined with advocates on Monday to celebrate one year of congestion pricing in Manhattan. Zohran Mamdani promised FAQ NYC his first interview as mayor back in March — but so far he hasn’t given any since taking office. Listen here as hosts Christina Greer and Harry Siegel discuss that, and much more from his first few days on the job.

Things To Do

Tuesday, Jan. 6: El Museo del Barrio will host its annual Three Kings’ Day parade with the procession beginning at 11 a.m. on 106th Street and Park Avenue.  Friday, Jan. 9: Draw inspiration from artist Man Ray’s collage series “Revolving Doors,” and create your own abstract forms at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. From 6 p.m to 8 p.m with demonstrations starting every 40 minutes. Free with admission.  Saturday, Jan. 10: Catch Gladiators NYC host their reenactment battle in Central Park from 2 to 4 p.m.

THE KICKER: It’s Mulchfest season. Drop off your tree at any of these locations until Jan. 11.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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