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Dear New Yorkers,

The MTA board meets on Wednesday for the first time since Gov. Kathy Hochul reversed course on congestion pricing.

The conversation, according to board member David Jones, will be “moving away from a major move toward handicap accessibility, away from [Phase II of] the Second Avenue Subway and new signaling.”

After Hochul’s surprise decision, Jones says, “We’re just making sure the wheels don’t fall off.”

Hochul’s change of heart on tolling motorists going south of 60th Street now has the agency facing a $15 billion hole in its current five-year $55 billion plan to maintain and expand the regional transportation network.

While several board members have spoken out against Hochul’s decision, there may not be much the panel can do to reverse it.

Read more here about the upcoming MTA board meeting and the fallout from Hochul’s reversal.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Monday's Weather Rating: 8/10. A HUGE improvement! Mostly sunny with high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Still warm, but lower dew points and a nice breeze make a noticeable difference. The vibes are pretty good out there!

Our Other Top Stories

Who might challenge Mayor Eric Adams in next year’s mayoral race? Two serious contenders have already thrown their hats in the ring — and many more are waiting on the sidelines. In business news, the city has added jobs overall. But the information sector — which includes publishing, film and TV production, broadcasting and digital content, as well as streaming and podcasting and telecommunications — is now shedding the most jobs — and high-paying ones at that.  For two decades, Stan Mack published a weekly cartoon strip in the Village Voice about New Yorkers’ sayings and subcultures. Now Mack and Fantagraphics have compiled hundreds of highlights from his archives into a book called “Stan Mack’s Real Life Funnies: The Collected Conceits, Delusions and Hijinks of New Yorkers from 1974 to 1995.” In the latest episode of FAQ NYC Off Cycle, Mack talks with guest host Alyssa Katz, THE CITY’s executive editor, who worked at the Voice early in her career. Listen here.

Things To Do

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

Wednesday, June 26: Shakespeare in the Park is mobile this summer, in outdoor spaces around the city. Catch the Public Theater’s performance of “Comedy of Errors” at the Gil Scott-Heron Amphitheater in St. Mary's Park in The Bronx. Free from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 28: Watch the 2003 animated film “The Triplets of Belleville” outdoors. (In French, with English subtitles.) Free from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at J. Hood Wright Park in Manhattan. Saturday, June 29: Listen to Music at the Garden, featuring Gina D'Soto, Jennah Vox and the Queens Symphony Orchestra. Tickets: $6 and under. From 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Queens Botanical Garden.

THE KICKER: Last Saturday was the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade! Here are photos of the festivities by Brooklyn Magazine.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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