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Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026

Today's SCOOP is brought to you by our members.

Dear New Yorkers,

Have the city’s queer hockey players watched the show of the moment? “ You're legally required to, I think, if you're a gay hockey player,” said Nozlee Samadzadeh, a 38-year-old defensive player with the NYC Pride Hockey Alliance. “It’s fun and hot and insane that it’s on TV. Who can complain?”

In New York, as everywhere, the “Heated Rivalry” phenomenon has swept through town, including among fans looking to recreate some of its magic — on ice.

In the queer hockey romance, the sport itself is more a setting than the plot. Yet the show’s popularity has led to a wave of people itching to lace up their skates.

Weather ☀️

Sunny, with a high near 33 going down to 16 at night.

MTA 🚇

In Brooklyn, no B trains between Kings Highway and Brighton Beach. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s disabled today Feb. 4 through Feb. 8 due to snow removal.

By the way…

The New York City Marathon’s entry lottery opens today until Feb. 25.

Our Other Top Stories

After three years of growth, fewer immigrants moved to New York in 2025, according to Census Bureau data. Immigration advocates point to one major factor: affordability. The Gateway Development Commission is suing the federal government for withholding funding for a new $16 billion Hudson River rail tunnel. On Tuesday night, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport also sued the Trump administration to stop what they called “its unlawful suspension of federal funding” for the project.

Reporter’s Notebook

Mamdani-Backed Candidate Wins His Seat

Diana Moreno will take over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Queens assembly seat, boosted by an endorsement from the current mayor.

Moreno, an organizer, was an early Mamdani backer in the 2025 mayoral race and appeared in his launch video. She defeated Rana Abdelhamid and Mary Jobaida to represent the western Queens district, which includes Astoria and Long Island City.

The race was one of three special elections held Tuesday.

On the east side of Manhattan, term-limited City Councilmember Keith Powers won a race to fill former assemblymember Harvey Epstein’s seat after Epstein replaced him in the council.

And Erik Bottcher, another former city councilmember, won the election on Manhattan’s West Side for the assembly seat previously held by Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who is now the borough president.

— Katie Honan

EV Bus Breakdown

The head of the MTA acknowledged Tuesday that electric buses being put to the test on city streets are “not performing well,” forcing the transportation authority to invest in other types of low-emissions options.

Janno Lieber told Albany lawmakers that the 60 electric buses currently in use by the MTA have “underperformed” along routes in the city and that manufacturer New Flyer needs to address what’s causing breakdowns.

The MTA has previously reported that the electric buses face reliability issues that include batteries that overheat or fail to fully charge.

“Until those issues get addressed and the buses become more reliable, we are actually buying more of clean diesel, (compressed natural gas) buses and other low-emission strategies,” the MTA chairperson and chief executive testified at a budget hearing before state lawmakers in Albany.

The MTA has previously pledged that its entire fleet of close to 6,000 buses will be fully electric by 2040, but Lieber pointed to an EV industry that is “still immature” as a potential factor in meeting the mark.

“We’re going to be open about this,” he said. “For us, the most important thing is good service to the customers because the most important environmental contribution the MTA makes is getting people out of cars and onto transit.”

— Jose Martinez

Things To Do

Here are some free and low-cost things going on around the city this week.

Wednesday, Feb. 4: Explore open studio night at The Lighthouse Brooklyn where creators open their studios for participants to explore two production ready studios, four turnkey podcast rooms and a music recording space. Free, a 21+ event from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. RSVP here. Wednesday, Feb. 4: Listen to a reading and conversation with author and writing professor Robert Polito at The New School on his Bob Dylan biography “After the Flood,” focused on Dylan’s creative output over the last three decades. Free, at 6:00 p.m. Register here. Thursday, Feb. 5: DUMBO’s waterfront arts scene is hosting its first Thursday gallery walk, in which 14 galleries will stay open late for opening receptions, special events and artist talks. Free, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

THE KICKER: An intricate, architectural model of New York City built entirely by the artist's hands over the last 20 years is going on display next week.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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