The trustbuster advising Mamdani who could bring aggressive approach to affordability

Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay

Weather: ☁️ Cloudy, highs in the lower 50s.

It's Friday in New York City, where progressives are very excited that Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed Lina Khan, the former head of the Federal Trade Commission, to his transition team.

Under her direction, the FTC effectively blocked a nearly $25 billion merger between two grocery giants that it said would have raised prices and harmed labor markets. It also banned junk fees for concerts and hotels and capped prices on asthma inhalers, among other actions.

Here are the affordability issues — from health care to the cost of a beer and a hot dog at sporting events — that Khan could tackle at the local level.

And here's what else is happening:

• The MTA said a 55-year-old man who stole copper wiring from tunnel tracks in the Bronx singlehandedly caused three different subway service meltdowns last month.
• A man detained on Rikers Island died overnight after he was rushed to the hospital during a medical episode, according to the Department of Correction.
• If Mayor-elect Mamdani wants to fund priorities like universal child care and free buses, he'll need the approval of state legislators. Will his past tenure in Albany help him in those negotiations?
  • Cooperation from the federal government would also be useful for Mamdani, who's in Washington, D.C. today to talk about his agenda with President Donald Trump. 
• Mutual aid and other volunteer groups around New York City have been training to offer assistance to immigrant neighbors in the event of ICE crackdowns. 
• Rep. Nydia Velázquez said she won't seek re-election in 2026, marking the end of a historic 16-term career in Congress.
• State officials have rescinded an East Harlem club's liquor license after a Gothamist investigation revealed the venue was operating as a de facto strip club despite city prohibitions.

• The OMNY system is going down for upgrades overnight tonight.
• The transition to OMNY and other cashless forms of payment has been devastating for street performers and vendors.
• Curtis Sliwa is being accused of stiffing campaign workers.
• The city's plan to build an extremely expensive flood barrier will not protect Edgemere.
• Brooklyn finally has its own homegrown country music star.
• Someone bought a Frida Kahlo self-portrait for $54.7 million yesterday, making it the most expensive work by a woman ever sold at auction.
• This Thanksgiving, brands are trying to capitalize on the "cousin walk."
• Scientists say raccoons have gotten so comfortable hanging around humans and our trash, they could soon become gentle enough to keep as pets.