Good Morning, New York! Hochul says congestion pricing is working, there are still almost 5 million ghost trips across MTA bridges and tunnels per year, and old tweets of Zohran resurface. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Monday, July 7th, 2025.

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Front Pages

Hall Monitors

Congestion pricing seems to be working like a charm, according to Gov. Hochul. Six months in, the governor says the program has significantly reduced traffic in Lower Manhattan, increased mass transit ridership, and is on track to generate $500 million for transit improvements. Hochul added that the city won't back down against the Trump administration's attempts to shut down the program. (Gothamist)

Trump's "big, beautiful" budget could mean big cuts for NYC. Direct impacts are a multi-billion dollar hole in the state budget, which will require Hochul to call a special legislative session. The city will also have a budget hole to deal with, as it is likely to lose both some state funding as well as federal funding for programs that it may want to keep open. (The City)

The New York Times rushed out a story about NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani identifying as both "Asian" and "Black or African American" on his Columbia application. Apparently, the Times worried about getting scooped by conservative journalist Christopher Rufo, who was also digging into the leaked Columbia records. The story sparked debate, with critics questioning the Times' sourcing and relevance, and even caused internal tension among the paper's staff. (Semafor)

Capitol Gains

Despite a crackdown on "ghost vehicles," toll evasion on MTA bridges and tunnels remains stubbornly high with nearly 5 million free rides in 2024. While the MTA says enforcement efforts are working by keeping evasion from rising further, some experts suggest that people are finding more sophisticated ways to dodge tolls. The crackdown may have simply hit the limit of those willing to risk easily detectable forms of evasion. (Newsday)

New York teachers are mad as hell about this year's Regents exams. According to the NYSUT, Biology and Earth Science tests had content that wasn't part of the curriculum, leading to frustration for students and educators. The union is now working with the State Education Department to fix the issue and make sure future tests are aligned with state standards. (Finger Lakes 1)

Brought To You By…

Empire Examiner, a brand new satire publication serving New York State. Enjoy a sampling of their fake stories below. (AGAIN — this is not real news, just inspired by it!) Read some stories at empireexaminer.com, or follow them on X or Instagram.

Trail Mix

Did NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani once defend an al Qaeda terrorist? Old tweets have surfaced where Mamdani seems to blame the FBI for pushing Anwar al-Awlaki into terrorism after the agency investigated the cleric's private life. Critics like Rep. Peter King are blasting Mamdani, with one comparing his comments to 'blaming the Jews for Hitler.' (NY Post)

Zohran Mamdani's plan to tax wealthy New Yorkers and corporations is sparking debate, with a new poll revealing voters are pretty split. While roughly half support increasing taxes to fund things like public transit and affordable housing, that support drops when the possibility of businesses leaving the city is raised. Voters also showed support for city-run grocery stores and rent freezes, even if millionaires have to foot the bill. (NY Post)

NYC's real estate bigwigs are gearing up for a showdown with socialist mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. Industry insiders are confident they'll come out on top, pointing to a recent CoStar report showing Manhattan's office market is thriving. Meanwhile, the business community is rallying behind current Mayor Eric Adams bid to run as an independent to thwart Mamdani. (NY Post)