Two kids and an adult were injured when a manhole exploded in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood on Thursday afternoon, according to police and fire officials.
The explosion happened just before 4 p.m. near the corner of Warren and Church streets.
The two kids suffered burns to their face and shoulders, according to a law enforcement source. An adult also suffered minor injuries.
Fire officials believe as many as three manhole covers were blown in that area during the incident. A spokesperson from Con Ed confirmed that they had a crew responding to the scene.
A tree weighed down by snow from the blizzard snapped on a street in Hell’s Kitchen, nearly missing a nun walking with a child, and the close call was captured on camera.
The 30-foot tree, covered in snow as a result of the Nor’easter, collapsed onto West 51st Street, outside the Sacred Heart of Jesus convent. Neighbors couldn’t believe their eyes.
“All of a sudden I hear a crack and dthis thing came down in this direction, ” neighbor John Lombardi told News 4. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Sister Mary Joy cradled the young boy moments before the tree crashed on their path. Her fellow nuns were inside the convent when it happened, but said it was a gut feeling that sent Sister Mary Joy into safety mode, to shield the boy, who had been to the convent with his mom.
“Out of nowhere, really, the tree just uprooted,” Sister Mary Casey O’Connor said.
No injuries were reported as a result of the tree collapse. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) cleared the tree remnants, leaving a cone in its place.
“We know that God’s hand was directing every moment, because had anyone been within one foot direction different ways, it might not have ended so happily,” Sister O’Connor said.
The price of Bitcoin fell to its lowest level in 16 months despite US president Donald Trump’s personal and public support for cryptocurrency. A single Bitcoin went as low as $60,000 (£44,000), its lowest level since September 2024, before rallying slightly. The drop followed months of surging Bitcoin prices, which saw the cryptocurrency hit an all-time high of $122,200 in October 2025. “Those who bet too big, borrowed too much or assumed prices only go up are now finding out the hard way what real market volatility and risk management look like,” Joshua Chu, co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association told Reuters. BBC
TikTok could be forced into changes to make the app less addictive to users after the EU indicated the platform had breached the bloc’s digital safety rules. The EU’s executive arm said in a preliminary ruling that the popular app had infringed the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to its “addictive design”. The European Commission said TikTok, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide, had not adequately assessed how its design could harm the physical and mental wellbeing of users. The Guardian
Markets took a tumble this week as AI-company Anthropic released new add-ons to Claude that can perform a range of functions typically filled by software providers. Shares of software-as-a-service companies like Adobe, Intuit, and Salesforce declined sharply on fears that AI tools might chip away at their business. Legacy tech giants with large AI businesses like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google were also hit hard. Yahoo!
Anthropic, one of the biggest and most influential tech companies in the world, is launching a new model: Claude Opus 4.6. Until now, this would mostly be big news for techies, where Anthropic is admired as the maker of Claude Code, the code-writing AI tool which many engineers say is taking over their work entirely. All of a sudden, however, the impact of these tools is being felt more widely, after a seemingly small release from Anthropic shook some sections of the stock market. Sky News
Apple is no longer launching an AI service that can “replicate” a doctor and act as a personal health coach, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The company has reportedly scaled back the unannounced initiative in recent weeks, following a recent organization reshuffling wherein services chief Eddy Cue took over the health division. While Apple has never officially announced the AI health coach, it was reported last year that the company was working on developing the service that has been unofficially dubbed Health+. Engadget
The second set-top-box with Freely on board, the Aero 4K TV Streamer comes from Manhattan, which has been making satellite and Freeview boxes and recorders for decades. And it’s instantly a serious contender – not just for Pleio, but Sky Stream and Virgin Media Stream, too. So what’s the catch – if there is one – and what do you get for a surprisingly low entrance fee? Well, a lot, it turns out. The Manhattan Aero is remarkably priced. Available from several UK retailers, including Currys (click here for the direct link), Amazon, and John Lewis, it will set you back a mere £69.99. T3.com
An heir to Stanley Ho’s casino fortune is selling a New York City brownstone at a discount
Ho, the “King of Gambling,” held a monopoly on casinos in Macau until the turn of the century
An heir to the late Stanley Ho’s multibillion-dollar casino fortune, derived from his decades-long gaming monopoly in Macau, has listed his New York City brownstone on the Upper West Side.
Stanley Ho, the “King of Gambling,” poses in front of his Hong Kong mansion in 1990. A grandchild of the late Macau casino tycoon is selling his New York City brownstone on the Upper West Side near Manhattan’s Central Park. (Image: Getty)
Crain’s New York Business first broke the news that Stanley Willers, one of the many grandchildren linked to Ho and his four wives and 17 children, has put his five-story, 5,139-square-foot property on the market. The real estate listing for 53 W. 71st St., located just west of Central Park, comes with an asking price of $9.6 million.
The five-bed, six-bath single-family townhouse features an abundance of natural light through tall windows, offering “a rare convergence of architectural rigor, environmental performance, and refined luxury,” per the listing description. Along with 1,400 square feet of private outdoor space, an elevator serving all five stories, an indoor gym, and a “state-of-the-art ventilation system that continuously circulates tempered fresh air throughout the home,” the brownstone includes a glassed-in roof deck.
The property’s annual tax bill is $94,344, the listing agents at Corcoran detail. Corcoran is the real estate group founded by “Shark Tank” personality Barbara Corcoran.
Stanley Willers Bio
Stanley Ho Willers was born to Angela Ho, the eldest daughter of the late casino magnate’s 17 children, and her husband at the time, Uwe Willers. Angela was born to Stanley Ho’s first wife, Clementina Leitao.
Little is known about Uwe Willers. Angela later divorced him and married Peter Kjaer, a Danish artist and businessman. Together, they opened a ballet school in Hong Kong and formerly owned an art gallery in New York City.
Stanley Willers has used his vast inheritance for his own business endeavors, primarily Ho Gaming.
Founded in 2006, the Malta-based business-to-business iGaming firm provides live dealer and software management services to online casinos operating across Asia. Ho Gaming’s live dealer table game streams include blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and sic bo.
NYC Property
Willers’ mother bought the property at 53 W. 71st in November 2012 for $5.99 million. After acquiring the brownstone, the real estate listing says the home underwent a multiyear renovation by Ingui Architecture. The multimillion-dollar overhaul, the home details suggest, resulted in a “residence of exceptional flow, continuity, and technical sophistication.” Ho later gifted the brownstone to her son.
The property is certified as a Passive House, a recognition for properties that meet energy performance standards as defined by the Passive House Institute US.
“Buildings certified to Passive House standards reliably provide a reduction in energy needed for heating and cooling of up to 90%, and up to 75% reduction in overall energy use, compared to existing buildings,” the NYC Housing Preservation & Development website explains.
The first witness at the federal sex trafficking trial of three brothers, two of them high-end real estate brokers, testified Tuesday in a Manhattan courtroom that the thrill of attending a party at actor Zac Efron’s apartment turned into a nightmare when, hours later, one of the brothers repeatedly raped her at their home and taunted her about it.
The woman, who testified under the pseudonym Katie Moore, is one of several alleged victims expected to testify against brothers Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander, who are accused of teaming up to drug and rape women and girls over several years.
Lawyers for the brothers say the sex was consensual.
Prosecutors say the Alexander brothers used their ties to the wealthy and famous to lure multiple victims.
The woman said she was 20, an anthropology major in college, when she met two of the brothers at the party at Efron’s New York apartment in 2012. She accompanied a friend who had recently met Tal Alexander, and who invited her there to watch the last game of the 2012 NBA Finals. She said she had little interaction with Efron, who is not accused of any wrongdoing.
She testified that at Efron’s apartment, she was offered alcohol, and that she, Tal Alexander and her friend took the drug Molly. She said it was her first time taking the drug and that she felt “jitteriness” after doing so.
In this courtroom sketch, a witness, testifying under the pseudonym Katie Moore, cries on the witness stand in Manhattan federal court on the first day of the sex trafficking trial of Alon Alexander, Oren Alexander and Tal Alexander, on Jan. 27, 2026, in New York.
Elizabeth Williams via AP
After the game, the woman went to an afterparty at a Manhattan nightclub, where she said she was given a drink and remembered little afterward until she woke up naked on a bed in another apartment with Alon Alexander, also naked, standing over her. She said she repeatedly tried to get up, but he kept pushing her back, prompting her to say: “I don’t want to have sex with you.”
“Haha, you already did,” she recalled him saying as he “laughed in my face.”
She said he then overpowered and raped her. While it was happening, Tal Alexander walked into the room briefly, but did nothing to stop the attack, the woman told the jury. He seemed “super nonchalant,” she said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Smyser said in her opening statement to the jury that the Alexander brothers “masqueraded as party boys when really they were predators.”
She described the brothers as “partners in crime.”
“Woman after woman, rape after rape,” Smyser said.
Smyser said they used “whatever means necessary” including luxury accommodations, flights, drugs, alcohol and sometimes brute force to lure women into situations where they could be raped.
Attorney Teny Geragos, representing Oren Alexander, urged the jury to reject prosecutors’ “monstrous story.”
She said the brothers, who got out of college in 2008, were successful, ambitious and sometimes arrogant as they pursued women in nightclubs, bars, restaurants and online in what is known as “hookup culture,” hoping to have as much sex as possible.
“That it is not trafficking, that is dating,” Geragos said.
“You may find this behavior immoral, but it is not criminal,” Geragos said. She said some of the brothers’ accusers were hoping to enrich themselves with lawsuits and spoke of themselves as victims only after feeling regret that they had done illegal drugs or had sex outside of relationships with their boyfriends.
Attorney Deanna Paul, representing Tal Alexander, warned jurors that the subject matter of the case was disturbing and will seem like an R-rated movie, especially after prosecutors portrayed the brothers as “monsters.”
“In their early 20s, Tal and his brothers were party boys. They were womanizers. They slept with many, many women,” she said.
She urged jurors to reject the criminal charges against the brothers if they conclude that the accusers’ testimony was unreliable.
Oren and Tal Alexander were real estate dealers who specialized in high-end properties in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Their brother, Alon, graduated from New York Law School before running the family’s private security firm. Tal is 39 years old while Alon and Oren, who are twins, are 38.
An indictment alleges that the men conspired to entice women to join them at vacation destinations such as New York’s Hamptons by providing flights and luxury hotel rooms.
The brothers have been held without bail since their December 2024 arrest in Miami, where they lived.
During her testimony Tuesday, the trial’s first witness said she fled the room where Alon Alexander had attacked her after he fell asleep. The woman remained composed through much of her testimony, though she got choked up several times. She cried as she recalled reaching out several years after the attack to friends she had told about the experience so she could be reminded that others loved her.
Chin Up Bar is a new gin-focused cocktail spot on the Lower East Side. Photo Memory NYC
Specialization is hot in New York’s crowded bar scene. Want an Italian aperitivo? Or Japanese-style cocktails? You’ve got options in spades. Spirits themselves, too, prove rich enough to warrant entire bars dedicated to their varying expressions, especially whiskey and agave spirits like tequila and mezcal. There’s one spirit, however, that two bar industry veterans believe deserves another devoted destination, especially now: gin.
Brian Gummert and Blake Walker have joined forces to open the gin-focused Chin Up Bar at 171 Chrystie Street in New York City’s Lower East Side. The partnership makes sense: Gummert owns Lower East Side cocktail bar Subject; Walker bartended there, as well as at Nitecap and Amor y Amargo, the latter of which is one of New York’s prized specialty spots concentrating on amaro.
“Brian and I both love gin, and there’s been an explosion of exciting gins in the past 10 to 15 years,” Walker tells Observer. Classic London dry styles from well-established distilleries have long been popular in Europe and back bar staples in the United States. But more recently, American craft distilleries, like Tenmile Distillery in upstate New York, have been leaning more into the spirit. Gins are also popping up in regions not previously associated with the spirit, where endemic fruits and botanicals give it a fresh spin—South Africa’s Bayab Gin with local pineapple and palm sap, for example, or Vietnam’s Sông Cái Distillery with heirloom pomelo, jungle pepper, black cardamom and green turmeric.
The thrill of discovery fueled the proliferation of whiskey and agave bars over the last two decades, Walker adds. Craft whiskey options exploded in New York, followed by an increased availability of quality tequila and mezcal, and suddenly bar-goers had entire categories to explore at dedicated destinations. Now, he says, gin “is ripe for that.”
Gin’s own craft boom has resulted in myriad different flavor profiles for such exploration. Walker and Gummert curated a back bar just shy of 100 gin bottles ahead of the December 2025 opening, which Walker says could likely double in the next few months and continue to grow from there. In addition to heavy hitters in the London dry vein, Chin Up Bar’s shelves represent the aforementioned options from upstate New York, Vietnam and South Africa, as well as those from Japan, India, Kenya, Mexico, Australia and more.
Bolstered by this kind of selection, Chin Up Bar speaks to gin lovers above all else. But Walker and Gummert are willing to bet that even those who believe they don’t like gin just haven’t found the gin for them yet.
“A lot of people avoid gin due to unfortunate experiences early in their drinking careers,” Walker says. “They had bad gin, or they still have the perception it’s old-fashioned or stodgy. I think that’s diminishing and a lot of those attitudes have really sloughed off, but there’s still a little bit of persistence there.” For Walker and Gummert, the perception that gin is all pine tree and booze burn may be what has prevented the spirit from having its own dedicated menus in the past.
A Gibson. Photo Memory NYC
To showcase gin’s versatility and vast breadth of regional expressions, Walker and Gummert have shaped a menu balancing classic gin cocktails with more novel creations.
The classics help demonstrate the impact different gins can have on familiar, popular flavor profiles—Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength gin is perfect in a martini with a refined balance of juniper, citrus, spice and clean smoothness. Roku Japanese gin has peppery spice and herbaceous green tea notes that sing in a dirty martini, and Neversink New York gin possesses a hint of sweetness that brings out the same in the Gibson’s leek vermouth and sherry vinegar while tempering the drink’s acidity and brine. Then, there are the more adventurous Chin Up Bar originals.
Rendezvous in Chennai. Photo Memory NYC
Floral, citrusy and spicy, Dorothy Parker New York gin pulls together the Rendezvous in Chennai. With Madras curry, coconut, apricot, ginger and lime, the slightly creamy, velvety cocktail explodes with bright, tropical flavors before the savory curry, with its subtle heat, blossoms and lingers in the drink’s finish. Elsewhere on the menu, the Australian Four Pillars yuzu gin plays with guava and sunflower seed orgeat, while the Mexican Condesa prickly pear gin anchors thyme, kiwi, honey and sparkling wine.
Walker and Gummert aren’t afraid to venture beyond traditional gin cocktails and inventions crafted specifically around gin. Aquavit, essentially a Scandinavian gin riff featuring caraway instead of juniper, punches up the traditionally more rounded, sweeter old-fashioned with spice, while apple brandy, Granny Smith apples, wasabi and red shiso broaden its flavor horizons with a bright crispness, earthiness and heat. Gin even found its way into a coquito Walker was pouring before Christmas. The rich, coconutty Puerto Rican holiday punch is made with rum, but Walker splits its base with gin. The result is a more complex coquito with punchier spices and subtle botanicals keeping the drink safely distant from cloying territory.
The aquavit old-fashioned. Photo Memory NYC
There’s plenty to learn about gin at Chin Up Bar, but it’s up to guests how much information they want served up with their drinks. Walker and Gummert prioritize staff education, so information on various gins comes across more naturally in dialogues with guests rather than requiring rehearsed spiels. They also plan to have classic gin botanicals on hand for people to smell on their own, and they allow guests to liberally sample with one-ounce pours of anything on the back bar.
“It’s important for us to leave the doors wide open to educational experiences and talk about things in a knowledgeable way without forcing it on anyone,” Walker explains. “They can just come in and have a delicious drink without that if they want.”
Chin Up Bar’s seafood-forward menu has been intentionally developed to pair well with gin. Even in the minuscule world of gin-focused bars, this level of detail is rare; gin isn’t framed in a pairing context the same way as wine, beer, or even whiskey.
The seafood-forward menu, with dishes like smoked mussels escabeche, was designed to pair well with gin. Photo Memory NYC
There’s the option to simply feast on shrimp cocktail with your martini, but you can also order dishes recommended based on your specific drink. For example, Walker suggested smoked mussels escabeche and a tuna dish with red shiso leaf and dehydrated beets to pair with the Rendezvous in Chennai and aquavit old-fashioned. The red shiso leaf in both the tuna and the old-fashioned matched well, and the mussels’ smoky character highlighted the Rendezvous’s savory curry note. (It’s worth mentioning that the satisfyingly toothsome, densely flavor-packed beets on that tuna dish deserve their own award.) A selection of oysters may not be as carefully curated to cocktails’ flavors, but similarly to the shrimp cocktail, they feel like a low-stakes, classic nosh for a cocktail bar.
It’s a unique space. Photo Memory NYC
All of this gin celebration takes place in a refreshingly singular space. You won’t find Art Deco “bathtub gin” nods here, nor the de rigueur martini bar plush red banquettes. The space itself feels sculptural, with cave-like white stucco walls inspired by the Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History. High vaulted ceilings with sky murals by Ori Carino wink at the ceilings of Grand Central Station, while touches of greenery pay homage to Sara D. Roosevelt Park near the bar. All together, the interior looks other-worldly—it’s giving a chicer, more restrained Mos Eisley Cantina—but every element weaves in some New York reference.
Envisioning Chin Up Bar’s space, Gummert recalls serving drinks elsewhere during the pandemic and thinking how excited people would be to be in a new space.
Every element of the interior weaves in a piece of New York. Photo Memory NYC
“People were stuck in nostalgia for a while, but now seem to be wanting something fresh,” he says. The bar is in a new building, so he and Walker got to design the layout from scratch. “Patterns emerged little by little, inspired by New York public spaces, cathedrals, subway stations…it was time to see something new and interesting in New York.”
Walker and Gummert would love Chin Up to become a destination cocktail bar, but Walker notes that “it’s locals, it’s regulars that keep you open and sustained for a long time. Our focus has been creating an experience to make people want to come back over and over.” Gin enthusiasts will already be locked in to a concept like this, but between the reliably well-made classics, interesting originals, and strong food menu, there’s more than enough for every other kind of imbiber to appreciate.
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight Thursday, taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in a brief speech.The ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, took place at the old City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.In Mamdani’s first speech as mayor, he said the old subway station was a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city” as he announced the appointment of his new Department of Transportation commissioner, Mike Flynn.The new mayor then closed: “Thank you all so much, now I will see you later,” he said with a smile before heading up a flight of stairs.Mamdani will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1 p.m. by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes. That will be followed by what the new administration is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” famous for its ticker-tape parades.Mamdani now begins one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of the country’s most-watched politicians.In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to bring transformative change with policies intended to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. His platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores.But he will also have to face other responsibilities: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn’t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.He worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before he sought public office himself, winning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in the outer-borough to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan.Mamdani inherits a city on the upswing, after years of slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is also back to pre-COVID levels.Yet deep concerns remain about high prices and rising rents in the city.He’ll also have to deal with Republican President Donald Trump.During the mayoral race, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani won and mused about sending National Guard troops to the city.But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.“I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Trump said.Still, tensions between the two leaders are almost certain to resurface, given their deep policy disagreements, particularly over immigration.Mamdani also faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the city’s Jewish community over his criticisms of Israel’s government.The new mayor and his team have spent the weeks since his election victory preparing for the transition, surrounding Mamdani with seasoned hands who have worked inside or alongside city government.That included persuading the city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to remain in her position — a move that helped calm fears in the business community that the administration might be planning radical changes in policing strategy.
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight Thursday, taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.
Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.
“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in a brief speech.
The ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, took place at the old City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.
In Mamdani’s first speech as mayor, he said the old subway station was a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city” as he announced the appointment of his new Department of Transportation commissioner, Mike Flynn.
The new mayor then closed: “Thank you all so much, now I will see you later,” he said with a smile before heading up a flight of stairs.
Mamdani will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1 p.m. by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes. That will be followed by what the new administration is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” famous for its ticker-tape parades.
Mamdani now begins one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of the country’s most-watched politicians.
In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.
In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to bring transformative change with policies intended to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. His platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores.
But he will also have to face other responsibilities: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn’t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.
He worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before he sought public office himself, winning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.
Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in the outer-borough to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan.
Mamdani inherits a city on the upswing, after years of slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is also back to pre-COVID levels.
Yet deep concerns remain about high prices and rising rents in the city.
He’ll also have to deal with Republican President Donald Trump.
During the mayoral race, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani won and mused about sending National Guard troops to the city.
But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.
“I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Trump said.
Still, tensions between the two leaders are almost certain to resurface, given their deep policy disagreements, particularly over immigration.
Mamdani also faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the city’s Jewish community over his criticisms of Israel’s government.
The new mayor and his team have spent the weeks since his election victory preparing for the transition, surrounding Mamdani with seasoned hands who have worked inside or alongside city government.
That included persuading the city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to remain in her position — a move that helped calm fears in the business community that the administration might be planning radical changes in policing strategy.
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight Thursday, taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in a brief speech.The ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, took place at the old City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.In Mamdani’s first speech as mayor, he said the old subway station was a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city” as he announced the appointment of his new Department of Transportation commissioner, Mike Flynn.The new mayor then closed: “Thank you all so much, now I will see you later,” he said with a smile before heading up a flight of stairs.Mamdani will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1 p.m. by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes. That will be followed by what the new administration is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” famous for its ticker-tape parades.Mamdani now begins one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of the country’s most-watched politicians.In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to bring transformative change with policies intended to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. His platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores.But he will also have to face other responsibilities: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn’t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.He worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before he sought public office himself, winning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in the outer-borough to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan.Mamdani inherits a city on the upswing, after years of slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is also back to pre-COVID levels.Yet deep concerns remain about high prices and rising rents in the city.He’ll also have to deal with Republican President Donald Trump.During the mayoral race, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani won and mused about sending National Guard troops to the city.But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.“I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Trump said.Still, tensions between the two leaders are almost certain to resurface, given their deep policy disagreements, particularly over immigration.Mamdani also faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the city’s Jewish community over his criticisms of Israel’s government.The new mayor and his team have spent the weeks since his election victory preparing for the transition, surrounding Mamdani with seasoned hands who have worked inside or alongside city government.That included persuading the city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to remain in her position — a move that helped calm fears in the business community that the administration might be planning radical changes in policing strategy.
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight Thursday, taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.
Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.
“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in a brief speech.
The ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, took place at the old City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.
In Mamdani’s first speech as mayor, he said the old subway station was a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city” as he announced the appointment of his new Department of Transportation commissioner, Mike Flynn.
The new mayor then closed: “Thank you all so much, now I will see you later,” he said with a smile before heading up a flight of stairs.
Mamdani will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1 p.m. by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes. That will be followed by what the new administration is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” famous for its ticker-tape parades.
Mamdani now begins one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of the country’s most-watched politicians.
In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.
In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to bring transformative change with policies intended to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. His platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores.
But he will also have to face other responsibilities: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn’t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.
He worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before he sought public office himself, winning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.
Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in the outer-borough to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan.
Mamdani inherits a city on the upswing, after years of slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is also back to pre-COVID levels.
Yet deep concerns remain about high prices and rising rents in the city.
He’ll also have to deal with Republican President Donald Trump.
During the mayoral race, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani won and mused about sending National Guard troops to the city.
But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.
“I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Trump said.
Still, tensions between the two leaders are almost certain to resurface, given their deep policy disagreements, particularly over immigration.
Mamdani also faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the city’s Jewish community over his criticisms of Israel’s government.
The new mayor and his team have spent the weeks since his election victory preparing for the transition, surrounding Mamdani with seasoned hands who have worked inside or alongside city government.
That included persuading the city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to remain in her position — a move that helped calm fears in the business community that the administration might be planning radical changes in policing strategy.
Hands-On Fun – Cradle of Aviation, Wave Hill art project, Gingerbread City workshops
Skating Adventures – BCM rooftop roller skating, NY Hall of Science Space Glide
Cultural Celebrations – Three Kings Day at Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Dream of Kings at Teatro SEA
Family Storytime – Morgan Library New Beginnings program
Even if you’re happy that the holidays are nearly over (like so many moms this year!) no one wants the holiday break to end. If you weren’t able to do all you had intended, the good news is that there are a lot of holiday events finishing their runs this weekend. Plus, there are new family activities that have nothing to do with the holidays, too. The choice is yours!
We always have a full lineup of fun family activities in our Calendar of Events … here are a few standouts taking place this weekend!
Headquarters has declared December Break an all-hands-on-deck mission of fun, creativity, and holiday cheer. From scavenger hunts to hands-on crafts to model trains and pajama parties, the museum is fully stocked with activities for every young recruit and seasoned aviation fan. Through Jan. 4, 2026, 10 am – 5 pm Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Blvd.,Garden City
Welcome the new year by creating a calendar highlighting your favorite part of every season. Get creative as you use bright colors to capture the excitement of each month. Jan. 3 & 4, 10 am – 1 pm Wave Hill, 675 W 252nd St.
Empire Skate of Mind brings roller skating to BCM’s rooftop terrace—disco music, all-ages fun, and a nod to the legendary Empire Roller Rink that made skating history in the neighborhood. Through April 12, 2026, Saturdays & Sundays 10 am – 5 pm, Wednesdays – Fridays, 2 – 5 pm Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave.
Leap off the page with an hour-long family program geared towards younger visitors. Explore the Morgan with a picture book storytime and a related tour or art activity. The January theme is New Beginnings. January 3, 2026, 11 am – noon The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave.
This classic fable comes to life as a shadow, rod & hand puppet show adapted by Nicolas Coppola. Jan. 3 through Jan. 25, 2026, Saturdays & Sundays, 12:30 pm; Saturdays & Sundays, 2:30 pm Puppetworks Inc, 338 Sixth Ave. at 4th St., Brooklyn
Celebrate Three Kings Day with the Nuyorican Poets Cafe at BPCA! Enjoy a Bougie Charcuterie spread and arts & crafts with Olga Ayala followed by a presentation of Angie Hernandez’ bilingual musical for children “Gifts of the Magi.” The celebration will conclude with an open mic for poets in attendance hosted by Nuyorican’s Executive Director, Caridad De La Luz, “La Bruja.” January 3, 2026, 3 pm – 5 pm Nuyorican Poets Cafe, 6 River Terrace
This holiday favorite uses traditional Latin American Christmas songs to tell us the story of the year in which, rather than following the Star, the Three Magi decided to use GPS. This leads them not to arrive at Bethlehem of Judea, but at the home of Jesús Rodríguez, a kid in the Barrio Belén of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. Jan. 3 & 4, 3 – 4 pm; Jan. 5, 7 pm Teatro SEA at The Clemente Center, 107 Suffolk St.
Kids can walk through multiple lantern-lit trails filled with glowing animals, or take a ride on the Holiday Train. Then explore the Enchanted Sea, and get in line for new attractions like snow tube slides and interactive snowball games. Plus, there’s food, warm drinks, and other hands-on activities. Through Jan. 4, 2026 Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd.
“Space Glide”, an immersive skating experience set in deep space, has landed at the New York Hall of Science! The indoor rink is made of “Glice,” an eco-friendly, polymer-based, ice-like substance, which does not require skates. Visitors can glide in booties provided by NYSCI, making it fun and accessible to all ages and skill levels. The rink will feature projections onto the Glice and around the room to simulate floating through space. Through Feb. 22, 2026, Wednesdays – Sundays 10 am – 5 pm; (Jan. 19, Feb. 16 & 17, 10 am – 5 pm) New York Hall of Science, 4701 111th St., Corona
Lightscape is back at Brooklyn Botanic Garden with a refreshed after-dark trail, new light installations, and a seasonal soundtrack. Along the way, you can grab festive treats, warm drinks, specialty cocktails, and kid-friendly snacks from pop-ups or enjoy sit-down dining. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn Through Jan. 4, 2026, 10 am – 6 pm
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world-famous Radio City Rockettes at this year’s Christmas Spectacular! Whether it’s your first time or your family’s annual tradition, this show never disappoints and is always a great holiday memory in the making. Through Jan. 4, 2026 Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas
The Holiday Train Show is back with holiday fun at the New York Botanical Garden. Model trains ride past nearly 200 handmade landmark replicas that have been built from pinecones, palm fronds, and cinnamon sticks. New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx Through Jan. 11, 2026, Tuesdays – Sundays 10 am – 6 pm
This unique holiday pop-up features architect-designed workshops, a showcase of gingerbread installations themed “The Playful City,” and a gingerbread-themed café by Willett’s Café Spinone. The café will offer special holiday drinks with a gingerbread twist, and children participating in workshops receive complimentary hot chocolate. Through Jan. 4, 2026, 9 am – 7 pm The Gingerbread City at The Seaport,19 Fulton St.
The world-famous Gazillion Bubble Show returns with its first-ever holiday edition—packed with dazzling bubble artistry, immersive winter effects, Santa “snow globe” photos, and exclusive bubble toys perfect for gifting. Through Jan. 4, 2026, Wednesdays – Sundays noon – 5:30 pm New World Stages, 340 W 50th St.
The Big Apple Circus is back in NYC with a new, high-energy show the whole family can get into. You’ll see Johnny Rico’s comedy, the Flying Maluendas on the trapeze, Ukraine’s Bingo Troupe stacking into wild human pyramids, and the Kung Fu Boys mixing martial arts with dance.
Through Jan. 4, 2026, various times Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, Amsterdam Ave & W 62nd St.
Looking for even more family fun? Be sure to check out our comprehensive calendar of events, updated daily with the latest happenings across Brooklyn and beyond, from festivals and performances to free local activities for all ages.
The Lowdown on Kids’ Activities in NYC
Is it worth going to New York with kids?
Absolutely! Taking kids to New York City is always a great idea. The city is packed with kid-friendly things, especially on weekends, and parks and playgrounds are plentiful. There are amazing museums and zoos, carousels to ride, and food on every corner. That said, it’s a busy place: it’s loud, there’s a lot of walking, and it can be overwhelming if you try to do everything.
It’s better to plan just one main activity each day, leave time for playgrounds and snacks, and not stress about seeing it all. Truthfully, the little moments are what kids tend to remember most, like riding the subway, running around Central Park, or spotting dinosaurs at the museum. These stick with them more than checking off every big landmark.
Where are good places to take a child in NYC?
When you’re visiting New York City with kids, the goal is to keep things easy and fun for everyone, including yourself!. If you want a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, Central Park is a go-to. Kids love Heckscher Playground, and there’s always something new to see at the Central Park Zoo.
Brooklyn Bridge Park is another favorite. It has big open spaces and playgrounds, and the views of Manhattan are stunning, plus you’re right by the water.
Rainy or cold day? Weekend or weekday, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and the American Museum of Natural History are both winners and stroller-friendly!. If you’re just looking to squeeze in some quick fun, hop on the SeaGlass Carousel, wander around Little Island, or visit a neighborhood playground (there are SO many). Then treat yourselves to authentic NYC pizza or ice cream nearby. Picking one main activity, planning for snack and bathroom breaks, and calling it a day before anyone gets tired is the real NYC parenting hack.
Looking for even more family fun? Be sure to check out our comprehensive calendar of events, updated daily with the latest happenings across NYC and beyond, from holiday events and new attractions to performances and free local activities for all ages.
NEW YORK (AP) — Onetime cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison after a $40 billion crash revealed his crypto ecosystem to be a fraud. Victims said the 34-year-old financial technology whiz weaponized their trust to convince them that the investment — secretly propped up by cash infusions — was safe.
Kwon, a Stanford graduate known by some as “the cryptocurrency king,” apologized after listening as victims — one in court and others by telephone — described the scam’s toll: wiping out nest eggs, depleting charities and wrecking lives. One told the judge in a letter that he contemplated suicide after his father lost his retirement money in the scheme.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said at a daylong sentencing hearing in Manhattan federal court that the government’s recommendation of 12 years in prison was “unreasonably lenient” and that the defense’s request for five years was “utterly unthinkable and wildly unreasonable.” Kwon faced a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
“Your offense caused real people to lose $40 billion in real money, not some paper loss,” Engelmayer told Kwon, who sat at the defense table in a yellow jail suit. The judge called it “a fraud on an epic, generational scale” and said Kwon had an “almost mystical hold” on investors and caused incalculable “human wreckage.”
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More than the combined losses in FTX and OneCoin cases
Kwon pleaded guilty in August to fraud charges stemming from the collapse of Terraform Labs, the Singapore-based firm he co-founded in 2018. The loss exceeded the combined losses from FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and OneCoin co-founder Karl Sebastian Greenwood’s frauds, prosecutors said. Engelmayer estimated there may have been a million victims.
Terraform Labs had touted its TerraUSD as a reliable “stablecoin” — a kind of currency typically pegged to stable assets to prevent drastic fluctuations in prices. But prosecutors say it was an illusion backed by outside cash infusions that came crumbling down after it plunged far below its $1 peg. The crash devastated investors in TerraUSD and its floating sister currency, Luna, triggering “a cascade of crises that swept through cryptocurrency markets.”
Kwon tried to rebuild Terraform Labs in Singapore before fleeing to the Balkans on a false passport, prosecutors said. He’s been locked up since his March 2023 arrest in Montenegro. He was credited for 17 months he spent in jail there before being extradited to the U.S.
Kwon agreed to forfeit over $19 million as part of his plea deal. His lawyers argued his conduct stemmed not from greed, but hubris and desperation. Engelmayer rejected his request to serve his sentence in his native South Korea, where he also faces prosecution and where his wife and 4-year-old daughter live.
“I have spent almost every waking moment of the last few years thinking of what I could have done different and what I can do now to make things right,” Kwon told Engelmayer. Hearing from victims, he said, was “harrowing and reminded me again of the great losses that I have caused.”
Victims say losses ruined their lives, harmed charities
One victim, speaking by telephone, said his wife divorced him, his sons had to skip college, and he had to move back to Croatia to live with his parents after TerraUSD’s crash evaporated his family’s life savings. Another said he has to “live with the guilt” of persuading his in-laws and hundreds of nonprofit organizations to invest.
Stanislav Trofimchuk said his family’s investment plummeted from $190,000 to $13,000 — “17 years of our life, gone” during what he described as “two weeks of sheer terror.”
Chauncey St. John, speaking in court, said some nonprofits he worked with lost more than $2 million and a church group lost about $900,000. He and his wife are saddled with debt and his in-laws have been forced to work well past their planned retirement, he said.
Nevertheless, St. John said, he forgives Kwon and “I pray to God to have mercy on his soul.”
A prosecutor read excerpts from some of more than 300 letters submitted by victims, including a person identified only by initials who lost nearly $11,400 while juggling bills and trying to complete college. Kwon had made Terra seem like a safe place to stash savings, the person said.
“To some that is just a number on a page, but to me it was years of effort,” the person wrote. “Watching it evaporate, literally overnight, was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.”
“What happened was not an accident. It was not a market event. It was deception,” the person added, imploring the judge to “consider the human cost of this tragedy.”
Kwon created an “illusion of resilience while covering up systemic failure,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mortazavi told Engelmayer. “This was fraud executed with arrogance, manipulation and total disregard for people.”
___
Associated Press reporter Anthony Izaguirre contributed to this report.
A woman was stabbed in her back and cut on her arm in what appeared to be a random attack inside Macy’s flagship Herald Square store, according to police.
The incident occurred just after 3 p.m. Thursday at the iconic flagship location in Manhattan, police said. The victim suffered stab wounds to her back and was cut on her arm in an attack the police sources said was completely unprovoked.
The 38-year-old woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was expected to survive.
Hours later, police said an arrest had been made in the attack. Kerri Aherne, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was arrested, and the 43-year-old faces charges of attempted murder, assault and weapon possession. Attorney information for Aherne was not immediately available.
Dozens of balloons and floats filled the streets of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Many of the familiar balloon favorites like Marshall, the Dalmatian from Paw Patrol, and Dora the Explorer are joined by new friends this year like Buzz Lightyear, Pac-Man, and Mario. Creative new floats were on display along Central Park, giant Lebubus, and *** demogorgon from the. Down delighted the crowds. The parade is just such *** great part of New York and it’s such *** great part of history. It’s the greatest show on Earth, and we’re just so lucky to be part of it. April Rubens Stone raced to the front of the viewing line, eager to keep the decades-long tradition going. It doesn’t matter what age you are, it’s for everybody. For others, seeing the parade is *** once in *** lifetime opportunity. They couldn’t wait to. Growing up seeing this on television, I had always wished to come and see one live, so this is definitely on my bucket list and pressing it out. I’ve wanted to do it for 25 years to come and watch them blow up the floats, and we finally said let’s do it. While everyone has something unique they’re eager to see in the parade, one common thread connects them all. I’m thankful for. Uh, my family and my 90 year old mother. Thankful for our family and for everyone’s health. This is our first Thanksgiving as *** family of four, so he’s got *** little brother. Are you thankful for your little brother? In New York, I’m Lee Waldman.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to kick off in Manhattan
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off Thursday in New York City, with new balloons depicting Buzz Lightyear and Pac-Man set to take to the skies and floats featuring Labubu and Lego gracing the streets.The parade is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. EST, rain or shine, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and will end at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.It’s expected to be a chilly day in the city, with temperatures in the 40s, but wind gusts between 25 mph and 30 mph will make it feel colder, according to David Stark, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York.Officials are watching the forecast closely, since city law prohibits Macy’s from flying full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or wind gusts are over 35 mph. Weather has grounded the balloons only once, in 1971, but they also sometimes have soared lower than usual because of wind.Authorities will decide Thursday morning whether any balloon adjustments are needed, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The parade has been a magnet for protests in the last two years, when pro-Palestinian protesters entered the parade route. Police “are prepared to address that and any other situations that come our way,” Tisch said.A star-studded lineup of performances will be sprinkled throughout the show, along with a slew of marching bands, dancers and cheerleaders. Performers include “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo, Conan Gray, Lainey Wilson, Foreigner, Lil Jon, and Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the heart of this year’s Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters.” The Radio City Rockettes also will be there, as will cast members from Broadway’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time” and “Ragtime.”All told, the parade is expected to feature dozens of balloons, floats, clown groups and marching bands — all leading the way for Santa Claus. Among the new balloons being featured is a large onion carriage featuring eight characters from the world of “Shrek.” “KPop Demon Hunters” will also be represented in the sky with the characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.The event will air on NBC, hosted by Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker from “Today” and their former colleague Hoda Kotb. On Telemundo, the hosts will be Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.The parade is also being simulcast on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
NEW YORK —
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off Thursday in New York City, with new balloons depicting Buzz Lightyear and Pac-Man set to take to the skies and floats featuring Labubu and Lego gracing the streets.
The parade is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. EST, rain or shine, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and will end at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.
It’s expected to be a chilly day in the city, with temperatures in the 40s, but wind gusts between 25 mph and 30 mph will make it feel colder, according to David Stark, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York.
Officials are watching the forecast closely, since city law prohibits Macy’s from flying full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or wind gusts are over 35 mph. Weather has grounded the balloons only once, in 1971, but they also sometimes have soared lower than usual because of wind.
Authorities will decide Thursday morning whether any balloon adjustments are needed, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
The parade has been a magnet for protests in the last two years, when pro-Palestinian protesters entered the parade route. Police “are prepared to address that and any other situations that come our way,” Tisch said.
A star-studded lineup of performances will be sprinkled throughout the show, along with a slew of marching bands, dancers and cheerleaders. Performers include “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo, Conan Gray, Lainey Wilson, Foreigner, Lil Jon, and Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the heart of this year’s Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters.” The Radio City Rockettes also will be there, as will cast members from Broadway’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time” and “Ragtime.”
All told, the parade is expected to feature dozens of balloons, floats, clown groups and marching bands — all leading the way for Santa Claus. Among the new balloons being featured is a large onion carriage featuring eight characters from the world of “Shrek.” “KPop Demon Hunters” will also be represented in the sky with the characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.
The event will air on NBC, hosted by Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker from “Today” and their former colleague Hoda Kotb. On Telemundo, the hosts will be Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.
The parade is also being simulcast on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
Two women were injured in a Manhattan parking garage explosion late night Thursday, police said.
According to the NYPD, an emergency diesel generator exploded shortly after 9 p.m. at 153 E 53rd St. That explosion prompted a steel exhaust vent to rocket across the street and hit two 25-year-old women who were walking by, causing serious injuries to one and minor injuries to the other. Although both are expected to recover.
“When they got here they found that there were two civilians that were injured across the street and there was some sort of backdraft or a back puff of the generator that caused the vent assembly to explode and come off of the building, propel across the street into the two individuals,” FDNY Deputy Chief Joseph Abbamonte.
Video from the scene shows a large FDNY and NYPD presence with debris scattered across the Midtown street.
The structural integrity of the building is fine and there is only minor damage around the vent, according to the Department of Buildings — reason why the building is not roped off.
Although no criminality is suspected at this time, police said that the investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing.
NEW YORK (AP) — The 76th National Book Awards will unveil this year’s winners Wednesday night, with novels by Megha Majumdar and Karen Russell, and a memoir by Yiyun Li among the finalists in one of the most high-profile literary events.
Hundreds of writers, publishers, editors and other industry professionals are expected to gather at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan for a dinner ceremony that will include honorary awards for fiction writer George Saunders and author-publisher Roxane Gay. Emmy-winning actor-comedian Jeff Hiller will host, and Grammy winner Corinne Bailey Rae is the musical guest.
Competitive awards will be announced for five categories — fiction, nonfiction, translated literature, young people’s literature and poetry. Winners will each receive $10,000.
Nominees range from Majumdar’s futuristic narrative “A Guardian and a Thief” to Russell’s spellbound tale set in 1930s Nebraska, “The Antidote,” to Julia Ioffe’s feminist history, “Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy.” Li is a finalist for “Things in Nature Merely Grow,” her tragic account of the suicides of her two sons.
The National Book Awards are presented by the nonprofit National Book Foundation. Each competitive category is voted on by judging panels that include writers, booksellers and critics and select winners from hundreds of books submitted by publishers.
New York Jets cornerback Kris Boyd is reportedly in critical, but stable, condition after a shooting Sunday in New York City.
The NYPD said officers found a 29-year-old man shot in the abdomen at around 2 a.m. on West 38th Street near Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, but did not confirm the victim’s name.
Kris Boyd
CBS News New York
Sources told CBS News New York the shooting followed a verbal dispute that escalated. CBS Sports, ESPN and the New York Post reported Boyd was the man rushed to the hospital. Mayor Eric Adams later confirmed Boyd as the victim.
A statement from the Jets said, “We are aware of the situation involving Kris Boyd and will have no further comment at this time.”
The latest on the investigation
The NYPD said a man was leaving Asian fusion restaurant Sei Less with a small group when they were confronted by another group that had also left the eatery. An argument occurred and one person in the opposing group took out a gun and fired twice. One shot hit the man in the chest, police said.
The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, going in and out of consciousness. He was in stable condition as of Sunday night, law enforcement sources told CBS News.
Police still haven’t pinned down if the dispute the attacker had was with Boyd’s group or another group that was there. It’s been a challenging investigative environment and police have not yet uncovered a motive, the sources said.
Investigators are searching for two luxury vehicles — a BMW and a Mercedes — that fled the scene.
No arrests have been made and there has been no description of the shooter, according to police.
New York Jet Kris Boyd (17) participates during a practice in Florham Park, N.J., on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Seth Wenig / AP
Adams said on social media, “I am praying for New York Jets player Kris Boyd and his loved ones. Although we’ve gotten shootings to historic lows in our city, we must continue to work to end gun violence. Too many young lives have been tragically altered and cut short by this epidemic.”
Kris Boyd’s NFL career
Boyd signed a one-year contract with the Jets in March and has been on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury since August.
He previously played for the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him out of Texas in 2019.
New York Jets cornerback Kris Boyd is reportedly in critical, but stable, condition after a shooting Sunday in New York City.
The NYPD said officers found a 29-year-old man shot in the abdomen at around 2 a.m. on West 38th Street near Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, but did not confirm the victim’s name.
Sources told CBS News New York the shooting followed a verbal dispute that escalated. CBS Sports, ESPN and the New York Post reported Boyd was the man rushed to the hospital. Mayor Eric Adams later confirmed Boyd as the victim.
A statement from the Jets said, “We are aware of the situation involving Kris Boyd and will have no further comment at this time.”
The latest on the investigation
The NYPD said a man was leaving Asian fusion restaurant Sei Less with a small group when they were confronted by another group that had also left the eatery. An argument occurred and one person in the opposing group took out a gun and fired twice. One shot hit the man in the chest, police said.
The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, going in and out of consciousness. He was in stable condition as of Sunday night, law enforcement sources told CBS News.
Police still haven’t pinned down if the dispute the attacker had was with Boyd’s group or another group that was there. It’s been a challenging investigative environment and police have not yet uncovered a motive, the sources said.
Investigators are searching for two luxury vehicles — a BMW and a Mercedes — that fled the scene.
No arrests have been made and there has been no description of the shooter, according to police.
New York Jet Kris Boyd (17) participates during a practice in Florham Park, N.J., on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Seth Wenig / AP
Adams said on social media, “I am praying for New York Jets player Kris Boyd and his loved ones. Although we’ve gotten shootings to historic lows in our city, we must continue to work to end gun violence. Too many young lives have been tragically altered and cut short by this epidemic.”
Boyd signed a one-year contract with the Jets in March and has been on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury since August.
He previously played for the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him out of Texas in 2019.
The man believed to responsible for stabbing a woman to death inside her Harlem apartment building was arrested and charged with her murder, according to police.
Luis Marquez was arrested Tuesday for the deadly stabbing inside a building on W 129th Street near St. Nicholas Terrace early Monday, police said. Officers responding to a call about an assault around 4:30 a.m. found the 47-year-old woman on the third floor after she had been stabbed repeatedly, according to police.
The victim, identified as Carmen Lopez, was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Neighbors said the victim had four children and had lived in the building for years, saying they had always seen her take her kids to school. They described the scene of the attack as a hallway of horrors.
“There was a lot of blood, trails of blood, a big puddle,” said Ronald, who lives on the fourth floor. “Like all over the place, like she was running, then stopped in the middle. She probably collapsed.”
Marquez ran off after the alleged attack, but the 41-year-old Bronx man was arrested just before 4 p.m. Tuesday and charged.
The relationship between the victim and her attacker was being looked into. A police source said the incident may have been related to domestic violence.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
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Tom Shea, Jessica Cunnington and NBC New York Staff
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was hoisted aloft at its new home in Manhattan on Saturday, marking the start of New York City’s holiday season.This year’s tree is a 75-foot-tall Norway spruce from the upstate town of East Greenbush, a suburb of Albany. After being cut down this week, it made the roughly 150-mile journey south on a flatbed truck, drawing curious onlookers along the way.The crowds were much bigger at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where workers used cranes to hoist the 11-ton tree into position overlooking the iconic skating rink. People gathered with coffee cups and phones as crews secured the spruce and began the careful process of stabilizing it.The tree will soon be decorated with more than 50,000 multicolored, energy-efficient LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski star weighing 900 pounds.It will be lit Dec. 3 during a live TV broadcast hosted by country music star Reba McEntire and remain on display until mid-January, after which it will be milled into lumber for use by the affordable housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.The tree was donated by homeowner Judy Russ and her family. She said it was planted by her husband’s great-grandparents in the 1920s.”For this to now become the center of New York City Christmas is incredible,” Russ told the radio station 1010 WINS.The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was put up by workers in 1931 to raise spirits during the Great Depression. The comparatively modest 20-foot balsam fir was outfitted with garlands handmade by the workers’ families.The tradition stuck as the first tree-lighting ceremony was held in 1933.
NEW YORK —
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was hoisted aloft at its new home in Manhattan on Saturday, marking the start of New York City’s holiday season.
This year’s tree is a 75-foot-tall Norway spruce from the upstate town of East Greenbush, a suburb of Albany. After being cut down this week, it made the roughly 150-mile journey south on a flatbed truck, drawing curious onlookers along the way.
The crowds were much bigger at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where workers used cranes to hoist the 11-ton tree into position overlooking the iconic skating rink. People gathered with coffee cups and phones as crews secured the spruce and began the careful process of stabilizing it.
The tree will soon be decorated with more than 50,000 multicolored, energy-efficient LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski star weighing 900 pounds.
It will be lit Dec. 3 during a live TV broadcast hosted by country music star Reba McEntire and remain on display until mid-January, after which it will be milled into lumber for use by the affordable housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.
The tree was donated by homeowner Judy Russ and her family. She said it was planted by her husband’s great-grandparents in the 1920s.
“For this to now become the center of New York City Christmas is incredible,” Russ told the radio station 1010 WINS.
The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was put up by workers in 1931 to raise spirits during the Great Depression. The comparatively modest 20-foot balsam fir was outfitted with garlands handmade by the workers’ families.
The tradition stuck as the first tree-lighting ceremony was held in 1933.
The pickup driver who was drunk when he plowed into a Lower East Side park crowded with people celebrating the Fourth of July last year, killing four of them, was found guilty Monday of all charges against him.
Daniel Hyden, of New Jersey, was convicted at a bench trial of four counts of murder and seven assault counts in the July 2024 crash that killed 30-year-old Emily Ruiz, 59-year-old Lucille Pinkney, her 38-year-old son, Herman Pinkney, and 43-year-old Ana Morel. Hyden also was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide.
Seven other people who were hurt that day in Corleas Hook Park survived their injuries.
According to court documents, Hyden was drunk as he drove on Water Street that night. He sped through a stop sign at nearly 40 mph, sped through a construction zone around barriers and over a sidewalk at speeds up to 54 mph. Then Hyden drove through a chain link fence, striking a large crowd of family and friends.
Hyden had fully pressed down his gas pedal and did not hit his brakes until one-half second before the final crash, prosecutors said. All four people who died were trapped underneath the truck. The others were hurt by debris. Hyden tried to reverse and drive off, but witnesses stopped him and took the key from the ignition.
They pulled Hyden out of the truck and held him until officers arrived, authorities said. He was treated for head and facial lacerations, and later charged. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
Police investigators believe alcohol played a role in the July 4 deadly crash.
“Family and friends were enjoying a Fourth of July barbeque in Corlears Hook Park before their lives were drastically and tragically changed forever,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, in part, in a statement after the convicted as announced. “While this verdict won’t bring them back to life, I hope that this conviction can bring at least some measure of comfort for their friends and family.”
According to Hyden’s LinkedIn profile at the time of his arrest, he worked as a program director for three residential treatment programs in Manhattan.
In 2020, he published “The Sober Addict: A Guide on How to Be Functional With the Dysfunctional Disease of Addiction.”
“Within the pages of DC Hyden’s book, addicts, family members, enablers, and helpers will find unconventional ways to combat addiction from Onset to Remission,” the book’s description on Amazon reads.
Hyden’s bio identified him as a substance abuse counselor, instructor, public speaker and a wellness advocate, with a mission “to use his lifelong experience with addiction to teach addicts how to save themselves and achieve long-term recovery.”
Law enforcement sources said Hyden had a prior arrest in February 2024, where he was picked up for assault after allegedly punching a “fellow teacher” in the eye.
Hellen Obiri of Kenya set a women’s course record to win the New York City Marathon on Sunday while compatriot Benson Kipruto won the men’s race by edging Alexander Mutiso in a photo finish.Obiri, who also won the race in 2023, finished in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 51 seconds. Obiri was running with 2022 winner Sharon Lokedi until she pulled away from her countrymate in the final mile, surging ahead and winning easily, besting the previous course record of 2:22.31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003.Defending champion Sheila Chepkirui finished third. All three beat the previous course best.Kipruto and Mutiso separated themselves from the chase pack in the men’s race heading into Mile 24. Kipruto seemed to have put the race away, pulling away from Mutiso in the last 200 meters. But Mutiso, who also is from Kenyan, wasn’t done, surging in the last 50 meters before just falling short. Kipruto finished in 2:08.09. Mutiso was a hair behind, finishing with the same time.Kenyan Albert Korir, who won in 2021, was third, giving Kenya a sweep of the top three spots in both the men’s and women’s races. Joel Reichow was the top American, coming in sixth.Eliud Kipchoge, who turns 41 next week, wrapped up a historic run as one of the most accomplished marathoners in the sport. He ran the New York City Marathon for the first time and finished 17th.On the women’s side, the trio of former champions separated themselves heading into the Bronx at Mile 20. American Fiona O’Keeffe and Dutch runner Sifan Hassan had made it a pack of five once the group entered Manhattan a few miles earlier but couldn’t hang on for the final six miles.This was the first time that the previous three women’s winners had been in the same race since 2018. The trio didn’t disappoint, putting forth stellar efforts. It was the second straight year that Kenyans took the top three spots.O’Keeffe finished fourth, with fellow American Annie Frisbie finishing fifth. Hassan, who won the Sydney Marathon two months ago, was next. Four of the top nine finishers were Americans.The 26.2-mile course took runners through all five boroughs of New York, starting in Staten Island and ending in Manhattan’s Central Park. This is the 49th year the race has been in all five boroughs. Before that, the route was completely in Central Park. The first race had only 55 finishers while a record 55,642 people finished last year, the largest in the history of the sport until the London Marathon broke it earlier this year.The weather was great to run in, with temperatures in the 50s Fahrenheit when the race started.
Hellen Obiri of Kenya set a women’s course record to win the New York City Marathon on Sunday while compatriot Benson Kipruto won the men’s race by edging Alexander Mutiso in a photo finish.
Obiri, who also won the race in 2023, finished in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 51 seconds. Obiri was running with 2022 winner Sharon Lokedi until she pulled away from her countrymate in the final mile, surging ahead and winning easily, besting the previous course record of 2:22.31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003.
Defending champion Sheila Chepkirui finished third. All three beat the previous course best.
Kipruto and Mutiso separated themselves from the chase pack in the men’s race heading into Mile 24. Kipruto seemed to have put the race away, pulling away from Mutiso in the last 200 meters. But Mutiso, who also is from Kenyan, wasn’t done, surging in the last 50 meters before just falling short. Kipruto finished in 2:08.09. Mutiso was a hair behind, finishing with the same time.
Kenyan Albert Korir, who won in 2021, was third, giving Kenya a sweep of the top three spots in both the men’s and women’s races. Joel Reichow was the top American, coming in sixth.
Eliud Kipchoge, who turns 41 next week, wrapped up a historic run as one of the most accomplished marathoners in the sport. He ran the New York City Marathon for the first time and finished 17th.
On the women’s side, the trio of former champions separated themselves heading into the Bronx at Mile 20. American Fiona O’Keeffe and Dutch runner Sifan Hassan had made it a pack of five once the group entered Manhattan a few miles earlier but couldn’t hang on for the final six miles.
This was the first time that the previous three women’s winners had been in the same race since 2018. The trio didn’t disappoint, putting forth stellar efforts. It was the second straight year that Kenyans took the top three spots.
O’Keeffe finished fourth, with fellow American Annie Frisbie finishing fifth. Hassan, who won the Sydney Marathon two months ago, was next. Four of the top nine finishers were Americans.
The 26.2-mile course took runners through all five boroughs of New York, starting in Staten Island and ending in Manhattan’s Central Park. This is the 49th year the race has been in all five boroughs. Before that, the route was completely in Central Park. The first race had only 55 finishers while a record 55,642 people finished last year, the largest in the history of the sport until the London Marathon broke it earlier this year.
The weather was great to run in, with temperatures in the 50s Fahrenheit when the race started.
