Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Today’s SCOOP is brought to you by our members.
Dear New Yorkers,
It’s an especially critical time to know the outlook on the city’s economy and job market.
But a new economic analysis says the state Department of Labor’s numbers on jobs — particularly home health care jobs — have been inaccurate for the last two years.
That’s going to make it very hard to know what is happening with the city economy this year, which could affect everything from economic development efforts to projections of city tax revenues.
Here’s our guide on what went wrong, and why it matters.
Weather ☔
High near 68 with a chance of showers in the morning. Rain in the afternoon and at night.
MTA 🚇
In The Bronx, no 2 and 5 trains between Jackson Avenue and West Farms Square East Tremont Avenue between 10:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s in effect today, May 6.
By the way…
With summer on the horizon, check out our guide on where to swim and learn how to swim in the city.
Our Other Top Stories
- Disabled New Yorkers spoke out yesterday against a City Council bill that would ban 24-hour home care shifts, saying their own care will suffer. The “No More 24” bill has pitted workers’ rights activists against disability advocates and those who need round-the-clock care.
- City lawyers have agreed to pay nearly $5.2 million to settle lawsuits brought by the families of two men who died from methadone overdoses while jail staff ignored them on Rikers Island. The settlements come amid a sharp rise in claims and a dramatic spike in taxpayer-funded payouts at the Department of Correction.
- The Department of Education has plans to open five new public schools this fall. See where they’re located and how they’ll serve students.
Reporter’s Notebook
Commissioner for Safety
Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved a step closer to forming his promised Department of Community Safety on Tuesday, naming a commissioner who will eventually run it.
Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, a clinical psychologist who’s currently a senior advisor in the city-run hospital system’s behavioral health office, will help craft the new department that will eventually oversee offices addressing everything from domestic violence to how the city responds to people in mental health crises.
She joins Team Mamdani as yet another veteran of former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, where she served as director of health research in the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice in 2017 through 2019.
Unlike Mamdani’s newly appointed Investigations Commissioner Nadia Shihata, who contributed $700 to Mamdani’s campaign, Delany-Brumsey did make a political donation — $50 — but gave to former Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ mayoral bid, not Mamdani’s.
— Greg Smith
Costs for Smalls Businesses
It’s not the rent, say small businesses
Every legislative session, progressive politicians in New York try to impose rent control on commercial spaces, supposedly to help small businesses. But it turns out that rising rents are the least of their problems, according to the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s State of Small Business report issued Monday.
Health insurance is up 33%, energy 8%, business insurance 7% and the price of goods and materials affected by tariffs increased 5.5%, the report says. Rent increases are about 2% on an annual basis.
The Chamber’s overall rating for the city’s small business environment is a dismal C minus.
“NYC small business is not collapsing. It is being squeezed,” the Chamber says. “Demand has returned, but margins have not — because the cost of serving customers has risen faster than customer spending.”
— Greg David
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
- Wednesday, May 6: Attend a screening of “The Young Girls of Rochefort,” at Columbia University’s Maison Française, followed by a discussion with Walter Frisch, professor of music and Jane Gaines, professor of film and media studies. Free, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 6: Mi Salsa Dura Baile’s open-air salsa dance nights return to Washington Square Park, starting off with a lesson followed by an open dance floor. Free, from 6 to 9 p.m.
- Thursday and Friday, May 7 – 8: Check out two days of live jazz, master classes and collaboration, featuring guest artists Chris Potter and Adam Cruz alongside student ensembles at the CUNY Jazz Festival 2026. Free, from 11:30 a.m to 8 p.m. Register here.
THE KICKER: Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the workshop where artists have made Henson’s famous puppets since 2009, is now open for tours — at a steep $150 a pop.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday.
Love,
THE CITY
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