NEWS & UPDATES
Trump rages against Gateway tunnel project, threatening to withhold federal assistanc
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"President Donald Trump doubled down Monday on his opposition to the Gateway tunnel project aimed at connecting New York and New Jersey.
Trump has repeatedly stood in the way of the multibillion dollar project, citing concerns over diversity, equity and inclusion practices. His administration originally froze federal funding for the tunnel in September, but a federal judge allowed funds to begin flowing again last week. The judge is set to consider an appeal by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as early as next week."
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Judge grants temporary restraining order to prevent shutdown of Gateway Tunnel project
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"A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Trump administration to withhold $16 billion of project funding for the Gateway Tunnel for now.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas' decision keeps the project going, pending future arguments in the case...
ABC News reported on Friday morning that President Donald Trump recently suggested he would unfreeze $16 billion in funding if Sen. Chuck Schumer supports renaming Penn Station in Midtown and Dulles Airport in Virginia after the president, according to people with knowledge of the conversations."
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Michael Bloomberg: The US Economy Needs the Hudson River Tunnel Project
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"President Donald Trump made his name as a builder in New York City and New Jersey. But what could be his greatest achievement in the region — one that would benefit the country’s economy for generations to come — is being threatened by the Office of Management and Budget, which is holding up funding for the Hudson River tunnel project known as Gateway. The president should resolve the standoff, and quickly.
The Gateway Program is one of the biggest and most urgent infrastructure projects in the US — and one of the few major mass transit projects that has strong bipartisan support. Its centerpiece is a two-tube rail tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting New York City and New Jersey, with new tracks and bridges leading to the tunnel."
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Judge Hands Trump a Fifth Loss in His Effort to Halt Offshore Wind Projects
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"A federal judge on Monday struck down the Interior Department’s order to halt work on a multibillion-dollar wind farm off the coast of New York State, the fifth time the courts have ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to throttle the country’s offshore wind industry. The administration is now 0-5 in its effort to stop wind farms under construction along the East Coast.
Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction that would allow the developer of the New York project, known as Sunrise Wind, to restart construction while the broader legal battle unfolds."
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New York Times | February 2, 2026
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‘It’s Been Brutal’: Twin Cities Economy Suffers Under ICE Crackdown
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"Although it will take time for official data to arrive, companies across the region have already reported steep declines in revenues. The City of Minneapolis estimates the cost is $20 million each week, and the city’s convention and visitors bureau found that 72 percent of the employers it surveyed — including hotels, retailers and arts organizations — had experienced canceled, postponed or reduced sales.
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One investor in a housing development postponed closing the deal out of concern over the city’s prospects, said Erik Hansen, the city’s director of community planning and economic development.
“It’s been brutal,” Mr. Hansen said. “And that is seen not only in free movement in and around the city, but also the business activity that we’re seeing from downtown Minneapolis all the way into the neighborhoods and into the suburban communities.”​
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New York Times | February 2, 2026
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Number of Businesses in New York City Plunged Last Spring, Report Says
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"The report by the Economic Development Corporation illustrates the challenges ahead for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has pledged to address the financial hardships of New Yorkers, as the trajectory of the city’s economy has shifted over the past year in response to President Trump’s tariffs and other policies. This week, Mr. Mamdani signed an executive order aimed at supporting small businesses by reducing the fines and fees that cut into their bottom lines.
The agency’s analysis of business activity captured a period right after the Trump administration announced sweeping tariffs and businesses were starting to face higher bills for goods. The drop-off in business activity occurred across the city but was most pronounced in its major commercial districts, including Midtown Manhattan and the financial district, the agency said.”
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Hochul Stands by Her Plan to Avoid Tax Hikes
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“We’ve managed our money responsibly,” Hochul said during her State of the State address on Tuesday. “And that means we can make transformative investments in our future without raising taxes, without saddling the next generation with mountains of debt.”
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But can that plan survive massive cuts by the Trump administration?
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Kathryn Wylde, president of the leading business group Partnership for New York City, said that based on her discussions with the governor, she expects that much will depend on whether the Trump administration fully implements multibillion-dollar cuts to state health care funding."
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Hochul Stands by Her Plan to Avoid Tax Hikes
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"Hochul told reporters Tuesday that “this is a fight we’re going to have to take on if we get that notification. It’s vindictive.”
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“I believe that we’ll be successful in court,” the Empire State governor. “We’ll fight this with every fiber of our being because our kids should not be political pawns in a fight that Donald Trump seems to have with Blue State Governors.”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) blasted the Trump administration’s decision to pull back funds.
“To use the power of the government to harm the neediest Americans is immoral and indefensible,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “This has nothing to do with fraud and everything to do with political retribution that punishes poor children in need of assistance. I demand that President Trump unfreeze this funding and stop this brazen attack on our children.”
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Trump Halts 5 Wind Farms Off the East Coast
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"In New York, Empire Wind has had an on-again, off-again relationship with the Trump administration. In April the Interior Department ordered that construction be stopped on Empire Wind, pushing the $5 billion project to the brink of collapse. After several weeks and negotiations with Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, the administration allowed the project to proceed, at least until now...
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The financial consequences for the developers of the five offshore wind farms could be dire. When work on Empire Wind was initially paused in April, Equinor said it was losing $50 million a week."
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New Yorkers Thwart ICE Raids, Highlighting Challenges for Trump’s Crackdown in Nation’s Immigrant Capital
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"For the second time in just over a month, a large-scale raid by dozens of immigration agents in New York City was met with a similarly large-scale counter-protest. This time, however, the protesters thwarted the authorities' plans before they began.
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Multiple arrests were made on Saturday during scuffles on the edge of Chinatown, during which hundreds of protesters faced off with federal agents, eventually supported by the New York Police Department (NYPD), as they prepared to launch a raid in the area."
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New York Officials to Team Up With Wall Street to Keep National Guard Out
"New York state officials and Wall Street executives are teaming up to avoid a federal takeover of New York City, hoping to make the case to President Trump that a surge in law enforcement would be bad for business.
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Over the past several months, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration has been mapping out a way to protect New York from National Guard deployments and increased immigration enforcement that Trump has ordered for other U.S. cities...
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New York officials aim to follow the playbook that San Francisco successfully used last month to keep out National Guard troops."
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Wall Street Journal | 11.17.2025
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NYC will see an 'increase in ICE arrests' after Canal Street crackdown: ICE director
"Hundreds of protesters marched from Foley Square to 26 Federal Plaza, which is the New York headquarters for ICE, as the Trump administration continues to threaten increased immigration crackdowns on the streets of New York.
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Officials say nine people were arrested when federal agents descended on Canal Street to target illegal street vendors, sparking chaos and protests.
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Rep. Dan Goldman said four U.S. citizens were also arrested and held overnight at 26 Federal Plaza before being released with no federal charges filed."
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Trump Says $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel Project Is ‘Terminated’
"President Trump said on Wednesday that his administration had “terminated” a long-delayed commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River, one of the nation’s most critical infrastructure projects, just two weeks after federal funding for it was suspended at the start of the government shutdown...
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Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York said the Trump administration’s decision hurts roughly 15,000 construction jobs supported by both projects and threatens the broader region and beyond.
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“If this system of transportation collapses, the Northeastern economy and the economy of the country collapses, so why be so shortsighted?” Governor Hochul said in an interview on MSNBC on Wednesday night."
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