This week's biggest Winners & Losers

Next up in Columbia University’s presidential parade, Jennifer Mnookin! Columbia’s fifth president in a little over three years, Mnookin steps into a post that’s become a poisoned chalice. Sure Mnookin gets the mansion, a high six-figure salary and prestige, but she also gets a campus on the verge of revolt hourly and endless blame – not to mention front-runner status for the City & State loser column. We hope Mnookin stays long enough to unpack, settle in and catch a Broadway show. 

It’s amazing what nine holes and months of sucking up to Tom Homan will get you. Eric Adams’ former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry is joining the Trump administration as liaison between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and New York City. The move follows Daughtry’s demotion from deputy mayor back to NYPD detective after Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office. How exactly Daughtry plans to liaise with a city government whose leader has called for abolishing ICE remains to be seen.

Somewhere in Brooklyn, this real estate developer is breathing a sigh of relief. A judge dismissed a case against Mark Caller that alleged that he bribed former Department of Buildings Commissioner Eric Ulrich. The judge said prosecutors did not tell the “full story” about Caller’s relationship with Ulrich, who still faces multiple corruption charges. 

In October, Justin Vonashek said Metro-North service to Albany would open up new possibilities for riders, including for “adventure.” Now the Metro-North president has to promote adventures in Briarcliff, Poughkeepsie and Ridgefield instead. Amtrak pulled the rug out from under Vonashek and cancelled the Metro-North Albany service on their tracks, while restoring its own service. At least Vonashek remains a hero to Vassar and Marist students with “super-express” trains between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central.

After federal immigration agents killed a second protester in Minneapolis, Rep. Tom Suozzi did something rare for a politician: he admitted to making a mistake. Days earlier, he had voted in favor of the DHS spending bill – which included funding for ICE – but later said he “failed” by supporting it. Sometimes, a mea culpa can turn out well for an official. This is not one of those times. The public retreat did little to soothe the anger from constituents as protesters heckled him a day later with props like diapers.

In the long run, the house always wins. And in this case, the house is owned by the Real Estate Board of New York. The Brooklyn council member had to cope with her COPA bill being one of the only vetoes from outgoing Mayor Eric Adams that Speaker Julie Menin did NOT vote to override this week. Even Mayor Zohran Mamdani personally lobbying members couldn’t flip enough votes on the bill meant to give nonprofits a leg up on private landlords.