Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
The pure joy and chaos that was New York City’s reaction to the Knicks winning the NBA Finals was something to behold. People in the streets, fans climbing street signs and noise complaints galore – the city felt like it was going to explode. But don’t put away your ferch just yet! Mayor Zohran Mamdani is awarding the Knicks keys to the city at the end of the team’s first-ever ticker tape parade. Let’s just hope it’s not another 53 years until the next one. For now, expect to see many more Jalen Brunson write-in votes, especially with primary day on Tuesday.
Michelle Jackson & Susan Stamler -
With just days left until the New York City budget deadline, City Hall backtracked on a potential plan to delay payments to nonprofits to help free up cash. Nonprofit organizations like United Neighborhood Houses planned to hold a rally protesting the proposed plan, and the City Council demanded information from the mayor’s office. In the end, City Hall said the organizations would be paid on time after all. That’s a victory for nonprofit leaders like UNH Executive Director Susan Starmler and Human Services Council Executive Director Michelle Jackson.
Zohran Mamdani -
The Knicks have electrified Mamdanistan, and our new mayor has managed to become totally associated with their success. Find one New Yorker who hasn’t proudly chanted “my mayor’s Muslim!” as part of a good luck Knicks incantation. Meanwhile, Mamdani is “contractually obligated” to attend three World Cup matches and everyone loves his NYC World Cup jerseys. It’s the stuff mayors dream of.
James McDonald -
For James McDonald, being one of President Donald Trump’s personal attorneys pays more than billable hours. The Trump appellate attorney is the new pick for U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, replacing intelligence chief nominee Jay Clayton. It’s a homecoming for the Sullivan & Cromwell partner, who previously worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the famed office, where he helped prosecute former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
James McDonald & Amir Bassiri -
The Trump Department of Justice sued state Department of Health Commissioner James McDonald (not to be confused with the other James McDonald who’s about to be named the DOJ’s top prosecutor in Manhattan) and state Medicaid Director Amir Bassir this week, accusing them of rigging a popular state Medicaid-funded homecare program for a favored vendor. The federal lawsuit was coincidentally filed one day before Vice President JD Vance made a visit to Nassau County ahead of the midterm elections to stump for GOP gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman.
Claudia Tenney -
Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney deigned to weigh in on the Knicks’ NBA championship win in a way that made sense to absolutely nobody: by warning that antisemitic violence could break out at the massive celebratory ticker-tape parade. “Look at Jalen Brunson, what an amazing American citizen. His wife is Jewish, she’s a physical therapist?” she said in an interview with Fox Business. “Are we going to see more antisemitism or not?”
Claire Valdez -
Not every shady super PAC is a cutout for AIPAC. Socialist congressional candidate Claire Valdez the hard way when she and her campaign consultant Morris Katz “just asked questions” about whether the hated pro-Israel group was behind a newly registered super PAC called Real Fight NYC. The speculation backfired after the American Federation of Teachers came forward and took credit for helping fund the group – and promised that there wasn’t “a dime of AIPAC money” involved.