This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

It’s nice to see your union winning. UAW Local 2325 President Lisa Ohta got to experience that this past week when Brooklyn Defender Services workers struck a deal with management after going on strike for six days. Staff got pay hikes, improved sick leave and remote work options as part of the agreement to come back to work. And they even got a congratulatory tweet from Mayor (and comrade) Zohran Mamdani.

After early numbers were looking grim and publication after publication said that the World Cup was looking like a bust for New York City hotels, they were actually able to clean up in the last week of the tournament, meeting the original expected goooooooooooal of $300 million dollars. Don’t cry for Hotel Association President and CEO Vijay Dandapani, Argentina. He won, no matter who lost.

Ahead of what might end up being a solo White House trip, Knicks owner James Dolan is finally having his first good week since the championship fever died down and he was accused of creating his own little surveillance state. An inquiry that MSG Entertainment’s facial recognition systems led to exclusionary practices was dropped this week by the State Liquor Authority, with Dolan getting only a $30,000 slap on the wrist for unrelated charges. Because the data collection that happens in the MSG Exclusion Zone, stays in the MSG Exclusion Zone.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is walking back his campaign pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he’s in the city for the UN General Assembly. Turns out it was never legally feasible – and Mamdani was misleading in interviews, even after everyone around him said so. And if that weren’t enough, Council Speaker Julie Menin is blaming him, after an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the Upper East Side has killed five people, and continues to infect dozens of others.

The zombie commission convened by former Mayor Eric Adams appears to be dead. For real this time, despite his consigliere Randy Mastro’s efforts. A Staten Island Supreme Court judge ruled against his lawsuit to advance a ballot proposal that would establish an open primary system. Of course, he could still appeal, but a looming August 3 BOE deadline makes that difficult. At least Mastro has something new to occupy his time: Going to war against the Rent Guidelines Board over the rent freeze.

In the 14 years Jeremy Zellner has led Erie County Democrats, the British have churned through seven prime ministers. Now the once invincible Zellner is the one on shaky ground. Amherst Council Member John Davis is challenging Zellner for reelection and there’s speculation others could join. Blood has been in the water since Zellner lost June’s primary by 10 points to keep the state Senate seat he handed himself.. At least Zellner’s Senate tenure outlasted Liz Truss’ 49 turbulent days.