(NEW YORK) — Amazon has announced that it will cut an estimated 14,000 jobs from its corporate workforce as it focuses on “reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources,” according to the company.
Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology at Amazon, announced the organizational changes on Tuesday, saying that those affected would be informed later in the day.
“Last year, [Amazon CEO Andy Jassy] posted a note about strengthening our culture and teams — explaining how we want to operate like the world’s largest startup, the importance of having the right structure to drive that level of speed and ownership, and the need to be set up to invent, collaborate, be connected, and deliver the absolute best for customers,” Galetti said in the announcement on Tuesday.
“The reductions we’re sharing today are a continuation of this work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we’re investing in our biggest bets and what matters most to our customers’ current and future needs,” Galetti continued.
Galetti said that the people affected in the reduction of the estimated 14,000 roles — about 4% of their workforce of an estimated 350,000 people — would be supported in the coming weeks and months.
“We’re working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted, including offering most employees 90 days to look for a new role internally (the timing will vary some based on local laws), and our recruiting teams will prioritize internal candidates to help as many people as possible find new roles within Amazon,” Galetti said.
“For our teammates who are unable to find a new role at Amazon or who choose not to look for one, we’ll offer them transition support including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits, and more,” Galetti continued.
Amazon said that they would continue hiring in “key strategic areas while also finding additional places we can remove layers, increase ownership, and realize efficiency gains.”
“What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly,” said Galetti. “We’re convicted that we need to be organized more leanly, with fewer layers and more ownership, to move as quickly as possible for our customers and business.”
“I don’t know of any other company with the breadth of Amazon, the number of exciting bold bets we’re making, and all the ways we can make customers lives better and easier around the world,” Galetti continued.
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is considering replacing senior field office leaders at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with leaders from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to multiple law enforcement officials.
The change would represent a shift by the administration to try and get more deportations, as the White House has been pushing for, according to law enforcement officials.
As many as 12 field office directors could be replaced by border patrol officials in the coming days, a law enforcement source told ABC News.
The field offices range from Los Angeles to Philadelphia — and all of this is spearheaded by Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Commander at Large Greg Bovino.
Bovino’s tactics have drawn the ire of at least one federal judge who called him to testify about potentially ignoring a court order.
Internally at DHS, Bovino has drawn praise from senior DHS leadership. It would also be a shift for ICE — which typically keeps promotions in-house.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin posted on X on Monday, saying, “This is one team, one fight. President Trump has a brilliant, tenacious team led by @Sec_Noem to deliver on the American people’s mandate to remove criminal illegal aliens from this country.”
“As we said, we have no personnel changes to announce right now, but we remain laser focused on RESULTS and we will deliver,” McLaughlin added.
(NEW YORK) — When the tens of thousands of runners hit the streets this Sunday for the New York City Marathon, they’ll be competing in weather conditions a bit warmer than experts say is optimal for peak performance. While the “sweet spot” for competitive running varies by gender and ability, researchers believe the ideal marathon running conditions are somewhere between 39 degrees and 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
But according to a new analysis by Climate Central, climate change is threatening the optimal conditions that help elite runners break world records and amateurs achieve their personal bests.
The report from the nonprofit science research group found that as our planet continues to warm due to human-amplified climate change, ideal marathon conditions will become increasingly rare for many events worldwide.
According to Climate Central’s research, 86% of the 221 global marathons reviewed are less likely to have ideal weather on race days by 2045 because of climate change. Of those races, all seven Abbott World Marathon Majors will be affected, including the famous New York City and Boston Marathons.
For elite male runners, the Tokyo Marathon currently offers the world’s best odds for ideal race-day conditions, but the Climate Central analysis found that it’s also facing the sharpest decline in the odds of perfect weather by 2045 as global temperatures rise.
This year’s Tokyo and Berlin marathons were hit by heat waves that Climate Central said were made two to three times more likely by climate change. Those heat waves pushed the race-day temperatures well above the window for peak performance. And by 2045, the chances of an ideal weather day for the Tokyo Marathon will decrease from 69% to 57% for the elite men. For Berlin, the odds go from 40% to 29% for the elite women.
Overall, from 2025 to 2045, for the elite men, the likelihood of optimal temperatures on race days declines in Tokyo, Boston, London, New York and Berlin. For the elite woman, they are facing a reduced chance in London, New York, Chicago, Berlin and Sydney.
Climate Central notes that while elite female runners are “uniquely resilient, maintaining optimal performance at higher temperatures than elite men and other runner types,” ideal race-day conditions for these elite women athletes are still projected to decrease in the decades to come.
“Climate change has altered the marathon. Dehydration is a real risk, and simple miscalculations can end a race before it begins,” said Catherine Ndereba, a former Marathon World Record Holder, two-time World Marathon Champion, four-time Winner of Boston Marathon and two-time Winner of Chicago Marathon.
Ndereba added, “We’re not just training to run anymore; athletes have to adapt how they deal with the conditions, including in how they eat and hydrate.”
Climate Central recommends that race organizers consider starting the events closer to sunrise, but the organization stresses that only meaningful climate action and reducing the use of fossil fuels can safeguard marathons’ future.
Head coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on April 09, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Following last week’s arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, the National Basketball Association on Monday said it’s undertaking a review of how the league can protect itself from sports betting and whether it’s doing enough to educate coaches, players and other personnel about the “dire risks” gambling could pose to their careers, according to an NBA league memo obtained by ABC News.
The memo, dated Monday and sent to all 30 teams from NBA general counsel Rick Buchanan and Dan Spillane, the NBA’s EVP of League Governance and Policy, said that the criminal cases against Billups, Rozier and more than two dozen other defendants “is an opportune time to carefully reassess how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players and their fans.”
The memo also said the NBA is reviewing policies about injury reporting after Rozier allegedly faked an injury in a March 23, 2023, game, when he played with the Charlotte Hornets, after, according to investigators, giving advance notice to gamblers who made $200,000 in bets against his statistics.
“While the unusual betting [on the game] was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA and our affiliated leagues,” the memo said.
Billups is among those charged last week in an alleged illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, while Rozier is among several people charged in a separate but related alleged illegal gambling case. Billups has been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy and both were immediately placed on leave by their teams, the NBA said.
Monday’s memo further said that the NBA is “exploring ways to enhance our existing internal and external integrity monitoring programs” including the use of “AI and other tools” to “identify betting activity of concern.”
“With sports betting now occupying such a significant part of the current sports landscape, every effort must be made to ensure that players, coaches, and other NBA personnel are fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods; that our injury disclosure rules are appropriate; and that players are protected from harassment from bettors,” according to the memo.
(CALIFORNIA) — Populations of an invasive species of disease-carrying mosquitoes are continuing to spread throughout Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, according to health officials.
Aedes aegypti — known for its capability to transmit diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika — were detected in San Jose near Kelley Park, the County of Santa Clara Vector Control District announced on Friday.
This is the first time A. aegypti was found in that particular area of San Jose, Taylor Kelly, the scientific-technical services manager of the Santa Clara County Mosquito and Vector Control District, told ABC News.
“This year in particular, we’ve had so many detections throughout new parts of the county,” Kelly said.
In the U.S., A. aegypti is typically found in the South, Southwest and Puerto Rico. It is also commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, including countries in Africa, Asia and southern Europe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The species was first detected in California in 2013 and has been detected throughout 27 counties since — especially in Southern California and the Central Valley, according to the California Department of Public Health. Earlier this month, Los Angeles County reported its first case of locally acquired dengue for the 2025 mosquito season — with A. aegypti the likely culprit, Kelly said.
Populations have been spreading steadily throughout Northern California since the spring, according to health officials. A. aegypti, in particular, has the ability to “move with people,” whether it be following them into their car or home or breeding in extremely small containers.
In Santa Clara County, it appears A. aegypti has become established, Kelly said.
“I do think it’s something that residents are going to be notice because of the nuisance biting,” she said.
The species has been linked to local transmission of the dengue virus in California, according to the California Department of Health.
Climate change may be playing a role in the spread of mosquito populations and vector-borne diseases all over the world, as the insects thrive in warm and humid conditions, according to the World Mosquito Program. Mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland for the first time, leaving Antarctica as the only region in the world where the insect does not reside.
In California, climate has likely played a “very important role,” but other factors have likely facilitated the spread in the Bay Area, such as a developed resistance to insecticides, Kelly said.
A. aegypti is characterized by the white bands on its legs, white spots on the body and stripes on the upper body. They are “aggressive daytime biters,” according to Santa Clara County.
In addition, A. aegypti can lay eggs in container-like flowerpots, pet bowls and backyards, which can exacerbate the spread, officials said, urging residents to dump any standing water in their yards and scrub out containers that could catch rainfall.
“Everybody should dump and drain any standing water on their property at least once a week,” Kelly said.
The species can pose as a “top public health threat,” said Roberto Barrera, lead entomologist at the CDC’s Dengue Branch.
“These tiny troublemakers are responsible for spreading viruses that affect millions of people,” Barrera said in a statement.
California health officials have encouraged residents to report bites that happen during the day immediately and to document and send photos of mosquitoes that have black and white stripes.
(NEW YORK) — Over 20 “ill-prepared” hikers were rescued from New Hampshire’s Mount Washington after they were trapped in “full winter conditions” without the proper gear, with some developing hypothermia, according to the Mount Washington Cog Railway.
The hikers, who were rescued on Saturday by railway officials, had reached the mountain’s 6,288-foot summit, but “most had no idea that summit services would be unavailable and that the state park was closed for the season,” Andy Vilaine, the assistant general manager for the Mount Washington Cog Railway, said in a statement on Saturday.
The train was heading to the summit as normal when crew members discovered “several distressed hikers,” Vilaine said in a statement to ABC News.
The hikers told the train officials they “didn’t think they would be able to hike back down,” with Vilaine agreeing after “assessing some of their conditions and outward appearance,” he said.
Many of the hikers were showing the “beginning signs of hypothermia” due to their “poor choice of clothing, including non-waterproof layers and sneakers,” Vilaine told ABC News.
Some of the hikers even admitted it was “their first hike ever,” Vilaine said.
Near the summit, temperatures on Saturday reached roughly between 15 to 18 degrees, with a wind chill anywhere between minus 5 and zero degrees, Vilaine said.
Train crew members created space “anywhere we could” for the hikers, with some even placed in locomotive cabs “with the heat on full-blast so they could start to reverse the effects of hypothermia,” Vilaine said.
“Had we not been able to assist the hikers with the one-way ride, there is little doubt in my mind that several more complex rescue efforts may have needed to be undertaken,” Vilaine told ABC News.
After the hikers were rescued, New Hampshire State Parks released a statement on Sunday urging those hiking in the winter conditions to be responsible as “multiple people have arrived at the summit the last few days very unprepared for winter and required assistance.”
Another hiker was rescued from Mount Washington on Sunday after he was “caught in a windblown snow with a dying light and cellphone near the summit,” according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
The 20-year-old hiker from Rhode Island was “on the upper reaches of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail,” which is approximately 0.3 miles below the mountain’s summit, when he alerted rescuers that his headlamp and cellphone were “rapidly dying,” the fish and game department said in a press release on Monday.
The hiker was “found to have done some research on his hike, but was absolutely unprepared for the conditions that he encountered,” the department said. The 20-year-old was found uninjured and “thanked the rescuers multiple times in the aftermath of this event,” the department said.
“This situation could have had a very bad outcome, and everyone involved recognized that fact,” the department said.
Officials emphasized that hikers must bring “everything needed to hike in winter conditions,” or to simply “just hike another day.”
“It’s literally a life or death situation if they go up there unprepared,” Lt. Mark Ober with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department told Manchester, New Hampshire, ABC affiliate WMUR.
Cris Hazzard, a professional hiking guide and author, known as “The Hiking Guy,” previously told ABC News that several minutes of “homework” before embarking on an outdoor excursion — including checking the website of the trail or park or downloading an app like AllTrails — can help hikers avoid challenging conditions or become aware of specific closures.
This ABC News graphic shows the forecast for Hurricane Melissa as of Oct. 27, 2025. (ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Melissa, now a powerful Category 5 storm, will slam into Jamaica on Monday as the worst storm the island has ever seen.
Here is Melissa’s forecasted path:
Melissa is expected to make landfall in central or western Jamaica late Monday night or early Tuesday morning, likely as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. Most of the destruction will unfold from noon on Monday to noon on Tuesday.
Tropical storm-force winds are already underway and will steadily increase throughout the day. Winds are expected to reach hurricane strength by Monday night and will last through Tuesday afternoon.
The rain and storm surge will be even more dangerous than the wind for some. Melissa is moving very slowly, so it will bring a deluge of rain to Jamaica, with totals forecast to reach 15 to 30 inches and even up to 40 inches in localized areas. This will spark catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding on Monday and Tuesday.
Storm surge will decimate parts of the southern coast with water surging up to 13 feet above ground level.
Next, the heavy rain will move to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where 8 to 16 inches of rainfall is possible. Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are also in the forecast.
Melissa will then hit southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as a major hurricane, dumping 10 to 20 inches of rain and leading to catastrophic flooding and numerous landslides.
On Wednesday, the southeastern Bahamas will see rain totals of 4 to 8 inches, hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge.
Melissa may still be a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday night or Friday morning when it passes near or over Bermuda.
(NEW YORK) — At least one person was killed and six others wounded in a shooting Saturday night at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, according to authorities.
Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said in a Sunday morning news conference that the shooting occurred outside the university’s International Cultural Center during homecoming celebrations following a football game.
“This is a devastating night,” Barrena-Sarobe said. “It was a chaotic scene and people fled in every direction.”
One person was detained and was in possession of a firearm, Barrena-Sarobe said, adding that it was possible that there might be another shooter. Officials do not believe that the incident was a planned mass shooting, the district attorney said.
“We are investigating with the full power of federal, state and local law enforcement,” Barrena-Sarobe said.
The Chester County District Attorney’s Office said in an initial statement on social media early on Sunday that law enforcement was “investigating the shooting at Lincoln University” and had identified seven gunshot victims.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a post to X that he was briefed on the shooting and offered his support to the university.
Lincoln University, a historically Black university, is located in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania.
(LUMBERTON, N.C) — At least two people were killed and seven others are in critical condition after a mass shooting took place early Saturday at a large party in North Carolina, according to officials.
A total of 13 people were shot in the incident just outside of Maxton, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.
Over 150 people ran from the scene of the shooting before law enforcement arrived, according to the sheriff’s office.
The shooting was an isolated incident and there is no current threat to the community, according to the sheriff’s office.
“We are asking that anyone with information regarding this incident or anyone that was at the scene when the shooting occurred, to make contact with Sheriff’s Investigators by calling 910-671-3100 or email sheriff.wilkins@robesoncountysonc.gov,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — As New York City voters head to the polls to decide the next mayor, the Democratic frontrunner and his policy proposals have been thrust into the national spotlight.
State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has faced attacks by his opponents, critics, Republicans, and even President Donald Trump, who have lashed out at his progressive agenda with labels such as “radical” and “communist.”
However, when examined, Mamdani’s proposals, such as freezing the rent for some New York tenants, free buses and free child care, are not only feasible but also build off the foundations of previous New York City laws, political analysts told ABC News.
“Everything he has been talking about has been done in various degrees,” Doug Turetsky, the former chief of staff and communications director at New York’s City’s Independent Budget Office, told ABC News. “There is nothing that is new in what he’s proposing, and he’s been clear on how he aims to achieve them.”
Turetsky and others have noted that while Mamdani will likely have his work cut out for him if he wins the election, he has been putting in the work to not only sell his ideas but also draw in key city players to make it a reality.
“There will be challenges for sure, and those expecting buses to be free on January 1, if he gets inaugurated, are going to be disappointed because his plans will take time,” Turetsky said. “But if Mamdani is going to be successful, he’s going to have to work with the right people, and he’s starting to make those inroads.”
Affordability becomes top issue in race Mamdani, a 34-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA,) who was elected to state office four years ago, stunned the city when he won the Democratic primary in June. He beat out former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was seen as the favorite due to his experience and ties to Democratic leaders.
The assemblyman made the cost of living the centerpiece of his campaign and vowed to give New Yorkers a change of pace following the scandals of Mayor Eric Adams.
“I think that the Democratic Party must always remember what made so many proud to be Democrats, which is a focus on the struggles of working-class Americans across this country,” Mamdani told ABC News’ senior political correspondent Rachel Scott in June.
Christina Greer, an associate professor of politics at Fordham University, told ABC News that Mamdani has kept his ear to the ground and listened to New Yorkers’ concerns, rather than relying on consultants.
“All the messaging is not a messaging for just one group. What’s the racial composition of people worried about rent? It’s everyone,” she said. “The message is clearly something New Yorkers and people across the country have been yearning for.”
How Mamdani’s proposals build off previous plans Mamdani’s campaign and policy proposals have been headlined by three major proposals: freezing the rent for the city’s 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, making buses free and guaranteeing child care for New Yorkers from six weeks until 5-years-old.
The assemblyman said he would use his power to appoint members to the city’s Rent Guidelines Board, which decides rents for those specific units, and that they would keep prices stable during their annual vote.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who ran against Mamdani in the primary, and, ultimately, crossed-endorsed him in the ranked choice voting ballot, told ABC News that the nominee’s proposals build upon the work that the city has done at addressing New Yorkers’ needs.
“There is evidence we can do it because we have done it,” he said.
From September 2023 to September 2024, the MTA issued a pilot program that made five bus lines that served minority communities free, as part of a state proposal that Mamdani pushed.
A review of the pilot released over the summer found that ridership among those free routes increased, but travel times did not get faster.
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg also proposed free buses when he ran for a third term in 2009, but the plan was never implemented.
Lander noted that 12 years ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed for universal pre-K for all New York’s 4-year-olds and sought funding from Albany to make it a reality. De Blasio faced huge pushback from Democrats and Republicans alike for his proposal, who argued about the scope and cost of the project.
In 2014, universal pre-K launched in the city and eventually expanded to 3-K seats in select neighborhoods. Other school districts throughout the state and country have launched similar universal pre-K programs.
“The city has already taken bold steps for child care for all 4-year-olds and most 3-year-olds. The next step is 2-year-olds and to keep going,” Lander said, adding that his office has found the pre-K program has helped lower childcare costs for millions of parents across the city and improved the economy.
Lander also noted that the Rent Guidelines Board has frozen rents for rent-stabilized units in the past, with it happening three times during de Blasio’s administration, including during the pandemic.
The comptroller acknowledged that a lot of Mamdani’s proposals will require work and agreements from state leaders, but he pointed out that Mamdani is putting the work to make his case.
“Of course, this is going to take a lot of money, and it will be challenging because of federal cuts,” he said.
Mamdani’s opponents, Cuomo, who is running on a third-party line, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, have argued that the assemblyman’s proposals cannot be realistically done and that he lacks the experience to execute his vision.
“This is not a job for someone who has no management experience to run 300,000 people, no financial experience to run a $115 billion budget,” the former governor said in a debate last week.
How Mamdani backs up his proposals Mamdani has not been shy about the huge costs and steps it would take to achieve his goals, but he has outlined steps to get through the roadblocks.
The free bus proposal would have to be approved by the MTA, which is run by the state government, and would need an additional $800 million in state funding, according to Mamdani.
Mamdani also estimated that his plan to increase free child care would cost the city $6 billion annually.
He has proposed a 2% tax on New York City residents earning more than $1 million a year, and an increase in the state’s corporate tax rate to 11.5% to pay for his proposals. Both tax changes would need approval from state leaders.
The assemblyman has insisted that Albany leaders would be attentive to the benefits his proposals would bring to the city’s residents and that New York’s wealthiest residents and major corporations would benefit if those affordability solutions were in place.
“Mamdani will have an uphill battle given that he’s going to have to make the case to state leaders who are concerned about spending,” Greer said.
Alexis Grenell, the co-founder of Pythia, a political consulting group, told ABC News that since the primary ended, Mamdani has hit the ground running in neighborhoods to pitch his vision for the city.
Grenell, who has not done any consulting work for the Mamdani campaign, said that the biggest part of Mamdani’s appeal has been his active effort to meet people in person, even opponents, and listen to their concerns as he makes his case.
“He actually does mean it when he says he’s listening, and he’s shown it since the primary,” she said.
Grenell added that Mamdani’s messaging draws a sharp contrast from the messaging of his opponents.
Cuomo has recently increased attacks on Mamdani, attacking his political inexperience and has made controversial comments appearing to reference Mamdani’s background as a Muslim.
The former governor has brushed off criticism of his attacks on Mamdani, citing the assemblyman’s comments about the Israeli government committing genocide in Gaza. During a news conference Thursday, Cuomo brought up Mamdani’s appearance on influencer Hasan Piker’s podcast, noting Piker said in 2019 that “America deserved 9/11.”
Piker later said his remarks were inappropriate and meant to be satire.
Mamdani condemned Piker’s comments as “reprehensible” during a debate last week.
“I don’t think Andrew Cuomo has any ideas beyond his revenge campaign,” Grenell said. “I think a lot of New Yorkers are put off by that.”
Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime prevention group, has led a campaign focused on public safety.
“New Yorkers do have public safety concerns, but not as much as the concerns about whether they can afford their rent or even a sandwich,” Grenell said.
Making the case to moderates The experts told ABC News that one of Mamdani’s most effective decisions since he won the primary was to actively reach out to prominent moderate and sometimes conservative New York figures to talk about his vision and hear their thoughts.
Mamdani has spoken with many of the city’s major business leaders, including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, and discussed his proposals, telling reporters that he wants to address their concerns while also tackling affordability.
“I think he is trying to present a more nuanced persona than he was originally perceived as. He was seen as an activist, and he’s coming off more nuanced,” Turetsky said.
Mamdani has had discussions with former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the city’s wealthiest business owners and a former Republican. Howard Wolfson, one of Bloomberg’s longtime advisers who was in the meeting, told the New York Times the former mayor and Mamdani ” disagreed on several issues,” but had a good meeting.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people after they have been with him, and in a lot of cases, they found him to be a good listener, asked a lot of questions, and gave smart and serious answers on how he will deliver on those commitments,” Lander said.
One of the biggest endorsements that Mamdani has secured since his primary is from Gov. Kathy Hochul, a moderate Democrat who will be a deciding factor in the state funding.
Hochul has been clear that she does not intend to raise taxes on New Yorkers, but she did say that she shares Mamdani’s commitment to expanded child care and bringing costs down.
“So I think there is a path for us to work collaboratively,” the governor said about Mamdani at an Oct. 16 summit on child care.
“There are policies that are troubling to the business community, I understand that, but the candidate has focused intensely on affordability, and that’s not just a buzzword. It’s a call to find meaningful solutions that start meaningful solutions that start changing people’s lives and their perspectives of their lives immediately. And I look forward to working with him on that,” she added.
The experts said that Mamdani’s outreach has also affected his campaigning on his policies.
The assemblyman has indicated in recent interviews that he is open to other ways to fund his proposals that don’t involve raising taxes if a viable option is available.
Mamdani says he plans to keep the current NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch if elected.
“I do think we have to give politicians room to evolve,” Greer said. “That’s what we’re seeing, the maturation of a candidate.”
True tests lie ahead As the campaign winds down, the experts warned that Mamdani will have to prepare himself for the intense scrutiny that awaits him, not only from those opponents but also from his own supporters.
Although the assemblyman has made it clear that his proposals will take time and are not guaranteed to be implemented the way he has planned, New Yorkers typically don’t give incoming mayors a long honeymoon period, Turetsky said.
“His biggest risk is with some of his most loyal and hyped-up supporters. If he can’t deliver major changes in short order, they might be questioning his commitment to his promises,” Turetsky said.
Grenell said a Mamdani administration will have to deal with Trump, who has labeled him a communist and threatened to take away federal funding if the assemblyman wins.
Mamdani has vocally criticized Trump’s controversial mass deportation actions and federal cuts, but has said he would be willing to work with the president if he wants to tackle the affordability crisis.
Grenell said while Trump’s threats are concerning to many New Yorkers, residents are ultimately looking for a mayor who fights for them, and Mamdani has shown his willingness to counter the president if he does anything to hurt the city.
“They know Trump will weaponize Mamdani for his own brutal attacks on the city, but Mamdani is smart and continues to point that out,” she said. “And he’s been able to still stick to the main point at hand, which is affordability.”
