New year, new mayor, New York

On today’s show, WNYC reporter Brigid Bergin joins Kimberly to talk about New York City’s brand new Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose campaign on affordability caught nationwide attention. We’ll get into how Mamdani is tackling that challenge during his first days in office, how the business community is reacting, and how his administration is navigating an unpredictable White House. Plus, the case for daydreaming more in 2026.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Gov. Hochul, Mayor Mamdani announce push for free child care for NYC 2-year-olds" from Gothamist 

• "NYC to provide expansion of free child care in "high-need" areas" from Marketplace

• "MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: Mayor signs executive orders targeting junk fees and subscription traps" from amNY

• "The Mamdani vs. big business era begins as mayor pledges 'economic justice'" from Gothamist

• "Politics Trump administration freezes $10 billion in child, family aid to 5 states over fraud concerns" from CNBC  

• "The new go-to for Napa Valley wine lovers? Costco" from Marketplace 

• "Google adds proofreading, AI summaries to Gmail with new update" from Marketplace 

• "Why you should put down your phone and daydream instead" from The Washington Post

• "At grocery stores, shopping with a side of biometric surveillance" from Marketplace

We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.