It Could Happen Here - Zohran Mamdani's First 100 Days

Episode Date: April 30, 2026

Garrison goes over what Mayor Mamdani has accomplished in his first 100 days, the challenges of adapting to power, and what his administration means for the future of working class politics. Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZGdfQ-kPTI https://www.nyc.gov/content/100days/pages/ https://www.nyc.gov/site/hpd/news/004-26/mamdani-administration-stricter-enforcement-city-s-250-most-distressed-apartment https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mamdani-administration-announces-historic--2-1-million-settlemen https://www.nyc.gov/content/tenantprotection/pages/pinnacle-tenants https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-mamdani-signs-eo-to-revitalize-mayor-s-office-to-protect-t https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mayor-mamdani-announces-historic--2-1m-court-judgment-against-br https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/02/mayor-mamdani--nycha-announce--38-4-million-investment-to-bring-  https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycha/about/sustainability.page  https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mamdani-administration-launches-new-program-to-deliver-affordabl https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mayor-mamdani-advances-new-york-city-s-first-free-child-care-pro https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/transcript--mayor-mamdani-announces-major-3-k-expansion--adding- https://www.thecity.nyc/2026/02/19/mamdani-budget-parks-libraries/ https://www.thecity.nyc/2026/02/10/homeless-deaths-cold-hearing-wasow-park/ https://citylimits.org/the-mayor-promises-a-new-approach-to-encampment-sweeps-homeless-advocates-dont-buy-it/ https://gothamist.com/news/can-columbus-ohio-teach-the-nypd-about-crowd-control-mamdani-wants-to-find-out https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/nyregion/mamdani-nypd-tisch-police.html https://gothamist.com/news/mayor-mamdani-signals-openness-to-nypd-gang-database-citing-reforms https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mayor-mamdani-appoints-renita-francois-as-deputy-mayor-for-commu  https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mamdani-administration-secures-nearly--2m-in-restitution-for-800 https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-mamdani-announces--5-million-settlement--reinstatement-of-  https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/04/mayor-mamdani-announces-la-marqueta-as-first-site-identified-for https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/04/mayor-mamdani--governor-hochul-announce-state-s-first-pied-a-terSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 2%. That's the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter. I'm on my podcast, 2%. I break down the signs of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange modern world. Put yourself through some hardships, and you will come out on the other side a happier, more fulfilled, healthier person.

Listen to 2%. that's TWO percent on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year. for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts too many of us were never, ever taught. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more.

Listen to Money and Wealth with John Hope Bryant from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, gorgeous, it's Lala Kent. Host of Untraditionally Lala. My days of filling up cups at Sir may be over, but I'm still loving life in the valley. Live on the other side of the hill is giving grown-up vibes, but over here on my podcast, Untraditionally Lala, I'm still that Lala you either love or love to hate.

It's unruly, it's unafraid, it's untraditionally Lala. Listen to Untraditionally Lala on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Media. On Sunday, April 12th, I went to the basement nightclub in Queens. Like usual, someone scanned my ticket at the big gate off Flushing Avenue. I had to wait in a winding line outside the door, went through security, and finally reached the DJ and bar.

But instead of the regular collection of twinks, dolls, and bisexuals, the room was full of city workers, politicians, journalists, and DSA members, a decent number of which probably were bisexual, I suppose. Technically, we were directly above the basement nightclub in the knockdown center event venue gathered this Sunday afternoon to attend Mayor Zoron Mamdani's 100-day address. I'm Garrison Davis. This is It Could Happen Here, a show about things falling apart and sometimes putting stuff back together. This one is one of those rare episodes focused on the latter. Earlier this April marked Mayor Mamdani's first 100 days in office. This episode, I'll discuss

what Zoron has done these first 100 days. Some of the challenges. he's faced, if he's been able to deliver on the promises of his campaign, and how he's adapted to the power and constraints of running the biggest city in the country. And finally, what all this could mean for the future of working class and left-wing politics in the United States. Let's first return to the 100-day address above the basement nightclub. Upon entering the venue, you found yourself in a museum of the administration's first 100 days. This little installation displayed the mayor's snow shovel from the historic blizzard during Zoran's first few weeks in office, a tenant organizing suggestion board from the rental rip-off hearings, and a child-sized mayoral podium

used to announce a new free child care program for two-year-olds. Museum plaques detailed victories for labor and tenants' rights, as well as infrastructure accomplishments like scaffolding reform, and a pothole blitz that filled over 20,000 potholes in just three days. Before the mayor's speech, a Bronx parent, two tenant organizers, and a city worker from the Department of Transportation, spoke to the crowd about how life is different under the new administration. Momdani's speech was effectively a state of the union for New York City. The mayor outlined the campaign promises the administration has fulfilled so far in their short time in office, and connected his style of governing to the sewer socialists of Milwaukee from the first half the 20th century,

who focused on strengthening public services. Because for too long, City Hall had not just failed to meet expectations. It had lowered them. After years of broken promises, no one in this city could be blamed for doubting that government held either the ability or the ambition to upend the status quo.

It, as I said, on that freezing January afternoon to more than 8.5 million New Yorkers, we will make no apology for what we believe. I was elected as a Democratic socialist, and I will govern as a Democratic socialist. This speech was really the first time since the inauguration that the mayor has talked at length about what it means to govern as a Democratic socialist, and the example that New York City can set for the rest of the country. The address was mostly attended by city workers, who the mayor invited to enter into a ticket lottery. For most of the speech, I was pinned between a group of uniformed to partner.

of sanitation employees and workers from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. The event in general was focused on uplifting civil servants and celebrating public service, whether that be bus drivers, school teachers, or the sanitation workers that kept this city running during the worst snowstorm in years. It feels like for the past few decades, the only public sector job that gets regularly celebrated as noble by those in government or in the media, and promoted by pop culture, is being a police officer. Being a cop is the only public sector job that gets uplifted with propaganda. Zoron's little videos promoting 311 city call center workers is, to quote front of the pod,

Ben Lorber, rolling back decades of neoliberal propaganda, reasserting the dignity of public sector work and workers. A common turn of phrase uttered by Mayor Mamdani is, If you can't solve the smallest task in someone's life, why would they ever trust you to solve the biggest one? So, let's go over some things, big and small, that Mamdani has been able to do in his first 100 days. One of Mamdani's core campaign promises was to freeze the rent. On February 18th, Mayor Mamdani appointed six new members to the nine-member Rent Guidelines Board, which each year is tasked with determining the rent-increased percentages for the more than the more than,

than one million rent-stabilized apartments in the city. Under Eric Adams, the board approved a 3% rent increase for one-year leases and a 4.5% increase for two-year leases. In just a few weeks, the new board will hold a preliminary vote to freeze or raise rents before their final vote in June. Public testimony on rent adjustments is currently underway. Housing in general is one of the top issues affecting affordability in the city, and the mayor's approach has not been limited to filling vacancies on the rent guidelines board. After Zoran's inauguration speech on January 1st, he went to a neglected apartment building just east of Prospect Park to sign an executive order revitalizing the mayor's office to protect tenants and appointed a tenant organizer to lead the office. This apartment building

was owned by a literally bankrupt landlord called the Pinnacle Group, who was responsible for more than 5,000 housing violations and 14,000 complaints. The revamped office to protect tenants and the mayor intervened in the bankruptcy proceedings and successfully secured $30 million in repairs and upgrades for tenants, as well as protection from future displacement. Through this office, the administration has continued to crack down on bad landlords who violate New York City law and mystery tenants. Just a few weeks after the inauguration, Momdani announced a $2.1 million settlement from A&E real estate properties for tenant harassment and hazardous conditions across 14 buildings in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

As a part of the settlement, A&E was also required to correct more than 4,000 building condition violations. In February, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development released a public list of the 250 buildings with the most severe housing code violations of citywide and put them under heightened oversight via the alternative enforcement program. With the city stepping in to make repairs, then billing the landlords if they failed to address violations. Since January 1st, we have won more than $34 million in settlements, judgments, and repairs for tenants.

Delivered improvements to 6,070 apartments so far and issued 195,829 violations. New York City will no longer tolerate exploitation as a business model. In March, Mayor Mamdani announced a quote-unquote landmark victory against famously bad landlord Seth Miller of Aegis Realty. You can say the landlord was egregious at Realty. The city brought a case against Miller for dangerously derelict conditions at 919 Prospect Avenue in the South Bronx, and for the first time ever, courts imposed the maximum penalties under the city's nuisance abatement law, a $1,000 fine per day until housing violations are addressed, and $2.174 million in retroactive penalties. During the first 100 days, the city held five rental rip-off hearings,

one in each borough, providing New Yorkers a platform to discuss various problems with their landlord, from poor conditions to repair delays or junk fees. This was a dedicated public forum for tenants to speak directly to city officials and collectively shape housing policy going forward. A month into office, the mayor announced a $38 million investment to install modern heating and cooling in 712 of New York City's public housing units at the Beach 41st Street houses in Queens. And technically, this is after the first 100 days.

but I think it's worth mentioning that just a few days ago, Zoran announced a $2.5 billion investment in public housing to deliver new energy-efficient lighting and faucets to 45,000 homes, heat pumps and 20,000 and 10,000 new induction stoves, all affecting the NYCHA public housing in New York City. On Zoran's very first day in office, he also signed two executive orders to accelerate housing construction by building on city-owned properties to increase the supply of affordable housing and cutting red tape to make it faster and more affordable to build. The development approval process for building affordable housing has been reduced by more than two years

by the administration's implementation of the new voter-approved, expedited land use review procedure, combined with a new program called the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track, which will pre-select qualified developers to shorten the pre-development timeline by eight months for certain projects on city-owned land. Another of Zoran's core campaign promises was universal child care. On his eighth day in office, Mayor Ramdani announced a partnership with Governor Kathy Hokel

to provide free child care for thousands of two-year-olds in New York City with a $1.2 billion increase in state funding. Since then, the mayor has expanded the free 3K program for 3-year-olds to more than half of all school districts in the city and announced 2K fall enrollment for school districts 18, 23, 10, 6, and 27, which serve lower-income neighborhoods. 2K applications open for the first time on June 2nd, with the program operating on a full-day schedule from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. all year around. As a part of the 3K expansion, 7 new early child care education centers are opening in Western Queens, Staten Island, South Brooklyn, and the South Bronx. And on March 30th, the mayor announced the city's first pilot program for free on-site child care for city workers based at the David Dinkins Municipal Building with applications opening on April 30th.

The city also created a new accessible child care provider map with interactive features to filter by location, age group, and cost. The mayor says that all these steps will lead to free child care for every three-year-old and two-year-old in the city by the end of his first term. Another key promise was fast and free buses. The administration is making headway on the fast part by building more bus lanes, redesigning streets, as well as adding protected bike lanes on McGinnis Boulevard, 31st Street in Astoria, Ashland's Place, across Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, and Brooklyn and Kingston Avenues in central Brooklyn. Amdani restarted the stalled Madison Ave bus lane redesign to make buses faster and more reliable

for 92,000 daily riders. The city announced a new bus lane for the Bronx cross-town bus service to Yankee Stadium, and restarted the Fordham Road bus lane project to improve the busiest bus corridor in the Bronx, servicing an average of 130,000 daily riders across four routes. Just this week, construction began in Brooklyn for the redesign of Flatbush Avenue, with the goal of improving bus speeds by over 40% for 132,000 daily riders. And before the World Cup this summer, Zoran has promised to complete new bike lanes

and pedestrian upgrades in Lower Manhattan. As for the free part, that will be a bit harder. Omdani maintains that his administration is working with the state government in Albany and the MTA to eventually make New York City buses free and proposed a five-week free bus pilot program during the World Cup, though it's unclear if that will happen.

Canadian women are looking for more. More to themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are out of them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us.

Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on IHart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me. not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you Get Your Podcasts. I feel like it was a little bit unbelievable until I really start making money. It's Financial Literacy Month, and the podcast, Eating While Broke, is bringing real conversations about money, growth, and building your future. This month, hear from top streamer, Zoe Spencer, and venture capitalist Lakeisha Landrum-Pierre, as they share their journeys from starting out to leveling up. If I'm outside with my parents and they're seeing all these people come up to me for pictures,

It's like, what? Today now, obviously, it's like 100%. They believe everything. But at first, it was just like, you got to go get a real job. There's an economic component to communities thriving. If there's not enough money and entrepreneurship happening in communities, they fail. And what I mean by fail is they don't have money to pay for food. They cannot feed their kids.

They do not have homes. Communities don't work unless there's money flowing through them. Listen to Eating While Broke from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth

to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever, financial education is not always about like I'm going to get rich that's great it's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family if you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money this conversation is for you to hear more listen to money and wealth with john ho bryant from the black

effect network on the i'd heart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast. It's not all sunshine and rainbows in New York City. Upon taking office, Mayor Mumdani discovered the city was facing an unexpected financial crisis in the form of a hidden $12 billion deficit left by former Mayor Eric Adams, stemming from years of fiscal mismanagement

and the under budgeting of essential services like rental and cash assistance, shelters, health insurance, and special ed. As mayor, Eric Adams covered up this massive budget deficit by leaving the gaps grossly understated. Gaps that were made worse by divestment in New York City by the state under former governor Andrew Cuomo. The mayor is actually required by law to have a balanced budget. So rather than sweeping this under the rug

by continuing to cook the city's books like his predecessor, Zoron chose transparency about the financial crisis he's inherited and signed an executive order to designate chief savings officers in every city agency to streamline processes and eliminate waste. Some of these savings so far include canceling $20,000 of slack subscriptions to saving hundreds of thousands of dollars by foregoing vacant office space. Through his relationship with Governor Kathy Hochel,

the mayor secured $1.5 billion in state aid in February. That, combined with higher than expected Wall Street revenues and savings measures, shrunk the deficit to $5.4 billion. Zoron's preliminary budget released last February sparked criticism for failing short of promises to increase funding to parks and libraries. While campaigning, Zoron advocated for city libraries

to receive 0.5% of the city budget, but the preliminary budget only allocated 0.39%, which is actually a $29 million cut from the last Adams budget, down to $456 million. Meanwhile, the park budget remained effectively flat at about 0.5%, rather than boosting it to 1% of the total budget, as Mamdani previously hoped. Though in March, Mayor Mamdani announced new capital investment of $50 million to reconstruct

10 parks in underserved neighborhoods. This February budget is preliminary and subject to change as Zoran's negotiations with the city council and the state continue. In February, Mamdani reversed a previous policy against the force removal of homeless encampments after 20 people died in the street during a horrific blizzard

and sudden cold snap in late January, despite the efforts of outreach workers visiting known homeless people every two hours to offer warm shelter and check if they needed help. 1,400 people were placed into shelters in warming centers during that first freeze, with 85 people in voluntary

moved or hospitalized. The new encampment suite policy will be led by the Department of Homeless Services, rather than the NYPD, as they were under Eric Adams, which Momdani said put homeless New Yorkers in danger and was ineffective in moving people into shelter or housing. Under the new plan, after posting a removal notice, outreach workers will visit encampments every day for a week, with the goal of connecting people to shelter and establishing a pipeline to stable housing, while opening new shelters across the

city, including New York City's first ever pet-inclusive transitional housing facility for families. Much of the criticism levied at Zoran revolves around his choice to retain NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, something he announced before the election. Zoran did cancel an Eric Adams plan to add 5,000 more NYPD officers, but as promised, their budget remained effectively the same, despite the financial deficit. But Tish specifically has been seen as a rare moderating force in the administration, an outlier that may be preventing police reforms that Zoron campaigned on, like disbanding the SRG, the strategic response group, tasked with responding to both protests and terrorism, as well as getting rid of the NYPD gang

database. Critics have noted that Zoron seems to be moving towards quote-unquote reforms of the gang database, rather than his previous call to get rid of it, saying in early April, quote, I've made my critiques of the database clear, and the NYPD has also implemented a number of reforms as per the recommendation that came through, and the implementation of those reforms and the results of that are part of the active discussion that we are having, unquote. The gang database in New York has shrunk by 40% in the last two years. As for the SRG, Mayor Mamdani still maintains that he remains, quote, steadfast in my commitment to disband the SRG to do so in a manner that upholds both First Amendment rights of New Yorkers and keeps New Yorkers safe, and that is the subject of an active conversation that we are having, unquote. Commissioner Tisch has been particularly resistant to the idea of disbanding the SRG, though earlier this month, Mayor Mamdani's chief of staff, Elbezgard Church, said on the news that the administration remains committed to fulfilling the campaign promise of disbanding the SRG and that a delegation of City Hall and NYPD officials traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to learn

about their protest policing model focused on, quote, communication and, quote, de-escalation over mass arrests and aggressive force. The commitment is to disband the SRG, and I think that the Columbus visit showcases that we are committed to a really disciplined approach here. We want it to work and we want to do it in collaboration with the NYPD. So the mayor is in regular conversation with his police commissioner and our teams also meet regularly so that we can design something that is best suited to that commitment being fulfilled and not compromising any of the safety and the protection that New Yorkers deserve. In an April interview, Mayor Mamdani did express to the New York Times that when unable to reach an agreement with Tish, he does have the power to overrule her

on police policy if needed. ultimately, I hold the final decision no matter which department or agency were speaking about, unquote. Mabdani has not exercised this power with the NYPD as of yet. In March, Zoran took the first step in establishing the Department of Community Safety by opening the Office of Community Safety, led by Deputy Mayor Renita Francois, who directed De Blasio's action plan for neighborhood safety and advised Campaign Zero, which opposes the gang database. The new Office of Community Safety

will develop strategies and coordinate efforts to combat gun violence, mental health crisis response, hate crimes, and substance abuse issues. At the announcement, François said, quote, the evidence is clear,

addressing what ails our communities, whether that be crumbling physical infrastructure, social disconnection, or a lack of access to economic opportunity, is how we best ensure that our communities are safe,

unquote. It's too early to judge the impact of the office, but such an office or city department has the potential to challenge the police's monopoly on public safety. The other common critique of Mamdani is based on his endorsement of liberal governor Kathy Hochel and his decision to focus on governing rather than dedicating resources and political capital towards further uphill primary challenges. Zoran has said, quote, the success of our movement will be defined by the success. of our government. Through his working partnership with Governor Hokel, the mayor has been able to extract wins from the state, particularly for universal child care and the $1.5 billion in state aid. In the realm of discourse, some leftists, anarchists, or ultras, have jumped on any fault or policy shift as a sign that Zoran has wholly moved to the right or betrayed the movement.

Such opinions are rewarded by the social media account. which tends to encourage whatever is seen as the most radical, extreme, or divisive opinion. This tendency has been present even among some of Zoron's earliest online supporters. Behind this tendency is a willingness and, frankly, hunger to turn on Zoron, not necessarily for anything he has or has not done, but because of the position he now occupies. Zoron used to be an outsider, challenging the democratic establishment embodied by Andrew Cuomo. But now he's one of the most popular Democrats in the country. DNC social media accounts are posting Zoron memes and hype videos.

This could be viewed as a massive accomplishment. Evidence that the Democratic Party can be forced to bend toward left-wing populism because of the working-class voters and mass organizing that put Zoron in the position he's currently in. But others view Zoron's acceptance and select promotion within the party as a sign he's been corrupted, co-opted, recuperated, or made palatable. Both of these things can be partially true. The Democratic elite certainly have their own motives

for dipping their toes into the Mamdani hot tub. Just as Zoran and the New York City DSA have their own aspirations for influencing the direction of the party towards social democracy and democratic socialism. In general, there's a lot of confusion or disagreement on what it means to be a democratic socialist in a position of power. As an executive, Zoran is in a unique position that not many other DSA members have ever had. Being in such a position of power informs and shapes the way someone interacts with the systems

of party and state in a way that those outside of power cannot fully understand. It filters ideology into material actions. This idea frightens many, but differences in political horizons also affect the way people interact and move with these systems. The question is not what should Zoran do if there were no constraints on his power? Because then obviously he should just implement utopian communism. But his power obviously does have constraints. If the goal for the left is to build a working class movement, to that end, as a function

of Zoron's constraints, it may actually be more effective. for him to operate down to certain state pathways that allow him to facilitate the building of a working class movement and avoid other more extreme pathways that because of the current constraints on executive power would either be ineffective at best or self-destructive at worst. As the mayor, Zoron's job is to run the biggest city in the country. And as a democratic socialist, that means using government to make life better for the working class. His task is to govern in a way that alleviates economic conditions to make it easier to organize and build a working-class movement.

But building that movement is not his job. It's yours. It's the job of the people. And such a movement is the only way of holding elected leaders like Zoron accountable. Zoran is not a revolutionary, nor is he an organizer. He's the mayor of New York City, and as mayor, he has to serve more than 8 million New Yorkers not just the 14,000 members of New York City DSA.

The mayor may join the picket line with striking nurses and fight for working class New Yorkers in City Hall or even open an office of mass engagement like Zoran has done, but it is up to those outside City Hall to move in tandem by working to rebuild a labor movement. Assuming that Zoran or some random public official can just do whatever is the most extreme radical thing, mistakenly sees the state as having more power than it actually does.

People often see the state as an ahistorical abstracted seat of power. But no, the state is just the mediator between capital and labor. The power of the state to support labor is exercised by doing things that are in the interest of labor and society as a whole, rather than just capital. But this ability is directly linked to the extent that labor is organized. So if labor is largely unorganized, then Zoron is more restrained in what he can do. What he can do then is use his position to help build working class power, which will then enable him further, so on and so on.

The state has no power against capital outside of the power that labor gives it. Our situation is one where capital is very strong, which means when the state serves capital, it's quite strong. but in its function of serving labor, it's rather weak, because the left is built to reckon with the fact that right now labor is actually quite weak, which means that state actors, even those on the pro-labor left, are very constrained. So the main thing they can do to strengthen labor is providing better conditions for which labor power may be built. And importantly, organizers must utilize those conditions to build the labor movement. Zoran's other task is to demonstrate that left-wing working-class politics can actually govern, not just critique. Whether or not he succeeds at governing

and delivering for working-class New Yorkers determines the perceived viability of democratic socialist politics nationally going forward. As Momdani has said, the worth of an ideology can only be judged by its delivery. Canadian women are looking for more. More to themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders,

world around them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on on IHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I feel like it was a little bit unbelievable until I read. really start making money. It's Financial Literacy Month, and the podcast, Eating While Broke,

is bringing real conversations about money, growth, and building your future. This month, hear from top streamer, Zoe Spencer, and venture capitalist Lakeisha Landrum-Pierre, as they share their journeys from starting out to leveling up. If I'm outside with my parents

and they're seeing all these people come up to me for pictures, it's like, what? Today now, obviously, it's like 100%. They believe everything, but at first it was just like, You got to go get a real job. There's an economic component to communities thriving.

If there's not enough money and entrepreneurship happening in communities, they fail. And what I mean by fell is they don't have money to pay for food. They cannot feed their kids. They do not have homes. Communities don't work unless there's money flowing through them. Listen to Eating While Broke from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hope Broke, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money.

What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial education is not always about like, I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money,

this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Mamdani is not the first Democratic socialist to be put in such a position. In his 100-day address, Mayor Mamdani spoke about the so-called sewer socialists of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who 100 years ago, quote, built the greatest public park system in the nation and weathered the Great Depression

better than almost any other American city. Milwaukee purged corruption, built the first municipally-sponsored public housing development in the nation, and transformed the city's sewage disposal system. system, unquote. Mayor Mamdani is trying to revive this legacy of municipal socialism. By acting on his mantra, there is no problem too big, no task too small. On day six of office, Mamdani fixed the infamous Williamsburg Bridge bump that has long plagued cyclists. And in response to the historic winter damage affecting city streets, the administration launched a five-borrow pothole

blitz, filling 100,000 potholes in less than 100 days. This is pothole politics. Our 2026 answer to sewer socialism, where government is not too busy, not too self-important, not too mired in paperwork, to fix the problems of this city, no matter their size. This quote-unquote pothole politics has extended to scaffolding reforms, reducing the time that sheds clutter our sidewalks. In January, the mayor announced a new program to expand modular public restrooms, and starting this summer, the roof of the historic David Dinkins Municipal Building will be open to the public

for free viewing and tours. Fighting for workers from within City Hall isn't just an abstract ideal. In the first 100 days, the administration secured $9.3 million in restitution. No longer will city government be afraid of its own shadow. If anyone should be afraid, it is those who take advantage of working people. On January 15th, the city filed a lawsuit against a predatory delivery app called Motoclick for violating worker laws like minimal pay rate. At the end of January, Zoron announced more than $5 million in worker restitution and penalties

due to minimum pay rate violations from three major restaurant delivery apps, Uber Eats, Fanton, and Hungry Panda. This money will be paid to almost 50,000 workers, and as a part of the settlement, Uber also agreed to reinstate 10,000 wrongfully deactivated delivery workers. In March, the administration won almost $2 million for over 800 fast food workers at Taco Bell and retail workers for violations of worker protection laws against unpredictable scheduling. The mayor signed executive orders strengthening consumer protections by targeting hidden junk fees and impossible to cancel subscription. and expanded the protected time-off law to 4.3 million previously unprotected workers and issued compliance warnings to nearly 60,000 employers. Speaking of sewer socialism, at the end of March, Mayor Mamdani announced a $108 million

investment to upgrade and replace more than 6,700 water catch basins to combat flooding. This quote-unquote pothole politics leads the groundwork of public trust needed for large larger systematic transformations. If government can't do the small things, how could you ever trust it to do the big ones? How can we promise to transform our city if we can't pave your street? At the end of the 100-day address,

Mayor Mamdani made a series of announcements. The administration is restarting trash containerization and will make buses faster for 1 million New Yorkers by speeding up buses by up to 20% along 45 priority corridors and constructing new rapid bus routes for 100,000 New Yorkers who live more than half a mile away from a subway or rail stop. But the big announcement was an update to another of Zoran's core campaign promises.

The first of five city-owned grocery stores will open next year, with one store being opened in each borough by the end of Mamdani's first term. The location of the Manhattan Municipal Grocer Store has already been selected, Le Marquetta in East Harlem, a public market opened by the New Deal-era-Mayer-Ferro LaGuardia. The city will build a 9,000 square foot store at the site to offer cheaper groceries than the capitalist competitors. I know there are many who use socialist as a dirty word, something to be ashamed of. They can try all they want, but we will not be ashamed of using government to fight for the many,

not simply the few. We will not be ashamed of adding more heat pumps to Nica buildings in the Rockaways or building more supportive housing in Harlem or standing steadfast alongside our trans neighbors. We'll not be ashamed of investing in youth mental health clinics or working to close Rikers or fighting for immigrants targeted by I. New Yorker, whether you're under attack from the federal government's cruelty or suffocating under the affordability crisis, we will stand beside you. because government is a series of choices, and socialism is the choice to fight for every New Yorker, to extend democracy from the ballot box to the rest of our lives. Three days after Mamdani's 100-day address,

on tax day, April 15th, the mayor announced that he and Governor Hokele had agreed to a new tax-the-rich proposal. New York State will have its first ever he-de-taire tax, A wealth tax on second homes in New York City valued above $5 million owned by out-of-state elites. This tax on the ultra-wealthy is projected to generate $500 million in annual revenue. And if owners want to avoid the tax by moving into the residence, that's fine too, because then they'll have to pay New York resident taxes.

So you get taxed either way. part of pushing back against the libertarian ethos in America by showing that government can actually make your life better is actually showing people what local government is doing. Since taking office, Zoran has employed the same widely successful messaging style that helped get him elected to make PSAs and inform New Yorkers about what the administration has been able to accomplish.

This is something Democrats have largely failed to do by either just not doing this sort of, outreach while governing, making any outreach inaccessible or hard to understand, or having your outreach come off as cringe or out of touch. Regardless of how much effort is put into outreach, the people have to also see the improvements being talked about in their own lives or in their own neighborhoods. A dense population and having a cohesive city culture like New York helps with that. Millions of cyclists cross the Williamsburg Bridge every year. So when the mayor fixes the bump during his first week in office, that's an easy reference point for people.

The success of the administration's comm strategy has been by using Zoron's popularity to promote the public sector and public sector workers while actually showing people how social services help city residents. As the mayor says, New York belongs to all who live in it. While in office, Zoron has largely declined to explicitly talk about how his administration may impact the future of democratic socialism across the country. Instead, keeping his vision laser focused on improving the lives of working New Yorkers and making the city more affordable. To quote the mayor, we cannot burden ourselves with the question of what this means beyond this city. But before the mayor went on stage at the 100-day address,

they played a clip of the progressive New Deal mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, saying, that the greatness of New York City is in the services to its people, where public problems are really the problems of all the people. Quote, and if we succeed here, surely it can be done elsewhere. When former socialist mayor

Bernie Sanders made a surprise appearance during Zoran's speech, the senator spoke about how what's happening in New York is influencing those outside the city. And I want to tell all of you and the mayor that when you guys are doing here in New York City is important not only to the people here. What you are doing

and what the mayor is doing is providing hope and inspiration not only to people all across our country, but honestly all across the world. As a part of Mamdani's first 100 days press circuit, he was asked on CBS News about the future of the Democratic. Party, and if his socialist politics are really viable. You know, what I find is that New Yorkers ask me less about how I describe my politics and more about whether my politics includes them. And I think what we can see is that a democratic socialist politics is one that should be judged on its delivery, like any ideology.

And what we're showing in this city is we can pursue the big things like universal child care and do the pothole politics at the same time that we're showing and not just filling in the potholes, changing the catch basins, but also, paving over a thousand miles of roadway. But Mr. Mr. Mayor, presidential and statewide elections are often decided in battleground regions that do not look like New York City. Yeah, I'll be honest with you. Before I was the mayor, I was an assembly member of Astoria in Long Island City. At that time, I was told that you could only be a Democratic socialist in Northwest Queens. Then I became the mayor. Now the next question is the state. Then it'll be the next question will be the country.

I think that this is a politics that can flourish anywhere because, frankly, there is only one majority in this country. That's the working class. And it's time we have a politics that puts them at the heart of what it is that we're pursuing and not as part of the appendix. Mamdani still has over 1,300 days left in his first term. And there will be more challenges along the way, challenges with the NYPD, the MTA, state government, federal government,

the billionaires, and the blood-sucking monsters among the Democratic Party elite. Attempts to hold politicians, like Zoran, truly accountable to their politics, will require more than Twitter, Maoists, of small DSA caucus. Navigating all these problems will require not just principal leadership

with a commitment to working class politics, but also growing the mass organizing apparatus that helped get Zorn elected and continuing to build power in city hall, state government, and in the workplace. That does it today for It Could Happen Here. See you on the other side. It Could Happen Here is a production of Cool Zone Media.

For more podcast from Cool Zone Media, visit our website, Coolzonemedia.com, or check us out on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can now find sources for it could happen here listed directly in episode descriptions. Thanks for listening. 2%. That's the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter. And on my podcast, 2%. I break down the science of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange modern world. Put yourself through some hardships, and you will come out on the other side a happier, more fulfilled, healthier person.

Listen to 2%. That's TWO percent on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On a recent episode of the podcast Money and Wealth with John Ho'Brien, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here?

We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever taught. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John Hope Bryant from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get. Hit your podcast. Hello, gorgeous. It's Lala Kent. Host of Untraditionally Lala. My days of filling up cups at sir may be over,

but I'm still loving life in the valley. Live on the other side of the hill is giving grown-up vibes, but over here on my podcast, Untraditionally Lala, I'm still that Lala you either love or love to hate. It's unruly, it's unruly, it's unaw-A. Listen to Untraditionally Lala on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast

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