NYC Free Parking Might be CANCELLED…
NEW YORK, NY — The "free ride" for New York City drivers may be reaching its final stop. In a move that has sent shockwaves through the outer boroughs, top leadership in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration confirmed this week that the city is actively discussing a plan to charge for street parking that has been free for decades.
The bombshell admission came from First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan, who told an audience at New York Law School that expanding metered parking and introducing residential parking permits are among the revenue-raising options being explored to close a massive $5.4 billion budget deficit.
🏛️ "IT’S NOT A NO": THE END OF FREE CURB SPACE
When asked point-blank if the city would begin charging for currently free on-street parking, Fuleihan gave a chilling response for the city’s millions of car owners: “It’s not a no. We should be looking at all these things.”
Currently, the overwhelming majority of New York’s curb space is free. Out of roughly 3 million on-street parking spaces citywide, only about 80,000 are metered. However, a recent policy paper from the Center for an Urban Future has painted a target on the remaining 2.9 million spaces, calling them a “costly missed opportunity.”
📉 THE BILLION-DOLLAR "MONEY GRAB"
The fiscal incentive for the Mamdani administration is staggering. Policy groups argue that if the city were to install meters on just 25% of its currently free spaces, it could generate at least $1.21 billion in additional annual revenue.
Other proposals under consideration include:
Residential Parking Permits: Charging New Yorkers hundreds of dollars a year just to park on their own block.
Dynamic Pricing: Hiking meter rates during peak "rush hour" times, essentially taxing people for going to work.
Universal Daylighting: Removing parking spots near intersections (a plan Mamdani recently had to scale back on Staten Island due to "devastating" local backlash).
🔥 THE STATEN ISLAND U-TURN
The administration’s "war on cars" has already hit a wall in the outer boroughs. Just this week, Mayor Mamdani was forced to reverse course on a universal "daylighting" plan for Staten Island that would have stripped thousands of parking spots from residents and local businesses.
“We heard the concerns of Staten Islanders loud and clear,” Mamdani admitted, shifting to a case-by-case approach. But while the Mayor retreated on one front, Fuleihan’s comments suggest City Hall is still looking for a way to monetize every square inch of the New York curb.
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📊 A TALE OF TWO PATHS
Mayor Mamdani’s preliminary $127 billion budget presents New Yorkers with two painful paths to solvency: either a massive tax hike on "millionaires and corporations" (which Governor Hochul has called a non-starter) or a 9.5% property tax hike combined with new fees like the parking tax.
Mayoral spokesperson Jeremy Edwards appeared to confirm the administration’s intent, stating they are "committed to modernizing how we manage our curbs" and "rethinking how curb lanes can better serve all New Yorkers."
💥 THE VERDICT: A SQUEEZE ON THE MIDDLE CLASS
For residents in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island—where a car is often a necessity, not a luxury—the proposal is being blasted as a blatant "money grab." Critics argue that the socialist administration is spending millions on "free" services while looking to tax the very act of living and working in the city.
House Votes 357-65 to Block Public Release of Misconduct Reports
The House of Representatives decisively rejected an effort on Wednesday to force the public disclosure of internal investigations into sexual harassment and improper relationships on Capitol Hill. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), was derailed in a 357-65-1 vote, with lawmakers opting to refer the measure to the House Ethics Committee—a move that effectively stalls the push for transparency.
The resolution sought to require the Ethics Committee to release "all reports, including any conclusions, draft reports, recommendations, and exhibits" related to investigations into sexual misconduct between members of Congress and their staff within 60 days.
"No More Hiding"
Mace framed the resolution as a necessary step to dismantle a "culture of secrecy" that she claims protects abusers at the expense of victims and taxpayers.
“Congress has been sweeping this under the rug for far too long. Staff deserve to come to work without being harassed by their bosses,” Mace stated earlier this week. “The American people deserve to know when their so-called ‘representative’ is abusing power. No more hiding. No more excuses.”
She specifically cited the ongoing situation involving Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) as a recent example. The Ethics Committee formally opened an investigation into allegations against Gonzales on Wednesday morning, just one day after his Texas primary results pushed him into a May runoff.
The Ethics Committee's Warning
Shortly before the vote, the Ethics Committee issued a formal statement opposing the measure, arguing that a wholesale release of investigative materials would "chill victim cooperation" and undermine the integrity of future probes.
“House Resolution 1072 could have a negative impact on the Committee’s ability to investigate and eliminate sexual misconduct in the House,” the panel warned, urging members to stick to existing protocols.
While House rules were updated in 2018 to strictly prohibit sexual relationships between members and their office staff, the committee is currently not required to release every complaint or internal document it reviews, unless a case is fully substantiated.
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A Move Toward Limited Disclosure
Despite the defeat of the main resolution, Mace found partial success in the House Oversight Committee. Lawmakers there advanced a motion to subpoena the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights for records of settlements paid prior to December 2018.
An amendment from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) limited the scope of the subpoena to settlements involving members of Congress specifically, rather than staff, while still requiring reporting on total settlement amounts. Prior to 2018, the names of offices involved in misconduct settlements were not required to be made public.
The lopsided vote on the House floor underscores a significant, bipartisan reluctance to mandate the release of raw investigative data, even as the 2026 election cycle places increased scrutiny on congressional ethics and accountability.
Trump Warns New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani: ‘We’ll Have To Arrest Him’
Trump Warns New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani: ‘We’ll Have To Arrest Him’
President Donald Trump on Wednesday addressed sharp criticism from Zohran Mamdani, who defeated disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral race. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, ordered the president during his fiery victory speech to “turn the volume up.”
“I think it’s a very dangerous statement for him to make,” Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier. “He has to be a little bit respectful of Washington, because if he’s not, he doesn’t have a chance of succeeding. And I want to make him succeed.” He quickly clarified, “I want to make the city succeed, I don’t want to make him succeed.”
Trump has frequently attacked the progressive candidate throughout his campaign, which focused on affordable housing and expanding social safety nets. Mamdani faced racist attacks from critics before defeating Cuomo, whom Trump had endorsed.
In his victory speech Tuesday, Mamdani called Trump a “despot” who has “betrayed” the nation. He urged his supporters to use their votes and voices to “stop the next Trump” by “dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”
“I thought it was a very angry speech,” Trump told Baier. “Certainly angry toward me, and I think he should be nice to me. I’m sort of the one that has to approve a lot of things coming to him, so he’s off to a bad start.”
Supporters countered that Mamdani, 34, is off to a great start as the first Muslim and South Asian mayor in city history, and its youngest in more than a century.
“Look, for thousands of years communism has not worked. Communism, or the concept of communism, has not worked. I tend to doubt it will work this time,” Trump said. He added that he was “torn” by Mamdani’s win due to his “love” for New York City, saying he “would like to see the new mayor do well.”
When asked if he’s thought about reaching out, Trump replied, “I would say he needs to reach out to us, really. I’m here. We’ll see what happens, but I would think it would be more appropriate for him to reach out to us.”
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In June, when asked about Mamdani’s vow to “stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors,” Trump said, “Well then, we’ll have to arrest him.”
“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump added.
Trump Admin Wildly Surpasses Biden Energy Record In Matter of Months
The White House marked the one-year anniversary of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) on Saturday, February 14, 2026, touting a massive surge in U.S. energy production that has fundamentally reshaped the global market in just over twelve months.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who chairs the Council alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, presented data showing that U.S. output has not only eclipsed the previous administration’s peaks but has done so at a pace federal officials are calling "unprecedented."
Record-Breaking Production Levels
The administration's "Energy Dominance" agenda, codified by executive order exactly one year ago, has driven U.S. crude oil production to a record 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025. By comparison, it took the Biden administration nearly four years to move production from 11.3 million to 13.2 million barrels—a threshold the current administration cleared in its first few months.
Natural gas output has seen a similar vertical climb. In November 2025, production reached 110.1 billion cubic feet per day, the highest level since federal tracking began in 1973. This represents an 8% increase over the previous administration's average.
“Gasoline prices have fallen to some of the lowest levels in years, permitting has been streamlined, and American energy exports are surging,” Secretary Burgum told Fox News Digital. “These achievements mean real savings for families, farmers, and small businesses.”
Surging Global Influence and LNG Exports
The U.S. has significantly widened its lead as the world’s premier liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. Average LNG exports rose to 15.1 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, a sharp jump from the 11.9 billion recorded in late 2024.
This surge is credited to the Council's aggressive focus on "unleashing" American resources through:
Regulatory Rollbacks: Modernizing financial risk evaluations to free up billions for offshore exploration.
Permitting Speed: The Department of the Interior has approved 63.7% more Federal and Indian drilling permits compared to the previous administration over the same period.
Infrastructure Investment: New agreements with a bipartisan group of governors to advance over $15 billion in power-generation projects.
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The Economic Impact: Addressing Affordability
A central pillar of the NEDC's mission is to use energy abundance as a tool against inflation. While recent Middle East tensions have caused temporary spikes in crude prices, the administration maintains that the expanded domestic grid and increased output are the only long-term solutions to lowering transportation and grocery costs.
Secretary Burgum reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to "conservation abundance," arguing that environmental stewardship and fossil fuel development are not mutually exclusive. As the U.S. enters the second year of this policy, the White House expects to export four billion more cubic feet of natural gas per day than in 2024—a 33% increase.
