Filling up the gas tank could soon cost more as oil prices surge, as tensions escalate in the Middle East and Iran moves to cut off a critical oil route. 
Brent crude, the leading global price benchmark, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gas-prices-rise-oil-prices-inflation-iran-gasbuddy/">jumped</a> nearly 9% to $79.31 per barrel on Monday. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, rose 6.2% on Monday to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gas-prices-rise-oil-prices-inflation-iran-gasbuddy/">$71.19 per barrel</a>. Retail gas prices move about 2.5 cents for every dollar crude oil moves. 
GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan warned some gas stations could be charging as much as <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gas-prices-rise-oil-prices-inflation-iran-gasbuddy/">30 cents more per gallon</a> by the end of the week if the rally continues. Analysts at Barclays said Brent crude could climb to <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/oil-prices-forecast-iran-f6202cd8?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdRBJ32x_Haqftt0lZuwjUiVj18Q2TLfq-mnAcZF_sSoYfd_UkdyBxaG8A0a2w%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69a5d00b&amp;gaa_sig=BNt0oCh25eo-W_sJmzuFoBpEaANJd6wxHAhI8mkBr6a77TAQPmIzKaOAnSKWsGgFCEzpdKDf-oJNPDbx_4herA%3D%3D">$100 per barrel </a>if supply concerns intensify. Currently, the median U.S. gas price is $2.79 per gallon. Haan says the national average is poised to reach the $3-per-gallon mark for the first time this year. 
Oil markets are rattled after Iran moved to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane that carries roughly 30% of the world’s seaborne oil. Producers in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait all use the Strait to ship oil to consumers across the world. According to Reuters, vessels in the region are receiving marine radio warnings from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard instructing ships not to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. 
Iran has not officially confirmed the directive. Amid escalating tensions, insurers told ship owners they would be canceling policies and raising coverage prices for vessels traveling through the strait. The Financial Times reported that the price for a ship traveling through the strait was about 25% of the ship’s value, but is now about <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/2dc114d0-5bb3-4fae-b538-9a050954549a">37.5%</a> of the ship’s value. So a voyage that cost $250,000 through the strait last week would cost $375,000 this week. 
In response to the uncertainty, several oil companies have paused shipments of crude oil and fuel through the waterway. Prolonged disruption could push global energy prices even higher. 
Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, on Fox Business, praised President Donald Trump for increased domestic energy production that could help offset rising fuel costs. “Thanks to Donald Trump and the American oil and gas industry, we are producing more oil and gas than ever in history. And we will continue to do that. And given the signal, Americans and our allies, for that matter, can really develop a lot of oil and gas. We’ve got a lot of export facilities along the Gulf Coast of America.”
He added that while Iran can disrupt shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, he does not believe Iranians have the military capability to fully shut down the strait. “They don’t have the resources. They don’t have the Navy. They do not have the military force to be able to shut the Strait of Hormuz right now.”
President Trump said on Monday that the U.S. will continue strikes on Iran in the coming weeks. &#8220;Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that,&#8221; added the President.

US-ECONOMY-GAS

Gas Prices In Focus After Iran Targets Key Oil Route

Analysts Predict Gas Prices Will Rise Amid Middle East Conflict

Crude Oil

Gas Prices

Iran

Middle East

NEW YORK — Residents lined up outside a Brooklyn high school Thursday to air their grievances about the city’s landlords, inaugurating one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s flagship initiatives.
The event was the first of five planned “Rental Ripoff Hearings,” which aim to “uncover policy recommendations that will more effectively and systematically protect tenants in their homes.” Led by Mamdani’s Director of Tenant Protection Cea Weaver — who infamously claimed that “Homeownership is a tool of white supremacy” — said the proceeding would focus on recording violations, requesting repairs, and exposing abusive landlords.
In her presentation, titled “New Yorkers vs. Bad Landlords,” Weaver told the room that the mayor’s office would use the feedback collected at the rental rip off hearings to inform housing policy going forward.
One resident in attendance described the poor conditions of her apartment to The Daily Wire. 
“The ceiling caved in,” she said of the three-bedroom apartment she shared with roommates. “There’s rodents and rats and we haven’t had heat the last two winters.”
Asked why she remained in the apartment, she explained that it is rent-stabilized and that she is a comic artist who cannot afford another apartment. She said her share of the monthly rent is $300, while the total rent for the unit is $900. The average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in New York is <a href="https://www.apartments.com/rent-market-trends/brooklyn-ny/">$4,841</a> a month.
But not everyone was happy with the hearing. Leftist critics <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nycha-residents-frustrated-about-rental-ripoff-hearings/">objected</a> that the hearings were limited to private housing, excluding residents in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties — about one in 16 New Yorkers.
In the middle of Thursday’s session, a masked woman wearing knee-high green socks stormed the stage to <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/02/26/us-news/nycha-tenants-sound-off-inhumane-conditions-ahead-of-mamdanis-first-rental-ripoff-hearing/">criticize</a> this exclusion.
“NYCHA should be allowed in the motherf*cking building,” she yelled. “Poor people need a f*cking voice.”
Weaver and other members of the Mamdani administration let the woman interrupt the hearing for nearly two minutes before addressing the masked individual. Weaver informed the woman that NYCHA could speak to representatives just like the other New Yorkers. They then helped the woman exit the stage. As she exited, she almost took the wooden podium with her.
Private landlords, too, are unsurprisingly unhappy with the hearings.
“They should pull from a combination of tenants, landlords, financiers, developers, and economists,” New York real estate broker Adam Frisch told The Daily Wire, saying the hearings were too one-sided. “Everybody looks at the situation with their own biases, and it&#8217;s the role of the mayor to sit down with tenants and landlords and say I know you’re both unhappy. Let&#8217;s see what we can do.”
Landlords blame rent stabilization for the poor conditions of certain apartments. Without the ability to raise rent, they say, they are unable to generate sufficient revenue to maintain their buildings.
Pinnacle Group, a major New York landlord, filed for bankruptcy in 2025, claiming that the “sharp increase in financing costs outpaced rental revenue, which could not be correspondingly increased due to rent stabilization.”
Mamdani, who promised while campaigning to host a Rental Ripoff Hearing in each of the city’s five boroughs, was not present at Thursday’s event. He had spent the day in Washington, D.C., meeting in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump. The pair <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-and-mamdanis-secret-d-c-meeting-centers-on-a-defining-nyc-fight">discussed</a> strategies to increase housing in New York City.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Interview

We Went To Zohran Mamdani’s First ‘Rental Ripoff Hearing.’ Everyone Was Mad.

Housing

Landlord

New York City

Renters

Zohran Mamdani

President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will have their second in-person meeting Thursday afternoon in Washington, D.C.
Both the president and the mayor kept the Oval Office encounter under wraps until Thursday afternoon—though The New York Times reports that people familiar with the matter said the two would discuss strategies to increase housing supply in New York City, an issue that has become a defining challenge for Mamdani’s administration.
It remains unclear whether a formal agenda has been finalized.
Mamdani and several of his top advisers reportedly traveled to Washington on Thursday morning. Unlike his previous visit to the White House in November, this trip was not publicly announced in advance.
The mayor posted a selfie from his flight to Washington in November, drawing attention to the high-profile meeting. Media outlets were aware of the November meeting days in advance, but as with Thursday’s meeting, few details about the agenda were released beforehand. When Mamdani landed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in November, he was swarmed by the press before departing for the White House.
Their first meeting surprised political observers from both parties. Despite significant policy differences, Trump and Mamdani appeared cordial, even allowing portions of the session to be open to the press. The two exchanged light-hearted remarks, with a memorable moment occurring when Mamdani was asked by a reporter if he still thought President Trump was a fascist. Trump responded: “Just say yes; it’s easier than explaining.”
On Tuesday, Trump brought up Mamdani during his State of the Union address, noting he was a “nice guy,” while adding that he disagrees with what he called the mayor’s “bad policy.”
The timing of Thursday’s closed-door meeting underscores the growing urgency of housing affordability in New York. Last week, Mamdani proposed raising property taxes by 9.5% to balance the city’s budget. The mayor has made tenant protections and expanded housing construction central pillars of his administration.
Later Thursday evening, the mayor is scheduled to kick off his &#8220;Rental Rip-off&#8221; series, a public forum designed to give renters across the city an opportunity to share concerns about rising rents, landlord practices, and housing conditions. City officials say testimony gathered during the series will help shape future legislative proposals.

Zohran Mamdani, Donald Trump

Trump And Mamdani’s ‘Secret’ D.C. Meeting Centers On A Defining NYC Fight

Donald Trump

Executive

Politics

Washington D.C.

Everyone knows about President Trump’s Investment Accounts for kids, but at the State of the Union, he announced plans to launch similar investment accounts for adults. After touting the stock market at all-time highs, Trump said he wanted everyone to benefit — including those who are not offered retirement accounts through their employers.
“Half of all working Americans still do not have access to a retirement plan with matching contributions from an employer,” Trump said. “To remedy this gross disparity, I’m announcing that next year, my administration will give these often forgotten American workers — great people, the people that built our country — access to the same type of retirement plan offered to every federal worker. We will match your contribution with up to $1,000 each year. We will match your contribution with up to $1,000 each year as we ensure that all Americans can profit from a rising stock market.”
About 40.6 million full-time working Americans lack access to a retirement plan, and nearly 51% do not benefit from an employer match. The White House hopes the new initiative will help begin to close that gap.
A White House official told The Daily Wire that the accounts would be similar to current federal employee savings plans known as <a href="https://www.tsp.gov/investment-options/">Thrift Savings Plans (TSP)</a>. The federal retirement plans function similarly to a 401(k). Contributions can be made pre-tax or after-tax, with the IRS setting annual contribution limits. TSP allows holders to choose between five investment options that range from government securities, bonds, the S&amp;P 500, small/mid-cap U.S. stocks, and international stocks. There are also several lifecycle funds that allow account holders to invest across the board. 
Unlike Thrift Savings Plans, however, funding for the new program will stem from an existing Savers Match enacted under the bipartisan SECURE 2.0 legislation, allowing the government to match up to $1,000 for eligible Americans. The program will include a new structure allowing workers to utilize the accounts even when changing jobs. Critics argue existing legislation will not allow the plan to come to fruition, while the White House says it is possible but acknowledges future legislation would be needed to “bolster this game-changing plan.” 
Under the proposal, private investors and philanthropists will be able to contribute to these accounts under the President&#8217;s plan, a model the White House also used for investment accounts for children and the White House ballroom project. The White House Ballroom plans to be fully funded by private donations, with contributions exceeding $300 million. Trump Accounts for kids have also had a healthy dose of private investment, with Michael and Susan Dell kicking off donations with $6.25 billion. 
Once the Trump accounts are funded, the Trump administration expects 56 million previously uncovered workers to be matched with a high-quality, low-fee retirement plan.
The White House told The Daily Wire they plan to unveil additional details in the near future.

President Trump Delivers The State Of The Union Address

Trump’s Primetime SOTU Surprise Could Reshape Retirement Savings

Retirement

Retirement funds

Trump Accounts

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani this week released a video encouraging illegal immigrants to enroll in the city&#8217;s free childcare programs.
“Any New York City parent, regardless of your occupation, income, or immigration status, is eligible to sign their child up,” Ocasio-Cortez said in the video, which was entirely in Spanish. Mamdani briefly addressed viewers, saying his Spanish was rusty before deferring to the New York congresswoman.
Children turning three or four in 2026 are eligible to enroll for Pre-K or 3-K, &#8220;free, full-day, high-quality education to three-year-old children.&#8221; Parents are generally required to provide proof of the child’s age and verification of New York City residency. However, the residency requirement can be waived if a parent indicates the child is living in temporary housing.
“Students in temporary housing, as defined by McKinney-Vento, are not required to submit documentation (including address, proof of date of birth, and immunization) in order to enroll,” the form states. 
My Spanish is… not very good,&#8221; Mamdani wrote on X, in a post also in Spanish. &#8220;But the fight for universal childcare? That’s very good.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mi español es… no muy bueno. Pero la lucha para cuidado infantil universal? Eso es muy bueno.
Asi que traje una amiga para ayudarme a compartirles porque registrarse para el kinder-3 y prekinder esta semana importa. Vamos a registrarlos.
Visite <a href="https://t.co/Ghy11RZNkq">https://t.co/Ghy11RZNkq</a> para… <a href="https://t.co/8GkRRPJeDX">pic.twitter.com/8GkRRPJeDX</a>
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/2026322403840639448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez are both at the forefront of the Democratic Party&#8217;s defense of illegal immigration. The congresswoman has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-czar-tom-homan-has-had-enough-of-aoc-after-she-threatens-trump-admin-officials?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Border+Czar+Tom+Homan+Has+Had+Enough+Of+AOC+After+She+Threatens+Trump+Admin+Officials">publicly clashed</a> with border czar Tom Homan over the Trump administration&#8217;s detention and deportation of illegal aliens. Mamdani&#8217;s immigration chief is a radical leftist activist who has called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Parents can apply online through the city&#8217;s &#8220;MySchools&#8221; portal, by phone with interpretation services available in more than 200 languages, or in person at Family Welcome Centers.
The free Pre-K program is indicative of Mamdani&#8217;s young administration. The avowed socialist ran for office promising to make a number of things free — notably city buses and city-run grocery stores — pledges that appealed to young New Yorkers but have made Mamdani the bete noir of conservatives across the country.
Mamdani has thus far struggled to find funding for the free programs he&#8217;s promised. Mamdani’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year projects that total city spending is going to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-127b-budget-plan-relies-on-property-tax-increases-and-raiding-rainy-day-fund?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Mamdani%E2%80%99s+%24127B+Budget+Plan+Relies+On+Property+Tax+Increases+And+%E2%80%98Raiding%E2%80%99+Rainy+Day+Fund">jump to $127 billion</a>, resulting in a large deficit. The mayor has faced backlash for proposing raising property taxes by 9.5% to pay for the budget jump. 
To avoid raising property taxes, Mamdani has an open request to Governor Kathy Hochul to raise taxes by 2% on those who make over one million dollars a year, but Hochul has pledged not to raise taxes in 2026. She did, however, promise Mamdani $1.5 billion dollars over the next two years to help fund his budget, with some of the funding going towards early childhood programs.
But even a successful launch of the universal childcare program may not save Mamdani from criticism. Since taking office in January, the mayor has come under fire for failing to deliver on his agenda, and for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-abandons-key-leftist-policy-as-homeless-new-yorkers-freeze-to-death?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Mamdani+Abandons+Key+Leftist+Policy+As+Homeless+New+Yorkers+Freeze+To+Death">resuming</a> homeless encampment sweeps, which the leftist had eliminated shortly after taking office.

New York Is Not For Sale Rally In NYC

Mamdani, AOC Encourage Illegal Immigrants To Enroll In NYC’s Free Childcare Program

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

childcare

Illegal Immigration

The Daily Wire went to George Washington University to ask college students to grade President Trump’s performance giving his State of the Union address—without mentioning the speech actually hadn’t happened yet. The responses were eye-opening.
Many students were unaware that one of the biggest political events of the year was scheduled for the very next day. Even more surprising were those who confidently critiqued a speech that hadn’t even happened yet.
“He wasn’t articulate,” one student told The Daily Wire.
“He was all over the place,” said another.
One woman told us she watched a little bit of it, then turned it off. It was unclear what program she was watching.
We asked other students to rate the speech on a scale from one to ten, with one being the worst and ten being the best. Several added their own ranking system by saying, “Zero.” One man gave it a three. One woman said “negatives.” When we asked her to explain why, she paused and said, “I’m in a lot of organizations, so I can’t really speak in particular. But I think we all know … a lot of reasons.”
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/FB5VUBQIWz7Q8nlBi9jiGabN2g015UjD1?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=5bc94c88-0426-4a60-a508-3c7fd2ad6336&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-2-24%20George%20Washington%20University%20SOTU&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F008fbd23-50b6-4cf7-b02b-bb6e5227dcb6.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the day was not simply that higher education students were unfamiliar with the timing of the State of the Union, but that these were students in Washington, D.C. — where the address takes place just miles from campus.
George Washington University’s undergraduate tuition is $69,780 per year. Including room and board, the total cost rises to approximately $84,000 annually. Yet many students did not know that one of the most prominent political events of the year was happening the following evening, a stone’s throw away from their campus.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_content=20260224_sotu_aa_desktop&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=banner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-2315">Watch the State of the Union with The Daily Wire! Live coverage from the nation&#8217;s capital begins at 7:45 ET.</a>
Some conversations with students expanded beyond their opinion on Trump’s State of the Union speech. One student told us she was unhappy with Trump for attempting to pass legislation she believed would restrict women’s right to vote. She was referring to Democratic lawmakers’ characterizations of the SAVE Act, which has the backing of many Republican lawmakers in the Senate.
The SAVE Act would require voters to prove citizenship when registering to vote and show identification when they arrive at the ballot box.
When asked about the initiative, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) responded, “So are you comfortable saying to women in this country who have been married and change their name that you now have to travel, go to your clerk, fill out affidavits, pay for a passport? Most people don’t have a birth certificate or a marriage certificate.”
Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also jumped in to criticize the initiative with a message for married women, telling them that Republicans in Congress want to make it harder for them to vote.
Supporters of the SAVE Act, however, argue that voter identification laws are designed to safeguard election integrity and ensure that ballots are cast by eligible voters.
Trump’s speech may address the SAVE Act tonight, but it will focus on affordability, and is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-a-day-before-the-state-of-the-union-washington-is-buzzing">expected</a> to bring a number of economic policy announcements.
Whether students at George Washington University will hear those announcements remains to be seen.

WATCH: University Students Grade Trump’s State Of The Union … 24 Hours Early

General

George Washington University

State of the Union

Wages have surged for anyone in New York City who wants to sign up to shovel snow, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced at a Monday press conference.
Mamdani increased the hourly wage for snow shovelers from $19.14 to $30 per hour. After 40 hours, that rate jumps even higher, to <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nyc-raises-snow-shoveling-pay-190728906.html">$45 an hour</a>.
“Due to the historic nature of this blizzard, we’ve increased pay to $30 per hour. You can walk into any DSNY garage until 8 p.m. this evening and starting again tomorrow at 9 a.m. All you need to bring is two forms of ID to ensure you get paid,&#8221; Mamdani said.
The identification requirement sparked backlash over the weekend, with some Americans questioning why ID is required to shovel snow, but not to vote. Mamdani responded saying that the requirement is mandated under federal law.
Before the hourly wage increase, the program reportedly failed to attract any shovelers for hours at the NYC site, according to the New York Post. City officials said they hoped to attract a total of 1,400 public shovelers. By comparison, in 2015, the city attracted 6,454 shovelers.
During the press briefing, Mamdani also reminded New York City property owners that the mandate to clear four-foot-wide paths along all sidewalks remains in effect.
“We issued more than 4,000 violations after the last storm, we do not want to issue as many citations again,” the mayor said. “So please, if you are a property owner, do your part, clear the snow and help make our city passable for our neighbors, especially those with disabilities.”
A first offense carries a $150 fine, while a third or subsequent violation can result in penalties of up to $350. Based on the more than 4,000 violations issued after the previous storm, New York City collected anywhere between $600,000 and $1.4 million in fines from unshoveled snow.
In addition to the snow shovelers, the New York City winter weather response team includes 2,600 sanitation workers, more than 2,300 plows, and 700 salt spreaders. Mamdani reported that the winter weather response team cleared more than 1,600 crosswalks, 419 fire hydrants, and nearly 900 bus stops during the storm’s first night. 
With the city’s progress, Mamdani said schools will reopen tomorrow. However, amid 15 inches of snow, parents across the city are calling for a remote learning day. The petition currently has over <a href="https://www.change.org/p/make-nyc-public-schools-remote-on-february-24-2026?utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=mobileNativeShare&amp;utm_campaign=share_petition&amp;recruited_by_id=ec5b4fd0-1102-11f1-898e-9f362cef027f&amp;share_id=byDtkgpbRR">100,000</a> verified signatures.

Major Nor’Easter

NYC Raises Wages To $30/Hour To Lure Snow Shovelers After Historic Blizzard

Severe Weather

Snow

U.S.

Snow is falling across parts of the Northeast on Sunday and is expected to intensify overnight and into Monday, with many regions under blizzard warnings.
Boston, Atlantic City, Portsmouth, and New York City are expected to be among the hardest hit, with meteorologists forecasting more than a foot of snow in some areas. Nearly 100 million people across the region are expected to be impacted by the intense winter conditions, which will be amplified by strong gusts of wind.
The National Weather Service warned that “wet snow and strong winds lasting into Monday” could trigger widespread power outages.
Road conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly as falling temperatures cause slush to refreeze overnight into ice, as conditions escalate into a full blizzard. New York Governor Kathy Hochul <a href="https://abc7ny.com/live-updates/how-snow-nyc-weekend-winter-coastal-storm-weather-forecast-nj-ny-ct-tri-state-area/18626210/">painted</a> a grim picture Sunday morning, calling the day the “calm before the storm” and warning that “the worst is yet to come.” She added bluntly, “Lives are at stake.”
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a local state of emergency ahead of the city’s first <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/weather/live-updates-snow-totals-blizzard-nyc-nj-timing-storm-radar/6466668/?cardId=1%3A2%3A6467058&amp;_osource=SocialFlowTwt_NYBrand">blizzard warning</a> in nearly a decade. Snow began falling at around 8 a.m. on Sunday, and meteorologists predict around 16 inches of snow will accumulate between Sunday evening and Monday morning, accompanied by wind gusts of 40-60 miles per hour.
In preparation, Mamdani has declared that all roads will be closed to all vehicles, including e-bikes and scooters, beginning at 9 p.m. The closure will last until Monday at 12 p.m. One New York parent <a href="https://x.com/ycinnewyork/status/2025638618560098590">reported</a> getting texts in English and French and emails in Bangla and Russian from New York City public schools. Mamdani also canceled school entirely on Monday, shifting away from the remote learning approach used during the city’s last major snowstorm.
The mayor also asked citizens to volunteer and get paid to shovel snow. The initiative drew backlash after participants were required to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/warmth-of-collectivism-mamdani-urges-new-yorkers-to-become-an-emergency-shoveler?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Zohran+Mamdani+Says+No+ID+For+Voting+—+But+Bring+One+To+Shovel">present identification</a> to sign up for the program. Mamdani defended the policy, <a href="https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/2025626114706538627">saying</a>, “Federal law requires that employers get authorization and documentation to pay people for their work. We are not allowed to just cut checks to individuals for their work.”
In New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency, saying, “I am urging you to stay off the roads Sunday through Monday.”
New Jersey is expected to face some of the harshest winds, with gusts reaching 45 miles per hour near the Delaware River and up to 60 miles per hour along the shore. Coastal flooding is also a concern. The National Weather Service said, “One to two feet of inundation above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways.”
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu declared a snow emergency, also closing schools on Monday along with other government buildings. Forecasters expect temperatures to rise later in the week, which could help alleviate lingering snow and ice impacts once the storm moves out of the region.

Snow Hits New York

First Snow Arrives With Blizzard Set To Drop Feet Of Snow On Northeast

Boston

New York

The United States Stock Market ended the day in the green after a volatile session driven by tariff news. The Supreme Court released its ruling at 10am, prompting the NASDAQ,the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the S&amp;P 500 to rally after earlier declines based on weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter GDP data. After the initial rally, all three major indices retreated by midday before climbing again around 12:30pm, ultimately closing in the green for the day and the week. 
President Donald Trump hosted a midday press conference, where he noted that the Supreme Court’s ruling removes uncertainty surrounding tariffs. “The bottom line is that the word certainty is now in the equation,” Trump said. 
Under the sweeping tariffs Trump issued using the International Emergency Economist Powers Act (IEEPA), the administration asserted that it had broad authority to impose duties with little notice, Trump could essentially issue a new tariff via Truth Social post. With his powers revoked, he will have to implement tariffs through Section 232s. Imposing tariffs through Section 232s is a much more bureaucratic process than under IEEPA. 
To start the process, the Commerce Department will open a 90-270 day investigation on a product or class of imports. Once the investigation concludes, the Commerce Department will deliver the findings to the President and the President can then impose tariffs. The extended timeline provides companies with advance notice before duties are placed on imports, adding predictability for impacted companies. 
&#8220;The Supreme Court&#8217;s announcement regarding tariffs provides much-needed certainty for U.S. businesses and manufactures, enabling global supply chains to operate without ambiguity,&#8221; the National Retail Federation <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-responds-to-supreme-court-ruling-on-tariffs">said</a> after the ruling. &#8220;Clear and consistent trade policy is essential for economic growth, creating jobs and opportunities for American families. 
The retail sector was one of the strongest-performing sectors with certainty priced in around tariffs.  Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart, Target, and Five Below popped on the news. 
The next question for these retailers will be if refunds are issued levies they may have already paid. The Supreme Court did not issue a ruling on refunds so the decision will be litigated in lower courts.

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U.S. Stocks Close Up After SCOTUS Tariff Ruling Causes Wild Day For Markets

The Supreme Court delivered a long-awaited decision on Friday, striking down President Trump’s sweeping International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs. But while the court ruled on the legality of the tariffs themselves, it did not address whether the United States must refund more than $200 billion in revenue already collected.
“The court’s decision is likely to generate other serious practical consequences in the near term. One issue will be refunds,” dissenting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote. “Refunds of billions of dollars would have significant consequences for the U.S. Treasury.”
Ruling only on the narrow legal question before them, the court did not establish a framework for refunds. Such a framework will likely be established by lower courts, particularly the United States Court of International Trade, which ruled against Trump’s tariff decision.
In response to the Supreme Court decision, President Trump said, “They take months and months to write an opinion, and they don’t even discuss that point. We’ve taken in hundreds of billions of dollars … wouldn’t you think they’d put one sentence in there saying keep the money or don’t keep the money?”
If refunds are ultimately required, the United States Treasury would be tasked with reimbursing importers for the levies they incurred — a process Kavanaugh deemed a “mess,” as refunds could be required to be issued to foreign nations, consumers, and manufacturers depending on court outcomes.
The president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Maya MacGuineas, said that with the federal deficit in mind, the ruling was very bad news: &#8220;With today’s Supreme Court ruling affirming the illegality of President Trump’s emergency tariffs, the country will now be about $2 trillion deeper in the hole. With the national debt already the size of the entire U.S. economy and interest on the debt costing more than $1 trillion this year, this is very bad news. Congress should work quickly to fill that hole.&#8221;
She added, &#8220;We are in a dismal fiscal situation, and it just got worse.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the $200 billion in tariff revenue could be used to shrink the $2 trillion deficit and pay down the $36 trillion debt.
Beyond budgetary concerns, the ruling could impact Trump’s broader use of tariffs as a foreign policy tool during negotiations. In February, he threatened to impose tariffs on countries that do business with Iran, citing the country’s repression of protesters, support for proxy terrorist groups, and continued pursuit of nuclear capabilities. In May, the president warned China that tariffs would increase if the country continued not to ship rare earth minerals to the United States — materials used in products ranging from household appliances and automobiles to semiconductors for artificial intelligence chips.
In addition to bringing back jobs and supply chains to the United States, Trump argues he needs tariffs to address a national security concern: the hollowing out of the manufacturing base. In an executive order signed on Liberation Day, Trump explained that the inability to scale advanced manufacturing undermines “critical supply chains; and rendered our defense-industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries.”
At a White House press conference on Friday, the president confirmed he will continue issuing tariffs under authorities granted to him through Section 232, rather than relying on the broader emergency powers provided under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

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The United States economy grew more slowly than expected in the fourth quarter, as investment gains were offset by declines in government spending and exports. 
Gross domestic product increased at a 1.4% annualized rate last quarter, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its initial estimate of fourth-quarter GDP on Friday. The figure missed the Dow Jones estimate, which had forecasted that GDP would rise at a 2.5% pace. 
Trump blamed the ‘Democrat Shutdown’ for the fourth-quarter economic slowdown. 
“The Democrat Shutdown cost the United States of America at least two points in GDP. That’s why they are doing it, in mini form, again. No shutdowns!” The President added, “Also, lower interest rates,” and that Fed Chair Jerome Powell “is the worst.” 
Just four days into the government shutdown that began in October, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl_eu8vxU9Q">warned</a> that the shutdown could result in weekly losses of $15B in GDP. Oxford Economics predicted the shutdown would reduce economic growth by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points per week. They estimated a quarter-long shutdown would have impacts of 1.2 to 2.4 percentage points. The government shutdown ultimately lasted around half a quarter before ending in November. 
White House spokesperson Kush Desai told the Daily Wire the numbers showed a robust private sector-led economy despite the shutdown. 
“Today’s GDP report showed that President Trump continues to deliver robust private sector-led economic growth with strong consumption and investment. Even with the Democrat Government Shutdown dragging the country down last fall, GDP growth for 2025 smashed the Federal Reserve, Congressional Budget Office, and International Monetary Fund’s ‘expert’ predictions. He added, “As President Trump’s proven agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, tariffs, and energy abundance continues taking effect and as trillions in investments continue pouring in, America’s economic comeback is set to only accelerate in 2026.” 
Not all economists agreed. Chief Economist for Europac Peter Schiff <a href="https://x.com/PeterSchiff/status/2024844808863281222">said</a>, &#8220;Data confirms Trump&#8217;s &#8216;hottest economy&#8217; is cooling fast.&#8221;
Many economists argue that President Trump&#8217;s tariffs curb economic growth. On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a ruling striking down Trump&#8217;s use of sweeping tariffs through the International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA).
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/2024869159197118878">said</a> the Supreme Court ruling was &#8220;a victory for the wallets of every American consumer.&#8221;

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Mark Zuckerberg made his courtroom debut in a landmark social media addiction trial, <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/social-media-trial-latest-mark-zuckerberg-to-appear-before-jury-for-first-time-13508905">positioning</a> Meta’s defense around value, not vice. 
“You should try and create something useful … and if you do, people will naturally want to use it.” He added, “To me, the north star is ensuring we&#8217;re delivering value and people are having a positive experience. If that happens, people will spend more time with social media.” 
Zuckerberg appeared before the Los Angeles Superior Court to face claims that his platforms are engineered to foster addiction.
He compared time spent on social media to other forms of entertainment, like watching TV. “TV hasn’t got better over time but social media has quite a bit.” 

The plaintiff argued that it was not because social media had “got better over time,” but that its addictiveness is what drives users to the platform. 
When challenged by the plaintiff’s attorney on whether a reasonable company would take advantage of those who use its services, Zuckerberg responded that he thought a reasonable company should try to help its people use its services. He elaborated on that point, saying the company has “evolved over time to add a lot more controls” which led to account removals when the company found users who were under thirteen. 
Zuckerberg bolstered his argument by noting that less than 1% of Instagram&#8217;s revenue comes from teenagers, emphasizing the demographic has limited purchasing power and is therefore less attractive to advertisers.  He argued that, from a business perspective, attracting teenagers is not &#8220;meaningful in the short term.&#8221;
Zuckerberg’s Meta is just one of the defendants in the case. Google and Meta are just the remaining defendants after TikTok and Snapchat settled prior to the trial. 

Snapchat told the Daily Wire that it was “pleased” to have settled the case in “an amicable manner.” Youtube, owned by Google, argues that its platform operates differently from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat so should not be included in the same litigation. YouTube told the Daily Wire that the allegations it faces are “simply not true.” 
The case before the California Supreme Court originated when a 19-year-old woman, referred to as K.G.M. in the trial, argued that social media platforms have knowingly designed their platforms to get younger users addicted. The defense argues that Meta makes its platforms addictive to “maximize young users’ time on their platforms to drive revenue.” 
A <a href="https://www.stompoutbullying.org/blog/teens-use-average-nine-hours-media-day-while-tweens-use-six-hours">report</a> released by Common Sense Media found that teenagers spent an average of nine hours on entertainment media per day, while children aged 8-12 spend an average of six hours a day, not including time spent using media for school. 
In the coming weeks, Meta’s defense could have an influence on future social-media platform regulation depending on the outcome of the trial. 
The courtroom did not allow cameras, and even outlined a ban on glasses that could capture scenes from instead the courtroom. When returning from recess, the Judge Carolyn Kuhl <a href="https://x.com/meghanncuniff/status/2024214400266326180">said</a> if anyone has used AI glasses with facial recognition to record jurors &#8220;you must delete it or you will be held in contempt of court.&#8221;

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Zuckerberg Fires Back At ‘Addiction’ Claims — Says Facebook Just Can’t Help It

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Brecca Stoll