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Some personal news: I am so excited to be joining @nytimes.
Working with @dchangnyt, @NestorARamos and the rest of the @NYTMetro team is going to be amazing!
We’re thrilled to announce that Ben Oreskes will be joining the Metro desk as a statehouse correspondent. nytco.com/press/ben-oreskes-…
"The recent upheaval under Mayor Zohran Mamdani seems driven more by personal conflicts or the conduct of those involved, affecting the mayoral portfolios overseeing economic justice, community safety and health and human services," @SallyGold writes. nytimes.com/2026/10/21/nyreg…
NEW: Gov. Kathy Hochul is running well ahead of her Republican opponent in next month’s election, according to a new statewide survey released on Wednesday, even as likely voters continued to signal their ambivalence toward how she has run the state. nytimes.com/2026/10/21/nyreg…
“Compared to a month ago, [Blakeman] is better known and he’s improved his image among independents. Still, nearly a quarter of voters overall don’t know enough about him. In a race like this, that’s important.” nytimes.com/2026/10/21/nyreg…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
NEW: @NYCMayor's team abruptly & inexplicably fired his director of advance, Val Sanders. By many accounts Sanders did his job well & staffers were surprised by the nature of his ouster. It comes as 3 deputy mayors' chiefs of staff have left their posts.
nytimes.com/2026/10/21/nyreg…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
And it’s not by accident! Gov Hochul’s changed laws and invested $4B to get us here.
Overall crime is down 10% statewide since 2022. NYC just had one of the safest summers on record.
Nearly 60% decrease in shootings, 28% decrease in burglaries. Real results that matter.
The most important issue in New York:
2022:
Crime 28%
Inflation 20%
Protecting Democracy 14%
2026:
Cost of Living 22%
Economy 19%
Immigration 13%
That's the whole story.
(@QuinnipiacPoll)
Ben Oreskes retweeted
Quinnipiac University poll
Hochul 55%
Blakeman 41%
poll.qu.edu/poll-release?rel…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
New Quinnipiac poll on NY Governor’s race:
Kathy Hochul (D): 55%
Bruce Blakeman (R): 41%
Down from Hochul +19 (which was a larger margin than other university polls) last month.
Ben Oreskes retweeted
There's only one NY race that Elon Musk is spending money on this cycle: the NY-17 battle between Rep. Mike Lawler and Cait Conley.
Musk's America PAC has spent ~$500k on it so far.
gothamist.com/news/elon-musk…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
HMP is getting $16M from Mike Bloomberg, per NYT
$24M to Everytown for Gun Safety.
Part of an $80M push in the midterms.
nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/bl…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
Interesting nugget from NYT piece on Michael Bloomberg unleashing $80M of his own fortune to support Democrats: Blooming is "not directing money to left-wing supporters of the DSA..."
Ben Oreskes retweeted
"Wolfson said that Bloomberg remained deeply concerned about what he sees as the leftward drift of the Democratic Party, particularly on issues like Israel. Bloomberg is not “directing” money to left-wing supporters of the Democratic Socialists of America" nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/bl…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
NEWS —
Mike Bloomberg is back, baby.
Bloomberg is putting $80 million into an effort to help Democrats, becoming one of the largest disclosed donors in the midterms.
At least $50 million of that is to help Democrats in the House.
Exclusive details with @boreskes.
SCOOP w/@teddyschleifer: @MikeBloomberg , the former New York City mayor and Democratic megadonor, is again serving as a late-arriving white knight for the party, sending about $80 million in September and October to help Democrats in the midterms.
nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/bl…
“The difference between 221 and 230, in terms of the House majority, really matters,” @howiewolf said, referring to how many seats Democrats could end up holding next year.
nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/bl…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
📸 Gov Hochul with the grand rabbis of Satmar (KJ) and Skver. These photos carry a lot of weight in the Hasidic community.
"While others were cringing away, he was documenting the despair and failures and cowardice and bravery and honesty and denial, creating an epic account of those plague years," @maureendowd writes of Jeffrey Schmalz. nytimes.com/2026/10/20/healt…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
A powerful and moving essay by @maureendowd about Jeff Schmalz, who wrote about AIDS for the New York Times before his death at 39. He was an extraordinary reporter and editor — and critical in The Times’ transformation on gay life in the newsroom . nytimes.com/2026/10/20/healt…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
.@jasonhaber new group aimed at organizing real estate as pushback to policies deemed harmful to industry.
“Mr. Haber noted that REBNY had about 14,000 members, which made it almost as big as the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.”
nytimes.com/2026/10/20/nyreg…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
Five times as many new New York Jalens since the Knicks in five, per @haideechu @THECITYNY:
“Before the Knicks faced the Spurs in mid June, just five babies born in NYC had been named Jalen since March. Since then, 27 newborns have taken on the name.”
thecityreporter.nyc/2026/10/…
Ben Oreskes retweeted
Johnny Manziel says NFL players reported being at a remote location in South America to avoid drug tests until a U.S. sporting-event appearance exposed the loophole
“There was a really off-the-map place in South America that you could change your location to where the NFL couldn’t get to with their drug testers.”
“So probably, 20% of the guys in the league in the offseason would do their offseason training down here. That is until you pull up at a sporting event in the U.S. while you’re supposed to be somewhere else out of the country.”