Happy Tuesday in NYC, where it pays to have a soccer (or football, to the rest of the world)-obsessed mayor when the World Cup comes to your city.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has never shied away from sharing his passion for the beautiful game. Mamdani — who until recently played defense for the weekend rec team, the Talking Headers — organized a community soccer event in Oct. 2025 to raise awareness for his affordability agenda. Just a few days ago, he partnered with NY/NJ Gotham FC to offer 1,000 $5 tickets to their upcoming match against the Boston Legacy. During one memorable incident, the mayor appeared visibly flustered and giddy when presented with a video message from Arsenal legend Ian Wright.
Now, he’s pulling out all the stops for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, when millions of international fans will flock to the city for eight matches at MetLife Stadium, including the most-watched sporting event in the world — the Cup Final.
Yesterday, Mamdani announced that the city will host free World Cup watch parties in each of the five boroughs this summer, complete with food vendors and cultural programming at venues large enough to host thousands. He also partnered with Governor Kathy Hochul to expand permitting for restaurants and bars to host outdoor activities and secured $500,000 in state funding to support local viewing events.
“We want to do everything in our power to make it more affordable for fans to make those memories,” Mamdani announced at a press conference.
The mayor has yet to convince FIFA to cover the inflated ticket prices for fans traveling to the games. But for those watching from outside the arena, he’s made sure there will be a party.
Those who can work from home during this summer’s World Cup should do so to avoid placing additional strain on the transit system, Port Authority boss Kathryn Garcia advised.
The MTA proposed a third consecutive summer of G train shutdowns, and the project is still behind schedule.
Residents of Kermit Place in Windsor Terrace are warning neighbors to watch out for small green pellets of rat poison that were recently observed around the neighborhood, including near a school and a daycare center.
For one week, 1.5 miles of Atlantic Avenue transforms into the Atlantic Avenue Art Walk, a self-guided, free event featuring over 125 artists and more than 65 businesses.
Our World In Photos
Photo: Michael Probst/AP
GERMANY — Homes with a view: A stork flies over its nest on a power pole in fields near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
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American Ballet Theater corps dancer Lauren Bonfiglio unwinds at home in Brooklyn
Lauren Bonfiglio with Kento Sumitani, Sung Woo Han and Fangqi Li, members of the ABT company, in “Sylvia.” Photo: Nir Arieli
How do ballet dancers in the American Ballet Theatre, one of the premier companies in the world, bring balance to their high-pressure lives? For Lauren Bonfiglio, who has been a member of ABT’s corps de ballet since 2015, the answer is simple: living in Brooklyn.
“It’s really nice, after performing at Lincoln Center, to leave that area and go to this more quiet place, even if it means I have a longer commute home at 10 p.m.,” Bonfiglio told the Brooklyn Eagle. “My friends are like, ‘Oh, I’m showered and in bed 10 minutes after the show ends.’ But to have this quiet place to unwind after a performance is so energizing.”
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For the Road
Show Some Love: Brooklyn families are invited to the free annual “Show Brooklyn Some Love” festival this Mother’s Day weekend at Albee Square on the Fulton Mall, featuring live performances, crafts and workshops, a free flower bar, sweet treats and more. Learn more.
Happy Birthday to N.Y. Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe!
On This Day in 1953, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “A replica of the golden coronation coach will be shipped to New York on the liner Queen Elizabeth next Thursday for display in Rockefeller Plaza from May 15 as a British goodwill gesture. A British businessman is paying all costs.”
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