The Cold Has Been Mamdani's First Serious Test. The Results Have Been Mixed.

"Six weeks into his tenure, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been confronted with controversies both grave and frivolous. He wisely stood by a top appointee who was facing down a media circus for tweets that were more than a half-decade old. He grappled with the fallout from several police-involved shootings and navigated how, as a democratic socialist who must partner with a much more conservative NYPD commissioner, he should respond."

"On that front, Mamdani was plainly successful. He was on television and social media constantly, and he projected the energy and verve he was known for on the campaign trail. This was nothing like Michael Bloomberg ducking a snowstorm for Bermuda or John Lindsay, more than a half-century ago, failing to anticipate a massive snowfall that would kill 42 New Yorkers and paralyze the outer boroughs."

"They offered both encouraging signs for a 34-year-old politician who is going to endure more scrutiny than all of his recent predecessors and warnings for an administration that promised sweeping change but still finds itself struggling with the balky machinery of government. With such high expectations placed upon him, it might grow more difficult for Mamdani to survive, unscathed, crises like the 19 New Yorkers who died outside during a historic cold snap. (An additional seven city residents died in their own homes.)"

Six weeks into his tenure, Mayor Zohran Mamdani confronted controversies ranging from old social-media posts by a top appointee to multiple police-involved shootings. He defended his appointee against a media backlash and has had to balance his democratic-socialist stance with working alongside a more conservative NYPD commissioner. A historic cold snap and a major snowstorm produced 19 outdoor deaths and seven more indoors, testing city operations. Mamdani was highly visible during the snow, communicating energetically and coordinating sanitation efforts, but the administration still showed strain navigating entrenched municipal systems and unmet expectations for rapid sweeping change.

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