9/11 Commemoration Fight: A 9/11 victim’s daughter is urging NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip the 25th-anniversary ceremony, arguing his political ties have “minimized” the attacks—fueling a fresh round of controversy as the city prepares for Friday’s memorial. Energy Costs & Inflation Pressure: Diesel hit a record $6-a-gallon national average for the first time, as oil prices climb amid the Iran conflict and refinery disruptions—adding new political heat for New York’s federal and state leaders heading into the midterms. Albany Watch: Lawmakers and advocates are bracing for a potential budget-cycle showdown over New York’s scaffold law, with an Empire Center poll finding strong public support for responsibility-based limits on workplace injury liability. Workplace Rights: Amazon faces a new nationwide pregnancy discrimination class action, while a separate New York state complaint remains unresolved—raising pressure on how the state enforces workplace protections. Public Safety & Accountability: New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation released findings on the death of Lahionel Ernesto Abreu Soto after an encounter with an off-duty NYPD officer, concluding prosecutors couldn’t disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt. NYC Schools Policy: NYC students returned under new screen-time limits and an AI pause for younger grades, with families testing how the rules work in real classrooms. State Infrastructure: NYSDOT broke ground on a $150.5M Central Testing Laboratory in Albany, aimed at modernizing materials testing for highways and bridges.