Uncensored Free Speech Platform

Mayor Mamdani Offers a Progressive Vision for Small Businesses
Who benefits from this decision?

Log In

Email *

Password *

Remember Me

Forgot Your Password?

Log In

New to The Nation? Subscribe
Print subscriber? Activate your online access

Skip to content Skip to footer

Mayor Mamdani Offers a Progressive Vision for Small Businesses

Magazine

Newsletters

Subscribe

Log In

Search

Subscribe

Donate

Magazine

Latest

Archive

Podcasts

Newsletters

Sections

Politics

World

Economy

Culture

Books & the Arts

The Nation

About

Events

Contact Us

Advertise

Current Issue

February 10, 2026

Mayor Mamdani Offers a Progressive Vision for Small Businesses

If successful, his policies might offer a new nationwide playbook.

Katrina vanden Heuvel

Share

Copy Link

Facebook

X (Twitter)

Bluesky Pocket

Email

Ad Policy

Kreyol Flavor owner Cursy Saint Surin walks with Democratic Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani inside of Kreyol Flavor as he takes a tour of the neighborhood on October 25, 2025 in the East Flatbush neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City. Mamdani was joined by Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and City Councilmember Farah Louis.
(Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)

For the right, few words are more beloved than “deregulation.” GOP candidates often spend their campaigns raging against the boogeyman of the regulatory bureaucracy, and once they take office, right-wing policymakers use their power to slash at the guardrails protecting Americans’ health, environment, and wallets. In the earliest days of his term, President Donald Trump managed to one-up even the usual Republican enthusiasm for red tape-cutting, assigning federal agencies the ridiculous and arbitrary target of repealing 10 regulations for each new one they enact.

In recent weeks, however, a far more judicious form of deregulation has found a surprising champion: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. No, the new mayor isn’t making a shocking rightward turn—instead, his administration is focused on lightening the administrative load for New York’s more than 183,000 small businesses.

Progressives have long and justly condemned the deleterious effects of mega-corporations like Walmart and Amazon, whose tax dodging, union busting, and cost-cutting tactics undermine market competition and workers’ rights. But Mamdani is pairing leftist critique of big business with deregulatory measures that bolster smaller enterprises. If successful, these policies will help give mom-and-pop shops a fighting chance against the corporate behemoths—and may also offer a new playbook for progressives nationwide.

After declaring in his inaugural address that he would “free small business owners from the shackles of bloated bureaucracy,” Mamdani signed an executive order earlier this month to do just that. It directs city agencies to comb through the more than 6,000 rules governing small businesses and identify opportunities to simplify regulations and reduce the myriad associated fees and fines.

It’s a timely move that could strengthen the small businesses at the heart of America’s largest city. Though New York is the nation’s financial capital and home to more Fortune 500 headquarters than any other American locale, 89 percent of its businesses have fewer than …

Murkowski breaks with GOP on voter ID, says push ‘is not how we build trust’
Trust is earned, not demanded.

A Senate Republican who has routinely broken from the GOP and President Donald Trump announced that she wouldn’t support efforts to pass voter ID legislation. 
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a post on X on Tuesday that she would oppose forthcoming legislation that would enact more stringent election integrity laws backed by both Trump and conservatives in the upper chamber. Her opposition underscores a reality many in the Senate already acknowledge: without extraordinary steps such as nuking the filibuster or support from Democrats (a non-starter), the effort is effectively dead on arrival.
Murkowski panned a pair of bills — the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, dubbed the SAVE America Act, and the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act — two voter ID and election integrity proposals making their way through the House. 
REPUBLICANS, TRUMP RUN INTO SENATE ROADBLOCK ON VOTER ID BILL
She noted that when congressional Democrats "attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections, something we have long opposed."
"Now, I’m seeing proposals such as the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively do just that. Once again, I do not support these efforts," Murkowski said.  
Congressional Democrats under former President Joe Biden tried and failed to enact two election reform bills, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act. 
HOUSE REPUBLICANS PUSH ELECTION OVERHAUL WITH VOTER ID, MAIL-IN BALLOT CHANGES AHEAD OF MIDTERMS
Congressional Republicans strongly opposed those efforts, and argued at the time that the bills would effectively nationalize elections and give Democrats control of the election system across the country.
Conservatives’ bid to reshape the election landscape also runs into the Constitution, which delegates election authorities to state and local officials and gives the federal government little input. 
"Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska," Murkowski said.  
SCHUMER NUKES GOP PUSH FOR 'JIM CROW-ERA' VOTER ID LAWS IN TRUMP-BACKED SHUTDOWN PACKAGE
"Election Day is fast approaching," she continued. "Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary …

Netanyahu heads to US for Trump talks on Gaza, Iran, as Islamic Republic faces pressure to make nuclear deal
Who benefits from this decision?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he plans to discuss Iran and Gaza with U.S. President Donald Trump during their upcoming visit.
The foreign figure, who is traveling to the U.S. to meet with Trump, indicated that the two nations share a close bond, and that he and Trump are close as well.
"I am now leaving for the United States for my seventh trip to meet with President Trump since he was elected for a second term. This, of course, does not include his unforgettable visit to Israel and his speech in the Knesset," Netanyahu noted, according to the Israeli government.
IRAN'S TOP DIPLOMAT SAYS NATION'S POWER LIES IN DEFYING PRESSURE: ‘NO TO THE GREAT POWERS’
"I think these reflect the unique closeness of the extraordinary relationship that we have with the United States, that I personally have with the President, that the State of Israel has with the United States — unprecedented in our history," he said.
"On this trip we will discuss a range of issues: Gaza, the region, but of course, first and foremost, the negotiations with Iran. I will present to the President our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations — the essential principles which, in my opinion, are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East," Netanyahu said.
IRAN'S PRESIDENT ACCUSES TRUMP, NETANYAHU, EUROPE OF PROVOKING UNREST: ‘THEY BROUGHT THEM INTO THE STREETS’
In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declared, "President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have a great relationship and Israel has had no better friend in its history than President Trump. We continue to work closely with our ally Israel to implement President Trump’s historic Gaza peace agreement and to strengthen regional security in the Middle East." 
Trump issued a Truth Social post last month warning that the U.S. will attack Iran if the Islamic Republic does not negotiate a nuclear deal.
"Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties," Trump noted in the post. 
IRAN DRAWS MISSILE RED LINE AS ANALYSTS WARN TEHRAN IS STALLING US TALKS
‘As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ’Operation Midnight Hammer,' a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again," he warned.

ICE director refuses to apologize for Renee Good and Alex Pretti being called domestic terrorists
Who's accountable for the results?

Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Todd Lyons on Tuesday declined to apologize for the Trump administration’s characterization of two U.S. citizens killed during ICE-related operations in Minnesota as “domestic terrorists.” 

In response to a line of questioning during a Senate hearing from Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Lyons refused to comment on whether he would apologize to Renee Good and Alex Pretti’s families after the two were labeled by top officials as domestic terrorists. “I’m not going to comment on any active investigation,” Lyons told lawmakers during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing. 

Lyons and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, whose agency has assisted ICE in recent operations, were grilled about immigration enforcement operations, particularly in Minnesota. The state has experienced ongoing protests centered on tactics ICE has used, including those used against Good and Pretti in deadly encounters last month. 

After Pretti’s death, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said he committed “acts of domestic terrorism,” but then walked it back after extensive pushback. She made similar comments after Good’s death as well.

Lyons told Swalwell he would not resign on Tuesday. And he declined to confirm whether any ICE officers have been fired under his leadership, including in connection with the recent lethal incidents in Minneapolis. 

“I can get you that data,” he told Swalwell. “I’ll get that back to you.” 

Officials told the committee that ICE recruits with no prior experience go through roughly three months of training. ICE recruits with prior qualifying law enforcement history, such as a U.S. Capitol police officer, go through condensed training over a 47-day period, they said.

Lyons testified that 3,000 out of 13,000 ICE officers currently use body cameras. Around 10,000 out of 20,000 Border Patrol agents currently carry body cameras, according to Scott. Scott said he “100%” supported releasing body camera footage related to Minnesota operations and added he “welcomed” body cameras being required “all across the spectrum,” in response to questioning from Rep. Alex Padilla (D-CA).

Officials faced bipartisan concerns during the hearing. 

FEDERAL JUDGE SKEPTICAL OF MINNESOTA’S PLEA FOR COURT TO END SWEEPING DHS OPERATION

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said he preferred “roving patrols” found in Minneapolis to be contained to the border only, and not be sued in major …

Canada paid for Detroit-Ontario bridge, Carney tells Trump after threats
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke to President Donald Trump on Tuesday and reminded him that Ottawa paid to build the new Detroit-Ontario border crossing bridge. 

“We discussed the bridge. I explained that Canada has paid for the construction of the bridge, over $4 billion,” Carney said. “The ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the government of Canada.” 

The exchange came after Trump, in a Truth Social post Monday, said he would not allow the Canada-funded bridge to open unless the United States is “fully compensated for everything we have given them.” The president said his opposition to the bridge opening is tied to a broader list of economic and trade grievances, ranging from agricultural tariffs to retail restrictions.

Trump specifically targeted Ontario’s liquor policies, claiming the province prohibits the sale of U.S. spirits, and said Canada would need to reassess its tariffs on dairy products to treat the U.S. with “fairness and respect.”

“The Tariffs Canada charges us for our Dairy products have, for many years, been unacceptable, putting our Farmers at great financial risk,” Trump said. “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.”

Trump also accused Canada of owning both ends of the new crossing and building it with “virtually no U.S. content,” a claim disputed by Carney. 

“Obviously, there’s Canadian steel, Canadian workers, but also U.S. steel, U.S. workers that are involved,” Carney said. “This is a great example of cooperation between our countries.”

Carney concluded his remarks on the bridge by saying his conversation with the president was “positive.”

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to be the largest cable-stayed bridge in North America, spanning over half a mile between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. The bridge, long in the works and set to open this year, was funded primarily by the Canadian government under a 2012 agreement negotiated with Michigan. Canada will recoup its investment through toll revenue over decades, and the crossing will be jointly owned by Canada and Michigan. 

The new bridge is expected to relieve trade congestion at the aging Ambassador Bridge, a key trade artery, and serve as a critical link for the massive flow of goods between the world’s two largest trading partners.

TRUMP …

Firefighters Wore Gear Containing “Forever Chemicals.” The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years.
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew gear worn by wildland firefighters contained potentially dangerous “forever chemicals” years before the agency publicly acknowledged the issue, according to internal correspondence obtained by ProPublica.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, have been linked to negative health impacts, including certain cancers and delayed development in children. For years, PFAS chemicals were commonly used to treat the heavy gear worn by municipal firefighters to help it repel water and oil.

Federal agencies have said little about whether the compounds were also found in the lighter heat-resistant clothing worn by wildland firefighters. In February 2024, when ProPublica was reporting on the dangers of wildland firefighting — including the risk of cancer — the news organization asked both the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior if federal wildland firefighting gear contained PFAS. Both agencies gave nearly identical answers, writing that they did not have “specific measured concentration data showing that PFAS is contained in protective clothing and gear.”

But email correspondence obtained by ProPublica shows that government officials were alerted to the presence of PFAS in pants used by wildland firefighters as early as 2021. In April 2022, a senior Forest Service official asked colleagues if they had an obligation to tell firefighters that PFAS had been found in their gear.

According to the emails, the agency decided not to immediately share the information, instead waiting for the results of a study into whether PFAS can be absorbed through the skin.

The emails were released last week in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2022 by George Broyles, a former Forest Service employee who for years studied smoke exposure among firefighters, and who has repeatedly raised concerns about the agency’s reluctance to acknowledge cancer among its workforce. “They just obfuscate,” said Broyles. “It’s just a continuation of the same thing: ‘We’re going to stick our heads in the sand and hope that nobody notices.’”

The Forest Service declined to answer questions about the records, PFAS chemicals in its gear, and firefighter health. In 2024, the agency said in a statement to ProPublica, “The Forest Service is deeply committed to not only understanding occupational risks to employees but mitigating these risks.” 

The Department of the Interior did not answer questions about PFAS.

By 2021, public awareness of the ubiquity and risks of PFAS was rising. At the beginning of that year, Congress ordered the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a subagency of the Department of Commerce, to find out if firefighting gear contained PFAS. Researchers from the agency began collecting hoods and gloves worn by municipal firefighters — who tackle building fires — as well as various samples of wildland firefighting gear.

In April, according to the documents, a Forest Service equipment specialist emailed one of its suppliers, TenCate, which produces fabric used in wildland firefighting gear. At the time, the company’s “Advance” fabric, a Kevlar blend used in some pants, …

Johnson effort to block Trump tariff repeal votes hits GOP resistance
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing a risky vote in the House that will block resolutions to repeal President Donald Trump’s tariffs until July, with at least two Republicans firmly against the measure and a handful of others threatening to make passage difficult.

A procedural vote, called a rule, on Tuesday to advance a slate of bills also includes language to extend a ban in the House that prohibits members from bringing up resolutions to overturn Trump’s tariffs on a number of countries through July 31.

At least two Republicans are firm nos on the vote: Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Kevin Kiley (R-CA). 

“My main issue here is, this isn’t the purpose of a rule,” Kiley said. “The rule is meant to bring a bill to the floor, set the parameters for debate. It’s not meant to smuggle in unrelated provisions that expand the power of leadership at the expense of our members. That’s the reason I oppose it. I don’t understand why this keeps coming up.”

The ban is an extension of the previous language that blocked tariff repeal resolutions from getting a vote, which expired at the end of January. But Democrats and some Republicans have numerous bills disapproving of Trump’s tariffs ready to go once the prohibition is lifted, hence why GOP leadership is rushing this week to reinstate the ban.

Just two votes alone could sink the rule, given Johnson’s razor-thin majority. The speaker has faced six rule failures since he’s taken up the leadership role, and he’s faced the threat of a seventh numerous times in the last year. He’s managed to pass the measures every time by flipping members on the House floor during the vote.

Johnson said during the GOP’s weekly press conference on Tuesday that he expects the rule to pass. The floor vote on the rule is expected Tuesday evening, as leadership continues to try and sway members to support the rule.

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) has said she is opposed, but she is known to flip her vote after having conversations with leadership. Eyes are also on a handful of others to see how they will vote, including Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), and Mike Turner (R-OH), who have raised concerns about the tariffs.

Kiley told reporters nothing can get him to flip his vote to a “yes,” except removing the tariff language from the vote.

“It doesn’t really make sense to put something on the floor that’s not going to pass,” Kiley said.

Republican leadership and much of the conference are supporting the …

House GOP leader rips 'socialist' Zohran Mamdani after 18 people freeze to death in NYC
Who benefits from this decision?

The No. 2 House Republican in Congress tore into Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday after cold weather left 18 New York City residents dead.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., made the comments in the context of warning that Democrats' rejection of a bipartisan compromise on funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will leave critical offices — like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — with a dire lack of money.
"What is not funded if the Democrats get their way? They will literally shut down funding for disaster relief and FEMA," Scalise said. "In the middle of a storm that in New York City alone — you want to see what socialism gets you — people now have frozen to death under the leadership of the socialist Mamdani. That's what Democrat leadership gets you."
SCHUMER, JEFFRIES MEND RIFT, PRESENT UNITED FRONT ON DHS REFORMS AS DEADLINE NEARS
Mamdani confirmed on Monday that an 18th person died in New York City during a period of dangerously low temperatures up and down the East Coast.
"Since Friday's press conference, one additional New Yorker lost their life on the streets of our city as a result of this cold snap. The total lives lost is now 18. Each life lost is a tragedy, and we will continue to hold their families in our thoughts," Mamdani said during a press conference about a separate issue.
He urged homeless residents to shield themselves from below-freezing temperatures at a shelter, while his administration has also deployed warming vehicles throughout the city.
Republicans, however, have accused Mamdani of not doing enough to expand access to emergency services during the bitter winter.
NOEM COORDINATES WITH MISSISSIPPI OFFICIALS AS STATE RECOVERS FROM DEADLY WINTER STORM
It's not clear what role FEMA currently has in aiding New Yorkers during the city's cold snap, but its potential cutoff in funding if DHS shuts down at the end of this week is one of Republicans' main pressure points in forcing Democrats to agree to a deal.
Scalise also pointed out that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) could also see its employees forced to work without pay if DHS funding lapsed.
"They want to shut down TSA. So just take Atlanta's airport, LaGuardia [in New York City]. Those two airports alone having been shut down, if the Democrats get their way, will wreak havoc with tens of millions of Americans who just want to go see their family members, want to travel for a wedding, or whatever the case may be," he said.
"Maybe they're trying to start a small business and want to go to another city to try to create some jobs. …

Federal judge rejects Trump admin lawsuit seeking Michigan voter rolls
Why resist verification?

A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit from the Trump administration seeking to acquire Michigan's voter registration rolls.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou, a Trump appointee, is the latest in a string of legal losses over the acquisition of sensitive voter information. 
The Trump administration has sued multiple states over voter information in an effort to force them to clean up their voter lists. 
DOJ TARGETS NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS AS PART OF TRUMP ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH
Attorney General Pam Bondi argued that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 gave her the power to compel states to turn over their lists. In a 23-page brief, Jarbou disagreed, saying the law applied to voter applications.
"If the distinction between voter registration applications and voter registration lists is overly pedantic, it is a pedantic distinction made by Congress, and it is Congress’s prerogative to make distinctions that may seem unnecessary to a person reading the statute over six decades after its passage, the judge wrote. "
"Needless to say, the existence of a statewide computerized voter list was not foreseeable to the Congress of 1960, and it is possible that legislators would have included such a list in the CRA’s disclosure provisions had they imagined the possibility," Jarbou added. 
TRUMP APPOINTEE VOWS TO FOCUS DOJ’S LARGEST DIVISION ON DEI, DENATURALIZATION
The judge noted that the court is not a "telepathic time-traveler," and thus it "cannot rewrite Congressional legislation to cover a situation that Congress may not have foreseen."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Michigan officials for comment.
Since May 2025, the Trump administration has demanded nearly every state and Washington, D.C., hand over election-related records and data, such as full copies of statewide voter registration lists and ballots from previous elections, as well as access to voting equipment, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. 
The federal government maintains that it needs the records to make sure that states ensure accurate voter records and the removal of eligible voters to prevent fraud. 

Don Lemon codefendant seeks to toss FACE Act indictment in church storming case
Equal justice apparently isn't equal anymore.

A codefendant charged alongside former CNN host Don Lemon in a federal case stemming from an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest inside a Minnesota church is asking a judge to dismiss his charges.

Ian Davis Austin, one of nine defendants charged over a January disruption at St. Paul’s Cities Church, filed a motion on Friday seeking dismissal of the conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act counts as applied to him, arguing the indictment criminalizes expressive protest activity rather than unlawful conduct.

Austin is charged with conspiracy against rights under 18 U.S.C. § 241 and interference with religious freedom under the FACE Act, statutes that require allegations of force, threats of force, or physical obstruction. His attorneys argue the indictment falls short of those standards.

“The Indictment does not allege that he used force against any person,” the motion states. “It pleads no physical contact, assaultive conduct, weapons, or acts capable of causing bodily harm. Nor does it allege that he threatened force.”

According to the indictment unsealed on Jan. 30, Austin attended a planning meeting and later stood in or near aisles during a church service where protesters confronted the pastor, who the protesters said also serves as a federal immigration official. The defense argues those allegations amount to political speech and presence during a protest, not conduct criminalized by the FACE Act’s narrow terms.

Public reporting has identified Austin as a military veteran and vocal critic of ICE. MPR News reported that Austin, described by a fellow protester as a former Army Ranger with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, was arrested Jan. 30 outside the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis and briefly held in Sherburne County Jail. In a video recorded during his detention, Austin claimed authorities were “targeting” him following viral online posts criticizing ICE actions.

The motion also notes that during the complaint stage of the case, a magistrate judge declined to approve FACE Act charges against certain proposed defendants due to insufficient evidence of physical obstruction, an issue Austin’s attorneys say persists in the grand jury indictment.

The charges stem from a Jan. 18 planned protest that unfolded amid “Operation Metro Surge,” a Trump administration-led immigration enforcement push in Minnesota that has sharply escalated arrests and removals in the Twin Cities.

Austin is charged alongside Don …