This week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber unveiled a new plan aimed at speeding up bus commutes by an estimated six minutes.

The "Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service" initiative includes prioritized bus corridors, including major changes along Flatbush Avenue, such as center-running bus lanes and island boarding. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Kelly Mena examine the proposal and the absence of free buses, one of Mamdani's campaign promises.

Then, elected officials in the city are in line for an 18.2% pay raise under proposed legislation in the City Council. The increase follows a recommendation from the Quadrennial Advisory Commission, an independent panel that reviews compensation for local lawmakers every four years. Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin say they will decline any approved pay increase. The "Off Topic" team discusses the potential salary bumps and what it could mean politically.

This week, the City Council moved to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. The catalyst is the death of an 18-year-old tourist who was thrown from a driverless carriage, adding to a series of recent horse-related incidents. With City Council Speaker Julie Menin backing the effort, a majority of the City Council members support phasing out horse-drawn carriages by June 2028. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Dan Rivoli examine the latest chapter in a debate that has divided New Yorkers for decades.

Gov. Kathy Hochul also signed an executive order imposing the nation's first moratorium on large-scale data centers, which help fuel artificial intelligence companies. The order applies to facilities requiring 50 megawatts of electricity or more. The Off Topic team discusses what prompted the move and how it contrasts with Hochul's earlier approach to artificial intelligence and its role in New York.

Last year on the campaign trail, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that as mayor, he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York City. This week, he told The New York Times he was in "active conversation" with the city's Law Department about whether he could direct the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu. He later walked back those comments, saying the city does not have "independent legal authority" to make such an arrest. Investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Kelly Mena, and political director Bob Hardt break down the complicated week for the mayor.

Then, a political battle has erupted at City Hall following the death of five New Yorkers from Legionnaires' disease since early July. City Council Speaker Julie Menin accused the Mamdani administration of responding too slowly and failing to be transparent with New Yorkers about the outbreak. The "Off Topic" team discusses the public health response and the latest clash between the mayor and the speaker.