![\"mayor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/55126478437_09065ec740_k.jpg\" "\\"MAMDANI'S")
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Mayor Mamdani pictured at the Sugar Hill Children\u2019s Museum of Art & Storytelling, Manhattan. Tuesday, March 3, before announcing the 2k pilot locations <\/p>\n
Photo by Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, March 4, marked the 63rd day of Zohran Mamdani\u2019s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office.<\/a> We are closely tracking his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city\u2019s finances. Here\u2019s a summary of what the mayor did today.<\/p>\n Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday defended his administration\u2019s decision to exclude Staten Island from the first phase of the city\u2019s new \u201c2K\u201d child care pilot<\/a>, saying the borough\u2019s single school district makes a rapid rollout more difficult than in other parts of the city.<\/p>\n Speaking during a tour of neighborhoods slated to receive the first 2,000 free seats for 2-year-olds this fall, Mamdani said the administration prioritized areas that showed both high need and readiness to scale quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the key things we wanted to do is not only identify the need in these neighborhoods, but also the readiness to be able to deliver it to an entire school district,\u201d Mamdani told reporters in Canarsie, Brooklyn, on Wednesday afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n Staten Island leaders were frustrated following Tuesday\u2019s announcement on the 2k rollout, with Borough President Vito Fossella accusing the city of \u2018dropping the ball,\u2019 calling it a reminder that the borough\u2019s children are \u201ctoo often forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton also expressed concern, emphasizing how critical programs like universal 2-K are for parents and children navigating the costly, often inaccessible world of early education. She called the exclusion \u201ca disservice to every child and every hardworking parent\u201d in Staten Island and urged city officials to reconsider and adjust the rollout plan.<\/p>\n Unlike other boroughs, which are divided into multiple school districts, Staten Island has a single district covering the entire borough. Launching boroughwide in just a few months would have strained provider capacity and risked undermining the program\u2019s stability, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to set this program up in a way that it won\u2019t be durable or sustainable,\u201d Mamdani explained. \u201cWe want it to be a long-lasting program.\u201d<\/p>\n The first 2,000 seats will be spread across four boroughs \u2014 upper Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens \u2014 within select school districts identified for both need and provider capacity. City officials said the seats will not be divided evenly. Instead, allocations will vary based on the projected number of eligible families in each district and the availability of licensed providers able to expand quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are not equally sized parts of the city,\u201d said Emmy Liss, executive director of the Mayor\u2019s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. She noted that final seat counts will be tied to anticipated demand and confirmed provider participation. The city plans to release more detailed breakdowns before the family application period opens later this year.<\/p>\n The seats will be offered through a mix of existing center-based programs and home-based providers. Officials said the city was able to secure commitments for the initial 2,000 spots without constructing new facilities, following a recent request for information that gauged interest and capacity among providers \u2014 including some that have not contracted with the city in recent years.<\/p>\n Staten Island is expected to be included next year, when the city plans to expand from 2,000 seats to 12,000 seats citywide. By the end of his first term, Mamdani said, every 2-year-old whose family wants a seat would have access to one.<\/p>\n The 2K rollout is backed by $1.2 billion in state funding secured in partnership with Gov. Kathy Hochul, including more than $100 million to stabilize the city\u2019s troubled 3K program.<\/p>\n Islamophobia: Right-wing host apologizes after outcry\u00a0<\/p>\n Billionaire supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis, owner and CEO of WABC, issued a public apology on Wednesday following Islamophobic remarks made about Mayor Mamdani on the station earlier this week.<\/p>\n In a recorded on-air statement, Catsimatidis said the station supports open political debate but does not condone personal attacks.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe open conversation is important to talk radio in our country, but personal attacks on individuals is not acceptable at WABC,\u201d Catsimatidis said. \u201cDisagree with policies, disagree with opinions \u2014 that is fine. That is what talk radio is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n The apology followed comments on Monday by right-wing host Sid Rosenberg, who acknowledged on air Wednesday that he had offended the mayor and others. Rosenberg had referred to Mamdani, the city\u2019s first Muslim mayor, as a \u201cRadical Islam cockroach\u201d and a \u201cjihadist\u201d in a social media post directed at former President Donald Trump following his Oval Office meeting with Mamdani last week.<\/p>\n