Today's Headlines

Thursday Headlines: Victory Lap Edition

Lower Manhattan becomes Knicks central and other news.

By Austin C. Jefferson

8:28 AM EDT on June 18, 2026

Civic pride meets sporting allegiance in NYC. Photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

Streetsblog Empire State is a dissident Brooklyn Nets outlet, but we can still acknowledge the New York Knicks’ historic success.

Today’s victory parade in lower Manhattan prompted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to nix all car traffic in that section of the borough. Millions are expected to descend upon the city (ideally via public transit) to celebrate Jalen Brunson and company’s NBA Finals win.

Lower Manhattan will be car-free tomorrow morning for the Knicks Championship Parade.

Starting at 7AM, south of Canal Street in Manhattan is shut down to vehicular traffic.

The FDR and West Side Highway will remain open. Traffic coming off the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) June 18, 2026

That also means Streetsblog’s Dave Colon and Sophia Lebowitz will be on the ground soaking it all in. Expect more on that later.

And if you plan on attending yourself, check the parade route and find more details for the 10 a.m. parade here.

Elsewhere in the Empire State:

The MTA is being a wet blanket and keeping LIRR travelers dry during the parade. No boozing at stations and on trains until 5 a.m. Friday. (Newsday)
The World Cup prompted New York City to fix the Brooklyn Bridge bike lane. (City & State)
Vice President J.D. Vance wants Nassau County residents to replace Rep. Tom Suozzi. (Newsday)
Mamdani could flex his muscles in Albany again next year. (Politico New York)
Penn Transformation Partners released a Knicks-themed rendering of their Penn Station revamp. (The New York Post)
A teenager was injured in a carriage horse accident in Central Park. (The Daily News)
Assembly Transportation Chair Bill Magnarelli’s reelection campaign is pitting generations of the Democratic Party against each other. (WXXI)
Stantec was selected by Kingston as the consultant for an upcoming citywide parking study. (Mid Hudson News)
Republican candidates are vying for a North Country Assembly seat. (WAMC)
As the region searches for new congressional representation, Anthony Constantino’s conduct derailed a recent event. (The Times Union)
Assembly Member Pat Burke is proposing a new system for appointing New Yorkers to empty political offices. (BTPM)

Austin C. Jefferson

Before becoming Albany Bureau Chief in late 2025, Austin C. Jefferson was a state politics reporter for City & State NY, covering state government, elections and major legislative debates. His reporting has also appeared in the Daily Freeman, Chronogram Magazine and The Legislative Gazette. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley, he's always happy to argue about where Upstate New York truly begins.

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