N.Y. Today: A (Lawyerly) Spat Erupts Over the Defense of Nicolás Maduro

January 11, 2026

Two men in winter coats walk side by side outside a courthouse. One is holding manila folders at his side.

Karsten Moran for The New York Times

A (Lawyerly) Spat Erupts Over the Defense of Nicolás Maduro

Disputes among lawyers are not exactly rare, but in the case of Mr. Maduro, the captive leader of Venezuela, the stakes are high and the interested parties are many.

By Benjamin Weiser and Jonah E. Bromwich

For Mamdani, 2 Contentious Hires Yield 2 Different Outcomes

The past social media posts of two hires have led to a public debate about how much the new mayor is willing to tolerate.

By Dana Rubinstein, Sally Goldenberg and Jeffery C. Mays

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, wearing a black overcoat, stands behind a lectern at an outside news conference, with a woman to his left and three men standing behind him.

Mamdani Announces Plan to Expand Public Bathroom Access in New York

The city has over eight million residents and only around 1,000 public bathrooms. The new mayor said he was committed to creating more, though he did not say when they would be available.

By Maia Coleman

A group of women sit around a table. Many of them have paperback copies of the memoir “Push” in front of them.

At the Rikers Jail, the Women Have No Library. But They Have a Book Club.

Some members of the group are awaiting trial; some are serving short sentences. In the meantime, with little else to do, they have intense discussions about literature.

By Liz Krieger

27 Million Fewer Car Trips: Life After a Year of Congestion Pricing

How life has changed in the New York area, according to data on traffic, transit and the responses of 600 readers.

By Emily Badger, Stefanos Chen, Winnie Hu, Asmaa Elkeurti and Larry Buchanan

A whale is seen breaching the waves of the Atlantic Ocean off Sheepshead Bay in November.

Whales Are in Danger in N.Y. Waterways: ‘Like Deer Crossing the Road’

As conservation efforts make the waters in the New York region more inviting for whales, increasing traffic from ships and boats has contributed to a climbing number of strandings.

By Aaron Short

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