Just weeks away from leaving office, Mayor Bill de Blasio is announcing new vaccine mandates for all private sector employees, in a move that seems to have taken business leaders by surprise. NY1’s Zack Fink, Courtney Gross and Juan Manuel Benítez comment on the new measures and the mayor’s intentions behind them. Is he doing this to reactivate the city’s economy and get employees back to the office? Or is he gearing up for a potential run for governor?

They also weigh in on a controversial proposal approved by the City Council that would allow some noncitizen New Yorkers to vote in local elections. The bill would benefit about 800,000 Green Card holders and other immigrants with work authorization. Even though noncitizen voting already exists in other parts of the country and is not entirely unprecedented here in New York, some questions remain about its legality and implementation.