By night, Manhattan holds 1.6 million souls.

In the morning, over twice as many Russian like a tide, filling up office blocks, coffee

shops, and spin classes.

In the evening, this tide drains back out over bridges and through tunnels, leaving

just a thin residue of small hours, stopouts, and shift workers.

This ebb and flow is shallower at weekends and in summer, but it's held its rhythm for

more than a century.

In March 2020, it stopped.

When the streets filled again in June, it was to protest against racism and police violence

in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

Build a blasio, the city's mayor, imposed a curfew.

No-where represented the 20th century's love affair with the idea of the city better

than New York.

Ever since it overtook London, the previous top dog, in 1925, it's been the toast of the

world.

With nearly $2 trillion in GDP, it's still the richest city on the planet.

But the city that never sleeps remains heavily sedated as a new year begins.

This is Checks and Balance.

I'm John Prado, the economist's US editor.

Each week we take one big theme, shaping American politics and explore it in depth.

Today, what's the future of New York City?

New York became the epicenter of the pandemic when it first hit America.

...