It's the Brian Lairn Show on WNYC.

I'm Bridget Bergen, senior reporter in the WNYC and Gothamist Newsroom.

Filling in for Brian today, we made it to Friday. Coming up on today's show,

the Comptroller-elect Mark Levine will join us. The Comptroller traditionally operates as a check

on the mayor, though Levine and Mayor-elect Mamdani endorsed each other. So we'll talk up to him

about how he sees his new role as the city's fiscal watchdog, especially as mayor-elect

Momdani tries to make good on his expensive campaign promises. Plus, Molly Fisher from the

New Yorker, will talk about her reporting on Costco, the member's only warehouse store that

has somewhat improbably become a beloved shopping experience for so many Americans.

There are some rumblings beneath the surface that suggest the good times at Costco and the good

vibes won't last forever. Plus, after this big election week, we're going to take a deep breath

and let WNYC and Gothamist Arts and Culture Reporter, Hannah Frischberg, recommend some non-political

fun for us all to enjoy this weekend.

But first, it is day 38 of a government shutdown.

As you've been hearing this morning, the FAA is reducing flights at airports across the country

and in this region.

And this week was the first week.

Millions of Americans who rely on food assistance benefits went without them. For the first time

in more than six decades, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP has stopped

issuing payments, meaning more and more Americans are going hungry.

But my next guest suggests this devastating moment for millions of Americans may in fact be what

forces the hand of lawmakers.

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