The capitalist is ghosting the socialist.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reached out to billionaire Ken Griffin after furious backlash from a“Tax the Rich’ video Hizzoner filmed outside the CEO’s Manhattan apartment – but so far he hasn’t gotten a call back.

The democratic socialist mayor reached out through intermediaries and pitched a potential sitdown with Griffin, who heads Citadel, he confirmed Friday – though it wasn’t exactly clear when tried to connect.

“We’re still waiting to hear,” Mamdani said at an unrelated press conference before downplaying the offer as one of many to Big Apple business leaders.

“That continues to be an open invitation and it’s part of invitations that I've made to a number of business leaders across our city and I’ve appreciated those conversations,” he said.

“I think what's critical is that in those conversations, I both share that which you've already quoted,” he said. “But also I'm there to listen. I'm there to have a conversation that goes beyond places of agreement but perhaps to places of disagreement.”

Mamdani riled Girffin when he posted one of his signature slick social media videos that used the hedge fund mogul’s record-setting $238 million Midtown penthouse to celebrate a proposed tax on luxury second homes in the city.

Griffin blasted the mayor – who campaigned with the goal of taxing the rich – for the video, calling it “creepy” on CNBC and blamed the stunt for expanding Citadel’s operations in Florida instead of New York.

“We will add far more jobs in Miami over the next decade as an immediate and direct consequence of the mayor’s poor decision here with respect to his posting of that video,” Griffin said on the network.

He also threatened to scrap a $6 billion Park Avenue development by Citadel.

Mamdani’s stance and tax-hike crusade has sparked many business owners and other city leaders worried that the fledgling mayor, who took office in January, could fuel an exodus of corporations and high-earners out of the city.

Some experts warned last week that there could be “quiet quitting” already underway, with the effects on the local economy not immediately clear. One finance big has even launched a campaign called Operation Boomerang to try to convince his business peers not to give up on New York.

A spokesperson for Griffin didn’t address whether he plans to meet with the mayor.

“Ken cares deeply about New York City and welcomes thoughtful, serious conversations about the policies that can grow the city’s economy and create more opportunity for all New Yorkers,” the spokesperson said. “Reckless political theater serves no purpose and undermines the future of one of the world’s most important cities.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani bragged about his decision to restore money for the city’s public libraries this month after he reduced their budgets in February.

Mamdani celebrated his move to restore $31.7 million in operating funds for the city’s three public library systems at a press conference Friday, declaring an end to the annual budget dance in which he said library budgets end up as bargaining chips in negotiations.

"For too long, our libraries, along with our parks, cultural institutions, CUNY systems, and transit programs, have had to engage in what is known as a budget dance," Mamdani said. "It's a dysfunctional process that every year forces these kinds of libraries to fight for every single dollar in their share of the budget."

But outside the Brooklyn Public Library’s Cortelyou branch, where Mamdani’s celebratory press conference was held, library supporters protested -- arguing that the mayor is simply restoring money he proposed cutting earlier this year and that his plan still falls far short of his campaign pledge to libraries.

Dylan Flesch, 39, protested alongside other members of the New York City Public Library Action Network.

“Here he is framing the reversal of the cuts he made as a win for libraries,” Flesch said, holding a sign that read “End the budget dance!”

Flesch said that sequence -- proposing a cut, then restoring it after negotiations -- is exactly what is meant by a budget dance.

“He’s doing exactly the same budget dance that every mayor since Bloomberg has done, and claiming he’s not,” Flesch said. “So he’s broken that promise as well as the promise to fund libraries at 0.5%.”

Inside, Mamdani was adamant he was not engaging in the “lip service” other mayors have shown toward the city’s libraries.

“Instead of pouring their energy into funding fights, libraries can now use this time and funding to actually hire staff, expand hours and grow programs," Mamdani said.

But critics argued library supporters and the City Council had already poured their energy into clawing back the money after Mamdani threatened to take it away.

Even Brooklyn Public Library President Linda Johnson, who stood alongside Mamdani at Friday’s presser, pointedly thanked him for “restoring” the library’s budget in his executive proposal after he reduced it in his February preliminary budget.

“Today, we offer our sincere thanks to the mayor for restoring $31.7 million in operating funds to the city’s three library systems in his fiscal year 2027 executive budget,” Johnson said.

Johnson told the mayor library workers had been holding their breath waiting for the restoration.

“Mr. Mayor, did you hear a collective sigh of relief the other day when the budget was announced? Library workers all over the city, and here in Brooklyn, definitely felt relieved,” Johnson said.

Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams said the council pushed to have the money Mamdani took away restored in the mayor’s executive budget.

“The council was proud to include more than $30 million for libraries in our April 1 budget response. And we are super thrilled that the mayor has agreed with us,” Williams said.

Mamdani’s funding announcement also fell short of delivering on a campaign promise to dedicate 0.5% of the city’s total budget to libraries, which would be around $623 million. Instead, libraries are getting nearly $100 million less than that in the mayor’s latest proposal.

Flesch said he voted for Mamdani in part because of the mayor’s pledge to give libraries more money.

“I feel disappointed, and I’m here to remind him of his promise,” Flesch said.

Inside, Mamdani blamed the city’s fiscal crisis and a disputed budget deficit projection when reporters asked about his unmet promises to libraries.

“This is an incredibly difficult year where we have faced what was, at its beginning, a $12 billion fiscal deficit,” Mamdani said.

He was pressed on exactly when libraries could expect to receive the money he promised on the campaign trail.

“By some point, yes,” Mamdani said.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed he once wrote a screenplay that was so "bad" he couldn't get it sold despite the fact his mom is a well-respected filmmaker.

The Ugandan-born New Yorker told reporters Friday that his would-be epic was about a Ugandan-born New Yorker but he didn't get into further plot details.

"That's how you know it was that bad. Even with all the advantages, we couldn't get it off the ground," Hizzoner said at a press conference on library funding.

The mayor noted that he wrote the script at the main branch of the New York Public Library before it ended up in the circular file.

"It was many ways a mirror of some parts of my own life. I think that's what made it so uninteresting," he confessed.

Mamdani is the son of Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair, who directed celebrated films like "Mississippi Masala" starring Denzel Washington

Before Mamdani became the 112th mayor of New York City, the certified nepo baby unsuccessfully waded into other artistic endeavors like his fledgling hip-hop "career" -- releasing tracks under stage name "Mr. Cardamom."

It could be a soccer flop in the city.

City health officials are warning of a spike in sexually transmitted diseases, infections and other illnesses when the World Cup hits the East Coast next month.

The city Health Department's "alert" informs medical providers to expect a surge in cases as throngs of tourists come to the Big Apple from June 13 to July 19, with eight matches to be held over the bridge at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Events celebrating America's 250th Anniversary in and around the city -- including Sail 250 -- will also attract visitors, but the extra partying comes with risks, health officials said.

"With an expected increase in visitors and mass gatherings, the NYC Health Department is preparing for an increased risk of public health events and possible increases in healthcare utilization," the department said in its "2026 Health Alert #10.  

"NYC healthcare systems and healthcare providers should anticipate increases in heat-related illnesses, gastrointestinal illnesses, travel-associated infectious diseases, sexually transmitted infections, and alcohol and substance use," the department added.

In preparation for the FIFA World Cup, the department said it will provide regular updates throughout the summer. Updates will include webinars on the department website that will launch in the coming weeks.

The health alert included a survey for medical providers to complete to help improve communication.

"Thank you for your commitment and collaboration in making this summer’s events safe and healthy for New Yorkers and all who visit our city," said the alert, issued by the department's chief medical officer Michelle Morse.

A controversial new tax on second homes in New York City was quietly lowered from $5 million to a "market value" of $1 million -- increasing the number of homeowners who will get squeezed as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's never-ending budget negotiations.

Hochul’s office finally released details of her and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new tax on second homes in New York City to the New York Times Thursday, the latest concession to the Democratic socialist mayor and his liberal followers on a tax-hike crusade they say will target the rich.

The so-called “pied-a-terre” tax would apply to second homes with market values exceeding $1 million, though it wasn't immediately clear how City Hall would impose the tax.

Hochul’s office previously estimated roughly 13,000 homes would be subject to the tax under the $5 million market value threshold, meaning that number is likely to be bigger with the new threshold although an estimate of how many homes wasn't immediately available.

The revelation came just hours after top legislators said a deal was still yet to be finalized on the pied-a-terre.

“I don't have any final details. I have an idea of it, but I don't have the exact details,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) told reporters Thursday.

He said at the time that there was still even debate over whether the tax should be based on a property’s assessed value or a trickier to determine market value.

Bloomberg also was first to report Thursday that Hochul and legislators had agreed to another previously unrevealed tax – a surcharge on cash purchases of homes over $1 million.

The City Council is making sure City Hall is ready to play host for the World Cup.

The Council passed a bill on Thursday that would require the Mamdani administration to produce a detailed plan to expand access to public bathrooms in time for the 2026 tournament.

The plan must map out high traffic areas like parks, plazas and transit hubs, add clear wayfinding signs to nearby restrooms, extend hours for public bathrooms, install temporary toilets where needed and step up cleaning.

The new law even spells out a legal definition for a bathroom: “any facility containing one or more toilets with toilet paper and one or more washbasins with hand soap.”

The bill is part of a package of legislation to get the Big Apple World Cup-ready.

Other legislation approved by the Council Thursday will have the mayor's office develop a digital map of World Cup events, do outreach to tourists about common scams and temporarily rename two intersections after famous soccer players. 

One intersection in Midtown during the tournament will be co-named “Thierry Henry Way” after the retired French soccer legend who now calls the city home, and a street in Queens will be co-named “Pelé Way” after the late Brazilian star who played three seasons with the New York Cosmos.

City Comptroller Mark Levine launched an investigation Thursday into the Big Apple's popular outdoor dining program -- citing concerns that more than half of restaurant applicants are stuck in limbo.

Levine addressed a letter requesting records related to the program's approval and review process to Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn and the Director of the Mayor's Office of Contract Services Kim L. Yu.

"Regrettably, my office hears regularly about issues related to the permitting process, which is deeply concerning," Levine wrote to the agency heads.

"Restaurants are struggling to cut the red tape on a slow and cumbersome permitting process," he added.

Levine noted that the DOT has submitted a mere 1,225 permit applications for the program -- with over 62% of those not submitted until this year.

The Comptroller's office also found a total of 2,390 eateries still waiting for approval as of January -- a tiny fraction of the city's estimated 25,000 restaurants.

"With summer approaching, DOT and MOCS must streamline and make more transparent their
review process and approve sidewalk and roadway cafés in time for the season," Levine continued in the memo.

The Comptroller's office registers the permits given out to restaurants -- and since 2024 has allowed DOT to let agency-approved restaurants operate their outdoor dining spaces while waiting for official permits to speed up the process.

The Comptroller's office is required to register the permits within 30 days of businesses receiving agency approval -- and Levine noted concern that the MOCS and DOT do not have similar time limits.

Levine is requesting details and documents from the agencies that include step-by-step approval processes, the number of DOT staff working on the restaurant applications, and the actual timeframe for review per application.

A spokesperson for the Mayor's Office did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment.

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Lefty allies of Mayor Zohran Mamdani turned on over the NYPD's handling of anti-ICE protests in Brooklyn last week -- and the liberal fight could have implications in the race for New York's 7th Congressional District.

Retiring US Rep. Nydia Velázquez hit Mamdani over his handling of an incident at Wycoff Heights Medical Center last Sunday -- claiming ICE agents appeared to coordinate with NYPD officers despite the city's sanctuary laws.

“New York City is a sanctuary city and that requires the police not to coordinate with [ICE], but after watching some of those videos, I was convinced that they were there to assist ICE,” Velázquez told Gothamist in an interview. “It was just really disgusting,” she said.

Velazquez claimed that the incident, which resulted in eight protester arrests, instilled fear in the community she represents.

She plugged her candidate of choice to succeed her -- Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso -- as the only viable candidate to restore her immigrant constituents' trust.

"The mayor made commitments when he was running for office," she said. “ He made a decision based on his relationship with Claire [Valdez]. I made my decision based on the needs of the district."

Velázquez has been at odds with Mamdani -- whom she once stood behind -- after he endorsed DSA darling Claire Valdez over Reynoso.

Reynoso-- who was born and raised in Los Sures, Williamsburg, to two Dominican parents -- led the charge in criticizing Hizzoner after the incident. The NY-7 candidate organized a letter signed by six lawmakers urging Mamdani to issue rules ensuring the NYPD and ICE do not work together.

Mamdani spokesman Sam Raskin said City Hall is reviewing the letter.

"We will be releasing a report summarizing the results of that audit in the coming weeks and the agencies will ultimately make public all changes to policies and practices in keeping with the Executive Order,” Raskin said in a statement to The Post.

“The Mamdani administration is committed to improving city agency policies, guidelines and procedures related to interactions with federal immigration enforcement."

But Reynoso upped the ante -- calling on the mayor to take actionable steps this week.

"I am asking the Mayor to act this week: issue clear, enforceable, public guidance, because every day without it is another day immigrant New Yorkers don't know if the officer in front of them is there to protect them or to help take their neighbor away," he said.

An influential teacher's union is backing incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) for re-election over his opponent, Brad Lander.

The United Federation of Teachers -- one of the Big Apple's largest unions repping over 200,000 city educators -- joined Goldman's coalition Thursday, citing his record of standing up to Trump in Washington.

“Dan Goldman has the integrity we need in Washington. He fought to curb Trump's abuses and supported raising taxes on the wealthy — like himself — to level the playing field so all Americans can live with dignity," said UFT Michael Mulgrew in a statement shared by Goldman's campaign.

It's the latest win for Goldman, who is battling former comptroller Lander to hold on to his congressional seat.

Goldman, who Gov. Kathy Hochul endorses, has received a wave of union support in recent months from groups such as DC37, the Building and Construction Trades Council, and the carpenters' union, among others.

"These unions joined Governor Hochul on Monday to rally in support of Congressman Goldman, cementing a clear lead in the race for organized labor in NY-10," Goldman's campaign wrote in a press release.

The teachers union endorsement delivered a major blow to the Lander campaign -- which has the support of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The UFT endorsed Mamdani during his mayoral campaign, but Hizzoner's backing of Lander -- who Mamdani cross endorsed with during the June democratic mayoral primary -- wasn't enough to snag to the group's support.

There he Zos again.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani again stoked fears he's fostering an anti-business blitz in New York City after he tried to pressure state regulators to block a $500 million merger deal, according to a new report.

Hizzoner urged the New York State Department of Financial Services last month to block money transfer service Western Union's $500 million deal for Intermex -- a financial services company that focuses on helping transfers to Latin America, according to a letter reviewed by Semafor.

“This merger threatens to impose a new private tax on these same remittances, in the form of higher, supracompetitive prices that will flow directly to Western Union’s corporate coffers,” Mamdani wrote.

Mamdani butting in serves as the latest example of the mayor's attempt to flex his socialist bona fides in what critics say is pushing ideology over running the day-to-day operations of the city, with potentially disastrous results for the local economy.

“The people he says he is helping—those who suffer most from rising prices, and affordability issues—will be hurt the worst by the mayor’s behavior," veteran Democrat strategist Hank Sheinkopf said. "The rich leave, jobs leave. Middle income New Yorkers leave, jobs leave. And tax dollars go with them."

A rep for the mayor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

ALBANY – Call it the dirty dozen.

Lawmakers in Albany are set to vote on the 12th stopgap spending measure to keep the state functioning as some sources close to talks say they’re preparing for the reality that voting on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget deal could potentially get kicked until after Memorial Day.

A week has passed since Hochul announced a “general agreement” on her obscene and evidently unwieldy $268 billion state budget plan, packed with crazy new spending to bail out New York City and the governor’s wishlist of policy priorities like sweeping new sanctuary state policies.

But sources say Hochul has been reticent in locking down a true deal over the last week – with critical details like how a tax on second homes in New York City for Mayor Zohran Mamdani would work still yet to be locked down.

At the same time, Albany’s influence machine is hard at working stuffing the package full of pork priorities.

"Every day we’re here, this budget grows by a billion dollars,” one ticked off lawmaker complained to The Post this week the same day it was revealed that New York's unions were getting even more concessions from Hochul in a major move to sweeten their lavish pension program.

Three sources close to negotiators said they’re preparing for a reality that lawmakers could have to vote on budget bills after Memorial Day.

Some Jewish lawmakers are planning to break to observe Shavout, which begins sundown Wednesday evening. The following Monday is Memorial Day.

Not only is the delay believed to be on track to be the latest state budget since the early 1980’s under Gov. Hugh Carey, but it will put a major squeeze on lawmakers looking to get other legislative work done before they break for the year on June 4.

City Council wants to keep the price right.

New York City could become the first city in the nation to block "predatory" high‑tech pricing tactics that silently raise costs for shoppers.

Council Speaker Julie Menin and Majority Leader Shaun Abreu have introduced two bills to limit “dynamic pricing” -- where grocery prices change frequently based on algorithms -- and ban “surveillance pricing” -- where businesses use personal data to set different prices for different customers.

Menin argued that companies should not be allowed to quietly manipulate prices in the middle of an affordability crisis that is already pushing New Yorkers' bank accounts to the brink.

“New Yorkers deserve transparency and fairness when purchasing essential goods, and the Council will make New York the first city in the country to take a strong stand against predatory surveillance and exploitative dynamic pricing practices,” Menin said.

Menin's bill would make it illegal for most businesses to charge different prices to different people based on personal data.

That means a store could not look at a shopper’s location, browsing history or past purchases and secretly give them a higher price than someone else for the same item.

The proposal still allows discounts for certain groups like seniors, students or low income customers, as long as the rules are made clear to everyone.

A second bill, sponsored by Abreu, would bar grocery stores from raising the price of an item more than once in a 24 hour period.

The goal is to respond to the spread of electronic shelf labels powered by algorithms that can change prices many times a day.

"Groceries are already expensive enough, and nobody should have to worry about the price going up when they’re still shopping," Abreu said.

Both bills are framed as early steps to protect consumers before these technologies become more widespread.

“Corporations have algorithms and AI. Shoppers have a cart and a budget,” Abreu said. “We are acting now to protect New Yorkers before the technology gets ahead of the law."