In New York, the competition is famously brutal. Even if you get to the top, you have to fight to stay there. In this episode, Sarah Koenig looks at two battles for control: one, on a small college campus; the other, inside the city’s biggest political party.

To learn more about upcoming episodes of METRO and get a look behind the scenes, find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook by searching “Serial Productions”.

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TraxNYC, a store in New York’s diamond district, doubles their business in the wake of a video depicting the store’s owner in a full-on brawl with a rival jeweler. But Sarah Koenig wants to know: At TraxNYC, how much is real and how much is for show?

To learn more about upcoming episodes of METRO and get a look behind the scenes, find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook by searching “Serial Productions”.

Have a story pitch, a tip, or feedback? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com.

In this first episode of the new podcast “METRO with Sarah Koenig,” Sarah goes on a whirlwind tour of New York City to find out what New Yorkers are worrying about. Crime? Sure. The new mayor? Yes. Their weak, little handshakes? All the time.

To learn more about upcoming episodes of METRO and get a look behind the scenes, find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook by searching “Serial Productions”.

Have a story pitch, a tip, or feedback? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com.

From the team that brought you Serial comes “METRO with Sarah Koenig,” stories about New York City and its most fascinating raw material: New Yorkers.

Every other week, “METRO” mines a city packed with personality to bring you investigations, personal stories, essays and interviews that take the bigness of New York and make it human-scale and relevant, no matter where you live.

Tune in to hear the best storyteller in audio (Sarah Koenig) team up with the country’s best newsroom (the New York Times) to take on the world’s best talkers (New Yorkers). Too bold? Not in New York.

To learn more about upcoming episodes of METRO and get a look behind the scenes, find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook by searching “Serial Productions”.

Have a story pitch, a tip, or feedback? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com.

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Have a story pitch, a tip, or feedback on our shows? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com