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☆ Swim Lessons for N.Y.C. Children Were at Risk. A Billionaire Helped Out.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“We think it’s important to stay at that.”The mayor’s budget cuts to parks and libraries have been unpopular. The swim program financed by the Gray Foundation will be a pilot, providing 2,000 second graders with swim lessons near their homes. The swim lessons are part of a broader effort to prevent children from drowning and to address racial disparities in learning to swim. Drowning is the leading cause of death in the United States for children ages 1 to 4, and the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 5 to 14 after vehicle crashes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2017 health survey found that roughly one in three Black and Asian students and about one in four Latino students in New York cannot swim.

Persons: ”, Adams, Gray, Blackstone, Mindy, Kathy Hochul Organizations: Gray Foundation, Centers for Disease Control Locations: United States, New York

At a town hall in Coney Island, Brooklyn, on Monday night, the mayor said the cuts were real but that he did not want to make them. The police commissioner, Edward Caban, has yet to make a public statement about the implications of a proposal that would bring the number of officers below 30,000 for the first time in decades. There were nearly 35,000 officers in the department in 2022. is stretched as thin as it could go right now,” said Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association. Every agency would be affected, including the Department of Education, which would see its budget cut by $1 billion over two years; the Sanitation Department; the city’s libraries; and popular programs like summer school and universal prekindergarten.

Persons: ”, “, Yell, Edward Caban, Paul DiGiacomo, ’, Mr, Adams Organizations: D.C, ”, Police Department, ’ Endowment Association, Department of Education, Sanitation Department Locations: Coney Island , Brooklyn

☆ Eric Adams Slashes Budgets for Police, Libraries and Schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“This is truly a disaster for every New Yorker who cares about safe streets,” he said. We cannot go back there.”Mr. Adams had said on Tuesday that eliminating a new class of 250 school safety agents would mean that schools would be “leaning into parents and parent groups to do some volunteerism.” He said that he would do everything he could to keep schools safe with fewer resources. “We are going to be straining at a very high level to get this done correctly,” he said. Library leaders announced that the budget cuts would force them to close branches on Sunday starting in December. Nonprofit leaders have criticized the cuts and said they would hurt essential services, including food pantries, domestic violence shelters, after-school programs and legal services.

Persons: ” Mr, Adams, ”, Michelle Jackson Organizations: “, Library, New York Public Library, Nonprofit, Human Services Council Locations: ”, Brooklyn, Queens

☆ Eric Adams’s Turkey Ties: Travel, Donations and a Meeting With Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A major federal corruption investigation into Mayor Eric Adams’s fund-raising is examining whether his campaign conspired with members of the Turkish government to receive illegal donations. Mr. Adams, a Democrat in his second year in office, has longstanding ties to Turkey. The mayor has said that he met the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, when he was Brooklyn borough president, and that he has visited the country at least six times. Federal authorities raided the home of Mr. Adams’s chief fund-raiser on Nov. 2, and then seized at least two cellphones and an iPad from Mr. Adams himself. Mr. Adams has defended his links to Turkey, arguing that they were part of his outreach to immigrant communities that have not always received attention from City Hall.

Persons: Eric Adams’s, Adams, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Adams’s Organizations: Democrat, Turkish, Federal, City Hall Locations: Turkey, Turkish, Brooklyn, Manhattan

It is a type of scheme that took down New York’s lieutenant governor last year, and sank the 2013 mayoral campaign of a top Democratic contender: the use of so-called straw donors to funnel illegal contributions to candidates from secret sources. Now, for the second time, the campaign of Mayor Eric Adams is being scrutinized for the same thing. And in July, six men were indicted in Manhattan in connection with a similar scheme, accused of funneling thousands to Mr. Adams’s campaign. Neither Mr. Adams nor Ms. Suggs have been accused of wrongdoing, and Mr. Adams has denied any knowledge of illegal contributions. But both investigations appear to be focused on whether donors who were eager to get Mr. Adams’s attention sought to mask large donations by funneling them through straw donors — and on who might have coordinated that effort.

Persons: Eric Adams, Brianna Suggs, Adams’s, Adams, Suggs Locations: Turkish, U.S, Manhattan

Mr. Adams, who typically takes great pains to distance himself from any investigation of people in his outer circle, took the opposite tack on Thursday. He abruptly canceled several meetings in Washington, D.C., where he was scheduled to discuss the migrant crisis with White House officials and members of Congress, and returned to New York. Appearing at Gracie Mansion on Thursday night, Mr. Adams said he wanted to be “on the ground” to “look at this inquiry” as it unfolded. His decision to return risked leaving the impression that he placed more importance on the investigation than the migrant crisis, and political experts said the mayor had allowed the raid to distract him from addressing a key policy goal. “This was an opportunity for him, literally and symbolically, to be in Washington with his tin can demanding more funds for New York.”

Persons: Adams, he’s, ”, Christina Greer Organizations: Washington , D.C, White, City College of New, New Locations: Washington ,, New York, City College of New York, Washington

☆ Early Voting Begins in New York: Here’s What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Election Day is still several days away, but voters in New York can get a head start on Saturday, when early voting begins. There are some interesting New York City Council races on the ballot. Another face-off pits two newcomers in a nearby district that was recently created to amplify the voices of Asian voters. But for most New Yorkers, it will be a relatively quiet Election Day, with no presidential, governor or mayoral races on the ballot this year. Your ballot might include races for the City Council, district attorney, judges and two statewide ballot measures.

Organizations: New York City, Republican, City Council Locations: New York, Brooklyn

☆ In Escalation, Adams Says Migrant Crisis ‘Will Destroy New York City’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mayor Eric Adams escalated his rhetoric over the migrant crisis on Wednesday night, claiming in stark terms that New York City was being destroyed by an influx of migrants from the southern border and saying that he did not see a way to fix the issue. “This issue will destroy New York City.”Mr. Adams, a Democrat in his second year in office, has clashed with leading members of his party as New York City has struggled to provide housing and services to the migrants, who now number 110,000. For months, Mr. Adams has criticized President Biden and Gov. Kathy Hochul for failing to help the city provide for the asylum-seekers and pleaded for additional funding and expedited work permits. In particular, Mr. Adams has focused on how it was hurting New York City’s budget and would prompt widespread cuts to city services.

Persons: Eric Adams, Mr, Adams, Biden, Kathy Hochul Organizations: New, Democrat, New York Locations: New York City, Manhattan

☆ In Israel, Adams Has Swagger in His Step and ‘Hustle’ on His Sleeve
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Apparently the mayor chose to follow a similar practice to his trip to Israel. On a whirlwind three-day visit, Mr. Adams dined at the Whiskey Bar and Museum in Tel Aviv, a sleek restaurant with more than 1,000 types of whiskey. He was photographed with the son of an Israeli billionaire as he enjoyed Tel Aviv’s buzzing nightlife scene. Mr. Adams may have been thousands of miles away from home, but was still very much himself: high energy, highly quotable, spiritual, ideologically to the right of many Democrats in his party, wary of the press, fond of police drone demonstrations and foremost a foodie. The trip gave Mr. Adams some distance from a series of pressing challenges in New York City, allowing him to focus on preferred topics, like his ties to the Jewish community, public safety and courting business.

Persons: Eric Adams, Adams Organizations: New, Bar and Locations: New York City, Israel, Tel Aviv

The mayor’s return to New York City from overseas was plagued by mishap. The chair of his “reception committee” was late; his aides violated the health code by boarding the mayor’s ship, the Vulcania, before the ship could be screened for contagion. And reporters — barred from asking questions on political or administrative matters — had the nerve to question the length of the mayor’s journey, which, in an apparent first for a New York City mayor, included a three-day visit to the new nation of Israel. In the 72 years since Mayor Vincent R. Impellitteri’s voyage in 1951, every single New York City mayor would follow his lead, in recognition of a faith-based political reality: New York City is home to the largest population of Jews outside of Israel. Mayor Eric Adams upheld that rite of passage this week, visiting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in a three-day tour highlighted by meetings with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and its president, Isaac Herzog.

Persons: ”, —, Vincent R, Eric Adams, Benjamin Netanyahu, Isaac Herzog Organizations: New, New York City, York Locations: New York City, New York, Israel, York City, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv

On the second day of his trip to Israel, Mayor Eric Adams of New York City will seek to strike a political balance by meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, and with leaders of the country’s pro-democracy protest movement. On Tuesday morning, Mr. Adams met with protest leaders, although his office did not specify which leaders or where the meeting was being held, and reporters were barred from attending. Later, at around 5 p.m. local time, Mr. Adams planned to meet with Mr. Netanyahu — part of a routine itinerary for New York mayors who have long visited Israel to show solidarity with Jewish voters in the city. But the political implications of such a meeting may be more fraught than usual, following the move by Mr. Netanyahu and his far-right government to limit the powers of Israel’s judiciary. The rollback, part of a broader fight over the country’s future, has prompted widespread protests among those who fear that Israel is abandoning its democratic traditions.

Persons: Eric Adams, Benjamin Netanyahu, Adams, Netanyahu Organizations: New, Mr, New York, Jewish Locations: Israel, New York City, New

☆ At a Tense Moment, Eric Adams Visits Israel in a Show of Solidarity
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mayor Eric Adams of New York City will travel to Israel on Monday, the beginning of a rare three-day foreign trip to highlight his ties to the Jewish community. The political schism has prompted widespread protests by those who fear Israel is abandoning its democratic traditions. Mr. Adams, a moderate Democrat in his second year in office, has close ties to the ultra-Orthodox community in New York. The mayor’s office said in a statement that Mr. Adams plans to “learn about Israeli technology and discuss combined efforts to combat antisemitism.”A trip to Israel is a rite of passage for mayors of New York City, which has the largest Jewish population in the world outside Israel. But the political crisis in Israel could make the trip more difficult to navigate.

Persons: Eric Adams, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Adams Organizations: New, West Bank Locations: New York City, Israel, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, New York

The fanfare started building minutes before Mayor Eric Adams made his arrival on Monday. Dozens of supporters, most on Mr. Adams’s payroll, lined the City Hall rotunda staircase, behind the lectern where the mayor was about to appear. With everything in place, Mr. Adams strode in to make his announcement. He was elevating his press secretary, Fabien Levy, to become his administration’s seventh deputy mayor. In doing so, Mr. Adams was underscoring the importance he places on messaging: Mr. Levy, according to the mayor, will be the first person in New York City to hold the title of deputy mayor for communications.

Persons: Eric Adams, Jay, Alicia Keys —, Letitia James, Adams strode, Fabien Levy, Adams, Levy Organizations: of Locations: New York City

“This is a room full of people who truly believe in the ability to go up against Adams and win,” said Cristina González, one of the hosts, on Thursday, after word of the meeting leaked. Mr. Adams will likely be a heavy favorite to capture a second term. He remains broadly popular with the coalition of Black and Latino voters outside of Manhattan who sent him to Gracie Mansion. Evan Thies, a spokesman for the Adams campaign, said in a statement that the mayor had lowered crime and “invested billions of dollars in working people” and that polls showed he had strong support from New Yorkers. “The fact that these folks would rather play politics in some back room two years before the election, instead of help the mayor help working people, tells you all you need to know about what they really care about: their own power,” he said.

Persons: Adams, ”, Cristina González, Gracie, Evan Thies Organizations: Democratic, New Yorkers Locations: Manhattan, New

☆ New York City Is Poised to Make Outdoor Dining Permanent, With Caveats
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Outdoor dining along New York City streets, one of the rare pandemic-era accommodations that proved popular, is set to become permanent — but in a way that is expected to present challenges and new costs to restaurant owners. The City Council is expected to approve a bill on Thursday that would allow restaurants to continue to offer outdoor dining in roadways under a new licensing system, but not during the winter months. Restaurant owners would be required to take down street-based outdoor dining structures each year by Nov. 30 and leave them dismantled until March 31. Sidewalk cafes would be allowed year-round. The bill aims to strike a balance by retaining a popular al fresco program while regulating it more closely, allowing for the clearing of abandoned or ugly dining sheds.

Locations: New York City

Mr. Adams said that he wanted to “localize this madness” so that people sleeping outdoors were contained to certain parts of the city, without identifying the potential locations or making it clear if people would be sleeping on sidewalks or in tents. “Our next phase of the strategy now that we have run out of room, we have to figure out how we’re going to localize the inevitable that there’s no more room indoors,” he said at an unrelated news conference on public safety. The firm, DocGo, has bused hundreds of asylum seekers upstate to cities including Albany, but many of the migrants there said that they felt misled and abandoned, and that local security guards hired by DocGo had repeatedly threatened them. DocGo, which provided Covid testing and vaccination services during the pandemic, is also involved in running the city’s “arrival center” for migrants at the Roosevelt Hotel. Over the weekend, people were seen sleeping outside the hotel with blankets, and vans were provided so that people could cool off on a hot summer day.

Persons: Adams, DocGo Organizations: New York Times Locations: Albany

Despite falling poll numbers and critical news coverage, Mayor Eric Adams clearly has the continued monetary support of two influential spheres of influence: real estate leaders and the donor class from New York City and beyond. Mr. Adams has raised $1.3 million since January for his 2025 re-election effort in the latest reporting period, drawing maximum $2,100 donations from real estate magnates like Marc Holliday, the chief executive of SL Green, the city’s largest commercial landlord, and its founder, Steve Green; and Alexander and Helena Durst, members of The Durst Organization real estate dynasty, according to new filings with the city’s Campaign Finance Board. About $550,000 came from donors outside New York City who live in the suburbs, Florida and other states — a continuation of a pattern displayed early in his tenure, when he held fund-raisers in Beverly Hills and Chicago in his first months in office. As mayor, Mr. Adams has often taken positions that benefit the real estate industry, including being supportive of rent increases and criticizing state lawmakers for failing to replace a tax-incentive program for developers known as 421a.

Persons: Eric Adams, Adams, Marc Holliday, Steve Green, Alexander, Helena Durst Organizations: SL Green, Organization, city’s Campaign Locations: New York City, Florida, Beverly Hills, Chicago

☆ The Mayor Had a Photo of a Fallen Officer. Was His Story About It True?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | More About Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the weathered photo of Officer Venable had not actually spent decades in the mayor’s wallet. It had been created by employees in the mayor’s office in the days after Mr. Adams claimed to have been carrying it in his wallet. The employees were instructed to create a photo of Officer Venable, according to a person familiar with the request. Fabien Levy, a spokesman for the mayor, did not dispute that Mr. Adams had shown a photo to The Times and at the police ceremony that had been recently created by a City Hall aide. Mr. Levy, however, insisted that Mr. Adams had carried a photo of Officer Venable for decades, and provided the names of several former transit police colleagues who said in interviews that Mr. Adams and Officer Venable had indeed been friends.

Persons: Venable, Adams, Fabien Levy, Levy Organizations: Google, City Hall, Times, City

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