This past Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams ended his re-election campaign, saying he could no longer see a path forward amid low poll numbers, denied public matching funds, and mounting pressure from the press and public. In a video message, Adams warned of “divisive agendas” in city politics and criticized “insidious forces” reshaping the race. His withdrawal, which comes too late to remove his name from the ballot, follows reports of potential federal ambassadorship opportunities and outreach from business leaders about post-office roles. The decision reshapes the final weeks of the race, with Andrew Cuomo seeking to consolidate support against Zohran Mamdani, who continues to lead by a wide margin.
Last Thursday at the City Council’s Stated Meeting, Council Members approved a wide-ranging legislative package focused on housing, tenant protections, and sustainability. Key measures include the “Just Home” project to create supportive housing for formerly incarcerated New Yorkers with medical needs, expanded definitions of tenant harassment, and broader uses of earned safe and sick time, including for childcare, caregiving, legal proceedings, disaster response, and workplace violence. The legislation also provides an additional 32 hours of unpaid safe and sick time available immediately upon hire and annually thereafter. The Council strengthened long-term climate planning, improved afterschool program transparency, and advanced resolutions on school-based immigration enforcement and traffic safety. Several major land use actions and budget approvals were also passed. Read here for more information.
On September 16, the Department of City Planning, Department of Small Business Services, and NYCEDC released a draft of the NYC Industrial Plan, the city’s first comprehensive strategy to strengthen and modernize its industrial economy. The report outlines five main goals, including a citywide land use strategy with new zoning tiers for industrial areas, streamlined development processes, and incentives for mixed-use industrial-residential projects. It also proposes measures to support innovation, expand freight infrastructure, improve environmental safety, and prepare for climate impacts. The city is soliciting public feedback before releasing a final plan at the end of 2025 and will hold town halls this fall.
Kathleen Corradi, New York City’s first-ever “rat czar,” stepped down last week after more than two years leading citywide rodent mitigation efforts. Appointed by Mayor Eric Adams in 2023, Corradi oversaw initiatives like the “Rat Pack” volunteer program and mandatory trash containerization, which contributed to a 16.4 percent drop in rat sightings citywide this year. She will join NYCHA as senior vice president for resident services and partnerships. Her departure comes as several top officials have left the Adams administration and as the mayor’s signature anti-rat campaign remains a defining theme of his tenure.