Latest news with #AdamsAdministration
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NYC Council orders Department of Investigation to probe 9/11 Ground Zero toxin reports
The New York City Council passed a resolution Monday ordering the city's Department of Investigation to probe what information the city had on Ground Zero toxins after the 9/11 attacks and when they had it. The resolution's passage, in a unanimous vote, comes after a yearslong fight to find out what the city knew about dangerous chemicals in the air after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The Adams administration as well as its predecessors have refused to release those documents, claiming they couldn't find them and that the documents could lead to a barrage of lawsuits from survivors and first responders. 'This legislation is about responsive, transparent, and accountable government. The remaining residents and survivors of the September 11, 2001 attacks are deeply interested in what the city knew about the hazards of that period, and when,' said Gale Brewer, chair of the Council's Oversight and Investigation Committee. 'Resolution 560-A will provide answers that are 20 years overdue.' The legislation marks the first time a provision of the City Charter allows the Council to order the DOI to undertake an investigation with a bill. Despite lawsuits and multiple Freedom of Information Law requests, mayoral administrations since Rudy Giuliani have refused to release the documents. This bill directs the DOI, which has independent oversight over the city, to investigate what past administrations knew about environmental toxins produced by the terror attacks and to submit those findings to the Council in a report. The DOI will be required to produce biannual updates, with a final report due at the end of the two-year probe. Spokespeople for the mayor did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'This resolution would finally reveal what city government knew about environmental toxins produced by the September 11 attacks, and when. This transparency is particularly relevant in this moment when trust in government is severely lacking,' Brewer said. About 137,000 first responders and survivors are enrolled in the U.S. Center for Disease Control's WTC Health Program to get treatment and medication due to Ground Zero toxins. Around 7,000 have died. Some advocates have estimated there are more than 10,000 potential liability claims.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC schools ‘shadow chancellor' to step down next month
The second-most senior official at New York City's public school system is stepping down from his post, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos announced Tuesday night. First Deputy Chancellor Dan Weisberg, whose involvement in major education initiatives earned him the nickname of 'shadow chancellor,' joined the Adams administration at the start of the mayor's tenure. His last day is in August. 'Dan was at the center of all our critical work,' Aviles-Ramos said in a statement, focusing on his roles in standardizing curriculum and expanding college and career programs. 'On behalf of our staff, students, and families, we offer him our deepest thanks and wish him all the best in his next chapter.' Weisberg was credited by the former chancellor, David Banks — who was pushed out of the administration amid a federal investigation ensnaring City Hall — with having pushed for Aviles-Ramos to be his successor. A couple of years beforehand, Weisberg had tapped her to lead the system's response to tens of thousands of newly enrolled migrant students. Weisberg previously served as the school system's chief executive on labor issues under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who often clashed with the city's powerful teachers union. He left city government to work at TNTP, a well-known education nonprofit, which he eventually led as CEO. The city's Department of Education did not immediately name Weisberg's replacement.
CBS News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams on fed takeover of Rikers Island: "We've got to try something new"
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy sat down with CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer for this week's episode of "The Point." Jumaane Williams on Rikers Island This week, a federal judge appointed a remediation manager for Rikers Island. So will it make a difference in conditions there? "They didn't create this mess. I don't think they made it much better. My thing has been it is not working for anyone there. The people who work there, the corrections officers, certainly not the detainees who are dying at high rates. We've got to try something new," Williams said. "I am hoping that this is the thing that will get us where we need to go, which is a place where people can feel safer." Williams talked about the importance of changing the culture at Rikers. "You've got to remember that 80% or more of the folks who are there haven't been convicted of crime, so they're waiting for their trial," Williams said. "One of the things everybody agrees on, everyone, all sides of this, is a speedy trial is a problem. So I really wish we all can just get in a room and figure out how to get people tried. Either send them home, or send them upstate." Fabien Levy on the new city office to combat antisemitism Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy is the highest-ranking Jewish official in the Adams administration, so who better to talk about the mayor's decision to open an office to combat antisemitism. "Jewish New Yorkers make up about 10% of the city's population, but are sadly the target of about 62% of hate crimes, total hate crimes. That means that almost all the other hate crimes combined don't equal what Jewish New Yorkers have felt in the first quarter of this year," Levy said. Levy said there's been a spike since the Oct. 2024 Hamas attack on Israel there has been an exponential increase in hate crimes. Your Point: Are college degrees still worth it? Education officials including the head of the American Federation of Teachers, have begun talking about the value of teaching kids a trade instead of sending them college. Do New Yorkers agree? They're weighing in.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
4 senior deputies to NYC Mayor Eric Adams announce resignation
The Brief First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker are resigning from the Adams administration. "I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future," Adams said. Over the last several days, there has been a cascade of lawmakers calling on Adams to step aside or for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to remove him from office. NEW YORK CITY - Four senior deputies of New York City Mayor Adams resigned Monday, the Adams Administration announced. What we know First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker have submitted their resignation letters. What we don't know A spokesperson from the Adams administration told FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay that these resignations are not final just yet. They are waiting to have what they call a "smooth transition" to see who is the best fit for each of the positions. All four deputy mayors didn't address why they are resigning in their resignation letter - but reportedly they are concerned they will be unable to do their jobs effectively as questions loom about Adams' relationship with the Trump administration now that they are moving to drop the criminal charges against Adams. What Adams is saying "Maria Torres-Springer, Anne Williams-Isom, Meera Joshi, and Chauncey Parker are extraordinary public servants who have been vital to our work reshaping New York City. Together, we've broken housing records, created the most jobs in the city's history, provided for hundreds of thousands of longtime New Yorkers and migrants, built unprecedented public spaces, and made our city safer at every level. New Yorkers owe them an enormous debt of gratitude for their service to our city," Mayor Adams said in a statement. "I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future," Adams said. The other side Torres-Springer, Williams-Isom, and Joshi released the following joint statement: "Serving as deputy mayors has been the greatest honor and privilege of our lives. We have worked each day with the singular mission of improving the lives of New Yorkers and strengthening the physical foundation of the city we love. Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles. While our time in this administration will come to a close, our support for the incredible public servants across the administration with whom we have stood shoulder to shoulder and our championing of this great city and all it stands for will never cease. We sincerely thank the mayor for giving us the opportunity to serve New Yorkers in these roles, stand ready to ensure a smooth transition of our duties, and wish Mayor Adams and all of our colleagues much strength and courage in the work ahead." What's next Over the last several days, there has been a cascade of lawmakers calling on Adams to step aside or for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to remove him from office. Comptroller Brad Lander, a mayoral candidate himself, wrote a letter to Mayor Adams urging him to present a contingency plan following the resignation of his top aides. "Given the gravity of this situation and the chaos it has unleashed among New Yorkers, I formally request that your office promptly develop and present a detailed contingency plan outlining how you intend to manage the City of New York during this period of leadership transition. Specifically, please provide immediate confirmation of your plan for appointing interim Deputy Mayors and key managerial staff, along with an anticipated timeline for stabilizing the administration, no later than Friday February 21, 2025," Lander said in a letter to Adams. Speaker Adrienne Adams also released a statement calling on Adams to resign, saying he "lost the confidence and trust of his staff, colleagues and New Yorkers." "He now must prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, step aside and resign. This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor. These resignations are the culmination of the mayor's actions and decisions that have led to months of instability and now compromise the City's sovereignty, threaten chaos, and risk harm to our families. There is too much at stake for our city and New Yorkers to allow this to continue. We have endured enough scandal, selfishness and embarrassment, all of which distract from the leadership that New Yorkers deserve. This is the opposite of public service. Our city needs a leader totally committed to protecting New Yorkers and improving their lives," Adams said in a statement. The Source This article contains information from Mayor Adams office.
