Latest news with #EastNewYork
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hakeem Jeffries meets with Zohran Mamdani, but no endorsement yet for NYC mayor
NEW YORK − Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, is still working to get endorsements from his party's leaders weeks after he upended Big Apple politics. On July 18, the 33-year-old state assemblyman and democratic socialist met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn Democrat, Mamdani's campaign announced. They spoke for an hour in East New York, in Jeffries' congressional district. Both gave lukewarm nods about the meeting as Jeffries, the top House Democrat, has yet to endorse a candidate for mayor following Mamdani's upset victory in the June Democratic primary. Staffers described their conversation as 'candid' and 'constructive,' focused on addressing affordability in the notoriously expensive city, which was Mamdani's central pitch to voters. 'Their hour-long conversation was candid and constructive, focused on the cost of living crisis facing New Yorkers and the importance of Democrats taking back the House in 2026,' Jeffrey Lerner, a spokesperson for Mamdani's campaign, said in a statement. 'As a next step, both agreed to reconvene soon with additional members of the New York City delegation, along with key community leaders.' Mamdani's upset in the June 24 primary against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent shockwaves among New York's Democratic establishment. Like Jeffries, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is from Brooklyn, haven't endorsed Mamdani. 'Leader Jeffries and Assemblyman Mamdani discussed a variety of other important issues, including public safety, rising antisemitism, gentrification and the importance of taking back the House in 2026,' Justin Chermol, a spokesperson for Jeffries, said in a statement. Mamdani's July 18 meeting with Jeffries — at an undisclosed office space — came two days after Mamdani went to Washington, D.C. In the capital, Mamdani was joined by fellow democratic socialists Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who are both icons of the Democrats' left wing and endorsed Mamdani in the primary. Looking toward the November general election, Cuomo has opted to run as an independent, jockeying for a centrist lane against embattled Mayor Eric Adams, as they try to defeat Mamdani. All will face the Republican nominee for mayor, Curtis Sliwa, who has vowed not to drop out. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NYC mayor: Jeffries meets with Mamdani, but no endorsement yet Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US Rep. Hakeem Jeffries holds ‘constructive' meeting with NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
NEW YORK — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Friday held what he called a 'constructive' meeting with Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, but the House minority leader isn't endorsing Mamdani just yet. After the hourlong sit down at an East New York office space, the pair agreed to meet again soon with members of the city's congressional delegation and community leaders. 'The meeting… was constructive, candid and community-centered, with a focus on affordability,' said Justin Chermol, a spokesman for Jeffries. The two men also discussed antisemitism, crime, gentrification and the Democratic effort to win back Congress in the 2026 midterms, Chermol said. Mamdani's campaign said the Queens assemblyman was 'pleased to meet' Jeffries. Jeffries didn't make an endorsement in last month's Democratic primary in which Mamdani romped to victory over ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a field of other candidates. The top Democrat in the House has stayed on the fence since Mamdani's win, even as other prominent Democrats who backed Cuomo have gotten in line behind the party's standard bearer. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has taken a similar noncommittal stance and has said he plans to meet with Mamdani soon in New York. Mamdani will run in the November general election against Republican Curtis Sliwa, with incumbent Eric Adams and Cuomo running as independents. The charismatic City Hall candidate drew rave reviews from Democratic members of Congress after a whirlwind visit to Washington, D.C. on Thursday organized by his ally, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He also met with progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, who praised him as an important new voice in the Democratic Party. Despite the groundswell of support for Mamdani in the city, some moderate Democratic leaders worry Republicans could use him as a poster child for the party's leftward drift.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Mamdani Meets Jeffries in Brooklyn as He Seeks to Expand His Coalition
In the weeks since Zohran Mamdani decisively won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, many elected officials and prominent unions have become converts, embracing his viral messaging about making the city more affordable. But some leaders, like Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House minority leader, have been more cautious, praising Mr. Mamdani but still needing some persuasion. On Friday, Mr. Mamdani began making inroads on his persuasion tour, meeting for an hour with Mr. Jeffries in his Brooklyn congressional district in East New York in an effort to get to know him better. There was no endorsement announcement after the meeting, but both leaders spoke positively afterward. The meeting was 'constructive, candid and community-centered, with a particular focus on affordability,' said Justin Chermol, a spokesman for Mr. Jeffries. The men discussed public safety, antisemitism, gentrification and efforts by Democrats to take back control of the House next year, and they 'agreed to reconvene shortly' with other leaders, including other members of the New York City congressional delegation, Mr. Chermol said. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
04-07-2025
- CBS News
9 alleged Brooklyn gang members arrested as part of NYPD takedown effort
Police say a group of young gang members who terrorized Brooklyn neighborhoods is now off the streets. It's part of a major gang takedown effort by the New York City Police Department. Suspects involved in 10 shootings According to police, the young gunmen, all between the ages of 17-20, are part of the Road to Riches gang, known as R2R. "It's a dangerous crew. I take no satisfaction in arresting teenagers and young people, but this crew, they're rash, they're impulsive," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. At a news conference Thursday, officials said nine members were charged in a 68-count conspiracy indictment. We're told they were involved in 10 shootings, including a homicide. Surveillance videos show gunmen opening fire in East New York and Brownsville, Brooklyn. "Every single subject charged in the case has been involved in a shooting," NPYD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. "R2R seems to be fighting with everyone," Gonzalez said. "What we are seeing is obscene violence." "These nine gang members, it's really not only an indictment on their action, but it's an indictment on our city," Mayor Eric Adams said. Gun violence down in Brooklyn The NYPD says it conducted more than 40 gang takedowns so far this year, which resulted in over 300 arrests and 230 illegal guns off city streets. The police commissioner and Brooklyn DA say gun violence in the borough is at an all-time low. City data shows homicides in Brooklyn are down one-third, shootings incidents are down 20% and shooting victims 15%. But officials admit there's still work to do with the city's youth and gun violence. Since 2018, police say arrests of children with guns have gone up 136%, confirmed shooters under 18 are up 92% and young victims are up 81%. "Those numbers speak for themselves, and they point to a system where accountability has been weakened by this change in the law, and gangs have adapted by targeting younger recruits," Tisch said. "We are willing to offer services, we're willing to meet you halfway if you lay down your guns," Gonzalez said in a message to the youth.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Road 2 Riches gang taken down in Brooklyn; bragged about murder on social media: D.A.
A band of teenage gang members who dubbed themselves Road 2 Riches unleashed wave after wave of gunfire on the streets of Brooklyn, killing a rival's brother and wounding an innocent 68-year-old in a string of shootings, according to prosecutors. Often the teens would brag about their violent accomplishments on social media, to make sure their crew got credit for the shootings, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. On Thursday, Gonzalez announced nine members of the bloodthirsty East New York-based gang have been indicted in connection with 10 shootings between 2023 and 2025 that left three victims wounded and a fourth dead. 'Ya homie died Yk them shots on us,' one of the gang's members, Jevonte Jaime, now 17, wrote on Instagram, posting a group photo shortly after the Aug. 21, 2023, murder of Abdoulaye Ba, 24. The alleged shooter was gang member King Downing, now 18. In another post, accomplice Quinn Parker, now 19, wrote, 'pass that ba, we smoke that.' 'Typically, when someone commits a homicide or a murder, they don't want to be identified as the person who did it. But in this gang violence arena, people need to take credit for the shooting of rival gang members,' Gonzalez said at a Thursday press conference. 'They're taking credit for the shootings. They want everyone to know that they're the ones who did this.' Downing, Jaime and Parker were hanging out at Best Food Mini Market on Blake Ave. near Pennsylvania Ave. that afternoon when Ba and his brother peered into the store, their faces obscured by hoodies and masks, Gonzalez said. 'This is part of the fact of life in places like East New York and Brownsville, that many young men are very careful entering locations,' the D.A. said. 'They're always masked up, wearing hoodies.' Ba's brother is a member of the rival CHOO gang, a Folk Nation set, though he wasn't armed. Downing opened fire when he saw them, hitting Ba in the face, Gonzalez said. Video captured the shooting, both inside and outside the deli. In another incident, also caught on video, shooter DeAnthony Ortiz, now 18, opened fire on two rivals just before 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 29, 2023, at the corner of Powell St. and Dumont Ave. — hitting a 68-year-old woman on her way to the grocery store in her back, Gonzalez said. Her husband managed to remove the bullet, and she was treated at an area hospital. In yet another shooting, on March 21, 2023, Jaime and Mikeem Echevarria, now 18, ambushed a 14-year-old boy, who they saw as a rival, as the youngster waited for an elevator in his girlfriend's Sutter Ave. apartment building, then chased him and shot him twice in the leg, prosecutors allege. 'This crew, they're rash, they're impulsive and they're obsessed with guns,' Gonzalez said. 'They don't care who's around when they open fire. And the fact that we're able to get them off the streets during the early summer means that we will slow the criminal activity of the R2R gang.' The nine suspects were charged in a recently unsealed 68-count superseding indictment. Two of them — including Downing, who was busted a week after Ba's killing — were already in custody, while five more were cuffed as a result of the new indictment. Another two are 'on the run,' Gonzalez said. Mayor Adams, who was also present at Thursday's press conference, praised Gonzalez for the takedown, and took a swipe at the state's bail reform and other criminal justice reform laws. 'In spite of all of that,' Adams said, 'we've seen record numbers of decrease in shootings, record numbers of decrease in homicides…. What we could do if we will only have partners in the other parts of the criminal justice apparatus.' Gonzalez said his office has conducted more than 40 gang-related takedowns so far this year. 'Brooklyn has never had fewer shootings than we had last year,' the D.A. said. 'And six months into 2025, I am confident that with half the year past us, in the midst of the summer, that we can actually improve on the numbers that we had last year, that we can actually get safer. Time after time, shootings drop immediately following a significant gang takedown.'
