Latest news with #Mayor'sOffice
New York Post
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
NYC Mayor Adams vows to use AI, blockchain tech to boost services if re-elected
Welcome to Gotham 2.0. Mayor Eric Adams said he plans to rely much more on artificial intelligence to assist New Yorkers if he's re-elected to a second term. 'We're gonna run a smarter city,' he told The Post Thursday during an interview at Gracie Mansion. Advertisement 'I'm talking about having an opportunity now to use everything from artificial intelligence to blockchain, new technology that's out there that could make our city smarter, so that our working class people can get the proper delivery of services.' One example being explored is using blockchain technology to speed up the process for providing copies of birth and death certificates to the public, the Mayor's Office said. Another is using AI to quickly translate English to other languages when needed, such as helping authorities better assist victims when they use voice-controlled drones during search-and-rescue missions and other emergencies. Mayor Eric Adams said he plans to rely much more on artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to assist New Yorkers if he's re-elected to a second term. J.C. Rice Advertisement 'We're gonna run a smarter city,' Adams told The Post Thursday during an interview at Gracie Mansion. Juli M. – Adams has embraced the tech industry and digital currency since becoming mayor in 2022, as he's pledged to help make NYC the crypto capital of the world. He put his money where his mouth early on by agreeing to take his first three paychecks in bitcoin. Adams, who earns $258,750 a year as mayor, reported the value of the bitcoin ranging from $5,000 to nearly $55,000 in his financial disclosure statement for 2024 filed with the NYC Conflicts of Interest Board.
New York Post
14-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
NYPD's ‘Quality of Life' division expands to all of Manhattan in bid to crack down everyday complaints
The NYPD's 'Quality of Life' division was set to expand to all of Manhattan Monday in an effort to crack down on everyday complaints irritating Big Apple residents and businesses. The department's Q-Teams were scheduled to start patrols across all 22 police precincts in Manhattan with plans to expand its reach to the rest of the city through July and August. The effort to grow comes after NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch hailed a pilot program that launched in six sectors in April, battling low-level crimes and nuisances like double-parked cars and open-air drug use. Advertisement NYPD top cop Jessica Tisch hailed the pilot program. NYC Mayor's Office/YouTube 'When you look at what these teams have already accomplished in just two months and all the problems that they've solved it's clear why we are scaling citywide on such an aggressive timeline,' she said at a mid-June press conference announcing the expansion. The Bronx will get dedicated Q-Teams on July 21 and Brooklyn will get the specialized crews on July 28. Next will be Queens on Aug. 11 and Staten Island on Aug.18. The city's housing command will rev up Aug. 25, Tisch said. Advertisement The pilot program notched more than 6,100 summonses, including 2,750 for parking and 1,560 for moving, according to city officials. There were also nearly 500 vehicles towed for violations and 357 arrests. More than 150 mopeds and scooters and 28 e-bikes were also seized. About 7,500 calls to 911 and the non-emergency line, 311, were responded to during the two-month span. The ACLU's New York division slammed the growing program, claiming Mayor Eric Adams was trying to replicate crime fighting tactics similar to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Advertisement 'Cracking down on 'quality of life offenses' is just broken windows policing under a new name – and the latest example of the Adams admin's unwillingness to think beyond the Giuliani playbook,' the NYCLU posted online. 'New Yorkers need investments in services and resources, not in failed policing tactics.' Adams said New Yorkers need to feel safe. NYC Mayor's Office/YouTube Tisch insisted the new team isn't a return to 'zero-tolerance policing' and isn't focused on working to stop larger crimes. Advertisement 'It's about improving daily life,' she said. 'Because the vast majority of New Yorkers haven't been the victims of crime, most haven't even witnessed one, but what they lived with is even harder to measure,' Tisch added. 'The gradual breakdown of things that make a neighborhood feel like home.' The city's Q-Teams combine neighborhood coordination officers, youth coordinator officers and traffic safety officers, according to the city. The non-emergency calls these units handle include noise problems, inconsiderate drivers, illegal vending, outdoor drug use, reckless scooters and homeless tents. 'We have been successful in bringing down crime,' Mayor Adams said at the June briefing. 'Now we need to match it with people feeling safe.'
Axios
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
The Leonardo closes indefinitely for repairs
The Leonardo has closed for critical repairs, with no set reopening date. Why it matters: The unexpected closure this month of the nonprofit science and art museum, a fixture in Salt Lake City's Library Square, highlights its ongoing financial woes since opening in 2011. Catch up quick: The museum sought to honor the painter and scientist Leonardo daVinci and aimed to deliver cutting-edge immersive exhibits. Yes, but: It has long struggled to pay off debt. In 2019, Mayor Jackie Biskupski's office served the museum a default notice of over $600,000 in unpaid bills and neglected building maintenance, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The city owns the building occupied by the museum. The latest: Andrew Wittenburg, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office, said the city will continue to work with The Leonardo's leaders to "address repairs that are desperately needed at the facility, as we have for more than a decade." "Due to maintenance needs that have not been resolved by the tenant as part of the lease agreement, certain systems have failed and now require sustained attention," he said in a statement to Axios. The city is also working with the museum to meet ADA requirements. The other side: Museum staff did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. In an email sent to patrons, the museum's board chair, Lisa Davis, said she was "optimistic that these repairs will be completed soon," and planned to work with the city on other fixes, the Tribune reported Tuesday. Zoom in: A Google review of the museum dated a week ago stated that the elevator, escalators and some bathrooms were out of service. Another review from about two weeks ago said the museum's projectors and televisions were not turned on. "I don't know if this is representative of what it's typically like, but if not, I don't know why they bothered opening at all today," the reviewer wrote. What's next: Ken Sanders Rare Books, a popular bookstore that relocated to the space in 2023, will remain open Tuesday through Sunday.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mayor Bass offers support to downtown L.A. businesses
Mayor Karen Bass is moving quickly to shore up small businesses caught in the crossfire of recent federal immigration enforcement actions in L.A. In a rebuke of what she called the 'chaotic' and 'reckless' federal response, Bass announced today that the city is launching a series of multilingual virtual webinars to connect Downtown L.A. businesses with urgent assistance – from legal aid and funding access to graffiti cleanup and staffing support. 'For a week now, our city has been dealing with the fallout driven by reckless raids of Home Depot parking lots and the activation of federalized troops,' Bass said in a news release. 'They have no plan but chaos – but the city is prepared to deliver for downtown businesses who have been impacted.' The response comes as L.A. grapples with the aftermath of high-profile immigration raids and rising tensions in immigrant neighborhoods. The Mayor's Office has instituted a nighttime curfew (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.) following vandalism and looting incidents by what Bass described as 'bad actors' exploiting the crisis. The virtual assistance events begin today – Friday, June 13 – and will be held in English, Spanish, and Korean. The webinars aim to offer practical support for business owners navigating damage, legal confusion, and staffing disruptions caused by ongoing enforcement activity. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents the district, emphasized the need to stand strong for both businesses and the immigrant community. 'Our local businesses are the backbone of Downtown L.A.,' Jurado said. 'We will keep showing up for them – and for the people who make Los Angeles vibrant and strong.' DTLA Business Relief Webinars: Friday, June 13 | 1-2 PM Monday, June 16 | 1-2 PM Wednesday, June 18 | 1-2 PM👉 RSVP here Businesses can also request help with property restoration, legal rights, funding access, and more. For info on curfew enforcement and public safety updates, . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
11-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
London Breed's former chief of staff to lead urban think tank SPUR
Sean Elsbernd, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who most recently served as chief of staff to former Mayor London Breed, has been tapped to become chief executive officer of the urban think tank SPUR. Elsbernd will replace Alicia John-Baptiste, who left the position in February to become chief of infrastructure, climate and mobility for Mayor Daniel Lurie. A city hall insider who has served as both an elected politician and low-key, behind-the-scenes power broker, Elsbernd led city and county operations for Breed and oversaw the city's regional partnerships and state legislative work. He previously served as state director for the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. 'Sean is a thoughtful and values-driven leader with deep knowledge of how Bay Area government works and how to build strong public partnerships that move policy forward,' said Lydia Tan, Chair of SPUR's Board of Directors. 'He understands SPUR's mission and brings the experience and vision we need to lead the organization into its next chapter.' SPUR, which has offices in San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco, bills itself as a 'good government' think tank that publishes policy reports laying out the case for how to improve public transit, preserve the environment, build more housing and make government more efficient and effective. Recent policy reports include: '10 ideas for equitable transportation in Oakland'; how the Bay Area could grow its population without increasing water demand; and how to reform the region's sales taxes. While SPUR doesn't endorse individual candidates its ideas are often in sync with the moderate faction of the city's political spectrum while its board of directors and membership is dominated by real estate developers, architects, nonprofit leaders and affordable housing leaders. Recently, Mayor Daniel Lurie implemented SPUR's recommendation to reorganize the Mayor's Office and create new roles to improve collaboration and accountability. SPUR also played a central role in advocating for $5.1 billion in state funding that included $400 million for Bay Area transit operations. Elsbernd has held several transit leadership roles, including serving as Chair of the Caltrain Board of Directors and as a Director of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. He led San Francisco's COVID response, providing oversight of the Department of Public Health and Department of Emergency Management. 'Having worked with Sean for years in various roles, I know he is the right person to help SPUR boost our local economies, advance new ideas and reforms and improve the lives of our residents,' said Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard. Elsbernd officially assumes the role later this month and has already begun working closely with staff, the board of directors and regional leaders to carry the organization's mission forward, according to SPUR. The organization, which holds regular talks and panels at its Urban Center at 654 Mission St., had $5.9 million in expenses in the last fiscal year. It generated $4.6 million in revenues – a combination of membership fees, grants and special events. The nonprofit took in another in another $1.3 million in donations, according to the group's annual report. 'I'm honored to be joining SPUR,' Elsbernd said. 'Throughout my public service career, I've admired SPUR's work from both inside local government and as a resident of this region. The chance to lead an organization that's driving practical, forward-looking solutions is a privilege.'
