MAYOR ADAMS CELEBRATES NEW ALL-TIME HIGH TOTAL JOBS RECORD, FOR TENTH TIME UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION

 

Unemployment Down Across All Demographics  

  

Milestone Follows Mayor Adams' 2025 State of the City Commitment to Make New York City Best, Most Affordable Place to Raise a Family

New York City Mayor Eric Adams celebrated that New York City has, once again, set another record for an all-time high total number of jobs in the city's history, with 4,861,813 total jobs, according to new data released by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). Thanks to newly revised data from the NYSDOL, the city broke the record again in January 2025, the 10th time the Adams administration has broken the all-time high jobs record since Mayor Adams entered office. Included in the all-time high jobs number is an all-time high private-sector job record as well, with 4,258,376 jobs. Finally, unemployment remains down across all demographics.  

 

"The legacy of the Adams administration will be the records we continue to break," said Mayor Adams. "For the 10th time since we’ve come into office, we have broken the all-time high jobs records in our city. Record small businesses, record amount of affordable housing, record number of tourists, record declines in crime, and the list goes on. We are continuing to move the needle on the issues that every day, working-class New Yorkers care about: creating a safer, more affordable city with new opportunities in every borough. We know that our best days lie ahead as we continue to work to make New York City the best place to raise a family." 

  

In January 2024, the Adams administration first broke records for the most jobs in city history — six months ahead of schedule. Since breaking that first record, the administration has gone even further to help create jobs, including by connecting nearly 8,500 job seekers to employment, free training, and workforce development through its "JobsNYC" initiative. The Adams administration also unveiled the Green Economy Action Plan to support nearly 400,000 "green-collar" jobs by 2040 and secured the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final and other matches for the New York-New Jersey region that will have a $2 billion economic impact and help create over 14,000 jobs. To ensure that every New Yorker has the chance to compete for city business, the Adams administration awarded a record $6.4 billion in minority-or women-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) contracts in Fiscal Year 2024 and ensured the highest agency utilization of M/WBEs in city history. 

  

Under the Adams administration, New York City has a record 183,000 small businesses, with one in five current small business formed since the start of the Adams administration. The administration's Small Business Opportunity Fund has awarded more than $85 million in capital to over 1,000 small businesses since launching in 2023, while storefront vacancy rates have dropped for five consecutive quarters.

  

In June 2024, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of his "City of Yes for Economic Opportunity" proposal, a set of citywide zoning changes the Adams administration introduced that will further fuel New York City's economic recovery and pave the way for a more inclusive and prosperous future for New York businesses. Together, the proposed set of changes will help businesses find space and grow, support entrepreneurs and freelancers, boost growing industries, and enable more vibrant streetscapes and commercial corridors — all helping contribute to more jobs in New York City. 

  

As of November of 2024, the Adams administration had connected young New Yorkers to over 15,000 apprenticeship opportunities, more than halfway to the administration's moonshot goal of 30,000 apprenticeships by 2030 ahead of schedule. Additionally, in 2024, more than 100,000 young people participated in the city's Summer Youth Employment Program. 

 

This news marks a key milestone in the Adams administration's successful record of making New York City a safer, more affordable city. Yesterday, Mayor Adams celebrated new census data showing that New York City's population grew in each of the past two years, and now stands at 8,478,000 people with all five boroughs gaining in population. Last December, Mayor Adams announced a new end-of-year tourism forecast that shows the city's continued strong economic growth and reputation as a global tourist destination. In 2024, nearly 65 million visitors came to New York City — the second-highest figure in city history and a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year. The city is on pace to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2025, marking a full economic recovery. 

  

Finally, Mayor Adams and New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced that New York City continued to experience an overall decline in major crime, including on the subways, and broke a 30-year record for the fewest number of shooting incidents in the first two months of a year combined between January and February 2025. 

 

NYC Council Passes Resolution Calling on New York State Legislature to Enact Charter Revision Protection Legislation

 

State bill would address vulnerabilities in NYS law that allow mayors to block voters’ ballot access to propose charter revisions

The New York City Council passed a resolution to call on state lawmakers in Albany to enact legislation that protects the City’s charter revision process. Resolution 740, sponsored by Council Member Lincoln Restler and co-sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Adams, calls on the New York State Legislature to pass, and Governor Kathy Hochul to sign, S.590/A. 3665, which would protect ballot access for charter revision proposals from being blocked by mayoral-enacted charter revision commissions and increase transparency requirements for commissions. The state legislation would address vulnerabilities in state law governing the process for localities to revise their charters.

Current state law establishes practically no transparency standards and empowers the political weaponization of Charter Review Commissions by mayors. Recent extreme exploitation of the gaps in state law has established a dangerous model for mayors to manipulate and weaponize the process to weaken local democracy. This state legislation protects local democracy and the ability for New Yorkers to offer ballot proposals and more clearly understand such proposals.

“New Yorkers deserve a government that is accountable to them, and this bill would ensure that the process for charter revisions is transparent and doesn’t allow for New Yorkers’ ballot access to be blocked,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Charter Revision Commissions should undertake a serious, thoughtful, and inclusive process to develop proposals that improve our government, not be political weapons to undermine democracy. We urge the State to pass this bill to restore faith in good governance and prevent it from being diminished.”

“I’m proud to sponsor this resolution encouraging our partners in Albany to pass legislation that prevents Mayors from blocking good government reforms from reaching the most important decision makers – the voters,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler. “It is essential that we allow the City Council and every day New Yorkers to propose smart ideas that can improve City government for the better – without the interference of the Mayor. Thank you to Speaker Adams, Senator Krueger, Assembly Member Simone, and former Assembly Member Gottfried for championing this critical measure.”

For years, New York City mayors have exploited gaps in state law to block charter revision proposals offered by the City Council or voters from access to the ballot. However, last year, Mayor Adams weaponized this authority in a far more extreme way to block a legislatively proposed charter revision ballot proposal. The mayor created a Charter Revision Commission that bypassed meaningful democratic process and transparency, rushing its completion in less than two months and approving specific proposals less than two days after their public release without any opportunity for public input. Mayor Adams’ 2024 Commission even revised its proposals hours before voting on them without making any clear public announcement, then just days later submitted them for the ballot.

Without transparency or safeguards to ensure accuracy of the ballot language describing such proposals, voters approved most of them based on misleading descriptions and extremely limited information about their true impact of reducing government accountability, oversight, and transparency. As a result, the City’s budget process was made less transparent and legislative oversight of city agencies was weakened.

Months later, after the Council announced plans to initiate a Charter Revision Commission through its authority granted by state law, the Mayor empaneled another Commission to block ballot access for proposals developed by the Council’s commission. A mayor’s authority to propose charter revisions should not include the power to block ballot access for other stakeholders in local democracy or be unfettered to bypass transparency. Changes to state law can clarify and strengthen the charter revision process to protect local democracy.

Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of a Civilian in Suffolk County

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) released its report on the death of A.S., a minor, who died on September 13, 2023, following a motor vehicle collision involving a member of the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) in Suffolk County on September 9, 2023. Following a thorough investigation, which included review and analysis of video footage from a nearby residence, interviews with the involved officer and civilian witnesses, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI determined that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the involved officer committed a crime, and therefore criminal charges would not be pursued in this matter.

On the evening of September 9, an SCPD officer was driving southbound on William Floyd Parkway responding to a medical emergency in a marked police vehicle with the emergency lights and siren activated. William Floyd Parkway has four main lanes – two southbound and two northbound – divided by a grass median. The southbound roadway, north of Adobe Drive, has two additional lanes, a left-turn lane and a right-turn lane. The posted speed limit on William Floyd Parkway in the vicinity of Adobe Drive is 30 MPH. As the officer approached the intersection with Adobe Drive/Beacon Street, she maneuvered around a car stopped ahead of her and entered the travel lane to the right of the left-turn lane and proceeded into the intersection through a green traffic light, traveling at a speed over 85 MPH. When the officer entered the intersection, she struck A.S., who was riding his bicycle east from Beacon Street across William Floyd Parkway. A.S. was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries on September 13, 2023.

Under OSI’s analysis of New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law, Penal Law, and case law from New York’s highest court, a police officer who causes a death while properly responding to an emergency in a police vehicle cannot be charged with a crime unless the officer acts recklessly or intentionally. The criminal charge that requires recklessness is Manslaughter in the Second Degree, in which a person is guilty when they recklessly cause the death of another person. “Recklessly” means that the person consciously disregards a “substantial and unjustifiable” risk of death and that their actions are a “gross deviation” from a reasonable standard of conduct.

In this case, while the officer caused A.S.’s death, the evidence does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer’s conduct was a gross deviation from the standard that would have been observed by a reasonable officer in the same circumstances, or that the officer consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death. The officer was speeding because she was responding to an emergency. She took precautionary measures by activating her vehicle’s emergency lights and siren, and when the officer saw A.S., she attempted to swerve around him. There was not any evidence that the officer was impaired by drugs or alcohol, or that she was otherwise distracted at the time of the crash. OSI therefore will not pursue charges against the officer.

Determining the possibility of alcohol impairment is an essential component of investigating vehicular crashes. In this case, the officer was never administered a Portable Breath Test (PBT) after the incident. While there is no evidence that the officer driving the car was impaired by drugs or alcohol, OSI recommends that all precinct supervisors be trained in the administration of PBTs and field sobriety tests so that any on-duty or off-duty police officer, or any civilian, involved in a motor vehicle collision can be tested as close to the time of the collision as practicable to ensure the most accurate results.

OSI also recommends that SCPD equip all police vehicles with dashboard cameras that automatically record when officers activate the police car’s emergency lights to foster transparency, accountability, and evidence gathering. In this case, the officer’s vehicle was equipped with a dashcam, but the officer did not activate the dashcam when she activated the car’s emergency lights or sirens.  

Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

SENATE MAJORITY PASSES ITS ONE HOUSE BUDGET PROPOSAL

Last weekend, Senator Rivera hosted two workshops at the SOMOS Inc. Spring Conference in Albany. This conference is a space to discuss important issues affecting our Hispanic and Latino communities.

The first panel Senator Rivera moderated was on the New York Health Act or more colloquially known as the NYHA (S.3425), discussing the existing challenges to pass a proposal of this magnitude, and how New Yorkers could become supporters of this transformative yet necessary solution. The NYHA, which Senator Rivera has been the sponsor of since 2015, would replace existing private insurance plans for every single worker and resident and include all benefits covered by Medicare, Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and those mandated by the affordable care act. Support the NYHA here!

Thank you to Ashley Fox, PhD, MA, Associate Professor in Department of Public Administration and Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY; Anthony Feliciano, Vice president for Advocacy and community Mobilization for Housing Works; Melanie D’Arrigo, Executive Director, Campaign for NY Health and to Jenyfer Almanzar, Political Coordinator, Committee of Interns and Residents for your participation in this panel!

The second panel Senator Rivera moderated was on the failing CDPAP transition. With the April 1st deadline looming, the audience was able to listen to the legitimate concerns of a group of Latino home care workers who will be negatively impacted by this abrupt transition. As Senator Rivera said "We're almost two weeks away from the time when these potential concerns could become a reality, and we will continue to push the Executive to extend the deadline because April 1st is not working and patients are at risk."

Thank you to the Caring Majority Rising for your participation in this workshop, and to all the panelists: Myriam Hernandez, Lead Worker Organizer, Caring Majority Rising; Clara Calvo, Home Care Worker leader; Elizabeth Polanco, CDPAP Home Care Worker leader; Amparo Ortiz, CDPAP Home Care Recipient and to Evelyn Peralta, Home Care Worker.

Every year, Senator Rivera hosts the final session of the Model New York State Senate Session Project with students debating bills on the floor of the New York State Senate in Albany as part of the SOMOS Inc, Spring Conference.

The Model New York State Senate Session Project is an annual leadership development program conducted by the Edward T. Rogowsky (ETR) Internship Program in collaboration with the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force of the New York State Legislature and the State University of New York. Each year, more than 60 CUNY and SUNY students are brought together for a series of intensive training seminars on state policy formulation, legislative processes, representation and leadership.

The program culminates with students debating bills on the floor of the State Senate, and Senator Rivera was proud to host and help shape the students' skills. By participating in the legislative decision-making process, students further develop their organizational, research, and public speaking skills through a model legislative seminar.

"These young minds will shape policy, drive change, and tackle our most pressing challenges in the years to come. To all the students who took part—your passion, dedication, and leadership give me hope for the future of New York. I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will accomplish. Thank you for inspiring the next generation!," said Senator Rivera.

This week, Senator Rivera attended a press conference to call the Executive to extend CDPAP's April 1 transition deadline.

"Were are hitting the panic button. Thousands of consumers and providers are at risk of getting their care and employment suspended. We can't allow that. Governor Hochul please help these families and workers: extend the transition," said Senator Rivera.

This week, Senator Rivera spoke with Camille DeLongis on Capital Tonight about his budget priorities for the next few weeks, the impact that potential federal cuts to Medicaid could have on New York, the upcoming CDPAP and School Based Health Centers transitions. Thank you to Camille DeLongis for the interview.

Watch the full interview here!

Senator Rivera sat with Gary Axelbank to talk about a number of topics including the mayoral race and the many reasons why we shouldn't rank Andrew Cuomo, the impact of the possible federal cuts to Medicaid on New York, the CDPAP and SBHC transitions. Thank you to Gary Axelbank for the invitation.

Watch the full interview here!

SENATOR RIVERA TOURS THE CUNY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Senator Rivera toured the CUNY School of Medicine with the Dean Carmen René Green, Cara Berkowitz, Executive Director for Government Relations and Community Engagement, and Katherine Zimmerman, Interim Executive Director for Communications, Marketing and Public Relations. After the tour, Senator Rivera had the opportunity to share a few moments with faculty and students from the executive leadership team.

Thank you to the Dean, Carmen René Green for the invitation and to all the staff and students for the warm welcome.

Seniors from the Morris Innovative Older Adult Center had a wonderful time visiting the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)! Thank you to the NYBG for providing the free tickets!

REMINDER: SENATOR RIVERA'S KNOW YOUR RIGHTS PALM CARDS

Senator Rivera's team has created a Know Your Rights palm card (available in English and Spanish). Watch Senator Rivera's message here.

Remember, If your organization, or school would like to receive these cards, please fill out the form here and a staff member from our team will follow up to confirm your request.

If you are an individual constituent, call our office at 718-933-2034 or visit us at 2432 Grand Concourse, Suite 506, Monday through Thursday, from 10 am to 5 pm.

NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT: MOBILE FOOD VENDING GREEN CART PERMITS FOR THE BRONX

The NYC Health Department is now offering mobile food vending Green Cart permits for the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. These permits allow vendors to sell fresh fruits and vegetables, including prepackaged sliced and cut produce, bottled drinking water, and plain nuts.

To apply for a Green Cart permit, vendors must:

✔ Hold a valid Mobile Food Vending License

✔ Submit the Green Cart Waiting List Application Form to join the waiting list (applications accepted on a rolling basis)

Interested vendors can complete the waiting list application at nyc.gov/greencarts

The NYC Health Department will announce when Green Cart permits become available for Queens and Manhattan.

For more details, visit nyc.gov/greencarts

Governor Hochul Announces Federal Assistance Available for Bronxites Affected by Jan. 10 Apartment Building Fire

Homeowners, Residents and Businesses in Bronx County May Apply for U.S. Small Business Administration’s Low-Interest Loans

State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Small Business Administration and County Officials Conducted Preliminary Assessments To Obtain Assistance for Impacted Areas Following the Five-Alarm Fire

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced federal assistance is available to New Yorkers in Bronx County and the contiguous counties of New York, Westchester, Queens and Nassau impacted by a five-alarm apartment fire on Jan. 10. The fire occurred in a 98-unit apartment building located at 2910 Wallace Ave. in Allerton — a neighborhood in the East Bronx — and resulted in significant damage to all 98 units in the building. Homeowners, renters and businesses are now eligible to apply for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s low-interest loans to aid in their recovery from the effects of the fires that resulted in significant damage.

“New Yorkers in the Bronx are still recovering from the tragic apartment fire in Allerton that displaced dozens of families earlier this year,” Governor Hochul said. “Families, homeowners and businesses can now rely on federal funding to help them rebuild and recover, because when disaster strikes, we work hard to ensure there are resources available for everyone to get back on their feet.”

Homeowners, residents and businesses in the declared counties are now eligible for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. SBA loans can be very helpful to eligible parties who need financial assistance to get on the road to recovery following weather-related disasters and other emergencies.

This declaration provides low interest loans to repair or replace damaged property incurred as a result of the event for:

• Businesses or private, non-profit organizations up to $2 million
• Homeowners or renters up to $100,000 to help repair or replace personal property
• Homeowners up to $500,000 to repair or restore their primary home to pre-disaster condition

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 12, and the deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 15.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Thank you to Governor Hochul and our federal partners for working diligently for the people of New York. This funding will go a long way to help residents and businesses recover from the devastating impacts that a fire can have.”

New Yorkers can find additional information, download applications and apply online here. They may also call SBA's Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, can dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

About the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism, natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit NYSDHSES on Facebook, X — formerly known as Twitter — Instagram and LinkedIn, and visit dhses.ny.gov.

 

Eight GoodFellas Gang Members and Associates Charged with Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering, Including Attempted Murder

 

An indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Northern District of Georgia charging eight members and associates of the GoodFellas Gang for their alleged roles in a criminal enterprise engaged in attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and attempted carjacking in and around Atlanta.

According to the indictment, the GoodFellas are a violent gang that heavily recruits members in Atlanta neighborhoods, local jails, and Georgia Department of Corrections facilities. Members engage in violence to enhance the violent reputation of the gang.

As alleged in the indictment, six of the defendants shot and attempted to murder four victims. Additionally, two GoodFellas members and associates allegedly attempted a carjacking and assaulted three victims with a dangerous weapon.

Frank Hubbert, also known as Capo Frank, 38; Montavis Jones, also known as Nigel Woods, Jitt, and Git, 37; Darian Sheppard, also known as Lil D, 27; De’Andre Jackson, also known as Gen, Glock, and Glizzy, 22; Ephram Marshall, also known as Lil E, 24; Tahj Rankine, also known as Biggz, 26; and Leonunte Carson, also known as Lil Tae, 22, are each charged with multiple counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering and with using a firearm during these crimes.

Hubbert and Ahday Nelson-George, also known as Baby K, 25, are each charged with multiple counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and attempted carjacking.

Seven of the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison; Nelson-George faces a maximum penalty of 75 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Fulton County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office; Georgia Department of Corrections; and the Atlanta Police Department.

Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Renaud for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.