MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES UPCOMING CULTURAL EVENTS AS PART OF “FOUNDED BY NYC” CAMPAIGN TO COMMEMORATE NEW YORK CITY’S 400TH ANNIVERSARY, CELEBRATES HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN CITY’S CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS

 

Adams Administration’s “Founded By NYC” Campaign Commemorating City’s 400th Anniversary Through Concerts, Celebrations, and Free Events During 2025 

  

Announcement Follows Mayor Adams’ Unveiling of “Best Budget Ever,” Which Invests in Affordability, Public Safety, and Quality-of-Life Issues New Yorkers Care Most About 

  

Mayor Adams’ “Best Budget Ever” Also Invests Nearly $215 Million in DCLA,  Including Additional $45 Million in Permanent, Baseline Funding 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner Laurie Cumbo, and NYC Tourism + Conventions President and CEO Julie Coker today announced several upcoming events that will take place as part of the Adams administration’s “Founded By NYC” campaign, commemorating the 400th anniversary of New York City. Originally unveiled at the end of 2024, Founded By NYC celebrates New York City’s past, present, and future through activations across the five boroughs — including New York City-themed movies as part of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) free summer movies series; the largest-ever New York City Department of Transportation Summer Streets with 400 blocks of free events citywide; and more. Mayor Adams also encouraged New Yorkers to visit the 47th annual Museum Mile Festival, which will take place tonight from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM along Fifth Avenue; offer New Yorkers free admission to eight of the city’s most prominent museums; and feature live programs, musical performances, exhibitions, and more.  

  

Mayor Adams today also celebrated historic investments in the city’s cultural sector made by the Adams administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Executive Budget — also known as the “Best Budget Ever.” Mayor Adams’ Best Budget Ever — released earlier this year — invests nearly $215 million in DCLA, helping enrich cultural institutions, attract tourists, and support good-paying jobs. Additionally, DCLA will receive a permanent — or baseline — funding increase of $45 million, the agency’s first substantial baseline funding increase in a decade. That additional funding will bolster the city’s Cultural Development Fund, which supports more than 1,000 cultural organizations and neighborhood-based groups citywide, as well as the city’s 34 Cultural Institution Group (CIG) member organizations. Moreover, as part of its 10-year capital plan, the Best Budget Ever also includes $3.1 billion for cultural institutions and libraries.  

  

“There’s nothing like summer in the city, especially when we are celebrating 400 years of the greatest city in the world. From free movies and concerts to global festivals, our administration is excited to bring families together and celebrate New York City’s history and dynamism through our ‘Founded By NYC’ campaign. But we’re not stopping there,” said Mayor Adams. “With the historic investments in our city’s cultural organizations as part of our ‘Best Budget Ever,’ we’ll bolster the world-class cultural organizations that bring our families together and give our museums, performing arts centers, gardens, and more the resources they need to thrive.” 

  

“Culture is the heartbeat of our city — driving our economy, strengthening our communities, and making New York the most vibrant, dynamic place on the globe,” said DCLA Commissioner Cumbo. “We’re so proud of the historic investment made by Mayor Adams in the ‘Best Budget Ever,’ which will support public programming at over 1,000 cultural nonprofits across the city. And the incredible programming this funding supports will be on full display in the months ahead: from the Museum Mile Festival to ‘Founded by NYC,’ from Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City to BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, and so much more, New Yorkers will have opportunities all summer long to engage with the amazing cultural programming that brings life and energy to every corner of New York.” 

  

“‘Founded by NYC’ shines a spotlight on the creative energy that lives in every corner of our city,” said NYC Tourism + Conventions President and CEO Coker. “From iconic institutions along Museum Mile to local cultural gems across the five boroughs, this campaign celebrates the artists, performers, and storytellers who make New York City unlike anywhere else in the world. We invite New Yorkers and visitors alike to experience the vibrancy of our communities and discover what makes New York City the global capital of culture.” 

  

The Adams administration’s Founded By NYC campaign brings together organizations across the city, including the Lenape Center,  The Broadway League, the Museum of the City of New York, Times Square Alliance, multiple Business Improvement Districts, all city agencies, and more. All year, New York City’s 400th anniversary is being incorporated into major city events in the worlds of art, film, music, and more, including Gracie Mansion’s art installations, New York free summer movies featuring notable films set in the five boroughs, the Museum Mile Festival, performances by Broadway stars, and the largest-ever Summer Streets. New York City’s 400th anniversary themes will be featured at additional events, parades, festivals, institutions, and celebrations across the city with announcements to come throughout the year. The campaign is supported by “Hamilton,” the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, including the song, “The Schuyler Sisters,” which provides the soundtrack for the Founded By NYC teaser video.  

  

The Founded By NYC campaign highlights the achievements driven by the creativity and resilience of the five boroughs and its people, including the perspectives of marginalized audiences like those of the Indigenous community, women, and people of color. Throughout planning for New York City’s 400th anniversary, the Mayor’s Office has partnered with the Lenape Center to uplift the voices of the Lenape community. Last year, Mayor Adams proclaimed November 20 “Lenape Heritage Day” in a ceremony at Gracie Mansion. This announcement came one year after Mayor Adams hosted the first-ever mayoral reception celebrating Native American and Indigenous heritage at Gracie Mansion, to ensure the past contributions and painful experiences of the Lenape people and other Indigenous communities are not lost to history.  

  

A series of year-long events, programs and partnerships participating in the Founded By NYC campaign are listed below. New Yorkers can learn more about individual events by visiting the Founded by NYC website.  

  

1. Fanatics Fest NYC 

• Dates: June 20–22, 2025 

• Description: This massive sports and collectibles festival at the Javits Center — which features athlete meet-and-greets, exclusive merchandise, and interactive experiences — will incorporate Founded By NYC materials throughout the celebration to celebrate the city’s influence on sports, cultural, and collectibles. 

  

2. NYC Pride 

• Dates: June 27–29, 2025 

• Description: Founded by NYC will be featured as part of the official NYC Pride partnership, celebrating local identity and LGBTQ+ contributions through co-branded content, presence at the Pride Parade, and video broadcasts. 

  

3. NBC and Telemundo Programming 

• Dates: June-December 2025   

• Description: NYC Tourism + Conventions is partnering with NBC and Telemundo to launch a series of co-branded Founded By NYC segments on NYC POV, NY Live, and Accesso. This will also include a 30-minute special to air later this year celebrating the city’s 400th anniversary and media placements throughout the NBC Universal network.  

  

4. Summer Streets 

• Dates: August 2, 9, and 16, 2025 

• Description: In celebration of New York City’s 400th anniversary, the beloved Summer Streets program returns bigger than ever. As part of this milestone year, the city will shut down 400 blocks across all five boroughs throughout the summer — transforming them into car-free playgrounds for residents and visitors alike. 

  

5. Atlas Obscura Podcast 

• Dates: June-December 2025 

• Description: Atlas Obscura, the top travel podcast, will host an episode dedicated to Founded By NYC focused on the origin of chopped cheese, as well as offer supporting media.

 

6. Bowery Boys Podcast 

• Dates: June-December 2025 

• Description: The Bowery Boys, renowned New York City history podcast and walking tour company will partner with Founded By NYC to launch dedicated podcast episodes, a branded walking tour, and supporting media. 

  

7. Planet Brooklyn 

• Dates: August 23–24, 2025 

• Description: A first-of-its-kind two-day music festival and experience to celebrate and highlight artists who represent the cultural and creative diversity found within the borough of Brooklyn and the varied genres of music they represent. Hosted by Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, the experience will feature performances across three iconic entertainment venues in the borough – Barclays Center, Brooklyn Paramount and Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Tickets will be available for individual performances across all three venues, allowing fans to customize their experience. Additionally, a free two-day block party will take place on the surrounding streets, featuring local food vendors, artisans, and performances by emerging artists.  

  

8. Movies Under the Stars 

• Dates: Throughout Summer 2025 

• Description: This summer, NYC Parks is proud to partner with NYC Tourism + Conventions as part of the Founded By NYC campaign. Ten of the “Movies Under the Stars screenings” will feature films shot in New York City, highlighting the streets, stories, and spirit that make the five boroughs iconic. 

  

9. Staten Island FerryHawks  

• Dates: Various dates throughout the 2025 season  

• Description: The Staten Island FerryHawks are a professional baseball team based in Staten Island, New York, competing in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. As part of the Founded By NYC campaign, the Staten Island FerryHawks are celebrating New York City’s legacy and contributions to American history through a series of themed games that honor the past, uplift local heritage, and connect community stories to national moments.  

  

10. Founded on Broadway 

• Date: September 7, 2025 

• Description: The Adams administration and The Broadway League will present “Founded on Broadway” — a 90-minute live concert in Times Square to launch Fall NYC Broadway Week and showcase the enduring legacy of Broadway. The event will be free and open-to-the-public.   

  

11. Global Citizen Festival 

• Date: September 27, 2025 

• Description: This free, ticketed event on Central Park’s Great Lawn brings together top artists and global leaders in the fight against extreme poverty. Founded By NYC will host an art installation as part of the festival. 

  

12. New York Comic Con 

• Dates: October 9–12, 2025 

• Description: The East Coast’s largest pop culture convention — showcasing comics, movies, TV shows, and more at the Javits Center — will amplify Founded By NYC messaging and showcase the city’s cultural impact.  

  

13. Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival 

• Dates: October 15–19, 2025 

• Description: This culinary extravaganza features world-class chefs, tastings, and seminars throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. Founded By NYC will help partner on an event in the Seaport neighborhood that highlights the Seaport’s heritage through the city's best seafood and oyster dishes and showcase the city’s waterfront heritage. 

  

14. New York Road Runners Marathon 

• Date: November 2, 2025 

• Description: The iconic New York City Marathon, where runners traverse all five boroughs in a 26.2-mile race, will work with Founded By NYC to raise awareness of the 400th anniversary and celebrate the city’s heritage. 

  

15. New York City Comedy Festival 

• Dates: November 7-16, 2025 

• Description: This week-long celebration of comedy will include performances from top comedians across various the city and amplify the Founded By NYC campaign throughout the festival. 

  

Mayor Adams today also touted investments made by his Best Budget Ever in DCLA and the city’s cultural organizations. Mayor Adams’ Best Budget Ever increased DCLA’s baseline funding by an additional $45 million, the first substantial increase in over a decade. That funding includes an additional $23.5 million for the city’s Cultural Development Fund, which supports programming at over 1,000 cultural nonprofits across the city each year, helps create jobs, and strengthens the city’s flourishing cultural sector. The $45 million baseline increase also includes an additional $21.5 million in baseline funding for the city’s CIG network — 34 private, non-profit cultural organizations on city-owned property, including museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens, and more. Along with a total expense investment of nearly $215 million in DCLA for FY 2026, Mayor Adams Best Budget Ever also includes $3.1 billion for cultural institutions and libraries through the 10-Year Capital Plan. Each year, DCLA supports more than 1,000 cultural nonprofits in all corners of the city. From small, volunteer-run community arts groups to some of the most visited and iconic cultural institutions in the city, these groups represent the full breadth of the city’s rich cultural life. With the $45 million in baseline funding, DCLA can provide stable, long-term support for this critical sector in New York City, especially as it faces a range of new challenges. 

  

The Adams administration has prioritized supporting cultural institutions across the five boroughs by, among other things, breaking ground on renovations, expansions, and other city-supported capital projects at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Weeksville Heritage Center, The Bronx Museum, Nuyorican Poets Café, and more in 2024. Additionally, last year, the Adams administration announced more than $52 million in grants for 1,031 cultural organizations through its annual Cultural Development Fund grant making program and diverted over 5.9 million pounds of materials from landfills, making them available to educators, nonprofits, and artists through its Materials for the Arts program free of charge. Finally, to bolster the city’s cultural economy and support more cultural organizations, Mayor Adams announced in his 2025 State of the City address, that New York City will invest more resources into the CIG network, adding up to five additional organizations in order to ensure that the CIG network reflects the rich diversity of the city’s creative sector.   

California Commercial Real Estate Agent Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the IRS

 

A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to obstructing the IRS’s efforts to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes.

The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Gabriel David Guerrero, a resident of Los Angeles County, is a real estate broker who did not timely file individual income tax returns for many years. After the IRS assessed taxes against Guerrero and attempted to collect them him, Guerrero took steps to conceal his income and assets from the IRS. For example, he made extensive use of cash and cashier’s checks; submitted a false form to the IRS that significantly understated his income; and used a nominee bank account to deposit income.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15 and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. Guerrero also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Attorney General James Sues 23andMe to Protect New Yorkers’ Genetic Data

AG James Objects to 23andMe’s Plans to Auction Personal Genetic Information of 15 Million Americans without Consent

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 27 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit against 23andMe to protect Americans’ personal genetic information. 23andMe collected and analyzed people’s genetic code, and in March 2025 the company filed for bankruptcy and announced plans to sell its assets. The attorneys general argue that 23andMe cannot auction 15 million customers’ highly sensitive personal genetic information without their consent or knowledge. Attorney General James and the coalition are objecting to 23andMe’s sale of people’s genetic data to ensure that it isn’t misused, exposed in future data breaches, or used in ways customers never contemplated when they signed up to have their DNA analyzed.

“23andMe cannot auction millions of people’s personal genetic information without their consent,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers and many others around the country trusted 23andMe with their private information and they have a right to know what will be done with their information. My office is joining 27 other attorneys general to protect people’s most private information and to make sure 23andMe abides by the law.”

23andMe, a popular direct-to-consumer DNA testing company, filed for bankruptcy in March 2025 and is now seeking to sell off its assets, including sensitive genetic and health data. The attorneys general argue that this kind of information, along with biological samples, DNA data, health-related traits, and medical records, is too sensitive to be sold without each customer’s express, informed consent. The coalition asserts that the company and its debtors must comply with states’ laws on the sale or transfer of genetic data. In March 2025, Attorney General James issued a consumer alert urging New Yorkers to contact the company to delete their personal data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

 

NYC Comptroller Lander, NYS Comptroller DiNapoli, Trillium Asset Management, PIRC, SOC Investment Group Release “Guiding Principles of Collective Bargaining – An Investor Perspective”

 

Today New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli (Trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund), Trillium Asset Management, SOC Investment Group (SOC), and Pensions & Investment Research Consultants Ltd. (PIRC) released a set of guiding principles on investor engagement with companies regarding labor relations.

The “Guiding Principles of Collective Bargaining — An Investor Perspective” outline these institutional investors’ views on the fundamental right of collective bargaining, its importance in sustaining long-term shareholder value, and their expectation that the collective bargaining process be based on the genuine goal of reaching mutually acceptable agreements expeditiously.

“The abilities to exercise fundamental rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining are interdependent: if companies don’t uphold both, then neither is meaningful,” said Comptroller Lander. “Workers should be able to freely decide whether to join a union, and when they do, it’s imperative that companies move forward with a collective bargaining process that genuinely aims to promptly reach agreements. The collective bargaining principles released today can help investors better engage with companies on human capital management practices and positive labor relations, which will support long-term company success.”

“Respecting workers’ rights to freely associate and bargain collectively is a cornerstone of responsible workforce management,” said Comptroller DiNapoli. “As long-term investors, we’ve seen that companies benefit when they engage constructively with their employees and proactively address potential labor risks. These principles will assist our stewardship work as we look to protect the long-term value of our portfolio companies.”

“We have seen the importance of labor relations time and time again, from how good faith relationships can drive value and employee satisfaction to how adversarial ones damages morale, culture, and reputation,” said Jonas Kron, Chief Advocacy Officer of Trillium Asset Management. “These principles reflect an investor perspective on understanding a better way forward for companies with new or existing unions. We believe that respecting workers’ rights is a key differentiator that can generate both financial and social benefits and we hope to see more companies center human rights in their labor relations.”

“It’s in everyone’s best interests that companies work collaboratively with their employees and that extends to collective bargaining,” said Conor Constable, Head of Stewardship for PIRC. “It’s not for investors to determine the bargaining process but they do have an interest in it proceeding in a fair and timely way.  These principles provide a framework for achieving that aim.”

“Shareholders’ understand that respect for workers’ fundamental rights can positively impact the long-term value and sustainability of companies,” said Tejal Patel, Executive Director of SOC Investment Group.  “The principles give investors an important frame of reference for their engagements with companies regarding workforce-related opportunities and risks.”

The principles highlight the “enabling rights” of freedom of association and collective bargaining, as recognized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), including in its Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which considers them essential to protecting other basic rights within the workplace. The United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct, and the principles governing the UN Global Compact also call for companies to respect these rights.

The principles reflect the views of the above-listed organizations that sound labor practices protect the long-term value of their portfolio companies. These principles are not prescriptive and do not call for specific actions but rather aim to provide a framework for dialogue.