MAYOR ADAMS RELEASES NOVEMBER 2025 FINANCIAL PLAN UPDATE WITH NEW INVESTMENTS TO MAKE NEW YORK CITY SAFER, MORE AFFORDABLE

 

Technical Plan Updates Revenue and Savings Since Budget Adoption, Makes Strategic Investments to Support Priority Programs and Services

New Investments Include First Phase of Growing Police Force by 5,000 Police Officers, B-HEARD Transition to NYC Health + Hospitals, and Funding for Housing Vouchers

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the release of the November 2025 Financial Plan Update with investments that continue to make New York City safer, more affordable, and more livable for working-class New Yorkers. The plan update brings the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget to $118.2 billion and reflects the Adams administration’s ongoing commitment to strong fiscal management by achieving citywide savings and making targeted investments that will support the administration’s public safety efforts, including increasing the headcount of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) by 5,000 officers, additional funding for rental assistance for working-class New Yorkers, expanding New York City Department for the Aging’s (NYC Aging) Caregiver program to support an additional 3,000 participants, and reinforcing other critical programs that deliver for working-class New Yorkers and make New York City the best place to raise a family.

“Over the course of four on-time, annual budgets, our administration has delivered for working-class New Yorkers time and again, and this November Financial Plan Update is another example of how our strong fiscal management is making New York City safer, more affordable, and improving New Yorkers’ quality of life,” said Mayor Adams. “We are making multiple investments to make our city safer, including increasing the headcount of the NYPD by 5,000 officers. We are also continuing to invest in the solutions that make our city more affordable by supporting the city’s 60,000 households who use CityFHEPS vouchers and investing in our most vulnerable New Yorkers living in the city’s shelter system. This $118.2 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget, once again, demonstrates how our administration has worked relentlessly to make New York the best place to live in and raise a family.” 

Investment Highlights (all FY 2026 unless noted)

Keeping Communities Safe

• Addressing quality-of-life and public-safety issues at the Bronx Hub with a multi-agency operation, which includes services for individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder to support their basic life and medical needs, as well as tackle public drug use ($22.7 million).
• Funding for additional staff and other associated costs related to expanded automated red light and bus lane camera enforcement ($17.9 million).
• Hiring to meet the first phased-in increase of up to 5,000 additional police officers by FY 2029 ($17.8 million in FY 2027).
• Adding 93 positions to increase community outreach, inspections, disease surveillance, and laboratory testing for Legionnaire’s disease ($14 million).
• Increasing staffing within the Bronx and Brooklyn District Attorneys’ Offices to address an increased workload due to discovery obligations ($12 million).
• Transitioning B-HEARD to NYC Health + Hospitals ($10 million).
• Funding a portion of replacement costs of 1,000 NYPD vehicles that are past their useful life ($10 million).
• Repairing façades and roofs at various New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services managed city buildings ($9.1 million).
• Supporting health care — including medical and dental services — for youth in New York City Administration for Children’s Services detention facilities ($6.5 million).
• Expanding programming for Emerge, which aims to improve the re-entry outcomes of justice-involved New Yorkers and at-risk youth by providing free access to vocational trades training and providing direct employment in industries like transportation and logistics ($2.9 million).
• Establishing an LGBTQ+ Emergency Fund that will provide funding to community-based networks that provide direct services to LGBTQ+ New Yorkers ($2 million).
• Providing resources for annual building and waterfront maintenance on Governors Island ($1.5 million).
• Creating a Youth Justice Bureau within the Bronx District Attorney’s Office to more appropriately prosecute youth cases and enhance services to mitigate circumstances that lead to youth violence, including specialized training on youth development, resource coordinators, and partnerships with mental health services ($1.5 million).
• Adding staff to help clear the backlog of complaint cases related to the Citizen Idling Program ($1.5 million).
• Expanding the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s genetic testing and counseling capacity to proactively identify genetic causes of sudden death and directly reach at-risk family members for preventative care ($600,000).
• Expanding the body-worn camera program to all 130 New York City Department of Sanitation police officers ($500,000).
• Funding an emergency contract to investigate the New York City Housing Authority partial building collapse at 205 Alexander Avenue ($350,000).
• Increasing staffing to complete additional asbestos inspections in response to growing permit filings and 311 requests, which have increased ($340,000).

Making New York City More Affordable

• Preventing homelessness and keeping vulnerable New Yorkers in their homes with additional support for rental assistance by primarily supporting the 60,000 New York City households who currently use City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) vouchers ($400 million).
• Adding support for the city’s homeless shelter system ($150 million).
• Meeting increased state-mandated reimbursement costs for foster parents, adoptive parents, and kinship guardians ($50 million).
• Funding to partially cover the city’s annual contributions to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority driven in part by increased paratransit costs ($15.2 million).
• Expanding NYC Aging’s Caregiver program to support an additional 3,000 participants, bringing the total served to about 8,400, and expanding the agency’s Aging Connect, transportation, and case management programs ($9.3 million).
• Reimbursing owners of qualified 1 to 3 unit properties who purchased wheelie trash bins ($9.1 million).
• Expanding student loan counseling from just New York City employees to every city resident ($6.5 million).
• Maintaining required Medallion Loan Fund reserves that help pay loans for struggling taxi drivers ($3.9 million).
• Funding to support NYC Tourism + Conventions’ marketing ($2 million).
• Reinstating weekend ferry service between Brooklyn and Governors Island during the 2026 May through October high season ($100,000).

Supporting Young New Yorkers

• Funding distribution, maintenance, and wireless service costs through the end of 2025 associated with the purchase of 350,000 Chromebooks for New York City public school students ($24.3 million).
• Supporting programing and additional staffing related to Mayor Adams’ “After-School for All” expansion in New York City ($3.5 million).

Improving Quality of Life

• Funding for printing services, technical support, transportation, and other costs needed to administer early and Election Day voting ($35 million).
• Backstopping the federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant that was eliminated in July in order to support 22 staff who operate the city’s radio and television networks ($2.4 million).
• Adding resources for waste containers and collection at some schools in Brooklyn Community Board District 2, and additional container costs in Manhattan Community Board District 9 ($1.5 million).
• Supporting a multimedia campaign by NYC Aging to eliminate bias related to age and foster tolerance across generations ($800,000).
• Supporting the Native American Art fund that will preserve, recognize, and foster a greater appreciation and understanding of the foundational and extraordinary role of Native Americans in New York City by working in close collaboration with Native American curators, presenters, artists, musicians, writers, and other leaders ($750,000).

Ongoing Strong Fiscal Management

With these adjustments, the FY 2026 budget is now $118.2 billion. Out-year budget gaps are manageable and either declined or grew modestly since budget adoption because of a continued focus on saving taxpayer dollars. The FY 2027 budget gap is now $4.7 billion, a reduction of $353 million, or nearly 7 percent, driven by pension and labor savings. The FY 2028 and FY 2029 gaps are both now $6.3 billion.

The plan update reflects $419 million in additional tax revenue in FY 2026 since the budget was adopted in July, driven by stronger than expected personal income tax collections related to the city’s strong economy.

The administration has remained focused on achieving savings to make the best use of taxpayer dollars and balance the budget. This plan reflects total savings of $528 million in FY 2026 and $602 million in FY 2027. The savings achieved in the November Plan Update substantially offset agency expense changes over FY 2026 and FY 2027 that prioritize public safety, meet unfilled needs, and fund critical programs.

Today’s announcement follows Mayor Adams’ long history of strong fiscal management, including delivering an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $115.9 billion Adopted Budget earlier this year, which built on the FY 2026 Executive Budget, often called the “Best Budget Ever.” The Executive Budget doubled down on Mayor Adams’ commitment to make New York City the best place to raise a family by, among other things, investing in “After-School for All,” a $755-million plan to deliver universal after-school programming to families of children in kindergarten through eighth grade; baselining funding for 3-K citywide expansion and special education pre-K to build on the administration’s work to dramatically expand access to early childhood education; investing over $400 million to fully fund the transformation of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan into a world-class, pedestrian-centered boulevard; and revitalizing “The Arches,” the public space on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge; among other major initiatives. The FY 2026 Adopted Budget was also the first to implement Mayor Adams’ landmark “Axe the Tax for the Working Class” plan, which abolishes and cuts New York City's personal income tax for filers with dependents living at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line. Because of this plan — which the Adams administration successfully fought to pass in Albany this budget cycle — $63 million will go back into the pockets of over 582,000 low-income New York filers, including their dependents, helping make New York City more affordable for working-class families.

New York State Announces $6 Million to Establish Behavioral Health Crisis Response Teams

 

Funding to Help Urban, Suburban, and Rural Communities Establish a Health-Led Response System

Pilot Based on Daniel’s Law Task Force Recommendation to Incorporate Trained Behavioral Health Professionals and Peers in Crisis Response System

The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced the availability of $6 million for communities statewide to build a health-led behavioral health crisis response system as part of recommendations from the Daniel’s Law Task Force report. The funding will help establish or expand at least three teams – including one in a rural, one in a suburban, and one in an urban community – that use trained behavioral health professionals and include peer support to provide a safe, compassionate response for New Yorkers in crisis.

“By establishing a health-led system of response, we can help communities to safely and compassionately address those individuals who experience a behavioral health crisis,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner and task force Chair Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “This pilot program is a step toward fulfilling a key recommendation in the task force report by building a health-led behavioral health crisis response model that will better serve our communities statewide.”

The state funding is aimed at either building or expanding a crisis response system in communities to use teams with trained behavioral health professionals and including peer support staff. The resulting system will be trauma-informed, community-based, and prioritize racial equity, cultural humility, and harm reduction for New Yorkers across their lifespan.

OMH is providing grants of up to $2 million to establish a new team or expand a team already in operation. The goal is to have at least one of these teams established in a rural, a suburban, and an urban community.

In December, the Daniel’s Law Task Force issued recommendations for developing a statewide model for a health-led behavioral health crisis response. The recommendations included establishing health-led teams using standardized protocols for behavioral health crisis response and piloting initiatives that recognize the unique character of New York communities.

Established by legislation in response to the death of 41-year-old Daniel Prude in 2020, the task force was charged with developing recommendations to guide behavioral health crisis response and exploring avenues for related diversion services. Following its inaugural meeting in August 2023, the task force studied presentations on different behavioral health crisis response models to inform their work and conducted numerous listening sessions to gather input.

The task force recommendations called for the state to establish a protocol so that 911 or 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline calls involving a behavioral health crisis receive a health-led response by individuals specifically trained in crisis services. Specialized teams would then be dispatched to mental health or substance use calls, and on behavioral health wellness checks, according to the task force recommendation.

The task force recommended establishing pilot programs in large, medium, and small cities, as well as rural areas, and focusing on developing sustainable models. As these teams are implemented, communities should develop partnerships – including with individuals having lived experience – to participate in designing the system of care, assess the available resources, and work to develop a network of quality accessible services.

Aesculap Implant Systems Agrees to Pay $38.5M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Knee Implant Failures and Enters into a Non-Prosecution Agreement Related to the Introduction of Two Adulterated Medical Devices into Interstate Commerce

 

Medical device company Aesculap Implant Systems LLC (Aesculap), based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $38.5 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that the company sold knee replacement devices that it knew would fail prematurely at a higher than acceptable rate, resulting in false claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The settlement further resolves allegations that the company paid unlawful remuneration to a physician to induce him to use the knee implants. Additionally, Aesculap agreed to a non-prosecution agreement with the United States in connection with its distribution of two medical devices without the required clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Medical device failures — and their potential to harm patients — are of paramount concern to the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will hold accountable medical device companies that knowingly sell products prone to failure that present risks to patients and waste taxpayer dollars.”

“Doctors who implant medical devices need complete and accurate information about those devices to ensure they choose the best and safest options for their patients,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “A company that knows its product has a propensity to prematurely fail must not mislead doctors or government regulators or conceal material information about those known issues. Medicare and other federal programs should not be required to pay charges for devices that are unduly risky, and that may require painful and expensive surgeries to fix.”

“Transparency in medical device marketing is essential to safeguarding patient care,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Undermining this process to increase profits is a serious violation of federal law that flouts the health and safety of patients. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to uncover and dismantle illegal arrangements that exploit the Medicare system for financial gain at the expense of patients.”

“Certain medical devices require FDA notification and clearance before distribution to the public,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronald Dawkins of the FDA Metro Washington Field Office. “Distributing such medical devices without FDA clearance and in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act can put patients at risk. The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) worked with the Justice Department and HHS-OIG to ensure a just resolution, and we commend the exceptional work done by the team.”

The civil settlement announced today resolves allegations that, from July 30, 2010, to June 17, 2023, Aesculap sold the VEGA System® Knee System, a line of prosthetic implants used in knee replacement surgeries, while knowing that it would fail prematurely at a higher than acceptable rate and, therefore, was not reasonable and necessary for use during knee replacement surgeries. In such surgeries, physicians remove arthritic bone in the knee and implant a device, which is fixed in place with bone cement. The United States alleged that the Vega was prone to becoming loose from patient’s bone prematurely, often shortly after surgery. Patients experiencing loosening could have pain, instability, and difficulty walking, and such patients required a revision surgery to remove and replace the Vega implant. The United States alleged that Aesculap knew shortly after the Vega was released in the United States that bone cement did not properly adhere to the implant. Despite this knowledge, Aesculap sold the Vega to physicians and hospitals in the United States without disclosing this known problem with the device. The United States also alleged that Aesculap failed to take steps to record, track, or report adverse events for the Vega and did not take adequate steps to remediate the problem. As of April 2024, Aesculap stopped selling all of its knee replacement devices, including the Vega, in the United States.

The settlement also resolves allegations that Aesculap knowingly and willfully made unlawful payments to an orthopedic surgeon located in Georgia who experienced problems with the Vega with the intent to induce him to use and recommend the Vega Knee System, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(b). This remuneration took the form of consulting payments, free international travel, and entertainment, among other things.

In addition to the civil settlement, Aesculap agreed to enter into a non-prosecution agreement related to the introduction of two medical devices into interstate commerce in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) from March 2017 until August 2017. The two devices at issue are the ELAN-4 Air Drill, a high-speed surgical drill used for bone cutting, sawing, and drilling, and the JS Series SterilContainer S2, a reusable sterilization container for medical instruments. According to the non-prosecution agreement, Aesculap tasked an employee with shepherding both medical devices through the FDA clearance process, but the employee never submitted any documentation to FDA. He then forged multiple documents to reflect both devices were cleared by FDA to be marketed in the United States when FDA had not done so resulting in the illegal introduction of both devices into interstate commerce. The employee previously pleaded guilty to violating the FDCA and was sentenced to prison.

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by John Marien and Michael McGee, who served as third-party distributors for Aesculap. Under those provisions, private parties can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Marien & McGee v. Aesculap Inc., et al., No. 5:19-cv-1618 (E.D. Pa.). Marien and McGee will receive a share totaling $4,475,000 in connection with the settlement.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with assistance from HHS-OIG and FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel and FDA-OCI.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The civil matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Nicholas C. Perros of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charlene K. Fullmer and Erin E. Lindgren of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The criminal matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Max J. Goldman and Bryson N. Gillard of the Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch.

Except for the facts that Aesculap admitted as part of the non-prosecution agreement, the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Attorney General James Calls for Temporary Protected Status for Jamaicans Affected by Hurricane Melissa

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today called on the federal government to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Jamaicans in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island on October 28 and has killed at least 45 people. In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Attorney General James urges the administration to immediately grant TPS for Jamaicans. TPS allows eligible individuals in the United States who are unable to return to their home countries to safely live and work in the U.S. with legal status. The U.S. has previously granted TPS to immigrants from countries such as Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal following similar natural disasters.

“Hurricane Melissa has caused unimaginable damage to our neighbors in Jamaica, displacing tens of thousands of people, destroying vital infrastructure, and severely limiting access to basic necessities,” said Attorney General James. “Forcing Jamaicans in the United States to return home to a devastated island would be dangerous and cruel. Situations like this are exactly what TPS was intended for, and our federal government should extend TPS to Jamaicans to help keep people safe while the island rebuilds.”

On October 28th, 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in western Jamaica. Melissa was the most intense storm ever to hit the island, causing at least 45 deaths and over $2 billion worth of property damage across the country. In many communities, the majority of homes, schools, and stores have been destroyed. The storm has displaced an estimated 30,000 households and cut off access to electricity, clean water, and medical care for many others.

As Attorney General James argues in her letter to DHS, the U.S. has a long history of providing a safe haven to those who flee armed conflict, natural disasters, and repressive conditions. DHS has historically granted TPS in the wake of natural disasters to protect people from being forced to return to dangerous and unstable home countries. In 1999 following Hurricane Mitch, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated Honduras and Nicaragua for TPS to protect residents of those countries from deportation due to the unsafe conditions in their home countries. DHS also designated Haiti in 2010 and Nepal in 2015 for TPS following devastating earthquakes in both countries.

Growth of E-Commerce Exacerbated Traffic Crashes, Pollution, and Workplace Injuries: Comptroller Lander Reports

 

In a new report, Fast Shipping. Slow Justice, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander found that the City’s lack of regulations on rapidly growing e-commerce and last-mile delivery services led to significant increases in crashes, traffic and workplace injuries, and concentrated air pollution in predominantly in Black and Brown neighborhoods.  

Daily package deliveries in New York City grew from 1.8 million before the pandemic to 2.5 million in 2024, with roughly one-in-three New Yorkers receiving packages daily. Today, Comptroller Lander joined elected officials, workers’ rights advocates, street safety advocates, and environmental justice organizers in calling on City Hall to address the growing problem. 

“We’ve become so accustomed to getting our toilet paper, socks, or butter cookies right away that we’ve stopped thinking about the consequences; but we all pay the price of more traffic crashes, worsening air quality, and worker injuries,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “This report is a wake-up call: adopt reasonable regulations for delivery services or worsen street safety, environmental impacts, and workers’ rights. We cannot allow the benefits of e-commerce to come at the expense of limbs, lungs, and lives.” 

The key findings of Comptroller Lander’s include:  

Traffic Crashes

• Increased traffic crashes: After “last mile” delivery facilities opened, 78% of nearby areas saw more injury-causing crashes, with injuries within a half-mile radius rising by an average of 16%. Truck-related crashes increased by 146%, and truck-injury crashes rose by 137%.  

• Hotspots in Maspeth, Queens: In Maspeth, Queens, crashes near two major FedEx and Amazon warehouses rose by 53% and 48%, respectively. A cluster of four East New York facilities also saw a sharp increase in crashes within a half-mile radius. 

Air Quality & Environmental Justice Impacts

• Environmental justice issues: 68% of last mile warehouses are located in officially designated Environmental Justice (EJ) Areas, including Red Hook, East New York, Maspeth, and Hunts Point. 65.8% of residents in these neighborhoods are Black or Latine, compared to 49.2% citywide, and already face higher levels of air pollution. 

• Warehouse-dense areas experience poorer air quality: Health Department data show that neighborhoods like Newtown Creek, Red Hook, Sunset Park, and Hunts Point have notably higher air pollution levels, likely tied to truck congestion and industrial activity. 

Worker Safety  

• Worker safety woes: Between 2022 and 2024, 38 of 50 facilities (76%) identified by the New York City Department of City Planning reported injuries to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), totaling over 2,000 injuries, or an average of 678 per year. Injury rates per 100 employees at last mile facilities are more than triple the national average for all private employers (8.3 vs. 2.4). 

• Amazon’s subcontractor model: Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program in 2023 and 2024 had an injury rate per 100 employees of 9.2 and a Days Away or Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate of 8.1, exceeding those of the greater last mile and courier industries. 

The report attributes these problems to a fragmented regulatory landscape, where warehouses can open “as-of-right” without public review, and major corporations use subcontracting models like Amazon’s DSP to evade liability for labor and safety standards. 

To address the crisis, Comptroller Lander’s report urges the City to take immediate action, including: 

• Pass the Delivery Protection Act (Intro 1396) to establish a licensing program to establish essential labor standards, bring liability to facility operators via requiring direct employment, and to curb worker injuries and vehicle crashes. 

• Enact an Indirect Source Rule (Intro 1130) to require warehouse operators to reduce harmful truck emissions. 

• Scale up the City’s freight management and Clean Trucks programs in dialogue with workers, including commercial cargo bikes, Neighborhood Loading Zones, and Smart Curbs.  

• Finalize the Last Mile Facility Text Amendment to end as-of-right development of last mile facilities and prevent further concentration of facilities in overburdened neighborhoods. 

• Establish a new coordinating entity to oversee the entire delivery industry and integrate zoning, labor, and environmental enforcement. 

Read the report here. 

Governor Hochul Highlights Multi-Agency Partnership to Support Crash Responder Safety Week

New York State Police, Department of Transportation, Thruway Authority and Bridge Authority Partner to Remind Drivers of Roadway and Traffic Safety

Highlights Enforcement of the Move Over Law in Recognition of First Responders and Highway Workers Injured or Killed While Handling Traffic Incidents; Governor Hochul Signed Legislation Expanding Provisions

Governor Hochul Issues Proclamation Recognizing Crash Responder Safety Week – November 17-21, 2025

Governor Hochul today issued a proclamation recognizing Crash Responder Safety Week and announced a multi-agency partnership between the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Transportation, the New York State Thruway Authority and the New York State Bridge Authority to remind drivers to slow down and safely move over for emergency vehicles stopped on or next to a roadway. Crash Responder Safety Week runs from Monday, November 17, 2025, through Friday, November 21, 2025. This year’s theme is “Safety Starts With You — Slow Down and Move Over!”.

“We can’t say it enough – when you see police, firefighters, highway workers and tow truck drivers responding to a crash – slow down, move over and stay alert,” Governor Hochul said. “We have zero tolerance for drivers who continue to put our first responders and maintenance workers in harm’s way. Troopers will be out in force during this period to ensure that motorists are being safe and obeying the law.”The New York State Police, Thruway Authority, Department of Transportation, Bridge Authority and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee recommend these safe driving tips:

• As soon as you see lights, vests, or reflectors, check traffic around you, SLOW DOWN and MOVE OVER if safe to do so.
• Drivers MUST use due care when approaching an emergency vehicle or hazard vehicle including police vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, construction and maintenance vehicles and tow trucks. In 2023, the Move Over Law was expanded, requiring drivers to exercise due care to avoid all vehicles stopped on the roadway, including by changing lanes.
• The Move Over Law applies to both sides of the roadway, not just the shoulder on the right.

 

MAYOR ADAMS AND CHANCELLOR AVILES-RAMOS ANNOUNCE NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS EXCEEDED 60 PERCENT CLASS SIZE REDUCTION MILESTONE AFTER ADMINISTRATION INVESTED $450 MILLION INTO CLASS SIZE REDUCTION

 

64 Percent of Classes Now in Compliance  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos today announced that New York City Public Schools has surpassed the 60 percent class size reduction milestone originally planned for the 2025-2026 school year. The announcement comes after the Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget funded over 3,700 teaching positions and 100 assistant principal positions across nearly 750 New York City Public Schools, as well as collaborative planning between with United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA), and school leaders across the public school system,  

  

“Smaller class sizes change lives by making it easier for kids to learn, and today’s milestone shows what’s possible when we invest in our students and work hand-in-hand with our union partners and school leaders,” said Mayor Adams. “Thanks to our administration’s investment of $450 million in class size reductions, we’re giving our educators the support they need to build more personalized, nurturing classrooms. Surpassing 60 percent of our class size reduction target for the 2025–2026 school year is a major step forward, and we’re not slowing down. We will continue working with the United Federation of Teachers, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, and leaders across our system to ensure we get to 80 percent next school year, and, more importantly, to ensure every child in every borough has the learning environment they need and deserve to thrive.” 

  

“I am proud to share that in partnership with our union partners and school communities, our school system this year continues to be in compliance with the class size law, now with 64 percent of classes in compliance,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos. “Our priority this past year was to ensure that our school leaders had the support they needed in making the transition to lower class sizes, and we are thrilled to welcome thousands of new teachers and staff towards that end. I am eager to work closely with our district and school leaders as they continue to bring more classes into compliance.”  

  

Understanding that the complexity of this law’s implementation required school and community level input, today’s announcement serves as the result of a school-driven planning process, comprising an over $450-million investment in New York City Public Schools. This investment in the city’s public schools — made up in part by tax levy funds — represents an ongoing commitment to fully funding public schools and supported over 3,700 teaching positions and 100 assistant principal positions across the public school system. In addition to significant investments for class size efforts, the city continues its commitment to equitably funding all public schools, and, as part of that commitment, worked to hold schools harmless this year.  

  

New York City Public Schools will also continue to ensure equitable funding through the Fair Student Funding Formula, through the two newest weights — the concentration weight and the students in temporary housing weight, added after significant public engagement through the Fair Student Funding Working Group — and collectively providing over $120 million of funding to the highest need schools via the formula this year. Notably, schools that received additional teachers through this initiative increased compliance by 27 points, along with significant progress made across the board. Currently, nearly a third of non-compliant classes are only one to three students over the new caps, and the number of classes that were six students or more above the cap has substantially decreased year over year. 

  

Today’s announcement includes an agreement reached by New York City Public Schools, the UFT, and the CSA on exemptions for Specialized High Schools that did not have space to comply, as well as for schools without space to comply that will be positively impacted by planned and sited capital projects. This information and other reporting on the implementation approach is outlined in the Annual Class Size Implementation Report. New York City Public Schools has already announced the launch of the planning process for schools for the 2026-2027 school year. Building on the success of last year’s school-driven approach and the city’s continued commitment to embracing school-level engagement as essential to this implementation, all schools in Districts 1-32 are now working to assess their needed resources and report on what will be needed to support the next system-wide milestone of 80 percent of classes at or below the caps. 

  

Today’s announcement also builds off core educational accomplishments under the Adams administration, including instituting nation-leading dyslexia screening for all students, adding 57 Gifted and Talented programs, cementing new labor contracts for teachers and other education officials, investing $167 million in new funding to secure critical early childhood education programs, dramatically increasing early childhood education enrollment to 150,000 children across the city’s system, and securing mayoral accountability twice in three years while investing $180 million to implement a comprehensive class size reduction plan. 

  

“We applaud our principals and their school leadership teams for all the work that allowed New York City Public Schools to meet this year’s class-size reduction milestones,” said CSA President Henry D. Rubio. “Our school leaders know their students, their enrollment, and their buildings best. We commend the mayor and the chancellor for embracing a school-driven approach, and we thank them for providing the necessary resources to implement plans with care and integrity. We look forward to using this same school-driven process this year as the city identifies and builds new classroom spaces to achieve the law’s goals.” 

  

“The class size law is a success. More than 64 percent of the classrooms across the city are in compliance. Thousands of students are feeling the impact. Educators are sharing they have more individual time with their students. Our job now is to keep moving until all students can benefit from lower class sizes,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “We will continue to work with the DOE, parents, and school communities across New York City to fulfill this promise for our school system.” 

DHS Launches Operation Charlotte’s Web to Target Criminal Illegal Aliens Terrorizing Americans in Charlotte, North Carolina

 

Sanctuary policies prevented nearly 1,400 detainers from being honored, putting criminal illegal aliens back on Charlotte’s streets 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced DHS law enforcement is surging resources for Operation Charlotte’s Web in North Carolina. This DHS operation will target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to the Tar Heel State because they knew sanctuary politicians would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets. Nearly 1,400 detainers across North Carolina have not been honored—releasing criminal illegal aliens into North Carolina’s neighborhoods.

"Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.” 

Below are just a handful of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens—including murderers, rapists, and pedophiles—who were RELEASED back on to North Carolina’s streets because of sanctuary policies.

Jordan Renato Castillo-Chavez, a criminal illegal alien from Costa Rica, was arrested for indecent liberties with child, first degree sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted statutory sexual offense with a child less than 15 years old, and solicitation of a child by a computer. He was released after authorities failed to honor the ICE detainer.

Jose Ulloa-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested for murder. He was released after authorities failed to honor the ICE detainer.

Osman Armondo Paz-Ortiz, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested for statutory sex offense with a child, indecent liberties with a child, and sex acts by a substitute parent/custodian. He was released after authorities failed to honor the ICE detainer.

Jeferson Moises Martinez-Sorto, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested for sexual battery, resisting an officer, and fleeing/eluding arrest with a motor vehicle. He was released after authorities failed to honor the ICE detainer.

William Santos-Roca, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. The next day, he was arrested for a DWI. Santos-Roca has had previous arrest for a hit-and-run and multiple DWIs. He was released after authorities in North Carolina failed to honor an ICE detainer.

Carlos Manuel Portillo-Guevara, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and discharge of a weapon. He was released after authorities failed to honor the ICE detainer.

Olvin Esau Calero-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, has a career criminal history which includes vehicle theft, larceny, trespassing, burglary and forced entry, property damage, possession of stolen property, and drug possession. He was released after authorities failed to honor the ICE detainer.