Gothamist

A new report on the future of Penn Station concludes the only way to expand train capacity at the rail hub is to expand its footprint — supporting Amtrak’s years-long proposal to tear down a Midtown block south of 31st Street to install new tracks. What do you think about Amtrak's proposal? Let us know in the comments ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eJw-rf57

Prosecutors say they may bring additional charges against Mayor Eric Adams following his indictment last week on charges that he took illegal campaign contributions and bribes from foreign nationals, the Associated Press reports. The news came as Adams made his second court appearance in the case Wednesday. The mayor was expected to ask a judge to dismiss a bribery charge, arguing that he accepted “gratuities” from the Turkish government, not bribes. Head to our comments to learn more about the on-going case.

Meant to help level the playing field, #NewYorkCity has a generous $8-to$1 matching system for candidates that run for office. For every dollar raised by a city resident, they receive eight dollars in taxpayer funds. In 2021, Mayor Eric Adams' campaign received more than $10 million from the program. Adams has been charged with a five-count federal indictment that accuses him of accepting illegal campaign contributions. That means that the city's Campaign Finance Board — if it determines that the Adams' campaign broke the rules of the matching program — could order the campaign to repay the $10 million. It could also block him from ever receiving public funds again. But if it doesn't? Adams' 2025 campaign is set to receive millions from the city. Want more info on this works? Head to our comment section to learn more.

#NewYorkCity is launching the latest salvo in the city's war on rats, in the form of specialized bait that makes them infertile. Lawmakers see the rodent contraceptives as an alternative to the poison that sickens birds across the five boroughs — like Flaco, the majestic Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the #CentralPark Zoo and later died after crashing into a building with rat poison in his system. The City Council last week passed a bill mandating the city's health and sanitation departments team up for six months to target several #Manhattan neighborhoods with rat bait laced with rodent birth control. A smaller pilot of a rat contraceptive program last year was deemed a failure — but advocates say this time will be different due to a new, delicious formula. What do you think of NYC's new tactic in the war on rats? Let us know in the comments below ⤵️

Before he was indicted, he was an up-and-coming political star with a hardscrabble backstory. But his mayoral term ended in scandal after criminal charges of corruption and grift. The mayor was renowned for his elegance, charm and, depending on which journalist you asked, he was either brilliant or certifiably crazy. He shifted political allegiances before settling with the Democratic Party bosses who ran New York City — a choice that eventually led to his political downfall. More than 150 years before Mayor Eric Adams defiantly vowed to fight charges he took bribes from foreign officials, Mayor Abraham Oakey Hall battled his own indictments. The similarities between Hall and Adams are striking, and not because they are the only New York City mayors who have fought criminal charges while in office.

Mayor Eric Adams is accused of federal fraud and bribery charges in a 57-page federal indictment unsealed Thursday morning. A federal grand jury indicted him on five counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and bribery. The U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York is prosecuting the case. Prosecutors say Adams sought illegal contributions from foreign nationals during his 2021 mayoral campaign and in exchange for favors. They say the alleged bribery scheme continued after Adams was elected and has continued into his 2025 campaign. https://lnkd.in/e-UiQzdW

A total of 16 New York City schools — and another five from across the state — have been named National Blue Ribbon award winners, the U.S. Department of Education has announced. The honors recognize schools for their academic excellence and progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups. The 16 city schools are among 356 nationwide to receive the award this year. Recipients are encouraged to display a National Blue Ribbon flag on their campuses. Head to our comments to see which schools made the cut ⤵

Some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities, including New York City's Columbia University, have released data in recent weeks on the racial makeup of their newest classes. The handiwork of the U.S. Supreme Court is written all over them. The share of newly admitted Black students dropped off significantly at the most selective schools, according to the institutions. The enrollment figures are the first since the Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling in June 2023, barred schools from using race as a factor in higher-education admissions decisions.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s Homes Act would establish a new development authority in the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The authority would be able to acquire properties and fund homes with explicit tenant protections, set rents based on income and require permanently affordable purchase prices. Do you agree with AOC's plan? Let us know in the comments ⬇

The MTA says it needs $65.4 billion to save mass transit in New York City. The agency an ambitious capital plan on Wednesday to keep New York’s mass transit system from falling into disrepair — but officials said they still need Gov. Kathy Hochul and other lawmakers to find new money to cover more than half of its cost. The proposal, which would run from 2025 to 2029, doesn’t center on new rail lines, but instead on work to simply keep the city’s creaky old subway and bus systems up and running. “There are assets within this system that are in real danger of failure,” says Jamie Torres-Springer, the MTA’s president of construction and development. The release of the plan — and the MTA’s dire warning — come as Hochul’s order to halt congestion pricing in June leaves a $16.5 billion funding hole in the agency’s current capital plan, which runs from 2020 to 2024. The money from the proposed Manhattan tolls were required by law to finance mass transit upgrades, and the governor has not announced how she plans to replace the money. The MTA said it's identified some funding sources for its next capital plan, like federal subsidies and bonds. But the agency’s CFO said the plan has a funding shortfall of at least $33 billion. That means Hochul and state lawmakers have to find funding for the MTA when they return to Albany or else the agency will have to scale back its work. Head to the comments for a more detailed breakdown of the MTA's plan.