Mayor Eric Adams
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Source: Pacific Press / Getty / Eric Adams
You can always count on NYC Mayor Eric Adams to say something ridiculous that will leave you scratching your head and laughing because it was so bonkers.
Spotted on Raw Story, the socialite who moonlights as New York’s Mayor has stepped in it. During a recent interview with PIX11 host Dan Mannarino, Eric Adams somehow found a way to say that one of the city that never sleeps’ best attributes is there is an opportunity you can witness a plane flying into a skyscraper.
Yes, you read that correctly.
In his own words, Adams said, “This is a place where every day you wake up you could experience everything from a plane crashing into our Trade Center to a person who is celebrating a new business opening. And that’s why it’s the greatest city on the globe.”
We are sure you have probably read that unbelievable quote numerous times. So here is the video of him saying it also just to let you know that we are not pulling your chain with this story.
Social Media Clowned Him
As you can imagine, Adams’ comments opened the door for many reactions.
“How does anyone have that thought let alone express it in public as mayor of New York? Also New York is two words,” one person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another X user wrote, “Riding the subway, shopping at a bodega, watching multiple skyscrapers destroyed in a terrorist attack that kills thousands of people; just NYC things.”
This latest Mayor Mixxy moment comes after his aides had their homes raided by the FBI as part of an investigation into Adams’ 2021 campaign and whether there were connections to the Turkish government to funnel campaign donations.
Welp.
You can see more reactions to Mayor Adams’ comments in the gallery below.
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Photo: Pacific Press / Getty
3. Unbelievable
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty / Cardi B
If you’re a political hopeful or veteran hoping for a Cardi B endorsement, it’s not coming. The Bronx rapper is washing her hands of politics.
The “Bodak Yellow” rapper is fed up with the current political system and expressed her frustrations during an Instagram Live session.
Cardi B, who has always been quite vocal about politics and what is happening in the country and globally, was BIG MAD about NYC Mayor Eric Adam’s proposed budget cuts.
Mayor Mixxy’s 5% budget cuts will affect a bunch of NYC departments to help compensate for the billions of dollars that the city has to spend to take care of asylum seekers who have come to the city.
The New York Post reports that Adams plans to cut $32 million from the sanitation department, $74 million from the FDNY, and $547 million from the Department of Education.
Adams will also be getting rid of a bunch of street garbage cans in the outer boroughs, and 34 popular cultural institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Natural History will see their budgets cut by $6 million, according to the New York Post.
Mayor Adams Reasoning For The Severe Cuts
Regardless of there being a legitimate reason for the severe cuts, the Grammy Award-winning artist is not here for them, claiming things like the city will be “drowning in rats” (that’s been a problem forever) due to cuts to sanitation and crime will “go through the roof” because of the cuts coming to the NYPD.
“In New York, there is a $120m budget cut that’s going to affect schools, public libraries, and the police department. And a $5m budget cut in sanitation … We are gonna be drowning in … rats,” Cardi B said during the live session.
Mayor Adams might be on the side of Cardi B, who warned that more cuts would be necessary without additional federal funding to help manage the influx of migrants in NYC.
Per The Guardian:
Migrant costs are going up, tax revenue growth is slowing, and [Covid-19] stimulus funding is drying up,” Adams said in a statement.
“No city should be left to handle a national humanitarian crisis largely on its own, and without the significant and timely support we need from Washington, today’s budget will be only the beginning.
Cardi B Is No Longer Endorsing Presidents
The Biden Administration has not agreed to Mayor Adam’s pleas for funding amid the growing criticism for the continued funding to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion and Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas, something Bardi touched on in her passionate IG Live along with announcing she is no longer endorsing presidents.
“I’m endorsing no presidents no more,” Cardi B said. “Joe Biden is talking about, ‘Yeah, we can fund two wars,’… talking about, ‘Yeah, we got it, we’re the greatest nation.’ No … we’re not. We don’t got it, and we’re going through some shit right now. So say it!”
She continued, “We are really, really, really f**ked right now. No, we cannot fund these … wars.”
Someone asked if the country is going “broke,” she replied, “Yes, it is. We ain’t got McDonald’s money.” Despite her claims, the country has seen some solid economic numbers. You can read about that here.
Further condemning Biden’s alleged terrible handling of the economy and foreign policy, she said, “Feed that … to somebody else, twinkle, but don’t feed it to me.” She then promised to ” get to the bottom of it.”
We will await those findings.
X Users React
Elon Musk’s sorry platform X has been a hotbed for discourse since Israel began bombing Gaza in retaliation to Hamas’ brutal attack on October 7.
Many have called on political leaders, mainly Democrats, including President Joe Biden, to call for a ceasefire in protests across the globe.
Recently, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been the target of many protests, and other Democrats. Still, some are pointing out the fact that the House of Representatives is currently under Republican control and are wondering why that energy isn’t being applied to the GOP and its batsh*t crazy members.
Many responded to Cardi B’s video by pointing out that she was aiming her valid criticisms in the wrong direction and that the Biden/Harris administration has nothing to do with New York City’s budget.
One thing is for sure: the upcoming presidential election will be a hot mess. We hope Cardi B and others understand that there is a lot on the line with a GOP hell-bent on “Making America White oops Great Again.”
Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: Prince Williams / Getty
2. Political Cardi is a hit with fans
6. Of course, you should not be shocked the MAGA folks will use this to their advantage.
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As the top fundraiser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams had their home raided by the FBI, reports revealed additional raids on two other aides were conducted.
According to reports, on the same day that the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, the agency executed search warrants on two other homes of people close to Mayor Eric Adams.
Unnamed sources close to the investigation confirmed that the homes of Rana Abbasova and Cenk Öcal were searched on the same day of the Suggs raid. Abbasova currently serves as the director of protocol for the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs and was previously a longtime liaison to New York City’s Turkish community when Adams was Brooklyn Borough President, and Öcal was part of his transition team and a former Turkish Airlines executive who was let go in 2022 after a shakeup.
The searches were conducted at Abbasova’s home in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and Öcal’s home which is also in New Jersey. The news follows a report that Abbasova was placed on leave earlier this week. When questioned by reporters, Fabian Levy, the Deputy Mayor of Communications, replied: “As we have repeatedly said, we recently learned of an individual who acted improperly, which we promptly reported to investigators. While we continue to cooperate with investigators, the most important thing to remember is that the mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing.” Abbasova and Öcal didn’t respond to comments from the press.
Federal authorities conducted the searches on Suggs’ home and the other parties as part of an ongoing investigation into the 2021 campaign of Mayor Adams to detect if there was any conspiracy between Adams’ campaign and the Turkish government to funnel foreign donations into the campaign vault as well as to investigate if the Turkish government exerted influence on Mayor Adams to pressure New York Fire Department officials to bypass safety concerns for a new high-rise building housing the Turkish consulate to be completed. Mayor Adams also had his electronic devices seized last Monday (November 6) by federal authorities on the way to an event in conjunction with the raid on Suggs’ home.
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Source: Spencer Platt / Getty / Eric Adams
New York City Mayor Eric Adams could be in some serious trouble.
The socialite who sometimes masquerades as New York City’s Mayor had his phones seized by the FBI as part of an ongoing federal investigation into fundraising.
Spotted on CNN, the feds popped up Mayor Eric Adams and seized phones and an iPad after securing a court-authorized warrant, a person close to the matter said.
Per CNN:
The seizure is a dramatic escalation of the federal probe into whether foreign money was funneled to his campaign, bringing it directly to the mayor, a Democrat. The investigation is being handled by the FBI and the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. Adams has not been accused of any wrongdoing so far, but he is the latest politician to come under scrutiny for ties to foreign governments – in his case Turkey.
The seizure came days after the FBI raided the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser as part of the investigation to determine whether the mayor’s 2021 campaign conspired with a Brooklyn-based construction company to funnel foreign money into campaign coffers.
Prosecutors Had To Convince A Judge There Was Probable Cause To Seize Adams’ Phones
According to the New York Times, to seize Mayor Adams’ devices, prosecutors had to convince a judge they had probable cause that there was evidence of a crime on the electronic devices.
Adams said he had nothing to hide in a statement sent to CNN on Friday, November 10.
“As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation — and I will continue to do exactly that,” the mayor said. “I have nothing to hide.”
Two sources close to the matter told CNN that FBI agents “walked right up to him” on the street and seized his devices following him giving a speech at New York University’s Kimmel Center Monday. ]
Welp.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
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Photo: Spencer Platt / Getty
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The home of a top consultant to New York City Mayor Eric Adams was raided by the FBI, prompting Adams to cancel a major trip to head back to the city.
In the early morning hours on Thursday (Nov. 2), agents with the FBI conducted a raid on the Crown Heights home of Brianna Suggs. Suggs is the top fund-raiser for New York City Mayor Eric Adams and an esteemed campaign consultant of his. Suggs was also reportedly questioned by agents, who left with three iPhones, two computers and files bearing Adams’ name from her home. Federal agents also executed the search warrant at the KSK Construction Group in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in addition to other residences. Investigators are also looking into a small college outside of Washington D.C. with ties to Turkey.
Suggs has been a strong fund-raiser for Mayor Adams, helping his successful campaign obtain $18.4 million in funding. She was also working on his 2025 reelection campaign, with reports saying that $900,000 has been raised so far. The FBI warrant is tied to an ongoing investigation to determine whether Adams’ campaign conspired with the construction company and the Turkish government to direct foreign money to the campaign by using straw donors in 2021. Adams has previously been vocal about his trips to Turkey, saying, “I think I’m on my sixth or seventh visit,” during a flag-raising ceremony for the nation in lower Manhattan last week.
News of the raid led Mayor Adams to abruptly cancel a series of meetings with other city mayors in Washington D.C. concerning the ongoing migrant crisis in New York to head back home with his team. When asked about his hurried return by reporters later that evening at a Dia De Los Muertos event at Gracie Mansion, he said he would comply with any inquiries from federal authorities. “I feel extremely comfortable about how I comply with rules and procedures,” Adams said. “I hold myself to a high standard, and I hold my campaign to a high standard, and I hold my staff at City Hall to a high standard.”
The raid comes weeks after another high-ranking figure close to Mayor Adams, former city buildings commissioner Eric Ulrich, was indicted and charged with using his position to extract bribes in the form of cash and other gifts for favors, which included access to Mayor Adams.
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The New York Police Department will have a futuristic member in its ranks as a “robocop” will begin patrolling the subway station at Times Square.
As Gothamist reports, last Friday (Sept. 22) the Knightscope K5 Autonomous Security Robot was unveiled to the public at a press conference held underground at the 42nd Street-Times Square subway station. Mayor Eric Adams was on hand with the NYPD to announce that the city was launching a two-month program to test the K5 robot. “I’ve gone a long way from being a transit cop, to being next to a robot,” Adams said to reporters, grinning as he stood next to it. “We’re going to keep us safe no matter which way we do it.”
The K5 robot, shaped like a small rocket and painted white with glowing blue lights to indicate that it’s on and functioning, checks in at 5-foot-2 in height. Boasting a giant camera for a face, it will be accompanied as it roams throughout the station by officers who will be trained in its functions and introduce it to the public. The K5 has 360-degree vision and moves at 3 miles per hour. It won’t access the subway platforms.
“It will record video that can be viewed in case of an emergency or a crime. It will not record audio, and it will not use facial recognition. However, the K5 does have a button that connects you immediately to a live person that New Yorkers can utilize 24/7 with questions, concerns or to report an incident if needed,” said Mayor Adams. The K5’s camera will be part of the NYPD’s surveillance network in the subways.
Knightscope, the company behind the K5, states that their robot has been deployed in 10 states to 30 clients, including hospitals and shopping malls. There have been incidents where similar machines were attacked in other cities in Northern California including San Francisco. “If you come here and damage K5 or commit any crime in the subway system, prepare to be identified and arrested,” said NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper.
Mayor Adams also touted that it will be cost-effective to taxpayers as the city is leasing the robot for $9 an hour. “This is a good investment of taxpayer dollars,” he stated. “This is below minimum wage, no bathroom breaks, no meal breaks.” The K5 will operate from 12 A.M. to 6 A.M., with the city assessing its results after two months.
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Mayor Eric Adams is under fire for explosive comments regarding the cost of migrants entering New York City from southern states at a town hall.
At a town hall organized by his office on the Upper West Side in Manhattan on Wednesday night (September 6th), Adams delivered his strongest comments to date on the consistent flow of migrants into the city and their impact on its resources. “Never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to. I don’t see an ending to this,” he said before continuing, “This issue will destroy New York City. … All of us are going to be impacted by this. I said it last year when we had 15,000, and I’m telling you now at 110,000. The city we knew, we’re about to lose.”
He spoke about the financial ramifications of migrants coming into the city who get aid through the city’s law guaranteeing a right to shelter for those who are in need. “Every community in this city is going to be impacted,” Adams said before pointing to projections that state that New York City could see sizable budget cuts to cover a $12 billion deficit. To date, 200 emergency sites and traditional city shelters have taken in 60,000 people who have crossed the southern border of the U.S., arriving in the city through buses.
The mayor also voiced his frustrations with President Joe Biden and his administration over not providing enough support to the city during the situation. The White House released a statement defending their response, highlighting the $140 million in federal funds given to the city and New York State, firmly stating that “only Congress can reform our broken immigration system and provide additional resources to communities across the country.”
Adams’ comments were quickly amplified by Republican leaders – some of whom applauded the busing of migrants from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott and other southern states. “It has gotten so bad, even the leaders of Democrat strongholds like New York City and Massachusetts are throwing in the towel,” GOP House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California said in a statement to the press. His fellow Democrats and immigrant advocates have chastised the mayor for his comments. “The mayor should know better. The contributions of the immigrant community here have been seismic,” said New York Immigration Coalition executive director Murad Awawdeh.
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A new report has found that the New York Police Department has committed thousands of pedestrian stops under Mayor Eric Adams – with only 5% of those stopped being white.
According to a report by the New York Civil Liberties Union, since Adams began his tenure as mayor, the NYPD’s renewed policy of stopping people is at its highest point since 2015 and trending upwards. While fewer people are being detained as a result of these stops, there is a starker racial disparity found in the breakdown of those stopped with white people only making up 5% of that group overall.
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The report shows that police stopped 8,502 people in the first half of 2023, a low number in comparison to the 700,000 that were registered during the height of the infamous “stop-and-frisk” era under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The policy was effectively abandoned once former Mayor Bill de Blasio was in office due to federal pressure. But a closer look does note some glaring issues, such as those found on the forms NYPD officers are required to fill out for every stop. 92% of those stops were apparently because someone “fit a relevant description” or “other”. The report also noted that precincts in The Bronx, Harlem along with Midtown Manhattan and the central and eastern areas of Brooklyn had the highest stop rates this year so far.
An NYPD spokesperson issued a statement that cited that officers make stops “with increasing levels of precision” based on their observations and that they carry out all of their duties “without consideration of race or ethnicity”. This conflicts with a New York Daily News article in June that obtained quotes from officers in five different commands that they were being urged to issue low-level summonses, potentially in line with Adams’ consistent strategy of using pedestrian stops for public safety.
“The good news is there are definitely fewer [stops] happening, but the alarming thing is that the racial disparities and the apparent racial profiling continues,” said NYCLU legal director Chris Dunn. “Many more Black and Latino people are being stopped without any justification whatsoever.” He estimates that NYPD officers aren’t documenting any civilian stops that don’t result in a summons or arrest.
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As Hip-Hop pioneers, Run-DMC’s legacy is undeniable and New York City is cementing it further by giving the group its own day.
Through a press release, it was announced that New York City Mayor Eric Adams bestowed Rev. Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels with a proclamation declaring an official “Run-DMC Day”, which will forever be celebrated on August 9th. The news comes as the Hollis, Queens group was feted with the Run-DMC Pop-Up Celebration by Adidas Originals. The group made the news public through their Instagram page.
“Coinciding with the group’s Friday (August 11th) return to headline the Hip Hop 50 Live Concert, the pop-up gives fans access to merchandise from Barriers Worldwide and the Crate NY in addition to coolers in partnership with Igloo and other Run-DMC novelty merchandise items,” the press release also stated, taking time to acknowledge the group’s longstanding partnership with Adidas. The pop-up will run through August 12th at Bleecker Street Trading in Manhttan.
The honor comes as the group is fresh off of their sensational performance at the Rock The Bells Festival at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York last Saturday. They will also be performing at the Hip Hop 50 Live concert to be held at Yankee Stadium, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the culture since the first jam held by DJ Kool Herc at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in The Bronx in 1973. It adds to a run some believed to be their final one, as DMC had stated before in an interview with Rock The Bells that the group would take its final onstage bow this past April.
“Run-DMC is over,” he said at the time. “The only way Run-DMC gets back together is if The Beatles get back together. Can that happen?” He continued: “The final show that we are ever going to do is going to be at Madison Square Garden in April. It’s going to be the last episode of the documentary we’re doing. Run-DMC’s last show ever. ‘Cause it’s time for Run to go be Paul McCartney and me to be John Lennon. We done did what we could do.”
McDaniels and Simmons, along with the late Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, forever shaped Hip-Hop culture with their debut album in 1983. Attaining superstardom, the group was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award from the Grammy Awards in 2016.
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New York City is throwing Hip-Hop a huge birthday bash throughout its five boroughs, as Mayor Eric Adams announced a series of block parties that will be held next month.
On Thursday, Mayor Adams held a press conference at City Hall to announce the 5×5 Block Party Series, which will be held in each of the city’s five boroughs. They will be thrown by the city in conjunction with ITSALLBLACKMUSIC PRESENTS. Each will feature a lineup of DJs as well as food vendors, artists, and educational and entertainment talks in prime locations essential to the history of the culture.
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Mayor Adams was joined at the press conference by Eric B and Boogie Down Productions founder and MC, KRS-One. The icon “will collaborate with the city as well to help curate and perform at the block parties,” as expressed in a statement released later by the city. The “Outta Here” artist even kicked a freestyle for the gathered crowd at the behest of Adams.
The first of the block parties will take place on August 5th at Fulton Street and Washington Avenue in Brooklyn. The location is known for being a block away from the house where rapper The Notorious B.I.G. grew up. The second will be in Queens on August 6th, at Vernon Boulevard and 41st Avenue near the Queensbridge Houses where Nas and Mobb Deep grew up. The birthplace of Hip-Hop, 1520 Sedgwick in The Bronx, will have its own celebration on Aug. 12th. Dates and locations for Manhattan and Staten Island are expected to be announced soon.
The lineups for each block party haven’t been announced yet, but This comes on the heels of the city announcing that there will be 50 murals created across the city in collaboration with LISA Project NYC. The city is also working with Pixis Drones to create light shows with “iconic Hip-Hop imagery” at each party, which will run until 9:30 PM.
“New York should be celebrating a genre that we created,” Adams, who calls himself “the Hip-Hop Mayor”, said. “We raised it on the streets of New York, and it has gone out to cascade throughout the entire globe.” He continued, “This summer we’re going to do more than reminisce on hip-hop, we’re going to celebrate it and elevate it. So I encourage New Yorkers to step into the world where hip-hop is on our blocks this summer.”
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