Adams Bars Reporter From News Conferences for Being ‘Disrespectful'
Chris Sommerfeldt, who covers City Hall for The New York Daily News, spent the early part of Tuesday reporting on ICE agents' arrest of Brad Lander, the city comptroller, at a Manhattan courthouse.
Later in the day, Mr. Sommerfeldt was a subject of news coverage himself, after Mayor Eric Adams took the extraordinary step of barring him in the future from the weekly City Hall news conferences that are reporters' only regular chance to ask Mr. Adams whatever they want.
The mayor, whose interactions with reporters have often been contentious, imposed the ban after calling Mr. Sommerfeldt 'disruptive' and 'disrespectful' for shouting questions without being called on first, as is the custom at the so-called off-topic events.
Mr. Sommerfeldt, one of two Daily News reporters who cover City Hall, has not been called on at one of the weekly events in more than three months, the newspaper reported.
The exchange that preceded the mayor's unusual move came as he discussed his plans for the general election campaign.
Elected as a Democrat in 2021, Mr. Adams is skipping the party primary this year and has said he intends to run for re-election on two ballot lines of his own creation: EndAntiSemitism and Safe&Affordable.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
22 minutes ago
- New York Post
Mayor Johnson warns Trump against deploying federal troops for immigration crackdown in Chicago
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson voiced concerns Monday about potential federal troop deployment to his city as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, warning the move could be unconstitutional and legally challenged. Speaking at a City Hall news conference, Johnson responded to reports of federal plans to escalate immigration enforcement in sanctuary cities like Chicago, calling the idea a threat to civil liberties and local governance. Advertisement 'It's just another example of his animus towards working people,' Johnson said. 'I think it's important that the president respects the Constitution. If you're asking me whether this president will work with city leaders, it's clear he's not interested in doing that.' Johnson's remarks came in response to a statement from a Trump administration official to Rolling Stone, saying, 'Chicago is next, if they go too far,' in reference to recent protests and the city's sanctuary policies. 3 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson warned against President Trump deploying troops to his city during a City Hall news conference. Advertisement 'The second they do, the president is prepared to prove that nobody is above the law,' the official added. The comments follow anti-ICE and anti-Trump protests in Chicago that echoed demonstrations nationwide, prompting federal officials to reportedly monitor the situation closely, especially after the Trump administration deployed National Guard forces to Los Angeles. 'We will continue to resist,' Johnson said. 3 President Donald Trump speaks at a ceremony before posthumously awarding Medals of Sacrifice to three fallen Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies in the Oval Office of the White House on May 19, 2025, in Washington, DC. Getty Images Advertisement 'Whether it's in the courts, in the streets, or through public policy, we're going to stand up for working people.' Mary Richardson-Lowry, the city's Corporation Counsel, emphasized the legal limitations of such a deployment. 'We believe it is a violation of the Constitution to deploy troops or National Guard absent authority under the Constitution,' she said. 3 Members of the California National Guard and US Marines guard the entrance outside the Wilshire Federal Building, ahead of Saturday's nationwide 'No Kings Day' protest, in Los Angeles, California, on June 13, 2025. AP Advertisement Last week, Johnson called for Chicagoans to 'rise up' against ICE and what he called immigration enforcement 'terrorism.' Chicago has received more than 51,000 migrants from the southern border since August 2022, many bussed from Texas under GOP Gov. Greg Abbott's relocation effort. The latest tensions come after Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker testified before Congress last week in defense of the state's sanctuary city policies. The mayor's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'No Kings' organizers set next protest date. White House called June 14 'utter failure'
A coalition of organizations behind the nationwide "No Kings" protests announced another day of action under the name "Good Trouble Lives On." In a June 16 call, organizers debriefed on the events of June 14, where the American Civil Liberties Union says more than 5 million people turned out across about 2,100 communities in the U.S. The protests fell on Trump's 79th birthday and coincided with the Army's 250th anniversary parade in Washington. D.C. " 'Where do we go from here' is a famous line from a Dr. King speech," Barbara Arnwine with Transformative Justice Coalition said on the call. "And where we go from here is July the 17th... We're going to make good trouble because good trouble lives on and we will not stop until we win: no kings, no tyrants, no despots." "Good trouble" is a term coined by the late Congressman John Lewis, and July 17 will mark five years since his death, the movement's website states. A map of events shows there are more than 60 demonstrations planned for that day as of June 17. "Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of action to respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration," the website states. "Together, we'll remind them that in America, the power lies with the people." Are people protesting more than usual? 'Jaw-dropping' number planned on Trump's birthday Trump did not post about the protests on his social media site Truth Social. But the White House did weigh in on the protests in a statement on X. "The so-called No Kings protests have been a complete and utter failure with minuscule attendance. It is sad Democrats and liberals would rather support criminals and illegals instead of celebrating the 250th anniversary of our great U.S. Army and Flag Day," communications director Steven Cheung wrote. "But many more Americans are commemorating our brave military men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice and who those continue to serve our country." The American Civil Liberties Union, one of the co-organizers of the protests, estimated that more than 5 million people participated in about 2,100 demonstrations across the U.S. '(Saturday's) protests are a resounding message that people across the nation will not be intimidated by President Trump's fear tactics. Americans are brave, democracy loving people and will not sit idly by as the Trump administration feeds our Constitution into the shredder — nor will the ACLU,' ACLU chief political and advocacy officer Deirdre Schifeling said in a press release on June 14. Ezra Levin, co-founder of one of the organizing groups, Indivisible, called it one of the largest protests in American history. "Blue states, red states, purple states, city centers, suburbs, rural have friends everywhere," he said on the June 16 call. USA TODAY reached out to organizers for this story. Contributing: James Powell, Sarah D. Wire, Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY Network Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No Kings protest date set for July: When is it, theme?
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ohio Republicans to introduce bill that would treat abortion as homicide and ban all procedures in the state
Ohio Republicans are introducing a bill to ban all abortions in the state by classifying the procedure as homicide. Representatives Levi Dean and Johnathan Newman are set to introduce the "Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act' on Wednesday, which would classify abortion as homicide. Austin Beigel, founder of End Abortion Ohio, told The Independent the bill will 'make a positive affirmation of the personhood of the pre-born.' In 2023, Ohio residents voted to enshrine abortion access in the state Constitution. Since then, judges have struck down legislation that seeks to limit or ban abortion access despite the amendment. The legislation will almost certainly face legal challenges if it passes. Beigel told The Independent the goal of the bill is to 'create an immediate conflict between our state's the U.S. Constitution, which declares that no state may deprive a person of life, liberty or property without due process of the law.' Beigel hopes legal challenges to the bill could rise as far as the Supreme Court. The bill could also end in vitro fertilization in the state and ban some forms of contraception, including IUDs, The Columbus Dispatch reports. Beigel said IVF clinics 'will not be able to operate the way they are right now' under the legislation, but noted the bill does not mention contraception. Several abortion rights advocates — and even some anti-abortion activists — have come out against the bill. Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said his organization doesn't support the bill. 'We have never supported criminalizing a woman for having an abortion, and we never will,' Gonidakis told the Dispatch. 'It's completely out of bounds and inappropriate.' "This isn't even a Hail Mary," he added. "It's a strategy that won't be successful at the legislative level and it's a strategy that won't be successful at the judicial level." Beigel said End Abortion Ohio doesn't align with Ohio Right to Life: 'We do not have the same goals, because Ohio Right to Life does not want to abolish abortion, they want to regulate abortion.' Kellie Copeland, executive director of the advocacy group Abortion Forward, called the bill's supporters 'out-of-touch anti-abortion extremists.' "This would strip Ohioans' ability to make decisions for our lives, health and well-being, including banning all abortion care, banning some types of birth control, and denying IVF treatment that helps people build their families,' Copeland told the Dispatch. The Supreme Court enshrined abortion access as a Constitutional right in the 1973 case Roe v Wade. But the nation's highest court overturned the ruling in 2022 with its 6-3 decision on Dobbs v Jackson. Since then, abortion has been banned in 12 states, while six states have instituted a gestational limit between six and 12 weeks. But most people don't know they're pregnant until their first missed period, which means many don't find out until after six weeks. Georgia is one of the states which bans abortion after six weeks. There, Atlanta resident Adriana Smith was kept alive on life support for months after doctors declared her brain dead so she could carry out her pregnancy. Her family says doctors kept her on life support due to the gestational limit law. The 30-year-old was two months pregnant when she was declared brain-dead in February. Her family said she gave birth via C-section on June 13 to a baby boy. The Independent has contacted End Abortion Ohio, Dean and Newman for comment.
