Latest news with #D-Bronx
New York Post
12 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Mayor Adams claims he doesn't know antisemitic influencer Sneako after baffling Gracie Mansion cigar smoking hangout
He must have snuck in? Mayor Eric Adams admitted Monday that the hateful influencer Sneako wasn't vetted before the antisemite visited Gracie Mansion for a chummy late-night interview that drew outrage from critics. Adams said he didn't know Sneako's bigoted views and cast the friendly Saturday night sitdown over cigars as an unfortunate byproduct of his willingness to chat with 'anyone and everyone.' Advertisement 'I don't know the young man,' Adams told reporters. 'I'm not familiar with his streaming at all.' He said he was smoking a cigar with his rapper and podcaster son Jordan Coleman on the back porch of Gracie Mansion when unspecified 'other people' joined him, who 'brought people with them.' 4 Mayor Eric Adams distanced himself Monday from antisemitic influencer Sneako. Gregory P. Mango Advertisement 4 Adams and Sneako smoked cigars and chatted Saturday at Gracie Mansion. X/@sneako Sneako — whose real name is Nicolas 'Nico' Kenn De Balinthazy, 26 — was apparently among the group of strangers, leading to the bizarre spectacle Saturday of New York City's mayor sitting down with a streamer who has declared 'Down with the Jews!' The interview prompted a torrent of criticism for Adams, including from prominent Israel ally Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx), who posted on social media with disgust: 'Who's next on the guest list — David Duke?' Adams, while speaking to reporters at unrelated event with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch about the department's new quality of life initiative, contended the interview was unplanned. Advertisement '(Sneako) was one of the people that engaged in that conversation,' Adams said. 'I didn't know his history.' Controversial influencer Amber Rose, who has become a vocal supporter of President Trump, was among the people present during the Gracie Mansion smoking session-turned-interview. Coleman told The Post that his dad met Rose at a dinner earlier that week. He said Adams was also excited to practice for a future podcast with him. Advertisement 'Not sure how Sneako got involved!' Coleman said. Rose, in a tweet featuring The Post's coverage of the cigar summit, defended Sneako and ripped the affair as 'FAKE NEWS!!!' 'I was there and know @sneako!!' she posted on X. 'He's a Jew! Liarrrrrsss why are you trying to sabotage @NYCMayor???' 4 Influencer Amber Rose also attended the Gracie Mansion smoking session. X/@sneako 4 Sneako has been banned from Twitch for 'extreme hateful content.' James Keivom Sneako's bigoted history includes being banned from Twitch for 'extreme hateful conduct,' praising accused rapist misogynist Andrew Tate and cultivating ties with white nationalist Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, as well as the Hitler-loving rapper formerly known as Kanye West. The interview was all the more baffling given Adams' plan to run for re-election on an 'EndAntiSemitism' party line and action highlighting his stance against hatred of Jewish people. When asked about whether Sneako should have been vetted more, Adams said 'yes' and embarked on a long tangent about his openness to engage with all New Yorkers, including high schoolers. Advertisement 'Hindsight is 20-20,' he said. 'One of the downsides of my style of mayoralty, I engage with everyone,' Adams said. 'My team criticizes me all the time. They criticize me when I give my phone number to high school students to text me when there's a problem. They criticize that I'm willing to sit in the room with anyone and everyone.' Adams hinted if he had known Sneako's hateful stances, he still would have conducted the interview to push back against them. 'I've been extremely strong on hate in this city of any kind, not only for Jewish residents. I fought against Islamaphobia, anti-Sikhism, anti-LGBTQ+ criticism,' he said. Advertisement 'And so I wish I would have known his stances, because I would've loved to have engaged in a conversation with him on that. But I'm open to sit down and be interviewed by anyone, because I'm clear on my message of fighting hate.' Tisch, who is Jewish, gave an unsolicited endorsement of Adams' personal commitment to antisemitism. 'In a world where so many people who have public voices have abandoned the Jewish people, have allowed the rhetoric around Jews and the state of Israel to shift from outrage to incitement, in a world where we've seen hate crimes against Jews go up 80% in 20 months, Mayor Eric Adams has been unwavering and strong and true to his commitments from day one,' she said. — Additional reporting by Nicole Rosenthal
New York Post
30-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
New York inches closer to legal-suicide madness — gov, you gotta stop it!
Albany's progressives have taken one step closer to utterly surrendering what little remains of their moral center: The Assembly, as threatened by Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), passed a monstrous bill legalizing assisted suicide. As it stands, the bill is restricted to mentally competent adults with a terminal diagnosis and six months or less to live, allowing them to ask for and be prescribed drugs that will kill them. Proponents sell such bills with pablum, such as: Who are we to interfere with anyone's choices? And it's the compassionate thing to do! Never mind that suicide just isn't that hard to do, that no one needs an MD's help to do it, nor that such laws inevitably pressure doctors to ignore their own ethics, including the Hippocratic oath. But the biggest lie of all is: It's limited in scope to those already dying. Why do you even care? Because the suicide enthusiasts inevitably move on from these laws to campaigning to extend 'voluntary' euthanasia to others. Like Zoraya ter Beek, a physically healthy young woman in the Netherlands, who was allowed to kill herself because of depression. Sometimes, the enthusiasm of the state to 'assist' people into suicide takes on fiscal-savings overtones, as with the case of Canadian paralympian Christine Gauthier: The government tried to get her to kill herself after she asked for a wheelchair ramp to be installed at her house. In America, advocates have gotten bills into various state legislatures meant to expand the range of people allowed to prescribe the deadly drugs (in the case of Vermont, they want some non-doctors to be able to do it). Happily, the New York bill saw significant Dem breakaway during Assembly passage, with around 20 crossing the aisle to vote 'nay,' including Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-Erie). And Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousin is being coy about the bill's prospects in her house. Gov. Hochul, your path is clear. If the bill reaches your desk, veto it; there's plenty of opposition even within your own party. Don't let another exercise in faux compassion devalue human life in the Empire State even more.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some progress made on discovery reforms as state budget talks continue
Apr. 15—ALBANY — Some progress has been made on the state budget, as lawmakers passed another extender to fund state government to Thursday. Now 17 days overdue, Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul and the legislative leaders, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, D-Bronx, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea A. Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, have been hammering away at a handful of policy issues in the budget. Hochul and the lawmakers debated a mask ban, a change to the state's involuntary commitment laws for mentally ill people on the streets, and a statewide school cellphone ban. Most controversially, lawmakers have been discussing a plan to tweak language in the state's discovery laws to undo a small part of the 2019 reforms that gave prosecutors strict deadlines and transparency requirements when turning over evidence to the defense in a criminal trial. In that discovery debate, Hochul took the side of district attorneys and the victims of crimes, seeking to connect the issue with cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse. The lawmakers, representing the concerns of their Democratic-led chambers, pushed back. Some lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly said they'd reject any reforms, while others said what the governor originally wanted was too much but they'd be open to other possible changes. At issue is her ask that a part of the law be changed to narrow the focus of what evidence a prosecutor has to turn over to the defense. The law currently requires all "related" evidence, which includes many items that have little to no bearing on the case collected over the course of the investigation. Hochul wants to change that to "relevant," which she says would help cut the volume of evidence the prosecution has to process and hand over to the defense. Additionally, Hochul wants to permit less severe penalties when the prosecution misses a deadline to turn over evidence they've collected, and remove the automatic dismissal statute. She also wants to set a deadline for when the defense can file a complaint over the prosecution's conduct in discovery of 35 days. Heastie told reporters in the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon that he'd been meeting with DAs in New York City over the long Passover weekend, and he and his conference had presented the framework of a deal on discovery reforms to the governor. "We have a framework on having the discovery issues resolved," he said. The governor, meanwhile, was delivering remarks defending her discovery proposals in Kingston, Ulster County, and when asked, told reporters that she was eager to review what the deal was. "I believe there are conversations going on as we speak, which is why I'm anxious to get back to the Capitol," she told reporters in the Hudson Valley city. "There could be a resolution in sight." Discovery has been the main issue holding up progress on the budget in recent days, as Heastie and Stewart-Cousins have told reporters. Hochul has pushed hard on the topic, holding up final passage of the budget and suggesting even this week that the budget could drag on until May. She's maintained that New Yorkers don't care about the budget being passed on time. "I have yet to be asked by a regular New Yorker, who's not a member of the press corps, why the budget is taking so long," she said Monday at a press conference in New York City. "They don't care." Progress could come as early as Wednesday, but lawmakers aren't scheduled to be back in session in the Senate or Assembly until Thursday.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams heads Black History Month event — but Mayor Eric Adams a no-show
NYC Mayor Eric Adams was a no-show at a Black History Month event on Saturday while Council Speaker Adrienne Adams used the Staten Island gathering to rip President Donald Trump — and potentially raise her political stock while eyeing a mayoral run. 'We are prepared to defend against the backlash by the Trump administration that wants to erase our contribution and history and opportunities,' claimed Speaker Adams while addressing about 100 people at First Central Baptist Church's Black History Month Town Hall. The speaker has called on the mayor to resign since Trump's Department of Justice controversially scuttled the mayor's federal corruption case last week. She's also being pushed by state Attorney General Letitia James and other allies as an alternate choice for moderate Democratic voters – especially blacks – to the embattled mayor and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a James adversary who is expected to announce a mayoral run. However, the Council under the speaker's leadership has continued to push a staunch far-left agenda on public safety, immigration and other key issues — many in opposition to Mayor Adams. After her Trump tirade, Speaker Adams laughed off questions about running in the Democratic mayoral primary, saying 'We haven't made any decision yet, but thank you for asking.' The church's pastor, Rev. Demetrius S. Carolina, said Mayor Adams, NYC's second black mayor, was invited 'but he [had] a lot of things on his schedule.' Other mayoral candidates who attended the event included Comptroller Brad Lander and former state Assemblyman Michael Blake (D-Bronx). '[Mayor Adams] is running scared,' Blake told The Post. 'I'm running for mayor to help the people. If he won't show up in all places, he has no business running.' 'Mayor Adams has spoken at First Central Baptist Church before and would have loved to attend again today to celebrate Black History Month,' said his spokesperson Kayla Mamelak. 'While his schedule couldn't allow it this afternoon, he looks forward to joining them again soon.'
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Albany unveils plan that could keep NY-21 seat vacant until November
Feb. 7—A plan to change the timeline for special elections, and most likely the election to replace Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, has been unveiled. Late Friday afternoon, lawmakers filed a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Andrea A. Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, D-Bronx, that would allow the governor of New York to schedule a special election to replace a congressional representative on the general election date of that year, which this year is Nov. 4. If passed before Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, resigns from her position representing New York's 21st Congressional District, that could mean the north country would go without a representative in Congress for almost the entire legislative session in Washington, D.C. In a statement, Stewart-Cousins said that the legislation comes as a response to concerns over affordability and high costs. Advocates of changing the timeline have expressed concerns over the costs of running another election in the case of special elections. "Right now, New Yorkers are facing unprecedented challenges including the strain on our democracy and our high cost of living. At a time when people need our government to work more efficiently, this legislation is a common-sense approach that saves taxpayer dollars while maximizing voter turnout," she said. "In this moment of national uncertainty, we must protect democratic participation while ensuring the government remains fiscally responsible. This legislation achieves both." While Democrats have expressed concerns over unnecessary costs and voter turnout, Republicans are accusing them of corruption and plotting to deprive the north country of its representative in Congress. In a statement, Republican Senate Minority Leader Robert G. Ortt II said that this bill is a blatant attempt to play politics with NY-21, whose representative is on a clear path to resignation ahead of her appointment to the United Nations ambassadorship for the Trump administration. There are already two vacancies in Congress, both Republican seats, and Republican control in Washington is only secured by three votes as of now. While the two vacancies are likely to be filled with Republicans by April, keeping the likely Republican NY-21 seat vacant until November keeps Republican control in the House on thin ice for longer. "This bill isn't about fairness, democracy, or saving money," Ortt said. "This is the Democrats telling the voters of New York to go to hell. These shameless Albany politicians can't win on their disastrous policies like sky-high crime, out-of-control taxes, or an illegal migrant crisis they created, so they're resorting to using Albany swamp tactics." While her nomination to become U.N. ambassador has passed the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations with bipartisan support, the full Senate floor vote to confirm her is not scheduled yet, and Republicans have been talking about delaying it to keep her vote in the House until at least April. If she does resign in April, the governor would be able to schedule the special election for seven months later, and the eventual winner would take office almost immediately after Nov. 4. That would mean the region has no representation as lawmakers debate government spending, the next five-year Farm Bill and the continued work of President Donald J. Trump to reshape the American government and implement his agenda. The region would also have no representative able to provide constituent work — helping residents with passports, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, or other interactions with the federal government. Assembly Minority Leader William A. Barclay, R-Pulaski, said in a statement that he feels this legislation warrants intervention. "We see bad bills on a daily basis in Albany, but a maneuver so blatantly corrupt is more rare," he said. "This needs to be investigated, litigated, and shut down by any means necessary."
