Latest news with #EndAntiSemitism
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Meet the 12 NYC Mayoral candidates: What they stand for in the 2025 race
Image credits: Getty Images The NYC mayoral candidates are making headlines in the news every other day. The 12 candidates who come from a variety of cultural, educational and life backgrounds are leaving no stone unturned to be considered the shining star who will change the future of New York City for the better. Who are these candidates and what are their campaigning ideas that separate them from their contenders? Let's take a closer look. Eric Adams Image credits: Getty Images A warrior back to the battlefield. Eric Adams was the former mayor of NYC who faced a historic indictment. Recently, a judge accepted a request from Trump's Justice Department to dismiss corruption charges against him and now Adams is running for re-election as an independent. Before becoming the mayor, he was an officer in the New York City Transit Police and the New York City Police Department. Campaign : Adams is campaigning for a "safer, more affordable city," and "EndAntiSemitism" ballot lines in November. Andrew Cuomo Image credits: Getty Images Andrew Cuomo previously served as the 56th Governor of New York. He completed a law degree from Albany Law School in 1982 and headed the Transition Committee for the then Governor-Elect Mario Cuomo, his father and also served as his advisor. He is also the founder of the non-profit Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged (HELP) and has served as HUD Secretary and New York State Attorney General. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Campaign : He is focusing on the issues of affordability, education and childcare, public safety, subway safety, housing, mental health, addiction and homelessness, health and wellness, combating antisemitism, economic development, and a clean and livable city. Zohran Mamdani Image credits: Getty Images Zohran Mamdani, is a New York State Assembly member from Queens. One of the distinctive factors about him is his pro-Palestine stance which he isn't shy about. He completed his bachelor's in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College in 2014 and has already made history as the first South Asian man elected to the New York State Assembly, and the first Ugandan and third Muslim to hold a seat there. Campaign : Mamdani is aiming to freeze the rent, make buses and child care free, launch a Department of Community Safety and create city-owned grocery stores among other things. Brad Lander Image credits: Getty Images Brad Lander is currently serving as the New York City Comptroller and has run housing organizations like the Fifth Avenue Committee and the Pratt Center for Community Development. He is a member of the Democratic Party and has previously worked at the City Council as the Deputy Leader for Policy. Campaign : His top priorities are to get seriously mentally ill people off the streets and subways and build affordable housing. Additionally, he has his focus on restoring funding to early childhood education and executing capital projects management among other things. Adrienne Adams Image credits: Getty Images Adrienne Adams currently serves as the Speaker of the New York City Council. She is the first-ever African American speaker and leads the first women-majority council in NYC. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Spelman College and previously worked in corporate executive training, human capital management and childcare training. Campaign : She aims to make the city safe and affordable, especially for families and children. Scott Stringer Image credits: Getty Images Scott Stringer is one of the nine candidates who qualified to participate in the debate on NBC New York. He is a former NYC Comptroller and a Democratic Party candidate. He has previously served as a state assemblyman, and Manhattan Borough president. Campaign : Scott's plans include public safety and quality of life, ethics and corruption, housing, childcare, sanitation, protecting NYC from the Trump administration, residential options for families, activities for youth, international business and events and more. Jessica Ramos Image credits: Getty Images Jessica Ramos has been serving as the New York State Senator for the past six years, representing District 13. She also chairs the Senate Committee on Labor. Born in Elmhurst and raised in Astoria, she is the first American-born in her family. Recently, she also served as the Director for Latino Media for New York City. Campaign : She is aiming for affordable housing, safe and reliable public transit, protection for workers, a clean future, universal child care, quality education and secure healthcare. Zellnor Myrie Image credits: Getty Images State Senator Zellnor Myrie is currently serving the 20th District. He is also the chair of the Elections Committee. He previously worked as a legislative director in the New York City Council and also made use of his law degree from Cornell Law School by working at Davis Polk & Wardwell for a year. Campaign : He proposes to build and preserve 1 million homes in NYC, ensuring public safety, creating universal and free after-school programs, working for the black community and more. Michael Blake Image credits: Getty Images Michael Blake is a politician and member of the Democratic Party. He formerly served as a New York Assemblyman from the 79th district and was the Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee. He also served as the Iowa deputy political director for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential elections. Campaign : He is aiming for affordable housing for middle-class families, schooling for children, guaranteed jobs, safer neighbourhoods and a sustainable future. Whitney Tilson Image credits: Getty Images Whitney Tilson is a Democrat who has previously worked as a consultant, managed a hedge fund, worked as an editor at Stansberry Research, and co-authored three books. He was also the founding member of Team For America and has served on the finance committees of Barack Obama and Cory Booker. Campaign : As a mayor, he promises to revitalize the economy, tackle affordable housing, cut crime by 50%, hire 5,000 more police officers, end homelessness by expanding the shelter system, and fix public schools. Jim Walden Image credits: Getty Images Jim Walden is an attorney who has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. After entering private practice he has represented several popular faces such as UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. Campaign : He wants to tackle corruption, create jobs, and focus on housing production among other things. Curtis Silwa Image credits: Getty Images American activist and radio show host, founder and chief executive officer of Guardian Angles, Curtis Silva dons many hats. He was the Republican nominee for the 2021 NYC mayoral elections where he lost to Eric Adams. This is his second time running for the post as the party's nominee. Campaign : He aims to combat crime, expand the police department, and oppose migrant shelters and e-bikes.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC Mayor Adams signs business agreement with Israel, blasts calls for divesting from country amid Gaza war
NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams signed a business engagement agreement with Israel's government on Monday, seeking to draw a sharp contrast with local progressive Democrats calling for divesting from the country over its military campaign in Gaza. Adams, who has centered his reelection bid on a need to combat antisemitism in the city, signed the agreement with Israeli Economic Minister Nir Barkat while appearing together at The Jerusalem Post conference in Manhattan. The agreement establishes a council, staffed by City Hall and Israeli government reps, tasked with finding ways to 'enhance economic cooperation.' Specifically, the panel will 'support Israeli companies' seeking to set up shop in New York, with a focus on firms in the artificial intelligence, life sciences and environmental innovation sectors, per the agreement. The war in Gaza has prompted growing calls across the globe for sanctions against Israel. In New York, progressive politicians, including mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, have voiced support for pulling U.S. funding and investments from Israel. In remarks before signing the agreement, Adams pushed back against those calls and aligned himself with Israel, while referring to Barkat, a member of Netanyahu's ruling right-wing party, as his 'good friend' and 'brother.' 'Several politicians in this city and some running for mayor have called for the disinvestment in Israel. Well, they got another thing coming,' he said, adding that the city will continue to foster business ties with Israel 'as long as I am mayor.' Adams has made support for Israel a key focus of his bid for a second term, an effort that stands to curry favor with the city's politically influential Jewish Orthodox community. Amid fallout from the Trump administration's controversial dismissal of his corruption indictment, Adams dropped out of the Democratic mayoral primary last month and announced he's instead seeking reelection as an independent in November's general election, running on an 'EndAntiSemitism' ballot line. Monday's announcement comes after Adams launched a new Office to Combat Antisemitism last week that he says will, in part, focus on pulling any city funding from nonprofits his administration deems antisemitic. _____
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mayor Adams signs business agreement with Israel, blasts calls for divesting from country amid Gaza war
Mayor Adams signed a business engagement agreement with Israel's government on Monday, seeking to draw a sharp contrast with local progressive Democrats calling for divesting from the country over its military campaign in Gaza. Adams, who has centered his reelection bid on a need to combat antisemitism in the city, signed the agreement with Israeli Economic Minister Nir Barkat while appearing together at the Jerusalem Post conference in Manhattan. The agreement establishes a council, staffed by City Hall and Israeli government reps, tasked with finding ways to 'enhance economic cooperation.' Specifically, the panel will 'support Israeli companies' seeking to set up shop in New York, with a focus on firms in the artificial intelligence, life sciences and environmental innovation sectors, per the agreement. The war in Gaza has prompted growing calls across the globe for sanctions against Israel. In New York, progressive politicians, including mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, have voiced support for pulling U.S. funding and investments from Israel. In remarks before signing the agreement, Adams pushed back against those calls and aligned himself with Israel, while referring to Barkat, a member of Netanyahu's ruling right-wing party, as his 'good friend' and 'brother.' 'Several politicians in this city and some running for mayor have called for the disinvestment in Israel. Well, they got another thing coming,' he said, adding that the city will continue to foster business ties with Israel 'as long as I am mayor.' Adams has made support for Israel a key focus of his bid for a second term, an effort that stands to curry favor with the city's politically influential Jewish Orthodox community. Amid fallout from the Trump administration's controversial dismissal of his corruption indictment, Adams dropped out of the Democratic mayoral primary last month and announced he's instead seeking reelection as an independent in November's general election, running on an 'EndAntiSemitism' ballot line. Monday's announcement comes after Adams launched a new Office to Combat Antisemitism last week that he says will, in part, focus on pulling any city funding from nonprofits his administration deems antisemitic.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Adams considering pulling city contracts for organizations the city deems antisemitic
NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams is considering pulling city contracts for organizations his administration deems antisemitic, he said on CNN Friday. Adams told the network's Wolf Blitzer he wants his new Office to Combat Antisemitism to look at 'any agencies within the city that (are) having any form of procurement contracts with entities that are dealing with hate or antisemitism.' An Adams administration source, who spoke to the Daily News on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said Friday that internally, some officials are concerned the new office will be used to revoke city funds for Muslim and Arab community groups that have been outspoken in condemning Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Adams' stated mission also echoes that of President Donald Trump's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism — which is seeking to crack down on alleged antisemitism in higher education by pulling millions of dollars in funding from universities. Kayla Mamelak, Adams' spokeswoman, said defunding organizations isn't the primary goal of the office, but added the mayor is not ruling out the idea. Mamelak rejected any similarities to Trump's task force, saying the mayor's office aims to take a holistic approach by holding meetings and educational courses about antisemitism. Mamelak also pointed to previous comments from the mayor on the importance of free speech. Adams first hinted at the funding plans at a Tuesday news conference. During a Thursday appearance on Israeli news channel i24News, Adams said he wants the new office to 'clearly' define antisemitism so city funding can be pulled from any nonprofit 'that is not clear on stamping out hate in general, but specifically antisemitism.' The mayor's comments also come after the cancellation of a Kehlani concert in Central Park related to 'security concerns' over the singer's support of Palestine, where First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro warned the organization hosting the show that its operational license could be revoked. Adams, who's seeking reelection this year on an independent 'EndAntiSemitism' ballot line, said Tuesday he launched the office in response to a rise in anti-Jewish hate crimes. 'This rise in hate against Jewish New Yorkers is deeply alarming and must end now,' Mamelak said. 'Mayor Adams' Office to Combat Antisemitism will focus on proactive, upstream solutions to address the root causes of this hate.' The new office is solely staffed by its executive director, although an administration source said plans are underway to hire more staff. Besides his veiled funding threats, Adams said Thursday the office will propose legislation to the City Council to enact a 'complete ban' on wearing masks in public, and he connected the need for such a ban to pro-Palestine protests in the city. _____
Politico
15-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
Un-renewable goals
Presented by Solving Hunger RENEWABLE RESET: President Donald Trump's quashing of offshore wind projects — on top of rising costs for new renewables, affordability concerns and growing electricity demand — have put New York's 2030 target for 70 percent renewables out of reach. But the state's Public Service Commission, which is responsible for achieving the goal, declined to make that official Thursday, POLITICO Pro reports today. Instead, the commission tweaked current policies and kicked off a wholesale review of the state's renewable energy development efforts, acknowledging the status quo hasn't succeeded. 'We have a wide array of challenges we need to overcome,' Public Service Commission Chair Rory Christian said at today's commission meeting. 'The dynamic realities of project development has shown us that we are taking what I view to be a measured approach towards putting ourselves in a position to meet those goals.' Rising costs, Trump's election and the sharp pivot in federal policy on renewables have made achieving decarbonization goals a far heavier lift — with the state and its residents likely paying more for the up-front investments needed. Environmental advocates have pushed for more aggressive action, but Gov. Kathy Hochul has been increasingly focused on voters' cost-of-living worries and has repeatedly raised concerns about rising utility bills in recent months. None of the commission's actions today will significantly close the shortfall in meeting the 70 percent goal on time. The order does boost the amount of onshore renewables the state will procure each year, extending that program through 2029. The commission's new order sets up additional battles over how to achieve the state's goals. It calls for more discussion about utility ownership of generation and future subsidies for existing nuclear power plants. In addition, the order requires a wholesale review of the longstanding procurement mechanism New York has – unsuccessfully – relied on to achieve its renewable goals. — Marie J. French From City Hall BANNER LEGISLATION: New York City Mayor Eric Adams is planning to push the City Council to ban masks to curb college protests over the Israel-Hamas war. 'Not only are individuals using these masks to carry out crimes, but also, when you see some of the protests in the street, many people are covering their faces,' he said during an interview on Israeli network i24NEWS. 'You saw it on the college campuses.' City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said the legislation would exempt mask wearing for religious or health reasons. Adams is pursuing a longshot reelection bid as an independent, planning to run on a new 'EndAntiSemitism' ballot line. The move is his attempt to snatch the calling card of Democratic mayoral frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, who called antisemitism a leading issue in the race. During today's interview, Adams said the state's new mask regulations — criminalizing wearing one while committing certain crimes, but not prohibiting them outright — fell short. 'We were hoping that we would have a strong piece of legislation to come out of Albany to deal with this issue,' he said. 'The legislation, I don't believe, goes far enough.' The mayor has long supported banning masks for protesters. His renewed zeal comes days after he announced the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism, an office that will focus on antisemitism and hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers, who make up 10 percent of the population but were victims of more than half the city's hate crimes last year. The mayor's predecessor, Bill de Blasio, launched the Mayor's Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes in 2019 in response to a spike in antisemitic incidents. It did not, however, have antisemitism in the name in a pivotal election year. A spokesperson for the City Council declined to comment. — Joe Anuta FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL EVERYBODY VS. CUOMO: Brad Lander slammed Cuomo for going soft on President Donald Trump and Adrienne Adams accused him of supporting the briefly in vogue 'defund the police' movement as the mayoral candidates focused their attacks on the Democratic primary's frontrunner today. Lander called on Cuomo to pledge he wouldn't seek or accept a pardon from Trump, regarding House Republicans' criminal referral accusing him of lying to congress about Covid. The city comptroller suggested Cuomo was pulling his punches on Trump so the president would quash the investigation. 'What good is a bully who's actually a chicken?' Lander said. He specifically cited Cuomo skipping a question about a mayor's Trump strategy on a recent candidate questionnaire as a proof point. The former governor has increasingly criticized the president on the campaign trail, though Lander provided a list of issues for which Cuomo has not condemned Trump, including his administration clawing back $80 million in migrant funds from the city. 'The stench of Brad Lander's desperation is so strong you can see it,' Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said on X. At a separate press conference during which Adrienne Adams introduced her public safety plan, she was asked about Cuomo's claim to be the only Democratic candidate who didn't want to defund the police. 'My take is to always fund the police, as we've done in every single city budget,' she said. But she also misrepresented Cuomo's record while trying to turn it back on him, saying, 'It's interesting, because the former governor actually praised the defund movement, and he actually took away money from the NYPD in 2020, via executive order.' Cuomo called 'defund' a 'legitimate school of thought' in 2021, but before that and since had criticized the slogan and the movement behind it. And while Cuomo signed a 2020 executive order threatening public funding for police departments if they didn't institute reforms, no funding was ever cut, Azzopardi said. Azzopardi called Adrienne Adams' claim 'a straight up lie.' — Jeff Coltin RESCIND CUOMO'S FUNDS: Election reform advocates and lawmakers asked the New York City Campaign Finance Board to take even more drastic action than it already has regarding Cuomo's potential coordination with a super PAC supporting him, Fix the City. 'They must do more to protect the public and the campaign finance system.' said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, a nonprofit focused on government accountability. 'Until the Cuomo campaign stops trying to scam New York and follows along, the Campaign Finance Board must send a clear message: no more public money.' The board had already denied Cuomo's campaign more than $600,000 in matching funds, alleging coordination with Fix the City over an ad buy of the same amount. It nevertheless approved a payment of more than $1.5 million. Fix the City later spent $675,000 on another ad buy. Council Member Lincoln Restler, who endorsed a slate against Cuomo, has introduced legislation to give the board more oversight over candidates' fundraising. 'I have introduced a package of legislation that would give the CFB more authority to hold bad actors like Andrew Cuomo accountable,' Restler said, noting that the measures would give regulators the authority to withhold funds if campaigns ignore information requests. He also aims to close loopholes around reporting intermediaries and cap how much money lobbyists and people doing business with the city can raise on behalf of campaigns. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said the campaign is confident it will get full matching funds. 'Our campaign has operated in full compliance with the campaign finance laws and rules, and everything on our website was reviewed and approved by our legal team in advance of publication,' Azzopardi said. — Cris Seda Chabrier. From the Capitol NEUTRAL PATH: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated again today he won't weigh in on his hometown's mayoral primary — and declined to speak about it at length. In fact, he kept his response to two words when a reporter in Washington asked whether he plans to make an endorsement before the June vote. 'I don't,' the Brooklyn official said, offering to take another question from the same reporter instead. Jeffries backed progressive mayoral candidate Maya Wiley in 2021 — unsurprising given his cool relationship with fellow Brooklyn Democrat Eric Adams, who won the race. The House minority leader told reporters in February in New York, 'I have no intention at this moment of endorsing anyone until a candidate emerges from the Democratic primary.' — Emily Ngo IN OTHER NEWS — SALT COULD STAY: House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested increased state and local tax deductions could be included in a Republican spending plan if Medicaid work requirements are implemented sooner. (NBC News) — TRUST ME, BRO: Antitrust legislation geared at making it easier for the state's attorney general and others to sue corporations like Amazon will not move out of an Assembly committee this year. (Bloomberg Government) — THAT NEVER HAPPENED: A document filed by the federal government in an apparent accident detailing the weaknesses of its congestion pricing case cannot be used in court. (The New York Times) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
