WEDNESDAY, MAR. 5, 2025
Dear New Yorkers,
Mayor Eric Adams is in D.C. to testify at 10 a.m this morning before the House Oversight Committee as one of four “sanctuary city mayors” in what’s expected to be a brutal grilling from Republicans.
But Adams stands apart from fellow Democratic mayors Michelle Wu of Boston, Brandon Johnson of Chicago and Mike Johnston of Denver — and not just because Adams has openly questioned New York City’s laws barring most city government cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The mayor has recently become a high-profile partner of the Trump istration as it ramps up efforts to arrest, detain and deport immigrants — his part of a bargain in which the Trump Department of Justice is seeking to drop Adams’ federal corruption charges.
Live on camera, he’ll have to walk a tightrope: navigating between of Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert who are looking to draw blood, and New York City voters — many of whom are immigrants themselves.
The chair of the committee that called the hearing left no doubt about its objectives, saying that “state and local governments that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts should not receive a penny of federal funding.”
Will Adams align himself with the other sanctuary city mayors, or with the Trump istration?
Read more here for what he said yesterday about his testimony.
Weather 🌧️
High near 55 and breezy, with rain from the afternoon into the night.
MTA 🚇
The Flushing-bound 7 train skips 82 Street, 90 Street, 103 Street and 111 Street from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s suspended today, Mar. 5, for Ash Wednesday.
By the way…
The Bike Bus program, which shepherds kids through the city so they can bike to school, is starting up again for the Spring season — see if your house is along one of the routes here.
Our Other Top Stories
- Seven Justice Department Lawyers have quit, four top deputy mayors have stepped down and a growing list of elected officials, union heads and good government watchdogs have called on Adams to resign — all this since Feb. 10, when Trump’s acting AG Emil Bove ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors to dismiss all the pending charges against Adams. The uproar centers around allegations of “quid pro quo.” But what does that mean — and what does the Trump istration have to gain from this, anyway? Our guide breaks down the whole thing.
- In her fourth and final State of the City address on Tuesday, speaker Adrienne Adams highlighted the Council’s attempts to make the city more affordable, the plan to defend immigrant families from Trump’s “cruel crusade,” and a push to get more funding for the Parks Department. But she also used the address as a potential mayoral campaign speech — even taking direct shots at Eric Adams.
Reporter’s Notebook
Debt Grows as Food Prices Soar
Half of New York City residents have had to take on debt to pay for food, according to a survey by the anti-poverty group No Kid Hungry New York released Tuesday.
The poll comes as the House Republican budget plan approved last month envisions reductions in the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Some 1.8 million city residents rely on SNAP benefits, one third of whom are children and another third are seniors. Not surprisingly, two-thirds of the poll respondents opposed any cuts to SNAP and similar programs.
The group hurt the most statewide are Hispanic residents, with three-quarters saying they have had to take on debt to afford food. The poll, conducted by Change Research in early February, surveyed 1,569 New Yorkers statewide.
— Greg David
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
- Wednesday, Mar. 5: Celebrate Women’s History Month at the book launch of Songs She Wrote: 40 Hits by Pioneering Women of Popular Music. Hear from the author, and hear some musical performances! Manhattan, 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Mar. 6: As part of Water Works, a yearlong series of lectures and tours exploring the city’s water systems, hear from the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection about the infrastructure that operates behind the scenes to deliver more than a billion gallons of clean drinking water to New Yorkers a day. $15 general ission — SVA Theater in Manhattan, 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Mar. 6: Visit Wave Hill, a cultural center and botanical garden in The Bronx. ission is usually $10, but on Thursdays, it’s free! Last ission at 4 p.m.
THE KICKER: New Yorker Paul Tazewell is the first Black man to win the Oscar for best costume design — read this story from Gothamist about how he took inspiration from the city.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday.
Love,
THE CITY
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