Elections

UPDATE Trump Administration Layoffs on Advice of DOGE Worry Bronx Vets

By DAVID GREENE
Hours after rumors circulated on social media on Feb. 13 that members of the new U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), run by unelected billionaire Elon Musk, a special federal government employee, would visit the Bronx VA Medical Center in Fordham Manor on Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the dismissal of 1,000 employees at unspecified VA sites across the country. 

Inquiring Photographer: Opinions on DOJ Dropping Bribery Charges for Now Against Eric Adams

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
This week, we asked readers their opinion on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) memo dated Monday, Feb. 10, directing the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York to drop the bribery and corruption charges formally brought against New York City Mayor Eric Adams last year, which resulted from a 2023 investigation into his 2021 mayoral election campaign and related campaign financing. As reported, the mayor had his iphones and other devices seized by federal agents in November 2023 as part of that investigation.

UPDATE Feds Hit NY Politicians but Not Mayor with Lawsuit over Alleged Ice Raid Tip Offs, Prosecutor Resigns

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday evening, Feb. 12, that federal authorities have filed a lawsuit against New York State, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James and NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner Mark Schroeder over its “Sanctuary City” status and “Green Light” law amid reports of tip-offs being given to undocumented immigrants of the ongoing federal raids being carried out by U.S. Department of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies across New York State in recent weeks.

UPDATE Mayor Addresses New Yorkers after DOJ Dismisses Bribery Charges, for Now

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an address to New Yorkers on Tuesday, Feb. 11, in response to a memo by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) dated Monday, Feb. 10, in which department officials directed “Acting U.S. Attorneys and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York” to drop, for now, the federal bribery and corruption charges brought against the mayor last year. Adams reduced the federal case to “a months-long saga” and an “unnecessary ordeal” for him, his family, and the City of New York.

Fear Palpable among Immigrant Community as Feds Converge on Bronx amid ICE Raids

By DAVID GREENE
Federal agents from a host of different law enforcement agencies converged last month on at least three locations in The Bronx, one in Manhattan, and another in Queens in efforts to detain undocumented migrants. The raids came days after Republican U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 22, suspending “the physical entry of aliens engaged in an invasion of the United States through the southern border.” This order had, in turn, followed a prior Jan. 20 executive order authorizing the detention of “unregistered aliens,” among other immigration-related actions.

Mayor Appoints Marjorie Velázquez to Tenant Protection Role

By DAVID GREENE
Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams last month announced 17 new appointments and promotions within City government to fill various vacancies. The appointments come as the City Hall exodus continues, and amid a federal bribery probe into the mayor’s 2021 election campaign that continues to cast a shadow over his administration. The mayor denies any wrongdoing and his case is ongoing.