NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: Southern District Accused of Legal Malpractice, Adams’ Efforts to Destroy Illegal Guns, NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams Gets Key Endorsement and Progressives Battle for the Mayor’s Seat

Episode Date: April 24, 2025

There’s more turmoil swirling around the congestion pricing plan. Plus, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch destroyed more than 3,000 illegal guns at an event on Long Island this week. Plus, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ mayoral campaign recently picked up some significant endorsements. And finally, an inside look at New York City’s progressives’ battle to pick Zohran Mamdani or Brad Lander for mayor.

The Southern District of New York is accused of legal male practice. Mayor Adams pushes to destroy illegal guns. New York City Council Speaker Adrian Adams gets a key endorsement in the mayoral race and progressives battle for the mayor's seat. From WNYC, this is NYC now. I'm Jene Pierre. There's more turmoil swirling around the congestion pricing plan. The Southern District of New York had been defending the federal government's effort to

end the tolls. But on Wednesday night, lawyers from the Southern District accidentally published a document online that laid out their legal strategy. They told federal officials at the Department of Transportation it wasn't a strong case. Now, the Trump administration says they're taking the Southern District off the lawsuit. The Federal Department of Transportation is accusing the Southern District lawyers of legal malpractice. But the Southern District says it's an honest mistake. The MTA says they won't turn off the tolls until a judge orders them to do so. The case will now be defended by the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is touting his efforts to destroy illegal guns. Adams and police commissioner Jessica Tisch destroyed more than

3,000 illegal guns at an event on Long Island this week. The firearms, including handguns and nearly 200 rifles, were fed into a machine the mayor calls a gun chipper that reduced them to scrap metal. Destroying these guns are crucial. not only is substantive or ridden a gun off our street, but there's a level of symbolism that's attached to it. Adam says the medal produced by the guns will be donated to a New York City public school. Students in a welding program are expected to use the metal to make a memorial for those affected by gun violence. Adam says law enforcement has seized more than 21,000 illegal firearms since he took office.

And you'll likely hear that figure more and more as Mayor Adams seeks re-election. Speaking of the mayor's race, City Council Speaker Adrian Adams is trailing several other candidates in the polls. But WMYC's Bridget Bergen reports her mayoral campaign is picking up some significant endorsements, including a prominent booster who made an in-person appearance. Before Speaker Adams entered the mayor's race, New York Attorney General Letitia James made a few calls on her behalf. But James hasn't made any other public shows of support until now, praising her for focusing on. the needs of New Yorkers. I, Letitia James, who lives in New York.

A cheeky nod to a story about a home she helped a niece purchase in Virginia. Proudly endorses Adrian Adams for mayor of the city of New York. James made her support official alongside DC 37, one of the largest unions of city workers and two other city unions. As she accepted their support, Speaker Adams took direct aim at the leading candidate in the race. I keep saying that I live the way I legislate because I am my own favorite constituent, as selfish as that seems. I cannot represent my neighbor if I've never lived the life of my neighbor. Andrew Cuomo can't say that. As when she plans to join the speaker on the campaign trail again, James said they plan to visit black churches, where Cuomo has been a frequent visitor.

The Cuomo campaign responded with a statement praising the former governor from Bishop Orlando Findlayer who endorsed him. The primary is just two months from today. After the break, we continue our look at the crowded race for New York City Mayor. Stay close. Bradlander is one of the leading progressives and better-known candidates in the crowded race for New York City Mayor. But he's facing tough competition to his life. left. WMI sees Elizabeth Kim reports on his contest with assembly member Zoraamam Dhani, a candidate who's surging in the polls. The Park Slope Gym jukebox isn't your typical boxing club. The space is bright and sleek, but also quirky.

There's a black and white mural of a cheering section. The pink neon lighting is something you'd expect to see in a bar or a funky boutique. I'm here at 7.30 a.m. to watch City Controller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander. He's been boxing since 2016, and I've been invited to watch him go through his roughly hour-long workout, jumping, throwing punches, and catching his breath. When he's done, he needs to get back to work, which means filming a social media video for his campaign. I'm Brad Lander, and I'm fighting to be the next mayor of New York City. Lander is no stranger to New York City politics. As a controller, I've been fighting Eric Adams corruption, and there have been a lot of punches to throw. Prior to being elected controller in 2021, he spent 12 years in the city council, where he co-founded

the Progressive Caucus. But despite his left-leaning track record, Lander is fighting to win a first-choice endorsement from the Working Families Party, an influential progressive third party. Under a ranked choice election, voters can choose up to five candidates, but a first-rank endorsement could help progressives coalesce. The behind-the-scenes contest is forcing Lander, a 55-year-old policy wonk with a pension for dad jokes. What's a box's favorite drink? Punch. To up his game against a younger up-and-coming rival. Because the ideas we're fighting for are popular.

This month, for example, we got new polling that showed the two-thirds of New Yorkers. support city-owned grocery stores. Assembly members, Zoramam Dani, is a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist who's become the breakout candidate of the left. Despite having started his campaign as a relatively unknown state lawmaker from Western Queens, he's broken fundraising records gone viral on social media and has surprised many political observers by surging to second in the polls. Zoran Mamdani is one to watch coming in a solid second place behind a hypothetical.

Lander, meanwhile, has struggled to gain traction. A recent Siena poll places him in a three-way tie for third place at 6% after Mamdani, who's at 16%. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is leading the field at 34%. Still, Lander, like Mamdani, is on track to raise the maximum amount of money allowed under the city's matching funds program, which means he can get his message out. He's also someone who's a fixture in city politics, and he's focusing his campaign on voter and donor-rich districts like the Upper West Side. How you doing, sir? I'm Brad Lander. I'm running for mayor.

I watch Lander greet New Yorkers on the sidewalk outside a supermarket on 110th Street and Broadway. He meets Bill and Carol Miller, a couple who used to live in part slope, an area he represented in the city council and where he's lived for decades. We first met Brad Lander when he's. came knocking on our door when he was first running for city council. And then in 2016, he organized a wonderful community meeting in the temple. And we all went to that. It was so packed that a lot of people couldn't get in. I ask Miller what his number one issue is. Housing. Housing. And we have a very serious housing crisis. And the homeless problem,

a lot of other issues are all connected to housing. Lack of affordable housing. Both Mamdani and Lander are campaigning on making the city more affordable. Mamdani is pitching free buses and city subsidized grocery stores, while Lander is leaning into his history as an affordable housing advocate. Jaden Fisher-Dane is a 19-year-old Park Slope resident, and one of the younger New Yorkers I see engage with Lander. He spoke to every single one of my graduates. Elementary, 321, middle school, MS-51, and Beacon High School.

Fisher Dane is now a student at Cornell, but he's watching the race. closely from afar. I like Brad. I'm a pretty progressive voter myself. I think Brad is one of a few really good candidates for the upcoming mayoral election, and I'm excited to rank him down. I ask him who he's thinking about ranking first. Yeah, I'm a big fan of Zoran Mamdani's campaign.

I think he's running a stellar campaign. You know, I think Brad is similar and along those lines. So I like both of those candidates. I'm excited to rank both of them. But yeah, I just want to change for New York City. Don't want Eric Adams, don't want Andrew Cuomo. Back at the gym, I've just finished watching Lander go through a tough workout. Very impressive, Brad.

I think you and Andrew Cuomo should do a match for charity. Absolutely. In a heartbeat. Yeah, let's do that. He seems like a chicken to come out and debate us. Like, he won't come talk to us. Maybe he'll meet me in the ring. Gym owner, Carrie Shetter chimes in.

Yeah, I'm in. We got that. So, Mr. Cuomo, I would like to challenge you to please come join us for three. three-minute rounds with Mr. Brad Lander, your new New York City mayor. A spokesman for Cuomo scoffed at the challenge. But to get to Cuomo, Lander has to first get past Mom Dani. With Progressives set to battle it out over these two contenders, it's proof that politics is the ultimate blood sport.

That's WMYC's Elizabeth Kim. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMYC. I'm Junae Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.