On September 22, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order officially designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The order highlights Antifa’s involvement in violent, anarchist activities aimed at overthrowing the U.S. government and law enforcement through intimidation, coercion, and illegal tactics. The directive mandates federal agencies to investigate and dismantle Antifa-affiliated operations and funding networks. Citing a surge in violence—including assaults on ICE officers, attacks on journalists, and organized riots—Trump emphasized the urgent need to restore law and order across the country. This move underscores his administration’s broader campaign to combat domestic terrorism and protect American communities from politically motivated violence.
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Designates Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization
DESIGNATING ANTIFA AS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST ORGANIZATION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Order to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
The Order notes that Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law—using illegal means, including violence and terrorism, to accomplish these goals.
The Order directs the Federal government to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle all illegal operations conducted by Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa. It also calls for investigating, disrupting, and dismantling the funding sources behind such operations.
DISMANTLING ANTIFA’S USE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE: Antifa engages in coordinated efforts to obstruct enforcement of Federal laws, with the goal of achieving policy objectives by coercion and intimidation – this is domestic terrorism.
Antifa has engaged in armed standoffs with law enforcement, organized riots, violently assaulted ICE and other law enforcement officers, and engages in routine doxing of political figures and activists, threatening public safety.
ICE officers are now facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them.
An Antifa-affiliated group in Portland, Oregon, doxed ICE officers, publishing their names, pictures, and personal addresses online.
A journalist was violently assaulted by Antifa protestors while reporting on a protest in Portland.
Using pepper spray, baseball bats, and tasers, Antifa members violently attacked Trump supporters during a Patriot March in Pacific Beach, California.
The group recruits and radicalizes young Americans to engage in this violence and works to conceal identities of members and funding sources, frustrating law enforcement efforts.
Antifa’s efforts to advance political violence and suppress lawful political speech must be stopped.
RESTORING LAW AND ORDER: Every American deserves to be safe, and President Trump is dedicated to restoring law and order in communities across the United States.
President Trump: “I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices.”
President Trump has been relentless in his efforts to combat terrorism, from designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations to ordering military strikes on narcoterrorists.
President Trump has deployed Federal resources to stop the violence in our cities, including sending the National Guard to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Memphis.
In a detailed address, Governor Kathy Hochul laid out her strategy to bolster Albany and New York State’s economic outlook by tackling unemployment insurance debt and prioritizing workforce housing expansion. Emphasizing a pro-business stance, Hochul highlighted efforts to streamline regulations and invest in critical infrastructure, including clean energy projects like nuclear power. The governor also underscored initiatives to address labor shortages via expanded community college programs and spotlighted New York’s emergence as a tech hub with the Empire AI supercomputer investment. Hochul’s plan aims to drive job growth, enhance affordability, and position Albany as a competitive market for innovation and business development.
Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Business Council of New York’s Annual Meeting
Governor Hochul: “I kept building and building the reserves to get us to about an excess of 15 percent. And in so doing it gave me a chance to use that to do a one-time infusion of money to pay off the unemployment insurance debt that was born on the backs of our employers. And when I looked at some of the bills that they were paying based on the number of employees and how much it was adding up, whether you’re a small business or large, I said, ‘If there’s one pro-business thing I can do, that’ll have a massive impact across the state, it is eliminating this.’”
Hochul: “We need to build more housing for our workforce. And that’ll be a great lift for employers in Central New York. I just looked at some modular homes there that we’re looking to expand. They look like gorgeous homes by the way, you cannot tell the difference because I have 50,000 jobs coming to Central New York with Micron. So, all across the state, the demand is only growing.”
Earlier today, Governor Hochul delivered remarks at the Business Council of New York’s Annual Meeting.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Good morning everyone. Good morning. First of all, go Bills — I’m back Upstate. I can say that.
First of all, to Heather, leadership truly matters in all operations entities, government, certainly, but an organization like this where you have such credibility with your partners in government, it really makes a difference when you come to us. It’s reasonable, it’s well thought out. It is researched and I’m always proud we can find a pass together. And you were a very loud proponent and champion for the state to do something rather unprecedented, which is to dive into our reserves.
When I first became Governor, our reserves were about four percent. I had worked on 14 local government budgets and I knew that my Budget Director in the town of Hamburg always said we need to be about 15 percent. So, I kept building and building the reserves to get us to about an excess of 15 percent. And in so doing it gave me a chance to use that to do a one-time infusion of money to pay off the unemployment insurance debt that was born on the backs of our employers. And when I looked at some of the bills that they were paying based on the number of employees and how much it was adding up, whether you’re a small business or large, I said, “If there’s one pro-business thing I can do, that’ll have a massive impact across the state, it is eliminating this.” But Heather, I want to thank you and congratulate you on working so hard to get that over the finish line.
I know we have some representatives from the REDC. Marsha Gordon is here, the Co-Chair of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, and, of course, head of the Business Council of Westchester. And I know we have a number of elected officials in the room — John McDonald, Gary Warner, and Assemblymember Rivera — is still, or did you leave? You leave on me? Okay. Go Bills, there you go.
But I also know that you’ve been a little busy with the report. My team made sure I dissected it and read your analysis because I’m always looking for input from all perspectives and certainly the business perspective on what businesses like in New York is the most important to me to hear and to learn from. And I will say it talks about our strengths and it certainly points out the weaknesses, which I am very cognizant of.
You know my own family story, talk about how my dad worked at the steel plant, and struggled. I lived in Lackawanna, but eventually I talked about how he got a college degree. And over years having that credential allowed him to do something quite extraordinary when a few young guys talked to him about joining a company that was only a year old back in 1968. It was something known as a computer services company. How rare was that in Buffalo in 1968. So, my dad took the plunge at age 30 with five of his six little kids. And people at Bethlehem Steel thought he was crazy — that certainly they would go out of business and they did struggle. We had a lot of lean years, but eventually grew into a powerhouse of computer task group. And I know there’s many clients in this room. Because as a little kid, I used to go on the client calls. I went and visited Corning and Eastman Kodak and went around the state trying to just get business for him. So, you need to know in my heart there’s a very pro-business understanding and appreciation for the risks that’s involved and how the winds of change affect you, whether it’s out of Washington or tariffs and statewide policies.
And so, I’m very cognizant of that when I look at bills that people are encouraging me to pass. I also say, what is the impact on whomever, but always business as well when I think it’s going to have a — what is the impact? Are they involved? Do they have an alternative? Is there something else we can do to get to a position that is going to help our business and not hurt them. So, my philosophy has always been not just from my experience with my own failings, but also my siblings became serial entrepreneurs. They started businesses after businesses, and I was involved in serving as legal counsel to some of them. And so, I know what the regulations are, like I know what the stress is — like I know how to complain about the government, like every business does. But also now that I’m in government in a meaningful way, My job is to also make your jobs easier. You deserve to have a government that’s on your side, not on your back. And that’s what I’m going to continue fostering for the next many years in government.
So, you’ve heard some of the economic impact from Blake, I presume. He’s my Budget Director because he tells me how the winds are going and sometimes even though he looks like he’s perpetually happy and optimistic, I could see the clouds a little bit. And we certainly felt a lot of clouds and saw clouds across his face and indeed our state after July 4th when the dubbed Big Beautiful Bill that I can only call, the Big Ugly Bill was passed because Blake knew that was going to be a huge financial hit on us — what Washington did, and healthcare being in the line of fire number one.
It is a $13.5 billion hit to healthcare systems with the loss of Medicaid subsidies. The State of New York lost $7.5 billion in subsidies like that. We have to make up $3 billion next year, even just this year, midyear — figure out how to come up with the loss of $750 million. So, we have been working intensely on how to do this with minimal pain to people who’ve come to rely on these services.
We’ve had more than our share coming our way unanticipated out of Washington and that takes up a lot of my staff’s time and effort. But, we’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out. But also, I’ve charged my staff with finding ways to streamline government. You need to know that’s important to me. We don’t need excessive government. We don’t need excessive programs.
You saw how I took on the CDPAP program. That was a program that was built to provide people to be able to select their own home care provider if they had health problems or debilitating situations — makes all the sense in the world until it’s abused. And we had ended up with 700 providers, these financial intermediaries in between the patient and the provider; whereas a state like California with double our population somehow managed to do it all with one financial intermediary. And as a result of this excess and explosive growth in this middleman position, we went from a $1.5 billion program to an $11.5 billion program with the same size population basically except there ended up being so much abuse and we’ve had many cases brought where the fraud and the waste and abuse. People charging the State of New York for reimbursement when they actually live in Florida or saying that they’re helping their grandmother and working 24 hours a day living in her house and charging the state. It was an abuse and I was warned there’s going to be a lot of pushback if you try to change that, but I cannot knowingly be the Governor of the State and know that there’s programs like that are so wildly expensive. When you look at what the drivers of our Budget, by far it is the Medicaid costs and the healthcare costs and education, and those are set.
Last year, we started our budgeting Medicaid — went up 12 percent before we even opened up the books, we want to get it right, we want to make sure we take care of people, but make sure that anytime we’re aware of abuse, we are going to fight it and fight hard because you are ultimately the ones paying for that.
So, I’m trying to look at programs like that and others where we can have substantial savings. This first year, you’re saving $500 million from what we did by streamlining that and getting it down to one provider despite massive opposition to those changes. And so I’m looking for more ideas like that, and I’m sure many of you out there see them. I’m on the verge of hiring a top-notch professional to oversee an office that’s going to look at regulatory opportunities. I think, is Bob Duffy here? Bob Duffy, something. If you’re standing here, I can’t — oh, Bob, great to see you again. And I always harken back to the work that you did as Lieutenant Governor and making a real difference in trying to uncover this. But I want to make sure that I get it over the finish line. That’s not just identifying areas where we can streamline regulations, but also get it done.
And I just use one example: the seeker process. You heard me talk about this the first year. I said, we need to build more housing in this state. I have to have more housing, whether I’m in the North Country and we have a lot of hospitality businesses, the hotels, the restaurants, people are driving an hour and a half to go to their jobs because they can’t afford housing anywhere near these communities. Long Island — same thing out at the East End or other parts. I was just out there meeting supervisors out there. They’re starting to finally see that. I’ve been talking about this for years and I’m right. We need to build more housing for our workforce. And that’ll be a great lift for employers in Central New York. I just looked at some modular homes there that we’re looking to expand. They look like gorgeous homes by the way, you cannot tell the difference because I have 50,000 jobs coming to Central New York with Micron. So, all across the state, the demand is only growing. But there’s barriers and I’ve tried to take this on and we want to, right now in the process of streamlining our seeker rules, the environmental review process, which I know from my local government days was always the way you could say no to somebody, right? I know how to say yes, I know how to say no. I had 14 years of going over local applications for business development and housing projects. So, I know exactly what it’s all about. And so, I just want to make it easier. Let’s build more housing, get rid of some of those rules, or at least streamline them and make them common sense.
So, I put out the offer here today. Help us identify areas, and I’ll never compromise the health and safety of New Yorkers. So if you’ve got something that removes the restriction that does that, don’t waste my time. But if you have something, it’s time has passed, it’s obsolete, it’s duplicative, it’s redundant — bring it to us so we can actually have a thoughtful conversation about this. And I’m trying to expand not just housing, but I also have to expand our energy capabilities intensely. You wouldn’t believe the interest in our state now that we successfully landed Micron, and what an accomplishment that was — “People are still talking about how you landed Micron.”
I said, “it’s a secret, I don’t want other states to know.”
But a lot of it was personal engagement and showcasing how extraordinary New York is and what a great place it is. You’ll find an incredibly dedicated, hardworking workforce for you. But also the university system we have, the feeder system, our community colleges — all this plays into creating an environment that is hospitable for business. But then, if they don’t have the energy to power what they’re doing, then they have to go somewhere else. So I’ve taken that on as a personal challenge to me, because I want to get this right and give us all the advantages when it comes to recruiting businesses and helping our businesses here expand.
So, I look at nuclear. Now, you don’t hear that out of the mouths of a lot of Democratic Governors, but you should. It’s a renewable source. It’s clean energy. And I look at what happened when a project was shut down Downstate, Indian Point was shut down a few years ago, I’m the one who inherited that and the decommissioning. We lost 25 percent of the power that was going to New York City without a Plan B. So now, we have more trucks, diesel trucks, transporting liquefied natural gas and home heating oil over the roads. And guess what? Guess how emissions have gone up Downstate because of that one move. So I’m looking at the possibilities, opportunities for nuclear.
Back in June, I had a major press conference putting NYPA in charge of finding a place to do this and getting it going. And we already have four nuclear reactors, three sites in Upstate New York. And after I announced it, you would not believe the number of communities that came knocking on my door, “Can we have it in our community?” I won’t send it Downstate because that’s fine with me, I don’t need a battle, but Upstate wants this because they want to power the industries that are coming, whether it’s Edwards Vacuum, another supply chain element that we were able to recruit with 600 jobs after the Micron announcement. There’s so many great things happening.
I was just up here. Last week, Micro Bird, we were about to lose Nova Bus, big employer up near Plattsburgh. And we were able to find a company from Quebec that is now — despite them being real unhappy with our country. And I had to do a little smoothing over there that New York really loves Canada, “We’re not going to try and take you over. So you’re safe and we’ll forgive what you did in the war of 1812.” But I digress. Buffalo was burned to the ground. But I forget all that. But when we were able to land this opportunity to bring in a company from Quebec to take over that facility, not one employee missed a beat. They went from the fear of losing their jobs, 350 people, good-paying manufacturing jobs, about to lose them. And we structured a deal to say one day you’re working for Nova, the next day you’re working for Micro Bird and you miss nothing in between. And I was so proud to see we were able to accomplish it.
That’s just one example of where I get very involved, but also know that I can do more to promote businesses Upstate and Downstate as well.
But if I can get the power, if I can get nuclear going, if I can reduce some of the regulations associated with that — and I’ve had conversations with Washington about this. I told the President I need to have more of an all of the above approach to our energy solutions. I need you to leave offshore wind alone, because Empire Wind would power — it’s 1,500 jobs — half a million homes in Brooklyn powered by clean offshore wind energy. Next year we’re expecting it, then it was shut down like that. So we’ve had to have some conversations. The President knows I’m all in for nuclear. We’re working closely on that to reduce some of their regulatory timeframe as well.
So, once we get this underway, focus on hydro and all of our other opportunities, my friends. There’s no holding us back, because we have a world-class, educated workforce. We’re going to continue this. You saw what we did with community colleges in response to employers saying that they need more employees that would have skills, we identified some industry sectors where there were shortages of workers. You know this one, it’s health care. We have a huge shortage of health care workers. But also advanced manufacturing, the trades, clean energy as well as semiconductor manufacturing. So we are providing free community college education to any adult age 25 to 55 who will go back to school and maybe never entertained those fields and never could do it because of the cost. We’re covering the cost of their community college education where they can now step into a four year institution. Just by announcing this months ago, we have 16,000 students who are now going to community college. And they’re learning skills that are going to be beneficial to all of you as employers. That’s how we create the synergy we need between our workforce and our institutions as well as your workplace.
I’m working on housing, working on energy, working on workforce development, more recruiting, infrastructure projects — I love building things. We’re just going gangbusters; creating tens of thousands of jobs for anybody from Downstate, New York City.
I look at something like the bus station, the Midtown Bus Terminal. Have you ever been in there? Stay away. It’s scary. But it’s going to be gorgeous. It’s a $10 billion project, 6,000 jobs. But these are the kind of projects that — and Penn Station, people go by them year after year and just assume it always has to be that way, it always has to look like that. I believe in the preeminence of New York State and how we must showcase ourselves in a proud way where our infrastructure, our airports and our transportation hubs really gleam and look welcoming and magnificent and should be talked about.
And so, I’m on the cusp of more announcements along those lines, but every one of the projects — the Gateway Tunnel, that was locked up for years because governors couldn’t get along and the President wouldn’t get along and there’s all this, forget that, we have 10,000 jobs right there alone. So I’m all about creating jobs and opportunities and affordability as well.
You’ve told me to talk about affordability, number one issue, in addition to public safety. And I just hosted a law enforcement reception at the Governor’s residence this morning — that’s where I came from — honoring police officers and people in law enforcement, public safety all around the state, letting them know we believe in them. I have their backs because they have ours. We’ll always overfund them or fund them dramatically, $3 billion we’ve put into law enforcement.
And my friends, share this statistic. The numbers of crimes are declining extraordinarily. Going down dramatically. I’ll just put it that way, going down dramatically. And we are at lows. Whether it was the lowest crimes on the subway, July and August, in recorded history, some of the lowest murder rates in history, now we’re starting to record them. I’ve been all over Upstate helping with law enforcement grants to help our local governments. And it’s making a real difference.
We never rest on our laurels. We’re not done. More to do. But I’m telling you, compared to when I was first elected Governor, the numbers are staggering, heading in the right direction. I’m really proud of that. That’s foundational. No matter where your workplace is, your employees need to feel safe getting there. So we’re taking care of that. We focus on that.
As I mentioned, we have to get them housing. We have to get them reliable infrastructure to get to their housing. We have to make sure that we’re making these investments. But in the long term, I just, at a high level, want to make sure that all of you are proud to be in New York. And I’m here to say thank you. I know some of you’re even being recruited to other states. Say no, okay? Just say no. Remember that slogan from First Lady Reagan? Say no. Stay here. We’ve got a Governor who’s going to look out for us and make sure that we thrive. And that is my commitment to you because when you’re doing well, when you’re hiring, when you’re expanding that is a very good trajectory for New York.
And again, even our growth numbers in jobs, we have added 800,000 new jobs — private sector jobs. Everyone says, “Oh, you’re hiring in government jobs,” — private sector jobs since I became Governor. And our rate of growth is achieving the numbers where I’m satisfied, but not quite there yet.
I could go over a whole list of other projects. They’re exciting, and I’m proud of them, but know that I’m going to keep standing with you year after year and telling you that we are not done yet. We’re going to make sure that not only are you proud to be here, because I’m proud to have you here, that the rest of the country sees this and they’re really starting to.
I’ll close with one more thought because I find this one of the most exciting. What we have done in putting New York on the map as a tech hub, the word is out. I was at the Economic Club speaking yesterday. And it’s not just Micron. Not just Micron. But it is what we’re doing with artificial intelligence. Now, there’s a lot of fear associated with this, and it is a disruptive technology, but it is here and we can either embrace it or condemn it. And I say we embrace it because whoever harnesses the power of AI today will own the next generations of power. And I want that to happen here. And it is happening here.
I launched Empire AI. People were like, “What are you talking about?” And I want to thank the legislators for having the faith, when this first came to you for support, that we could invest State dollars leveraged with private sector dollars, leveraged with powering our universities all together and create the nation’s largest supercomputer dedicated to public good and research. Largest in the nation outside a private company. Guess what? It’s no longer a dream. It’s a $500 million investment and is already at the University at Buffalo. And I didn’t just do that as a hometown call. The power up there is plentiful with the hydroelectric power and I had plenty of space. But it is not just for Buffalo, it is for the entire state. And that’s the beauty of this.
And we have more people, more Ph.D. candidates, more faculty — I was out there last weekend — faculty members who came from California because they heard about this because they will have, at their fingertips, power that is not available anywhere else in the nation. And what are they doing with this? They’re solving society’s problems and health challenges and doing research and devising new therapies. Work that would’ve taken months and months to do, they can do in hours. And you know what? As great as that sounds we’re just about to launch, that was Alpha-Beta, 11 times faster than that.
So, that leads me to say that this is putting us on the map. In California, my friends in Silicon Valley are saying they wish their Governor had done this because we are the first in the nation to pay attention. And literally yesterday, I had a company that talked to me about a $50 billion AI investment in Upstate New York. So stay tuned.
But this is the scale that I’m talking about. And that may not be your industry, but it may power some facet of your industry someday. And you’re going to want that. And this is going to give you the competitive edge against everybody else. And that’s my job as Governor, to make sure that we have all the advantages. We know what we have. We know how great we are. But when we’re competing with the rest of the world in other states, we have to have tangible attractions to bring them here. And that’s exactly what I’m focused on.
So, thank you very much for listening. Thank you for believing in New York State. And again, very proud of your Governor. Thank you, everybody.
Governor Hochul Outlines Vision for Affordable, Vibrant New York at Economic Club
Governor Kathy Hochul, speaking at the Economic Club of New York, emphasized her commitment to making New York a top destination for families and businesses by tackling affordability challenges. Highlighting housing as the primary cost barrier, she discussed her push for increased housing development to lower rent and mortgage burdens, ensuring hardworking New Yorkers can achieve homeownership. Hochul also underscored her $2.2 billion investment in childcare, expanding subsidies to support 500,000 more children, and stressed its role as an economic driver for workforce participation. Additionally, she addressed New York’s competitive edge, citing its diverse tech workforce, vibrant culture, and world-class universities, while expressing concerns about federal policies impacting foreign-born talent. Her vision includes fostering a pro-business environment, enhancing public safety, and advancing infrastructure projects like the Second Avenue Subway and Interborough Express to keep New York thriving.
Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Joins the Economic Club of New York in Fireside Chat
Governor Hochul: “I want this to be the place that families want to come to. And I know the barriers. That’s why I’ve been leaning so hard into building more housing. The number one cost is your rent, and if you’re lucky enough to have a house, your mortgage. And it’s something that was always within reach for people who worked hard, my entire life. People are working hard today and are not able to reach that.”
Hochul: “I already called for universal child care in my last Budget, so that’s why I have $2.2 billion being spent now. But there is absolutely a path to do this. And you have great ideas, we’re looking at your plans on the fact that you can’t do it all in one year, but you have to give people hope.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul joined the Economic Club of New York in a fireside chat.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Reshma Saujani: Wonderful to be here with you, Governor. We have lots of conversations we’re going to have today about AI, about affordability, and how we keep New York vibrant and safe. So let’s dive in.
Governor, you’ve said that your priority is making New York a place that people want to move to and live. What do you see as the biggest driver of New York’s competitiveness?
Governor Hochul: It is truly the energy that we exude as New Yorkers. Outside of New York, they might call it a little bit of arrogance, but there’s that certain mojo we have, that can-do spirit that has defined us since the inception of this club 118 years ago. And so, I think that particularly after the pandemic, when you think about the young people that are coming here — this has become the number one tech jobs destination in our nation — the whole experience of being out in Silicon Valley and working in these suburban office parks that have miniature golf and big slides, I’ve been to them, but there was this remoteness. And I think after the pandemic, people lost that human connection. If they’re going to come to work, they want to be with other people, have those creative collisions with the barista. And so that’s what we offer here.
Also, the diversity. Our tech companies, especially from the West Coast where much of it began, are realizing that they’re creating platforms and solutions via technology and AI that have been very much slanted toward one perspective, which is that of the people who happen to work there, which is very homogeneous, I’ll politely say. They come to New York, they have more women in technology, something that you have focused on at Girls Who Code, which is an extraordinary program. I’ve been to so many classes and graduations around the state promoting it. But also, our ethnic diversity and people from around the world come here, so that’s something that sets us apart; the fact that 47 percent of new tech jobs and companies are being started by people who are foreign born. They’re gravitating to our city because they know it’s a welcoming place. I think at the high level, that is what sets us apart and continues to be part of our competitive strength as well as leveraging the superpower we have of our outstanding universities. Our graduates are second to none.
Reshma Saujani: That’s right. There was a moment in time where Florida was trying to take all our people, but now people are coming back.
Governor Hochul: Oh, they’re coming back.
Reshma Saujani: They’re coming back in droves.
Governor Hochul: They’re so over Palm Beach. Maybe not everybody in this room, okay, I’ll grant you better weather, but let’s get serious. Our arts, our culture, it’s like the vibe here. If you’ve been to Broadway lately or walked the streets — I walked two miles again this morning. I walk the streets of the city every single day when I’m here and I can feel it. And I think a lot of other cities and states have lagged behind in this post pandemic world, but we are that destination.
And I am concerned about policies out of Washington that are making it more difficult for foreign born students to be coming here. This has always been our strength because they come here, they’re educated and they stay and they build companies, they build wealth. So that’s a barrier that I think is something that doesn’t have to be, it’s self-inflicted and that’s going to hurt our whole nation. But we have to power through that.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. And one of the big drivers of how people decide or where people decide to live is affordability. Affordability is a huge component of competitiveness. Housing and safety matter as well. Child care is also a big driver of cost. How do you think about affordability holistically? Because I really do believe that you are the affordability-governor in the country.
Governor Hochul: How I think about it? I think about it nonstop, number one. I truly do. And this is not a new incarnation of a position for me, I’ve been talking about this for my entire life because I started out very humbly. My parents used to live in a trailer park and I was born in a little tiny place near the steel plant where my dad worked — at the factory, my grandparents, my grandpa worked there, my uncles worked there, and then we eventually were able to emerge out of that into a much more successful life because my dad was able to get a college degree and that took us out. But we struggled in the early years.
And so, I think just because of my life’s experience, even starting out as a new mom in Washington when I couldn’t find child care and had to leave a job. I was counsel to Senator Moynihan, and I loved that job, but I couldn’t find child care. My husband was working at a not-great-paying government job at the time. And so, those early struggles haven’t changed much for young people today.
And I want this to be the place that families want to come to. And I know the barriers. That’s why I’ve been leaning so hard into building more housing. The number one cost is your rent, and if you’re lucky enough to have a house, your mortgage. And it’s something that was always within reach for people who worked hard, my entire life. People are working hard today and are not able to reach that, and part of it is that we did not have the ambition in this state that — I’m sorry to admit this — was demonstrated by our neighbors, New Jersey and Connecticut, who built more housing. They broke through barriers and we’ve stagnated. So I’ve made that a real signature part of my work and we’re having tremendous success.
I spend time even on the far reaches of Long Island and convincing Republican supervisors like, “Come on, you don’t have the workforce. You don’t have a place for young couples to live in the neighborhood they grew up in. So let’s just start building.” I had a meeting with them yesterday.
So housing is number one. I’ve allocated a billion dollars for the “City of Yes” that Eric Adams launched and he needed that much money to get over the finish line. It was a late night call, “Governor, can you do a billion dollars?”
“It’s for housing? Yes.”
I don’t play games with this. If it’s good for the people of New York, I’ll do it. So housing, child care and I’m so proud of the work that you do with Moms First as well. Whatever you’re working on is really addressing society’s problems, and I appreciate that, Reshma.
But child care was a cost barrier. We already, in my Budget this year, we have $2.2 billion for child care. We changed the formula so 500,000 more children are eligible for subsidies. We have $110 million to build more facilities. But we have a long way to go. We’re not even close. But if I can tackle housing, more supply, drive down the cost, ultimately, build more, get the child care cost down. And also utility bills, I’m trying to go for a more robust, all the above approach. Obviously there’s very much criticism of some of my policies, but I don’t have a choice. I tried to go full on renewable. I had to save an offshore wind project that will now be because I saved it. The Trump administration literally shut it down in March and it’s going to generate power for half a million homes in Brooklyn next year to be powered by offshore wind. I could not let that go. I had to negotiate hard to get that back.
But that’s what I’m talking about, hydro and even nuclear. This is something that people don’t expect from a Democratic Governor, well, that’s a shame, because I want to power the economy that is waiting, knocking on our door. The innovation, the technology, artificial intelligence, quantum, but I have to have plentiful power to do it, as well as help drive down the cost for our consumers and local businesses. That’s my framing of what affordability looks like, is tackling all those areas, and we have strategies on each.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. And I want to go deep in some of those areas in a second. I want to ask you a question that’s probably on a lot of people in this room’s minds. You recently endorsed Zohran Mamdani. What assurances can you offer to city’s business leaders who’ve expressed some concerns about his election?
Governor Hochul: Listen, I’ve heard the concerns many times. I think people are starting to understand that — it’s hard for New Yorkers to accept this, I’m sorry to say it, but New York City is still a subdivision of the State. So the State of New York, the Governor —
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, we don’t think that.
Governor Hochul: I know. Generally, there’s been this tension between governors and mayors, historically, and I swore I would never do that, and I’m not going to go there. I worked with Bill de Blasio. I worked very closely with Eric Adams. We’ve worked to drive down the crime rates, which we’ve been successful at. So, I’m a person who will exercise my power where I need to, behind the scenes or in front, but my goal is to just deepen relationships. And so an endorsement like that allows me to have a relationship with someone who I believe is going to be the next mayor, which I think is going to be important for me to be involved in the transition team and the talents who surround him, because whoever the voters want as their mayor, it’s my job to make it all work out. I will never root against this city. I also represent the 8.3 million people who call New York City home. They’re my constituents as well. So I think there’s a path for us to work collaboratively. He’s an assemblymember. He understands what a Governor can do. Mayors historically come to us, it’s literally called Tin Cup Day, the mayors from every city come and ask for money and support, and they want to have a relationship with the Governor as well that’s productive because they want to go home with their tin cup as full as it can be.
So, there’s policies that are troubling to the business community, I understand that. But let’s get to a place — and he, the candidate, has focused intensely on affordability. And that is not just a buzzword, it’s a call to find meaningful solutions that start changing people’s lives and their perspectives of their lives immediately. And I look forward to working with him on that. But this does give me — what I need to do is be able to be a voice of influence that I think is necessary.
So I just tell everybody, don’t worry, we’re going to be okay. This is New York. We truly are going to be fine. We’ll work it out. He’s brought an energy to politics which I think is important. I don’t dismiss that at all. And a voice and an optimism and I think that’s what our city needs.
I said, I’ve always been a happy warrior. I represented the most Republican district in New York in Congress, and it was tough. They said I was the happy warrior. I just powered through it, won people over, and I believe that Zohran Mamdani has that ability as well.
Reshma Saujani: Thank you. I want to talk about AI. I had an opportunity to have a conversation with you about five months ago about the $400 million Empire AI investment. And since then, you’ve expanded it to over $500 million, launched a supercomputer that’s 11 times more powerful.
Everybody in this room wants to dunk on California—
Governor Hochul: Oh yeah. This is easy to do.
Reshma Saujani: —when it comes to AI.
Governor Hochul: This is an easy one for me to do.
Reshma Saujani: Right, we want to be leading the way in terms of education, in terms of innovation. If you’re a startup entrepreneur, you want to come here and build your company. What are you seeing? What concrete results are you seeing since you’ve made that investment that’s going to make us believe that we’re—
Governor Hochul: And it’s only been, it was a short time ago—
Reshma Saujani: That’s right.
Governor Hochul: —when the idea was presented to me. Had breakfast with an individual who was very much forward thinking. And he said, “I have this idea. It’s finally got a 10 percent chance of happening, but I want to plant it with you.”
And he says, “What if we are able to harness money from the stage?” Millions, literally millions. “Money from the private sector,” millions, “and bring in the superpower of our universities, our primary universities around the state,” our research institutions, “and bring it all together and build the first-in-the-nation institute, or empire, or for artificial intelligence dedicated to public good and research?”
So, it’s already working. It’s up at the University of Buffalo. It wasn’t just a hometown call, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s also, I had plentiful power. It’s right near the hydroelectric plant we have at Niagara Falls, so I could power this. There was plenty of space. What it does is it harnesses artificial intelligence in a way that the researchers — as we talk about innovating new therapies for diseases, they’re light years ahead of where they would’ve been.
Reshma Saujani: Right.
Governor Hochul: Because of everything, the speed of it. Also trying to figure out ways we can support businesses and overcome this fear of AI because it is having an effect on jobs — we have to put that right out there — and figure out how we can solve that. But we launched it. My friends from Silicon Valley all said, “Oh, we wish our Governor had thought of this because we’re the first-in-the-nation.”
So, this is power that’s not available to any other institutions in the country. This is the largest supercomputer in the nation that’s not in a private company’s hands. And then we already did our Beta.
Reshma Saujani: Yep.
Governor Hochul: Already, the next year, and it’s 11 times more powerful and we’re just getting warmed up.
And I was just on my way here at a meeting in my office talking to someone who’s looking to (make) a $50 billion investment in artificial intelligence Upstate with the power we have. So we’re just getting started. And he said, “When we open this, we can have 11 more companies that’ll come.”
Reshma Saujani: Yeah.
Governor Hochul: You’re just seeing the beginning of this, but we planted the seeds, we gave us the foundation we needed, and this will help not just the Upstate economy, but all the way from here to Long Island.
Reshma Saujani: Governor, what do you think though? What’s the next part of this conversation? And if you look at the recent jobs report, you can finally see the impact that AI is going to have on jobs.
I often think about — actually, an ECNY member board trustee said this to me. He said, “We thought it was bad in the ’80s with the auto industry in Detroit. What’s about to happen in the next three to five years is going to be that times a hundred,” in terms of the impact that you’re going to see. And you’re immediately going to see it with young people, right?
Because many of those entry level jobs are just simply not going to be open. And any nation that has a bunch of young people unemployed — it’s not good for social unrest. And so what I’m not seeing enough about in the policy discourse is what’s the plan on jobs?
Governor Hochul: Yeah. Let me break this into two parts.
Before I launched this, I had a meeting up at the Governor’s residence with the CEOs of the largest tech companies in the nation and a lot of people involved in workforce development. And I put out the question — it was a very thoughtful evening before we did this — I said, “What happens to the jobs of people right now?”
I said, “Tell me how you’re preparing for this, how I should prepare for this.” And when they talked about the fact that there’s a task that it would take someone an entire week to do and they can now get it done in a day. He says, “That enhances our productivity that much. That person’s not going to lose their job, we’re going to be that much more productive and, therefore, more profitable.” And that is one side of the equation.
On the other hand, we’ve been encouraging young people to study coding for years.
Reshma Saujani: Yes.
Governor Hochul: Who would’ve thought coding would be obsolete?
Reshma Saujani: Not me. Certainly.
Governor Hochul: No. No. Yeah, so you need to have “Girls Who AI,” I guess. “Girls Who AI.” So, it is a transition, and you don’t need to tell me about disruption from these economic transformations, disruptors, because I’m from Buffalo. We lost our identity for two decades when Bethlehem Steel left. I mean, that shuttered down 20,000 jobs overnight.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah.
Governor Hochul: My entire family — I come from a big Irish family, everybody had to leave the state because —
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. You know this, you’ve seen it.
Governor Hochul: I saw it. I lived it. And it was depressing. Unemployment was 14, 17 percent when I was growing up. The headlines were always another company leaving town. That’s why I’m so focused on creating jobs.
So, I am concerned about the plight of the young people who were promised that if you go into these skills, there’ll be jobs for you forever. But let’s figure out these companies who assure us, who are going to say “we’re going to be more productive and more profitable.” But also, I have so many more jobs — I have 200 individuals, part of a new program at the University of Buffalo who are learning skills to harness the power of AI, and do things that you can’t even imagine in this room right now.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah.
Governor Hochul: And that’s where we’ve got to shift the focus to those who would’ve been working in traditional coding to be able to be in a position for these opportunities. But, deeply troubling to me is the fact that the unemployment rate for recent college grads is going up.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, it’s going up.
Governor Hochul: And I have to find more opportunities for them to shift into the job.
I have 700,000 open jobs in New York, by the way. Our unemployment is still very low in this state. Whether it’s health care, whether it’s advanced manufacturing, whether it’s the trades where I’m building so much. We have a huge shortage of people in the trades, but also, education. I don’t have enough nurses because I don’t have enough nursing teachers.
So, I have such a demand for people. We just have to point them out. And I have a — go to my Department of Labor website.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. I think it’s like figuring — I mean, there’s going to be more jobs than care. Listen, I think companies saying that they’re going to be more profitable as they reduce jobs is true.
The question is, what’s the role that business actually plays in ensuring that our next generation has an opportunity to march into the middle class? I have no doubt because you’ve seen this, that you’re going to help figure what that is.
Governor Hochul: We absolutely are. No, it is a challenge that we’re leaning into.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. I want to talk about my favorite topic now — childcare. As you know, you’ve invested $7 billion in childcare. You were one of the first Governors in the country to really see the potential — and not the potential of childcare as a personal issue, but as an economic issue.
Governor Hochul: That’s right.
Reshma Saujani: Workers can’t work without childcare, and businesses don’t work without childcare, period. It is the same problem. For those of us in this room who still may see it as a social policy issue and not an economic issue, can you educate?
Governor Hochul: I sure can.
Reshma Saujani: Thank you.
Governor Hochul: Especially after the pandemic, I was convening leaders of various businesses, different parts of the state — I remember one forum I did in Westchester. And a lot of the business leaders were saying, “The women aren’t coming back to work after the pandemic.”
Reshma Saujani: Yeah.
Governor Hochul: Because so many childcare facilities shut down during the pandemic, never reopened. And this was a real — all of a sudden they realized, “Oh, this is a problem that affects me now and my company, because I can’t get the workers back.”
Before it was always viewed as, “Well, you wanted to have kids, you figure it out,” right? That’s how I felt. It was no support system and I was having my children. And so I love the fact that businesses are seeing this as their problem as well. It’s a competitive issue because I believe that the companies that are enlightened enough to find and provide some form of child care would be the ones that people gravitate to.
And whether it’s onsite for large facilities — look at what I did with Micron, we landed the largest private sector investment in American history in Upstate New York, 50,000 jobs, a $100 billion investment. But I also said, “We’ll support you.” The Chips and Science Act put in about $5 billion we put in about $6 [billion] from the State, and believe me, that was not an easy lift with our Legislature. But it’s going to result in construction jobs and long-term jobs. But I also said, “We’re going to support you, which you need to support the community. I’m going to need you to have a child care facility on site. You got big land, you got lots of room, you got lots of money.”
Guess what they’re doing? They’re building it right now, onsite child care. They’ll be able to have the parents, men and women who want to be able to see their kids during break time or not worry about them if they have to work late. That’s how you start solving this. And even in areas that are the small downtowns I visit, why don’t the five businesses on this block come together and put together a consortium and help subsidize a little program in this empty storefront right here? And the problem with New York City is we have zoning that makes it impossible to expand because everything has to be on the ground floor.
Reshma Saujani: That or close to a park, as you had said.
Governor Hochul: Yeah, a park. So I think it’s time to just — not just in housing, but in child care — New York City, in order to be competitive and address this crisis, has to be more nimble and look at regulations. And I have a team that’s scouring our regulations to find the ones that are barriers to businesses and their success, and this is definitely one of them in the City. So let’s figure that out. And it shouldn’t have to be on a first floor when a lot of these children are living in high rise apartments themselves. Why do they have to be on a ground floor to go be taken care of by another person? So there’s not a logic to it. But I do put it on the businesses now who want to employ people and support and find ways to support the workers.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, we’re just coming off a meeting with the Partnership and with business leaders and they realize that this is the number one impediment to them being able to hire the best people. It feels like there’s a pivotal moment right now, both in the City and the State, childcare was the number one mayoral election — was a defining issue as to how parents, how people voted, quite frankly, in the primary election. It will be the same thing in the general. Can you commit to working with the next mayor on this issue? And do you feel like there’s room in the 2026 Budget to help increase child care investments?
Governor Hochul: Already had the conversation. We’ve been speaking all summer to find whether or not there’s a commonality and I have found it in many areas, and many major disagreements, which are widely known. But this is one area where we talked about the fact that I could — in one year we could do it, but it’s $7 billion for New York City alone. I doubled that because the rest of the state I cannot leave behind, I’m talking $15 billion. I have about $14 billion in reserves, I have a $3 billion hole from the federal government in one year because of the cuts in Medicaid support. I had to figure that out and $750 million this year alone. So we talked about the logic of starting it. And I already called for universal child care in my last Budget, so that’s why I have $2.2 billion being spent now. But there is absolutely a path to do this. And you have great ideas, we’re looking at your plans on the fact that you can’t do it all in one year, but you have to give people hope that—
Reshma Saujani: You can phase it in.
Governor Hochul: You can phase it in. That’s exactly what you do, that’s exactly what you do. But I also believe we could, this will make us more competitive as a state.
Reshma Saujani: That’s right.
Governor Hochul: Because we’ll have the employers, but the employee workforce that attrition will be reduced. And I think as someone who’s been in this business a long time and helped start some family businesses and helped run some tech companies in my previous life.
You take care of your employees during these early years when they just need help. The kids are, from birth until kindergarten, that’s when you support them. They’ll be with you the next 20, 30 years. So this is an investment in people.
Reshma Saujani: That’s right.
Governor Hochul: That shows they matter. And after the pandemic, I think young people particularly, everybody’s priorities shifted more toward families are really important.
Reshma Saujani: Families are very important.
Governor Hochul: We’ve seen that loss of life that was so prevalent during the pandemic and realizing how precious it is. People really need that time with their families, and I think it makes them come back to work as a more engaged individual. And that’s why even paid family leave — my son just came off of paid leave two years ago with the new baby. My son-in-law is now going to be starting his four months to take care of the baby. So that also creates a relationship with children that just wasn’t there when my dad was working at the factory, the long hours they put in. But I think it’s really important and you’ll get a more well adjusted, happier, more committed employee. I think businesses need to look at the whole of that person, their happiness and contentment and you take care of their problems, makes them more productive for you.
Reshma Saujani: I’m going to take that as a yes, Governor.
Governor Hochul: Yes, oh yes.
Reshma Saujani: All right. I’m a mom of a five-year-old and a 10-year-old, and I think a lot about crime and safety. Oftentimes when I’m walking to school, I’ll see someone shooting up on the corner. Crime is a problem, a big problem in the city. How do you balance keeping New Yorkers safe?
Governor Hochul: This has been job number one since I’ve been in office, exactly four years. Right after the pandemic, our numbers were escalating at frighteningly high numbers. Whether it was the shootings, the murders, the assaults, subway crimes, and we’re trying to tell people, “the pandemic’s over, come back to work and please ignore the scary headlines about the crimes in the subway and get on the subway.” I knew that we had to make the subway safer before we could make that case to people to get back on your main primary vehicle of transportation to come to your jobs. And so we did.
We invested so much energy into this. I can’t tell you how many meetings I had with my law enforcement team just trying to strategize. And working with the mayor on how we could do this, and subway safety is something that I have more say over because basically the MTA is a creature of the State. So you saw what we did, several years ago we started, we launched cops, cameras and care. Cops. I said, “I need to flood the zone.” I need to have more police officers visible and to the extent that they couldn’t afford to do more in the city, I said, “I’ll pay for overtime.” You’ve never had this in the history of New York, but the Governor’s paying for law enforcement overtime to cover the subways. There’s two police officers on all the overnight trains.
Crime has plummeted, and that’s normally the most dangerous time when it comes to crimes. It’s on the overnight when we have our health care workers and our people in hospitality and the trains late at night and there are not many other people. So we focus on police officers.
Then, we are taking it down and I saw a little spike in March of last year and I said, “I can’t even have a little blip. I cannot start this trend upward again.” So I said, National Guard next. And again, I’m the one who deploys the National Guard in New York because I’m the Commander in Chief.
I’ve had this chat with the President about whose responsibility it is. I said, “I’ll give you a call.”
Reshma Saujani: To remind him?
Governor Hochul: I said, “I’ll give you a call if I need you,” and he said okay. So we’ll just put that over here. We’re good right now. But the National Guard there, not that they had a policing function. Or a military function, but the deterrent effect, and I can’t tell you who told me, like they just felt better. Like they just thought no one’s going to do anything bad with that guy standing there or that woman’s standing there. And so between the police, the National Guard, more MTA Police calming it all down, and then there’s a camera now on every train. And they told me it would take a few years. They said, “It will not take a couple years. You’re doing it now and we’re going to speed it up.” They doubled their time. Every train is a camera, so behave. When you’re on the trains, you’re being watched.
And also we talk about care. It is the people getting on the train in the morning and there’s been homeless individuals sleeping on the train overnight or someone sleeping on the platform. Or as soon as you come out, they create this sense of anxiety for people.
You don’t know if this person is harmless or are they going to do something harmful to you or your family member? And that’s the unease people feel. We took a lot of effort to put in the money and building out the supply of supportive housing. We took a thousand people who had been long-term homeless longer than a year, living in those confines there and getting them into supportive housing. But then there had been a historic approach to people with severe mental health problems — because not all people are homeless, have mental health problems — because some just literally can’t afford a place to live, may have lost their apartment.
So there’s that category, but those — some serious mental health problems. The conventional wisdom was always that they have a civil liberty right to be there. You can’t remove them. I took that on this year in the legislature and it was a tough one, and I was able to change the laws that allow for law enforcement and people who are mental health professionals to do an assessment and to remove someone — it’s called involuntary — get them into a hospital for care and evaluation and put them on a treatment plan and make sure that someone’s watching that is implemented so they don’t cycle right back to the streets. And we’re making a real difference there as well.
So, Reshma, I will tell you there’s still problems out there, but we just had the July and August statistics for the subway, the lowest crime rate in history — those two months and summertime, it usually you when things break down. And same thing with murders are down statewide, about 35 percent — shootings down about 27 percent. The numbers are trending in a great direction. Again, the trajectory was going up. We are going down. But there’s a psychological effect. It’s hard for people to wash away the earlier fears they had and say, “Oh, the Governor just said the statistics are good. I feel much better.” I’m realistic because there’s going to be still another horrific case tomorrow, and that one story is going to make people feel it could happen to them, even though we have the lowest crime rate of any big city in America. It just doesn’t feel like that. So that’s why I have to work on the psychology part of it now, and we’ll keep the investments going, but that is so important to me — statewide in the city. I’ve rolled out $3 billion in law enforcement money. No Governor has ever funded law enforcement at that scale. And we’re seeing some good numbers.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. It’s working. So after the pause on congestion pricing, business leaders want a credible MTA Capital Plan. How are you securing long-term capital for transit while keeping the city moving? And what’s the alternative funding package you’re advancing?
Governor Hochul: We’re good for the next Capital Plan for sure. That was not an easy lift when I was fairly new at being Governor, the MTA was hitting off the fiscal cliff. It had not been invested in at the levels it needed to just do the basic repair and maintenance, much less expansion. And so I had to put a lot of money and get credit for saving it from its demise, which was just a few years ago. And also the number of riders was way down because of the pandemic, and we’re trying to bring that up.
So then last year I had to structure a plan to fund a $68 billion Capital Plan for the next four years — five years. And that was hard, but I negotiated it with the Legislature. The Payroll Mobility Tax went up a little bit, but that is basically what is funding it for now. I’m committed to this and not just the existing projects and the safety and the new signalization and the other elements that need to be maintained, but I’m starting new projects.
The Second Avenue Subway, next phase is going to be completed. I’m working with the federal government to get that done. We’re working hard on that. It’s going to take time, obviously, but also the Interborough Express. I love this project because I know in Manhattan, the perception is the world revolves around Manhattan, but there’s actually a couple of other boroughs — four exactly — Queens in Brooklyn. A lot of people live and work out there or one or the other want to visit the family. You shouldn’t have to take the train into the city to go back out. So I’m creating a connection, a nine mile connection that uses abandoned rail lines. We’re already underway and I’m really excited about that. That’s being funded by this Capital Plan as well, the Interborough Express connecting Brooklyn and Queens.
So there’s a lot of good projects we’re doing and also I’m doing the bus station over and no one would do the bus station because it was too expensive. The alternative was like, let’s just leave it there and let somebody else worry about it. Those are the projects I lean into. Ones that people think they can just keep kicking down the road and ignoring, whether it’s that — I think it’s $10 billion to redo the bus station, but it’s going to be beautiful and change that neighborhood, it’s going to be so enhanced. And Penn Station
Reshma Saujani: It looks fantastic.
Governor Hochul: We haven’t even started yet. You’re looking at parts of it, some elements of it are done, but I talked to the President about — this is my first conversation with him back in November. I said, “Mr. President, I think there’s a lot we can do together. You’re a New Yorker. I’m a New Yorker. We can work out together.” And I said, “I’ll be honest with you, I’m going to have to hit you, criticize when I disagree or think you’re hurting New Yorkers or our values or our rights. But I also think there’s a lot of areas for collaboration.” And Penn Station was one of them, and we’ve been trying for three years to get Amtrak to get out of our way so I could burst through and start making some improvements there. And I told the President that and he changed the leadership and got Andy Byford now. And so we’re doing good things and then we had about $1 billion set aside for Penn Station, but it’s going to cost a lot more than that, probably seven, eight, nine billion dollars.
And I remember the Secretary of Transportation said, “We’re taking it over,” — pushing me aside. Thank you. Because you run it, I lease it.
And I just said, “You just saved me $1 billion.”
And I put the billion I took out of it and said, “You’re paying the whole cost,” and I put that toward the Interborough Express. So all’s good and I talked to the President about it not long ago about the plans and how grandiose you want to make them. You want me to bring the plans down? So we’re on a track to — and those are just not just the subway, not just infrastructure, but I really do love infrastructure projects. It puts a lot of people to work, helps a lot of our companies, the engineering firms, the design firms, the architect that puts a lot of people to work and the result is creating structures that have been just so abandoned and ignored and just taken for granted. It always has to be that way, and I just refuse to accept that. So I’ll always find a path for it.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, I remember we were talking about the Second Avenue Subway when I ran for Congress in 2010. It’s like these infrastructure projects have been around for so long. Every time I’m on the Amtrak, I see these expensive trains that my tax dollars went to that’re just sitting there.
Governor Hochul: Second Avenue Subway expansion to create what is now a transit desert and bring people the ability to work in the rest of the City has been talked about since 1940. I literally went into the tunnels and they stopped it in the sixties. Because they didn’t have enough money or ambition. Yeah and so I said, “No, we’re getting this done.”
Reshma Saujani: So take the mood down even more. As of September, the State Budget Director is projecting a $750 million shortfall this fiscal year and a $3 billion deficit next year, much of it due to federal spending cuts. I mean these gaps are having enormous ripple effects for families and businesses. Talk about—
Governor Hochul: Both of those—
Reshma Saujani: The cuts to—
Governor Hochul: No, those are both directly correlated to what happened on July 4th, when the President signed what he calls a beautiful bill. I find it rather ugly when it comes to the impact on New York. Exactly. So, the $750 million was a direct cut to Medicaid for us this year. So, we were having to go look at our agencies, figure it out, trying to just find a path forward. $750 million I have to make up this year, and I have to make up $3 billion next year unless we’re going to tell people that they have no Medicaid and it is—
Reshma Saujani: Or no Head Start—
Governor Hochul: Oh no. And the nutrition programs. So here’s the problem. We get about $93 billion a year from the federal government, the State does, as part of my Budget. All kinds of programs that have historically been funded — that’s just how it is. And we send a lot of money to this federal government. I cannot, as the Governor, backfill cuts to the scale even we’re talking about. I just cannot make up for it. So, there are consequences to these actions that must be heard loud and clear. We didn’t do this, we didn’t ask for this, but I have almost two million people in New York State who are going to be at risk of losing their health care overall. What that does — it’ll destabilize our hospitals because people will still get sick and they’ll walk in the door and they will not have a Medicaid card to cover it.
Even in our rural areas, I was up in the North Country the other day opening up a brand new facility of 650 jobs we were able to save by bringing in — I digress, I get excited about bringing in jobs, but there’s intense anxiety about hospitals. There will be hospitals closing in rural parts of our state, and you don’t feel it right here, but most of our state is rural. Most of Upstate, most of our state geographically is by hospitals that are already far apart. You close a few of those. It’s going to have a devastating effect on people’s ability to get life-saving health care or just preventative care or testing. So, the point is, we have to make people know this. I have 400,000 people that are going to lose it. I already sent out the notices 90 days ago. I’m sorry, nine months from now.
I had to give 400,000 people, right off the bat, they’re getting a letter from me that’s going to say, if you don’t want this to happen, push your member of Congress to extend this or to stop this. So, I don’t think New York State should wear this. We’ll need to know where this came from, but I’ll have to deal with the fallout without a doubt. And it’ll have an effect on trying to figure out $3 billion here. That’s 3 billion less for other programs that we want to fund and we’re talking about. That’s what we have to manage.
We’ll get through it, but it is absolutely unnecessary at a time when our costs are going up because of tariffs — talk to a farmer in the North Country or around Central New York as I have. The tariffs are making it more expensive for them. They lost their markets in Canada — our biggest trading partner is Canada, $50 billion trade relationship between the U.S. and Canada. And they want nothing to do with us. I’m heading up to Quebec and we are trying to meet some premieres and others to try and reset a relationship. But they still look at it: “We like you New York, but your country wants to take us over.” That’s a little hard. I don’t know what I can tell you there. It’s a little hard, but they’re boycotting our liquor, our stores are, they’re not coming over. It is a ghost town in the North Country, our little tourist places all summer long — Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Lake George. It is devastating and I think people up there are realizing, like this is from Congress accepting the President’s plan and there are going to be consequences.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah I hear that from small business owners all the time that are just getting crushed and they don’t have a lot of time to figure it out and they can’t actually impose the cost on customers anymore because everybody, all, every, everybody’s drowning.
Governor Hochul: Inflation is not settling down. We are promised lower prices on day one. Remember that? Lower prices, lower utility. Everybody has promised. If they just stayed the way they were before we’d be okay. We could survive now to go on top of inflation. On inflation. Yeah. And what are we heading in for? Is it stagflation next? Is it, yeah, the long recession? There’s just so much uncertainty right now. And I look at life through the perspective of business as well. I look at businesses as my customers, and that’s the world I was in before as politics. Businesses aren’t going to make decisions without having some clarity, some certainty. They need to know the rules of the road. We can handle it. Just tell us what they are. Are there going to be tariffs on these products? Is my supply chain going to be affected, my supply chain going to dry up or not. And they, that’s suppressing a lot of growth here.
I have a council of economic advisors myself, the top, smartest people in the State were in my office yesterday as we try to work through this. And the indicators, again, not anything to do with the State of New York but out of Washington, it’s really complicated the ability for businesses to just see clear enough down the road and say, “Yes, we’re going to expand our line, we’re going to hire more people, we’re going to, expand our facility from Downstate up to Upstate.” Everybody’s in a holding pattern.
Reshma Saujani: Right.
Governor Hochul: And that is not how business stagnates if it doesn’t keep growing.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, you can’t grow without stability.
Governor Hochul: And I want to foster a very pro-business environment. The jobs that are created, the economic benefit, the pride that we have when businesses are here. And I want people to know that I’m going to work very hard. So, people know that they’re always welcome in this state and this era of people feeling denigrated because of their success that you know, is not going to come back.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. So, as we close out, for all the business leaders in this room, what’s one ask that you make of them?
Governor Hochul: Stay calm. Seriously. I think we rely so much on the business leaders to have confidence and to understand that there is, at least in the State of New York, I can’t speak for beyond New York, that we have calm, steady leadership that understands how important businesses are for my bottom line, number one the revenues we generate, but also just again, I go back to coming from an era when the jobs were just gone and every job mattered and no one could find a livelihood, and it just destroyed so many lives when I was growing up. I never lose it. So, I value businesses for their investments in our state tremendously, and the people that they’re giving the dignity of a good job so just stay the course.
Washington will manage. We’ll be okay with the city, the next mayor, I assure you, we’re going to be okay and I don’t want you to make a decision. And some have said we might leave the state. You don’t have to. You don’t have to. You’ll regret it because all the action right here in New York.
Reshma Saujani: All the vibes are here. That’s right. Thank you, Governor.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced his formal support for Ryder’s Law, urging the City Council to pass legislation that would phase out horse-drawn carriages in favor of electric alternatives. To facilitate this transition, Mayor Adams signed Executive Order 56, which enhances regulatory oversight, initiates planning for the industry’s phase-out, and directs city agencies to support affected workers with job placement and voluntary license return programs. The move comes amid growing safety and animal welfare concerns following multiple high-profile incidents. By taking this step, the Adams administration is aligning city policy with modern urban standards while seeking to preserve tourism experiences through cleaner, safer alternatives.
Mayor Adams Calls on City Council to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, Signs Executive Order Strengthening Oversight and Enforcement of Industry and Ensuring City Agencies Are Preparing for Eventual City Council Ban
– New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced his support to end the use of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. First, Mayor Adams called on the New York City Council to pass Ryder’s Law, legislation to phase out horse-drawn carriages and replace them with electric alternatives, which has languished in the Council for over a year. Additionally, Mayor Adams signed Executive Order 56 to prepare for the end of the horse carriage industry in New York, strengthen oversight and enforcement over the industry until the Council passes the bill, create a process for voluntary return of licenses, and identify new employment opportunities for those in this industry. Finally, Mayor Adams sent a letter of necessity to the City Council, which grants the Council the authority to expedite the passage of this legislation by waiving the aging period, and urges them to promptly pass comprehensive reform given safety concerns for everyday New Yorkers.
“New York City is a place where history and progress live side by side, but as long as I am mayor, we will always put public safety first. While horse-drawn carriages have long been an iconic fixture of Central Park, they are increasingly incompatible with the conditions of a modern, heavily-used urban green space. A series of incidents over the last few years have raised concerns about the welfare of the horses, as well as the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and carriage operators themselves. To understand all points of view on this complex issue, our administration convened all stakeholders, from driver representatives to community advocates, and it has become abundantly clear that these horse-drawn carriages no longer work for our city. While many talk about change, our administration has always been about real, meaningful action — and this issue is no different. That’s why today, I’m calling on the City Council to do what they should have done long ago: end the horse carriage industry in New York City and help keep all New Yorkers — including our animals — safe,” said Mayor Adams. “I’m also signing an executive order to ensure city agencies are doing everything in their power to prepare for a City Council ban on the horse carriage industry and to strengthen oversight and enforcement in the meantime. To be clear, we will not abandon the drivers themselves, who are honest, hard-working New Yorkers. Through today’s executive order, I have directed our agencies to identify new employment opportunities for those in this industry and create a process for voluntary return of licenses. We are also open to exploring a new program for electric carriages so New Yorkers and visitors can continue to enjoy the majesty of Central Park. Despite the changes we’re announcing today, we understand that this executive order can only go so far, as real, long-term change requires legislation. We need the Council to do their job, step up, and work with us on comprehensive reform. This is not about eliminating this tradition — it’s about honoring our traditions in a way that aligns with who we are today. New Yorkers care deeply about animals, about fairness, and about doing what’s right. The Adams administration hears those concerns loud and clear, and we’re taking action, but we need the Council to meet us at the table. We can preserve what makes New York unique while also ensuring we’re not leaving anyone — human or animal — behind.”
In the past few years, a number of troubling incidents have raised the alarm on this critical issue, including:
In August 2022, a carriage horse named Ryder fell and collapsed at the intersection of West 45th Street and 9th Avenue. The New York City Police Department intervened to help Ryder get back on his feet, and Ryder later died that October.
Just last month, another carriage horse named Lady collapsed and died at West 51st Street and 11th Avenue, bringing proposals for reform or closure of the carriage industry back into the spotlight.
This month also marked the third time this year alone where a carriage horse took off running in Central Park when a horse named Bambi ran out with no person at the reins, frightening visitors and causing three horse carriage passengers to jump out of the speeding buggy. Earlier this year, in May, a similar incident occurred when a pair of runaway carriage horses broke a driver’s wrist and injured others in Central Park after they bolted.
Mayor Eric Adams, alongside Deputy Mayor Jeff Roth and Acting DSNY Commissioner Javier Lojan, announced the next phase of New York City’s “Trash Revolution” in Brooklyn’s Community District 2. Following the successful containerization in West Harlem, the initiative will now bring modern, rodent-resistant “Empire bins” to schools and high-density buildings in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and beyond. This move is aimed at cleaning up the streets, improving quality of life, and combating the city’s rodent problem. By 2026, the city plans to extend this system to several Brooklyn neighborhoods, using self-loading trucks and a flexible bin system tailored to the needs of each building. The effort, supported by a $32 million budget commitment, marks a significant step toward a cleaner, safer New York City.
Return of the Trash Revolution: Following Major Success in Manhattan, Mayor Adams, Acting Dsny Commissioner Lojan Announce Brooklyn Community District 2 as Next to Be Fully Containerized
Deputy Mayor Jeff Roth, Operations: Good morning. My name is Jeff Roth. I’m the deputy mayor for Operations, and I want to welcome you all to the next front in the trash revolution right here in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, but please try to contain your excitement.
We all know New York City produces a lot of trash, the equivalent of 100 747s every single day, but we’ve never had a dedicated spot to collect it, not really. Our trash has sat in leaky black bags wherever we could find space for it, against fences, city bike docks, cram necks to doorways and hydrants, and in a feat that surely earns them their moniker, New York’s strongest have had to navigate all that street infrastructure for decades until now. This administration has said enough.
We first changed set out times for our trash. We required food businesses across the city to containerize, then chain businesses, all businesses and smaller residences. We were able to do that by taking a team of over 150 people from New York, and we were able to get them to the nearest residential buildings. And today we’re taking our next leap right here in Brooklyn. The trash revolutionary himself, ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Eric Adams.
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you, thank you. Thanks so much. Such an important initiative. When I was a police officer, this was my precinct, the 88 precinct. And when you get here and walk through the parks, we will often be encountered by rats and rodents. And that was one of the top missions we wanted to do. to move towards dealing with just the cleanliness of the city. And I really want to thank Commissioner Lojan for his just picking up the mantle and continuing to succeed with our rats who have always also played a major role.
We stated from the beginning, the trash revolution has been a huge win for New York City. I hear it often when I’m on the subways or walking through the streets that people are stating we have all the rats gone. And it’s clear that this movement is carrying out the function that we wanted. And it’s a massive, massive success. And we’re going to continue to move in the right direction. And we started with changing out to set out times.
There was a lot of pushback. But we realized not having trash bags on our streets at an earlier time would assist us in dealing with the roading problem. We were facing in the city and unsightly bags. When we change those times, we were able to coordinate. With the union and ensure that garbage was put out later. And that played a major role in getting the bags off the street off our streets. We’re seeing cleaner streets and sidewalks, better quality of life and massive decline in roading activity.
In fact, the number of rat sightings and 311 calls have dropped for nine straight months. And while the rats are crashing out, we are ramping up today. We’re announcing the next phase in the trash. Revolution, the Battle of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Community Board 12 will soon become the second neighborhood in New York City to have all of this trash fully containerized. Following the success of Community Board 9 in West Harlem, we’re rolling out the new Empire bins to schools in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill this fall. And this is an example of the bins.
This rollout would expand to downtown Brooklyn, Boreham Hill, Brooklyn Heights. Fulton Ferry, Dumbo, Vinegar Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2026. This is part of a citywide transformation that started with the set out times and also our $32 million commitment in our best budget ever to ensure our streets remain clean. So we’re striking back against rats and filth by expanding the use of our Empire bins.
These are more than just better bins. They are part of a new system that will improve the modernized trash collection in our city. The Empire bins are serviced by an automated self-loading truck, a first of its kind in North America. We put it in place during this administration. These trucks have been running on the streets of West Harlem since April and will soon revolutionize how we pick up trash here. In the borough of Brooklyn. And everyone knows I hate rats and rotors moving through our street. And four years ago when we brought on our trash revolution that included our rat czar, we moved the city in the right direction. And we hired a great team and Acting Commissioner Lojan is really placing this initiative on a fast track. Cannot thank him and his team enough. Community Board 9 in Manhattan has now become the first.
New York City neighborhood to have 100 percent of this trash covered by containerization requirements. A part of this reason we have had so much success is because we have engaged the community. Clear communications and conversations with the community.
So while we’re mandating Empire bins at schools in all buildings with more than 30 units, we will conduct an extensive one to one outreach to build this with 10 to 30 units. Offering them the option to the Empire bins or the smaller wheelie bins already in use as smaller properties. This is a flexible part of engaging the community and really getting buy-in on how we deal with trash in our city. And so we again want to thank our partners, particularly DSNY and all of our city agencies who were involved in the Battle of Brooklyn and getting rid of our rodents here in our borough have started. And we’re looking forward to that success. We’re going to turn it over now to our amazing commissioner at the Department of Sanitation, Commissioner Lojan.
Acting Commissioner Javier Lojan, Department of Sanitation: Good morning. Thank you, Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor Roth. New Yorkers have a proud history of getting things done. The Empire State Building was built in 14 months. The Chrysler Building was built in 20 months. And the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was built in four years.
In recent years, however, many New Yorkers have grown to think that we can no longer get things done without. With any speed. Well, we are here once again to prove them wrong. We can do great things, and with the right leadership, we can do them quickly.
For decades, New Yorkers have traveled the world and marveled at how every other city from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires put their trash in clean, sealed containers. And then came home to mounds of smelly, black trash bags. And the city that told them we can’t do that here. The streets of New York City have to be dirty. Well, in the last three years, we have shown that the city that built bridges.
We have shown that the city that built bridges. tunnels, and skyscrapers that awed the world can also be a clean city. How did we do it? We started by telling New Yorkers that rush hour is not trash hour. You have to put your trash out for collection at night, not in the afternoon. We also picked up trash earlier, often in just a few hours.
Next, we required all businesses to put their trash in containers. Then we said buildings with one to nine residential units had to put their trash in containers. Every step was met with cynics who said they loved the idea, but it just couldn’t work here. Well, it’s working. New Yorkers adjusted their habits. They changed their decades-long way of doing things. And we have a cleaner city with 70 percent of trash in containers and fewer rats as a result.
The remaining 30 percent of trash was a bigger challenge. They told us it would take years to build new trucks that did not exist in North America. We didn’t accept that the city that built the Empire State Building in 14 months was a clean city. We would have to wait five years for a new truck. In a matter of months, we had 1,100 Empire bins, just like this one, across the streets of West Harlem, requiring that every last bit of trash be placed in a bin, serviced by trucks that, yes, had to be built from scratch as part of a joint operation that brought in manufacturers from Italy.
We put an end to all trash bags across all of West Harlem. We called it our moon landing. And if you heard us say that the day after our moon landing, we would immediately begin evaluating, so that we could expand to another district. You might have been one of those naysayers, thinking this is just another pilot. But today, we are here to say that these Empire bins are crossing the East River. We are about to bring cleaner streets and sidewalks to all of Brooklyn Community District 2.
In the coming weeks, schools in the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill areas will have Empire bins. And next year, high-density residential buildings across the entire district will have them. Not just here in Fort Greene, but downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Fulton Ferry, Dumbo, Vinegar Hill, Boreham Hill, and Clinton Hill.
Every building with more than 30 units will receive at least one Empire bin for their trash. And every building with 10 to 30 units will have a choice. They can have one of these Empire bins, or they can use smaller wheelie bins for their trash. These bins are sturdy, rodent-resistant, and locked.
Only a building manager will be able to open it with a card key. And these bins will be serviced by newly developed trucks operated by two sanitation workers. Who will raise the bins and empty them into the side of the truck.
Tomorrow begins a period of intense outreach. Our teams will be on the ground, knocking on doors, speaking to property owners and building managers, to let them know that the era of black bags is coming to an end here. We will be letting them know that our city with a history of doing great things will also have clean streets and sidewalks and fewer rats. Thank you, Mayor Adams, for having the courage to see this through. Thank you.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
Humberto Ronda: Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Mayor Adams. Thank you, commissioner. Thank you, deputy mayor. My name is Humberto Aranda. I am a superintendent for 10 years on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. And at first, I was skeptic of the Empire bins.
As a typical New Yorker, we all have those fears of change. But clean, safe, and convenient was three words that came to my head first. Clean. All streets are clean. With no trash laid alongside the roads anymore. Safe. No rodents anymore. No more rats. And convenience. All building workers can dispose of the trash at any given time. That is a major improvement. And I want to thank everyone that was involved in this idea of the Empire bins. Also, I want to thank a major shout out to the DSNY workers that work hard every day to keep the streets clean. And thank you everyone once again for the idea of the Empire bins.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: [Inaudible.]
Mayor Adams: That’s good for them. We’ll see what happens.
Question: In the context of the rollout, are you a Darth Vader or someone else?
Mayor Adams: I like the Darth Vader character. What’s happening?
Question: [Inaudible.] Like, have you had that sort of struggle? How will you use that for the next process?
Mayor Adams: A community engagement. You know, as the commissioner stated, knocking on doors, you know, and really just engaging people on how people want cleaner streets. People don’t want rodents in their streets coming through their garbage, their trash.
On my block, on Lafayette Avenue, we were having a severe rodent problem until the containerization was put in place, and we’re seeing less rats. And it’s just important for us to realize there are sacrifices we have to make, and these bins don’t take up all the parking spaces, and it’s a good tradeoff. We want cleaner streets. That’s one of the top things we hear.
Question: Is there a piece of data from the district that we can look at next year?
Acting Commissioner Lojan: So we anticipate by the end of 2026, we should be mostly completed, but that’s also depending on, you know, some procurement. But, yeah, by next fall, we’ll begin the residential portion of this.
Mayor Adams: Hold on. Before we do that, we just really want to thank our rat czar. She has done an amazing job going all over the city dealing with this action. This was the first time it was put in place, and we’re looking to make sure it’s a permanent position. But thank you. Thank you so much for your service. Good job. Job well done. Why don’t we, you guys can, let me get these off topics. What the hell are they going to do with the press?
Question: [Inaudible] in the poll, it shows that Mamdani is actually gaining ground with the Black voters. I wanted to get your response to that, because, you know, that’s been the heart of your domain. I’ve been reaching out to them. I was with you yesterday. You were at two super centers in Brooklyn yesterday. You know, your reaction to the gain around the Black voters is that [inaudible].
Mayor Adams: No, it doesn’t. It’s all about communications. We have not done one TV ad, not one mailing. We have just started knocking on doors. This is the whole process. We’ve been here before. I keep going. Going back seven months out from the primary. Andrew was up to win the primary through [inaudible] by 87 percent. 87 percent.
He was up 20… I think, 5 percent in the polling. We’ve been here before. Andrew Yang was beating me by 14 points. He was walking around with a tape measure, measuring the drapes at City Hall. We don’t call the mayor Andrew Yang. We call the mayor Eric Adams. This is all part of the process. Let the process play out, and the voters will decide. And whatever the voters decide is fine.
We have 14 people running for mayor. 14 people. I’m the mayor. So this has been a beautiful ride being the mayor of the greatest city on the globe. And whatever the voters decide, the direction they want to go in, I’m going to support. I’m a lifetime New Yorker. I love this city, and I’m always going to serve this city in one capacity or another.
But it’s too early. This is– Races are won within three to four weeks. That’s when races are won. Yes. I said that over and over again. If y’all stop reporting, I’m going to Saudi Arabia, and I’m going to HUD, and I’m going to the Yankees game with the president, and I’m going to Washington, D.C., and I’m dropping out on Friday, and I’m dropping out on Tuesday.
Y’all are undermining my campaign. You know, I don’t think the voters want me out as much as you guys want me out. Let me do what I do. Will my campaign change? I will tell y’all when it’s changed. But all of these false reports and rumors are undermining my campaign. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, when the press is playing such a major role in undermining the campaign of the candidate that has been very clear on what he’s doing. And when that changes, I will announce it.
[Crosstalk.]
Mayor Adams: Hold on, brother. We’re going to do the press, and then I’ll come to you and get your question, okay? No, all good. I’ll come. I’m not going to forget you, okay?
Question: My question was actually just one clarification on that. You said a little bit of it. [Inaudible.]
Mayor Adams: I like that question. That’s a sharp suit, by the way. You know, I like that question. Think about this for a moment. You stated that you want to hear directly from me. I told the paper directly that I was not at Yankee Stadium with the president. They wrote anyway that I was there. I told them I was never offered a job to Saudi Arabia.
They wrote anyway. I said. I was. I told them I was never offered a job to HUD. They wrote anyway that I was. I told them I was not going to Washington. They wrote anyway that I was. I told them two weeks ago, you’re stepping down on Friday. I said, no, I am not. They wrote anyway. So why am I saying directly from me? Because you’re going to write and report anyway. Give me another question. Go ahead, brother. What was your question?
Question: I’ve been in Fort Greene since the 95 and I was recently evacuated from Fort Prince Hayden by a military helicopter company. I think it’s been [inaudible] has made it huge. [Inaudible], you’re the only one left in there. [Inaudible] I know the problem is that it’s going to be a little bit of a force, but what is it that we’re doing? It’s to maintain the diversity that Fort Greene enjoyed for so long with the [inaudible] and I remember you like the 88 precinct as well, thank you.
Mayor Adams: No, so true, we, and as I was sitting here, I noticed that also, there’s a stark change in this community and we’re hemorrhaging Black and brown working class people because of the cost of living in this city. And I’ve stated over and over again. I cannot control the price of bread, but we put bread back in the pockets of New Yorkers at the tune of $30 billion. And the goal is to build more housing.
Many of these communities were not building housing fast enough. And we are clearly the most pro-housing administration in the history of this city. We have built, we have made sure we maintain and zone this city for 426,000 units. I’m not saying that we’re going to stop. That is more than 12 years of Bloomberg, eight years of de Blasio combined.
We did it in three and a half years. Because our goal is to build housing so the richness of this community, particularly longstanding New Yorkers, can be here and enjoy the prosperity of the city. But I see the same, not only here, Bed-Stuy, going into even East New York, parts of Queens. And we want to make sure that new arrivals and longstanding New Yorkers can have a place to live in New York City. Thank you. Thank you. Got to bounce.
ALBANY, N.Y.—On Sept. 15, 2025, Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted more than $6.7 million in state funding to upgrade law-enforcement technology across Central New York—part of a $127 million statewide package—as Syracuse officials reported crime down nearly 28% year to date. The Syracuse Police Department received about $1.3 million for LED hot-spot lighting, drones and a Spot robot to handle risky situations; additional grants through the Division of Criminal Justice Services and the GIVE initiative are supporting agencies across the region, and from January through August 2025 shootings with injury in Syracuse fell 15% from a year earlier.
Safer Streets: Governor Hochul Highlights $6.7 Million Investment in Law Enforcement Technology Across Central New York
Crime in Syracuse Is Down Nearly 28 Percent Year to Date
$127 Million in Funding Enabling Local Police Departments and Sheriffs’ Offices Across the State To Modernize Operations, Improve Officer Safety and Protect New Yorkers
$1.3 Million to Syracuse Police Invested in Spot Robot Dog, Drones, and LED Lighting for Crime Hot Spots
Public Safety Investments Are Delivering Results with Significant Declines in Gun Violence Across Central New York
Governor Kathy Hochul today visited the Syracuse Public Safety Building to highlight more than $6.7 million in state investments that are modernizing law enforcement technology and equipment across Central New York. Governor Hochul and local officials also highlighted that crime in Syracuse is down nearly 28 percent year to date, according to Syracuse city officials. The visit included a briefing with elected officials, law enforcement and public safety leaders from across the region, followed by a technology demonstration featuring state-of-the-art technology. Distributed to 378 police departments and sheriffs’ offices statewide, the $127 million is delivering results by improving officer safety, protecting New Yorkers, and strengthening operations.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my highest priority. That is why I have funded investments in the technology and equipment necessary to stand up to 21st Century threats,” Governor Hochul said. “These investments are showing real results and making communities safer up and down the state. I remain committed to supporting local police departments, sheriffs’ offices and their law enforcement partners to keep New Yorkers protected.”
The Syracuse Police Department received nearly $1.3 million, allowing the agency to purchase LED lighting for crime hot spots, drones, and the Spot robot dog to assist in potentially dangerous situations without putting officers in harm’s way. Other agencies in Central New York that received significant grant awards include Oswego County Emergency Management, which used $650,000 to invest in new equipment, including its own Spot robot dog, and the Cortland Police Department, which received more than $575,000. The State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) provided funding to a total of 33 agencies throughout Central New York to strengthen operations, expand investigative capacity and modernize equipment. A full rundown of statewide funding by agency is available online.
The Governor also highlighted the latest statistics reported by 28 police departments participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, which supports coordinated gun violence reduction efforts in 21 counties. Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse are among the GIVE jurisdictions that have seen significant declines in gun violence this year. When comparing January through August 2025 to the same period last year, shooting incidents with injury and the number of shooting victims were down 15 percent in Syracuse.
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “Governor Hochul’s commitment to investing in cutting-edge tools is helping agencies across Central New York respond more effectively and keep communities safe. These resources not only improve officer safety but also strengthen the partnerships that are essential to reducing crime and protecting New Yorkers.”
State Senator Rachel May said, “The state has made real progress in reducing gun violence, and with these investments in technology, we can continue to build on that success. Using this funding for policing technology, the Syracuse Police Department will better support our communities where gun violence remains a concern. Thank you to Governor Hochul for her leadership and to my colleagues in the legislature for their commitment to lowering gun violence in New York State.”
State Senator Chris Ryan said, “Keeping our neighborhoods safe requires both strong community partnerships and the tools law enforcement needs to do their jobs effectively. This investment ensures that police departments across Central New York, including Oswego County Emergency Management, can deploy modern technology that protects officers, prevents crime, and builds safer streets for our families. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for prioritizing public safety and making these resources available so we can continue driving down gun violence and strengthening trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my highest priority. That is why I have funded investments in the technology and equipment necessary to stand up to 21st Century threats.”
Governor Kathy Hochul
Assemblymember William Magnarelli said, “Law enforcement has the never ending task of combatting crime. By utilizing advancements in technology, law enforcement is able to continue protecting our neighborhoods and communities, while increasing officer safety and efficiency.”
Assemblymember Pamela Hunter said, “Public safety requires both innovation and collaboration, and these investments deliver on both fronts. By equipping law enforcement with modern tools and supporting community programs, New York is reducing violence, protecting officers, and building stronger, safer communities across Central New York.
City of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said, “Crime is down nearly 28 percent this year in the City of Syracuse, and the partnership with Governor Hochul and New York State is making a positive difference in our city. Whenever Syracuse has needed help in addressing crime trends or investing in preventive safety measures, Governor Hochul and her team have been there to help. Syracuse is safer, but there is much work still to be done. I’m confident with the Governor’s leadership, New York will continue to be a strong and effective partner to Syracuse.”
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said, “Ensuring the safety of our community is one of the most important responsibilities we have as elected officials. From day one, my administration has worked tirelessly to support and invest in critical public safety initiatives to help make our community as safe as possible. Truly effective public safety, however, requires partnerships at all levels and today’s announcement illustrates those partnerships. I want to thank all those who made today possible and I look forward to continuing to work with all of our public safety partners for the betterment of our community.”
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said, “I applaud Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to support law enforcement and keep New Yorkers safe. Be it her recent tenacious support for Discovery reform or her financial investment in new technology to help track violent criminals she has been a true leader for public safety.”
Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley said, “Crime continually becomes more sophisticated and the criminals that commit those crimes border less, which makes crime fighting efforts more costly and law enforcement collaboration more important. Governor Hochul recognizes these challenges and has made and continues to make the necessary investments, whether it be technology or programs to keep people safe. The results speak for themselves”. Sheriff Toby Shelley Onondaga County.”
Governor Hochul noted the critical role of the Central New York Crime Analysis Center in supporting law enforcement throughout the region. Co-located in the Syracuse Public Safety Building with the Syracuse Police Department, the center serves Cayuga, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego counties. Through August, it handled 10,217 requests for service this year, including 6,421 from the Syracuse Police Department. In 2024, the 11 centers that comprise the state’s Crime Analysis Center Network handled nearly 131,000 requests, with the Central New York Center accounting for 22,920.
These technology investments build on other state-supported efforts in Syracuse, including $2.28 million for the SNUG Street Outreach Program and $2 million for Project RISE, which provides young people at risk of gun violence with intensive mentoring, job training, and other supports to help them succeed and avoid involvement in the justice system. Last fall, Governor Hochul also announced an additional $2.5 million through DCJS, including $1.5 million to launch a new Syracuse program connecting justice-involved youth with classes, mentoring, and internships, and $1 million to expand youth diversion services at the Onondaga County Probation Department. This funding comes as the Central New York region faces nearly $400,000 in funding cuts to public safety emergency preparedness from the Federal government.
The FY26 Enacted Budget maintained $347 million in unprecedented funding secured by Governor Hochul for gun violence prevention programs, including GIVE, and supports additional initiatives to improve public safety, expand support for victims and survivors of crime and strengthen communities.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services provides critical support to all facets of the state’s criminal justice system, including, but not limited to: training law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals; overseeing a law enforcement accreditation program; ensuring Breathalyzer and speed enforcement equipment used by local law enforcement operate correctly; managing criminal justice grant funding; analyzing statewide crime and program data; providing research support; overseeing county probation departments and alternatives to incarceration programs; and coordinating youth justice policy. Follow DCJS on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).
It’s the White House live stream of President Trump signing a presidential memorandum on Sept. 15, 2025—an order launching the “Memphis Safe Task Force,” part of a federal anti-crime push focused on Memphis (with Trump also hinting Chicago could be next).
Restoring Law and Order in Memphis
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY THE SECRETARY OF WAR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY THE DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES MARSHALS SERVICE THE DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES THE ADMINISTRATOR OF DRUG ENFORCEMENT THE DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
SUBJECT: Restoring Law and Order in Memphis
Section 1. Background. The city of Memphis, Tennessee, is suffering from tremendous levels of violent crime that have overwhelmed its local government’s ability to respond effectively. This situation has become dire in one of our Nation’s most historic cities. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis in 2024 had the highest rate of violent crime per capita, including some of the highest per capita rates of murder, robbery, and aggravated assault, and property crimes such as burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft, in the country. The city, a beacon of American culture that was Elvis’s home and is often called the birthplace of rock and roll and the blues, should be safe and secure for all of its citizens and Americans who visit its historic landmarks such as Graceland, Beale Street, and the Memphis Pyramid. To restore public safety and order, State and local leaders have requested Federal assistance, and I will act quickly to ensure that Federal authorities assist Memphis law enforcement to the fullest possible extent.
Sec. 2. Memphis Safe Task Force. (a) There is hereby established a Memphis Safe Task Force (Task Force), whose objective shall be to end street and violent crime in Memphis to the greatest possible extent through the promotion and facilitation of hypervigilant policing, aggressive prosecution, complex investigations, financial enforcement, and large-scale saturation of besieged neighborhoods with law enforcement personnel, and which shall coordinate closely with State officials in Tennessee and local officials in Memphis to share information, develop joint priorities, and maximize resources to make Memphis safe and restore public order. The Task Force shall be chaired by an individual selected and appointed by the Attorney General, who shall direct all Task Force functions and who shall coordinate with the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor. The Task Force shall also include representatives from the following executive departments and agencies (agencies), as designated by the head of the relevant agency:
(i) the Department of the Treasury;
(ii) the Department of War;
(iii) the Department of Justice;
(iv) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(v) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(vi) the Department of Transportation;
(vii) the Department of Homeland Security;
(viii) the United States Marshals Service;
(ix) the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(x) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
(xi) the Drug Enforcement Administration;
(xii) Homeland Security Investigations; and
(xiii) the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
(b) The Chairman of the Task Force may also designate other agencies to participate in the Task Force as the Chairman deems necessary, as well as Inspectors General from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the United States Postal Service, the Small Business Administration, and such other agencies as the Chairman of the Task Force determines. The head of an agency designated by the Chairman shall select a representative of the agency to serve on the Task Force.
(c) The Task Force may, to the extent permitted by law, request operational assistance from and coordinate with the Memphis Police Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Memphis Area Transit Authority, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the Tennessee Alcohol Beverage Commission, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Tennessee State Probation and Parole Office, the Tennessee Department of Corrections, the Arkansas State Police, the Mississippi State Police, the Shelby County Attorney’s Office, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, the Memphis City Prosecutor’s Office, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby County Pretrial Services, the Shelby County Probation Section, and other Federal, State, and local officials as appropriate.
(d) The Task Force shall utilize the strategies and principles of Federal, State, and local law enforcement coordination developed and deployed pursuant to Executive Order 14252 of March 27, 2025 (Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful), and Executive Order 14333 of August 11, 2025 (Declaring a Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia), as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to coordinate and ensure effective integrated action by Federal, State, and local law enforcement authorities to address extensive and pervasive criminal activity and reduce crime in Memphis; enforce Federal immigration law; provide the Memphis Police Department with assistance to facilitate the recruitment, retention, and enhancement of capabilities of its police officers; dramatically increase the Federal, State, and local law enforcement presence and Federal coordination with State and local law enforcement, as appropriate; and coordinate strict enforcement of applicable quality-of-life, nuisance, and public-safety laws, including those laws prohibiting assault, battery, larceny, graffiti and other vandalism, unpermitted disturbances and demonstrations, noise, trespassing, public intoxication, drug possession, sale, vagrancy and use, and traffic violations, to make Memphis safe and secure again.
(e) The Task Force shall report to me as necessary through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor regarding safety in Memphis and the tasks set forth in subsection (d) of this section. As part of this reporting, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Task Force, shall assess whether public-safety circumstances in Memphis require additional executive action.
Sec. 3. Mobilizing the National Guard to Protect Memphis. (a) The Secretary of War shall request that the Governor of Tennessee, under section 502 of title 32, United States Code, make available National Guard units of Tennessee to support public safety and law enforcement operations in Memphis, in such numbers and for such duration as the Governor may deem necessary and appropriate to assist with the activities of the Task Force. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall request such National Guard support as necessary and appropriate to accomplish this mission.
(b) The Secretary of War is further authorized to coordinate with State Governors and authorize the mobilization and training of further National Guard personnel, under section 502 of title 32, United States Code, to support the activities of the Task Force as he may deem necessary and appropriate to augment this mission.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
This sentencing demonstrates the FBI and our partners will use every tool available to safeguard the homeland from internal and external threats. Anyone tempted to violate their oath to safeguard classified information should understand the severe consequences—and remember the FBI will never stop until we bring you to justice.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ROMAN ROZHAVSKY FBI COUNTERINTELLIGENCE DIVISION
John Murray Rowe Jr., 67, of Lead, South Dakota, was sentenced today to 126 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine for attempted espionage.
The defendant was charged by indictment in December 2021 and pleaded guilty in April of last year to one count of attempted delivery of national defense information to a foreign government, and three counts of willful communication of national defense information.
“The defendant spent decades working on sensitive U.S. defense programs and was entrusted with safeguarding protected and classified information about military technology. Instead of honoring that trust and his legal responsibilities as a clearance holder, he chose to violate both – repeatedly and willfully attempting to disclose classified information to someone he believed was a foreign agent,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who disregard country and conscience at the expense of our Nation’s security, including, as here, out of spite.”
“Despite his knowledge, training, experience, and decades of work as a military contractor, Rowe chose to betray the trust placed in him by his country,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “His repeated, willful efforts to harm the U.S. by divulging sensitive defense information to an adversary are inexcusable. My office and our partners will continue to hold fully accountable anyone seeking to compromise the national security of the United States.”
“By attempting to disclose classified information on U.S. Air Force systems to the Russian government, John Rowe endangered American lives and compromised U.S. national security,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “This sentencing demonstrates the FBI and our partners will use every tool available to safeguard the homeland from internal and external threats. Anyone tempted to violate their oath to safeguard classified information should understand the severe consequences — and remember the FBI will never stop until we bring you to justice.”
According to court documents, Rowe was employed for nearly 40 years as a test engineer for multiple cleared defense contractors. In connection with his employment, Rowe held various national security clearances from SECRET to TOP SECRET//SCI (Sensitive Compartmented Information) and worked on matters relating to U.S. Air Force electronic warfare technology, among other things. After several security violations and concerning inquiries and statements about Russia and sensitive information, Rowe was identified as a potential insider threat and terminated from employment.
In March 2020, Rowe told an undercover FBI agent, who he believed to be an agent of the Russian government, that he was not loyal to the United States and that he was interested in helping Russia. During this meeting, Rowe disclosed national defense information classified as SECRET that concerned specific operating details of the electronic countermeasure systems used by U.S. military fighter jets, among other things.
Over the course of the next eight months, Rowe exchanged over 300 emails with a person he believed to be a Russian agent, confirming his willingness to work for the Russian government and discussing his knowledge of classified information relating to U.S. national security. In one email, Rowe explained, “If I can’t get a job [in the United States] then I’ll go work for the other team.”
In another email, Rowe disclosed classified national defense information concerning the U.S. Air Force. In September 2020, Rowe had a second in-person meeting with the undercover FBI agent. During this meeting, Rowe again disclosed classified national defense information.
Rowe was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant on Dec. 15, 2021, and was ordered detained pending trial. During his pretrial detention, Rowe again disclosed the same classified national defense information concerning the U.S. Air Force to relatives and an associate during recorded prison calls.
The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wolfe for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Chantelle Dial of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Additional assistance was provided by the Lead (SD) Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office and Rapid City (SD) Resident Agency.
In a Sept. 14, 2025 Empire Report op-ed from Albany, N.Y., Gov. Kathy Hochul warns of escalating political violence and urges leaders and voters to lower the rhetoric, reject dehumanizing language, and hold public figures to account. Citing recent attacks and threats, she argues that social-media amplification fuels extremism and says speech carries real-world consequences. Hochul outlines New York’s prevention strategy: strengthened red-flag protections, enhanced monitoring of credible online threats, and local Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) teams now operating in 52 counties plus New York City, with more than 2,000 interventions. Invoking the post-9/11 spirit of unity, she says democracy depends on debate—not bloodshed—and calls for collective action to stop violence before it starts.
ICYMI: Governor Hochul’s Op-Ed in Empire Report: Political Violence Deserves No Place in Our Democracy — And It’s on Us to Stop It.
Today, Empire Report published an op-ed by Governor Kathy Hochul about the alarming rise of political violence in America—and the responsibility we all have to to stop it.
An assassination attempt on President Trump. The assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and the shooting of State Senator John Hoffman. A plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a firebombing at the home of Governor Josh Shapiro. The violent attack on our Capitol on January 6. And now, the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a disturbing and increasingly common pattern of political violence. And unless we take action, it won’t stop here.
Over the course of the past few days we’ve rightfully seen leaders from both sides of the aisle forcefully condemn the horrific violence that bore out in Utah on Wednesday. But we’ve also watched voices declare war on their fellow Americans and fan the flames of anger, no doubt contributing to the ensuing rise in swatting threats across the country at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and political offices.
All of us as Americans, but especially those in positions of leadership, must grapple with the fact that we allowed ourselves to reach a place where a growing number of people believe that using violence against those we disagree with is acceptable.
In an age defined by viral rhetoric and algorithmic amplification, the line between speech and violence has become increasingly blurred. Social media algorithms reward provocative, emotionally charged content. And as a result, extremist narratives are shared, liked, and recommended — not because they are truthful, but because they drive engagement.
And then here we are — in a feedback loop, where extreme language spreads, often unchecked, and someone eventually pulls the trigger.
What makes this pattern especially insidious is its built-in deniability. Because we often describe the perpetrators of these heinous acts as “lone wolves,” those whose rhetoric radicalized or mobilized them to violence can claim they can’t be blamed for actions they did not directly command. This shields the radicalizer from responsibility, even as the violence catalyzed by their language becomes more and more frequent.
Some will argue that this is an attack on free speech. I call B.S. The First Amendment protects citizens from government censorship, but it does not shield those of us in the public spotlight from accountability. Freedom of expression should not become a smokescreen for promoting hate or encouraging violence.
We must move beyond the fiction that speech exists in a vacuum. When influential voices frame opponents as less than human, they create the conditions in which violence becomes justifiable.
At this point however, identifying the pattern is not enough.
First, leaders must commit to toning down their rhetoric, and everyday Americans must hold us all accountable. There should be consequences at the ballot box and in the court of public opinion when we don’t.
Second, we must take real steps to try to help those who may be on the path towards violence, to turn around and walk the opposite direction.
During my first year in office, my hometown of Buffalo was rocked by the racially motivated murder of 10 Black New Yorkers who were targeted simply because of the color of their skin. In the wake of that tragedy, I knew that the only way we could possibly stop these horrors was to reduce the chances an unstable violent individual could possess a weapon by increasing our red flag laws, ensure law enforcement had the tools they need to monitor online threats, and embrace a prevention model that leverages comprehensive, multidisciplinary interventions to stop violence.
In New York, this approach is embodied by the creation of local Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) teams. They can include law enforcement, mental health professionals, school officials, large employers, the public safety net, and health care systems. Together, they assemble the puzzle pieces to identify behaviors that can ultimately lead to violence.
52 counties plus New York City now field TAM teams and have collectively intervened in more than 2,000 cases. Considering the rage and vitriol that is flooding the internet and airwaves, our objective is to prevent violence before it occurs — responding after the fact isn’t enough.
This week I stood on sacred ground to honor the lives of those lost 24 years ago on 9/11. I thought about what happened on September 12, 2001, when — in the face of unspeakable horror — our nation’s greatest strength was its unity.
I urge New Yorkers and Americans to harken back to that same sense of unifying purpose. Political violence has no place in America. A democracy thrives on debate, not bloodshed.
As broken as our nation can feel at times like this, I still believe to my core that the ties that bind us are much stronger than the forces that seek to tear us apart. Most of us, no matter where we fall on the political spectrum, have the same dreams: a safe place for our kids, our work, to have fun, and to live with a sense of purpose and dignity. That’s the America I hold in my heart, and I believe it should exist in everyone’s heart.
So in this moment, let us come together and resolve to forge a safer, more tolerant world, not just for today, for our children and our grandchildren. We have work to do, but as always, New Yorkers and Americans are up for the challenge.
Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted more than $10.1 million in New York State funding to upgrade law enforcement technology across the Capital Region, spotlighting a $387,000 award to the East Greenbush Police Department for radios, drones, night-vision gear, and dispatch center improvements. The Governor said these investments—part of $127 million in statewide tech grants—are helping departments modernize operations, boost officer safety, and better link and investigate crimes. She also pointed to a 45% decline in shooting incidents in GIVE jurisdictions year over year and underscored a broader safety strategy that includes GIVE, SNUG, youth employment, and Project RISE. The message: targeted funding, modern tools, and community programs are reducing crime and strengthening public safety in New York’s Capital Region.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
I’m going to take a moment to shift gears and talk about our efforts to drive crime down — not just all over the State, but particularly here in the Capital Region.
And I’m really proud to be here today with members of the East Greenbush Police Department. We have our great Chief of Police — been chief for seven years, a member of the force for 31 years — Chief Elaine Rudzinski. Let’s give her a round of applause. Our Supervisor, Jack Conway — appreciate all he did, and we had our shared experience about what it’s like on a town board. I spent 14 years as a town board member, and I understand the power of local government to do good for people’s lives, and I want to thank him for his years of public service as well.
And also, we have our District Attorney, Mary Pat Donnelly. We have been through a lot of battles, on the same side, as we worked to change discovery laws and make sure that we had common sense policies so they could do their jobs and protect our communities. She also is the president of the statewide District Attorneys Association. I want to thank our District Attorney for joining us as well.
And also, the men and women of this police force, second to none. I had a chance to meet a number of them. Dedicated. Some, fairly new on the job. Some, been here as long as 40 years. That, to me, is the ultimate in public service. And I thank them and all their colleagues for making sure that they work hard to keep us safe.
Keeping safe people safe is my number one priority — I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll say it again. And I also believe that dollars, investments make a real statement about your commitment. It’s not just words, it’s real dollars to support that. Last year, we delivered $127 million in grants to help local agencies upgrade their police technology with the most advanced tools that money could buy.
Again, I was on the town board. We would have loved to have the state government help us fund needed technology improvements, but we had to do it on our own. I vowed to change that dynamic when I became the Governor, and to be an ally and support local governments in particular, who are on the front lines of keeping communities safe.
I want them to be able to investigate and link crimes, put dangerous people behind bars. And here in the Capital Region, we allocated over $10 million, including $387,000 for the East Greenbush Police Department.
So earlier today, Chief Elaine Rudzinski — the first female Chief of Police here in Rensselaer County, way to go — showed me how the funding is already working. An upgraded radio console, three radios for their Shared Services [Response] Team. I was just in the vehicle that is the one that’s there when the crises are the most frightening, and the technology that they can use to launch drones from there. New computers and monitors in the dispatch center. And as I mentioned, the drones we saw on display here, the night vision goggles and helmets, just to name a few. And it’s already played a critical role in keeping our region safe, with better communication between departments and people here on the ground.
But technology alone is not enough to keep a region safe. Since I’ve taken office, four years, we’ve invested over $3 billion in State and local law enforcement, $21 million here in the Capital Region for key programs. It’s all about not just money for technology, but you have to create a whole ecosystem of safety and security. That meant $5 million for our GIVE initiative, which is directly responsible for getting guns off the streets. $2 million for our SNUG program, which is violence disruptors who are literally on the ground, in the streets, creating connections, particularly with young people, showing them an alternative path. $2.7 million for youth employment because the best crime fighting tool is a job, no matter your age. And $2 million for Project RISE, supporting community organizations that offer mentorship, mental health services and proven interventions to reduce crime. And I’m here to say, it’s working.
Shooting incidents in the Capital (Region) GIVE jurisdictions have declined by 45 percent since last year alone. That’s extraordinary. If we fund our police, give them the support they need, the respect they deserve, connect people to the resources they need, we can effectively fight crime — and the numbers bear that out.
Now, unfortunately, we’re seeing a different dynamic in Washington where the administration has gutted billions of dollars intended to go for law enforcement. Here, they’ve cut almost a million dollars — a million dollars less because of those cuts here for our law enforcement community. And they’re threatening the slash funding from critical programs such as Hazmat, tactical teams, canine teams and search and rescue.
That money’s not being used to protect hard working Americans, instead, it’s being used for other purposes: beefing up ICE instead of supporting these initiatives. And what is ICE spending more of their time on? I wish they’d spend all their time on going after the worst of the worst, the heinous criminals that we were told they were going to devote their energy to. And I said, “I’ll help you. I will always help you do that.” But instead, we’re splitting up families, terrorizing people just doing their jobs.
Yesterday I was on the phone with a CEO of a small power bar company where they just endured a raid of 70 individuals. I don’t know when the trauma’s going to leave that family and those individuals who were separated, still trying to find the whereabouts of a number of moms who had infants, including one that was nursing.
My friends, we can do better than that. Let’s get that money back where it belongs in places like this. Let’s continue making a difference. Because that’s cruelty. It has nothing to do with public safety.
So here, we know our crime fighting strategies are working in the Capital Region. But as I always say, there’s no such thing as a mission accomplished sign for me. We will not take our foot off the gas. More work to do, continue focusing on what they do. And again, I’m going to say this again and again, I’m so grateful to everyone who goes to the rigors of training, puts on a uniform, knows they can be a target, not sure they’re going to make it back to their families at the end of the day, and they do it anyhow. I’m in awe of their courage. I’m in awe of their public service. And as the Governor of the great State of New York, I’m proud that you are doing what you do, because it lets me sleep better at night as well. So thanks to all of you.
And with that, let me turn it over to Chief Rudzinski to speak more about how we’re fighting crime here in East Greenbush.
