NY's bad flu season is getting worse. Last week there were 4,546 hospitalizations—most ever recorded in a single week. This is happening at time when flu vaccination rates are down. It's not too late to get your flu vax this season. Find a provider in NYC here: on.nyc.gov/getvaccinated.

Follow @nyccomptroller.bsky.social for updates from my new office!

A remarkable trend that will come as a shock to you if your only info about NYC is from this Fox News. Homicides in NYC... 1990: 2,262 1993: 1,927 1998: 629 2001: 649 2013: 335 2019: 320 2021: 488 2024: 382 2025 (as of 12/28): 302

I've worked closely w/ Kamar throughout his tenure as supt. of D3. In the face of a long series of challenges in the district—changes in admission standards, school consolidations etc—he's consistently led with compassion, principle & nuance. He's truly an outstanding choice to lead DOE citywide.

NY is having a bad flu season. More hospitalizations last week than any week on record. Health authorities are encouraging everyone aged 6mo+ to get the flu vax (it's not too late). Find a provider here: on.nyc.gov/getvaccinated. You can filter for sites where there's no cost for the uninsured.

NYC has an excellent tool to see how recently any street has been plowed. Check out PlowNYC at: plownyc.cityofnewyork.us/plownyc/ Thank you to the 1000s of hard working men and women at @nycsanitation.bsky.social who are out battling this storm tonight.

Due to weather hitting NYC, DHS has activated “Code Blue”. No one will be denied intake at a homeless shelter, including walk-ins. In effect until 8:00am Saturday. Please do not be indifferent to any vulnerable person you see in the street. Call 311 immediately.

A winter storm warning is now in effect for NYC. NWS has issued its final briefing on the storm: * 5-9 in. likely in NYC, as much as 11 in. possible, especially in northern parts of city. * Heaviest snowfall from 6:00pm to 1:00am * Rate could exceed 2 in/hr Please avoid travel if at all possible.

Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan… * Vehicle traffic: -11% * Foot traffic: +3.4% * Storefront vacancy: -0.9% * Pollution: -22% * Revenue for mass transit: $548M So YES this has been a huge success.

Look at this graph. Vacant office buildings in NYC are being converted to housing at an unprecedented pace. Nearly all projects include affordable units. This didn't happen by accident. It's the result of policy change (City of Yes, State tax incentives etc). Let's keep this going.

In wake of the horrific shooting in Australia: NYPD has announced that it is deploying additional resources to public Hanukkah celebrations and synagogues in NYC out of an abundance of caution.

While you were distracted by the Epstein files, RFK jr just updated the CDC website with his anti-vax talking points. This is dangerous and irresponsible. www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...

Tell me you don’t understand risk pools without telling me you don’t understand risk pools

Th ank you New York City! Now let’s get to work.

The new comptroller for NYC. Competently trolling Greg Abbot.

Friends, allow me to (re)introduce New York City's next Comptroller...

You don’t need to add any more disincentives, Gov. There’s already your higher crime, shakier power grid, and worse pizza.

Mark Levine is our pick to be the next Comptroller. As Manhattan BP, Mark's led the fight to expand the Hudson River Greenway, advocated for more public restrooms and for tearing down part of the FDR Drive, and lots more. Read about @marklevinenyc.bsky.social here: www.streetspac.org/election_day...

DESIGN JUST DROPPED

Added bonus for everyone who votes in NYC tomorrow: special edition “I voted” sticker

The current homepage of @usdagov.bsky.social. This is deranged. Almost certainly a violation of the law. And if it's not, it should be.

Early voting has begun in one of the most consequential elections in NYC history. Today is also the last day to register to vote: nycvotes.turbovote.org Find your poll site here: findmypollsite.vote.nyc Early voter hours 👇

This is reprehensible. It's blatant Islamophobia that is an afront to NYC's entire Muslim community. This hatred has no place in our city, our politics, or our party.

🚨@hsany.bsky.social just released our 1st ever endorsements for Mayor/Comptroller general election! Backing candidates who will fight for the human services sector & millions of NYers we support. www.humanservicesaction.org/2025-endorse... @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social @marklevinenyc.bsky.social

The maga crowd calls us terrorists. They say we hate America. But we are out here because we love our country and we’re not afraid to fight for it. We are the real patriots. #nokings

Murders per 100k residents: * Houston 19.0 * Dallas 16.6 * San Antonio 15.9 * Ft. Worth 10.8 * NYC 4.6

Trump just eviscerated the CDC. This is not hyperbole. Using the shutdown as a pretext, last night he fired—illegally—100s of key scientists, disease detectives, immunologists, respiratory disease experts, the entire Office of the Chief Medical Officer, the CDC's entire Washington office, etc. 1/3

Data on shootings in NYC so far in 2025 is just out: Lowest on record for first nine months of any year in NYC history. Ever. Since modern reporting began in 1960s. Remind the world of this every time Trump says he is going to send the military into our streets to save us.

This will damage the nation’s largest and most important economic engine but hey this administration is always happy to shoot the country in the foot in the name of political vengeance…

The current homepage of HUD.gov. This is unhinged. This should not be legal.

NYC is a trillion-dollar economy that sends far more to Washington in taxes than we ever get back (unlike most red states living off our subsidy). If Trump cuts our federal funding, will he also stop collecting our taxes?

NEW: Monthly data just out shows NYC lost 4,500 jobs in August. The employment slowdown is real, nationally and locally.

Trans and gender expansive students in NYC are under attack. Thank you Manhattan Borough President @marklevinenyc.bsky.social for pushing back against this dangerous rhetoric. NYC Mayor Eric Adams should be ashamed.

The Trump admin has threatened to cut funding for magnet schools in NYC unless we abandon our policies ensuring respect for trans students. Alarmingly the mayor has responded by echoing Trump’s talking points. My letter urging the City to stand firm in the face of this threat:

After yesterday’s rambling press conference on acetaminophen and autism, I wrote for TIME about the disastrous medical guidance offered by the president and why this was even worse than the ‘inject bleach’ press conference during Covid OpEd and accompanying video interview👇 time.com/7319680/crai...

Read the recap of my wide-ranging interview with @marklevinenyc.bsky.social for the “Juan Manuel Benítez Wants to Know” podcast! open.substack.com/pub/juanmabe...

Big news: With RFK Jr waging an all-out war on science, Northeast states are standing up the Northeast Public Health Collaborative to make our own vaccine recommendations and coordinate strategy. Includes NYS, NYC, NJ, MA, CT, RI, PA & ME. We need much more of this.

The sky over the WTC memorial is crystal blue clear right now. Exactly like it was on that horrific day 24 years ago. I am feeling painful parallels this morning to that horrible time. This is truly the most fearful for the future of our country I’ve felt since then.

A major economic challenge we're not talking enough about: It's getting harder and harder for young people to find entry-level jobs. We are definitely feeling this in NYC. Nat’l unemployment rate for ages 16-24 just hit 10.5%, highest it's been since the pandemic. Rising steadily.

Great news: In response to RFK’s anti-vax moves last week, NY will allow pharmacies to provide covid vax WITHOUT a prescription. (Age 3+)

Let’s be clear: Trump intervening in the NYC mayor’s race will be political poison to any candidate who benefits.

Tonight one of the CDC’s top public health leaders, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, has resigned from his post. Below is his full resignation letter. You should read every word. This is a truly scary moment for public health in America. 1/2

Americans need to understand what’s happening tonight at the CDC. This was an agency held together over the last 7 months by scientists with decades of experience in public health, who hung on despite a relentless assault on science-based policy by RFK and Trump. 1/

Do yourself a favor and follow Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President. If you want real NYC insight—not the nonsense takes—he’s the one to watch

What Trump has done so far to help fight crime in NYC: * Cut our FEMA anti-terror funding * Cut our DOJ gun violence prevention grant * Proposed cutting our DOJ funding for hate crime response * And most importantly: Refused to lift a finger to stop the flow of guns into NYC from other states

It’s much harder to build housing in Blue states than it is in Red states. So yes people are moving away from Blue states. One more reason that addressing the housing shortage in NY and elsewhere must be an urgent priority.

The outskirts of Hurricane Erin will impact NYC’s coastal areas tonight. A High Surf Advisory (up to 9-16 ft) & High Rip Current Risk are in effect through Fri. NWS has issued a coastal flood advisory, with a warning for SE Queens. Please stay out of dangerous surf & use caution near shoreline.

Cool new Google Maps feature for subway trips in NYC: It tells you where on the train you should be to exit fastest…

The Trump deportation nightmare is even worse than we feared. A new report reveals that ICE has detained *50* children under 18 in the NYC area since January. At least 4 as young as 6 years old. 38 children have already been deported. This achieves nothing other than cruelty.

NYC is a major economic engine. We are a leading indicator for the nat’l economy. Data just out shows job growth here in 1st half of 2025 has come to a screeching halt. Tariffs, decline of int’l visitors, and economic uncertainty are hitting us hard. This should be a warning for the country.