Good evening New York City,
I hope you and your family are doing well since the Canadian wildfire smoke cleared from our air. If you still want to know the status of our air, you can keep monitoring our air quality in real-time here. Let’s get into how we’ve been Getting Stuff Done for you at City Hall this week: |
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Summer Streets are back and BIGGER than ever! From July through August, almost 20 miles of streets will go car-free across all five boroughs for the first time to let New Yorkers bike, walk, play, and socialize on our streets from 7am to 1pm on select Saturdays.
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We created a new process to reexamine homicide cases with LGBTQIA+ victims, including unsolved cold cases and incidents like last year's fatal druggings. Submit a request here for the NYPD to re-examine a case. They have committed to answering all inquiries.
- New York City’s more than 60,000 food delivery app workers will now have a minimum pay rate of $17.96 per hour, an increase from $7.09 per hour. Eventually, by April 2025, this first-of-its-kind delivery worker pay rate increase will reach $19.96 per hour.
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It’s not too late to get a free air conditioner or fan from the City! We’re offering up to $1,000 in benefits to get a new unit or replace an outdated one, so please check your eligibility. Staying cool helps you stay healthy in the summer months.
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From how New York City will protect access to gender-affirming care to where you can go canoeing for free this weekend, scroll below for what you need to know this week in the greatest city in the world. |
↳ Three initiatives to know: |
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Ensuring you’re free to be – I signed an executive order to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ people seeking and receiving gender-affirming care. Health care is a human right, and we will refuse to use City resources to cooperate with discriminatory prosecutions or investigations led by other states regarding gender-affirming care in our city. You are always safe and welcome to get the care you need in NYC.
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Bringing more equity to our city – New York City leads on what it means to be a Smart City, one that levels the playing field for all by making helpful technology accessible and affordable for all. We’re home to the nation’s biggest municipal broadband initiative, a real-time flood tracking system, free Wi-Fi in our parks and beyond, a one-stop shop to access City services, a free program to lower your bills by switching to green energy, and so much more. We’re excited to host the Smart City Expo USA in October and showcase how smart cities are equitable cities.
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Getting in depth on youth mental health – Social media is a Trojan horse that entered our homes promising community and collaboration. Instead, it caused many of our young New Yorkers to experience intensified isolation. We held a summit on social media, bringing together New Yorkers across industries, health experts, and young people to create a constructive plan of attack against the impact of social media on our mental health.
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Healthy habits for long lives – With our new food education initiative, our students in NYC Public Schools will now learn healthy eating and personal wellness lessons that will set them up for better lives long-term. Students will have access to delicious, culturally appropriate, and healthy meals during the school day, paired with educational tips to build lifelong health knowledge.
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Free career training and prep – New York City has an online hub for free skills training, job search preparation, and industry exploration. We have countless resources available to help you reach your full professional potential, so browse through or share with a loved one who may also benefit. |
Public questions for public safety – New Yorkers like you can submit questions for the weekly Friday public safety briefing here. Our leaders will answer these during the Friday livestream, available on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
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↳ FREE events this weekend: |
🪴 BONUS: On Roosevelt Island, decorate flower pots and plant herbs to take home. Starting a home herb garden is easy, sustainable, and will enhance your cooking! |
☞ Of note: Juneteenth is a time of both reflection and celebration. It’s a day to remember when all slaves were finally emancipated in 1865 and to uplift the resiliency and countless contributions of our Black Americans. On Monday (6/19), let’s celebrate and honor those who have paved the way and continue to blaze trails.
If you’re looking for ways to celebrate our Black Americans’ contributions and culture, there’s free and low-cost events in every borough. The New York Public Library has the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island covered with educational and immersive experiences. In Queens, you can check out this list from local publication QNS for everything from African drumming to a night market. For our Brooklynites, head to your local Brooklyn Public Library branch for craft making, hip-hop dance, and electric blues.
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With summer coming up soon, it’s time for dazzling displays of vibrant light to flutter across our city’s sky. We keep a running list of legal upcoming fireworks displays, so check it out if you’d like to catch a show. Also, starting next Friday (6/23), Coney Island’s Luna Park will begin its annual Friday Night Fireworks series!
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Connecting talented New Yorkers with City jobs is always a joyous event. Whether at our in-person hiring hall events or online at our City job openings site, we love seeing your interest in serving the City. I cannot emphasize enough how rewarding it is and hope you explore an opportunity here. Our next hiring hall event is this Friday (6/16) in Brooklyn at CUNY Medgar Evers College! RSVP here, remember to be yourself, and put your best foot forward. Many attendees end up getting interviews on the spot or receive job offers during the event – maybe one of those people will be you on Friday! |
What’s in bloom this June? Trees! NYC Parks has a goal of planting 14,900 new trees by the end of the month. So far, they’ve already gotten 13,154 trees planted in all five boroughs and have made special note to plant more trees in heat-vulnerable areas. This is the most robust tree planting program in the past six years. One could say, that’s just how you Get Green Done.
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Before you go, did you know… |
More than 450 bird species pass through our city every year? With 30,000+ acres of parks in NYC, there’s ample opportunity to go birding and admire our aerial avian associates. Here’s a list of seven spots you can see some of the beautiful birds that call NYC home.
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Have a fantastic weekend, New York! Hope all of our incredible NYC dads have a wonderful Father’s Day too. If you're still thinking of ways to celebrate this Sunday, you can always refer to our fun free events, go support a local business, or enjoy our lovely green spaces.
Your Mayor, Eric P.S. Have a question, comment, or request? Contact my office here. I look forward to hearing from you. |
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