Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Good afternoon, everyone. It is a true pleasure to be here with all of you, and I want to acknowledge we have our Governor, Kathy Hochul, who is here with us. A true partner in this work and so much more. We have our Staten Island Borough President, Vito Fossella, who is here with us. We want to thank the CEO of the NYNJ host committee, Alex Lasry. We have our administration's World Cup Czar, Maya Handa. We have Justin Brannan, the senior director of major event operations at the state level. We have Mike Cusick, a former colleague, who is now the president of the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation; Meagan Sills, the president of Staten Island University Hospital; Eric Landau, the president of Brooklyn Bridge Park; Christie Huus, the events director of the NYNJ host committee. We have John Catsimatidis, who is also here with us. And we have the acting president and CEO of our EDC, Jeanny Pak, as well as Gary Perone, the general manager of the Staten Island FerryHawks, and so many others who are standing here alongside us as we celebrate what is truly an exciting moment and an exciting announcement for the entirety of our city.
Now, 45 days from today, the world will come together to watch Mexico versus South Africa kick off the World Cup at the Azteca in Mexico City. For millions, this game holds a special resonance. It is the same matchup as the opening match of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. All you need to say is “Tshabalala, goal—Bafana Bafana, goal for South Africa, goal for all Africa,” and countless fans are transported back to that incredible moment. But when we remember the World Cup, we don't just remember how sweetly Tshabalala struck that ball, or how Papa Bouba Diop took the incredible winner for Senegal against France in 2002, or Romelu Lukaku stepping over a 94th-minute pass to allow Nacer Chadli to score what was the winner for Belgium against Japan in 2018.
We also remember the family members we celebrated alongside, the grandparents who shouted even louder than us that "no era penal," the strangers who, for one brief moment in a bar or public park, became the best friends that we'd ever known. That is the beauty of the World Cup. The world's game truly brings the world together. And as we prepare to host the World Cup right here in our backyard, we want to do everything in our power to make it more affordable for fans to make those memories. And so, I'm proud to stand here alongside so many other partners at [the] city, state and the World Cup host committee to announce that if the best things in life are free, so too should the World Cup fan experience.
That is why we are delighted to say that we will be hosting five free official fan events, one in each borough, featuring live viewings, local food offerings and so much more. These events were not initially set to be free, but the world's game should belong to the world. And so, we've made the decision together for fans to be able to watch that together without having to spend a dollar. Now make no mistake, these are not simple one-day affairs. Some of them will last weeks.
In Queens, it'll be held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from June 11th to 27th. In Manhattan, fans can watch at the Fan Village and Rockefeller Center from July 6th to the 19th. In the Bronx, it'll be held at the Bronx Terminal Market on June 13th and 14th. Staten Islanders will be able to watch at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park from June 29th until July 2nd. And Brooklynites will have quite the backdrop at Brooklyn Bridge Park from June 13th to July 19th.
Now this is just one small part of our commitment to making the World Cup one that every New Yorker can afford to take part in. Every fan should be able to watch the greatest tournament on earth without having to dip into their savings. Today, we take the first step of many towards fulfilling that process. And now, before I pass it on, I do also just want to ask for a round of applause for everyone who is here who made this day possible.
[Applause.]
Truly, I want to thank all of you. Because announcements such as these are not ever made thanks to one person, it is thanks to a committee and to partners at every single level of government. And so, it is my pleasure to welcome up to the microphone a partner in this endeavor, Governor Kathy Hochul.
Governor Kathy Hochul: Good afternoon, everyone, and I want to recognize all the great leaders that have joined us here today. And I'll get to our mayor in a moment. I've got a couple comments about him, and they're all good. But also, Deputy Mayor Julie Su [and] Maya Handa, the World Cup Czar from the Office of the Mayor. Alex Lasry, thank you for stepping up and saying yes to be the chair of our host committee and the entire host committee. And Justin Brannan, who's my senior director of major event operations. I realized I didn't call him my own World Cup czar because I think he wanted to make sure he had a job when the World Cup was done. So, he convinced me to change it to major event operations. So, well played. Well played.
And our borough president, Vito Fossella, and John Catsimatidis and so many others who are here today. This is a spectacular day. You know, as I came to the city after some meetings this morning, I'm heading back up to Albany just to remind her how extraordinary this place is. And members from the rest of the world who may not know that are going to soon find out. But I want to say, I stand here not just as the first soccer mom governor in the entire state of New York but also as a diehard Ted Lasso fan. And who doesn't remember the hapless Richmond Greyhounds, who got a lot of us through the pandemic. And it was a great escape. And I learned more about the sport than I ever did as a mom watching my kids play on the sidelines as my husband coached them.
But you know, our thought today is this: if you can't get to the World Cup, the World Cup is coming to you. And that's the commitment that the mayor and I are making as well as this host committee. And I want to give a special shout out again to the mayor who wears his passion on his sleeve. A die-hard Arsenal football fan who's someone who, like I do, we've talked about this during a Buffalo Bills game, understanding the highs and the lows, the great highs, the exhilaration of sports, but also the lows that go along. And it sort of prepares you for our jobs, we agreed. So, we're in a good place.
But your passion for this sport and for the city is exactly what we need right now as we showcase New York City and this region to the entire world. So, I'm proud to work alongside of you with what has been a 10-year effort. As we know, it's the largest single sporting event on the planet. That's not an overstatement. And in just a matter of days, it's going to take place and billions of fans in every corner of the globe will be united in captivating experiences watching one intense exhilarating physical sport. And it's coming to us.
We're expecting more than 1.1 million visitors to come to the region, generating about $3.3 billion of economic activity. That's all good. And that's great for the visitors coming here. But today is all about the fans. The people live in this region to make sure that they don't feel overlooked by this process. And so, the die-hard fans [have] been waiting a long time and the real soccer aficionados who've been little kids [growing] up playing soccer probably never imagined that this event would be coming to their hometown. So, this is something we want to celebrate [and] remind them that there is no greater sports community in the world than this region.
We have championship teams across the board. So, we are intense about our teams and our sports. So, it's not an understatement here as well. But also, I come from a world of sports. Not that I played. It wasn't what women of my generation did very much. But we certainly were very good spectators. My own father was on a national Gaelic football team. And so, he knows the rough and tumble. I spent my childhood watching dad play as a little girl sitting on Sunday afternoons at the Irish Center in Buffalo. But he was on a team of people from Chicago, Boston, New York and abroad. And he was supposed to play in a championship game over in Ireland. He was selected to be on that team, and something happened where he couldn't go. I was born that year. So, dad missed his big, big opportunity. But I think he's forgiven me since then.
But what is, there's no better place on this planet to be watching the World Cup than here in New York City because we have every, every, every community around the globe represented. Think about the Ecuadorian community in Jackson Heights [and] what this means to them. The Senegalese community in Harlem, the Haitian community in Flatbush — this is everything to them. It's going to lift them out of their day-to-day experiences and transport them to a place of unity and excitement shared by billions across the globe. So, I want to say, New York isn't just hosting the World Cup; New York is the World Cup. That's a broad statement, but I'm going to stand behind that. I'm sure the mayor agrees as well. This is the place. So, this [MetLife] Stadium may hold 80,000 people, but this moment belongs to millions of New Yorkers and how we take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
So, I'm proud that, as you announced here today, that there's communities — five boroughs will be all experiencing free Fan Fest opportunities. Five boroughs, five events, one New York and other days to participate. But also, [in] New York State, we want to make sure that we're offering this as well. June 12th, beginning June 12th and beyond at Stony Brook University, free large-scale viewing events. And June 19th at Kensico Dam Plaza in Westchester County. That's just getting started. We also created a World Cup one-day permit, cutting the red tape so bars and restaurants across the state can host outdoor watch parties and fan activations throughout the tournament. And we're extending the hours. This is important. It's one of the most popular things I ever do is when I extend bar areas are hours for our fans.
So, businesses can stay open until 4 a.m. Imagine that: 4 a.m. Is that a big deal to everybody? In Buffalo, that's always open until 4 a.m., so it's not a big deal for me. But this is so you can be open whenever a match is live because we're not telling New Yorkers to go home when the stoppage time is still ticking. So, beyond the five boroughs, we're supporting community watch parties and culture events from the north country to the east end of Long Island, making sure it's affordable for all.
And also that's why through our NY Knicks program, something we're negotiating in the budget right now, $5 million to invest in more soccer youth facilities in underserved communities across the state, seizing this opportunity to get more young people excited and getting them outdoors and offline, which we're always focused on as well. Because the next member of Team USA might be a kid from the Bronx or Rochester who just needs a place to play. And that's not all. We have $500,000 of [the] community World Cup grant program to support locally led viewings as well as the large events we're hosting as well.
So, FIFA's bringing the World Cup to New York. New York is ready, ready for the fans, ready for the neighborhood restaurants and bars they packed wall to wall every day and ready for the electric, indescribable feeling that when your team scores, the whole city erupts at once. So, as I said, there's no place on earth better to do this than right here, right now in New York. And this summer, the world is coming to us, and we are ready. Thank you very much. Let me introduce the World Cup czar from the City Hall, Maya Handa.
Maya Handa, World Cup Czar: Thank you so much to everyone for being here today. [I’m] proud to be here and also proud to be representing Senegal, one of the nine countries that we'll be playing in NYNJ. I'm going to be extremely brief and just say we are thrilled to be standing up here with our partners from the host committee, the State of New York, to announce these free fan fests. From day one, this administration's priority has been affordability and to ensure that 8 million New Yorkers can benefit from this tournament. And we're really proud to say that residents of all five boroughs will have the opportunity to attend free official fan fests in their communities.
I want to briefly acknowledge the years of work that went into this announcement and name some of the staff from the city, state and host committee whose coordination, planning and execution have made this possible: Bruce, Christie, Chris, Bettina, Carly, Ellyn, Justin and so many others. This is the first announcement of many that will highlight our venues, arts, culture, restaurants and small businesses across the city.
We are very excited in the coming weeks to share more opportunities for New Yorkers and visitors to celebrate their teams and watch and play soccer all across the city for free. Thank you so much. And now, I would love to introduce Alex Lasry, the CEO of the NYNJ host committee.
Alex Lasry, CEO, NYNJ 2026 World Cup Host Committee: Well, thank you guys. We are very excited about today. This has been an incredible partnership through the leadership of the mayor and the governor, and we are really excited about what we're able to announce today. And in less than 50 days, we are going to be welcoming the world to our shores. This is going to be the largest World Cup in history, with 104 matches across three countries in just under 40 days. New York-New Jersey will be hosting eight matches, including what is likely to be the largest sporting event in human history: the World Cup Final. For just some perspective, the last World Cup Final was viewed by the same amount of people as the last 13 Super Bowls combined. So, if football is America's sport, football is the world's sport, and we will be welcoming the world to our shores in just under 50 days. So, we do have a big responsibility to put on a show that can only get in New York and New Jersey.
We're expecting millions of people and over $3 billion of economic impact, and that's what makes the World Cup so unique and more unique than any other event that we've hosted. It's not just a weekend. It's going to be six weeks, and so our job is to ensure that fans have affordable and accessible ways of participating in the World Cup, whether you're inside or outside the stadium. And that's the opportunity that's in front of us. How do we get the millions of fans who will be visiting our shores to enjoy the experience, who are going to be able to experience the World Cup in an authentically New York way? And thanks to Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani's leadership, we're able to do just that. Today, we're announcing our five-borough fan engagements, which will drive fans all across our great city and state. And the best part is, it's free.
What makes this truly special isn't going to be what happens inside the stadium, but it's how we bring the World Cup to every borough, every neighborhood, and every community, because there's no place better positioned to host a moment like this than New York, New Jersey. This is where global events happen. It's where culture, sports and community come together, and where the world comes to experience something unforgettable. And that's exactly what we're doing here today. The Staten Island University Hospital Community Park will become an official New York, New Jersey fan zone, bringing together New Yorkers and visitors from around the world to celebrate the game together.
And our investment in this community lasts well beyond the World Cup. So, I'm proud to announce that the host committee is contributing $200,000 towards the new LED scoreboard, an upgrade that not only prepares this venue for World Cup moments but also creates a permanent benefit for this stadium and for Staten Island. And that's been our approach across the region — leveraging the global stage of the World Cup to deliver real, lasting impact locally. So, we're ready to welcome the world, and just as important, to make sure that the people who call this region home are part of every moment. Thank you.
Question: Can you tell us how people get tickets for this? How will people have access? And also, what do you say to the head of the Port Authority who has suggested that New Yorkers should consider working from home during the World Cup here?
Mayor Mamdani: What I would say is that we are incredibly excited, as the head of the host committee said, to not only welcome the world to New York City, but also welcome New Yorkers to what this experience will be. I can tell you that some of my favorite memories as a New Yorker growing up in this city has also been the way in which our city has come alive when the World Cup has been hundreds, thousands of miles away. And we're excited for everyone who will come. We're excited for all those who are here. And we're looking forward to showing exactly what the governor has said, which is that New York City is ready. And when it comes to the specificity of the fan zones — I'll just bring you up to answer any of the questions.
Lasry: So, on the fan zones for tickets, you'll be able to go to our website, and you'll be able to get the tickets for all the fan zones. Thank you.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: [Inaudible.]
Mayor Mamdani: We're prepared. We feel fully prepared.
Question: I’m wondering, given what happened at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, if you're going to change your security for the FIFA events that you're going to be sponsoring here, for all the events that are going to be going on all over the city. But also, in protecting the city from all the other events that are going to be happening at the same time — by the way, including the visit of [King] Charles, who's coming this week. But focusing on FIFA, focusing on the other events that are going to happen at the same time from the 250th anniversary, July 4th, it's a mixed bag of all kinds of things.
Mayor Mamdani: So, I'll just first start, Marcia, to speak a little bit about what happened at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Political violence is unacceptable, and it should have no place in our country. And I am relieved that President Trump and everyone who attended the dinner is safe. When it comes to the events that we are announcing here today, they're also events that we have been planning and coordinating with our police department to be fully prepared for. And so, when we speak about these events, as well as the events that we will be coming together again and again to announce more of over the course of the next few weeks, we are going to be protecting New Yorkers at those events. They are events where New Yorkers can celebrate without the fear of any of what it is that you're describing. And that's the truth for the World Cup. That's the truth also for Sail250, as well as the 250th anniversary of our nation, July 4th. These are all events where we are incredibly excited to welcome the world to our city and that we are confident in our police department and our ability to keep people safe over the course of them.
Question: [Inaudible] changed your thinking about what you have to do for security? Because these are all really high-profile events, especially since so many people are going to be here for the FIFA events. You know, has it changed your thinking about how you make people safe?
Mayor Mamdani: Safety has been top of mind for us. And I'll be frank with you that what we saw at the Press Correspondents Dinner is one part of a very troubling reality across this country, which is how political violence has become part of our politics. And it is something that we are taking into consideration whenever we are planning anything in our city. And I'm fully confident in our city and in our police department to keep New Yorkers safe over the course of that. Because the answer to this kind of violence can never be that we refuse to engage in public life. Showing New York City is welcome for the world and also those who live here is one way in which we show that there is no room for this kind of political violence to not only affect the way in which we live, but also to threaten the things that we look forward to over the course of the summer and beyond.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: You've talked repeatedly and people on the dais have talked repeatedly about the estimated $3 billion in economic benefit to the region, and you specifically have talked about spreading the love of that wealth all over the five boroughs. But there was a troubling report in Bloomberg late last week that said the hotels are not even keeping pace with last year, which didn't have anything on this scale coming to the city. So, what is your concern, not just that this wealth won't be spread to the five boroughs, but we're not even going to see the traditional economic benefit that Manhattan normally sees?
Mayor Mamdani: Well, I'd say a few things. The first is that we know there are those across the world who are concerned about federal policies, about the presence of ICE. These are concerns that many New Yorkers share. And we are looking to showcase the fact that New York City is one that is eager to welcome the world to our five boroughs. And we're eager to do so because in many ways New York City is a reflection of the world. More than 3 million New Yorkers were born outside of this country. I'm one of them. And we also know that the statistics that you're citing are preliminary in the fact that nearly half of those who expect to attend a World Cup game in New York City, New Jersey, have not yet bought their tickets.
And so, we are excited to show both in this announcement and in the many to come that this is a city that will be one of the best ways to enjoy what is the most-watched tournament in the world. And I also say this as someone who went to South Africa for the World Cup in 2010. Some of my fondest memories were at fan zones. It was not crying in the stadium when Luis Suárez stopped the gold-bound shot of the Ghanaian team. It was rather playing beach soccer in Durban. It was watching the World Cup final alongside so many others on a massive screen. It was the celebration and the opportunity to better explore South Africa as someone visiting. And I know that that will be the case for so many here. And we're excited to show that these fan zones are just the beginning of what the city will have to offer when it comes to this incredible tournament.
Question: What do you say to business owners getting ready? I'll cite another for instance for you. At the NFL Draft over the weekend, there were a lot of Pittsburgh business owners who felt holding the bag because they didn't really see the benefit of people leaving the area where that event was. Are you worried people will just kind of go in and out of the giant stadium area and not really bring the benefit to the five boroughs?
Mayor Mamdani: So, we are going to be doing a number of things to ensure that we don't just sit and hope that tourists will come and explore the city, but rather that we provide them with a guide of how to truly understand this city as a New Yorker. And we're very excited to announce them in the weeks and months to come. Thank you.
Question: Mr. Mayor. Is there anything you plan to do to make the tickets more affordable or free? And is there a capacity limit on those events you just mentioned today?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I'll pass the capacity question over to our CEO of the host committee. What I will say is that I've been very clear about where I stand on the affordability of tickets. Soccer is a game that was born out of the working class. The ticket prices that we are seeing are not ones that many working people could even dream of affording. And so, I've said time and time again that we want to see as affordable of a tournament as possible. And what we're excited to show in this announcement — thanks to the incredible work of the host committee and so many partners across the city and the state — is that for many New Yorkers who were never going to be able to go watch the game, that they actually have a place where they can go and watch and feel the excitement of that tournament. And on the capacity question—
Lasry: So, for capacity at the U.S. Tennis Center, we're looking at around 10,000 people that can be there at one time. For here in Staten Island, we're looking at also probably around 5,000 to 10,000 people being able to fill the entire stadium. At Rockefeller Center, it's just part of Manhattan, just kind of go and have fun, if you can be there. And then in the Bronx, we're also looking at around 5,000 to 10,000 people as well. I think also what's important about this is —these are just the host committee official events. New York City is going to have thousands of pop-ups and places to go. And I think that's what makes New York City and New Jersey so special as an event, as a host region, which is all of the things that are going to be happening from the bottom up. And we've got our small business rewards program that we want businesses to register for, which is going to people, fans and residents can go and go to the small businesses, get points, earn rewards. And that is another way that we're going to drive people all around the city and state and region.
Question: Mayor, you know about the $150 that fans have to pay. And today, Congressman Gottheimer was complaining that in the contract, it says New Jersey and New York, and New York has not provided any money for the transportation, even if most of the $400 million in tax revenue is going to go to New York. So, the question is: Is New York is going to provide some money for transportation or is going to leave only that for New Jersey?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, the decision of what to charge for these tickets is a decision made by New Jersey Transit, and it's a decision that they're making because of the cost that comes with the host duties. And I empathize with the fact that what we see oftentimes is municipalities being left with a cost of a tournament that will generate $11 billion in revenue. What I can say is that what is within New York City's control, we are going to ensure it is the most affordable experience it can be, whether it comes from these fan fests or it comes from how we're looking to unlock the city as a whole for those who are coming to visit as well as for those who already live here.
Question: Hi, Mayor. I've got an on-topic question and then I've got an off as well. So, on the events that are being hosted, you know, there were, I think, up to 20 that were supposed to be hosted on DOT open streets viewing parties, but your administration has been calling them off, citing feedback from the police department. Similarly, the NYPD has requested a limit on parks events during this time, but open streets organizers have told us, you know, that they host movie screenings for like 500 people all the time. So, I'm wondering whether you agree with this NYPD assessment of the resources or do you think they're overestimating how many people they need to, you know, guarantee safety at these events?
Mayor Mamdani: What I'll say is that today is one of many announcements that we're going to be making in the lead up to the World Cup, and one of those announcements will be regarding DOT watch parties. And we're excited to announce this because we're looking for this to be a tournament where New Yorkers can celebrate no matter where they are — no matter what borough they call home. And we're looking forward to ensuring that New Yorkers can do so, and we're going to be sharing those details soon.
Question: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I was wondering: I understand you're not having a private meeting with King Charles this week, but are you going to the wreath laying? And if you were going to meet with him, what would you say to the king?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I will be attending the wreath laying tomorrow alongside a number of other elected officials, including Governor Hochul [and] Governor Sherrill, to pay tribute to the more than 3,000 people who were killed in the horrific terror attacks of September 11th. And that will be the extent of my meeting with the king and with others who are present there.
Question: As a die-hard Arsenal fan, would you consider correcting the record and calling it football — not soccer — during the games? And to my original question, how would you respond to critics of your veto on Friday? Jewish organizations, including some of your allies, have said that — [they have] criticized it, and some called it a failure to show your commitment to protect Jewish New Yorkers. How would you respond to that?
Mayor Mamdani: So, what I would say is that I am deeply committed to protecting Jewish New Yorkers and to doing so not just at religious services, not just in their homes, not just outside of schools, but frankly, wherever they are in New York City. And it's part of a commitment to ensure that public safety is delivered for each and every New Yorker. And I also believe that as we deliver that public safety, as we show an absolute rejection of antisemitism across the five boroughs, we can also do these things while protecting our fundamental constitutional rights. And what I heard from a number — including members of organized labor, nearly a dozen labor unions — were concerns not just around the constitutional nature of the legislation that was passed, but also about its potential impact on labor organizing, given the broad language that was used that could be extended to apply to museums, to libraries, to hospitals. And that is an impact that I would not be comfortable with signing into law.
Question: You know, Governor Kathy Hochul was with you today. As you know, the state budget is very late. And as a result, there's been some rumblings that you are going to be delaying your budget presentation on May 1st. So just wondering to confirm: Are you going to be delaying your own budget presentation as a result of the late state budget? And what have your conversations been like with the governor and her team? Just explaining to them how their late budget is impacting your late budget?
Mayor Mamdani: Well, I'll say that I've appreciated the conversations that I've been having directly with the governor, the conversations between our teams, as well as the conversations—
[Crosstalk.]
And the conversations with legislative leaders, like Speaker Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. I'll say the question on the timeline is an active conversation. It's a productive one. I'll be sure to share anything publicly as soon as we have anything.
Question: [Inaudible.]
Mayor Mamdani: I don't have anything additional to share beyond that right now. Thank you.
Question: Well, you were with the governor today before she just went back to Albany. I think she flew down to then go back up. But wondering, did she promise any more dollars for you? I mean, you still have a very wide gap. Are you going to be getting any more money? And even Speaker Carl Heastie last week said that he wants you and Julie Menin to come to a closure without any promising that you will get more state dollars.
Mayor Mamdani: What's the question exactly?
Question: $5.4 billion is your gap, right? But have you been promised any more from Albany?
Mayor Mamdani: We've been encouraged by the conversations that we're having with our partners in Albany, and we've already seen a number of actions that would serve to reduce that deficit. When we're talking about the pied-à-terre proposal, that would reduce that deficit by about a half billion dollars every year. And that's part of the larger conversations we're having. But as you pointed out, this is an active process, one that we are still in the final portions of. And as we have any more updates on that, we will be sure to share them.
Question: Streetsblog reported last week about a police officer who had an excessive number of tickets. And I know this comes at a time when the NYPD was very, you know, the Maspeth street takeover, for example, Commissioner Tisch criticized that reckless driving, but they have someone on their own force who has hundreds of—
[Crosstalk.]
Five hundred and forty-seven tickets since—
[Crosstalk.]
[Since] 2022. So, I wanted to get your take on that, if you've spoken to the commissioner about that. And then I have a second question.
Mayor Mamdani: This was something that I think I shared at Friday's press conference, which is that it is part of an active conversation I'm having with the commissioner. This is unacceptable. And we cannot be asking New Yorkers to engage in responsible operations of a motor vehicle and then having those employed by the city flouting that, especially at the extent that's been reported. So, that is something that we are actively discussing.
Question: So, this morning, the governor released a video, a vertical video on social media describing the pied-à-terre tax without many details. But some people are noting that she's using some methods used by you in talking about income inequality. Do you take credit for that tonal shift? And a second question: I wonder if you could explain a little bit your administration's withdrawing of some proposals to start an AI learning-focused high school, as well as close or relocate three high schools on the Upper West Side.
Mayor Mamdani: So, I'll say on the first is that we are appreciative of working together with the governor on tackling not just a fiscal crisis, but also the affordability crisis. And the important thing for all of us in public office is to make the case to New Yorkers in whatever way in which they engage with the world. And many New Yorkers, it is the question of using their phone and social media. And those are not things that I came up with. To your second question, can you just—
Question: So, there're three Upper West Side high schools and then the AI learning-focused high school.
[Crosstalk.]
Mayor Mamdani: That decision that the chancellor made is a decision in direct response to calls from families across School District 3 and community members. And so, while those proposals have been removed at this time, those conversations are going to continue. And part of this just comes back to the ethos with which the chancellor leads to ensure that there is adequate time to actually speak to the community about any of these kinds of larger-scale proposals that are being made.
Question: [Inaudible] those proposals failing if it came to a vote?
Mayor Mamdani: This is more of just a reflection of the fact that there were significant enough concerns that would make it worthy to have an extended conversation around this.
Question: Speaking of the earlier question about security, a couple of weeks ago, there was reporting about the MSG facial recognition deployment quite extensively. And Council Member Shahana Hanif has been pushing her legislation called Ban the Scan, which would regulate some of the uses of facial recognition and other biometric identifying technology at major venues like sports stadiums or even grocery stores. I'm not sure if the speaker is supportive of that or the broader Council will support it, but I'm curious about whether that's something that you would support if you've considered that legislation at all.
Mayor Mamdani: That is something that we will have to consider to dig into the actual details of that. You said it's sponsored by?
Question: Shahana Hanif.
Mayor Mamdani: And what is it called?
Question: Ban the Scan.
Mayor Mamdani: Okay. We'll follow up on that. Thank you so much.
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