LIVE | Mayor Mamdani Holds Press Conference to Make an Announcement With Small Business Leaders

[00:00:00]honor to introduce the person who made today possible. A mayor who believes government should work as hard for small businesses as small businesses work for your customers. Mayor Zoranwame Mandani.

[00:00:21]>> Good afternoon everyone.

[00:00:23]It is a pleasure to be back in the VX >> and to join so many small business leaders, city workers, and advocates live from Laborea. And I am thrilled to be here to announce a multitude of regulatory reforms and sign a new executive order that will help small businesses like the real life versions of the WGA and new stand on this sound stage around me. Now, I want to acknowledge that I am here alongside a number of leaders across both city government and beyond that. We have, as you've heard from already, our deputy mayor, Julie Sue, for economic justice.

[00:01:01]We have our deputy mayor for health and human services, Helen Artiaga.

[00:01:07]We have a number of commissioners here with us. We have Kenny Maniah of the Small Business Services, Midori Balivia of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, as well as Dr. Alistister Martin from our New York City Health Department. And joining them is our mom and pop Zar Dileia Ausi >> as well as our commissioner of the Office of MWBE's Michael Garner.

[00:01:33]And I want to acknowledge the elected leaders who are here alongside us from both city and state government. We have our state senator Joseph Serrano who is hosting us in his district.

[00:01:46]>> We have the chair of the committee on small businesses, council member Chanel Thomas Henry.

[00:01:53]>> The chair on the committee of consumer and worker protection, council member Harvey Epstein.

[00:01:59]the chair on the committee on civil service and labor, council member Shirley Alderol.

[00:02:05]And we also have our Burough President here. Can we have a round round of applause here, please, for Burough President Vanessa Gibson.

[00:02:14]If you say the Bronx three times, she does appear. It's true. Don't abuse that power, though. But it is true. And we also want to acknowledge Joseph Gerido, the owner of Laborega, for hosting this event and for having us here. And I want to thank as well Governor Kathy Hokll, who may not be present with us today, but is someone who is committed to this same work of making it easier for small businesses to work and to function and to keep their doors open across New York City and across New York State. Now, the final acknowledgements I want to make are to our small businesses themselves because that's what the focus of today is about. You know, we have Christopher Afum, the owner of Lifestyle 11:04 Juice Bar for sharing his experiences as a small business owner and all of the small business owners, the licensed drivers, the bids, the chambers of commerce, the trade associations, the advocacy groups, all of them that have been here and all of them that have also participated in our industry roundts with their partnership, their insight, their recommendations.

[00:03:16]Because everything that we present to you here today, these are ideas that have been presented to us, these are reflections of the struggles that small business owners have faced as well as those who have fought to represent those small business owners. So, I want to say thank you because I know that so many of you have been asked time and again to offer your reflections and many a time those reflections have not been met with any action and you chose to to trust and believe that this time could be different. And we appreciate that you did that because that is the basis of the recommendations here today. Thank you so much. Truly.

[00:03:54]Now, there are few pleasures quite as simple or satisfying as a chocolate milkshake on a hot day. Yet, for thousands of small business owners, behind the simplicity of a sweet treat, complexity often lurks. For too long, restaurant owners and street vendors have been forced to apply for not one but two permits if they want to serve warm food and cold dairy desserts at the same location. Today, my friends, we are lifting the freeze that too many New Yorkers must contend with as we launch open for small businesses. Open, which stands for overhauling procedures and expanding navigation, is a package of more than 50 reforms that cut red tape, eliminate redundant fees, and streamline the permitting process. In a win for every ice cream lover across New York City, we will work with the state to do away with the frozen dessert permit that requires restaurants to seek out a superfluous second permit for what they're already doing, serving food. No more treat exploitation, as we say right now. Barber shops need three licenses to cut hair. One to be a barber, one to own the shop, and one from the city on top of both. The state of affairs is frankly anti-fade. And we will not stand for it.

[00:05:07]Which is why we will work with the state to streamline these licenses as well.

[00:05:12]And to the bingo enthusiasts out there, for too long, the potential earnings of a hot street at bingo have been capped by arcane rules that no longer reflect how the game is actually being played.

[00:05:22]with open DCWP will remove unnecessary regulations including prize limits.

[00:05:28]These are just a few of the improvements we are proud to announce today as we make it clear we are in the pocket of big Abuela. Our our reforms touch virtually every sector from bodegas that have to apply for a license to sell identical goods outside versus inside their shop to the childcare providers who have to navigate three different agencies overlapping processes before they can actually get up and running.

[00:05:54]Most of all we we could clap for the childcare providers.

[00:06:02]You know, in this city, when there is something that we see that we want to celebrate, we say that it's a miracle.

[00:06:06]That these are miracle workers. We don't want to have to ask people to be miracle workers. We want them to just be able to do what they should have always been able to do, which is work with a city government that's responsive. Because most of all, open will not only make it easier to run a small business, but to open that small business, to reach for that most American of dreams here in New York City. To understand how these reforms came to be, I want to echo the words of Deputy Mayor Sue and take us back to January when I signed an executive order that directed seven city agencies to identify bureaucratic headaches holding our small businesses back and create a plan to fix them. As we pursued this work, we hosted roundts, convened small business leaders across the five buraus to understand their concerns. What we heard was not just an issue of a cumbersome permit here or a pesky fine there. It was a larger feeling, frankly, of neglect.

[00:07:01]Entrepreneurs shared how they so often felt the relationship between city government and small businesses was defined by chronic disregard. When I was inaugurated as mayor, I said the era of small expectations and even smaller ambitions was coming to an end in city hall. Today's announcement represents that promise made material. In addition to the open reforms, I am signing an executive order that will focus on three key areas to help small businesses get open and operating faster. First, open will become a permanent body tasked with continuing to identify reforms and reductions year round. Second, We will expand the city's business express service team known as NYC best to better serve New York's entrepreneurs by creating a single point of contact for small businesses who will proactively reach out to owners ahead of inspections.

[00:08:01]Instead of navigating the confusing landscape of city permits and compliance regulations on their own, aspiring business owners will be assigned a case manager who will help walk them through the process. City Hall wants to support you so you are equipped to pass your inspection. We want to help you start operating as fast as possible, and we are building out our capacity to do just that. Third, we will ensure that inspectors hand out physical copies of an expanded business owner bill of rights at every single inspection and that agencies distribute it at every single point of service. We are doing this because a survey conducted by small business services in 2025 found that just 9% of New York City's businesses reported even knowing that a bill of rights existed. That is a problem that today's executive order will permanently fix. Because if you do not know of your rights, you cannot use those rights. The experience of opening The experience of opening and running a small business should feel as smooth and seamless as it looks on this sound stage. Small business owners deserve a partner in city government. Our administration will continue to find ways to repair a relationship that for too long has been defined by mistrust and antagonism. Now, as city hall works to deliver a government that is as efficient as it is ambitious, we will partner with small businesses so that they may get to their grand opening as quickly as possible. And as New Yorkers pursue their dreams across the five buroughs, we will also partner with them, support them, and make it easier for them to do what so many businesses have done in our city for generations, succeed. Because we know that in a city where we all know the lyrics by heart of grand opening, grand closing, We're too often focused on just one part of the work of what it means to be a small business owner. Now, we are looking forward to putting together a city government with all of its partners to ensure that we will be there for every step of the way. Thank you so much.

[00:10:12]Our next speaker is the son of small business owners, our small business services commissioner, Kenny Maniah.

[00:10:25]>> Thank you, Deputy Mayor Sue. Thank you, Mayor Manni. And thank you all for being here today. Since Mayor Mandani appointed me commissioner, I made it a priority to hear directly from small business owners.

[00:10:37]I've sat with many of you at roundts, walked commercial corridors with you, or visited you at your shop. While the topics we discussed and the challenges you all highlighted varied, I was struck by how each of our conversations ended the same way. I was politely thanked for listening. A memory was shared about a previous interaction with one of my predecessors.

[00:10:59]And then the same question was asked.

[00:11:02]Sometimes it was asked out loud.

[00:11:04]Sometimes it kind of just hung in the air waiting to be asked. That question, how will this administration be different for small businesses?

[00:11:13]Today, we begin to answer that question with the commitments we're making today.

[00:11:17]We announced 50 reforms. We're cutting fines and fees and elevating the city's customer service standards.

[00:11:29]We're helping small business owners open quickly and stay open. We're creating a whole of government working group dedicated to continuous reform and excellence. These reforms will make a material difference in the lives of small businesses.

[00:11:44]For too long, you have watched administration after administration come through the door, sit at the counter, and not along as you explain what's broken. Yet nothing about our government changes. No more. Your concerns are not an abstraction to deputy mayor Sue and me. We are the children of small business owners. We know what it's like for an immigrant business owner trying to deci decipher government paperwork or lose money on fines that a simple warning could have prevented. New York City is open for small business.

[00:12:20]>> Anyone that wants to take the first steps towards their dream of opening a small business, visit nyc.gov/ GV/business or call SPS at 888 SPS4NYC to find your nearest business solution center. Thank you, Mayor Mandani, Deputy Mayor Sue, the 180,000 small businesses that call this city home. Thank you to the many advocates in this room and to the small business owners for demanding a government that works as hard to help them open their businesses as they work at their businesses. Thank you.

[00:12:56]Our next speaker is the Bronx, the Bronx. The Bronx Burough President >> Vanessa Gibson.

[00:13:06]>> Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor. Good afternoon.

[00:13:13]Welcome to Labodega.

[00:13:17]Only here at Labodega do you get the most powerful reflection of the city of New York. We have a news stand, we have a tire shop, we have a discount store, a liquor store, Chinese restaurant, a private house, and a city bus. That's amazing. So, I also want to say thank you to Joseph Gido, the owner here at Laodega. This is not my first time here.

[00:13:42]I was very proud last year to host our Puerto Rican Heritage Month celebration.

[00:13:48]We also gave out toys back in December and this is a great event space uh for residents and for so many New Yorkers that want the experience of the city of New York. So, thank you so much for being here today. Let me first thank our mayor Zaron Mdani, our deputy mayor Julie Sue, uh, Commissioner Kenny Mania, all of our deputy mayors and commissioners who are here today, our city council chair of the committee on small business, council member Chanel Thomas Henry, all of my elected officials and colleagues in government, small businesses, we see you entrepreneurs, all of our community partners and leaders. want to recognize our Bronx Business Improvement District who are here today from Third Avenue, Southern Boulevard in Morris Park. Thank you for being here today.

[00:14:44]So, ladies and gentlemen, we already know that small businesses are the heart and soul and fabric of our neighborhoods. They create jobs. They strengthen our economy. They also provide so much access and opportunity to everyday goods and services that keep our burrow and our city running. Just recently, earlier this month, from July 7th through July 12th, we proudly joined with Bronx EDC, the Chamber of Commerce, our business improvement districts, and we hosted Savor the Bronx 2026. It was our own burrows restaurant week because we believe in the diversity and the cultural aspect that our businesses and restaurants provide. So I want to say thank you to the nearly 50 restaurants that were a part of savor the Bronx because we truly believe in the work that you do.

[00:15:39]These are our restaurants, our bodeas, our grocery stores where families celebrate milestones. They gather together. the barber shop, the beauty salons where generations have gone to get that first shape up and that first wash and set. And the corner stores where New Yorkers order chopped cheese where business owners watch children and families grow up, the abuelas in the neighborhood. And always making sure that we take care of our communities right here in our burrow. Many of our small businesses are familyowned and immigrantowned businesses and they deserve a government.

[00:16:22]They deserve a government that works for them and uplifts all of them and treats them with the dignity and respect that they have earned through generations of serving our communities. For too long, the unnecessary paperwork, confusing regulations, the red tape, the blue tape, and all kinds of tape, and bureaucratic delays have made it so hard for small businesses to strive and thrive. As elected leaders and this administration, we must do more to show up and remove those barriers and become a true partner to the small business community. We can't just talk about this work, but we have to show up in a real way and deliver for the small businesses of this city. These reforms that you heard about are an important step forward in creating a more transparent, efficient, and customerfocused process that gives business owners all the tools, all the support, all the resources that they need to grow and invest in our communities. The work will continue. And when we support our small businesses, we are creating jobs. We are boosting tourism. We are strengthening our neighborhoods. We are creating access and opportunity to build a stronger economy for all New Yorkers. I am very proud of this moment. As a burough president and former member of the city council, we've seen time and time again businesses come to us needing that support. whether it's technical assistance, it's legal assistance, it's just basic necessities and in a language diverse way. We don't all speak English as a primary language. And so I'm so glad that we have I am so glad that we have a mayor and an administration that understands and gets it and is unafraid to take bold steps forward to make a difference in the lives of our business owners, our entrepreneurs, all of the employees that you provide jobs and career pathways to.

[00:18:31]And so I'm grateful for this day and I appreciate this moment and this partnership. And as we love to say in the Bronx, the Bronx means business and the city of New York means business.

[00:18:44]Gracias atos.

[00:18:51]>> Our next speaker is Council Member Chanel Thomas Henry.

[00:18:59]Good afternoon.

[00:19:01]>> Afternoon.

[00:19:02]>> Uh, my name is Council Member Chanel Thomas Henry and I have the proud honor of representing the 21st Council District in Queens.

[00:19:14]I know we in the Bronx, but I still have to represent my b the world's burrow.

[00:19:20]And I proudly serve as the chair of the committee on small business. In this role, I have the privilege of meeting entrepreneurs from every corner of our city. From family diners running for over 100 years to small business owners turning a new leaf on their dreams. And whether they're opening a restaurant, a child care center, a barber shop, or a family business, one message is consistent.

[00:19:49]I know how to run my business. I need government to help navigate theirs. You see, every successful small business starts with someone willing to take a risk. Government shouldn't be the biggest risk they face.

[00:20:06]Today's announcement is the result of those conversations. The open plan is more than 50 reforms born from executive order 11. But more importantly, it's a commitment to do things differently, a different way of governing. This was a collective effort of the administration, the council, small business community to meet people where they are. No one knows business better than the people running them every day. And good government works best when it responds to their expertise. That means clearer compliance requirements, more predictable timelines for opening a business, one-on-one support to help entrepreneurs get their doors open and keep them open. Better training for inspectors so enforcement is consistent, culturally responsive, and focused on helping businesses succeed, not simply catching them when they fall short.

[00:21:06]When inspections un inspectors understand realities of running a small business, communicate expectations clearly and approach enforcement with consistency and cultural competency, everyone benefits. And that's the impact we're striving for. The council shares that commitment. We're advancing legislation that cuts bureaucracy, reduces unnecessary red tape, and responds to the everyday realities of running a small business. from reducing fines and streamlining inspections to allowing quarterly payments that give entrepreneurs greater flexibility.

[00:21:43]Through our conversations, we are creating policies that address today's challenges while preventing tomorrow's obstacles. This is what it looks like when government meets people where they are. I want to thank Mayor Mandami, SPS Commissioner Mania, Deputy Mayor Sue, and all the deputy mayors here. my fellow council members, the great Bronx President, Burough President Vanessa Gibson. But more importantly, I want to thank the business owners who are here in this room today. the business owners that keep our city moving. The business owners that employ our local community residents and continue to help our corridors thrive, our bids, our economic economic development corporations, our chambers of commerce. Together, we're building a city where government is a partner in success for every entrepreneur. Thank you.

[00:22:50]And our last speaker represents the reason we are all here today. Business owner Christopher Afum.

[00:23:04]>> Hello everyone. My name >> my name is Christopher Aum and I'm the owner of Lifestyle 1104 Juice Bar. Woo.

[00:23:19]>> I opened up my first store in 2023, but the story began much earlier. I grew up in the Bronx, the son of immigrant parents from Ghana.

[00:23:33]They they owned a small supermarket and watching them work every day taught me what hard work, sacrifice, and serving your community really looks like.

[00:23:48]That's where my entrepreneur spirit came from.

[00:23:52]Later on, I went on to play college basketball and that's where I learned how much nutrition impacts the body and its overall performance.

[00:24:05]When I moved back home after graduating, I was inspired to open Lifestyle 1104 Juice Bar to bridge the gap between the desert we had in the Bronx for food.

[00:24:19]Like many entrepreneurs, I quickly learned that running a business is not just about having a great idea.

[00:24:28]There are leases, permits, inspections, regulations, and so much more. You simply don't know what you're going through until you're living through them.

[00:24:42]It can be overwhelming, but that's why New York City Best team has been so valuable to me throughout opening both stores.

[00:24:55]When I was going through my lease, NYC Best provided a lawyer who reviewed my lease at no cost.

[00:25:11]Angel from SPS best team >> helped me prepare for my opening day with a mock inspection.

[00:25:24]He was always available for me. He answered any question I had and guide me through all my challenges.

[00:25:32]They didn't just provide resources for me. They provided relationships, expertise, and confidence. They genuinely wanted my business to succeed.

[00:25:44]That's why I'm so happy to be here today joining Mayor Mandani, Deputy Mayor Sue, and Commissioner Mania as the city expands the NYC Best program.

[00:25:57]I tell so many of my friends about NYC Best when they're interested in opening up a business. I say NYC Best.

[00:26:09]I can't wait to see NYC Best reach out to many more people with their kind support and guidance.

[00:26:17]While that guidance and one-on-one help are incredibly important, it doesn't change the fact that there are still too many rules to keep up with. And sometimes it feels like our own city government is working against us.

[00:26:35]Mr. Mayor, I never knew about the business owners Bill of Rights before today.

[00:26:44]In all my inspections in my stores, I've never received one.

[00:26:51]Thank you for directing all city inspectors to promote these rights and for raising the standards of customer service in the city government throughout today's reform.

[00:27:13]Thank you also for the dozens of reforms to fines, fees, and licenses requirements that will reduce unnecessary distractions and allow us to spend more time serving our neighborhood.

[00:27:29]When we invest in small businesses, we're investing in entire families, neighborhoods, and the future of our city.

[00:27:39]I was so lucky to have the support of New York City best throughout my journey. And I'm grateful that many other businesses will not only have NYC best, but also the support of the entire city government led by Mayor Mandani.

[00:28:00]>> Thank you.

[00:28:08]>> Thank you. And now we're going to shred some regulations and sign the executive order.

[00:28:13]We are good.

[00:29:19]How about everybody?

[00:29:44]the police officer.

[00:29:52]>> Yes.

[00:30:01]Um >> yeah, David has been in the conversation Thursday.

[00:30:13]>> Thursday, I believe or at least the the memorial is Thursday.

[00:30:20]>> Yeah, David David has all the information.

[00:30:23]>> You know, David, >> no, he's I should say he's been working with the family all weekend, so I know that uh he has everything.

[00:30:31]I'll let him I'll let her know as well.

[00:30:34]>> Okay.

[00:30:47]>> That was very Yeah, sometimes they don't really like the message.

[00:31:29]Welcome.

[00:32:07]So that's a guidance.

[00:32:28]Everybody, >> that's fine.

[00:32:30]>> Thank you so much.

[00:32:31]>> Yeah. Yeah. Right here.

[00:32:49]>> Yes.

[00:33:01]Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[00:33:06]>> Thank you. And before we take questions, we're actually going to have the mayor provide an update on Legionaires.

[00:33:12]>> Yes. Just a quick brief update.

[00:33:16]>> Okay.

[00:33:18]So, I do just want to start with an update on the Legionnaire's cases that have been reported on the Upper East Side.

[00:33:27]Three New Yorkers have lost their lives as in connection with this disease. I'm heartbroken by the loss of our fellow New Yorkers and send my deepest condolences to their loved ones. I want to reassure concerned New Yorkers that they can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, and cook, and use air conditioners at home in the days to come and in the weeks and months as well.

[00:33:49]Since learning of the Legionnaire's disease cluster on the Upper East Side, our administration has looked to move as quickly as possible. In the past, city protocol has been to begin an investigation after three cases have been confirmed in a tight area and time frame. We did not wait for that. On Thursday, July 2nd, we launched our investigation with just two confirmed cases. Following the guidance of public health experts, we directed every building with an initial positive test result to immediately clean and disinfect its cooling tower. We have also instructed cooling tower operators across the city to strictly follow summertime requirements that call for increased use of biocides to kill Legionella bacteria. Due to the aggressive strategy of early testing, enforcement, and remediation, we believe that we have now eliminated the source of exposure. Regardless, we are continuing to inspect cooling towers and will aggressively enforce our public health laws. We will not rest until each and every New Yorker is safe. And I want to thank the New York City Health Department for all that they are doing to keep New Yorkers safe and healthy, as well as our health commissioner and our deputy mayor who are here with us. And for any New Yorker who is interested in finding more information, I would encourage you to go to nyc.gov/legnionaires for the latest. Thank you.

[00:35:07]>> We'll take some questions about the executive order first and then we'll have time for off topics. Anyone have questions about the executive order?

[00:35:16]>> Sorry, from the press. All right. Thank you everyone. We're going to take some off topics. Um, we'll start with Katherine from CNN and we also have Dr. Martin here as well as our deputy mayor Artiaga to answer questions about Legionaires.

[00:35:28]>> Hi, good morning Mr. Mayor over here.

[00:35:30]Hi.

[00:35:30]>> Hi. Sorry.

[00:35:31]>> Hi.

[00:35:31]>> That's okay. Um wondering if you can also provide an update on the 26 Federal Plaza incident that played out this morning. Um I saw your tweet earlier, but wondering if you can give more of an update there.

[00:35:40]>> So, what occurred outside of 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing. I'm relieved that no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody. My team is in touch uh with our NYPD and we will be supporting the federal investigation. Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city and that we hold anyone accountable who threatens them.

[00:36:03]>> Thank you. We're going to go to Yolanda from Telmundo >> now that the World Cup is over. What is your assessment on e economic impact on New York City and how will you evaluate the security operation throughout the whole tournament? I first just want to say thank you to every single city worker uh from the NYPD to NISM to parks to do the work that was done to ensure that this was such a successful tournament is one that most of us will never know how many hours were poured in. But from the glimpse that I have seen, it is an immense amount of commitment and dedication to this city and to a summer that has become one that New Yorkers will remember for the rest of their lives. And when it comes to the economic impact, we are still assessing the full economic impact given that the final was just yesterday and many who came to watch the game are still actually in our city. Uh many of them celebrating, some of them not. And what I can say is that we have seen a tremendous boost for restaurants and bars across our city. And we have seen that no matter which burrow we're speaking about today. We're here in the Bronx. I was at uh Tochi Milco, a cafe in the South Bronx to watch Mexico play South Africa in the opening match of this tournament. We know that so many New Yorkers have gone to those bars.

[00:37:26]They've gone to those restaurants and they've really enjoyed the spirit of what has been an incredible World Cup.

[00:37:32]Uh when it comes for our hotels, we know that for the first week of the of the World Cup that occupancy went beyond 90% for that first week and then throughout the month of June, it never went below 80%. We're waiting to see the results of what it looks like for the last weeks uh that we've just had. And we also saw that during the Knicks Championship run, nine out of 10 bars saw a significant increase in revenue. And we are anticipating that the World Cup will have a similar impact given that in New York City every game is a home game. You know, we are all rooting for the UN's men's n men's national team across our five burrows. And we also know that if you're on Steinway and Egypt is playing, you feel like you're in Cairo. You know, if if you're in Jackson Heights and Colombia is playing, you feel the same.

[00:38:16]And it's it is it is a beautiful testament to what makes this city so special. And I think what has made this tournament so special is people they are seeing themselves, their heritage, their culture, their countries in the fullness that they deserve.

[00:38:32]>> Thank you.

[00:38:34]>> We're going to go to Emma from the Times and then Leah from Politico.

[00:38:39]>> Oh, never mind. Your question is answered. We're going to go to Leah from Politico and then Morgan from Fox.

[00:38:46]>> Hi, thank you. Um, mayor, following your comments about the working class in the New York Times interview this weekend, I'm just curious as to would you consider yourself working class?

[00:38:58]>> I would consider myself the mayor of our city and and what I mean by that is, you know, I said it the other week that I haven't knocked on anybody's door in New York City and they've told me their concern is the mayor makes too little.

[00:39:11]My focus is on those who are struggling to afford life in this city. And we see that that definition has expanded over time. Who struggles in this city? The the definition we used to have of how much money would be enough to survive in this city clearly hasn't kept up with the costs that we've seen in this city.

[00:39:29]We're talking about the major cost that New Yorkers face. Number one is housing.

[00:39:33]Number two is child care. Our commissioner of small businesses services, new child here. If we can have a round of applause for our littlest our littlest baby. Um, and this is now sad news, but the cost of child care is $20,000 a year.

[00:39:51]The amount of money that you need to make to be able to afford that is $334,000 a year.

[00:39:59]That's an that that would have been considered an unbelievable amount of money. And yet what we see today is that this is a cost that is hitting every New Yorker. So that's where my focus is.

[00:40:09]>> Thank you. Okay, we're going to go to Morgan and then Heather from News12.

[00:40:14]>> Hi, Mr. Mayor.

[00:40:15]>> Hi, Morgan. How are you?

[00:40:16]>> I'm good, thank you. Um, I just I was reading your your interview over the weekend and um wanted to ask you more about your conversations with the um your legal department about potentially arresting uh Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I just want to know just what your feelings are when you look at for example your administration also reaching out to the prime minister of um excuse me the ambassador of Iran just how you I guess reconcile the two of of being so critical of the Israeli prime minister but at the same time meeting with the ambassador of Iran.

[00:40:52]>> So I want to first clear up a few things. Our administration did not reach out to the prime minister of Iran. Um, our administration received a request from the Iranian consulate and as soon as I heard of that, I made it clear that we are not meeting and we will not meet with the Israeli consulate here in New York City. And when it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, we're speaking about someone who's the subject of an international criminal court arrest warrant. And he's the subject of this arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, um, for war crimes. and he's the architect of the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as Israel's prime minister. These are not facts of my personal assessment.

[00:41:30]They are facts of public record. And I believe that when we when someone is charged with an international criminal court warrant, it's something that should be taken seriously. Whether it's Benjamin Netanyahu or it's Vladimir Putin or whomever else. What I've also made clear is that my administration will follow all applicable local laws. That is our commitment. that is something that we will follow through on um when it comes to an adherence to local law. And that's all I have to add on that.

[00:41:56]>> Are you looking at and now we're going to go to Heather from News. Are >> you looking at um sorry, are you looking at uh arresting anybody else on that list um of people who've committed international war crimes?

[00:42:06]>> My point is that if someone is charged with a warrant for by the International Criminal Court for these kinds of crimes, that's something I believe that should be honored and I've also said that we will follow our local laws.

[00:42:16]>> Thank you. Last question will be Heather from News12. Hi, Mayor. How are you?

[00:42:20]>> Hey, Heather. How's it going?

[00:42:21]>> Good. Thank you for taking my question.

[00:42:22]This morning, several state leaders did a joint um inspection of the Horizon Juvenile uh detention center here in the Bronx. They found multiple issues of overcrowding, staffing issues um and the re most recent incident last month where nearly a dozen people were hurt in a fight that broke out there. They're calling on your office to do a comprehensive review of the incident and facility operations. Are you planning to visit the facility yourself to do an inspection? And where do conversations stand on getting the facility under control and maintaining a safe environment for those who are there?

[00:42:56]>> So, this has been a focus of a number of our conversations internally is how to ensure that we are delivering not only safety but also adherence when it comes to Horizons and yes, I will be visiting Horizons at some point. However, we're not going to be waiting for my visit to take action and that's going to be something we're following up on.

[00:43:11]>> Thank you everyone very much.

[00:43:13]>> Mr. Mayor, do you feel like response to legionnaires was enough and three people died. Also, I wanted to ask you, you said you were content with open primaries. What did you mean by that?

[00:43:52]two days in the system. And on July 22nd, 1983, I took that journey to the military enlistment processing center and I went into United States Air Force to never need any system. So, I was truly emancipated, never needing public assistance or any other assistance again in my life.

[00:44:15]>> Wow. So, as I look at your journey, you know, you take the time to say, I've been there, I've done that, I got a t-shirt, and at the same time, I'm also paying it forward. Now, you have the hope program, and this is a program that Livingstone College has, but it's a partnership. And so for those who may not be so familiar,