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If you know anyone who might like this newsletter, send it to them. If this was sent to you by someone else, subscribe here — it's free!  Dear New Yorkers, As Mayor Eric Adams faces scrutiny over his campaign’s ties to Turkey, THE CITY has found that his 2021 mayoral committee accepted donations from three members of a foundation incorporated by Bilal Erdogan, a son of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Adams on Wednesday acknowledged meeting Erdogan while he served as Brooklyn borough president, in response to questions from THE CITY. Under Erdogan, the U.S. State Department has repeatedly cited Turkey for widespread human rights violations including reports of arbitrary killings, torture, and the detention of political opponents, journalists and activists.  Campaign records show that between 2018 and 2021 the Adams campaign received $6,000 from three U.S. citizens who are board members of the charity, the Turken Foundation, which registered as a foreign agent with the Department of Justice last year.  Turkish opposition leaders have alleged that the foundation is a vehicle for the Erdogan family to stash away millions outside the country.  Yet Adams has been a steady supporter. Adams presented the Turken Foundation with a “certificate of appreciation” in 2018 for its “contribution to the region and intercultural relations.”  And at the 2021 groundbreaking for a midtown Manhattan student housing tower the foundation is erecting, Brooklyn Borough President Adams was the sole elected official there for the opening ceremony, smiling before cameras and holding a shovel. Read more here. Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Thursday's Weather Rating: 5/10. Cloudy and dreary to start, with a few showers lingering around as well. We will clear out as the day goes on, with improving conditions by early afternoon and high temps in the mid 60s. The vibes are still all over the place today! Some other items of note: Hundreds of women have filed lawsuits against the city’s Department of Correction as part of the state’s extension of the statute of limitations under the Adult Victims Act. They allege a culture of abuse and cover-up by officers while at Rikers Island. These are some of their stories. Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez’s last-minute decision — under pressure from City Hall — to support a 349-apartment housing development in her Bronx district explains how she ended up losing her seat to first-time Republican candidate Kristy Marmorato in a district where 61% of voters are registered Democrats. That vote, political observers and local residents say, broke many voters’ trust. Some feared Velázquez would vote similarly on a proposal for a facility that would house formerly incarcerated individuals, and on a potential casino at the city-owned Ferry Point golf course. New York City has a mandate to distribute services and facilities fairly across the city, but it’s failing to do so — and is not being transparent about it, according to a new audit by Comptroller Brad Lander’s office. While some facilities, such as early childhood centers, police precincts and fire stations are fairly distributed, others are concentrated in just some communities. Lander urges local government to establish oversight and to provide the public with clear information. “Right now, quite often, everyone will say ‘We're doing more than our fair share,’” he said. “And it's not possible to analyze whether that's true or false.” The latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast delves into the election results, with a look at the winners and losers of a low-turnout election — in a year where every City Council was nominally in play, a Republican beat a Democratic incumbent in the Bronx, and a Republican incumbent fell short in Brooklyn. Things To Do Here’s what’s going on around the city this week. Thursday, Nov. 9: Choral music performed by the composer/conductor collective C4. Free from 6-7:30 p.m. at the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center in Manhattan. Register here. Friday, Nov. 10: Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off, a baking competition by both amateurs and professionals. The results are on view at the Museum of the City of New York through Jan. 15, 2024. Saturday, Nov. 11: A Kiku tour highlighting the expertly cultivated Japanese chrysanthemums at the New York Botanical Gardens. Free with admission from 12-1 p.m. THE KICKER: If you rode a yellow taxi between 1997 and 2003, a celebrity’s voice likely greeted you. Now, filmmaker David Friedman has made a video history of the Celebrity Talking Taxi program — since clips weren’t previously available online.  Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Thursday. Love, THE CITY P.S. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom runs on support from readers like you. Donate here.

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