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Dear New Yorkers,

Mayor Eric Adams’ nonprofit organization that funds special initiatives has been without a staff director since February — stalling at least one of the mayor’s promised programs.

Last July, Adams announced a fundraising effort to diversify journalism, a field he has criticized as being too white.

“Unfortunately, too many newsrooms still do not look like the communities they cover, with Black, Brown, Asian-American, and so many other communities underrepresented in our press corps,” he said.

Adams pledged to raise scholarship funds for Black, brown and Asian students via his nonprofit Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, setting a target of $500,000 within a year.

But when asked by THE CITY this week about progress toward that goal, Deputy Mayor Ana Almanzar, who chairs the nonprofit’s board, said that the organization is in a “transition” after its executive director’s surprise departure in February.

She did not say how much if any money the fund had raised for the promised scholarships.

Read more here about the mayor’s nonprofit, how it fundraises and what those funds go towards.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Thursday's Weather Rating: 4/10. An improvement, with high temperatures in the mid-80s and a few morning showers and storms. The good news is we'll clear out by evening with falling humidity and nicer air mass moving in overnight. The vibes are improving … slowly!

Our Other Top Stories

After a botched rollout of the redesigned Free Application for Federal Student Aid that kept many high school seniors and their families from completing the form, students in New York City and across the country have major financial aid uncertainties this summer that could complicate their ability to attend college in the fall. CUNY officials are trying to keep college-bound students on track to start the semester on time.  This week for our Summer & THE CITY newsletter, THE CITY’s reporters created a guide to the best wild places in NYC — and joined the New York Mycological Society’s mushroom foragers as they looked for fungi.

Summer & THE CITY brings you the best of summer, by and for New Yorkers. It’s a free, weekly newsletter to help you enjoy — and survive — the hottest months in the five boroughs.

Plus, we’re raffling THE CITY’s limited edition summer merch over there. Don’t miss out.

Sign up for Summer & THE CITY here — it’s free!

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Thursday, July 25: Uptown Bounce: Caribbean Night with DJ Taela Naomi, an event to celebrate the new exhibition “Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100.” Free with museum admission at 6 p.m. at the Museum of the City of New York. Thursday, July 25: The Queens Jazz Trail: Salcedo’s Latin Soul, a free outdoor performance, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Travers Park in Queens. Friday, July 26: Dance for Every Body, a movement and dance class hosted by the Brooklyn ensemble Urban Bush Women and Lincoln Center. Free at 5 p.m. at the Garden at Damrosch Park in Manhattan.

THE KICKER: For 10 years, Billy Joel performed monthly at Madison Square Garden in a record-breaking residency. (Sometimes, he took the Long Island Rail Road to get there.) Today is the last show.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Thursday.

Love,

THE CITY

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