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It was a big day for real-world impacts of THE CITY’s reporting.
First, after a series of articles by THE CITY exposed high prices and poor service by a private no-bid vendor on Rikers Island, the city’s Department of Correction says it will open the bidding process to any contractors who want to operate its jail commissary.
It’s been a long time coming. Even after THE CITY’s initial investigation and a knock by the comptroller, the Adams’ administration last March awarded a $33 million no-bid deal to the Miami-based private equity firm, the Keefe Group, that previously charged incarcerated people and their families twice as high as local stores on many products.
At a City Council hearing on Thursday morning, the DOC deputy commissioner for legal matters said that after the Keefe contract expires in June 2026, the department will open bidding to any interested party.
Second, the Council also discussed a proposed bill that would require jail officials to return all unspent commissary money to detainees before they are released, which comes after THE CITY in 2023 detailed how former detainees at Rikers left a total of $4.2 million in commissary accounts.
And lastly, NYPD car chases have dropped by 66% in the two weeks since Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced a more restrictive vehicle pursuit policy — a change that was made after THE CITY’s investigations found car chases were connected to more than one crash per day in 2024.
Switch out your beanie for a ball cap: It’s raining on and off all day, with temps in the mid-40s.
MTA 🚇
It’s a big weekend for train disruptions. The M is suspended all weekend, starting tonight near midnight and ending early Monday morning. And if you’re in Brooklyn off the G, F, N or Q you might run into some trouble — check out all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here for what’s going on with your line.
The Trump administration’s move to re-examine federal funding for hundreds of programs for evidence of what it calls “Marxist equity” would potentially have a devastating effect on New York City — notably the city’s ability to provide homes for the 520,000 residents that live in public housing. Seventy percent of NYCHA’s budget comes from federal funding, and it’s already struggling to improve deteriorating conditions in many of its aging buildings.
A defiant Mayor Eric Adams returned to the public eye on Thursday after an unknown illness sidelined him, shooting down rumors of his resignation in front of a crowd of religious leaders. “Who started the stupid rumor that I was stepping down on Friday? Are you out of your mind?” he said.
Now that you’re an expert on sorting your recycling, here’s what happens next: Most of the city’s plastic, metal and glass ends up at Balcones Material Recovery Facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. And the paper goes to Pratt Industries Paper Mill on Staten Island. But how much of the material we put in our bins actually gets recycled? We followed your tossed-out stuff from bin to smelter. Read more in Part Two of our recycling guide.
Yesterday we sent out the first edition of RANKED CHOICES, our weekly election newsletter — and now you can read it on our website! If you’d like next week’s newsletter to be sent straight to your inbox every Thursday afternoon, sign up here.
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New York businesses bullish on their growth, despite cautious outlook for local economy
New York business leaders remain optimistic about their own company’s performance and industry’s performance, as revealed by JPMorganChase’s annual Business Leaders Outlook. The majority of NY-based middle market companies are projecting increased revenue/sales (80%) and profits (75%), bolstering their plans to grow and hire this year. Possibly helping to fuel this optimism, fewer New Yorkers report labor shortages, retention and recruiting talent as top challenges (34%) compared to the national average (46%). However, when considering their outlook for the local economy, small and midsize businesses are a bit more cautious. Among NY-based small businesses, inflation remains the top concern, followed by cyber security and uncertainty of economic conditions, such as rising taxes. Read more about these key findings on jpmorgan.com.
Sunday, Feb. 2: Whatever, Punxsutawney Phil — did Staten Island Chuck see his shadow this morning? Find out on this Groundhog Day Hibernation Hike, and learn some fun facts about wildlife along the way. 10 a.m.
THE KICKER: Joy riding on the local? Now we’ve heard it all. Last weekend, a group of people stole an R train and took it for a spin — then posted a video of themselves doing it.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Friday.
Love,
THE CITY
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