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FRIDAY, MAR. 28, 2025

A court hearing yesterday confirmed that the Manhattan district attorney is forging ahead with his prosecution of Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the longtime close friend and aide of Mayor Eric Adams — even as the Trump Justice Department has aggressively sought to dismiss a different federal corruption case against the mayor himself.

In December, the DA charged Lewis-Martin, her son and two businessmen in a “long-running bribery, money-laundering and conspiracy scheme.” The indictment alleged that she used her influence to eliminate roadblocks for the businessmen at the Department of Buildings in exchange for cash and other benefits, including $100,000 to purchase a Porsche for her son, Glenn Martin II.

All four pleaded not guilty.

During a court conference Thursday, the assistant DA revealed that the grand jury was hearing more evidence about the defendants, potentially related to “other matters.” He also revealed that the DA’s office had turned over documents regarding Eric Ulrich, Adams’ former Building Commissioner who was himself indicted on bribery charges.

Read more here about the latest developments in the case against Lewis-Martin and its implications for other members of the Adams administration — while the mayor is likely to evade legal consequences.

Weather ⛅

Partly cloudy, with highs in the upper 50s.

MTA 🚇

There’s no 4 train between Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and Crown Heights-Utica Ave/New Lots Ave all weekend, from 11:30 p.m. tonight through 5 a.m. Monday. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, Mar. 28.

By the way…

Thanks to a new approval process led by the Department of Transportation, outdoor dining is a bit more complicated than it was last year. Check out this map from Gothamist of restaurants that will be offering the option when the season officially begins on Tuesday.

Our Other Top Stories

The city Department of Transportation has launched a pilot program to deter commercial trucks from parking illegally in residential areas — but those efforts will not reach many areas most affected by the issue, according to a data analysis by THE CITY. And that irony wasn’t lost on the residents and elected officials of Southeast Queens, who rallied on Thursday in Springfield Gardens to urge the DOT to include them in the pilot. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has rescinded hundreds of millions of dollars for public health work across New York City and New York State. That includes cuts to state programs like the Office of Addiction Supports and Services and the Office of Mental Health, and city grants for infectious disease and prevention work which would be essential were the city to need another rapid response to public health threats like bird flu, tuberculosis or measles.  New York City has pretty rough voter turnout. Just 23% of registered voters turned out for the last mayoral election. So among the sea of non-voters — who does reliably come to the polls? We dug into the data and talked to experts to find out. In the latest edition of our election newsletter RANKED CHOICES: a new mayoral poll has more female voters supporting Andrew Cuomo than men, upcoming candidate town halls (one led by students, one focused on climate and one on public safety), and a reader question answered: Can you get an absentee ballot sent abroad?

SPONSORED How this JPMorganChase partnership helped a Bronx student find a promising future Born to Sudanese parents who immigrated to the Bronx, Investment Specialist Sagid Mohamed’s childhood was characterized by the constant quest for opportunities. But his future began to materialize when he took part in The Fellowship Initiative, a JPMorganChase-sponsored program that provides high-school-aged young men of color with three years of academic, social, and emotional support to help achieve personal and professional success. “Have faith that there are people in your life who want to help you, and they'll introduce you to things they think will be good for you,” Mohamed shares. Read more about how a mentorship opportunity turned into an internship and a full time job at jpmorganchase.com/newsroom/stories/sagid-mohamed.

Reporter’s Notebook

‘Regulated’ Rental Income Rises

Landlords’ of rent-regulated apartments saw their net operating income rise 8%, adjusted for inflation, between 2022 and 2023, according to the Rent Guidelines Board’s 2025 income and expense study. The study, released during a board meeting Thursday, is a key metric the RGB uses to determine how, or if, to raise rent on the city’s one million rent-stabilized apartments.

In the same period, the study also found that landlords’ rental income grew 6.9%, total income grew 6.6% and expenses rose 3.8%.

The number of rent-regulated buildings across the city that had a negative net operating income decreased half a percentage point to 9.3%, the first decrease since 2016 in the amount of such properties defined as “distressed.”

The analysis accounted for over 16,000 buildings containing nearly 700,000 apartments. The board will continue considering multiple factors and testimony this spring in the lead-up to an annual vote on how to set rent in the coming years.

— Samantha Maldonado

Things To Do

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

Friday, Mar. 28: Finally, a party that plays the music you like: Boogie down at a silent disco at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center in The Bronx. 6 p.m. Saturday, Mar. 29: Coney Island opens for the season! Celebrate with the “egg cream christening” of the Coney Island Cyclone at 12 p.m.  Saturday, Mar. 29: Urban Park Rangers will show you the best spots in the city to see spring migratory birds — no birding experience needed. Salt Marsh Nature Center in Marine Park, Brooklyn. 11 a.m. Sunday, Mar. 30: It’s the last day to see loved., a site-specific sound installation created to remember those lost to Covid-19. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden brought back the installation to mark the fifth anniversary of the crisis. Plays hourly from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (This requires a ticket to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is $22 for adults.)

THE KICKER: If you’ve ever had the desire to ice skate in a tank top, this Saturday might be your chance. It’s the last weekend to skate at the iconic Rockefeller Center rink before it closes for the warmer months.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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