NYC Council Sues Over ICE Office at Rikers Island -
The New York City Council has filed a lawsuit against Mayor Adams over the opening of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outpost on Rikers Island. The...more
4/21/2025
/ City Councils ,
Healthcare ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Mayors ,
Mental Health ,
New York ,
Political Candidates ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Elections
BALTIMORE—City Files Lawsuit Against DraftKings, FanDuel -
The City of Baltimore filed a lawsuit against DraftKings and FanDuel, alleging that the sports betting companies exploit vulnerable gamblers through promotional...more
4/17/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
New York ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Public Transportation ,
Sports Betting ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Taxes ,
Wage and Hour
NYPD to Launch New Quality of Life Division -
Mayor Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that the New York Police Department will be forming a new Quality of Life Division. The new division will unite officers...more
A federal judge dismissed the corruption case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams with prejudice, meaning that the charges can not be refiled in the future. Echoing sentiments from several prominent Democrats in the city, Judge Dale...more
CHICAGO—City Begins Converting Loop Office Buildings to Housing -Chicago’s La Salle Corridor Revitalization Initiative kicked off last week, beginning with the transformation of a historic 14-story Loop office building into...more
Last Wednesday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council passed a package regarding sidewalk shed management, and voted to establish a sleep apnea...more
Last Thursday, Mayor Adams appointed Randy Mastro, a former federal prosecutor and aide to Rudy Giuliani, as First Deputy Mayor. Mastro will oversee day-to-day operations of the city’s nearly 300,000 employees amid growing...more
CHICAGO—City Incentives Aim to Attract Data Centers -
Chicago is positioning itself to capitalize on the data center boom, with the City Council adopting an ordinance offering incentives for developers to store municipal...more
3/20/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Data Centers ,
Employment Policies ,
Gig Economy ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Wage ,
Property Tax ,
Public Health ,
Real Estate Development ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Incentives ,
Technology
Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of four new deputy mayors to replace those who resigned last month due to concerns about his ongoing federal corruption indictment. The following appointments were made: Adolfo...more
Speaker Adams Delivers State of the City-
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ 2025 State of the City Address emphasized housing affordability, economic equity, public safety reform, and protecting democracy. She highlighted the...more
BALTIMORE—City Moves Closer to Creating Consumer Protection Agency -The Baltimore City Council advanced a bill to establish its own consumer protection agency, modeled after similar agencies in nearby Howard and Montgomery...more
3/6/2025
/ Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Housing Market ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Reform
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he will be running for Mayor of New York City. Cuomo previously resigned as Governor in 2021 amid several accusations of sexual harassment, and enters a crowded field of...more
3/4/2025
/ Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Mayors ,
New York ,
Nominations ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Candidates ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government
Last Thursday, Governor Hochul announced that she would not be exercising her authority to remove Mayor Adams from office. However, she explained that she will seek to increase state supervision of his administration....more
CHICAGO — Restaurant Workers Prepare as ICE Arrests Cast Uncertainty -Chicago restaurant workers are bracing for possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests, despite no confirmed raids. Fears have led...more
2/20/2025
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
Eviction ,
Foreign Workers ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Reform ,
Labor Reform ,
Real Estate Development ,
School Districts ,
State Funding ,
Trump Administration ,
Undocumented Immigrants ,
Worker Protection Standard ,
Workplace Safety
Last Monday, the Justice Department directed federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to dismiss the pending charges against Mayor Adams without prejudice and restore his security clearance. Mayor Adams...more
2/19/2025
/ Corruption ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethics ,
Government Agencies ,
Governors ,
Mayors ,
New York ,
Public Officials ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Resignation ,
State and Local Government ,
White Collar Crimes
Last Tuesday, Mayor Adams, along with other mayors of cities throughout New York State, stated the city’s priorities at the state budget “tin cup day.” Adams advocated for “Axe the Tax for the Working Class” legislation,...more
CHICAGO — Restaurants on Guard Against ICE -
Immigrants comprise roughly 40% of Chicago's restaurant workforce. Some restaurant owners have begun educating employees on their rights, providing required paperwork, and...more
2/5/2025
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Wage ,
Real Estate Development ,
Union Elections ,
Unions
Several 2025 mayoral candidates attended a candidate forum last Wednesday on the Upper West Side. Topics included child care, police officers in the subway, mask bans, and regulation of Airbnb. Incumbent Eric Adams and...more
2/3/2025
/ City Councils ,
City of New York ,
Local Elections ,
Mayors ,
New York ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Candidates ,
Public Policy ,
Resignation ,
Special Election ,
State and Local Government
Tuesday evening, January 27, 2025, Matthew Vaeth, the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), distributed a Memorandum to all federal department and agency leaders, instituting a temporary pause on...more
1/30/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Compliance ,
Donald Trump ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Funding ,
Government Agencies ,
OMB ,
Policy Memorandums ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements
Last Tuesday, Governor Hochul released her $252B FY26 Executive Budget. The proposal includes funding for $1B in tax cuts for middle class New Yorkers, $3B in rebate checks, $800M to expand the state’s child tax credit, $340M...more
1/28/2025
/ Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Nonprofits ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Rebates ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Cuts
CHICAGO — Data Shows City’s Labor Market Stabilizing -
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said the latest jobs report suggests the labor market is stabilizing at full employment and is not a sign of an...more
1/23/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
City Planning Departments ,
Economic Development ,
Housing Developers ,
Immigration ,
Infrastructure ,
Local Ordinance ,
Public Policy ,
Public Safety ,
Public Transportation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rent Control ,
Sanctuary Cities ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Policy ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wildfires ,
Zoning Laws
Last Tuesday, Governor Hochul delivered her 2025 State of the State address, laying out her vision for the year ahead. Highlights from the State of the State are below. The Governor will release her Executive Budget soon to...more
In his 2025 State of the City address, Mayor Eric Adams detailed his administration’s efforts to create a safer, more equitable, and family-centered New York City. He noted achievements like reducing crime, expanding...more
1/13/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
Fair Workweek ,
Homeless Issues ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
Paid Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Relief ,
Wage and Hour
CHICAGO — Jobs Slightly Down Since Last Year, State Data Shows -
The Chicago metro area experienced a 0.2% drop in non-farm jobs between November 2023 and November 2024. While private education, health services, and...more
1/9/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Arenas and Stadiums ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Funding ,
Homeless Issues ,
Labor Reform ,
Low Income Housing ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Property Tax ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Public Transportation ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
New NYS Measures Taking Effect in 2025-
Several new measures have now taken effect in New York State. The hourly minimum wage for non-tipped workers increases to $16.50 in NYC, Westchester County, and Long Island, and to...more