Fortune Society executive transforms Rikers Island leadership Stanley Richards, former Fortune Society executive and formerly incarcerated person, becomes corrections commissioner under Mamdani. The appointment, announced January 31, 2026, makes Richards the first formerly incarcerated person to lead the NYC Department of Corrections. His selection represents recognition that those with lived experience of incarceration bring irreplaceable perspective to criminal justice reform. Mass Incarceration and Carceral Reform The DOC operates Rikers Island, the notorious detention complex holding people awaiting trial and serving short sentences. Rikers has faced decades of litigation over violence, abuse, and inhumane conditions. Closing Rikers and building smaller borough-based jails is ongoing, with a court-appointed monitor overseeing compliance. Richards enters this already-constrained environment. Fortune Society Background Richards has worked with the Fortune Society, an organization led by and serving formerly incarcerated people. The organization provides reentry support, advocacy, and community building for people coming out of prison. Richards' work…
White House immigration adviser takes legal strategy role Ramzi Kassem, a former senior adviser on immigration and civil rights in the Biden White House, becomes Mamdani's chief counsel. The appointment, announced December 30, 2025, positions a federal immigration and rights expert in the mayor's inner circle as NYC confronts Trump administration pressures on sanctuary city policies. Biden White House Background Kassem served as a senior adviser in the White House on immigration policy, advising on asylum, border security, and immigrant rights. He has also worked extensively on civil liberties issues and Muslim community protection from government targeting. His background combines policy expertise with civil rights advocacy. Chief Counsel Role The chief counsel position provides direct legal advice to the mayor on policy, strategy, and litigation. Kassem will coordinate legal strategy on anticipated conflicts with the Trump administration over sanctuary city policies, immigrant protections, and civil rights. He will also advise…
Governor resists mayor's millionaire tax proposal State-City Negotiations Stalled Over Revenue Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani find themselves…
Fiscal impasse threatens state-city relations Public Pressure Campaign Begins to Influence State Lawmakers Mayor Zohran Mamdani's preliminary budget proposal functions…
Fortune Society executive transforms Rikers Island leadership Stanley Richards, former Fortune Society executive and formerly incarcerated person, becomes corrections commissioner…
White House immigration adviser takes legal strategy role Ramzi Kassem, a former senior adviser on immigration and civil rights in…
Former Legal Aid leader takes helm of Law Department as city faces federal conflicts Steven Banks, a former Legal Aid…
Inauguration Day Logistics: Street Closures, Public Block Party, and Transportation Details – City Transforms as Tens of Thousands Gather on Broadway to Witness Historic Moment
South Korean Hotel Giant Acquires New York Palace Land for $490 Million – Lotte Hotels completes purchase of Manhattan property’s underlying real estate in major transaction
