New York City Mayor Eric Adams returned to his weekly press conference on Wednesday after a brief hiatus last week, noting that he underwent some medical tests.
The mayor, after experiencing some "real pain in my side," said his doctor pushed him to go through a series of tests that included Adams to go under anesthesia. Adams did not describe the nature of the tests, but did say the results were negative and that he felt much better.
There was some confusion as to the timeline of these procedures. After the press conference, Kayla Mamelak, Adams’ press secretary, said the mayor was under anesthesia after undergoing a colonoscopy that occurred on Jan. 3, according to the Gothamist. Then, the mayor’s doctor instructed him to undergo more tests, including an MRI and bloodwork, and advised him to take it easy. Mamelak told the Gothmaist that these follow-up tests motivated Adams to step out of the public eye last week.
Meanwhile, the mayor came under some scrutiny for not addressing the public during this time, as there were questions about succession when a mayor is temporarily or permanently unable to govern. Jumaane Williams, the public advocate who would becoming the acting mayor should Adams permanently be unable to continue with his duties, said he had not heard from anyone at City Hall about the mayor's situation.
"Given the new disclosure of the mayor’s time under anesthesia last week, and his office’s failure to inform the public advocate of that fact at the time, it seems clear that this was a violation of the charter," Williams said in a statement on Wednesday.
That said, the mayor said he told Camille Joseph Varlack, his chief of staff, and First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer that he would be under anesthesia. He also issued an executive order giving his first deputy mayor control should he be temporary indisposed.
“I never left my role as being responsible for running the city from the time that I was under anesthesia," Adams said.
Meanwhile, while the mayor was under a modified schedule, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the city continued to occur, which the mayor said was not a coincidence. “Don't know if many people know, but ICE carries out actions all the time in the city,” said Adams.
About 100 immigrants have so far been arrested in the New York City area, accoding to The City.
Addressing public safety concerns, the mayor said January 2025 recorded the lowest number of shootings in history. With regards to subway safety, Adams said there are now two police officers on each train to patrol and assist with crime management. “Our subway system is moving in the right direction,” said Adams.
The mayor also addressed his Tuesday visit to Albany, dubbed the “Tin Cup Day,” or when various leaders gather in the state capitol to lobby for their priorities. Adams said he was hoping to secure $1.1 billion in migrant funding for fiscal year 2025 and it was just the start of negotiations.
"We're going to lay out exactly why we need the funding. And we're going to give them the numbers and show them success. We have been extremely successful," he said.
Adams also said he is negotiating with city and state officials so he would not be forced to make a $120 million budget cut to childcare centers in the city, some of which have over 70% enrollment. Schools like Williamsburg’s Nuestros Niños and the Bushwick Family Center are currently slated to close.
Adams said that his administration inherited 30,000 unused early childhood education seats that were being paid for by taxpayer money. “I must be fiscally responsible, and that's what we're doing. So the door is not closed. And let's be clear on this. The centers are still open,” said Adams.
