Ask Mayor Mamdani

[music]

Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning, everyone. We begin today with our latest episode of Ask the Mayor. My questions and yours for Mayor Zohran Mamdani. First priority for New York City residents. Call or text a question for the mayor at 212-433-WNYC. Call or text 212-433-9692. Mr. Mayor, hi. We always appreciate that you do these. Welcome back to WNYC.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: It's a pleasure to be back on. Brian, how are you doing?

Brian Lehrer: I'm doing all right, thank you. I want to start in a different way today. Yesterday we had the New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones on the show, on her heartbreaking essay called In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own? Ultimately, as I think you know, it was about the persistent segregation of various types in New York City public schools and how it affects especially the education of kids from low-income families of color. That, of course, well, predates you. I invited Nikole to put a question to you for today since you're in charge now, and here's what she asked. This runs 49 seconds.

Nikole Hannah-Jones: Mayor Mamdani went back on his promise to end mayoral control of the schools. He's the mayor. I want to know when we're going to see a plan to address and dismantle school segregation in the city. We could eliminate middle school screens. We could actually zone children to schools. There are many levers we can pull. The reason I don't name solutions is because we already know what the solutions are. We just don't have the political will to enact them.

I would like the mayor to answer, when are we going to actually see a real and substantial plan to address the racial, and social, and economic isolation of students? Nothing can help the working class change its material condition more than actually having access to a equal and quality education. I want to know when we're going to see a plan from him.

Brian Lehrer: Nikole Hannah-Jones here yesterday. Mr. Mayor, what would you say to her and to anyone concerned with that set of issues, including her specific question at the end, when are we going to see a plan?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: I think first I would say, Brian, that I read her piece and it was a devastating piece. It is an articulation in many ways of the systemic nature of the way that the public school system in our city failed her child. The sad truth is that she is not alone in that, that there are families across our city with similar stories. I very much agree with what is implicit in her question, which is that change is an urgent necessity. It's urgent because we know that Black and brown students are not being adequately served.

When we speak about our school system, we are speaking about the most segregated school system in the United States of America. These issues are the building blocks that we're using to develop a plan to deliver a rigorous and high-quality education to every single child across our New York City public school system. It should not be that a child or a family can only come to expect that if they are in the right school, every school should be the right school. When we are looking to pursue this, it is with an understanding that our kids learn better when they're learning alongside those who are different from them.

That doesn't just mean racial demographics. It also means an expansion of programs for students with disabilities, multilingual learner programs, and so much more. We have a chancellor who has not only already begun this work with district working groups and engaging directly with school communities on how to build this a school system. Also, someone who I picked for this role precisely because his vision for our school system was one that understood the importance of this work and the importance of delivering it alongside an education that is rigorous and in a classroom that is safe.

Brian Lehrer: Well, two of the policy levers she said you could pull said in the clip are eliminating middle school screens and actually zoning children to schools. Her words. Are you for those things as stated that way? If so, do you plan to implement them?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: This is work that I believe has to be developed in concert with school districts and communities across the city. That is one of the major emphases of how we're looking to transform our system. The chancellor has already begun to tackle this kind of a thing. I was mentioning earlier, district working groups. The intent of those kinds of working groups are to engage directly with those communities on how to build that new kind of a system. To me, we are exploring every single tool that we have at our disposal to ensure that this is going to be a very different school system moving forward than the one that we have inherited.

Brian Lehrer: To her original question there, when will we see a plan? Can you answer that?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Yes, that is one of our urgent priorities, and that is something that we are actively working on as an administration and something that the chancellor is leading on through the work he's been doing, but also through the plans that are being formulated. Now, what I would say is that this comes alongside the work that we have been doing to ensure that the school system is also one that's safe for students. Whether it's developing and implementing out a ban on generative AI from students from the ages of 2K through 8th grade.

Limited implementation in high school, with a student being maximum able to access about 45 minutes of that per week while also actually being equipped with the knowledge about what this technology will mean for the world around them and for the industries that they hope to be a part of. Similarly, beyond the most expansive student-facing AI moratorium in the nation, we are also ensuring that there's actually restricted screen time.

Now I know these are issues that are not as much present in the incredible piece that Nikole Hannah-Jones wrote. However, they are also part and parcel of what many parents have raised as concerns that they have about their students in our public school system at this time.

Brian Lehrer: All right. Well, here's our first listener question. In addition to the ones that are coming in now in real time on the phones and text messages, we invited listeners to submit questions in advance through our Brian Lehrer Show newsletter. Here's one that came in through that that the person recorded.

Emma: Hi Mayor Mamdani, my name is Emma. I live in Bushwick, and I'm a social worker in Housing Court. My question is, will you fully fund the right to counsel for tenants in eviction proceedings? In 2017, the New York City Council passed Right to Counsel in Housing Court, and since then, less than half of tenants have a free public defender in eviction proceedings. That's my question.

Brian Lehrer: What would you say to Emma in Bushwick, Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Well, first I'd say thank you to Emma in Bushwick for the work that she does because it is critical work that both delivers on the promise of dignity in the city and keeps New Yorkers safe. Second, I would say that Housing Court is one of the priorities that we have. To her immediate question, it is a long-term goal for us to get to the place of fully funding this legal representation out. As she says, right now it is a partially funded reality for only a subset of tenants that are in Housing Court.

That is something that we will continue to work towards. As we do that, we also want to ask ourselves what are the short-term things that we can deliver on. One of the things that we announced not too long ago was the announcement alongside the Office of Civil Justice where we would actually be expediting hearing cases involving vacate orders, immediately hazardous building-wide conditions or elevator outages, as well as Article 7A proceedings.

In which the city or tenants seek the appointment of third-party building management because of landlord neglect. That fast track is something that will actually make sure that the Housing Court moves with the same urgency as the emergencies that New Yorkers are facing. I really do want to acknowledge the OCA for all of their work and assistance in making that possible.

Brian Lehrer: Related question from me is a follow-up regarding treatment of tenants. It's already been cold at night in the city, and the heating season kicks in under the law on Thursday, October 1st. I know you have a new approach to heat enforcement this year. Maybe remind our listeners what landlords are required to provide so everybody knows their rights and how you plan to get closer to full compliance than in the past.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Thank you for providing this opportunity, Brian, to mention this. Earlier this year we had a set of rental rip-off hearings where we convened tenants across each one of our five boroughs. In conversations directly with tenants, we heard that one of their major complaints was that the old way of inspecting heat, that the traditional approach the city had had is one that does not actually meet their needs. That we've seen that as more and more buildings move towards using electric heat and unit-by-unit heating systems, that approach was really being called into question.

Starting this Thursday, as you said, on October 1st, HPD will investigate every single non-anonymous heat complaint rather than just investigating one complaint in the building and treating others as duplicates. Our hope is that this not only improves tenants' relationships to calling 311 and seeking repairs in their building, but that this is something that is going to have a real impact in ensuring compliance with the law. Which is that between the hours of 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM, the inside temperature is required to be at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of what the outside temperature is in our city.

Brian Lehrer: How does investigating every individual apartment complaint as opposed to treating the building as a whole get to more enforcement?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Well, we've seen at times that different tenants are experiencing different conditions in their building. We know that this too often there are complaints that are lodged and then they are automatically closed as a result of one other complaint being resolved. What we are looking for is not partial compliance, we're looking for total compliance. That is something that is going to be delivered on by finally investigating on every single one of these complaints that are non-anonymous. Because it also makes clear to tenants that we're not going to just take someone else's word for what they are going through. We're going to actually resolve the complaint that led them to call 311.

Brian Lehrer: It's our latest Ask the Mayor segment on WNYC. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, obviously our guest. Noora in Brooklyn is our caller. You're on WNYC with the mayor. Noora, hi.

Noora: Hi. Can you hear me?

Brian Lehrer: We can hear you.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Yes, Noora, how's it going?

Noora: Hi. I'm doing well. Hello, my name is Noora, and I'm calling as an extremely concerned Palestinian New Yorker and as someone who has family that has been seriously impacted by the genocide in Gaza. Mamdani, I want to know what your plan is to stop explosive materials, including natural cellulose, which is a component of gunpowder, from being shipped out of our civilian airport, JFK Airport, to Israel on the same runway as our fellow New Yorkers and your constituents to bomb and kill families in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran, and carry out an ongoing genocide in Gaza, with over 75,000 confirmed martyrs and over 1300 since the start of the supposed ceasefire. I just want to know what your plan is to stop this exchange of explosive materials out of our city.

Brian Lehrer: Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Noora, what I would first say is thank you for calling, and I am so sorry for what you and your family have had to suffer through as a result of this genocide.

Brian Lehrer: I'll just say, because I always do when this happens, that the caller called and said she was going to talk about a different issue, DoorDash, and then raised the issue that she raised. When callers do a bait and switch like that, I always call them out, but not to take anything away from the seriousness of the issue. Mr. Mayor, go ahead.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Absolutely, Brian, and I'm happy to talk about DoorDash after this as well. What I would say is just first to just say that I'm sorry for what you and your family have had to suffer through this genocide. It is something that has shattered the lives of so many across the city. Just last Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to host a number of Palestinian families from Gaza at Gracie Mansion. To hear their stories of the family members that had been killed by the Israeli military, the way that their families had been split up even to this day, with some of their siblings here in New York City, others still in Gaza.

As we know, you mentioned it yourself in your call, the so-called ceasefire. I think it's an appropriate description because just earlier last week we saw the Israeli military kill an 11-year-old child in what is described to be a safe zone in Gaza. We know that these stories are not only heartbreaking, but also they should urge a reckoning with all of us in the fact that our tax dollars continue to fund this. To your immediate question about what can we do with regards to what is being shipped, I think you referred to JFK.

When it comes to the airports across our city, I think, ventures into what the federal government has authority over as opposed to the municipal government. However, I will look into it and follow up on this question. That is my first instinct. I think, just to the point of what I had mentioned earlier with regards to complicity, just during the first year of the war on Gaza, the US military, we had sent about $17.9 billion in aid. This is the scale of what we are talking about.

Brian Lehrer: As you might imagine, Mr. Mayor, we get a lot of calls for you and for other guests on Gaza, and we get a lot of calls on antisemitism is a problem in this country. A listener texts, "I don't agree with all the Israeli government, but my family in Ohio has issues with you because they think you are antisemitic because of your Israeli views. While I moved my family sadly from New York City recently, I was there for 20 years, proudly had my three sons grow up there. Longtime NPR supporter and wants to know--" so long text. Sorry.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: No worries.

Brian Lehrer: The rest of it is not displaying, but address his concern that he obviously has about antisemitism as implied by some of your views on Israel and Gaza.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: What I would first say to this listener is that antisemitism has no place in our city. The Jewish New Yorkers have helped to build this city, to shape its culture, to strengthen communities for generations. What they deserve is not only to be safe in this city, but also to be celebrated and protected by a city government that stands with them. As the mayor of our city, I am the mayor for all New Yorkers. What that means is whether a New Yorker holds the same views that I do on the Israeli government or not, my responsibility is still to deliver for them all the same.

Just later today, actually, we are going to be releasing the first-ever municipal plan to combat antisemitism, which contains a comprehensive whole-of-government plan that will fulfill this commitment to not only rooting out antisemitism across the five boroughs, but protecting Jewish New Yorkers, strengthening Jewish institutions, traditions, and communities. One of the first steps that we took to that end was that in our budget this year, we fulfilled our campaign promise of increasing the funding for the Office of Hate Crime Prevention by more than 800% to the tune of $26 million.

The point I would just make here, Brian, is so often when we speak about antisemitism, when we speak about hate crimes at large, the question is what you do in response to them. We also want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to prevent them and not just waiting for them to occur, to condemn them.

Brian Lehrer: To the caller, are you frustrated at all being mayor as strongly as you feel about the Gaza issue? Because there's not much that a mayor can do about it. I think she was trying to focus you on JFK Airport is within the city, that kind of thing. Does it frustrate you? Even as you try to run the city, and that's obviously the job, and that's how you spend the overwhelming amount of your time, does it frustrate you that you can't do more on that?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: It is always hard to accept a world where we see this devastation continue and continue to be financed by our tax dollars. I think it is important amidst this to have moral clarity, to be honest with New Yorkers, to make clear that this is a genocide that is continuing to be funded by this administration. It is one that I fundamentally oppose. Also, to be honest about what powers I have as the mayor of our city.

Always to understand that people are asking these questions also, because too often they're not being heard, no matter who they ask. I know this is not your question, but just to say that I think the more that people feel they can ask me any question, I think the better it is, because what we also are trying to do in our work is to increase faith in government as a whole. I do not begrudge anyone who has lost that faith, given what we've seen over the last few years and decades.

Brian Lehrer: I'll just acknowledge, as I do, that different people have different views on whether the word genocide applies. I'm not going to ask you to get into it. I'm just acknowledging that there are many people who, even if they strenuously object to what the Israeli government is doing Gaza and considerate war crimes, think the word genocide is misapplied. I'm just acknowledging that difference. Jakob, in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. As we change topics with Mayor Mamdani. Hello, Jakob.

Jakob: Hi. Thank you, Brian, for taking my phone call. Hi, Mayor Mamdani.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Hi, Jakob. How are you?

Jakob: Good, good. First and foremost, I just wanted to say, Mayor Mamdani, thank you for everything that you've been doing. I am a beneficiary of your policies. You've done a great job, and just keep doing what you're doing. Onto the subject. I currently work as a Uber/Lyft driver. Mayor Mamdani, there's barely any places for us to park to relieve ourselves or go get something to eat or to do anything at all.

Brian Lehrer: Did we lose you, Jakob?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Brian, did you lose Jakob?

Brian Lehrer: Looks like. Well, what he told our-- are you back?

Jakob: Hello.

Brian Lehrer: Go ahead. Sorry, we lost you for a second. Go ahead and finish your question. It's okay.

Jakob: So sorry. What I was trying to say was, Mayor Mamdani, please, we need you to talk to your DOT commissioner, Mike Flynn, and tell him that we need to expand the relief stand for the taxi drivers and for-hire vehicle drivers. Then also, another thing is there are some places where only taxis are allowed to park. Right now, you have more FHV vehicles on the road than taxis. All we need is just an expansion of the relief stands. That would be greatly appreciated.

Just like you have all over the place for the commercial vehicles. Where it makes sense. Even if you have to charge us on a meter for just taxis and for-hire vehicles, we'll take that. Listen, if you want to give-- you get in contact with me, I have suggestions. I'm willing to volunteer my time. Again, thank you for everything that you've been doing. Listen, one last thing--

Brian Lehrer: With those stands, are you talking primarily about your ability to use the bathroom?

Jakob: Not necessarily to use the bathroom. I'm a practicing Muslim. If I have to go pray, I have to circle around to find a meter or find a place to park. Sometimes I have to double-park and going quick, or I have to go use the bathroom if I have to do something in the city. It's like we just need that relief stand, not just for me. I'm talking about for all taxi drivers.

Brian Lehrer: All the drivers. Jakob, thank you very much. Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Thank you so much, Jakob, for that question. I think this is something that I will definitely have a conversation with my DOT commissioner, Mike Flynn, about is relief stands, because I know that they have been critically important for yellow cab drivers in years past. I think, as you made clear, the for-hire vehicle, that that population of drivers has a significant population that now exceeds that of yellow cab drivers across our city.

One of the key things-- I know that this was not the primary focus of the question, it was just one part of it. To what you had said, Brian, about bathrooms, this is something that I've also spoken to a lot of delivery workers around where we're proud that now in New York City we have rules where a delivery worker has to be allowed to use the bathroom at the restaurant that they're delivering from. We were passing out bathroom cards, actually, with the mayor of Mexico City just last week to a number of delivery workers right here at the Deliverista hub that we have right outside of City Hall.

It is a hub that provides rest, bike repair, education, support services. They can also exchange out their batteries for safely charged batteries for e-bikes. We know that safe e-bike charging is a major issue in the city. I bring this up as an example of what a relief hub can look like for a workforce that is similarly working across our city streets. To Jakob's question, it is one that I will take back to see what of this example could be applied for FHV drivers. What if it could also be applied to just provide people relief?

I think, as you and I both know, Brian, the work of a for-hire driver, whether they're driving a black car or they're driving as a yellow cab driver, it is quite literally backbreaking work. It is work that you do not have access to a bathroom. You do not have access to a place to naturally stretch your legs. We are asking people to do it every single day. Just the last part of this is there also has to be accountability for the large-scale apps that are driving this system.

We speak about delivery workers. Just last week, we announced to what you had said you thought that previous question was going to be about holding DoorDash to account for the largest delivery worker settlement in the United States of America. The largest labor settlement here in New York City, $131.5 million that DoorDash has been found guilty of systemic violations of our worker laws. Of that $115 million is going directly to delivery workers. They don't have to sign up for something or reach out to us. It's going to be sent to their last registered email.

They have a choice whether they want to check or direct deposit. More than $16 million in civil penalties, costs, and money that will then be used to develop an application that delivery workers themselves can use to record their experience with the app. That we can double-check the work that DoorDash will send us when they send us their data to ensure they're actually being compliant with this.

Brian Lehrer: Here's another question that a listener recorded through our Brian Lehrer Show newsletter. This is also about life on the roads in the streets of New York. The topic is one I know you hear a lot about these days, Mr. Mayor. Here we go.

Male 1: Greetings, Mayor Mamdani. We support you. We think you're very good and like your attitude and your demeanor and how you treat everybody. I have a concern with all these bicycles going up and down, left and right, it's getting very dangerous and dicey out there. I'm wondering when the city is going to crack down. I don't want anybody to get hurt, but I don't want to get hurt either. Thank you very much.

Brian Lehrer: Mr. Mayor, I'll add to that a text that has come in. Listener writes, "Why, out of the 24 bills being heard tomorrow at the House hearing-- I think they mean city council hearing-- Priscilla's Law to license and register all E vehicles is not one of them. Why is he so against a bill that would guarantee safety for all?" What do you say to the caller and that texter?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Well, first, your callers are very, very polite, Brian. They're very kind with their descriptions and their openings. What I would say is, to the question at the heart of it, we know that we've seen a number of incidents in recent weeks, especially with, I think, the most recent one that we're speaking of is actually a dump truck having struck and killed a delivery worker and then fleeing the scene. I want to be very clear that whether you are walking, biking, driving, riding public transit, no matter your mode of transit, you deserve to get where you're going safely.

While it is a good thing that traffic deaths are at historic lows, any death is one too many. I think the question to the council bill and what the council is hearing, I think some of that I will leave to the council. What I will say broadly is that we are developing out a comprehensive safety strategy focused on infrastructure, on new legal tools, and smart enforcement. What you've heard from a number of constituents is their concern is also the speed of some of these e-bikes. What we found is that there were more than 40 retailers willfully selling e-bikes that went above the legal limits.

We sent cease-and-desist letters out. We saw compliance from a number of them. I just want to be very clear. These are not exclusively retailers whose names you and I have never heard of. Some of these included some of the largest retailers in the country, including, I think, we saw Best Buy, we saw a number of others. We've started to see some compliance with the letters that we've sent out, because if you are selling an e-bike that can go 45 miles an hour, that is an invitation to New Yorkers. For many New Yorkers, they will think if they can purchase a vehicle like that in New York City, then it is legal for them to ride at the maximum limit. That is not the case.

Brian Lehrer: Beyond speed, I think what the caller was getting at-- I'll ask you this specific question that I think-

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Please.

Brian Lehrer: -might be what he was getting at. Are you for more ticketing of the riders of e-bikes and other two-wheelers, especially motorized ones, that ignore red lights or go the wrong way down one-way streets, the same standard for regular traffic tickets as car drivers?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: I am for holding accountable anyone who violates our traffic safety laws. I do believe in the same standard of treating the way that we treat drivers and the way that we treat cyclists. That's one of the things that we did in the earlier months of our administration was to create a parity in the way that that ticketing was done. What we've seen is, as of just this year, that that continues to be a tool that our NYPD is utilizing to ensure that there is a real focus on whenever there is an example of recklessness.

Brian Lehrer: Next text comes from a listener who writes, "Please ask the mayor what will be done with a proposed new facility at Hunts Point Market." Let me give people a little background on that. This is about diesel pollution, right? That environmental justice issue for people in that part of the Bronx. As it happens, I'm glad somebody wrote in on this because our City Hall reporter, Elizabeth Kim, has a new story on this that, sadly, this year's in-the-making project, which there seemed to be an agreement on, fell apart, I guess, during your first months. The main question here that I think is the most relevant is, do you believe the Hunts Point plan can be revived?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Brian, as our Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice, Julie Su had mentioned on the show recently, the reality is that this was a deal that was forced through on the final day of the prior administration. Where there was a clause that the entire project would fall apart if terms could not be reached within just a few short months. Ultimately, the co-op did not agree to those terms. This iteration is not one that's moving forward.

I do want to be clear that that doesn't mean we've given up on electrifying or modernizing more of the market. We are continuing to meet with the co-op. We feel confident that we will be able to advance projects that benefit the Hunts Point community and all of our city at large. What we also are interested in doing is setting up terms that actually speak to what the co-op is willing to do and able to do.

Brian Lehrer: I know you got to go. We're back at the end of our time. I'm just curious to ask you, after the interesting week that you had last week, meeting for mayors all over the world who are here for the UN General Assembly. If you heard anything specific from any other mayor from any other country that you think New York might learn from or implement?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: It was quite an incredible week, Brian, where it was typically the focus is on the UN General Assembly and their prime ministers and presidents and foreign ministers and heads of state of all very different kinds. In the days prior to that, we actually had a convening of something called U20. That was a convening of a municipal version of what is the G20 of mayors of cities from across the world.

One thing that really stayed with me was something that the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, shared was the way that they are dealing with the climate crisis there, that they had to deal with about-- they received more rainfall in 30 minutes than they had expected to receive in an entire month. Knowing that we are facing these kinds of crises at the same time. When we were talking about the heat aspect as opposed to the flash flooding aspect, they mentioned a program they have there called The Big Chill, where they have started to utilize movie theaters as a potential cooling center and also a way to provide the population with access to the arts.

I thought that was a fascinating dual-purpose initiative that our city could potentially learn from. Then, I wanted to just let you know, as I'm signing off here, to Jakob's question on the relief stands, I actually just heard from DOT that we are currently going through rulemaking that would allow taxis and FHVs to park in commercial spots. That wouldn't be an additional number of taxi relief stands, but it would be an expansion of where those taxis can park, ensuring that they could also apply. Just to the example that Jakob gave, which was the commercial ones.

Brian Lehrer: All right, breaking news. There we leave it for this edition of Ask the Mayor. My questions and yours for Mayor Mamdani. Appreciate that you'll continue to do these. Thanks for coming on today. We really appreciate it a lot.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Real pleasure, Brian. Thank you for having me.

Copyright © 2026 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.