New York politicians push to regulate social media for minors

Plus: tension at City Hall. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [NY government gears up for fight against TikTok, Facebook and other social media giants]( Mayor Eric Adams says it’s a public health hazard. Gov. Kathy Hochul calls it “poison.” Attorney General Letitia James claims it’s a “crisis.” In recent weeks, some of New York’s top elected officials have used their bully pulpits to take aim against what, for them, has become a common enemy: Social media and its effect on kids. “We cannot stand by and let big tech monetize our children's privacy and jeopardize their mental health,” Adams said in his State of the City address last week. Adams, Hochul and James — whose offices all maintain active and large social-media presences of their own — are part of a growing national trend of state- and city-level officials pushing for laws that target how major online platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook interact with children. [Read more about their plans to tackle the issue.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week Tension at City Hall Last week, a fierce battle was initiated between Mayor Adams and the City Council after the mayor vetoed two bills, one of which was the How Many Stops Act, which requires police to report all investigatory stops and provide demographic data. Not only is a former high-ranking NYPD official [publicly backing the police reporting bill]( but the City Council is expected to override Adams’ veto this afternoon. [Read more.]( Aside from his drama with the City Council, Mayor Adams still has to deal with the federal investigation into his 2021 campaign finances. Regulators found Adams’ campaign potentially received $396,000 in taxpayer money through bundling, exposing loopholes in the campaign finance law. [Read more.]( Mayor Adams recently gave his third State of the City address, but it lacked any new and fresh ideas. The mayor leaned heavily on a familiar agenda, focusing on public safety, housing and quality-of-life issues as he tries to reset the narrative surrounding his mayoralty after a tumultuous year. [Read more.]( What's happening around New York state Paul Vallone – the deputy commissioner of the city’s veterans’ services department, and a former city councilmember – died suddenly on Saturday. He was 56. [Read more.]( Jamaal Bowman, a progressive congressmember whose rhetoric over the Israel-Hamas war has drawn recrimination from many of his fellow Democrats, officially launched his re-election campaign last week. [Read more.]( Federal prosecutors determined that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo subjected at least 13 state employees to a “sexually hostile work environment,” according to a settlement released Friday. [Read more.]( Public education advocates are pushing back on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s newly unveiled $233 billion budget proposal as it would result in hundreds of school districts across New York getting less state money in the upcoming fiscal year by changing the complicated school funding formula. [Read more.]( What's new in New Jersey New Jersey became the 13th state to pass a set of data privacy rules that will require companies operating in the state to have to inform consumers when they are collecting their personal information online — and allow them to opt out. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast]( [Biden Confronts Enthusiasm Gap Among Black Voters In South Carolina]( AP reporter Meg Kinnard shares her reporting and analysis on the politics of the Palmetto State ahead of Saturday's Democratic presidential primary. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list