Northeast
New York City mayor's aide now cooperating with federal corruption probe: report
One month after the FBI announced it was looking into international flights New York Democratic Mayor Eric Adams took on Turkish Airlines, a top City Hall aide is reportedly now cooperating with the probe.
Rana Abbasova, whom the New York Times described as the mayor’s former liaison to New York City’s Turkish community, is cooperating with federal agents, according to the outlet. The investigation is centered on whether Adams’ 2021 campaign conspired with the Turkish government and others to funnel money into its coffers.
The multipronged FBI investigation partially focuses on Turkish Airlines upgrades received by Adams. In November 2023, agents raided the home of former Turkish Airlines executive and Adams mayoral transition team member Cenk Öcal. Federal agents also seized some of Adams’ phones and an iPad in November.
Abbasova’s cooperation reportedly began a few weeks after the FBI raided her home in early November.
FBI PROBES NYC MAYOR ADAMS RECEIVED UPGRADED TURKISH AIRLINES TICKETS IN EXCHANGE FOR FAVORS: REPORT
Democratic New York Mayor Eric Adams (Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
In its initial reporting of the probe, Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office and was told that as Brooklyn Borough president, Adams regularly disclosed official travel to Turkey. The representative for Adams, attorney Brendan McGuire, in April denied the former NYPD detective ever received improper upgrades or engaged in inappropriate behavior in exchange for upgrades.
In a statement obtained by the Times on Monday, McGuire called news of Abbasova’s cooperation “not a new or meaningful development.”
Abbasova, an Azerbaijani native, worked with Adams while he was in his borough office as well, but has since risen to a top post in the city’s office for international affairs.
ADAMS OFFICE LASHES OUT AT FBI EMPLOYEE WHO MIGHT HAVE ‘IMPROPERLY LEAKED DETAILS’ OF CORRUPTION PROBE
She accompanied Adams on two trips to Turkey and was in the loop on some of the mayor’s correspondence with the government in Ankara.
Abbasova, however, has not been accused of any wrongdoing. One aspect of the investigation of Adams reported by the Times involved allegations the city pressured FDNY officials to ignore safety concerns and approve a new Turkish consulate.
In January, Adams’ campaign compliance attorney confirmed to Fox News Digital that the mayor’s legal defense fund raised more than $650,000 since its formation two months prior.
Reacting to the report in a statement provided to Fox News Digital, City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg said in November: “The mayor and our team are continuing to work with investigators and cooperate. We hope that investigators will continue to cooperate with us and reprimand any federal officer who has improperly leaked details about this investigation as such conduct could prejudice the public and undermines the integrity of our law enforcement process.“
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Danielle Wallace and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
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Northeast
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani set to earn nearly $260K, about 80% more than his prior salary
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to earn nearly $260,000 a year, in line with the salary paid to his predecessor.
The figure is based on public payroll records showing that former Mayor Eric Adams earned $258,750 in total pay.
Mamdani previously earned about $142,000 as a state assemblyman, according to Ballotpedia, an increase of roughly 80%.
Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on whether he plans to accept the full salary or donate a portion of it.
NEW YORK CITY IS ABOUT TO TEST MAMDANI’S PROGRESSIVE ECONOMIC VISION
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers his inaugural address Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, outside City Hall. (Fox News/Pool)
New York City consistently ranks among the most expensive cities in the country, with housing costs far above the national average.
An annual salary of about $260,000 would place Mamdani among the city’s top earners, more than three times New York City’s median household income of roughly $80,000, according to the most recent Census Bureau data.
Mamdani posted on his Instagram account in December that he and his wife Rama would move from their home in Astoria, Queens, to Gracie Mansion, the official, rent-free residence of the mayor on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, in January.
MAMDANI DISPUTES ANTISEMITISM DEFINITION AMID BLOWBACK FROM JEWISH COMMUNITY ABOUT DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Gracie Mansion in New York, on Sept. 26, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg)
“This decision came down to our family’s safety and the importance of dedicating all of my focus on enacting the affordability agenda New Yorkers voted for,” he wrote.
Mamdani was sworn in Jan. 1 as the 112th mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim to hold the office.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani reacts after speaking during his inauguration ceremony, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New York. (Heather Khalifa/AP Photo)
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“City Hall will deliver an agenda of safety, affordability and abundance—where government looks and lives like the people it represents, never flinches in the fight against corporate greed, and refuses to cower before challenges that others have deemed too complicated,” Mamdani said in his inaugural address.
“In so doing, we will provide our own answer to that age-old question—who does New York belong to? Well, my friends, we can look to Madiba and the South African Freedom Charter: New York ‘belongs to all who live in it.’”
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Boston, MA
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Pittsburg, PA
Hemingway’s Cafe in Oakland closing after more than four decades
A longtime staple near Pitt’s campus is closing its doors after more than four decades of business in Oakland.
Hemingway’s Cafe announced Thursday that it will be closing for good in May after more than 40 years along Forbes Avenue in the heart of Oakland.
“Since opening in 1983, Hemingway’s has been more than just a bar – it’s been a home, a meeting place, and an Oakland staple for generations of students, alumni, locals, and friends at the heart of the University of Pittsburgh,” the bar said.
The bar said while they are sad to be closing, they’re also grateful for the decades of memories, laughter, friendship, and traditions over the years.
“Thank you for making Hemingway’s what it has been for over four decades,” the bar said.
A final closing date for Hemingway’s hasn’t been announced.
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