Happy New Year 2025

Tag: City

NYC comptroller asking Adams to provide plan amid City Hall instability

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander (D) on Monday called on Mayor Eric Adams to prove he can still govern the city amid calls for his resignation after the Justice Department dropped bribery charges against him and four deputy mayors submitted their intent to resign.

In a letter to Adams, Lander said the potential resignations of the deputy mayors could “create an unprecedented leadership vacuum at the highest levels of City government and wreak havoc on the City’s ability to deliver essential services to New Yorkers.”

“Given the gravity of this situation and the chaos it has unleashed among New Yorkers, I formally request that your office promptly develop and present a detailed contingency plan outlining how you intend to manage the City of New York during this period of leadership transition,” he wrote.

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS HE WILL RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AS DEMOCRAT

New York City Mayor Eric Adams departs Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse in New York City on Friday, November 1, 2024. Adams’ lawyers are seeking to have a bribery charge, one of the five federal corruption charges that have been filed against the mayor, dropped. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital )

“Specifically, please provide immediate confirmation of your plan for appointing interim Deputy Mayors and key managerial staff, along with an anticipated timeline for stabilizing the administration, no later than Friday, February 21, 2025,” Lander added.

If Adams fails to provide a plan, Lander said he would seek to convene a meeting of the Inability Committee. Fox News Digital has reached out to Adams’ office.

In a letter last week to Attorney General Pam Bondi, acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon said Adams was being granted special treatment by the Trump administration after receiving a memo drafted by Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directing the case against the mayor to be dropped.

Rather than carry out the directive, Sassoon and several others resigned instead. Adams was charged last year with bribery, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, wire fraud and conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS PROMISES TO REOPEN ICE OFFICE ON RIKERS ISLAND AFTER MEETING WITH TRUMP BORDER CZAR

Former U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon pictured in an undated official portrait. (Reuters)

Critics say Adams has cozied up to the Trump administration, and offered to cooperate on Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown in an effort to get a pardon.

“These resignations come in the wake of deeply concerning actions by the U.S. Justice Department, asking the U.S. District Court to drop the indictments against you, so long as you comply with the White House on matters of immigration and criminal justice policy, which call into question your ability to continue to comply with your duties to New Yorkers under the City Charter,” Lander wrote in his letter.

On Sunday, Adams told churchgoers in Queens that he is refusing to resign.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has rebuffed calls for him to resign after the Justice Department dropped a bribery case against him. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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“I have a mission to finish, the mission that God put me on many years ago,” Adams said, adding that “God has fortified me.”

Adams told “Fox & Friends” in an interview on Friday that he plans to run for re-election as a Democrat.

February 18, 2025
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels breach second major city in Congo’s mineral-rich east

Rwanda-backed rebels have “occupied” a second major city in mineral-rich eastern Congo, Congo’s government said Sunday, as M23 rebels positioned themselves at the governor’s office in Bukavu and pledged to clean up after the “old regime.”

Associated Press journalists witnessed scores of residents cheering on the rebels after they entered Bukavu following a dayslong march from Goma, a city of 2 million people they seized last month.

The rebels saw little resistance from government forces against the unprecedented expansion of their reach after their years of fighting. Congo’s government vowed to restore order in Bukavu, a city of 1.3 million people, but there was no sign of soldiers. Many were seen fleeing on Saturday alongside thousands of civilians.

The M23 are the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of eastern Congo’s trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that’s critical for much of the world’s technology. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to the United Nations experts.

TRUMP FACING 1ST TEST IN AFRICA AMID BLOODY BATTLES ‘OVER ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY MINERALS’

The fighting has displaced more than 6 million people in the region, creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Rebels vow to ‘clean up’ disorder

Bernard Maheshe Byamungu, one of the M23 leaders who has been sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council for rights abuses, stood in front of the South Kivu governor’s office in Bukavu and told residents they have been living in a “jungle.”

“We are going to clean up the disorder left over from the old regime,” Byamungu said, as some in the small crowd of young men cheered the rebels on to “go all the way to Kinshasa,” Congo’s capital, nearly 1,000 miles away.

The M23 did not announce any seizure of Bukavu, unlike its announcement when taking Goma, which had brought swift international condemnation. Spokesmen for the M23 didn’t respond to questions Sunday.

Congo’s communications ministry in a statement on social media acknowledged for the first time that Bukavu had been “occupied” and said the national government was “doing everything possible to restore order and territorial integrity” in the region.

One Bukavu resident, Blaise Byamungu, said the rebels marched into the city that had been “abandoned by all the authorities and without any loyalist force.”

“Is the government waiting for them to take over other towns to take action? It’s cowardice,” Byamungu added.

M23 rebels enter east Congo’s second-largest city, Bukavu, and take control of the South Kivu province administrative office, Sunday. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)

Fears of regional escalation

Unlike in 2012, when the M23 briefly seized Goma and withdrew after international pressure, analysts have said the rebels this time are eyeing political power.

The fighting in Congo has connections with a decadeslong ethnic conflict. The M23 says it is defending ethnic Tutsis in Congo. Rwanda has claimed the Tutsis are being persecuted by Hutus and former militias responsible for the 1994 genocide of 800,000 Tutsis and others in Rwanda. Many Hutus fled to Congo after the genocide and founded the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia group.

Rwanda says the militia group is “fully integrated” into the Congolese military, which denies it.

But the new face of the M23 in the region — Corneille Nangaa — is not Tutsi, giving the group “a new, more diverse, Congolese face, as M23 has always been seen as a Rwanda-backed armed group defending Tutsi minorities,” according to Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol.

13 UN PEACEKEEPERS, ALLIED SOLDIERS DEAD IN CONGO AS M23 REBELS MAKE GAINS IN KEY CITY

Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, whose government on Saturday asserted that Bukavu remained under its control, has warned of the risk of a regional expansion of the conflict.

Congo’s forces were being supported in Goma by troops from South Africa and in Bukavu by troops from Burundi. But Burundi’s president, Evariste Ndayishimiye, appeared to suggest on social media his country would not retaliate in the fighting.

The conflict was high on the African Union summit’s agenda in Ethiopia over the weekend, with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warning it risked spiraling into a regional conflagration.

Still, African leaders and the international community have been reluctant to take decisive action against M23 or Rwanda, which has one of Africa’s most powerful militaries. Most continue to call for a ceasefire and a dialogue between Congo and the rebels.

The Congo River Alliance, a coalition of rebel groups that includes the M23, has said it was committed to “defending” the people of Bukavu.

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“We call on the population to remain in control of their city and not give in to panic,” alliance spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement Saturday.

February 16, 2025
Eric Adams to sue Trump admin over revoked $80M in FEMA migrant shelter funding for New York City

New York City mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, plans to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the federal government secretly revoked more than $80 million in funding for the city’s migrant shelters.

Counsel for the Adams administration sent a letter Friday to city Comptroller Brad Lander saying that the city’s Law Department planned to take legal action by the end of next week to have the $80.5 million in FEMA payments taken earlier this week returned, according to the New York Post. Lander is running against Adams in June’s Democrat primary election for the city’s mayor.

“The Law Department is currently drafting litigation papers with respect to this matter,” corporation counsel Mureil Goode-Trufant told Lander in a letter, the outlet reported.

“We intend to initiate legal action by February 21, 2025. As the Law Department is representing the City of New York in this matter, there is no need for an authorization for the Comptroller’s Office to engage external legal counsel,” the letter reads.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MOVES TO DROP CASE AGAINST NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS

New York City Mayor Eric Adams departs Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse in New York City on Friday, November 1, 2024. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital )

The letter came after Lander urged the Adams administration to either file a lawsuit or authorize him to hire his own attorneys to sue Trump and Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency.

“Given the gravity of the situation, we cannot afford to waste any more time. If the Mayor would prefer to spend his days advancing President Trump’s agenda instead of fighting for New Yorkers, then the Law Department must allow me to do so,” Lander said in a statement Friday.

“Recovering these funds is imperative, and any action, or non-action, allowing the Trump administration to proceed without consequence would set a dangerous precedent and make our City a target for the next four years,” he added.

The revocation of FEMA funds from New York City’s accounts happened Tuesday and was first discovered by Lander the following day.

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS HE WILL RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AS A DEMOCRAT

New York City Mayor Eric Adams departs Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse in New York City on Friday, November 1, 2024. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital )

“Let’s be crystal clear: This is highway robbery. Elon Musk, with no legal authority, illegally seized federal funds from New Yorkers,” Lander said Wednesday.

Musk claimed that DOGE found a $59 million FEMA payment to New York City was being used on luxury hotels to house illegal migrants. Trump later repeated Musk’s claim and argued that “massive fraud” was happening.

New York City was awarded two separate grants during the Biden administration — one for $58.6 million and another for $21.9 million — as the city attempted to pay to house migrants, many of whom were sent by Texas officials who were frustrated with the Biden administration’s handling of the influx of migrants entering the U.S. through the Southern Border.

The payments were made under the Shelter and Services Program that Congress appropriated $650 million for last year to help local governments respond to the migrant crisis.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams departs federal court in Lower Manhattan on Friday, September 27, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

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The FEMA money, which was funded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, paid $12.50 a night reimbursement for each hotel room. The city said most of the hotels used to house migrants are not luxurious. The remainder of the funds went toward security, food and other services for migrants.

This came after the Department of Justice ordered prosecutors to drop their federal corruption case against Adams, who had been indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and soliciting campaign contributions from foreigners. Some have raised concerns that Adams may be beholden to the president because his case was dropped.

February 15, 2025
City of Philadelphia asks Eagles fans to ‘celebrate responsibly’ at parade after slew of chaotic turns

The Philadelphia Eagles will travel throughout downtown Philly on Friday to celebrate their Super Bowl win with their fans, and over a million people are expected to attend.

However, there appears to be cause for concern from city officials amid the chaos that has occurred in the city throughout the team’s recent victories.

Numerous arrests have been made after both the Super Bowl and NFC championship victories in the Broad Street area.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Fans are seen throwing towels into the air after a laundry truck purportedly was looted in Philadelphia following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. (Sam Hartson/FreedomNewsTV)

It Is the second parade for the Birds in the last seven years, and the city issued a message to the Eagles fans earlier this week.

“The parade route has been thoughtfully planned for the safety and security of all attendees. With large crowds expected, we ask everyone to celebrate responsibly and respectfully, making this a moment Philadelphia can be proud of,” a press release read.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker added, “While City offices and buildings will be closed to allow everyone to join the festivities, our focus will remain on keeping all Philadelphians safe.”

A shooting left one dead at last year’s Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally.

Eagles fans celebrate the Super Bowl victory on South Broad Street on Feb. 9, 2025. (Imagn)

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Scenes of chaos erupted in Philadelphia on Sunday night following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, with fans in team colors seen setting fires, smashing light poles and chanting, “F— the Chiefs!”

Footage captured by FreedomNewsTV purportedly showed a crowd looting a laundry truck and tossing towels into the air. Police then were seen responding to a fire as a pile of the laundry was set ablaze.

In another clip, two individuals were seen toppling a light pole. Once it hit the ground, a crowd rushed around it and started smashing it with their feet. Then members of the crowd picked the pole up and started carrying it through the city’s downtown area.

Videos also showed fans climbing on top of light poles, street signs, bus stops, trucks and trees. In one scene, fans re-enacted the Eagles’ signature “tush push” play.

Eagles fans celebrate the Super Bowl victory in Philadelphia on Feb. 9, 2025. (Kaitlyn McCormick/Cherry Hill Courier-Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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The Philadelphia Police Department told Fox News Digital that it arrested 47 people during the demonstrations, including on charges of vandalism and assaulting a police officer.

After the NFC title game, an 18-year-old fan died days after falling from a lamp post.

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February 14, 2025
Nike unveils Caitlin Clark billboard in city where Angel Reese’s team is based, inciting mockery from fans

The Caitlin Clark marketing machine has expanded into enemy territory.

Nike unveiled its latest Clark billboard in Chicago this week at 157 W. Chicago Ave. The billboard is 3½ miles away from Wintrust Arena, home to the Chicago Sky and Clark’s rival, Angel Reese.

The placement of the billboard, taking up real estate in Reese’s city, sparked reaction from fans on social media due to the contentious history between the players.

Many of Clark’s fans have used the new billboard as an opportunity to mock Reese.

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Clark and Reese have been linked to one another since they first met in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship. Reese mocked Clark at the end of that game when her LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes for the title, pointing to her finger in a taunting fashion to remind her who was getting a ring.

This sparked outrage from Clark’s fan base, including Bartstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who called Reese “a piece of s—” in a widely circulated X post after Reese’s gesture in the championship game.

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Caitlin Clark (22) of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese (5) of the Chicago Sky during a game June 1, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)

They carried their rivalry into the pros this year. Their four matchups included a series of controversial flagrant fouls against Clark by Reese and other Sky players. Reese smacked Clark in the head with her arm while trying to block a shot in their first WNBA meeting June 1.

One of Reese’s teammates, Diamond DeShields, posted screenshots of hateful comments she got after knocking Clark to the floor in their last meeting of the season Aug. 30.

Clark and Reese have never acknowledged there is a feud between them. They’ve only made respectful comments about one another to the media. But the fans are a different story. The two groups have been notorious for attacking one another and the two players on social media since the 2023 NCAA championship game.

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Reese has said Clark’s fans have sent her death threats and made explicit AI images of her and sent them to her family.

“I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, that are really just, they ride for her, and I respect that, respectfully. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it,” Reese said in the first episode of her podcast Sept. 5.

Now, Clark has notched an off-the-court win in the rivalry with her new billboard.

LSU’s Angel Reese reacts in front of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark during the second half of the NCAA national championship game April 2, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

In April 2024, Caitlin Clark signed an eight-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Nike. The deal includes a signature shoe and is the most lucrative shoe deal in women’s basketball history.

The new billboard is a continuation of Nike’s advertising campaign it launched with its first Super Bowl ad in 27 years Sunday.

The one-minute “So Win” spot is an all-female commercial that celebrates nine high-profile women athletes, including Clark, Jordan Chiles, Sha’Carri Richardson, JuJu Watkins and A’ja Wilson.

However, the campaign has also drawn criticism. Critics were quick to call out Nike for its company stance supporting transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 14, 2025
DOJ moves to dismiss federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

FIRST ON FOX: The Justice Department is moving to dismiss federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Fox News has learned.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a letter to the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York on Monday instructing SDNY to drop the federal case against Adams and dismiss it without prejudice.

Adams was indicted in September on charges including bribery, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, wire fraud and conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Sources told Fox News that the case needs to be dismissed because the process was tainted against Adams.

Sources also said that top officials at the Justice Department believe that the case needs to be dropped so that Adams can continue efforts to stop illegal immigration in the city.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

February 10, 2025
Dem mayor unleashes task force in attempt to rescue crime-ridden city: ‘Restore order to our streets’

San Francisco Mayor David Lurie launched the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Hospitality Task Force and secured a key vote in support of the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance this week as he works to clean up San Francisco’s streets and restore common sense policies to the liberal city.

San Francisco has had one of the slowest economic recoveries from the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Images of San Francisco’s open-air drug markets, homeless encampments and empty office buildings have caught the nation’s attention since the pandemic.

The SFPD Hospitality Task Force will target San Francisco’s business and tourist districts, increasing police presence, dedicating resources to high-traffic areas and offering support to the hospitality industry.

“Helping people feel safe walking downtown is the key to unleashing our city’s comeback,” Lurie said. “We are creating the conditions for a thriving commercial center by launching the SFPD Hospitality Task Force. The Hospitality Task Force will break down silos to increase the police presence across the areas that drive our city’s economy, not just during large conferences, but 365 days a year.”

FORMER AOC CHIEF OF STAFF ANNOUNCES RUN AGAINST PELOSI, CALLS DEMS ‘PARALYZED AND UNPREPARED’ UNDER TRUMP

People inhabit encampments on the streets of San Francisco April 15, 2023. (Flight Risk for Fox News Digital)

Major retailers, including Nordstrom and Saks Off Fifth, pulled out of San Francisco’s downtown due to rising crime and dwindling foot traffic. After more than 20 years in the heart of downtown San Francisco, Westfield abandoned the San Francisco Centre mall in 2023, citing a decline in sales, occupancy and foot traffic.

San Franciscans voted Mayor London Breed out of office in November. She was elected in 2018 and led the city through its struggling pandemic recovery. Lurie, a Levi’s heir and political outsider, began his first term as mayor in January.

He campaigned on cleaning up San Francisco’s streets, public safety, tackling the city’s drug crisis, creating housing, cutting through corrupt bureaucracy and “breathing life back into our downtown.”

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San Francisco Mayor David Lurie launched the SFPD Hospitality Task Force this week. (Getty)

“With a safe, bustling downtown, we will attract businesses, shoppers, tourists and conventions, creating jobs, generating revenue and helping us provide better services for everyone in San Francisco,” Lurie said of the new task force.

Also this week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 in favor of Mayor Lurie’s Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance.

“As a candidate for mayor, I promised San Franciscans that I would work in partnership with the Board of Supervisors to take action on the critical issues facing our city,” Lurie said. “As mayor, I am proud to be delivering on that promise today. The Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance gives us the tools to treat this crisis with the urgency it demands. And with our partners on the board, that’s exactly what we will do.”

The ordinance will equip the city with the resources “to get drugs off the street and keep San Franciscans safe” by unlocking funding and expediting the contracting process to allow for expanded treatment options, increased shelter capacity and health initiatives. The full Board of Supervisors will address the ordinance Tuesday for a second and final reading before Lurie can sign the ordinance into law.

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“I don’t think there’s a problem facing San Francisco today that isn’t caused by or made significantly worse by street-level drug addiction,” Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who voted in favor of the ordinance, said.

“Mayor Lurie’s emergency ordinance aims to surge resources that deliver solutions as big as the problems. This is a needed approach to restore order to our streets, to diminish San Francisco’s attraction as a drug-use and drug-dealing destination and to save lives.”

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

February 7, 2025
Sanctuary city mayors to testify at House Oversight after AG Bondi cuts them off from federal funds

Democratic mayors of so-called sanctuary cities that protect undocumented immigrants have agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee in March after Attorney General Pam Bondi signed a directive cutting those jurisdictions off from federal funding on her first day at the Justice Department (DOJ).

Bondi, who was sworn in as attorney general Wednesday, issued a number of Day 1 directives, including ordering the DOJ to pause all federal funding for sanctuary cities.

Bondi also directed litigating components of the Justice Department to investigate instances of jurisdictions that are impeding law enforcement and directing that they be prosecuted when necessary.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a number of Day 1 directives, including ordering the Department of Justice to pause all federal funding for sanctuary cities. (Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA)

In late January, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., invited mayors of sanctuary cities to testify before the panel after launching an investigation into sanctuary city policies and their affect on public safety and federal immigration enforcement.

Comer invited the mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City to testify at a public hearing and requested they provide documents and communications related to their policies.

The hearing initially was set for Feb. 11, but a committee aide told Fox News Digital the committee worked with mayors to accommodate their schedules. The committee received final confirmation from Boston, Denver and New York City earlier this week. It received confirmation from Chicago Wednesday.

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., invited mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City to testify at a public hearing and requested they provide documents and communications related to their policies. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Now, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams will testify at a public hearing March 5.

ICE ARRESTS UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE IN MIGRANT ‘SANCTUARY’ CITIES

“Sanctuary mayors owe the American people an explanation for city policies that jeopardize public safety and violate federal immigration law by releasing dangerous criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets,” Comer told Fox News Digital. “These reckless policies in Democrat-run cities and states across our nation have led to too many preventable tragedies.”

Democratic mayors of “sanctuary cities,” including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, pictured here, have agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee in March. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital )

Comer told Fox News Digital the policies also “endanger ICE agents who are forced to take more difficult enforcement actions in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal authorities.”

“The policies in Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the American people,” Comer added. “This is unacceptable, and their leaders must be held accountable.”

Comer vowed to “press these mayors for answers and examine measures to enforce compliance with federal immigration law.”

Since Trump took office in January, ICE has arrested illegal criminal migrants in sanctuary cities across the country.

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

February 6, 2025
‘Selling The City’ star’s dog saved her from fire that ravaged NYC apartment building

Taylor Middleton told FOX Business her dog barked “ferociously” and he’s not a “barker” which alerted her to her apartment building being on fire.

“Selling The City” star Taylor Middleton has her dog to thank for quickly evacuating their New York City apartment building while it was on fire.

During an interview with FOX Business, Middleton explained that her building in Tribeca caught on fire shortly after her and her husband, Peter Scavo, went to sleep.

“I had actually gone to bed quite early that night and then my husband came to bed maybe an hour after me. We were fast asleep and our golden retriever, Mac, all of a sudden started barking ferociously. He’s not a barker. And so he woke us up. Clearly there was a problem,” the celebrity real estate agent said.

Taylor Middleton’s New York City apartment building caught fire at the end of January. (Netflix/Taylor Middleton/Instagram / Fox News)

“We turned on the lights and there was just a cloud of smoke in our apartment. And at that point, the smoke alarms had not gone off yet. We knew that there was a pretty big problem. Clearly… There’s smoke completely taking over our office, in our kitchen,” Middleton continued.

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She explained that “before she knew it” the New York Fire Department was at their apartment building.

“We were fast asleep and our golden retriever, Mac, all of a sudden started barking ferociously.”

– Taylor Middleton

“They were very, very, very fast, thank God, and they seemed to be on it. So I just grabbed anything I could. I knew I only had a few minutes. And so I grabbed, you know, a laptop, chargers, passport, things like that, and then just got out of there,” Middleton said. “But it was freezing outside. It was absolutely freezing. And so that made it especially tricky, I think, for the firefighters and then for all of my neighbors.”

“Selling The City” stars, from left to right, Justin Tuinstra, Gisselle Meneses-Nunez, Taylor Middleton, Jade Chan, Eleonora Srugo, Abigail Godfrey, Jordyn Taylor Braff and Steve Gold. (Netflix / Fox News)

Middleton told FOX Business that prior to her apartment building catching on fire, her friend lost her home in the Palisades Fire that devastated the Los Angeles community.

WATCH:- ‘Selling The City’ star’s dog saved her from fire that ravaged NYC apartment building

Taylor Middleton told FOX Business her dog barked “ferociously” and he’s not a “barker” which alerted her to her apartment building being on fire.

Since this was on her mind prior to her home catching fire, she was mentally aware of the steps that should be taken when you need to quickly evacuate your home.

“One of my very best friends lost her home in the Pacific Palisades fire. Her whole community. Her whole neighborhood. So, I would never, ever try to compare that to that level of destruction and catastrophe there. It breaks my heart. That said, knowing that she had gone through this, it was, you know, mentally you run through in your mind, okay, ‘if I were in that situation, what would I do?’”

Taylor Middleton stars in Netflix’s “Selling The City.” (Jake Rosenberg / Fox News)

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“All of the most important documents and everything. So I knew I had maybe five minutes. So I just went through to grab chargers. I went through to grab any kind of legal documents that we had, marriage certificates, things like that. Passports. I was asleep. So, quite frankly, like, my brain was pretty foggy,” Middleton said.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly. I just grabbed whatever I could to be able to show up for work the next day. We didn’t have time to grab things that were special to us or anything like that. It was just about remaining connected to life.”

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The residents of Middleton’s apartment building were given the okay to go back into their building a few hours after the fire started. Middleton and Scavo opted not to return, which ended up being a blessing since the fire reignited.

“I didn’t think it was safe to go back into the building. Even like the air quality. And so a lot of people went back into the building, and I’m told it was maybe 45 minutes to an hour and then the fire had reignited. What we’re told is that it was in the support beams of the second floor apartment. And so, you know, these things happen.”

“But the FDNY really was amazing. And before we knew it, I think that they were fighting the fire for over four hours. You know, there were two firefighters who were injured. It was really something,” Middleton said.

Middleton recognized that the fire she recently experienced was nowhere near the devastation that occurred in California.

WATCH: ‘Selling the City’ star’s apartment building has been deemed ‘uninhabitable’

Taylor Middleton cannot move back into her apartment after the building caught on fire in January.

“We have the privilege and the ability to go back into the building to try to remediate certain things,” she explained.

Middleton shared that her apartment building had been deemed uninhabitable by the Department of Health and the Department of Buildings, and the residents were told it would be between four and six months before they could return to their homes.

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“Being in real estate and knowing how permits work, I think it will probably be longer, but we are able to go back in by appointment to try to salvage certain things,” she said.

Eleanora Srugo and Taylor Middleton during an episode of “Selling The City.” (Netflix / Fox News)

Since Middleton is involved in the real estate market nationwide, she has heard some “rumblings” that some people affected by the LA fires are leaving California.

“Honestly, I know that my friends who live in California are going to stay there because they love it so, so much. But of course, I’ve heard rumblings about people leaving,” she said. “I know for myself. You know, with our building fire. I think it may change day to day. There may be a range of emotions depending on where you are in the process.”

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Middleton, who was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, moved to Manhattan after graduating from Vanderbilt University. Since launching her career in 2013, Middleton, who is starring in Netflix’s new reality series “Selling the City,” has closed over $500 million in luxury real estate sales.

WATCH: Taylor Middleton has heard ‘rumblings’ of LA residents leaving the city following the fires

Taylor Middleton told FOX Business that a lot of her friends are staying and rebuilding their communities that were burnt down, but not everyone is.

“Selling the City” is a New York City-based spin-off of Netflix’s mega-hit show “Selling Sunset.” The series follows both the professional and personal lives of the ambitious realtors at the Manhattan branch of the firm Douglas Elliman as they “navigate the cutthroat world of luxury real estate in New York City,” per the streaming network.

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In addition to Middleton, the “Selling the City” cast consists of seven other Douglas Elliman real estate agents, including team leader Eleonara Srugo. Srugo, who has drawn comparisons to “Selling Sunset” patriarch Jason Oppenheim, executed Douglas Elliman’s biggest real estate deal of 2023 after selling a $75 million listing.

February 5, 2025
Here’s why comedian Matt Rife traded glitzy city living for cozy Rhode Island suburbs

Serhant founder and CEO Ryan Serhant reveals how those impacted by the California wildfires are managing evacuation and relocation on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

Comedian Matt Rife is taking over the comedy scene – and – the Rhode Island suburbs in his latest real estate venture.

While appearing on the popular “Bad Friends” podcast last August, Rife revealed to fellow comedians and co-hosts Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino that he had recently purchased 80 acres of property in Rhode Island.

According to Rife, Rhode Island originally “wasn’t even in the top 10” states he was looking to buy property in, but something specific drew him to the Ocean State.

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Comedian Matt Rife pictured alongside an image of the Castle Hill Lighthouse in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The illustration comes on the heels of Rife’s recent real estate move to Rhode Island. (Fox News / Fox News)

Rife cited sky-high real estate costs as one of the main reasons he left Los Angeles’ notorious comedy scene.

The state of the U.S. real estate market is causing many long-time residents to leave for less expensive areas — including one of 2024’s highest grossing comedians like Matt Rife, according to Billboard.

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“There were three things on my checklist. I wanted to get what I was actually f—ing paying for. ” Rife began. “There was this massive place that was probably the same price of a two-bedroom with no yard in L.A.”

“I needed to have some kind of comedy scene, and Providence has the “Comedy Connection” out there, a great club. Boston is 45 minutes away, an amazing comedy scene, and also convenient for travel. Providence is like my Burbank Airport and Boston is like my LAX,” he joked.

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Rife went on to express gratitude for his “beautiful” new property, saying that although he has “never been a morning person,” he wakes up every single day “happy” in his home.

“I’m so happy I did that,” he said.

Comedian Matt Rife at the 82nd Annual Golden Globes pictured alongside a photo of California’s highways. (Fox News / Fox News)

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The young star continued, hilariously revealing that he had purchased his current home while visiting Rhode Island for the first time before one of his shows in Connecticut.

“I was performing at Mohegan Sun, five shows or something like that,” Rife playfully bragged. “[Mohegan Sun] was an hour away, and we were on, I don’t know, Zillow, and I was like, ‘oh I’ll peep this real quick.’ And we went and checked it out, and I was like, ‘this [costs] like one show at Mohegan Sun.’ So, awesome.”

BH Group CEO and founder Isaac Toledano speaks to Fox News Digital about how Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory will fuel positive activity in real estate.

In December, Billboard revealed their list of top ten highest-grossing comedy tours of the year, with Rife quickly climbing the list and earning the number two spot for 2024.

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Rife’s comedy tour grossed more than most of the biggest names in comedy last year, topping all but one comedian: Nate Bargatze, whose tour had a net gross of $82.2 million in 2024, selling over one million tickets.

According to the Billboard study, throughout Rife’s 256 shows in 2024, the new Rhode Island resident grossed about $57.5 million, selling roughly 733,000 tickets.

The 10-person list has a combined $396.7 million in gross-earnings for 2024, a 52% spike from 2023 — making comedians top earners in the entertainment industry.

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February 2, 2025