Clay Cane: I love hot weather, but the heat is going to be brutal, and I appreciate you coming on. What should New Yorkers be doing right now to protect themselves, their families and especially the most vulnerable people during this record-breaking heat wave?
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: You know, I think first and foremost is to understand that it is record breaking. This is not your typical Fourth of July weather. We're talking about high 90s and going into the triple digits through the weekend. And with humidity, those are temperatures that will feel like 112 degrees. So, on our end as the city, we're looking to make it as easy as possible to stay cool. We're opening more than 200 cooling centers across the five boroughs - that goes from the Javits Center to older adult centers to a number of libraries. We are going to be putting up directions to the closest one near you on hundreds of LinkNYC kiosks that you'll find across New York City. You can also go to nyc.gov/beattheheat or call 311 to find the closest one near you.
We are also going to the extending the hours of New York City public swimming pools to 8:30 p.m. We're trying to push this as late as possible so there is room for any New Yorker to cool down. And, to your point, for anyone that we are worried about that you see - a New Yorker that is vulnerable or concerning you - make sure that you call 311, because we have 600 outreach workers who will be canvassing the streets to help any New York in need and to make sure they are actually going to be in a place that's safe, because, once again, New York City loses about 500 people a year to heat-related illness. We want New Yorkers to take this seriously, and we want people to stay safe and stay cool
Cane: I know you're on a tight schedule, but I do want to ask you quickly - July 4th is coming up and the country is celebrating 250 years of signing the Declaration of Independence. You know, for a lot of Black and Brown folks, this can be complicated because we love this country enough to critique it, especially seeing civil rights and voting rights being rolled back. How are you thinking about this moment in American history, Mayor Mamdani?
Mayor Mamdani: This weekend is, as you said, the 250th anniversary of our nation. And it's an opportunity to celebrate everything that we as a nation have strived for, that we as a nation have fought for, and [it is] a recognition of all that is still left to fight for. We know that the promise of our country and the president of our country - there is a bridge that needs to be traveled, and I can think of no thing less American than fighting on that journey to get to those ideals. And we know that there are those who will be celebrating this weekend who have seen the story of this nation change over the course of their own lifetime, and it's an inspiration to all of us to what it can look like to make sure that that justice, that promise is that present.
Cane: Well said. Quickly, before you go, this just broke [on] Axios and so and so. There are reports that VP Kamala Harris has reached out to you for a discussion. Any truth to that?
Mayor Mamdani: Yes, that is true. The vice president reached out to have a conversation, and we've had a brief conversation. We've been in touch over the last few months, and I really do appreciate her outreach.
Cane: Gotcha. And last thing - what is on your July 4 playlist? What's on the mayor's playlist?
Mayor Mamdani: I gotta say you gotta throw on "Before I Let Go," the Beyoncé version. You gotta put on a little bit of "NUEVAYoL" from Bad Bunny. And then, when I think about the Fourth and I think of the most incredible outfits I saw growing up as a city kid, I gotta say the "Dipset Anthem."
Cane: I love it. And we can pull up some old school Mamdani tracks too.
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I think you'd be exceedingly kind to do that. I don't think they deserve to be in conversation.
Cane: Well, I know you have a really busy day. I appreciate you once again, the mayor of New York City, coming on, shouting us out, [making] sure everybody is safe out there in the scene. Mayor Mamdani, thank you once again. Have a great day.
Mayor Mamdani: Thank you so much for having me, Clay. Same to you.
