NYC Brings Pest Experts to First-Ever National Rat Summit
Also today: California’s anti-speeding bill can be a breakthrough, and how to keep rideshare affordable and make drivers happy.
Rats are seen in a street of New York.
Photographer: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesNew York City is hosting its first-ever National Urban Rat Summit on Thursday as part of Mayor Eric Adams’ war (and personal vendetta) against the vermin. It’s a two-day gathering of top rat experts from around the US — and perhaps also a distraction from scrutiny as Adams is embroiled in federal investigations.
Rats have thrived alongside cities for centuries and have proved resilient to our best efforts to eradicate them — everything from employing cats to using poison. Adams’ latest campaign zeroes in on a tactic that history has shown to be more successful: depriving them of food. But as Bloomberg Opinion Columnist Stephen Mihm explains, the city may never be rat-free. Watch Mihm’s video and read more about NYC’s efforts from Magdalena Del Valle today on CityLab: NYC to Host ‘Rat Summit’ as Mayor Says His Policies Curbed Pests