Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New York City Just Appointed Its First-Ever Rat Czar—And Her Salary Is Staggering

A rat; Kathleen Corradi
@time/TikTok; @nytimes/TikTok

Former elementary teacher Kathleen Corradi steps into the newly created role of Citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation for New York City with a salary of $155,000 per year.

Imagine having a rat problem so bad you need to hire a Rat Czar.

Then imagine the job of Rat Czar is so important it pays $155,000 per year.


Rats aren't exactly the "huddled masses" poet Emma Lazarus was referencing when she wrote the poem engraved at the Statue of Liberty, but it seems to be the huddled mass the city has ended up with.

And Mayor Eric Adams has had enough.

After announcing he would appoint a "Rat Czar" to the city's government back in 2022—and the city's sanitation commissioner Jessica Tisch infamously announced "the rats don't run this city, we do"—Adams filled the spot at last.

At an event last week, Adams welcomed former elementary school teacher Kathleen Corradi as New York's first-ever Citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation—as seen below.

@nytimes

Kathleen Corradi, New York City’s first rat czar, will oversee efforts to drive down the rat population.

In her speech, Corradi vowed to rid New York City of its most infamous denizens.

She told those in attendance:

"As the first director of rodent mitigation, I'm excited to bring a science and systems-based approach to fight rats."
"New York may be famous for the Pizza Rat, but rats, and the conditions that help them thrive, will no longer be tolerated – no more dirty curbs, unmanaged spaces or brazen burrowing."
"I'm honored to lead this work, grateful to Mayor Adams for this opportunity, and look forward to sending the rats packing."

For that work, Corradi will be handsomely rewarded with that $155,000 salary.

Although that's not nearly as lush a payday in New York City as it would be in pretty much any other part of the country. It's an amount Mayor Adams thinks is "not enough" given the scope of the job.

On social media, many disagreed and thought $155,000 sounded pretty good.




And of course, given the slight absurdity of the whole situation, there were lots of rat-related jokes.




Corradi is part of Mayor Adams' billion-dollar initiative toward rat abatement in the city.

Much of the effort is focused on Harlem, where the city will send 19 full-time staff and 14 seasonal staff to clean and maintain public spaces, perform inspections and exterminate rats where needed.

We offer Corradi our heartfelt congRATulations on her new position.

More from Trending

Kim Kardashian
Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Kim Kardashian Roasted After Seemingly Awkward Photo Fail At Jeff Bezos' Wedding Goes Viral

Kim Kardashian may be the queen of the social media snap, but she's getting roasted online for her latest attempt at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding in Venice.

From the elaborate trappings and guest list to the weeks of angry protests by Venetians furious that a Trump-funding technofascist and his celebrity sycophants were taking over their city for days on end, the wedding was nothing short of a spectacle.

Keep ReadingShow less
Abby Phillip; Donald Trump
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images

CNN's Abby Phillip Shares Classy Clapback After Trump Lashes Out At Her On Social Media

During the first term of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, his relationship with the press was probably best described as volatile. He had his favorites—the ones that stroked his ego—and the ones he called "enemies of the people."

CNN has definitely been on Trump’s hit list for years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brandon Gill; Zohran Mamdani
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Noam Galai/Getty Images

MAGA Rep. Ripped For Racist Reaction To Mamdani Eating Rice With His Hands In Campaign Video

Texas Republican Representative Brandon Gill is facing harsh criticism after he told New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to "go back to the Third World" after Mamdani shared a video of himself eating rice and lentils with his hands and talking about how his upbringing in Uganda and South Africa shaped his understanding of the Palestinian struggle.

At one point during his meal, Mamdani, who was raised in an Indian family, said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images

Homeland Security Slammed After Sharing Bonkers AI Image To Promote 'Alligator Alcatraz'

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came under fire after it shared an AI-generated image of alligators wearing ICE hats to promote a proposed "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, a decision that prompted critics to call out the post's fascistic and cruel nature.

The image shows the alligators in caps marked “ICE” beside a barbed-wire fence and was captioned simply:

Keep ReadingShow less
The feet of two people snuggling under the covers
woman in white dress lying on white bed

Couples Who've Been Together For 20+ Years Explain How They Keep Their Sex Life Active

With each passing year, all couples tend to worry that their relationship might change over time.

That they'll stop being as spontaneous, affectionate or energetic as they were when they first began their courtship.

Keep ReadingShow less