Stephen Dubner

It's clearly possible that you can have an urban area without rats, but they do love it there. I'm Stephen Dubner. This is Freakonomics Radio. We'll be right back. Before the break, we heard New York City rat czar Kathy Karate say that by the end of 2024, some 70 percent of the city's trash was no longer being placed in flimsy plastic bags, but rather in sturdy plastic bins.

It's clearly possible that you can have an urban area without rats, but they do love it there. I'm Stephen Dubner. This is Freakonomics Radio. We'll be right back. Before the break, we heard New York City rat czar Kathy Karate say that by the end of 2024, some 70 percent of the city's trash was no longer being placed in flimsy plastic bags, but rather in sturdy plastic bins.

It's clearly possible that you can have an urban area without rats, but they do love it there. I'm Stephen Dubner. This is Freakonomics Radio. We'll be right back. Before the break, we heard New York City rat czar Kathy Karate say that by the end of 2024, some 70 percent of the city's trash was no longer being placed in flimsy plastic bags, but rather in sturdy plastic bins.

What's the timeline for that?

What's the timeline for that?

What's the timeline for that?

That whole of city approach will still include some poisons or treatments, as Karate calls them.

That whole of city approach will still include some poisons or treatments, as Karate calls them.

That whole of city approach will still include some poisons or treatments, as Karate calls them.

And how about the rat birth control we discussed earlier with Bobby Corrigan?

And how about the rat birth control we discussed earlier with Bobby Corrigan?

And how about the rat birth control we discussed earlier with Bobby Corrigan?

So the mayor who appointed you, Eric Adams, this administration is turning out, especially in recent weeks as we speak, to be one of the most problematic, potentially corrupt administrations recently, all sorts of issues. investigations, seizures of cell phones, the resignation of the police chief and so on.

So the mayor who appointed you, Eric Adams, this administration is turning out, especially in recent weeks as we speak, to be one of the most problematic, potentially corrupt administrations recently, all sorts of issues. investigations, seizures of cell phones, the resignation of the police chief and so on.

So the mayor who appointed you, Eric Adams, this administration is turning out, especially in recent weeks as we speak, to be one of the most problematic, potentially corrupt administrations recently, all sorts of issues. investigations, seizures of cell phones, the resignation of the police chief and so on.

What's it like to be representing a city agency like you are now with all that storm going on around? I'm just curious from the personal perspective of how hard it makes your job.

What's it like to be representing a city agency like you are now with all that storm going on around? I'm just curious from the personal perspective of how hard it makes your job.

What's it like to be representing a city agency like you are now with all that storm going on around? I'm just curious from the personal perspective of how hard it makes your job.

I could also see that because of your job and because of how much people care about rats. I could imagine if you do this well that you are mayoral material. Is that an ambition?

I could also see that because of your job and because of how much people care about rats. I could imagine if you do this well that you are mayoral material. Is that an ambition?