News : POLITICO New York Playbook: NY declines to quarantine neighbors — WFP spends on push to save ballot line

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

POLITICO New York Playbook: NY declines to quarantine neighbors — WFP spends on push to save ballot line — Business eviction moratorium extended

Oct 21, 2020

By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio

Presented by Noom

Back in June, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut banded together, vowing to mandate a two-week quarantine on travelers coming from states with high rates of the coronavirus. Here's the problem: Things have gotten bad enough in New Jersey and Connecticut that they now qualify to be placed on the quarantine list themselves, with more than ten cases per 100,000 residents.

New York won't actually impose the quarantine requirements on its two partner states — nor on neighboring Pennsylvania, which also has enough cases to qualify, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office said Tuesday. "There is no practical way to quarantine New York from New Jersey and Connecticut," Cuomo told reporters. "There are just too many interchanges, there are too many interconnections, there are too many people who live in one place and work in the other. It would have a disastrous effect on the economy."

Still, Cuomo is urging tri-state residents to avoid nonessential trips across state lines. New York has troubles of its own as it battles Covid-19 outbreaks in Brooklyn, Queens and areas north of the city, but unlike its neighbors it has not crossed the threshold of 10 daily cases per 100,000 residents over the course of a week.

Even with the exceptions granted to New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, forty states and territories will now be on the quarantine list — which is to say, a large majority of the country. And even grading on a 2020 curve, Cuomo took a moment to recognize that that is pretty wild: "This is really a bizarre outcome," he said.

IT'S WEDNESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold

WHERE'S ANDREW? In Albany with no public events scheduled.

WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability.

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WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"NEW YORK CITY subway and bus workers might have been infected by the new coronavirus at rates higher than previously thought, according to results of a survey released Tuesday by researchers. New York state officials said in May that about 14% of a sample of transit workers had tested positive for virus antibodies. But a team of researchers from New York, Harvard and Yale universities said Tuesday that nearly one-quarter of subway and bus workers they surveyed this summer reported having had the virus. Robyn Gershon, a professor of epidemiology at NYU School of Global Public Health who led the pilot study, said the new figure wasn't surprising given front-line workers' levels of exposure to the public as well as rates of infection across New York City." Wall Street Journal's Paul Berger

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO expressed regret Tuesday over the city's handling of coronavirus outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities, where new shutdown regulations have been imposed after a surge in virus cases. De Blasio said he has "every expectation" that restrictions will be lifted in central Queens this week, while other hotspots in southern Brooklyn may remain shut down. Gov. Andrew Cuomo will make the final decision on Wednesday. But the mayor acknowledged that the city had failed to communicate its public health guidance effectively in heavily Orthodox neighborhoods, which saw angry and sometimes violent protests as new shutdowns took effect earlier this month. The mayor met with Orthodox leaders Monday night and delivered his mea culpa directly, he told reporters during a press briefing. "I did express my regrets," de Blasio said. "I look back now and understand there was just more dialogue that was needed." POLITICO's Erin Durkin

"PARENTS AND PRINCIPALS living or working in New York City's red and orange zones said they're waiting in suspense over whether their schools can reopen after being forced to close two weeks ago. Governor Andrew Cuomo — who ordered schools in those zones to close — said he'd make an announcement about them on Wednesday. 'We've literally gotten nothing,' said Michael Perlberg, principal at M.S. 839 just south of Prospect Park. 'Parents are getting really frustrated,' said Heather Dailey, who sends her son to P.S. 219 in Flushing. For some principals, reopening would be a return to the new normal during the pandemic, but there are worries the city and state will order school buildings to open their doors with very little time to alert parents. One Brooklyn principal, who declined to be identified because she wasn't authorized to speak to the press, said she's 'bracing' to be told on Wednesday to reopen her school the next day. She said these last-minute directives mean 'constantly reacting instead of forward thinking.'" WNYC's Jessica Gould

"MAYOR DE BLASIO's new commission on police reform is a 'farce,' said Black Lives Matters leaders excluded from the process. 'It's a farce because this is a media stunt ... so that they can pass the reforms that they want to pass but not the ones that are being advocated for by the people in the streets,' Hawk Newsome, co-founder of Black Lives Matter of New York, told the Daily News. 'The reason that Mayor de Blasio does not want Black Lives Matter of Greater New York at the table is because we hold him accountable,' he added. The NYPD on Monday convened groups including the Robin Hood Foundation and the Urban League to start efforts to make the department more fair. The commission was created in response to Gov. Cuomo's June demand for localities to come up with proposals on reforming their police departments. Spurred by anti-police brutality protests in the wake of George Floyd's death, he gave nine months for localities to come up with plans for changing crowd management and other practices, threatening to cut state funds if they didn't do so." New York Daily News' Graham Rayman and Shant Shahrigian

"As the city faces its first notable increase in coronavirus infections since a springtime surge killed more than 20,000, residents are again looking at their neighborhoods and wondering, after each rise in numbers, each passing siren: Is this a second wave? The recent increase prompted Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to order lockdowns in several parts of Brooklyn and Queens where the infection rate has risen most sharply. The restrictions mostly affected neighborhoods with large Orthodox Jewish populations. But other neighborhoods faced partial lockdowns, including the canceling of indoor dining. 'It's scary and upsetting," Ms. Farrell said, "because we had such a good streak going.'" New York Times' Michael Wilson

"New Yorkers first began to receive census questionnaires in March. Then the pandemic hit. As wealthy residents fled the city for second homes, census officials like Julie Menin, the director of NYC Census 2020, began to worry. Widespread noncompliance could mean New York's losing out on millions of dollars in federal aid to low-income residents, and even congressional seats. But on Tuesday, the results were in: New York City announced a self-response rate of nearly 62 percent... The self-response number was 'essentially identical as the rate in 2010, but with so many more challenges in the way,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference on Tuesday." New York Times' Juliana Kim

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"NEW YORK Governor Andrew Cuomo blamed President Donald Trump for coronavirus-related deaths in the state, calling him a liar and 'super-spreader.' Cuomo said Tuesday that Trump has repeatedly lied to the public, including earlier this year when he suggested the virus was a hoax and that it would be gone by Easter. 'I hold Donald Trump responsible for every death in New York state from Covid, because Trump lied,' Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a conference call with reporters. Trump's support in polls has collapsed since his first debate with Joe Biden and his hospitalization for Covid-19. A six-point average lead for Biden at the end of September has grown to about 9 points as of Monday, according to RealClearPolitics." Bloomberg's Keshia Clukey

"THINK OF THE MAP of New York like a funnel: On the edges are parts of Upstate New York like Albany and Ithaca where unemployment is high, but at a relatively lower level than New York City. And New York City would be the funnel's mouth: A yawning 13.9% joblessness rate that's higher than the statewide 9.7% average in September, according to regional labor statistics released on Tuesday. New York's jobless rate fell from 12.5% in August to 9.7%, the first time it has dipped below double digits since the worst of the coronavirus pandemic and when shutdown orders closed schools and non-essential businesses. The areas outside of New York City have unemployment rates below 8%, including Albany at 5.4% and Buffalo at 6.7%. Rochester and Syracuse both hold unemployment rates of 6.1%. All of these numbers 'are not good and are nearly double of what they were this time a year ago.'" Spectrum's Nick Reisman

"COVID-19 is tearing through at an upstate prison where a staggering 242 cases were reported on Tuesday afternoon — up by 164 cases since Monday, and 239 cases since Oct. 1, state Correction Department data shows. The numbers out of Elmira Correctional Facility could be even higher — another 475 coronavirus tests were still pending late Tuesday. So far, eight people have recovered from the disease while another 319 people have tested negative. The report of the virus's rapid spread at the prison follows a recent uptick in cases at Greene Correctional Facility. It also comes one day after the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision confirmed the death of an incarcerated person at Fishkill Correctional Facility — the first COVID-19-related death of a state prisoner since late July." Daily News' Chelsia Rose Marcius

#UpstateAmerica: "Still sour about his failed bid to buy the Buffalo Bills, Jon Bon Jovi says he's never coming back to Buffalo."

... 2020 VISION ...

WITH ITS FUTURE hanging in the balance, the Working Families Party is pouring cash into a final push to maintain its ballot line in the upcoming presidential election. The third party's independent expenditure committee is launching an $800,000 mail and digital ad campaign this week to encourage voters to support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on its ballot line next month — a do-or-die effort to preserve its electoral presence in New York in future elections. The mailers, previewed by POLITICO, feature Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and city Public Advocate Jumaane Williams touting the party's importance and imploring voters to choose the Working Families Party at the ballot box. "When politicians see our votes on the Working Families line, they hear our message," one mailer reads. "We need to defend our movement," another states. The spending spree, which amounts to about one-quarter of the nearly $3.9 million currently in the committee's federal account, comes at a critical time. Due to a recent change in state voting rules, parties must now receive 2 percent of the total turnout in a presidential election in order to maintain their ballot lines. POLITICO's Sally Goldenberg

"DEMOCRATIC congressional candidate Nate McMurray on Tuesday sued Delaware North Cos., charging that his former employer pressured him not to run for Congress against the man he lost to in a June special election and will face again in November: Republican Rep. Chris Jacobs of Orchard Park, the nephew of the company's chairman." Buffalo News' Jerry Zremski

BILLIONAIRE MICHAEL Bloomberg's $100 million investment in Florida to defeat Donald Trump is recasting the presidential contest in the president's must-win state, forcing his campaign to spend big to shore up his position and freeing up Democratic cash to expand the electoral map elsewhere. Bloomberg's massive advertising and ground-game spending, which began roughly a month ago, has thrown Trump into a defensive crouch across the arc of Sunbelt states. As a result, the president's campaign has scaled back its TV ad buys in crucial Northern swing states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan — a vacuum being filled by a constellation of outside political groups backing Joe Biden. POLITICO's Marc Caputo and David Siders

ELECTIONLAND: POLITICO is partnering with Electionland, a ProPublica project that works with newsrooms to track voting issues around the country. The Electionland project covers problems that prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots during the 2020 elections. Tell us here if you're having trouble voting.

TRUMP'S NEW YORK

"MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO and New York City Census officials celebrated a robust self-response rate in the Census on Tuesday, despite unprecedented hurdles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and attempts by the Trump administration to discourage participation. The city's self-response reached an unofficial 61.8% when the constitutionally mandated decennial population count concluded last week on October 15. The self-response rate for New York City residents was nearly the same as 2010 but came amid a slew of complicating factors that made the count the most challenging it has been in decades. The city also had a far smaller gap between its household completion rate and the national average." Gotham Gazette's Samar Khurshid

GLOBAL PULSE, GLOBAL PURPOSE: At a high-stakes moment when global health has become a household concern, it is pivotal to keep up with the politics and policy driving change. Global Pulse connects leaders, policymakers and advocates to the people and politics driving global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today for this new weekly newsletter.

AROUND NEW YORK

— With many public library branches still closed, "little libraries" are gaining in popularity.

— The MTA unveiled a new "live" digital subway map.

— A judge ruled that more than 96 percent of city crosswalks are not accessible to blind pedestrians, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

— Cuomo will be part of a SALT Talk, moderated by Anthony Scaramucci, on Nov. 5.

— "The Empire Center: New Data May Make NY's COVID-19 Performance Appear Worse."

— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is rallying with celebrity chefs urging a bailout by Congress.

— State Sen. Brad Hoylman is hosting a "#GiveForAGay blood drive.

— Mount Vernon chaos monster strikes again: A new fire struck has been stalled for several months by political infighting.

— A Sing Sing Correctional Facility officer has been charged with submitting fake medical documents equalling more than 100 days in Workers Compensation leave and at least $16,000 in wages.

— The NYPD will have hundreds of officers at the ready in case there are any disturbances during early voting in the presidential election and afterward.

— A statue planned to replace the controversial monument to J. Marion Sims in Central Park has been delayed, and the artist says the city is using the pandemic as an excuse.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is 71 … NYT's Mikayla Bouchard is 31 (h/t Ben Chang) … Megan Smith, CEO of shift7 … Edith Gregson (h/ts Tim and Kiki Burger) … NYT's Taylor Lorenz … Edelman's Alex Abrahamson … Dafna Linzer, managing editor of politics for NBC News/MSNBC ... NBC's Anna Schecter Zigler … Courtney Lukitsch, CEO and founder at Gotham PR … Gyan Parida … Perry Trethaway … Judith "Judge Judy" Sheindlin is 78 ... Nieca Goldberg ... Ari Bergmann ... Marci Klein (h/ts Jewish Insider)

MAKING MOVES: Jeffrey Cannizzo is joining the New York Racing Association, Inc. as senior director of government affairs beginning Jan. 1. Cannizzo is executive director at New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., where he's been since 2008.

MEDIAWATCH — @davidplotz: "Some news: I'm really excited to announce my new venture: It's called City Cast (http://citycast.fm ), and it's going to be a network of daily, local news podcasts in cities around the country, launching in a handful of places this winter."

— PODCAST DU JOUR: Fox Business' Maria Bartriomo was interviewed by Laura Cox Kaplan for her She Said/She Said podcast.

OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a Zoom launch party for Evan Osnos' new book "Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now" hosted by Chris Schroeder, Sandy Coburn, Nate Fick and Margaret Angell ($23 on Amazon ): Marcus Brauchli, Kate Seelye, James Goldgeier, Tim Wirth, Don Graham and Amanda Bennett, Sarabeth Berman, Craig Mullaney, Peter and Susan Osnos, Gady Epstein, Mike Dorning, Mark Mazzetti, Ben Pauker, Bay Fang, Martha Raddatz, Yochi Dreazen, Sally Quinn, Jorge Guajardo, Karim Sadjadpour, Martin Indyk, Vivian Schiller, David Kirkpatrick, Sarah Stillman, Chris Costa, James Crabtree, Deb and James Fallows, Tevi Troy, Zachary Karabell and Michael O'Hanlon.

— SPOTTED at "The Women in the Room," a virtual celebration of top female business and finance executives hosted by Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and Bloomberg's New Voices program: Muriel Siebert, Maggie Lena Walker, Sara Sunshine, Mellody Hobson, Dina Powell McCormick and Michelle Peluso.

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REAL ESTATE

A STATE moratorium on commercial evictions will remain in effect until Jan. 1, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday. A previous ban on Covid-related evictions of commercial tenants was slated to expire on Oct. 20, placing thousands of retailers, restaurants and other businesses at risk of closure as they struggle to keep up with missed rent payments. The head of a prominent restaurant industry group credited the eviction moratorium as a major reason why many businesses are still afloat. "They're all teetering on the edge," Andrew Rigie, head of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, told POLITICO last month. "We're still in the midst of the crisis with no end in sight and the industry has not been provided the adequate support from government." Meanwhile, many landlords, particularly smaller ones, say they too have been devastated by the pandemic as rent collections have dropped. A survey last month from the Community Housing Improvement Program, a landlord group, found roughly half of commercial tenants paid no rent in September. POLITICO's Janaki Chadha