| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio | Eric Adams has wanted to be mayor for a long time, making it clear way back in 2014 that he would be a candidate to succeed then-freshman Mayor Bill de Blasio. Today, the Brooklyn borough president makes it official: he'll launch his campaign for mayor in the 2021 Democratic primary. Adams plans to announce his candidacy on Zoom as coronavirus rates rise, itself a sign of the not-at-all-normal mayoral campaign we are about to experience. He enters the race as a top-tier candidate in terms of fundraising, and tells our Sally Goldenberg he plans to campaign on public safety and reinvigorating the economy. "We have to get our economy up and running, and feeling safe to get on our subway system is crucial," he said. "The unskilled, uneducated — they have to get back to work, and we have to do that by really opening up our economy again." The Brooklyn beep has a way with a pun and a flare for the colorful, often crossing into the controversial — whether it's a graphic demonstration of rat drowning that sparked a feud with animal rights activists, or his exhortation to a certain type of transplant to go back to Ohio. During the pandemic, he took to living in his office at Brooklyn Borough Hall, and he's an outspoken proponent of veganism. His history as a former NYPD cop (and yes, he wanted to be mayor even back then) will give him a unique perspective in the policing debates that are sure to be a major theme in the race, and differentiates him from opponents pushing for sweeping NYPD overhauls. He's gambling that the combination of qualities will help him assemble the coalition of voters he needs. "The city is ready for me," 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. | | | | JOIN TODAY - CONFRONTING INEQUALITY TOWN HALL "BRIDGING THE ECONOMIC DIVIDE": Although pandemic job losses have been widespread, the economic blow has been especially devastating to Black workers and Black-owned businesses. POLITICO's third "Confronting Inequality in America" town hall will convene economists, scholars, private sector and city leaders to explore policies and strategies to deal with the disproportionate economic impact of the pandemic and the broader factors contributing to the persistent racial wealth and income gaps. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
|  | WHAT CITY HALL'S READING | | "THE BIG APPLE's heavily touted coronavirus tracing program is having trouble tracking down sources of at least 80 percent of the COVID-19 infections in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged Tuesday. 'People want firm, specific answers and, understandably, we would like for things to be clear and neat and that's just not what the coronavirus usually gives us,' Hizzoner said during his daily briefing. 'We just don't have sites or activities that led to anywhere near the number of cases you would think.' City health experts have said that roughly 10 percent of infections in the city can be traced back to travel outside of the area, while another 5 to 10 percent of cases can be linked back to individual sources and instances of infection. But that leaves more than 80 percent of COVID-19 infections without a clear source." New York Post's Nolan Hicks "NEW YORK CITY parents again breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday after Mayor Bill de Blasio said public schools would remain open another day because the city's rate of new Covid-19 cases continued to stay below the threshold for stopping in-person instruction. The mayor has warned parents since Friday that they should prepare for the possibility of a school shutdown. The city plans to move all students to fully remote learning if the share of positive results from all Covid-19 tests hits 3% over a seven-day average. The city's rate has been creeping toward that 3% mark, with the mayor giving daily updates on testing. The seven-day average positivity rate was 2.74% through Sunday, the mayor said at a press conference Tuesday. Schools would stay open Wednesday, he said." Wall Street Journal's Katie Honan and Leslie Brody — New rapid testing sites are opening in Queens and Staten Island. — The NYPD will not be enforcing a 10-person limit on family gatherings in private homes. FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY PREET BHARARA is wading into the race for Manhattan district attorney, throwing his support behind Alvin Bragg for the top prosecutor's job. Bragg, a former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who worked under Bharara, is one of nine candidates vying to replace current DA Cy Vance. Bharara gained fame for bringing a series of high-profile corruption cases against New York politicians, before being fired by President Donald Trump. In an interview with POLITICO, he cited the national debate over criminal justice reform as a central reason for backing Bragg. "At this moment for criminal justice in America, we need someone with a wide variety of experience and perspective. Alvin has worked in the federal system. Alvin has worked in the state system. Alvin understands what it's like to be both a prosecutor and a defense lawyer," Bharara said. "And Alvin understands what it's like to be a Black man in the criminal justice system." POLITICO's Erin Durkin — A group of women who say they were victimized by Harvey Weinstein, including one who testified at his trial, endorsed former prosecutor Lucy Lang for Manhattan DA. "A 40% CUT in weekday subway service and layoffs of more than 9,000 transit workers are on the table as MTA honchos battle a COVID-19 financial catastrophe, the Daily News has learned. 'This would absolutely be an end to the New York way of life,' said Andrew Albert, the non-voting rider advocate on the MTA board. 'People expect to leave their home or office and get a train or bus within a very reasonable wait of time,' Albert said. 'Cuts of this magnitude mean virtually no social distancing. It's just a nonstarter to me.' The transit austerity plan — parts of which were obtained by The News — could be staved off if Congress approves more COVID-19 aid to the agency." New York Daily News' Clayton Guse — "The MTA is running off track on awarding contracts for work on 26 major capital projects — from subway bridge repairs to new buses — primarily due to the pandemic, agency documents show." — The MTA board is expected to approve a resolution allowing it to borrow $2.9 billion from the Federal Reserve. — MTA cops have fined just 10 straphangers in two months for failure to wear a mask, while the NYPD has issued an additional five tickets. "SHOOTINGS IN New York City have nearly doubled this year, New York Police Department officials said Tuesday, while arrests for major crimes have plummeted. From Jan 1. through Sunday, the city has recorded 1,359 shootings, an increase of nearly 95% from the 698 in the same period last year, according to NYPD data. The number of shooting victims rose to 1,667 from 828. Meanwhile, arrests for major crimes have fallen by nearly 13%, driven by drops for every major category except burglaries, car thefts and gun-related crimes, according to the data. Arrests for crimes involving guns are up nearly 19% this year, the data showed." Wall Street Journal's Ben Chapman | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "HOURS BEFORE New York State's order limiting private gatherings took effect on Friday, effectively barring large holiday parties, an upstate sheriff said that he would not enforce it. His office, he said, would never interfere with 'the great tradition of Thanksgiving dinner.' Days later, a sheriff in the Southern Tier region vowed that his deputies would not go 'peeking in your window' to count the faces around a table. A third New York sheriff said that entering residents' homes 'to see how many Turkey or Tofu eaters are present is not a priority.' Even as the daily numbers of new coronavirus cases climb and threaten the state's progress toward tamping down the spread of infection, a growing number of local sheriffs and other officials say they will not enforce the state's 10-person cap on gatherings at family homes. Much of the opposition has come from conservative regions outside New York City, but the reluctance to police Thanksgiving feasts has not been limited to upstate areas or to Republicans. In New York City, officials said they did not anticipate strict enforcement, citing other priorities. And at least one Democratic sheriff upstate said he would not have the resources necessary to do the job. But conservative local officials and sheriffs have so far issued the fiercest rebukes of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's order, which was announced last week." New York Times' Michael Gold "THERE ARE now more than 2,000 people hospitalized in New York due to COVID-19 for the first time since the spring, according to numbers released on Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office. COVID-19 positive cases continued to also increase as the state and the rest of the country experiences a resurgence of the pandemic that had slowed over the summertime in New York. There was a net increase of 156 patients to hospitals in the state in the last day, with total hospitalizations standing at 2,124 people due to COVID-19. Twenty-nine people have been confirmed to have died in the last 24 hours due to the virus. State health officials have pursued a strategy of targeted closures and limitations on gatherings and activities, focusing on clusters of cases in parts of the state where COVID positive cases have been found. In the last day, the statewide positivity rate reached 3.18%, the governor's office said." Spectrum's Nick Reisman — Upstate grocers are back to limiting certain items. — "New York high school sports boss won't bag winter games before it's 'absolutely necessary.'" "AT A MEETING of New York's ethics enforcement agency, commissioners appointed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo killed a measure that would have required more scrutiny of state officials' requests to earn outside income. The debate at the Joint Commission on Public Ethics on Tuesday arose following the oversight panel's approval of Cuomo's deal for a new book, 'American Crisis,' which was published on Oct. 13. Since then, JCOPE's commissioners have held two unusually heated meetings debating whether similar approvals should be made by the 14-member commission, and not JCOPE's staff, which is the current practice. While Cuomo's book was never mentioned during the debates, it was apparent the book's approval by the ethics panel's staff was the unstated impetus for the contentious discussions. The meeting once again pitted Cuomo's six appointees on the panel against the six appointees of legislative leaders of both parties. The vote on a proposal put forward by Commissioner Jim Yates, an appointee of Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, died in a 6-6 deadlock. It's the second meeting in a row where an initiative to change the approval process ended in the same deadlock." Times Union's Chris Bragg "A BROOKLYN EX-CON who said his elderly mother died of coronavirus was busted Monday for threatening and harassing Gov. Cuomo's top aide . Gary Goldstein, 58, was arrested by State Police and NYPD officers after allegedly phoning Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa, calling her a 'c—t' and telling her he was going to 'slice your p—y, you murderer, do you hear me?' DeRosa, Cuomo's most senior adviser and a constant presence at his coronavirus briefings, flagged the Saturday call for Troopers on the governor's security detail, who were able to trace the number and locate Goldstein at his Brighton Beach home, sources said. Goldstein told cops after he was taken into custody that his mother died of COVID-19, assistant district attorney Wilfred Cotto said during a Tuesday arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court. Judge Archana Rao issued an order of protection, barring Goldstein from having any contact with DeRosa, and placed him under supervised release pending the results of a psychological examination." New York Daily News' Denis Slattery and Thomas Tracy #UpstateAmerica: Not even a global pandemic can stop the annual Naples Turkey Trot. | | | | TRACK THE TRANSITION, SUBSCRIBE TO TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: As states certify their election results, President-elect Biden is building an administration. The staffing decisions made in the coming days, weeks, and months will send clear-cut signals about his administration's agenda and priorities. Transition Playbook is the definitive guide to what could be one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Written for political insiders, it tracks the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Stay in the know, subscribe today. | | | | |
| | ... 2020 VISION ... | | "THE CONTINUED tallying of absentee ballots led to multiple candidates in previously undecided races declaring victory on Tuesday. Here's an update on where some key races stand. — Democrats say that Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, a staffer for Sen. James Skoufis, has won the race to succeed David Carlucci in a Rockland and Westchester County district … his apparent clinching of a win coupled with Sen. Kevin Thomas' declaration of victory means Democrats are now two-for-two, and need to win four of the remaining six to hit their goal of a 42-member supermajority. — Republicans came out of election night thinking they had plausible chances of flipping three seats. On Tuesday, they got good news in one of them, while Democrats might soon have cause for celebration in the other two. Former State GOP Executive Director Michael Lawler said in a tweet that he's now guaranteed to oust Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee … On Tuesday evening, Democratic Assemblymember Monica Wallace declared victory in a suburban Buffalo race where she trailed by 2,400 votes on in-person ballots ... And in Brooklyn, Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus seems to have pulled ahead of Republican Mark Szuszkiewicz, though she stopped short of declaring victory ... Some other Democrats who were in close races but expected to prevail also seem to have sewn up wins. Speaker Carl Heastie announced that Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon has been reelected in the Utica area, and Nassau County Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs says Assemblymember Judy Griffin leads by "a large margin" after the tabulation of all ballots. — It had been expected that absentees would help Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi turn an election night deficit into a comfortable victory, and that assumption took a step toward becoming official on Tuesday. — Democrat Jen Lunsford appears to have defeated five-term Assemblymember Mark Johns in a district that includes four suburbs of Rochester. Speaker Carl Heastie subsequently declared victory, saying in a tweet that it was a "huge pickup for Assembly Democrats." There are a few races where the results aren't quite finalized, but assuming there are no major surprises, the only seats that will have been flipped this year will be this one and the Rockland County district where Republican Michael Lawler has defeated Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee. That would leave the Democratic conference with 107 members — exactly the same total they had coming out of both the 2016 and 2018 elections. POLITICO's Bill Mahoney "REP. ANTHONY BRINDISI climbed to within 1.2 percentage points Tuesday night of overtaking Claudia Tenney in a race Tenney led by 10 points a week ago. Brindisi, D-Utica, has shrunk Tenney's lead in the 22nd Congressional District race from 28,422 to 3,576 votes, according to unofficial returns in an election where more than 300,000 people voted in eight counties across Upstate New York. Brindisi would have to win at least 70% of the remaining 9,033 uncounted ballots to overtake Tenney, a Republican from New Hartford, and win the election." Syracuse.com's Mark Weiner THE FIFTY: Governors and mayors have never mattered more to the future of the nation, and The Fifty, a new series from POLITICO, takes you inside the role they're playing in the pandemic and more. This week's feature looks at the implosion of Florida's Democratic establishment after a disastrous election. | | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | "RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI, who has helped oversee a string of failed court challenges to President Trump's defeat in the election, asked the president's campaign to pay him $20,000 a day for his legal work, multiple people briefed on the matter said. The request stirred opposition from some of Mr. Trump's aides and advisers, who appear to have ruled out paying that much, and it is unclear how much Mr. Giuliani will ultimately be compensated. Since Mr. Giuliani took over management of the legal effort, Mr. Trump has suffered a series of defeats in court and lawyers handling some of the remaining cases have dropped out. A $20,000-a-day rate would have made Mr. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who has been Mr. Trump's personal lawyer for several years, among the most highly compensated attorneys anywhere." New York Times' Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman "REPUTED PHILADELPHIA mob boss 'Skinny Joey' Merlino wants no part of President Trump's desperate efforts to flip the results of his loss to President-elect Joe Biden. A lawyer for President Trump retweeted a bizarre allegation that the Mafia veteran was ready to cooperate with authorities and reveal a $3 million scheme to forge ballots in Philadelphia for Biden — prompting an adamant denial Tuesday from the famously close-mouthed wiseguy. 'My client categorically denies all the allegations and Joey would rather die than ever be a snitch,' said attorney John Meringolo about the report asserting that Merlino helped manufacture 300,000 illegal ballots for Biden. The tall tale was first reported in The Buffalo Chronicle, which regularly publishes misinformation. That story was then retweeted Monday by attorney Jordan Sekulow, who is the son of one of Trump's top lawyers, Jay Sekulow." New York Daily News' Stephen Rex Brown and Larry McShane FIRST PERSON: "Ivanka Trump was my best friend growing up. We first met when I joined her seventh-grade class at Chapin, an all-girls' school on Manhattan's Upper East Side that had a reputation for attracting a blue blood, feminine, but ambitious cohort of young girls, not unlike its most famous alumnus, Jackie O." Lysandra Ohrstrom for Vanity Fair | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — There's a new celebrity owl in Central Park. — New York City's public hospitals will end a longstanding practice of drug testing pregnant patients without their explicit written consent. — The Bronx district attorney released police body camera footage of the NYPD's fatal shooting of Kawaski Trawick. — Locals are helping to shore up some of the attractions that typically depend on tourists. — Syracuse University still plans to resume in-person classes Jan. 25. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Heidi Przybyla … Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) is 49 … Morgan Radford, NBC News correspondent … Andrea Stone … Karen Dunn, partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison … Robert Dougherty, legislative director for Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.) … Max Nides is 26 … Tom Namako of BuzzFeed … Megyn Kelly is 5-0 … NYT's Sheryl Gay Stolberg … POLITICO's Matt Wuerker and Theo Meyer … Eric and Brian Sayler | | REAL ESTATE | | THE COMMERCIAL rent crisis facing small businesses is showing no sign of abating , according to a new survey from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. Half of the 264 businesses surveyed by the Chamber said they could not pay their full rent in November, up from a prior survey. And 40 percent reported paying more than a quarter of their monthly revenue in rent, while 16 percent were paying more than half. Nearly half reported owing back rent from previous months, the survey found. The group warned these realities could lead to mass business closures if the state's commercial eviction moratorium is lifted without financial relief. "Small businesses are on life support and struggling to survive," said Randy Peers, president and CEO of the Chamber. "For most, stimulus funding ... has long been exhausted and many businesses that are uncertain about the future are now hedging their bets over what rent they can afford to pay." POLITICO's Janaki Chadha "THE CITY is suing a notorious pair of Brooklyn slumlords for an alleged attempt to evict tenants from their Crown Heights townhouse amid the state's eviction moratorium, the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants announced Tuesday. The landlords, Gennaro Brooks-Church and Loretta Gendville, allegedly harassed and locked tenants out of their home at 1214 Dean St. in July, prompting tenant activists to occupy the stoop of the disputed brownstone and halt the eviction attempt in its tracks. 'This administration will not tolerate landlords who illegally evict and harass tenants out of their homes, and we will take forceful action like today's lawsuit to make that very clear,' said Ricardo Martínez Campo, deputy director of the mayor's newly formed tenant protection bureau." Brooklyn Paper's Ben Verde "A BILL EXPANDING the city's regulations on carbon emissions was signed into law by Mayor de Blasio on Tuesday. Under the new law, about 1,000 more buildings will have to comply with emissions regulations starting in 2026. The move will reduce about 190,000 tons of climate-harming carbon dioxide per year by 2030, Mayor de Blasio said. The bill, which applies to buildings with 35% or fewer rent-regulated units, builds upon the city's version of the "Green New Deal" passed in 2019. That legislation required buildings of 25,000 square feet or more to become more energy-efficient, covering about 50,000 buildings." New York Daily News' Shant Shahrigian
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