| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio | Presented by New Yorkers for Responsible Gaming | Andrew Yang has tested positive for Covid-19, throwing the 2021 mayor's race for another loop. Yang announced his diagnosis Tuesday, saying he was experiencing mild symptoms and got a positive result back from a rapid test. He's the first mayoral candidate to test positive during the campaign, though rivals including Maya Wiley and Scott Stringer have had to go into quarantine after possible exposures. "I will quarantine in accordance with public health guidelines and follow the advice of my doctor," he said. In a campaign season that has gone mostly virtual because of the pandemic, Yang has been an outlier — pursuing the most aggressive in-person campaign schedule, barnstorming neighborhoods with supporters, aides and press in tow. He's also the only candidate to have largely avoided the city during the deadly first wave of the pandemic in the spring, decamping to a home upstate. Yang's approach has won attention, and a chance to connect with voters in a way that's hard to do on Zoom, but the risks have been made clear before: a staffer tested positive last month, forcing the candidate into quarantine. Yang was back on the trail last week, with events on the Lower East Side and in the Bronx. The candidate's illness is intensifying calls to suspend petitioning requirements for ballot access, which is otherwise scheduled to start in a month. But Yang didn't indicate any plans to change his approach once he recovers. "When the time is right, I look forward to once again hitting the campaign trail and advancing a positive vision for our city's future," he said. Nor is he shy about fundraising off his diagnosis. "In all seriousness if you want me to feel better donate to my campaign!" he said in a tweet. "Then I can relax." 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? No public schedule available by press time. WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability. ABOVE THE FOLD: The Legislature has approved a bill to remove the crime of loitering for the purposes of prostitution from the books, indicating that a left-leaning criminal justice reform agenda is alive and well after an election season widely characterized as a referendum on new Democratic energy on reform issues. Reform advocates have spent several years trying to brand the existing law as a "walking while trans" ban. They've estimated that up to 75 percent of those arrested under the statute are transgender, and a similarly disproportionate number are Black or Latino. On Tuesday, Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) dubbed it a "female stop-and-frisk." "When I was much younger than I am now, I was standing on a corner in White Plains waiting for a friend to pick me up … Two cars passed by soliciting me, and then the third was a cop car — the police officer said 'what are you doing standing on this corner?'" said Paulin, who sponsored the bill with Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan). POLITICO's Bill Mahoney | | | | A message from New Yorkers for Responsible Gaming: Throughout this unprecedented health crisis, Resorts World New York City's commitment to their employees, community and New York State has not wavered. Expansion of existing facilities will allow them to continue to build on their track record of creating good-paying union jobs with full-service employer paid health care, while generating critical resources for education in New York State. Learn more about how Resorts World is supporting its employees and investing in New York's future. | | |
|  | WHAT CITY HALL'S READING | | "GOV. ANDREW M. CUOMO'S Valentine to New York City restaurants has left close observers of the city's coronavirus data scratching their heads . Mr. Cuomo said Friday that 'on our current trajectory,' New York City could reopen indoor dining on Feb. 14, typically a busy day for the restaurant industry. As the governor spoke, average per-capita case counts in New York City were 64 percent higher than when he announced an indefinite ban on indoor dining in December. Average Covid-19 hospitalizations in the city, while trending downward, were still 60 percent higher late last week than they were when Mr. Cuomo closed the restaurants. And the test positivity rate was more than a percentage point higher." New York Times' John Keefe "JAMES GENNARO's quest to reclaim his old Council seat is nearly complete, as unofficial Election Night results show him notching nearly 60 percent of in-person votes in the special election for Queens' District 24. Gennaro was one of eight candidates in the race to replace Rory Lancman, who left office in November 2020 to take a job in the Cuomo Administration. Gennaro held the seat from 2002 until 2013, when term limits forced him to step aside, making way for Lancman. His strong showing, powered by a large get-out-the-vote effort in the Orthodox Jewish community of Kew Gardens Hills, means New York City will almost certainly have to wait for a real test of its new ranked-choice voting system. The New York City Board of Elections said Tuesday that it had received about 600 absentee ballots. The BOE had sent about 1,400 other ballots out to voters, but had not yet received those. Second-place candidate Moumita Ahmed, who notched about 16 percent of the vote, would need virtually all 2,000 of those potential absentee ballots to break her way in order to cut Gennaro's total to less than 50 percent, triggering a second round of balloting." Queens Daily Eagle's David Brand "FIVE MAYORAL CANDIDATES — Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Andrew Yang, Carlos Menchaca, and Ray McGuire — now say they support a change in state law to require NYPD officers to live in New York City . Donovan was the latest candidate to publicly voice support for the change at a debate Sunday night. 'Why is [the NYPD] the only agency in city government that doesn't have a requirement to live in our communities?' he asked. 'If there's any issue in this city, where making sure folks understand the communities they're policing and build relationships, it is there. I would change and make sure there was a residency requirement.' Most city employees are required to live in New York City for at least the first two years of their employment. But NYPD officers, like correction officers and firefighters, are exempt from that rule, and may live in one of the surrounding areas of Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland or Putnam counties." WNYC's Gwynne Hogan "ERIC ADAMS has spent 14 years in office, the last seven as the Brooklyn borough president, and is the leading Black candidate in the New York City mayor's race. Black voters will likely make up more than 30 percent of the Democratic electorate, but a big question hanging over the Adams campaign — which has raised millions of dollars — is whether he can lock down support from the city's most powerful Black leaders. Or whether he's even trying... Adams's early polling position is largely owed to the overwhelming support he has received from the base of the city's Black Democrats, unsurprising since voters tend to fall along strict racial and ethnic lines. But there remains an influential cadre — more specifically, four Black community leaders who play a large role in signaling to voters which candidates are worth their time — whom Adams has yet to win over." New York Magazine's David Freedlander AS NEW YORK CITY saw a massive boom in bicycling amid the pandemic shutdown, the Bronx was witnessing a disturbing rise in cycling deaths. Last year was the deadliest for cyclists in the Bronx since de Blasio took office in 2014, according to an analysis by Transportation Alternatives. Nearly half of the city's overall cycling fatalities occurred in the Bronx, and at least two of the eight cyclists in the borough who died were biking as part of their commute to or from work. The analysis, first reported by POLITICO, comes as Mayor Bill de Blasio made one of his biggest promises yet to city bicyclists during his State of the City address — to add two new bike lanes on the heavily trafficked Brooklyn and Queensboro bridges. The plan, dubbed "Bridges for the People," was characterized as an important effort in the overall fight against climate change and included a pledge to add new bike boulevards in yet-to-be-disclosed locations. POLITICO's Danielle Muoio | | | | TUNE IN TO NEW EPISODE OF GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe for Season Two, available now. | | | | |
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "IN ONE of the first direct challenges from a member of the Legislature's Democratic majority to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), Chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, sent Capital Tonight an emailed statement labeling the findings in the Attorney General's nursing home report 'an intentional underreporting of deaths' and calling on the Legislature to begin oversight hearings." Spectrum's Susan Arbetter — The AG's office tweaked a detail in the report about whether there were known exposures in certain facilities prior to receiving Covid patients. — "Embattled state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker was blasted by Democratic lawmakers in a virtual meeting amid continuing controversy over the state's nursing home death toll from COVID-19, The Post has learned. Several members of the state Assembly called Zucker a 'liar' during the video conference call — and he was even referred to as Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 'puppet,' sources said Tuesday. 'A lot of members are up in arms about this whole nursing home thing,' said one lawmaker who took part in the Monday afternoon meeting. 'We've been asking for this information for months — 6, 7, 8 months … The attorney general drops a report and then four hours later you receive the information from the Health Department.' The Assembly member added: 'You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out — they were lying — after the attorney general released their report.'" New York Post's Carl Campanile, Bernadette Hogan and Bruce Golding "TAXI DRIVERS, restaurants workers, and residents in facilities for the developmentally disabled can now be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines if local governments decide they have enough doses for them and other priority groups, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday. The expansion of those who could qualify under Phase 1B came as Cuomo said the state will receive an increased supply of shots from the federal government to be allocated to local governments and pharmacies. 'Some localities have already done a large percentage' of their police, teachers and firefighters, who qualify for shots as essential workers, and governments can move on to other key segments of the population 'if they believe, in their local circumstance, they want to prioritize' those other groups, he said. It will be up to the local governments "if they think it makes sense," Cuomo said at a news briefing." Newsday's Bart Jones, Lisa L. Colangelo and Staff "A BILL that would have required the state to study and map areas that don't have high-speed internet is off the table for now, despite the state's prioritization of broadband for all residents. The Comprehensive Broadband Connectivity Act, which passed both houses of the state legislature last summer, was "pocket vetoed" by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, meaning the bill won't become law because he didn't sign it in the 30 days following the end of the year. The legislation would have required the Public Service Commission to study the availability, affordability and reliability of high-speed internet in all areas of the state and provide a report and detailed map within one year." USA Today Network's Sarah Taddeo #UpstateAmerica: A pandemic, multiple feet of snow and seasonal affective disorder might seem a perfect formula for locking yourself indoors. Nope, not in Buffalo. The city just launched Winter Porch Sports. | | | |   | | |
| | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | "THE MANHATTAN District Attorney's Office is weighing whether to bring a state court case against Stephen K. Bannon , who was indicted on federal fraud charges for his role in a fundraising scheme to build a border wall but received a last-minute pardon from President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. Bannon, one of the architects of Trump's 2016 election victory and briefly a White House adviser, was among 143 who received pardons from Trump in his last 24 hours in office. Bannon left the White House early in Trump's term after he fell out with the president, who wavered until the last minute on issuing his former strategist a pardon, The Washington Post reported. Bannon and three others were charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan with falsely claiming that they would take not compensation as part of their 'We Build the Wall' fundraising campaign to underwrite part of the construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border." Washington Post's Shayna Jacobs | | Biden and the Boroughs | | "LOCAL IMMIGRATION lawyers are asking Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release some of their detained clients, now that the Biden administration is implementing new enforcement and deportation priorities that are more lenient than former President Donald Trump's. But they're not sure yet whether ICE will fully comply… 'So far, we haven't had any acknowledgement from ICE that anything has changed,' said Andrea Saenz, supervising attorney at Brooklyn Defender Services for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, which represents immigrants in detention. Saenz said her attorneys have been trying to release clients they believe should qualify since January 20th, but they have gotten nowhere. They tried again on Monday, when the change was due to take effect. She said ICE didn't appear to have gotten the memo." WNYC's Beth Fertig BIDEN TIME: Maria Michalos, who used to work in the Cuomo administration, is heading to Biden's Environmental Protection Agency as a speechwriter. | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | "NEW YORK's junior Democratic senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, is grabbing a high-profile new role in the new Congress — a seat on the key Senate Intelligence Committee . Gillibrand will be keeping her post on the Agriculture Committee, which she uses to focus on rural New York, but will be leaving the Environment and Public Works Committee to take more of a national security focus. 'I am honored to have the chance to serve on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the nexus of 21st-century security and international relations,' Gillibrand said in a statement to the News. Gillibrand is already a long-standing member of the Armed Services Committee." Daily News Michael McAuliff | | | | JOIN THURSDAY - BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST AROUND THE VACCINE: How do we overcome the trust gap around the Covid-19 vaccines? How do we craft and deliver messages to break through fear and misinformation, especially in diverse and underserved communities that are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus? Join for a conversation with policymakers and public health experts about the urgent need to soothe fears and get Americans vaccinated. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Local sales tax collections dropped by 10 percent last year, but New Yorkers upped their alcohol purchases and online shopping. — The coronavirus curfew on restaurants and bars across New York would be pushed from 10 p.m. to midnight ahead of the Super Bowl under a bill aimed at aiding struggling eateries. — Assemblymember Ron Kim in Queens wants to create a 9/11-style Coronavirus Nursing Home Victims Compensation Fund to aid families whose loved ones died. — In a virtual Groundhog Day ceremony, Staten Island Chuck predicted an early spring. But there's another scandal brewing at the Staten Island Zoo: the event was pre-recorded, which became obvious because there was no snow. — Manhattan district attorney candidates are split on whether they would join the District Attorneys Association of New York. — City charter schools reported an increase in enrollment even as other public schools lost students. — One of the city's most prominent LGBT political clubs endorsed Vanessa Gibson for Bronx borough president despite the fact that she voted against same-sex marriage while in the state Legislature. — The union representing city school teachers started its mayoral endorsement process Tuesday night with a 3-candidate UFT-members-only town hall. There will be a handful of others in the coming weeks, concluding with a final public event to screen the top picks. — Republican bodega and taxi advocate Fernando Mateo launched his campaign for mayor. — Washington Square Park hosted a massive snowball fight. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Arthur Levitt … Diana Hartstein Beinart … Amal Clooney … Dana Thomas … Virginia Boney … MSNBC's James Holm … MaryAlice Parks … Fred Hochberg MEDIAWATCH — Per POLITICO Playbook: "THE DAILY BEAST is announcing a number of new hires: columnist WAJAHAT ALI joins from CNN and the NYT. CHEYENNE ROUNDTREE will cover entertainment, coming from the Daily Mail, where she broke the jaw-dropping look inside Hilara Baldwin's Spanish-themed wedding. NOOR IBRAHIM, a veteran of ABC's investigative unit, will be the new deputy world editor. KALI HOLLOWAY will be a columnist. ERIN GLORIA RYAN, co-host of Crooked's 'Hysteria' podcast, will write a column." — Alexandra Sifferlin will be health and science editor for NYT's opinion section. She most recently was deputy editor of Elemental. MAKING MOVES — Lindsey Green is the new communications director for Kathryn Garcia's mayoral campaign. She was previously campaign manager for Adair Ford Boroughs' congressional campaign in South Carolina. … Julia Savel will be rapid response director for Maya Wiley's mayoral campaign. She was most recently communications director for Dr. Al Gross' U.S. Senate campaign in Alaska. … Scott Gelbman has joined law and lobbying firm K&L Gates as a government affairs analyst. He is a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer … Rachel Noerdlinger is now a partner at Mercury. She was previously managing director of the firm's New York office. (h/t POLITICO Influence) | | | | A message from New Yorkers for Responsible Gaming: Since opening its doors in 2011, Resorts World New York City has created thousands of good paying union jobs for New Yorkers and generated more than $3 billion for education for New York schools. As the state's largest taxpayer, they're proud of the investments made to revitalize their community and provide meaningful careers to so many.
Last year, when the pandemic struck, their commitment to their employees and the community never wavered. They provided employees with full employer-paid healthcare, supported their neighbors most in need by contributing to different community based organizations, and opened up their facilities for COVID testing.
As the state continues to recover from the worst economic crisis in decades, expansion of existing facilities will allow Resorts World NYC to create thousands of union jobs for New Yorkers, while generating desperately needed revenue for schools and surrounding communities. Learn More. | | |
| | REAL ESTATE | | "RXR REALTY and TF Cornerstone are planning to replace the Grand Hyatt Hotel by Grand Central Terminal with a dramatic 1,600-foot office-and-hotel tower known as 175 Park Avenue. Commercial Observer has the first look at the project, which includes new public space and significant renovations to the Grand Central subway station. Former President Donald Trump, working on his first major development project, reclad the historic Commodore Hotel with a dark glass facade and reopened it as the Grand Hyatt in 1980. He received a controversial 40-year tax break that cost the city an estimated $410 million and expired last year. Now RXR and TF Cornerstone plan to tear down the Grand Hyatt, along with the shell of the old Commodore underneath, over the course of 18 months." Commercial Observer's Rebecca Barid-Remba "THE CITY'S Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to grant landmark status to the Downtown Brooklyn house where prominent abolitionists Harriet and Thomas Truesdell lived during the 19th century — marking a long-awaited victory for local history buffs and activists alike. The 11-member panel cast votes in favor of preserving the three-story row-house at 227 Duffield St., between Willoughby and Fulton streets, saying that, despite some later additions to the building's lower two floors, the structure still kept its historic character." Brooklyn Paper's Kevin Duggan LONG READ: " The Nightmare Share: She posted an ad for a roommate. What's the worst that could happen?" "LANDLORDS and tenants expecting a rent relief check from New York state shouldn't count on it before March, a state official said Tuesday . The admission came as lawmakers questioned RuthAnne Visnauskas, the leader of the state's main housing agency, at a state budget hearing. Applications for the state's second round of a rental assistance program implemented last summer were due yesterday. Visnauskas, who runs the Division of Homes and Community Renewal, told legislators it may take the agency a month to sift through the 15,000 new applications and begin to dole out the remaining $60 million." The Real Deal's Georgia Kromrei
| | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment