News: POLITICO New York Playbook: New Cuomo allegations — Vaccines open to 30+ today, all adults next week

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: New Cuomo allegations — Vaccines open to 30+ today, all adults next week — Mayoral candidates roll out policy plans

Mar 30, 2021

By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio

Presented by Uber Driver Stories

The latest allegations of inappropriate behavior against Gov. Andrew Cuomo come from a woman who says the governor kissed her in a "highly sexual" and "highly aggressive" manner after showing up at her home to tour flood damage.

The woman, Sherry Vill, says she felt "manhandled" when Cuomo grabbed her face and gave her the unwanted kisses on the cheek at her home in Greece, outside Rochester in 2017. The married 55-year-old, represented by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred, seemed to anticipate a possible defense from Cuomo that he frequently kisses people as a greeting and means no harm. "I know the difference between an innocent gesture and a sexual one," she said, adding that she believes Cuomo was coming on to her.

The latest account puts the number of women complaining about Cuomo's behavior in the double digits, and adds an aggrieved constituent to a list that already includes multiple current and former aides, reporters and a woman he met at a wedding. Coming after a slight lull in the torrent of public accusations, it will give more grist to an investigation launched by the office of the state Attorney General, to whom Allred and her client plan to report the incident.

Cuomo's attorney responded Monday evening, saying the governor has often hugged and kissed people as a way of comforting them, and pointing to an album of photos from his trip which show other embraces. "Nothing described at today's press conference was unique in that regard," said lawyer Rita Glavin.

And there's more damaging news for the scandal-scarred governor, via the Washington Post last night: the VIPs close to Cuomo who got priority access to Covid-19 tests were logged in an electronic data sheet that was kept separate from a database for the general public, and got their results in under a day compared to up to a week for everyone else. Medical staff said they were deeply uncomfortable with the arrangements. "They were treated like royalty," one nurse said of Cuomo's relatives. The state Assembly's probers have said they'll expand their Cuomo impeachment investigation to cover the alleged favoritism in testing.

IT'S TUESDAY. 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.

ABOVE THE FOLD — "New York state residents over 30 will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations starting Tuesday, and everyone over 16 will be eligible starting April 6, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. Vaccine eligibility had previously been restricted to people over 50, people in certain job categories and those with health conditions that put them at risk for serious illness if they were to become infected with the coronavirus. Previously, 12.2 million out of over 15 million New Yorkers over the age of 16 were eligible for COVID-19 vaccination as of last week. People over the age of 30 can begin booking appointments at 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning. 'Today we take a monumental step forward in the fight to beat COVID,' the Democratic governor said in a news release, adding that the new timetable was 'well ahead of the May 1 deadline set by the White House.' The new rule comes as New York continues to face among the highest levels of new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in the nation. The Associated Press

A message from Uber Driver Stories:

Meet Fallon. Delivering with Uber Eats helps her pay for college while allowing her the flexibility to fit her schedule around studies. Fallon chooses Uber because, unlike most other gigs, she can control her hours and spend more time focusing on her future. Watch her story in her own words below.

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"NEW YORK's coronavirus death toll has now surpassed the 50,000 mark, new data shows. As of Monday morning, a total of 50,017 New Yorkers had succumbed to COVID-19, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Only the state of California, which has more than double New York's population, has recorded more deaths from the virus, at 58,949 fatalities. Mayor Bill de Blasio commented on the grim figure of more than 50,000 deaths Monday, calling it a 'somber milestone.' 'It's been such a painful experience of all New Yorkers,' de Blasio said during a City Hall press briefing." New York Post's Natalie Musumeci

— "Infection rates are now rising faster than any state in the nation. New coronavirus cases leaped 64% in New York in the week ending Sunday, with 67,963 new cases reported compared to 41,406 a week earlier. The surge ranked New York first among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data showed."

AS THE BUSINESS day drew to a close in the Capitol on Monday, there were no hints that state budget talks were nearing a conclusion. Some sources were hopeful that a few of the 10 budget bills could be finalized at some point later in the day. But in general, hopes seem to have turned from having an on-time budget — one passed by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday — to one that's that's "timely," the flexible phrase that's used to refer to a budget that's late but not so late as to cause serious disruptions to state operations. "There have been some discussions that have been productive, and some large issues have been somewhat resolved, [but] there's no agreement until there's a complete agreement," said Assembly member Harry Bronson (D-Rochester). "Discussions have been productive," he said, but "it would be very tight if we were to be able to get this done by the April 1 deadline." POLITICO's Bill Mahoney, Anna Gronewold and Marie J. French

— "In his first months in office in 2011, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a package of sweeping cuts and reforms to the state's Medicaid program, in an effort to rein in what he described as its 'out-of-control spending.' A key measure in the package was the Medicaid Global Cap, which restricts yearly growth of New York's Medicaid spending and has played a major role in structuring health policy in the state since it was enacted. But in their proposals for this year's budget, for the first time, both houses of the legislature have proposed scrapping the cap, saying that it damages the quality of healthcare in New York State...The legislature's proposal to reject the cap has alarmed conservative health policy experts." New York Focus's Sam Mellins

JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on our latest newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.

"NONBINARY NEW YORKERS who currently must declare themselves as male or female to receive Medicaid, food stamps and other public assistance say in lawsuit filed Monday that the state is discriminating against them by failing to provide an X gender option. The lawsuit filed against state and city agencies that run benefit programs seeks the type of nonbinary gender option already allowed on New York birth certificates and promised for driver's licenses. The nonbinary plaintiffs said the 'outdated' state computer system maintained by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance compels nonbinary people to either lie under oath or to be denied benefits." The Associated Press's Michael Hill

"NEW YORK must immediately begin to offer Covid vaccines to all incarcerated people in the state's prisons and jails, a judge ruled on Monday, making the state one of few in the nation to provide doses to such a broad population behind bars. The order, the first involving any of the country's largest correctional systems, comes as the coronavirus continues to roar through facilities in New York. At least 1,100 people living behind prison walls have tested positive for the virus since the start of last month, and five have died." The New York Times' Troy Closson

"THREE YEARS AGO, safe injection facilities seemed on the verge of opening in New York. City and state health departments were designing a pilot program for the facilities, where people who use illegal drugs can inject under medical supervision. 'It's something we have the Department of Health working on, in concert with New York City,' Andrew Cuomo said at a 2018 gubernatorial debate. Activists have lobbied the governor for years to authorize safe injection facilities, which are also known as safe consumption sites. Ahead of the election, several advocates said, the governor privately promised to green-light facilities in New York City and Ithaca. Based on that assurance, organizers cancelled a planned civil disobedience, in exchange for a guarantee by Cuomo that he would authorize the pilot project after the election. 'The Governor gave his word that we will receive the Zucker authorization letter right after the election. All as a package to avoid our little party,' Charles King, the CEO of Housing Works, a social services nonprofit, wrote in an email to his staff at the time. Yet following the election, the governor reversed course on the sites, advocates told New York Focus. Since then, the pilot program has floated in political limbo." New York Focus' Lee Harris

#UpstateAmerica: Not off to a great start. The new Legoland in Goshen has already been hit with $600,000 in environmental fines before opening day.

WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"MAYORAL CANDIDATE and city Comptroller Scott Stringer unveiled his economic recovery plan for the city Monday — a combination of new proposals and already announced initiatives he hopes will alleviate a year of financial hardship caused by COVID. The marquee piece of his plan, which is new, would put $1 billion in federal stimulus money into a grant program for small businesses and non-profits. Most of that money would go to businesses with payrolls under $500,000 and would be doled out in the form of grants ranging from $20,000 to $100,000. 'New Yorkers have shouldered a tremendous burden in the last 12 months — so many of our neighbors have lost their jobs and struggled to put food on the table,' Stringer said." New York Daily News' Michael Gartland

WITH AN ESTIMATED estimated two million New Yorkers struggling to afford enough food, mayoral hopeful Kathryn Garcia is releasing a health plan that aims to get New Yorkers access to primary care doctors and mental health support — but also get their hands on healthy food. As part of her health policy platform...released Monday and first reviewed by POLITICO, Garcia, the former city Sanitation commissioner and "food czar" during the Covid-19 pandemic, proposes a city subsidy to help families pay for meals at community restaurants. It would double as a way to promote healthy eating — making nutritious hot meals as cheap as junk food — and a boost for small businesses walloped by the pandemic, according to her campaign. It's one of several proposals to boost nutritional access, which also include investing money to shorten the distance people have to travel to buy or pick up healthy food, and paying for fresh and culturally specific food rather than just canned goods and nonperishables for food pantries. POLITICO's Erin Durkin

"MAYORAL CONTENDER Andrew Yang urged Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday to set aside a sizable chunk of the federal stimulus money coming to New York City — and warned that spending the cash quickly could send the city over 'a very, very steep fiscal cliff.' Yang, who's consistently led the field of candidates in recent polls, was short on specifics when asked where the city should refrain from spending the cash relief, but did say that 'there should have been a hiring freeze.' He also suggested de Blasio could have done a better job finding savings and eliminating inefficiencies in city government as the pandemic's fiscal fallout left a huge hole in city revenue streams. 'These things have not happened, and they should have happened,' Yang said Monday morning in City Hall Park. 'What should not happen is that all of the difficult decisions get kicked down the road for the next administration.'" New York Daily News' Tim Balk and Michael Gartland

— ON THE TRAIL — Yang said Monday the city should "be open to re-examining" the busway on Main St. in Flushing, a car-free stretch launched in January after being delayed by complaints and a lawsuit. "If people in a community don't think that a change is working for them the city should be open to re-examining it. There are modifications you could make," Yang said, such as opening the route to cars during certain hours or increasing parking capacity by turning a municipal parking lot into a multi-level garage. Candidate Shaun Donovan, who has proposed bus rapid transit in his platform, stressed the need for technology like sensors on vehicles "rather than the 20th century solutions which just forbid cars."

NEW YORK CITY has now welcomed back students of all grades to the classroom after a year of upheaval. And while the vast majority of students are still choosing remote learning over in-person instruction, some groups are more reluctant than others to get back in the classroom , according to a POLITICO review of student enrollment data. Only about 11 percent of students in middle school or younger who have opted for in-person learning are Asian, while that group makes up about 18 percent of the schoolwide population. Black students make up 22 percent of the schoolwide population but only 18 percent have chosen to return to classrooms. The two groups have different reasons for their wariness, but one significant factor has been cited by parents and advocates in both communities: the effects of racism, both long-term and Covid-specific. POLITICO's Madina Touré

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Reps. Nydia Velazquez and Adriano Espaillat are endorsing Tali Farhadian Weinstein for Manhattan district attorney. Farhadian Weinstein, the former general counsel to the Brooklyn DA, is one of eight Democrats running to succeed Cy Vance. She has also been endorsed by Rep. Ritchie Torres.

DEBATES! POLITICO will be co-hosting three NYC debates in June with NBC 4 New York/WNBC and Telemundo 47/WNJU in the races for mayor and comptroller. Moderators include POLITICO City Hall Bureau Chief Sally Goldenberg, WNBC political reporter Melissa Russo, WNBC news anchor David Ushery and WNJU morning news anchor Allan Villafana.

Scranton on the Hudson

"THE BIDEN administration announced Monday it will prioritize an area off the coast of New York for offshore wind projects and fund new port investments - steps that are expected to boost the jobs in the state, including in the Capital Region, and help the state meet its aggressive clean energy goals. The administration set a goal to develop 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, which the administration said would be enough to power 10 million homes and cut 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year…. By designating 800,000 acres in the New York Bight — a shallow water area off the coast of Long Island and New Jersey — as a priority region for wind turbines, the Interior Department is allowing projects in those waters to advance, setting up possible lease sales for one or more projects in late 2021 or early 2022. The administration also announced that it would fund $230 million in grants to strengthen and modernize ports that will support offshore wind infrastructure, make loans available to back the industry and fund more wind energy research and development in consortium with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. One of the awards will go to Cornell University to study protected species in wind farm areas." Times Union's Emilie Munson and Rick Karlin

AROUND NEW YORK

— A subway attack left an Asian man unconscious.

— Several candidates for a southeast Brooklyn City Council seat complain that former Democratic Party boss Frank Seddio is challenging their petitions to get on the ballot, a practice many politicos have sworn off due to the pandemic.

— The Tribeca Film Festival will return in person with a series of outdoor events in June.

— The union representing school safety agents is running ads slamming Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

— Lawmakers are planning to pass an extension and expansion of the moratorium on utility shutoffs.

— A proposal that would have forced companies to help pay for recycling costs has been taken out of the budget.

— The container ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal is expected to cause headaches for ports in New York and New Jersey.

— Over 8,000 New Yorkers across the state who voted by mail in last fall's election were able to save their ballots from being thrown out by fixing errors under a new law.

— City Council members are pushing for results of a Council audit on sexual harassment policy.

— The state will require reservations to hike some Adirondack trails.

— A pizza delivery driver in Nassau County texted a racial slur to a Black woman after she refused to tip for a delayed order.

THE LATEST FROM INSIDE THE WEST WING : A lot happened in the first two months of the Biden presidency. From a growing crisis at the border to increased mass shootings across the country while navigating the pandemic and ongoing economic challenges. Add Transition Playbook to your daily reads to find out what actions are on the table and the internal state of play inside the West Wing and across the administration. Track the people, policies and emerging power centers of the Biden administration. Don't miss out. Subscribe today.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Suzy Khimm … John Paul Farmer, New York City chief technology officer … HuffPost's Jessica Schulberg … Zach Silber of Kivvit … Aryeh Lightstone … Brunswick Group's Susan Lagana … Matt Laslo … Richard Escobedo of "Face the Nation" … Jason Greenblatt is 54 … NYT's Alex Kingsbury … Drew Maloney of the American Investment Council

MAKING MOVES — Claire Owens will be director of content development at Asana Creative Strategy. She most recently did communications for the Wounded Warrior Project and is running for Dutchess County Legislature. Taí Coates-Wedde will be director of client management at the firm.

REAL ESTATE

"SPOTIFY'S HEADQUARTERS in the United States fills 16 floors of 4 World Trade Center, a towering office building in Lower Manhattan that was the first to rise on the site of the 2001 terror attacks. Its offices will probably never be full again: Spotify has told employees they can work anywhere, even in another state. A few floors down, MediaMath, an advertising tech company, is planning to abandon its space, a decision fueled by its new remote-work arrangements during the pandemic. In Midtown Manhattan, Salesforce, whose name adorns a 630-foot building overlooking Bryant Park, expects workers to be in the office just one to three days a week. A nearby law firm, Lowenstein Sandler, is weighing whether to renew its lease on its Avenue of the Americas office, where 140 lawyers used to work five days a week...A year after the coronavirus sparked an extraordinary exodus of workers from office buildings, what had seemed like a short-term inconvenience is now clearly becoming a permanent and tectonic shift in how and where people work." The New York Times' Matthew Haag

"AFTER MORE than five years living in New York City's homeless shelter system, Milton Perez has one goal: 'to get the hell out.' The Bronx native has spent much of the last decade being shuffled between different shelters. In recent years, he has applied regularly for permanent housing through the city's affordable housing lottery, without success. 'Since I've been in the system, I've developed hypertension, high blood pressure, insomnia, sleep apnea … and that's nothing compared to what others have,' Perez told New York Focus...In the coming days, work by housing organizers like Perez could culminate in one of New York's most ambitious programs to create stable housing for the tens of thousands across the state who are experiencing homelessness or are threatened with eviction. The Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP) would create a state-funded analogue to Section 8, a federal program that provides vouchers to some 2 million Americans to help them cover the rent." New York Focus's Colin Kinniburgh

A message from Uber Driver Stories:

As a woman of color, Fallon's number one priority is to better herself through her education. And that means finishing her bachelor's degree in business.

At first, Fallon tried to go down the traditional route of working part-time. But she says it didn't offer the flexible schedule that she needed.

"I like the flexibility of driving with Uber," she says. "I can drive when I want to."

With Uber, Fallon can choose when, where, and how long she wants to drive. If she has an exam that needs her attention, she doesn't have to worry about asking her boss or requesting time off—she can take the time she needs on her terms.

To see more stories like Fallon's, click here.

*Driver earnings may vary depending on location, demand, hours, drivers, and other variables.