| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio | Presented by CVS Health | Remember last month, when state lawmakers voted to strip a scandal-scarred Gov. Andrew Cuomo of his emergency powers, or at least said they did? You could be forgiven for forgetting, given the stream of pronouncements that have continued from the governor's office ever since, governing everything from closing time at gyms and casinos to restaurant capacity to attendance at sporting events. Indeed, the provision in the emergency powers measure allowing the governor to extend and modify existing orders left Cuomo firmly in control of the nitty gritty of the state's pandemic reopening. They're authorities he has used to great effect while ignoring one demand after another that he resign over sexual harassment allegations and/or his handling of data around nursing home deaths. While his diminished power was laid bare in the recent state budget deal, where lawmakers got a slew of progressive priorities the governor had long resisted, it's still up to Cuomo whether your local watering hole gets to stay open until 10 p.m., midnight or all night. So, the latest changes: The curfew on restaurants and bars will be extended to midnight , from 11 p.m., effective on Monday, Cuomo announced. This issue has been a particular bugaboo for Republicans, who have a press conference planned for today to push for the curfew to be lifted altogether. But it's been extended until May 6, along with a rule requiring anyone who buys a drink to also get a food item. Catered events will be allowed to go until 1 a.m. Spectators will also be allowed back for horse and auto racing starting April 23, at 20 percent of normal capacity. And after Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Tuesday that he would require fans to be vaccinated and allow the Buffalo Bills to fill their stadium to full capacity next season, the governor claimed dominion over that call too. "I don't think the county executive is legally correct, but besides that we tend to work in a collaborative with local government and we're just not there yet to make those decisions," Cuomo said on a conference call. "Where are you going to be in four months? I'll tell you in four months." IT'S THURSDAY. 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. RECOVERY LAB: The latest issue of Recovery Lab , POLITICO's new project surfacing the smartest ideas for speeding recovery from the pandemic, launches today with a focus on Education. The Covid-19 pandemic has forever changed teaching and learning in America… and it has also changed how we think about schools. Employers quickly learned how much they and their employees rely on schools to provide childcare. Communities learned just how dependent their families were on other supports provided through schools, such as healthy meals and medical checkups. And if the learning loss that occurred this year persists, it will become a long-term drag on those students' lives and incomes. Read all the stories here. | | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CVS Health has been there. We're nearly 300,000 employees ensuring millions of Americans can access health care services. We opened thousands of COVID-19 test sites and administered millions of tests. Now, we're providing the vaccine in designated states. We've been on the frontlines, making health care easier to access and afford. That's health care, from the heart. Learn more. | | |
|  | WHAT CITY HALL'S READING | | "ANDREW YANG'S two campaign managers, his press secretary, his policy director and multiple senior advisers don't actually work for his New York City mayoral campaign . They're employed by Tusk Strategies, a lobbying firm that's regularly hired by clients to advocate for or against bills that are being considered by the City Council and the mayor. And the arrangement raises concerns about what kind of access this lobbying firm — and the private clients that hire Tusk — would have to the mayor if Yang were to win the election. 'We believe that it is improper for the same firm to be both a campaign consultant, and then lobby the person that they helped to elect,' said Susan Lerner, executive director of good-government group Common Cause New York. Consultants build 'a special relationship of trust' with the candidate, and Lerner added they're increasingly cashing in on that relationship." City & State's Jeff Coltin "THE RATE OF COVID-19-related hospitalizations for New Yorkers 65 and older has fallen by more than 50 percent since January after vaccinations first became available — a far larger drop than for younger residents, officials revealed, officials said Wednesday. The average rate of hospital admissions for people 65 and older showing symptoms of the virus has dipped 51 percent over the past three months, city health commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said during Mayor Bill de Blasio's daily media briefing. That's compared to a 29 percent decline in the rate of hospitalizations among those under 65 — who have been eligible for the vaccine for a shorter period, he said. 'The vaccines are life-saving, and here in New York City, we are starting to see them have the real-world benefit that has been observed in Israel, the United Kingdom and elsewhere,' he said." New York Post's Sam Raskin and Amanda Woods — Most New Yorkers scheduled to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be able to keep their appointments and get the Pfizer or Moderna shot instead. "THE NEW YORK Police Department roughed up and arrested several people during last summer's George Floyd protests in violation of state law, a lawsuit filed Wednesday claims , citing new requirements that officers simply ticket and release most people charged with low-level offenses. The lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court, seeks a judicial order telling the NYPD that it must comply with a modified New York law requiring police to issue appearance tickets — similar to summonses — when an eligible misdemeanor, violation or low-level felony is the suspected offense. Some exemptions exist, allowing police to arrest a person, but none applied to the five plaintiffs in the case, according to their attorneys." Washington Post's Shayna Jacobs "AT A PRESS conference held at City Hall Park to address the rising toll of gun violence in New York City on Tuesday morning, Iesha Sekou, the founder of the anti-violence group Street Corner Resources in Harlem, told the crowd she had to leave early to go to the hospital. 'When we got here, we got word that one of our young people was shot in the head last night, early this morning,' Sekou said, her voice breaking. 'He's non-responsive right now, so I know when I finish, we're gonna leave, because I know we can talk to that young person and hopefully bring that spirit up and get life coming back and hopefully get a healed person who can tell his story.' New York is experiencing the worst gun violence it has seen in nearly a decade, all while it continues to fight a pandemic that has killed tens of thousands of New Yorkers and left many more jobless and hungry." Gothamist's Christopher Robbins NEW YORK CITY and the city's two utilities have completed a study of how to decarbonize the energy system, finding that policies to promote electrification or low-carbon fuels would achieve deep emissions cuts. The report, initiated under a landmark climate law that also required buildings to reduce their emissions, appears to be the first such technical analysis as a partnership between a city and its utility providers, in this case, National Grid and Con Edison. The findings released Wednesday align with other reviews of the issue: greening the grid is key, as is electrification of transportation (with managed charging for vehicles) and buildings paired with deep energy efficiency improvements. POLITICO's Marie J. French FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Tahanie Aboushi and Tali Farhadian Weinstein are neck and neck at the top of the Manhattan district attorney's race — but a majority of voters remain undecided, according to an internal poll by Aboushi's campaign. The poll conducted by Tulchin Research of likely Democratic primary voters finds 11 percent of voters favor Aboushi, and 11 percent pick Farhadian Weinstein. 57 percent are undecided. The other candidates are in single digits: Alvin Bragg and Dan Quart at 5 percent, Lucy Lang at 4 percent, and Liz Crotty, Diana Florence, and Eliza Orlins at 2 percent. Farhadian Weinstein has raised the most money in the race, while Aboushi has racked up a series of endorsements from the left. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION: Power is changing, in Washington and across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. Our twice-weekly newsletter "The Recast" breaks down how race and identity are shaping politics and policy in America and we are recasting how we report on it. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear from important new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | |
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "ON A FRIDAY afternoon last summer, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo convened his closest aides and advisers at the Executive Mansion for a project that would take up much of their weekend... When they arrived, Cuomo's senior aides were greeted with printed-out copies of a manuscript that would become the governor's best-selling book that fall, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic, which were laid out next to table settings in the dining room. It would be the first of two times Cuomo gathered his inner circle at the Executive Mansion to critique and fact-check the manuscript that netted him a reported seven-figure sum, at one point having his top aides and advisers work alongside two representatives of The Crown Publishing Group, his publisher, according to three sources with knowledge of the effort." USA Today Network's Jon Campbell and Joseph Spector — "Cuomo ducked reporters by holding a 'closed press' event for the second straight day on Wednesday — while griping that high taxes were driving away New Yorkers even though he just agreed to a $4 billion hike." "MORE THAN 100 messages have come through a hotline set up two weeks ago by investigators working on the impeachment probe into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a state lawmaker overseeing the effort said. Republican Assemblyman Michael Montesano said the investigators — a team of lawyers at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP hired by the New York state Assembly — were sifting through the calls and emails. Mr. Montesano said he didn't have more information about the tips that have been received. The Assembly launched an impeachment probe March 11. If it votes to impeach Mr. Cuomo, it would be the first impeachment of a New York governor since 1913." Wall Street Journal's Jimmy Vielkind THE NAME OF former Gov. William Sulzer, who ruled Albany briefly more than a century ago, generally finds its way into conversations on two specific occasions. One is whenever an incumbent governor is accused of some serious misdeed. Sulzer remains the only of New York's 56 governors to have ever been impeached . The story of his removal in 1913 has appeared in dozens of newspapers on each of the two more-recent occasions when the prospect of a new impeachment trial has appeared plausible. The other occasion is when somebody visits the Capitol's Hall of Governors. Sulzer's portrait stands out from all of the others, due to its massive size, its gloomy nature, and the former governor's eerie stare — "equal parts Casanova and Karloff," the Times Union described it when the hall was opened to the public in 2011. An encounter with a Sulzer portrait some time around 1980 piqued the interest of the late Maurice Hinchey, who was then serving in the Assembly... And so began a forgotten saga that resulted in the most thorough modern discussion of how impeachment should work in New York, a topic relevant today as the Assembly Judiciary Committee considers articles of impeachment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. POLITICO's Bill Mahoney "NEW YORK'S bench-clearing brawl may have a happy resolution. The state's top judge said Wednesday that a cash infusion for the New York court system will enable nearly four dozen older jurists cut loose last year to reapply for their seats on the bench . 'We are now able to spend up to our full appropriation level, which means that our commitments can be fulfilled and those Supreme Court Justices who wish to renew their certification applications are now encouraged and welcome to do so,' said Chief Judge Janet DiFiore. DiFiore and the Office of Court Administration decided to terminate the careers of 46 judges over 70 in order to slash judicial spending last year. The move ignited a months-long legal and public relations battle waged by judges and court leaders." Queens Eagle's David Brand | | | |   | | |
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | REP. CAROLYN MALONEY of New York, one of the most senior Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee, will face a primary challenge in 2022 from a candidate backed by Justice Democrats , the left-wing group that has helped oust a series of long-serving members of the party. Rana Abdelhamid, a 27-year-old nonprofit founder and community organizer, announced her candidacy with the group's support on Wednesday. The campaign poses a major threat to Maloney, a 15-term congresswoman who ranks No. 2 on the House Financial Services Committee after Chair Maxine Waters of California. Last year, Maloney won just 43 percent of the vote in her primary. Abdelhamid posted a campaign ad to Twitter Wednesday featuring video of her boxing in a hijab — a nod to her nonprofit work teaching women self-defense. "As someone who has personally confronted inequality and displacement, I know that 28 years of Carolyn Maloney's failed leadership has left too many New Yorkers behind," she said. POLITICO's Kelly Mejdrich — New York Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs blasted the challenger in a lengthy statement. "A PAIR OF New York congressmen are among a group of Democrats who plan to introduce a bill that would add four seats to the Supreme Court — the opening salvo in what promises to be a brutal legislative fight with conservatives over the high bench's political balance. Reps. Jerry Nadler, who chairs the powerful House Judiciary Committee, and Mondaire Jones will announce the bill at a press conference outside the Supreme Court on Thursday, according to their offices." New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt BACK IN THE SALT MINES: Blue state lawmakers are upping their game when it comes to demanding full restoration of the state and local tax deduction — moving beyond letter-writing to a full caucus. Just short of a dozen House members from California, New Jersey and New York will be holding a news conference this morning to launch the SALT caucus — which is a bipartisan affair, though Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) have so far been the most aggressive voices seeking to repeal the 2017 tax law's $10,000 cap on state and local deductions. Still, other key lawmakers from high-tax states — now including House Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) — have stopped short of saying that SALT is a must-have in the infrastructure package, and the White House remains nothing if noncommittal. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said lawmakers pushing to scrap the SALT cap were scheduled to meet with, among others, the White House chief of staff, Ron Klain. "The SALT deduction would not be a revenue raiser, so they may come with proposals and ideas on that as well," Psaki said Wednesday. "But we're certainly happy to hear more from them on the impact and why they think this is so important to their states and communities." — POLITICO's Bernie Becker | | | | Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today. | | | | |
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Financier Sara Tirschwell was kicked off the ballot in the Republican race for mayor. — The city tapped three companies to start its first e-scooter pilot program in the Bronx. — Ponzi scheme architect Bernie Madoff died in prison at age 82. — "Republican mayoral candidate and longtime talk show host Curtis Sliwa released a video of himself railing against crime and quality-of-life issues on a subway train — while breaking the state's coronavirus rules by not wearing a mask." — Five Asian American parents are suing the city Department of Education, charging they were harassed while protesting against the proposed changes to the gifted and talented admissions process. — Two racehorses at Belmont Park died and 58 others were rescued after a fire broke out inside a barn — The Board of Elections will hold a lottery today to determine what order candidates names appear on the ballot in the June primary. — Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance announced he would dismiss approximately 100 additional convictions involving an indicted NYPD detective who lied under oath in 2019. | | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the pandemic, in New York and across the country, CVS Health has been delivering essential care. Thanks to the efforts of our employees, we opened 4,800 COVID-19 test sites and administered over 15 million tests at our stores and through partners in underserved communities. With millions staying home, we increased access to prescription delivery, virtual visits and mental health services. Now, we're providing vaccines in designated states. Every day, CVS Health works to bring quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it's never out of reach for anyone. That's health care, from the heart. Learn more. | | |
| | REAL ESTATE | | "NEARLY SEVEN years ago, the MTA pledged that the Mets-Willets Point station on the Long Island Rail Road would be 'fully accessible for the first time in 2016.' Plans called for an elevator that would move commuters between the train platform and the passageway above the station that connects with Citi Field, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. But with the 2021 Mets season in full swing and tennis returning this summer after the pandemic pause, the rail stop remains off-limits to riders with disabilities . The reason: Long-promised accessibility upgrades are tied to efforts by Gov. Andrew Cuomo's much-criticized push to build a LaGuardia AirTrain terminal at Willets Point." The City's Jose Martinez
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