News: POLITICO New York Playbook: Overnight subway service returns — Cuomo accusers subpoenaed — Stefanik elected No. 3 leader for House GOP

Monday, May 17, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Overnight subway service returns — Cuomo accusers subpoenaed — Stefanik elected No. 3 leader for House GOP

May 17, 2021

By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio

Presented by FWD.us

For the first time in more than a year, the subway did not shut down in the wee hours of this morning. 24/7 service is back, a milestone in the city's reopening from a pandemic that suspended all-night service for the first time in the system's history.

The return of round-the-clock train service comes just days ahead of seeing most of New York's remaining pandemic capacity restrictions lifted. The system had been closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for cleaning and disinfecting, a window later reduced to 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. There was increasing pressure on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to end the closures, especially as evidence emerged that Covid-19 was unlikely to spread on surfaces, as well as fears the closures would be used to do away with overnight service indefinitely. Ultimately, the governor announced the schedule change earlier this month.

Subway ridership remains far below its 5.5 million daily pre-pandemic levels, but it's been increasing, topping 2 million in the past few weeks. The MTA on Sunday unveiled a new ad campaign encouraging riders to #TakeTheTrain and #TakeTheBus. Deep cleaning will continue while the system is running, officials said. Vaccine sites at four subway stations will also be extended. "The city that never sleeps is again going to have 24/7 subway service," MTA chair Pat Foye said Sunday. "This is a special moment."

The system's resurrection, however, may be marred by concerns about crime and political infighting over whose fault that is and what to do about it, which ramped up after a series of slashings on Friday. The MTA released a scathing statement faulting Mayor Bill de Blasio's "negligence" for the incidents, as it pushes for more NYPD officers on the system. An MTA spokesperson ended the broadside by taking the unusual step of listing the mayoral candidates who said at their first debate they would deploy more cops, a tactic that good-government groups condemned, as did de Blasio press secretary Bill Neidhardt, asking incredulously: "Their response to stabbings is to endorse a shortlist of mayoral candidates?'

IT'S MONDAY. 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 yet.

WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability and appearing on NY1.

A message from FWD.us:

There is an aging crisis in New York prisons. Fifteen percent of people in New York's prisons are at least 55 years old, and this number keeps growing. Unless parole is expanded and made more fair, the State's prisons will become nursing homes, more people will die behind bars, and we'll waste hundreds of millions of dollars that do nothing to keep us safe. Urge Lawmakers to pass Elder Parole and Fair & Timely Parole NOW: www.fwd.us/newyork

WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"Maya Wiley Lands Major Endorsement From Rep. Hakeem Jeffries," by The New York Times' Katie Glueck: "Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the state's highest-ranking House Democrat, is throwing his support to Maya D. Wiley in the race for mayor of New York City, a significant endorsement at a critical juncture in the race. The decision by Mr. Jeffries, who is the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, comes at an inflection point both for Ms. Wiley and in the volatile race more broadly, nearly five weeks before the June 22 primary that is likely to decide the next mayor. 'This is a change election, and Maya Wiley is a change candidate,' Mr. Jeffries, who could become the first Black House speaker, said."

— The New York Daily News editorial board endorsed Kathryn Garcia, giving her two of the city's major newspapers after The New York Times gave her the nod.

" Mayoral Candidate Dianne Morales Water-Meter Bribe Probe Preceded 2004 Departure from Big City Schools Job," by The City's Yoav Gonen and Greg B. Smith : "Mayoral candidate Dianne Morales years ago participated in a $300 bribe of a city Department of Environmental Protection inspector who offered to make her $12,500 water bill go away, city investigative records obtained by THE CITY show. Morales was working as a senior employee at the city Department of Education when the probe concluded in June 2004. The DOE's Special Commissioner of Investigation, which conducted the review, recommended in a letter to the schools chancellor summarizing the findings of the probe 'that Morales' employment with the DOE be terminated.' 'Dianne Morales is a high level official in the DOE who directed her father to pay $300 cash to a DEP inspector in order to take care of a problem she was having with her water meter,' concluded the special commissioner, Richard Condon. 'Moreover, when confronted by city investigators about the bribe, Morales lied twice before telling the true story.'"

— An organizer for Scott Stringer's campaign quit after sexual misconduct allegations were lodged against the candidate.

"Recovery, Restaurants, Policing: Where the Mayoral Candidates Stand," by New York Times' Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Katie Glueck: "As the end of the pandemic comes into focus, many of the mayoral candidates are centering their pitch around the idea that they can lead New York into a period of greater equity and prosperity than the city experienced before the shutdown. For some of the candidates, that means a focus on small businesses and ensuring that the institutions that make New York so culturally vibrant — restaurants and Broadway, for example — have sufficient support to reopen."

" What It Would Take for N.Y.C. Schools to Fully Reopen This Fall," by New York Times' Eliza Shapiro: "For over a year, Lilah Mejia has spent her days cooped up in her living room, supervising her five school-age children's remote learning on a jumble of iPads and laptops. She is completely exhausted by the work, but at the moment, she is considering not sending her children back to their Lower East Side classrooms come fall. She just isn't sure whether New York City will keep them safe from the coronavirus. … Though New York City is on the cusp of a major reopening — including of its bars and restaurants at full capacity, as well as 24/7 subway service — it cannot completely return to normal without restoring its school system, with roughly one million students, to its prepandemic state."

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Civil Service Employees Association will endorse Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for mayor today. The public workers union, whose members include employees providing services to the mentally ill, and Adams will jointly push for the hiring of more staff. "Mr. Adams understands that in order for the public to feel safe we need a comprehensive mental health policy that makes sure those people suffering from severe mental illness get the help and services they need," said the union's metro region president, Lester Crockett. Adams said he wants to "immediately increase the number of City mental health beds and workers to effectively and swiftly address this crime problem, make New Yorkers feel safe again, and create a welcoming city that will attract visitors and new investment." The union has 14,000 active and retired members in the city.

— Queens Assemblymember Cathy Nolan will endorse former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia for mayor. "Kathryn Garcia is the only candidate with the vision and experience to lead our city to recovery. New Yorkers are still reeling from COVID and it will take a well-practiced manager with the government success that Kathryn has to ensure we get back on track," said Nolan, who chairs the Assembly education committee and represents Long Island City, Astoria and Sunnyside. She added there was "no time to waste with on-the-job training."

ON THE TRAIL — Ray McGuire was the last candidate streaming at a virtual forum Saturday hosted by civic groups in southeast Queens — a key voting bloc that is essential to the former Wall Street executive's campaign strategy. "Mr. McGuire. It's me and you," NY1 anchor Cheryl Wills, who was moderating the event, said after five other candidates ducked out early. The mass exodus gave McGuire the stage for half an hour, where he fielded neighborhood-specific questions, quoted poetry and discussed his experience in the upper echelons of the largely white finance sector. "We are the same. I am you," he said. "I want your support so I can represent you in a way that you have not been represented up until now in the mayor's office." — Joe Anuta

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"Cuomo Accusers Are Subpoenaed as State Inquiry Enters a Critical Phase," by The New York Times' Luis Ferré-Sadurní: "Four women who have accused Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of sexual harassment have received subpoenas to testify under oath, the latest indication that the state attorney general's investigation into Mr. Cuomo's behavior has entered a critical phase. The issuing of the subpoenas, which was expected at some point in the inquiry, underscores the investigation's progress beyond an initial fact-finding phase, during which lawyers interviewed multiple women at length, but not under oath. The attorney general, Letitia James, has not set a deadline for releasing the findings of her office's inquiry, which began in early March, but it will almost certainly be completed by summer's end, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly."

"$250K legal contract for Cuomo impeachment probe isn't nearly enough, critics say," by New York Post's Bernadette Hogan and Bruce Golding: "The state Assembly has so far allocated just $250,000 for its sprawling impeachment investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo — enough for barely three weeks of full-time work by its team of outside lawyers, according to a contract made public Friday. Critics said the miserly move shows that lawmakers are short-changing the probe into the multiple scandals threatening Cuomo's political career. 'I believe the Assembly has more than enough reason to draft articles of impeachment and they are using this impeachment investigation to appease and buy time for the governor,' state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D-The Bronx) said."

"New York Republicans Head for Gubernatorial Primary," by Wall Street Journal's Jimmy Vielkind : "New York Republicans are heading for their first gubernatorial primary in more than a decade next year after former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino last week joined U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin in formally declaring a bid. It could soon become a three-way contest: Andrew Giuliani, a White House aide in the Trump administration and the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, has engaged campaign staff and said he would make an announcement about his own potential bid by this week. A spokesman for Mr. Giuliani declined to comment."

"Youth violence in city has some calling for state of emergency," by WROC's Atyia Collins: "Four teenagers and two men in their twenties were shot after a Friday evening filled with gun violence in Rochester. The uptick in recent violence is leading many to call on the community and city leaders for immediate action. There have been over a 100 shootings so far this year, over 20 of them homicides and many involving young people."

#UpstateAmerica: Western New York is passionate about the demolition of the 66-year-old Skyway, a waterfront highway bridge symbolizing either blight and beauty depending on who you ask.

FROM THE DELEGATION

Stefanik voted in as House GOP's new No. 3 leader, by POLITICO's Olivia Beavers and Melanie Zanona: Elise Stefanik cruised to victory in a Friday vote to replace Liz Cheney as House Republicans' third-ranked leader, capping off a tumultuous month in the GOP conference sparked by its bitter divisions over Donald Trump. Stefanik won in a 134-46 secret-ballot vote, defeating her sole challenger Rep. Chip Roy of Texas — an unsurprising outcome after she aggressively campaigned for the No. 3 spot, scooping up endorsements from top party leaders and Trump. The 36-year-old New Yorker, known as a moderate turned Trump ally who's used her fundraising skills to help elect a new class of GOP women, is now the highest-ranking woman in elected Republican leadership.

— OPINION: "Elise Stefanik Is Playing a Dangerous Game With Her Career," by Liz Benjamin for The New York Times: "The rapid rise of Representative Elise Stefanik of New York to the post of chief pro-Trump messenger in the ongoing battle for the soul of the G.O.P. has sparked a flurry of media reports about how a supposed onetime moderate Republican metamorphosed into a full-fledged fire-breathing far-right conservative. But for those who have been following Ms. Stefanik's career since she emerged on the political scene in the 2014 battle for an open congressional seat in New York's North Country, her embrace of Trumpism and elevation on Friday to the No. 3 role in the House G.O.P. don't come as any big surprise. The reality is that Ms. Stefanik has always been a shape-shifter, driven more by the political zeitgeist than any strongly rooted ideology."

— The New York Post has more on the rocky Stefanik-DeRosa relationship.

"Rep. Zeldin: Biden won and I won't call election 'illegitimate,'" by Newsday's Tom Brune: "Political consultants in both parties warn that Zeldin's staunch support for Trump and his outspoken defense of him during the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, two impeachment trials and the bid to overturn the presidential election potentially loom as a liability in the 2022 general election. And despite a testy exchange in March with two Politico reporters in which he said 'yes' when asked if Democrat Biden won the election, some consultants said they were still not sure exactly where he stands on that question. Asked by Newsday if the 2020 election was fair, Zeldin gave a nuanced answer."

"AOC calls Israel 'apartheid state' in Twitter outburst over Gaza attacks," by New York Daily News' Dave Goldiner: "AOC has some choice words for Israel and its defenders in the White House. The firebrand lawmaker denounced Israel on Saturday as an 'apartheid state' in a series of posts about the Jewish state's attack on a building housing journalists in Gaza and the spiraling violence in the Holy Land. 'Apartheid states aren't democracies,' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted. She also retweeted a message from MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi that blamed Israel for imposing 'a form of apartheid' on Palestinians."

Scranton on the Hudson

"Trudeau Government Begins Work on Reopening U.S.-Canada Border," by Bloomberg's Kait Bolongaro: "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has begun preliminary internal discussions about reopening the border with the U.S., even as Canada remains well behind its neighbor in vaccinations. Senior officials have begun to formally talk about options for how to proceed, three people familiar with the matter said, speaking on the condition they not be identified. One question under consideration is whether to employ a two-track system in which quarantine and testing requirements would be relaxed for vaccinated travelers. A separate official speaking on condition they not be named disputed [that] there were any new developments or discussions on the border, saying there has been no discernible change in policy."

JOIN WEDNESDAY - "THE RECAST" LIVE CONVERSATION: Earlier this year, we launched "The Recast" newsletter breaking down the changing power dynamics in America and how race and identity shape politics, policy and power. We are recasting how we report on this crucial intersection by bringing you fresh insights, scoops, dispatches from across the country and new voices that challenge "business as usual." Join Brakkton Booker, "The Recast" newsletter author and national political correspondent at POLITICO, for a live conversation with Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.); Malika Redmond, co-founder, president and CEO of Women Engaged; Sonal Shah, founding president, The Asian American Foundation; and Lauren Williams, co-founder, CEO and editor in chief of Capital B, about redefining power in America. REGISTER HERE.

AROUND NEW YORK

— The city's annual Pride celebration will bar police and correction officer groups from marching and ask the NYPD to stay a block away, using private security instead.

— De Blasio called mayoral candidates who don't support his plan for new smaller jails to replace Rikers Island "reckless."

— Half of those arrested for committing hate crimes against Asians this year have a mental health history, according to the NYPD.

— An NYPD officer alleges in a lawsuit that her supervisors screamed and cursed at her for attempting to wear a mask early in the pandemic.

— A St. John's University professor says she was fired for reading a passage containing the N-word from a Mark Twain novel.

— The city is encouraging more primary care doctors to administer the Covid-19 vaccine.

— Some lawmakers are pushing legislation to aid small landlords.

— In a New York Times essay, author Joe Klein says the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was often right and that still matters.

— City comptroller candidate Brad Lander got some star power from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren in a new campaign ad.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is 5-0 … NYT's Mike Shear and Reid Epstein … NBC's Kelly O'Donnell … Rebecca Nelson ... Rachel Palermo ... Bloomberg's Jeremy Lin … (was Sunday): Tucker Carlson … Colleen McCain Nelson … FTI Consulting's Jeff Bechdel ... Christine Delargy (h/t Kiki Burger) … (was Saturday): NYT's Elisabeth Bumiller and Nick Confessore … Katrina Chan, director of government outreach for the Bloomberg New Economy Forum … Walter Dellinger, partner at O'Melveny & Myers … Todd Williamson, VP at SKDKnickerbocker … Chloe Schama … Joshua Muss turned 8-0 ... Howard Milstein turned 7-0

MEDIAWATCH — Jenée Desmond Harris is Slate's next Dear Prudence, taking the reins from Danny M. Lavery, who has held the title for the past five years. Harris most recently was senior staff editor in the Opinion section at the N.Y. Times. Harris will continue writing a monthly column about race for the New York Times, and Lavery, who is moving over to Substack, will continue to host a podcast at Slate.

ENGAGED — Julie Tsirkin, NBC News Capitol Hill reporter and field producer, and Gavi Reichman, senior account executive at Yext, got engaged at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va. He surprised her with the proposal and by bringing in their families, close friends and puppy Stevie. The couple originally met freshman year at a Rutgers fraternity party, but didn't start dating until they bumped into each other two years later at a Penn State/Rutgers football game at Penn State. Pic … Another pic

WEEKEND WEDDING — Hurst Renner, senior manager for public policy and smart city partnerships at software platform Rubicon, recently married Lillie Belle Viebranz, who works in business development at Palantir. The couple both went to Sewanee but met in D.C. and were married at the bride's family home in New Jersey. Pic ... Another pic

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Blake Waggoner, director of public relations at PR firm OBI and an Edelman and Targeted Victory alum, and Erin Waggoner, who works on state government affairs at Verizon, on Thursday welcomed Brooks Daniel Waggoner, who came in at 8 lbs, 10 oz. Pic … Another pic

A message from FWD.us:

There is an aging crisis in New York prisons, and without immediate action more people will die behind bars with no meaningful chance for release. Roughly 4,900 people in New York's prisons are at least 55 years old, the age that the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision considers to be "elderly." Expanding parole eligibility and making the parole process more fair is a critical next step in addressing New York's incarceration crisis and creating pathways for our elders to come home.

New York lawmakers should pass Elder Parole and the Fair & Timely Parole Act to reduce the state prison system's ballooning older population, reunite families, decrease racial disparities in parole decisions, and free up $522 million a year for reinvestment in education, housing, and healthcare. Contact your lawmakers and tell them the time for parole reform is NOW: www.fwd.us/newyork

REAL ESTATE

"TENANTS OF CITY'S 'WORST LANDLORD' DEMAND MEETING AMID DANGEROUS LIVING CONDITIONS," by Brooklyn Paper's Ben Verde: "Tenants of one of the city's 'worst landlords' are demanding a meeting with the property owner after years of unsafe conditions in their Crown Heights apartment building, the residents say. Apartment dwellers at 776 Crown St. say their landlord Jason Korn, who topped the Public Advocate's list of the worst slumlords in 2019 and 2020, has allowed their homes to deteriorate, with only patchwork repairs being done when a full overhaul is needed. Now, the tenants are calling for a ground-up repair of the crumbling building."

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