| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio | Presented by CVS Health | You get a PAC, and you get a PAC, and you get a PAC! In the latest infusion of big money into the mayor's race, an executive at an organization that lobbies on behalf of charter schools is launching a fundraising effort to boost the mayoral candidacy of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. Jenny Sedlis, executive director of StudentsFirstNY, is taking a leave of absence to run the new PAC, dubbed Strong Leadership NYC, our Sally Goldenberg reports. The group plans to run digital and TV ads supporting Adams' candidacy without being beholden to the strict spending limits imposed by the city's Campaign Finance Board. This comes after Adams led the field of mayoral candidates in a new poll for the first time, a position Andrew Yang has occupied in every other survey. If you're keeping track, the new PAC is on top of one in the works to boost Yang's candidacy, and another by left-leaning groups with the express intention of stopping Yang. Then there's the multimillion-dollar PAC funded by Shaun Donovan's dad on his son's behalf, among other independent spending efforts. Ads from the pro-Adams group will initially target Black voters in the hopes of shoring up the BP's base, which is also being courted by another mayoral hopeful with deep pockets: Wall Street exec Ray McGuire. It later plans to target Latino voters. The ads, like Adams' own campaign, will focus heavily on tackling the spike in gun violence in the five boroughs. They won't focus on charter schools, despite the interests of the PAC's founder, but Adams has been supportive of the movement to expand the schools and they're confident they'd be able to count him as an ally in City Hall. IT'S FRIDAY. 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? Appearing on WNYC's Brian Lehrer show and speaking at an NYPD graduation. | | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CVS Health has been there. We're nearly 300,000 caring employees ensuring millions of Americans can access health care services. We opened thousands of COVID-19 test sites, administered millions of tests and expanded access to COVID-19 vaccines throughout the country. 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 | | "New York City to Offer Covid-19 Vaccine Jabs to Tourists," by Wall Street Journal's Katie Honan: "New York City plans to offer tourists a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine as part of a push to draw more foot traffic to city attractions, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. Mobile vans would be set up to jab visitors at Central Park, the Empire State Building and other sight-seeing locations, the Democratic mayor said at a press conference. Tourists would be offered the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Mr. de Blasio said the vaccinations would offer a positive message to people looking to travel to the city, which saw tourism plummet during the pandemic." — Mayoral candidates running on a return of tourism, by POLITICO's Janaki Chadha, Jonathan Custodio, and Amanda Eisenberg: Multiple mayoral candidates rolled out plans Thursday aimed at drawing visitors back to the city while another went on the air with an ad focused on the city's revival, as resuscitating the city's beleaguered tourism industry becomes a central issue in the Democratic primary. … Maya Wiley held an event in Herald Square Thursday, where she called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to hold a weeklong festival this summer to help attract tourists. Ray McGuire proposed a yearlong festival. Scott Stringer said he wants to subsidize artists and performers throughout the city. And Andrew Yang, who has been promoting the city's tourism sector for weeks, launched an ad where he's seen dancing on the boardwalk and riding a roller-coaster with his wife Evelyn. — "$25M 'City Artist Corps' to put NYC artists back to work: Mayor de Blasio," by New York Daily News' Shant Shahrigian — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer cut the ribbon in Times Square to reopen a personal favorite — Junior's Cheesecake. Yang's campaign consultant promises firewall from City Hall amid increased scrutiny, by POLITICO's Joe Anuta and Sally Goldenberg: The high-powered lobbyist behind Andrew Yang's mayoral run declared he will keep his distance from City Hall if his candidate wins, according to an essay Thursday following intensifying scrutiny about their partnership. Bradley Tusk, who runs an eponymous firm that has been associated with Uber and Mike Bloomberg's 2009 mayoral reelection bid, penned a Medium post titled "Should We Win" to presumably allay concerns about his role in a prospective Yang administration. It comes on the heels of Tusk calling Yang an "an empty vessel" in a New York Times interview, referring to the candidate's lack of political ties across the five boroughs. — "Longtime Bloomberg ally bets on Andrew Yang for New York," by The Intercept's Duncan Bryer — "The Wealthy Lobbyist Behind Andrew Yang's Campaign for Mayor," by The New York Times' Dana Rubinstein and Emma G. Fitzsimmons ABOUT LAST NIGHT — Andrew Yang's not sure about giving Green Card holders in the city the right to vote in municipal elections. Candidates were asked during a forum hosted by the New York Immigration Coalition Thursday night if they supported a Council bill that would allow certain non-citizens to vote in city elections. Asked to answer "yes or no," Maya Wiley and Shaun Donovan took the former. Yang sought to explain his position before ultimately saying no. "I have concerns about whether if we do pass it, it will pass legal muster," he said. "I don't want to pass something that might end up having issues at that level, so if it's a yes or no question I would have to say no, but it pains me to do so, because one of the joys of New York City is that, you know, like, that immigrants of any status should be treated equally." Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the immigration coalition, responded, "Well, legal muster says that it will — it is legal, as it's been done in the past." — Janaki Chadha — Eric Adams' first TV ad is up. The candidate boils down the message he's been touting on the trail in a 30-second spot produced by Ralston Lapp Guinn that will start running today. "NYC judge rejects council members' lawsuit to bar ranked-choice voting from upcoming elections," by New York Daily News' Dave Goldiner: "A Manhattan judge rejected a lawsuit from a group of city council members to bar ranked-choice voting from upcoming elections, ruling that the lawmakers waited too long to file the suit." "Rikers Inmates Will No Longer Bury The Dead Amid Hart Island Transformation," by Gothamist's Caroline Lewis: "For more than 150 years, the city's Department of Correction has managed Hart Island. The public cemetery is the final resting place for more than a million people, including unidentified New Yorkers, those whose families can't afford private burials, and many who died during public health calamities such as the HIV/AIDS crisis. The city had long employed people incarcerated on Rikers Island to bury the bodies. The job had high turnover in the best of times but more inmates began to refuse the task as COVID-19 overtook the city in March 2020. As an incentive, the city offered inmates a pay bump, raising their compensation to $6 an hour...The jurisdiction of Hart Island is now slated to be transferred to the Parks Department this July, meaning incarcerated New Yorkers will be permanently relieved of the duty." — "Bodies of Hundreds of New York COVID Victims Still in Trucks on Brooklyn Pier," by The City's Derek Kravitz: "The city still has the bodies of about 750 COVID-19 victims in refrigerated trucks at Brooklyn's 39th Street Pier, with no timetable for when those New Yorkers will be moved to Hart Island or elsewhere, officials disclosed this week." FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Amalgamated Transit Union will give its endorsement to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for mayor today at an event in the Bronx. "As a former NYC police officer, Adams is the blue-collar candidate and knows firsthand what working people need in New York City. He will fight to rebuild the middle class, bolster public transportation, strengthen the rights of labor, and help New York City recover from this devastating pandemic," ATU Local 1181 President Michael Cordiello said. — Manhattan DA candidate Alvin Bragg will join sexual assault survivors Friday morning to call on New York to pass the Adult Survivors Act, legislation that would create a one-year lookback period for adults who were sexually assaulted to file a lawsuit against their abuser or a negligent institution. Advocates such as Marissa Hoechstetter, the first woman to publicly come forward about abuse from an OB-GYN then employed at NewYork-Presbyterian, and Harvey Weinstein survivor Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, will join the push. Safe Horizon is also launching a new ad featuring Hoechstetter, Battilana Gutierrez and Evelyn Yang, the wife of leading mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, to urge support for the legislation. — Amanda Eisenberg — Manhattan DA candidate Dan Quart is getting endorsed by state Sen. John Liu. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | |
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "New York Tax Officials Crack Down on Remote Workers," by Wall Street Journal's Jimmy Vielkind: "New York state tax officials are scrutinizing refund claims filed by nonresident tax filers who normally commute to jobs in New York but have been working remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Tax lawyers said the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has begun auditing 2020 returns for people whose work habits shifted when their offices closed. The department gave auditors refresher training about out-of-state filers within the last several months, a person familiar with the matter said." — "Gov. Andrew Cuomo privately called on a group of New York business leaders on Thursday to stay in New York and lobby members of Congress in an effort to remove the SALT cap." "NY: Broadband cos paid for 8.5M fake net neutrality comments," by The Associated Press's Tali Arbel: "The Office of the New York Attorney General said in a new report that a campaign funded by the broadband industry submitted millions of fake comments supporting the 2017 repeal of net neutrality. The Federal Communications Commission's contentious 2017 repeal undid Obama-era rules that barred internet service providers from slowing or blocking websites and apps or charging companies more for faster speeds to consumers. The industry had sued to stop these rules during the Obama administration but lost." " Sheldon Silver, Disgraced Assembly Speaker, Is Sent Back to Prison," by The New York Times' Ed Shanahan and William K. Rashbaum: "Sheldon Silver, who dominated New York State politics for years as the Democratic Assembly speaker before being convicted on federal corruption charges, was ordered back to prison on Thursday, according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the matter. Mr. Silver, 77, was in federal custody at a Lower Manhattan hospital on Thursday afternoon with plans to return to the prison in Otisville, N.Y., later in the day, one of the officials said... The move came just two days after prison officials let Mr. Silver return home on a furlough while he awaited a decision on his request that he be allowed to serve the balance of his prison term under home confinement." "Husband of Heastie's chief of staff sentenced to 76 months in prison," by Times Union's Brendan J. Lyons: "The husband of state Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie's chief of staff was sentenced Thursday to 76 months in prison and ordered to pay $136,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for his earlier guilty plea to cocaine trafficking and tax evasion charges. Orlando Dennis, 32, who was born in Jamaica and moved to the United States in 2008, had been described by federal prosecutors as a $25,000-a-year bakery delivery driver who had been living a lavish lifestyle from drug trafficking." " Manufacturers eager to produce, but can't find workers," by Buffalo News' Matt Glynn: "Business is booming at Bestar-Bush's Jamestown factory. But finding workers to help meet the demand for its products is another matter. The company, which specializes in ready-to-assemble office furniture, is looking to hire about 50 employees for manufacturing jobs, and another 20 people for office positions. 'On the factory side, we're just not finding them,' said Angie Turner, the human resources director." #UpstateAmerica: "Appellate justices ordered a woman in Tompkins County to remove a rock from her driveway that is painted with a Confederate flag or risk a 'change of circumstances' in the custody case of her multi-racial daughter." | | | |   | | |
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | "Republicans promote pandemic relief they voted against," by The Associated Press' Steve Peoples: "Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said it pained her to vote against the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. But in the weeks that followed, the first-term Republican issued a news release celebrating more than $3.7 million from the package that went to community health centers in her district as one of her 'achievements.' She said she prided herself on 'bringing federal funding to the district and back into the pockets of taxpayers.' Malliotakis is far from alone. Every Republican in Congress voted against the sweeping pandemic relief bill that President Joe Biden signed into law three months ago. But since the early spring votes, Republicans from New York and Indiana to Texas and Washington state have promoted elements of the legislation they fought to defeat." She built her career boosting GOP women. Now Stefanik is elevating herself, by POLITICO's Melanie Zanona, Ally Mutnick, and Anna Gronewold: Rep. Elise Stefanik is on the verge of ascending to the House GOP's No. 3 spot thanks in part to a personal mission: boosting other Republican women. Stefanik's most visible identity is that of a moderate New York Republican turned Donald Trump acolyte. But she's also been instrumental in shifting the GOP's internal culture to prioritize electing more women to its depleted ranks, a gender imbalance she once dubbed a "crisis" for the party. Following a successful 2020 election cycle aided by Stefanik's PAC dedicated to that mission, Republicans of all ideological stripes view that model as a winning recipe for seizing back the House next year. | | | | DON'T MISS OUT ON OUR NEW PLAYBOOK DEEP DIVE PODCAST: Washington is full of whispers, colorful characters and little-known back stories that even D.C. insiders might not know. Playbook Deep Dive is a new, weekly podcast that pulls back the curtain on the stories behind the power. From Congress and the White House to bar stools and backrooms, POLITICO's top reporters and Playbook authors bring you the most compelling and confounding stories that explain what's really going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | |
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — DATABASE OF DEALS! Empire State Development has launched its long-awaited searchable online database of projects that receive state funding through the agency. — A coalition of police unions is backing Liz Crotty for Manhattan district attorney. — De Blasio, unlike Cuomo, isn't scared to take the subway, even if he rarely does so. — Shaun Donovan is supporting the decriminalization of sex work and says he would disband the NYPD's vice unit. — Two men were charged in the shooting death of a 1-year-old at a barbecue last summer in Brooklyn. — Harvey Weinstein is suing his former lawyer and seeking a refund of $1 million in legal fees. — A sticker campaign is underlining New York City's roots in slavery. — The Queens Republican Party is working to hold its last seat in the borough. — A state report shows that nearly 70 percent of all New York judges are white. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Fox's Brian Kilmeade … NBC's Mark Murray … Rob Saliterman (h/t Tim Burger) … Thomas Piketty MAKING MOVES — Steven Blattner will be legislative director for Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.). He previously was a government relations consultant at Becker & Poliakoff. (h/t POLITICO Playbook) MEDIAWATCH — "'This was devastating to everybody': Inside the New York Post's blowup over a bogus story at the border," by Vanity Fair's Joe Pompeo | | 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 many still staying home, we increased access to prescription delivery, virtual visits and mental health services. Now, we're offering vaccines in nearly 6,000 stores across 49 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. 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 | | "NYC landlords sue to stop extension of state's COVID eviction moratorium," by New York Daily News' Denis Slattery: "A group of city landlords and property owners filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to put the kibosh on New York's recently renewed eviction moratorium. The suit, filed in Brooklyn federal court, comes days after Gov. Cuomo signed off on a measure extending a state ban on evictions through the end of August. Under the law, tenants can't be kicked out if they claim they're facing financial trouble due to the COVID crisis." " Yang Proposes Market Value Property Tax Assessments on Vacant Lots," by PoliticsNY's Ariel Pacheco: "Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang stood along the East River today outside a vacant parcel of land to announce a plan to raise nearly $1 billion in new revenue for the city by incentivizing development on empty lots across the five boroughs. Under the plan, all private vacant lot owners would see a raise in their assessed value on their city property tax bill to the market value of the said property." "How a $180 Million Parking Lot Could Change N.Y.C.'s Historic Character," by The New York Times' Amy Sohn: "For more than 40 years, real estate developers have been intoxicated by an asphalt trapezoid at 250 Water Street. It has East River proximity, high visibility from the Brooklyn Bridge and the Brooklyn Heights promenade and — as far as open space in downtown Manhattan goes — it is big: nearly 50,000 square feet. But this particular lot, whose spots ran about $20 an hour on weekdays, is in the South Street Seaport Historic District, which means that anyone seeking to build even a toolshed there must first secure permission from the Landmarks Preservation Commission."
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