News: POLITICO New York Playbook: Yang in Israel flap — Mayoral candidates push gun violence plans

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Yang in Israel flap — Mayoral candidates push gun violence plans — Judge blocks NRA bankruptcy move

May 12, 2021

By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio

Presented by the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs

Andrew Yang made a few Republicans happy with a full-throated defense of Israel, and now he's angered a few Democrats — including one particularly prominent one. "Utterly shameful," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Tuesday evening of the mayoral hopeful's foray into Middle East politics.

The backstory: Yang tweeted Monday night that he is "standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks, and condemn the Hamas terrorists. The people of NYC will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere." That's not a terribly unusual position for New York City politics — indeed, his rival Eric Adams expressed a similar sentiment, as did Ray McGuire.

But the mayoral candidate's stance got him uninvited from an event with the Astoria Welfare Society distributing groceries ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. A small group also crashed his press conference in Astoria Park to voice their objections, our Madina Touré reports. Then Ocasio-Cortez, in a rare foray into the mayor's race, chimed in: "Utterly shameful for Yang to try to show up to an Eid event after sending out a chest-thumping statement of support for a strike killing 9 children, especially after his silence as Al-Aqsa was attacked," she said . "But then to try that in Astoria? During Ramadan?! They will let you know."

It's not the first headache Yang has faced over Israel, which, to be clear, he would have no role in setting U.S. policy toward if elected mayor. There's been dissension among his own campaign staff over his position on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. On the other hand, he's been successful in sewing up support in the city's Orthodox Jewish communities. As for his new fans like Sen. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump Jr., who expressed support for his position? "I certainly would never ask for or want their support," Yang said.

IT'S WEDNESDAY. Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate. 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.

A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs:

New York's employers are working hard to provide New Yorkers with affordable health care coverage amidst a pandemic, an economic downturn, and rising prescription drug prices. But Albany is considering bills that would strip businesses of tools they rely on to contain costs and ensure access to the medicines employees need. Learn more.

WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

Mayoral candidates push gun violence plans, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin and Sally Goldenberg: Three mayoral candidates rolled out plans to combat gun violence Tuesday, tackling an issue that has become increasingly central to the mayor's race after a persistent spike in violent crime and a triple shooting in Times Square. Kathryn Garcia, who has been among the more conservative Democratic candidates on policing issues, proposed increasing tenfold — from $200 to $2,000 — the amount of cash New Yorkers can collect for turning in a gun. At a press conference outside a Williamsburg precinct, the former Sanitation commissioner also called for boosting the number of NYPD officers assigned to the gun violence suppression division. Shaun Donovan said he would fast track gun cases through the courts and focus police on gun-related crimes. Maya Wiley said she would expand youth employment programs and divert money from the police department.

LOL — "It's a Home in Brooklyn. What Could It Cost? $100,000?," by The New York Times' Mihir Zaveri: "Do you know the median sales price for a home in Brooklyn? The question, which was recently posed to eight mayoral candidates by The New York Times editorial board, was not a trick. Brooklyn is a notoriously expensive borough in one of America's most expensive cities, and New York City's housing crisis promises to be a major issue in the coming years. Yet the range of responses given by two of the candidates — off by roughly an order of magnitude — has touched off incredulity among New Yorkers. 'In Brooklyn, huh? I don't for sure,' Shaun Donovan, who has touted his experience as housing secretary under President Barack Obama and housing commissioner under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, answered. 'I would guess it is around $100,000.' The guess from Raymond J. McGuire, an investment banker and former executive at Citigroup who has sought to woo voters with his financial acumen, included similar numbers."

Adams' role in Aqueduct fiasco raises ethical questions anew, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: As a rising star in the state Senate a decade ago, Eric Adams drew scrutiny from the state inspector general for his role in picking a troubled operator to run a gambling operation at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. The now mayoral hopeful was caught up in a probe that condemned the politicized process leading to the initial 2010 selection of Aqueduct Entertainment Group to run video slot machines at the track. Adams was the chair of the Senate Racing and Wagering Committee when the choice was made. The state inspector general, in a scathing 308-page report, found that Adams gave non-credible testimony to investigators about the matter, got campaign cash from the troubled gambling outfit, and showed "exceedingly poor judgment" by attending a victory celebration when the pick was made.

— Adams defended his time as a registered Republican between 1995 and 2002, calling it a "personal protest" against Democratic policies on crime, drugs and housing. "I'm a long-standing Democrat for over 20-something years. During the time when Democratic politicians were feeding the crime bill, when Democratic politicians were putting in place the Rockefeller drug laws, and the time when they were abandoning housing, NYCHA and public housing, I was angry at that behavior."

Wiley to launch her first TV ad as mayoral primary approaches, by POLITICO's Sally Goldenberg: Mayoral candidate Maya Wiley is launching her first TV ad of the election Wednesday — a 30-second spot that introduces her to viewers six weeks ahead of the Democratic primary. The ad, reviewed by POLITICO ahead of its official launch, begins with a shot of two medical workers in face masks embracing outside NYU Langone Health hospital as a line of firefighters applaud from afar. It was a common scene across the five boroughs during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, an unmatched crisis that has served as the backdrop to the mayoral election. 'Adversity. The test is how we overcome it,' Wiley says over the image.

— New $1.5M campaign seeks to boost city turnout for voters of color, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin

"NYC kids won't need a COVID-19 vaccine to return to school in the fall," by New York Post's Julia Marsh and Selim Algar: "The Department of Education will not require city kids to get vaccinated before the upcoming school year, Mayor de Blasio said Tuesday. The declaration came the day after both the CUNY and SUNY systems announced that students would have to receive the COVID-19 shot before enrolling in the fall. 'We look forward to welcoming back every single student,' de Blasio said at his daily briefing. 'I think you'll see a lot of students and a lot of staff vaccinated by then. But I think that's the right way to go about it.'"

— Yang demanded that de Blasio offer more details on how schools will reopen this fall, but offered few details himself.

ON THE TRAIL — Ray McGuire hit Eric Adams on ethical issues raised by the Brooklyn BP's non-profit, One Brooklyn Fund, during a mayoral debate hosted by Crain's Tuesday. POLITICO reported the charity served to boost Adams' profile ahead of the race and McGuire likened it to Mayor Bill de Blasio's own legal quagmire with the Campaign for One New York. "How do you explain the ethical challenges there?" the former Citi exec asked Adams. He responded he's the "only elected official in this city" with a compliance officer that helped ensure the non-profit never ran afoul of any laws. "I'm extremely proud, Ray, of the $2 million that we put directly back into the small non-profits," Adams said. "We did not hire staff, we did not put any money into any employees at all, and unlike some of the businesses and some of the foundations that you know, those small non-profits in the inner cities, they don't have foundations, they don't have endowments, these are everyday people who are really trying to provide for people on the ground." — Janaki Chadha

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"Federal judge denies NRA attempt to declare bankruptcy in win for New York state attorney general," by Washington Post's Tom Hamburger: "A federal judge Tuesday denied an effort by the National Rifle Association to file for bankruptcy protection, ruling that the gun rights group filed the case in an attempt to fend off a civil lawsuit by the New York attorney general. 'The Court finds, based on the totality of the circumstances, that the NRA's bankruptcy petition was not filed in good faith but instead was filed as an effort to gain an unfair litigation advantage in the NYAG Enforcement Action and as an effort to avoid a regulatory scheme,' Judge Harlin Hale wrote in a 37-page decision. Hale's decision follows a weeks-long hearing that revealed details about alleged mismanagement and excessive spending by top officials at the influential gun lobby, including Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's controversial leader for the past three decades."

"SUNY mandatory vaccination plan won't include SUNY employees," by Buffalo News' Tom Precious: "The state university system has no plans to mandate Covid-19 vaccines for faculty and staffers this fall, even as it proceeds on a requirement that every returning student get a vaccine if they want to be on campus this fall semester. While Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo over the months routinely dismissed the notion of mandating the vaccine for anyone, he said Monday that the State University of New York will launch the vaccine requirement for all students wishing to go back to campuses this fall... But on Tuesday, a SUNY spokeswoman replied to The Buffalo News and said there are no plans to force SUNY employees to get vaccinated. 'The directive is focused on students. SUNY is developing a plan per the directive announced yesterday,' said Holly Liapis, the SUNY spokeswoman. She did not answer a question about possible exemptions to the requirement, such as for medical reasons, nor did she elaborate when asked why only students were being included for the 64-campus system mandate."

— New York could begin vaccinations for adolescents age 12 to 15 as soon as Thursday, Cuomo said.

— But when kids go back to school this fall, the state is unlikely to require them to get a Covid-19 vaccination.

"Jobs go begging, and employers blame unemployment benefits," by Times Union's Eric Anderson: "Ted's Fish Fry will close its seven locations on Sundays. The reason? It can't find enough workers. Candidates 'aren't even coming in,' said one manager. 'They're giving them all the money to stay home,' he said, referring to the $300 supplemental benefits the federal government pays on top of the state's unemployment benefit check. In Lake George, 'we've had some restaurants talk about going to five days a week,' said Gina Mintzer, who heads the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce. 'They lack the staff.' The nation's economy is coming back to life after more than a year of lockdown. But some of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic were leisure and hospitality, and accommodation and food services. In the five-county Albany metro, the number of jobs in the two sectors were down over the year by 19.2 percent and 20.8 percent, respectively, according to state Labor Department figures."

#UpstateAmerica: Christmas is still 227 days away, but Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan has 'significant concerns' over the nearly quarter-century tradition of Holiday Lights in Washington Park.

FROM THE DELEGATION

Stefanik faces first House conservative foe in her push to replace Cheney, by POLITICO's Olivia Beavers: Elise Stefanik on Tuesday faced her first formal pushback from a conservative colleague on her apparent glide path to the House GOP's No. 3 leadership spot after Liz Cheney's expected ouster from the role. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, sent a memo to every Republican office in the chamber arguing that Stefanik should not be serving in leadership. But Roy hardly embraced Cheney's continued presence atop the conference, also asserting that the Wyoming Republican no longer deserves to be conference chair. Despite multiple Freedom Caucus members privately expressing reluctance — if not outright opposition — to Stefanik over concerns about the New Yorker's past moderate record,

JOIN THURSDAY FOR A CONVERSATION ON TRANSGENDER POLITICIANS: More transgender people got elected to office at all levels across the country in 2020, in both blue and red states – and that number is likely to continue to grow. During the last year, constituents across America elected six transgender candidates at the state level as transgender rights gain more attention across the country. Join POLITICO Nightly: Daytime Edition for a conversation featuring transgender elected officials as they discuss their experiences running for and serving in public office. REGISTER HERE.

AROUND NEW YORK

— De Blasio rode a Citi Bike to City Hall, where he said the city will install 30 new miles of protected bike lanes and five new busways before he leaves office at the end of the year.

— Department of Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann is resigning her post. And a new federal report says city jails are still a mess.

— More low-income students and English language learners were accepted to competitive city middle schools this year after officials temporarily suspended the use of admissions screens during the coronavirus pandemic.

— Manhattan DA candidate Alvin Bragg talks about his personal experience with police in an interview.

— Assembly Republicans say the chamber's impeachment investigation into Cuomo is going too slow.

— The bar association representing criminal defense lawyers questioned the qualifications of Manhattan DA candidate Diana Florence because of an incident where she withheld evidence.

— A City Council member and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea clashed at a budget hearing.

— Citi Field will start offering drive thru vaccinations.

— Critics are accusing de Blasio of spending federal stimulus money like a "drunken sailor."

— Two NYPD cops and a retired officer were charged with running a yearslong bribery scheme.

— Four police unions endorsed David Weprin for city comptroller.

— Queens Borough President Donovan Richard backs making the 34th Avenue open street a permanent "linear park."

— Twisters have ticked up Upstate.

— People keep hitting Geneseo's "bear fountain" with their cars in broad daylight.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Bernie Marcus ... Daniel Libeskind is 75 … CNN's Natasha Bertrand … Bank of America's Lawrence Grayson … Brett LoGiurato … CBS' Elizabeth Campbell … Matthew Hiltzik of Hiltzik Strategies

MAKING MOVES — Elizabeth Stanley is now a principal at Resolution Public Affairs. She previously was COS for Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.).

A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs:

Albany is considering bills that would make it harder for employers to provide prescription drug coverage for over 10 million New Yorkers and would raise prescription drug spending by $2 BILLION in New York in the first year alone. Albany: Don't jeopardize New Yorkers' access to medicines by limiting the tools employers rely on to keep prescription drugs affordable. Learn more.

REAL ESTATE

"Macy's Will Spend $235 Million To Improve Herald Square, And Bring New Skyscraper To Area," by Gothamist's Jen Chung: " Two years after announcing plans to build a skyscraper atop its landmark flagship location in Herald Square, Macy's on Monday shared new renderings of their plans. The retailer also revealed that it will invest $235 million in the surrounding neighborhood—including new subway entrances and more pedestrian space. 'Macy's Herald Square is one of New York City's most iconic institutions, and, as we plan for the future, we are doubling down on our commitment to New York by reinvesting in our flagship location while committing $235 million in private investment to upgrade the Herald Square neighborhood through our tower project,' said Jeff Gennette, CEO of Macy's, in a statement."

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