| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Téa Kvetenadze | Mayor Bill de Blasio has invested a great deal in a full July reopening of the city followed by a blockbuster "Summer of New York City," with Covid-19 all but vanquished. There's a slight complication to that narrative, however: after hitting all-time lows, the city's infection rate has crept back up to 1.69 percent, and the number of new cases has more than doubled since July 4. The uptick, driven by the more contagious Delta variant, has led to a small but growing number of calls for New York to reinstate an indoor mask mandate. Los Angeles County resurrected its requirement that people wear masks indoors this weekend in response to its own increase. De Blasio rejected that option for New York City. "Simple answer, no," he told reporters Monday. "Masks have value unquestionably, but masks are not going at the root of the problem, vaccination is, so we do not intend a mask mandate. We do intend to double down on vaccination." The city has just under 4.5 million residents fully vaccinated, short of the mayor's goal of 5 million fully vaccinated by the month of June. The Delta variant now accounts for 69 percent of virus cases tested in the city. It's driving a similar jump in other parts of the state: average daily cases have nearly quintupled in the Capital Region over the last two weeks. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams on Monday joined City Council health chair Mark Levine in calling for the mask mandate to return , saying, "We waited before, & people died." But de Blasio said such a move would be a "disservice" because it would not address the bigger issue of convincing stragglers to get their shots. "The bottom line is vaccination is the answer," he said. Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams, for his part, was non-committal on how he'll handle the matter assuming he makes it to City Hall, saying he'll follow the advice of health experts. On the off chance you're among those who still haven't gotten around to it, there are still three more days to get vaccinated under the giant whale at the American Museum of Natural History. 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 announced public schedule. WHERE'S BILL? Speaking at an Eid prayer and holding a media availability. TODAY: New York is expected to receive more than $1 billion under a new settlement with three drug distributors — McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation — that are part of an unprecedented jury trial targeting major corporations in the opioid supply chain, various news outlets reported late Monday. The agreement, which could be announced as early as today, would remove the companies from the trial that began in late June at the Touro College's Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center auditorium in Central Islip. — POLITICO's Shannon Young | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | |
|  | WHAT CITY HALL'S READING | | Adams, Gillibrand push gun trafficking crackdown, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams joined forces with another top Democrat to tackle gun violence on Monday, appearing with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to push gun trafficking legislation. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, and Gillibrand spoke outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, where Gillibrand announced she will reintroduce a bill to make gun trafficking across state lines a federal crime. Adams, a former NYPD cop, has made combating the city's spike in shootings his top campaign issue. Last week he met with President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss the issue and held a joint press conference with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. ... "Plan A is to get the federal, state and city to come together with a coordinated effort," he said. "But as my mother would say, 'Boy, you better have a plan B.'"... Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa addressed reporters outside Borough Hall immediately after Adams' event, and pushed for state legislation to double the sentence for gun possession to seven years. "There are no consequences for carrying guns in the city of New York," Sliwa said. "It cannot be the federal government that is going to solve our issues." But he added he supports Gillibrand's gun trafficking bill. "At ranked-choice vote hearing, critics speak inside while defenders rally outside," by NY1's Emily Ngo: "A State Assembly hearing Monday on the use of ranked-choice voting in last month's city primaries served as a platform for longtime critics to air their grievances. 'What played out on Election Day as I observed and members of my organization, I believe, was the anticipated result of a nefarious, intentional plan to dilute the vote of African-Americans,' said the Rev. Kirsten John Foy, founder of Arc of Justice. But some non-white supporters of the new voting method made the exact opposite case. 'It's insulting that our lawmakers, some of our candidates, people opposing RCV are saying that, pretty much, Black people or people are color are stupid and we don't understand RCV,' said Debbie Louis, lead organizer for Rank the Vote NYC." "Eric Adams Says He May Split Time Between Gracie Mansion And Brooklyn If He Becomes Next Mayor," by Gothamist's Jen Carlson: "It's the house that Robert Moses re-built. The former Upper East Side home of Archibald Gracie has served several purposes since it landed in the hands of the city in the late 1880s, but in the 1930s, Moses had it fixed it up and offered it to mayor Fiorella LaGuardia, calling it the city's 'little White House.' Since then, mayors have been conflicted on whether or not to move in, and Eric Adams is the latest to face the question. On Monday, Brian Lehrer asked the Democratic mayoral nominee if he would move into the mansion if he wins in November. 'I love Brooklyn, so it may be a combination of Gracie Mansion and my place in Bedford-Stuyvesant,' Adams said, adding, 'First we need to win, then we'll decide what the proper address will be.'" "Judge to compel everyone present at Eric Garner's death to testify in judicial inquiry — NYC Mayor de Blasio likely off the hook," by New York Daily News' Molly Crane-Newman: "All the first responders who were present for the NYPD-chokehold killing of Eric Garner in 2014 should expect to testify at the upcoming judicial inquiry into the city's handling of his death, a judge said Monday. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Erika Edwards will issue a decision by Friday regarding what evidence she'll permit and who she'll let testify at the historic inquiry slated to start Oct. 25, transcripts of which will be made public." | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "In Albany, the socialism experiment began before Walton won Buffalo mayoral primary," by Buffalo News' Tom Precious: "As people wonder what a democratic socialist might bring to Buffalo following the June Democratic mayoral primary victory by India Walton, a living, breathing example already exists in New York: the state Legislature. Their ranks are small — just six out of 213 lawmakers in both houses — but advocates on causes from housing and taxes to criminal justice matters say these new democratic socialists are prodding an already liberal-dominated Legislature further to the left. The apparent influence of the six lawmakers is also outsized because nearly all of them came to office having beaten popular incumbents last year, including one who served in the Assembly for 48 years. Going into the 2022 election cycle, an increasing number of Democrats in the two houses are seeing their political shadows lengthen with worries that they, too, might face their own potential primary challenges from the left with support of the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA. Even some hardened, if somewhat entrenched, liberals in the houses are worrying. "'Lawmakers learned that no matter how progressive they are, they can still target you. There's not anybody in Albany who doesn't expect them to continue to do that for this cycle. It's something everybody is thinking about and watching,' one Democratic Party insider who spoke on condition of anonymity said of DSA, which has a chapter in Buffalo of several hundred members that is trying to help Walton's campaign." "Cuomo staff attendance records withheld for 'law enforcement purposes ,'" by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office is declining to release records detailing overtime payments to junior staff members, arguing those records have been 'compiled for law enforcement purposes' and if disclosed would 'interfere' with law enforcement investigations. The denial may provide insight into an investigation being conducted by Attorney General Letitia James' office, which concerns Cuomo's use of government staff to produce 'American Crisis,' a $5.1 million, for-profit book. As the Times Union reported in April, at least two junior Cuomo staffers were assigned book-related tasks last year, while also earning substantial overtime payments in 2020. Cuomo's office says that no overtime was paid to staffers for work related to 'American Crisis,' and that any overtime requested was 'to help assist in the operation of state government.' The office is declining to release the records that may confirm that assertion." Gillibrand has no interest in running for New York governor, by POLITICO's Anna Gronewold: Kirsten Gillibrand for president again? Probably. Governor, as a possible stepping stone? Not so much. At the moment, the junior senator from New York is gathering support to reform the way the military prosecutes serious crimes. She is pushing to capitalize on Democratic control of Congress for other long-term priorities, such as making gun trafficking a federal crime. In an interview on Sunday, Gillibrand said she stands by what she told POLITICO in May: She "definitely" wants to run for president again. "But if I do run again, I would like to be successful," she said. The timing for a second try will likely depend on whether her work succeeds in elevating her name on a national level. Running for governor of New York might elevate her profile — it's worked for nearly a dozen New York governors who won their party's presidential nomination. But embattled three-term Gov. Andrew Cuomo seems set on running for a fourth term next year, and Gillibrand says she has no interest in his job, not in 2022, not ever. "Mayor Lovely Warren, husband to be arraigned on criminal charges. What we know now," by Democrat and Chronicle's Gary Craig: "Though estranged, Mayor Lovely Warren and husband Timothy Granison are now scheduled to be reunited in an unlikely place Wednesday — a courthouse for arraignments on criminal charges against the two of them. In an indictment handed up by a grand jury, the two are charged with criminal possession of a firearm, a felony, and two misdemeanor counts each of endangering the welfare of a child and failure to lock or secure firearms in a dwelling. Warren, who lost the Democratic mayoral primary, already faces a September trial on allegations of campaign finance fraud. Her attorney, Joseph Damelio, said Warren will contest the latest charges as vigorously as she has the campaign finance allegations. She has denied any criminal wrongdoing in that case." MOUNT VERNON UPDATE: "Mount Vernon sewer issue: 'I'm truly shocked,' White House advisory council official says" #UpstateAmerica: "Somehow, though, through a sustained public health campaign and a responsive local population, the tourism epicenter of the Adirondack Park would go on to record the lowest rate of infections of any county in the park." Adirondack Explorer's Tim Rowland discovers how Essex County held off the pandemic. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | Scranton on the Hudson | | Trudeau to ease border rules Aug. 9 for fully vaccinated Americans. Now it's Biden's move., by POLITICO's Andy Blatchford: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will loosen border restrictions Aug. 9 for fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents looking to visit Canada for nonessential travel. All eyes are now on President Joe Biden for his own reopening plan. Canada announced the step Monday as it also laid out plans to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from other countries starting Sept. 7. "As we made decisions around reopening to the world in early September, and to American travelers, a few weeks before that, we kept the American government fully apprised," Trudeau said at an event later in the day in suburban Toronto. "We will continue to work with them, but understand and respect that every country makes its own decisions about what it does at its borders." | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — A proposed subway fare hike will be pushed back until at least next year. — The oldest continuously running Off Broadway theater in New York City has been sold to the Lucille Lortel Theater Foundation for $11 million. — Airport police are no longer seizing marijuana, making arrests or issuing tickets for low-level possession when screening travelers. — The TSA reunited a woman with the engagement ring diamond she lost at JFK. — Federal prosecutors are asking for leniency for Lauren Salzman, a star witness in the NXIVM trial. — A Black couple who established Saratoga Springs' Free Fridge program said they were pursued by city police after leaving Black Lives Matter march last week. — Staten Island activist and city comptroller candidate John Tabacco filed a police report against two borough elections officials he said had him forcibly removed from a ballot-counting session. — De Blasio pledged to fix up NYCHA's closed playgrounds. — Jackson Heights open streets opponents don't like the circus. — Netflix's new Bushwick studio is set to open in September. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Tom Friedman … CNN's David Chalian … POLITICO's David Giambusso … Franklin Foer of The Atlantic … Insider's Steven Perlberg … NBC News PR's Joya Manasseh … Barry Lee Myers … Stuart Elliott … Fred Kreizman ... Beth Doane WEEKEND WEDDING — Dan Donahue, an NBC Nightly News writer, and Dominique Cuce, an NBC News senior comms manager, got married over the weekend in Amenia, N.Y., with a close group of family and friends in attendance. Pic, via Joshua Brown WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Charlotte (Dillon) Ross, a principal at Inspired Capital, and Henry Ross, an attorney at Krieger Kim & Lewin LLP, recently welcomed Emily Catherine Ross. Pic … Another pic — JP Schnapper-Casteras, partner at Schnapper-Casteras PLLC, and Tamara Klajn, a former Obama State Dept. official and current Princeton PhD candidate, on July 14 welcomed Alexander Schnapper Casteras Klajn, who came in at 8 pounds 6 ounces. Pic ... Another pic MAKING MOVES — Ursula Burns, former chair and CEO of Xerox and VEON, has joined the board of directors of Endeavor. … Goldman Sachs' Dina Powell McCormick has been named to Forbes' "CEO Next 2021: The Up-and-Coming Leaders Set to Revolutionize American Business" list, a new franchise of the publication. WHAT WALL STREET IS READING — "A Goldman Sachs Analyst by Day, He Helped Pitch Israeli Baseball Into the Olympics: Former Yale hurler Eric Brodkowitz, using the remote work option to its fullest, honed his breaking ball with an independent club in Idaho as his adoptive team makes an improbable run to Tokyo," by WSJ's Andrew Beaton | | REAL ESTATE | | "NYC Pays $122 Million to Turn Bronx Cluster Sites into Housing for Homeless Families," by City Limits' David Brand: "New York City housing officials have closed on a deal to turn 14 so-called cluster site homeless shelters in the Bronx into permanent affordable housing for hundreds of families. The $122 million purchase, completed June 23, covers 777 units of affordable housing, including 554 apartments for families experiencing homelessness, according to the city's Department of Social Services (DSS). Together, those families consist of more than 1,500 people, including hundreds of children, the agency says. Some were already living in the units while others have moved in from other locations, including the recently shuttered Ellington Hotel in Morningside Heights." "Rep. Ritchie Torres introduces rental aid bill to fight homelessness by increasing Sec. 8 vouchers," by New York Daily News' Tim Balk: "Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) has proposed a bill with the hopes of taking a swing at homelessness through sweeping enhancements to rental assistance for the poor. The legislation, called the Ending Homelessness Act of 2021, aims to grow the federal government's existing housing voucher program for low-income tenants, known as Section 8. The bill would boost the availability of federal rental aid vouchers by some 3.5 million by 2025, and would make the assistance available to every eligible American within a decade, according to Torres' office." | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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