| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Téa Kvetenadze | To sweatpant or not to sweatpant? It could become the new question as public bodies — and the New Yorkers whose taxes pay for them — search for a post-pandemic version of open meetings. Today the state Senate's Ethics Committee will hold a "hybrid" meeting, with participants attending both in-person and via videoconferencing. The meeting was originally advertised as being held over Zoom, with no opportunity for members of the public to physically attend. But since Gov. Andrew Cuomo ended the state of emergency two weeks ago, a fully remote session would have likely violated state law. The meeting's setup was revised last week to allow some non-committee members to attend remotely or in person. At least some of the people scheduled to testify to the committee were given the same option. As our Bill Mahoney writes , the setup foreshadows a looming debate about how to balance "the clear benefits of an increasingly online government with the loss of transparency brought about by the establishment of a Zoomocracy in which government officials hand down decrees from undisclosed locations." There's an appetite to get back to the in-person meetings of yore: Most of us are over Zoom by now and the physical distance forced by the pandemic has allowed some elected officials to dodge interactions with protesters, the press, and the general public over the past 16 months. But the normalization of videoconferencing has also made government more accessible for members of the public who might not otherwise be able to participate in traditional meetings because of scheduling or physical disabilities. Some governmental bodies may decide to include both options moving forward. Bill notes that one agency, however, is unlikely to weigh new methods to include the general public because it is largely exempt from the Open Meetings Law: the notoriously opaque Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which is expected to be the focus of much of the Ethics committee's attention today. 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? In Albany with no public events. WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability and appearing on Inside City Hall. | | | | 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 to meet with Biden Monday for gun violence discussion, by POLITICO's Sally Goldenberg and Kelly Hooper: President Joe Biden and New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams will meet in Washington on Monday to discuss gun violence — a growing problem in New York City and the centerpiece of Adams' recent successful campaign. A representative for Adams confirmed the meeting, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and The Uprising Sunday evening. The rep declined to share details, but Adams hinted at a request he wants to make of the White House during an appearance on ABC's This Week Sunday morning. The retired NYPD captain and current Brooklyn borough president called for better coordination between the city and the federal government to track the unlicensed firearms used in shootings across New York. "Eric Adams Has Plans for New York, Beyond Public Safety," by The New York Times' Emma G. Fitzsimmons, Dana Rubinstein and Jeffery C. Mays: "The two initiatives encapsulate Mr. Adams's self-characterization as a blue-collar candidate: Make the streets and the subway safe and reliable for New York's working-class residents. But they also hint at the challenges that await the city's next mayor. … Mr. Adams, who would be the city's second Black mayor, would face other steep challenges: steering the city out of the pandemic; navigating the possibility of a new City Council trying to push him to the left; grappling with significant budget deficits once federal recovery aid is spent. How he intends to accomplish it all is still somewhat theoretical, but he has offered a few concrete proposals — some costly, and with no set ways to pay for them — mixed in with broader ideas. "Some of New York City's mayoral transitions have reflected wild swings from one ideology to another. The current mayor, Bill de Blasio, ran on a promise to end the city's vast inequities, which he said had worsened under his billionaire predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg. The gentle and consensus-building David N. Dinkins was succeeded by Rudolph W. Giuliani, a hard-charging former federal prosecutor. Privately, Mr. de Blasio supported Mr. Adams in the competitive primary, believing that he was the person best suited to carry on Mr. de Blasio's progressive legacy, and if Mr. Adams defeats the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, an abrupt change in the city's direction is unlikely. But in some ways, Mr. Adams has staked out positions on issues like affordable housing, transportation and education that suggest a shift from Mr. de Blasio's approach." — PERSPECTIVE from Errol Louis in the Daily News: What Eric Adams represents: Appreciate the rise of Black political power in New York "NYC's push to move homeless from hotels to shelters halted in court," by New York Post's Nolan Hicks and Jesse O'Neill: "The Department of Homeless Services temporarily suspended its push to move 8,000 homeless New Yorkers from hotels and into shelters Friday — just hours after advocates filed a motion accusing City Hall of violating the rights of people with medical and mental health problems. DHS quietly stayed three upcoming moves after the Legal Aid Society charged in a federal court filing that the agency was failing to perform required health screenings before the relocation, potentially endangering homeless people with special needs. So far, residents from 23 of the 60 emergency hotel shelters opened to provide space for social distancing during the pandemic have already been moved back into the city's congregate shelter system. A spokesman for DHS confirmed that the suspension of the three other planned moves would last through at least Tuesday, when the first hearing is set in the court case." "LIRR considering new types of ticketing with commuting patterns changing," by Newsday's Alfonso A. Castillo: "Sales of the Long Island Rail Road's monthly commuter passes have plummeted 85% during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Newsday analysis, prompting railroad officials to consider new ticket types that reflect the reality many commuters won't be returning to the office five days a week anytime soon. LIRR president Phillip Eng said railroad officials have 'been discussing internally and reviewing different options' for new ticket types that would better reflect how often, and when, passengers travel to work. 'We've been monitoring ridership that's been returning. We want to make sure that the tickets that we have can better sustain and support the changing ridership,' Eng said June 29." | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "Gov. Cuomo loses NY transit union support amid ongoing scandals," by New York Post's Carl Campanile and David Meyer: "Things are really going off the rails for Gov. Andrew Cuomo! The governor's grip on power in Albany suffered a big blow amid mounting scandals — with the head of the state's largest transit union saying he is looking for another horse to back in next year's race. 'I didn't go to Cuomo's recent fundraiser. I'm over him,' TWU International President John Samuelsen told The Post after nearly every other top labor leader in the state stumped for Cuomo at the June 29 high-dollar soiree. The powerful national head of Transport Workers Union, which represents 48,562 subway and bus workers in New York, is looking for an alternative to the scandal-tarred incumbent. 'Am I considering an alternative to Cuomo for governor? Absolutely. Definitely,' he said. 'We are not going to continue to support dishonest brokers — and Cuomo is one. I'm not going to support a guy who doesn't support my members.'" "For top #MeToo legal duo, a pandemic year brings no pause," The Associated Press's Jocelyn Noveck: "She'd just upended her life by going public with sexual harassment allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. And Charlotte Bennett, a former aide to the governor, realized that Saturday night in February that she had no plan for what came next. She was 25 years old, and had never been in the media spotlight. How would she deal with the fallout, both publicly and personally? She didn't have long to wonder. The next morning, an email arrived from Debra Katz, the same civil rights attorney who'd represented Christine Blasey Ford, accuser of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, along with accusers of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and countless other powerful men accused of sexual misconduct, most of it along with her professional partner of 20 years, Lisa Banks. 'How are you holding up?' Katz asked Bennett when they connected. Did she have support or advice? Not really, Bennett said." "Bill limiting nominations could scale back governor's power," by Spectrum's Susan Arbetter: "The Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority includes nominees from the governor, the mayor of New York City, unions and those county executives whose counties are within the MTA footprint. The fact that several of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's picks either still work for him directly, or worked closely with him in the past, has prompted two lawmakers to take action. State Assemblyman Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) and Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) have introduced legislation to curb what Epstein has called the appearance of a conflict of interest. 'There's a lot of conversations we've been having over the years over who's appointed to what authority and what board,' Epstein told Capital Tonight." "New data: In New York, nearly half of police use of force cases involved Black people," by Times Union's Joshua Solomon and Emilie Munson: "Half the time police in New York say they wielded force it was used on a person who is Black, newly released state data show, highlighting a rate that is substantially disproportionate to the state's overall population, which is 18 percent Black. Some Capital Region police departments, including Albany, Troy and Schenectady, reported that Black people accounted for more than 60 percent of cases in which they used force — from officers using chokeholds to deploying Taser-like devices and chemical agents to brandishing and shooting firearms. At least 10 people statewide died after police used force out of more about 7,000 use of force cases between July 2019 and October 2020, according to data reported by police agencies to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and released Thursday. However, that tally does not include deaths that followed force used by the New York City Police Department, the state's largest police department, which refused to report such figures to the state." "Bronson critical of I-90 rest stop plans due to Chick-fil-A's anti-LGTBQ+ donations," by WROC's Panagiotis Argitis: "In their letter to the New York Thruway Authority, several assemblymembers, including Harry Bronson questioned the decision to add Chick-fil-A in the project's plans by quoting the company's history with opposing the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and families. 'This move by the Thruway Authority, strikes us as sending a message to LGBTQ+ communities that it doesn't share the same commitment to their civil rights as New York State,' Bronson stated in the letter. 'We are requesting that you re-examine the list of approved concessions for these rest spots considering Chick-fil-A's action against the LGBTQ+ community.'" #UpstateAmerica: The St. Regis Mohawk tribe is on the verge of opening the state's first legal marijuana shop. | | | | THE ROAD TO TOKYO 2020 – A TUESDAY CONVERSATION WITH FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE IOC ANITA DEFRANTZ: The Tokyo Olympics kick off July 23, 15 months after being postponed. One problem … Japan's capital city is in a Covid state of emergency and has prohibited fans from attending. With financial pressure to push forward and potential punishment for any athletes involved in protests or demonstrations during the sporting event, these Olympics Games will be unlike any other. Join Global Translations author Ryan Heath for a POLITICO Live conversation with Anita DeFrantz, First Vice President, International Olympic Committee, on what's at stake in the Tokyo Olympics, as a global health crisis, sports and politics all come to a head. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | FEELING '22 | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Rana Abdelhamid, who is running a primary challenge to Rep. Carolyn Maloney, has raised $410,000 since launching her campaign on April 14, according to figures her campaign will report Monday. Abdelhamid, a community organizer, is backed by the Justice Democrats, the progressive group that supported the successful primary challenges run by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman. The fundraising figure sets a record for most money raised by a Justice Democrats primary challenger in their first quarter. Maloney narrowly survived a primary challenge last year by Suraj Patel. "I am running to ensure working class Americans have a voice in D.C., and the outpouring of grassroots support to this campaign speaks volumes," Abdelhamid said. | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — "Morale at the Department of Correction is very low," the commissioner says, one of the reasons city correction officers are moving over to the NYPD. — The tenured faculty at New York colleges are still mostly white men. — Personal income surpassed pre-pandemic levels by almost 13 percent in the first quarter of 2021 according to Tom Dinapoli. — Some Long Islanders are just now getting vaccinated because they didn't want to be "guinea pigs." — The home of the former Staten Island Yankees, which cost taxpayers $70 million, is in shambles. — An ex-Guilderland judge serving time for swindling elderly people says prison is not great and is trying to get released early due to "inexcusable" conditions. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Playbook's Ryan Lizza … The Atlantic's Isaac Dovere … CNN's Brooke Baldwin ... Barclays' Adam Elias … Alex Halpern Levy … Matt Daly … Brandon Shaw … Fox News' Bryan Llenas … Josh King of Intercontinental Exchange … Alex Halpern Levy… CBS News' Mary Walsh … Basel Hamdan is 4-0 … Jessica Hanks of DKC … David Lerman … Alexandra Betesh … Gregorio Gomez … Ella Riley-Adams ... … (was Sunday): Daniel L. Doctoroff … Garrett Graff turned 4-0 … Joe Wall of Goldman Sachs … Andrew Kirell … Tristan Berne … Ali Schmitz of "Meet the Press" … Valery Galasso … Jamie Stiehm … Fox News' "The Five" turned 1-0 … Corey Boles … The City's Alyssa Katz … … (was Saturday): Rubicon Founders' Morgan Ortagus … POLITICO's Sam Stein … Stephonn Alcorn of the White House … CBS' Shawna Thomas … MSNBC's Kyle Griffin … Kenny Day … CUNY Board Chair Bill Thompson … Sarah Boxer ... WSJ's Heather Haddon … Karen Hinton … Rena Shapiro of a4 Media … Owen Karrel … Kaylee Marie Sanders … Elie Jacobs … Phillip Hedayatnia … White & Case's Keir Whitson MAKING MOVES — Per Reuters' Anna Irrera: "Matt Homer, who formerly led the New York Department of Financial Services's innovation division, has joined Nyca Partners, the venture capital firm founded by ex-Visa President Hans Morris, the company said. Homer has been appointed Nyca's first executive in residence, and will help the investment firm develop its cryptocurrency strategy." MEDIAWATCH — Per Talking Biz News: "Wall Street Journal reporter Russell Gold is departing after 21 years to join Texas Monthly. He will write about Texas business. Gold has been covering climate and business as the Journal's senior energy reporter." … "NBC News has hired Nicole Childers to be executive editor of business, technology and media coverage… Childers is the senior producer of Marketplace Morning Report with David Brancaccio." … Laura Reston is joining The New York Times opinion section as senior editor. She most recently was at the New Republic. DEEP DIVE — "The Swashbuckling Lawyer Who's Taking on the Sackler Family: Thanks to one judge, members of the family that made billions from OxyContin could escape justice for their role in the opioid epidemic. Mike Quinn may be the best hope of holding them to account," by Libby Lewis in TNR | | REAL ESTATE | | "Should an Oasis Be Replaced by Affordable Housing? SoHo Is Divided.," by The New York Times' Zachary Small: "The junky, city-owned lot, wedged between Elizabeth, Mott, Prince and Spring streets, seemed out of place. Mr. [Allan] Reiver convinced city officials to let him rent the lot for $4,000 a month. Then, he set out clearing it. The trash was replaced with trees, grass, limestone lion statues, granite balustrades and rose beds, which Mr. Reiver first used as an outdoor showroom for his antiques gallery next door. But as the years went by, and members of the community learned about the fresh-air sanctuary, it came to be known as the Elizabeth Street Garden. In 2012 the city wanted to end its month-to-month lease with Mr. Reiver so it could develop an affordable housing building for local seniors. A conflict soon developed that would pit the city's desperate need for low-income housing against the desire of Mr. Reiver and other residents to maintain what had become a much-needed green oasis. In 2019, Mr. Reiver became part of a lawsuit aimed at stopping the garden's closure. But in May, he died."
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