| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Téa Kvetenadze | Nothing unites like a common enemy, New York's top elected officials know well. And in 2021, a scourge they're collectively raging against appears to be… …Twitter? Eric Adams, in a victory speech, advised younger reporters and politicians that "Twitter is not academic research. And what some candidates misunderstood is that social media does not pick a candidate." The highest-ranking House Democrat in the state's congressional delegation, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, also had something to say on the matter. He told The New York Times this week that "Twitter has its place in modern-day campaigning — however, if you're more comfortable online than in a Black church on Sunday morning, that says something about your likelihood of success." They join Twitter-averse Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has long railed against the platform as a lower news source, one of the "social media echo chambers" that contributes to a "fragmented and disillusioned" public he described in his most recent book. It's a curious target because these politicians haven't exactly boycotted the platform. Cuomo's top aides, for example, have for years embraced Twitter to aggressively counter negative reviews of their boss, and often respond more candidly on the site than in statements, calls or emails. It's also an interesting accusation of both the younger generation and other Democrats who have successfully used Twitter to draw attention to the party's campaigns, causes and their own personalities. (AOC? Who's that?) "Not saying he is wrong here, but who does he think he is dunking on?" Democratic consultant Rebecca Katz tweeted about Jeffries' statement. Katz noted that the congressman endorsed Maya Wiley, who has at least 400,000 more Twitter followers than Adams. New York's political Twittersphere — including your Playbook authors — should regularly examine how much emphasis we place on Jack Dorsey's Frankenstein and whether our curated feeds are distorting our views of people, voters and politics. 2020 reminded everyone that in-person interactions are absolutely essential. And constant scrolling is pretty bad for physical health, our doctors allege. But "too much Twitter" seems a very simple scapegoat for very complex fractures in modern political discourse. What's more, politicking will continue to evolve in yet to be determined ways, and voters who do not have access to or knowledge of the apps will soon become fewer and fewer. So despite the dissatisfaction, that little blue and white bird icon everyone's aiming at — along with TikTok, Instagram, Clubhouse, and all of their unborn social media siblings — is likely to stick around a little (or maybe a lot) longer. IT'S THURSDAY. 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 New York City with no announced public schedule. WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability and delivering remarks at One World Middle School at Edenwald. | | | | 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 | | ABOVE THE FOLD — Cuomo lavishes praise, Adams plays it cool in first joint appearance by POLITICO's Téa Kvetenadze, Anna Gronewold and David Giambusso: Cuomo lavished praise on Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams during a joint appearance in Brooklyn Wednesday — and so did Eric Adams. The glad-handing — expected between like-minded Democrats following an election — comes as Cuomo is in a battle for his political future and Adams is still basking in his primary win, fresh from a meeting this week at the White House. While the governor gushed over Adams during a joint press conference on gun violence, the Democratic nominee was decidedly more cautious in returning the compliments. Adams agreed the two, both moderate Democrats who have been targets of the left, are longstanding "progressives," united on public safety and criminal justice. But Adams focused more on his own record than that of a governor whose compounding scandals have imperiled his political future. "Eric Adams ... is going to be the next mayor of the city of New York, and I am very, very excited about that," Cuomo said. — CHECK OUT THIS 1,000-WORD PHOTO: Assemblymember Diana Richardson said "politics is politics" when asked why she was appearing with Cuomo, who she has said should resign. — GOP mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa blasted Adams' "continued coronation." "As Delta Spreads, Virus Cases Rise in New York City," by The New York Times' Joseph Goldstein: "Fueled by the Delta variant, daily coronavirus case counts in New York City have begun climbing in recent days, even as the city seems determined to turn the page on the pandemic. Just a few weeks ago, there were only 200 new cases a day across the city on average, the lowest level since the early days of the pandemic. But the city has now had a streak of days with 400 or more cases. And the test positivity rate has doubled: from below 0.6 percent on average to about 1.3 percent. Those numbers are still low, but the increase has been swift, surprising some epidemiologists and public health officials who had not expected to see cases jump so quickly after remaining level throughout June." — "Vaccines offered powerful protection against the coronavirus in New York City, blunting the second wave of the virus and saving an estimated 8,300 lives between December of last year and July of this year, according to a new study by Yale University epidemiologists released by the city on Wednesday." " City Hall quietly overrides Stringer's veto of school bus company bailout," by New York Post's Nolan Hicks: "City Comptroller Scott Stringer attempted to block an $890 million contract for the takeover of a school bus operator once owned by a major donor to Mayor Bill de Blasio — only to have City Hall quietly override his veto, The Post has learned. Stringer's office tried to nix the deal after the Department of Education refused to provide key details about the takeover of Reliant Transportation and its 1,000 school buses, including the total purchase price or the startup costs for the new city-run nonprofit — NYC School Bus Umbrella Services — set to operate the fleet. The DOE also refused to provide Stringer with any details about its independent appraisal of Reliant's financial health, which found the company has just $16.6 million in assets while carrying $18.6 million in pension liabilities. "NY Lawmakers Seek Stricter Lead Safety Standards for School Water Fountains. What About Parks?" by City Limits' Liz Donovan: "The water from hundreds of drinking fountains in New York City parks contains lead, data from the Parks Department shows — and while the levels are within the range deemed safe by federal standards, advocates say the threshold is outdated and should be lowered, an effort that's already underway in public schools. Nearly 3,500 public water fountains were tested in 2019 as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's LeadFreeNYC initiative, which the city pledged would 'help eliminate childhood lead exposure in New York City,' and 'ensure no stone is left unturned.' The fountains that were found to have lead levels above an Environmental Protection Agency-mandated 'action level' were put out of service, fixed and retested. But more than 320 additional fountains had levels of lead lower than the federal action level but higher than what is allowed in bottled water and, due to a newly passed bill, what state lawmakers want as the new safety threshold in New York public schools." RETROACTIVE INTERACTIVE: "Showing Up: Map of Mayoral Candidates' Campaign Stops Highlights Value of Being There," THE CITY's Josefa Velasquez, Samantha Maldonado, Ann Choi and Will Welch: "The mayoral candidates blazed their campaign trails with fervor in the final weeks before the primary election, shedding masks, embracing voters and hoping their non-Zoom facetime would pay off. THE CITY traced the top four Democratic candidates' whereabouts between April 1 and June 22, using public schedules released by their campaigns and social media posts." | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "MTA's Pandemic-Derailed Transformation Plan Was Off Track From Start, Critics Say," by THE CITY's Jose Martinez: "It's been more than two years since Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for an overhaul of the MTA, ridiculing the transit agency he controls as 'a disgrace' and 'a governmental Frankenstein.' But the so-called MTA Transformation Plan, whose cost-cutting goals were spelled out at an agency board meeting in late February 2020, has been derailed by the pandemic — and is going nowhere fast after millions were spent to hire consultants and new executives, critics say. 'It's not clear to me what the plan has done other than the general havoc COVID caused,' said Rachael Fauss, an analyst with Reinvent Albany, a watchdog group. Administrative job cuts that were on tap as part of the consultant-crafted Transformation Plan — which called for the elimination of up to 2,700 positions by the end of last year — have not materialized as envisioned. Instead, close to 3,000 employees have departed since the start of the pandemic, largely due to retirements, according to the MTA." RACE FOR THE OTHER PLACE: Zeldin planning for a $35M campaign budget in governor's race, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin is raising expectations about his ability to be financially competitive with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has long been one of the country's most prodigious fundraisers. "Our campaign needs to raise at least $35 to $50 million," Zeldin said in Albany on Wednesday. "I am very confident in our ability to raise at least $35 million. Right now we're operating off of a campaign budget of $35 million. We'd like to be able to increase that." A $35 million war chest would be by far the biggest for a GOP gubernatorial candidate since George Pataki raised $41.6 million in 2002 en route to becoming the most recent Republican to win statewide office. Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro raised $2.3 million in 2018. "Secretive Family Court panel members subject to $10K fines," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration is barring a commission examining Family Court reform from publicly discussing its "confidential" deliberations — subject to a $10,000 fine. When Cuomo announced the creation of the blue-ribbon commission in June, he said its efforts 'would improve the fairness and transparency of the Family Court system' in New York. But the commission's own operations have been secretive: The body first met on June 25, and even before that its 20 members had to attest that they would not publicly discuss 'confidential' deliberations — with commissioners subject to the fine if they violated the agreement. All the deliberations so far have been conducted in secret, with none of the meetings yet open to the public." #UpstateAmerica: Rochester alum Taye Diggs surprised School of the Arts teachers with more than $75,000 for classroom supplies. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | House GOP visits Tenney district for 'Faith in Elections' tour, by POLITICO's Anna Gronewold: A House Republican effort focusing on election integrity set up shop in this village near Utica on Wednesday to hear about the mangled 2020 election for New York's 22nd Congressional District, which wasn't decided until early February. It was one of the first stops for House Administration Committee ranker Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), who is traveling the country to meet with local elections officials as part of his "Faith in Elections Project." Welcoming him was the district's GOP Rep. Claudia Tenney, who ultimately bested incumbent Anthony Brindisi, a Democrat, in a vote-count process that laid bare the state's arcane elections processes. Just a day earlier, President Joe Biden called Republican efforts to change state voting laws "the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War," likened the efforts to 21st-century Jim Crow and pushed for Congress to pass a sweeping elections reform bill. But similarly emotive language was markedly absent from Wednesday's meeting of primarily Republican officials in Herkimer. Nor were there cries of fraud or the brash politicking that Tenney, who has ardent support from the Trump family, and her supporters have at times employed. | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — A nurse who treated New York's coronavirus "patient zero" has settled her suit alleging NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital mishandled the virus. — Local government property taxes in New York next year will hit their statutory cap of a 2% increase, according to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. — If you know, you know: "The Goats Are Back at Riverside Park." — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for funding to combat postpartum depression. — Lawmakers are ramping up requests to spend opioid settlement funds to fight rising overdose deaths. — Matt Damon (yeah, the actor) threw his support behind Bedford justice court candidate Clark Petschek in a video endorsement. — Coney Island has a new theme song. — The track in Saratoga is getting hype for a "normal" summer. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Irin Carmon … JPMorgan Chase's Heather Higginbottom … Bloomberg's Jodi Schneider and Liana B. Baker … David Miliband … Daily Beast's Max Tani … Brunswick Group's Mark Palmer … Arianna Huffington … Gareth Rhodes … Dr. David Lippman … Gilbert S. Palter WEEKEND WEDDING — Audrey Pence, an associate at Covington and Burling, and Dan Tomanelli, a public sector manager at Orbital Insight and an NSC and DOD alum, recently married at The Beach House in Kauai in front of 80 guests of family and friends. They had formally wed last November in Washington. The former Vice President Mike Pence walked his daughter down the aisle. The couple met in undergrad at Northeastern. Pic ... Another pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Zoe Chace, a producer at This American Life and an NPR alum, and her wife Lizzy Berryman, chief of staff at Fly By Jing, on June 26 welcomed Maximo James Berryman-Chace. — Fentress Boyse, a VP at Partners Group, and Leila Clifford, a freelance food stylist, on July 7 welcomed Henry Williams Hopkins Boyse. MAKING MOVES — David Krone has been named senior partner and global head of public policy at Apollo Global Management. He is the former chief of staff to then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. … Tia Hodges has been named VP and head of corporate giving and employee volunteerism at MetLife and will also serve as president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. She most recently was senior program officer at the Citi Foundation where she led the U.S. Youth Economic Opportunity portfolio. | | REAL ESTATE | | "Real estate calls hotel bill an 'F-U to the rest of the world,'" by The Real Deal's Kathryn Brenzel: "The City Planning Commission held a hearing on the text amendment that would force hotel projects to endure the city's seven-month land use review gauntlet. The proposal enjoys support from the hotel workers union and various elected officials but has drawn the ire of land use experts, developers and hoteliers. City Planning officials have also raised doubts. "Gene Kaufman, an architect whose business focuses on hotel work, said the measure would effectively halt hotel construction in the city, noting that a similar one has already stifled projects in light manufacturing districts. He called the application 'New York's big f-u to the rest of the world saying "don't come here,"' and said it would lead to a proliferation of homeless shelters: Hotels intended as temporary quarters for homeless New Yorkers are exempt from the special permit requirement. The decision will shape the future of hotel development for an industry devastated by the pandemic. According to a report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the city's hotel market has entered an economic depression." | | | | 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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