| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Téa Kvetenadze | We mentioned last week that the long-running feud between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio would finally be coming to an end, what with Cuomo resigning in disgrace and all. But Cuomo is still governor for another six days, and the fight still has a little bit of life left in it. Today's topic: Congestion pricing. De Blasio took exception after the state-run MTA said that it will take 16 months to do an environmental assessment before implementing a charge to drive into central areas of Manhattan. (The environmental assessment, for those keeping track, was supposed to be the faster way out compared to a full-scale environmental impact statement, which the federal government opted not to require. And congestion pricing was supposed to start at the beginning of 2021.) "Do I buy that timeline? No," de Blasio said. "I'd like to meet the person who thinks 16 months is expedited. That's ridiculous." The MTA's Ken Lovett hit back with a statement blaming the mayor for refusing to sign off on the 16-month schedule, thereby delaying the process. "We're mystified by the mayor's statement," he said. "By throwing his own DOT professionals under the bus and refusing to provide the sign off that is required by the federal government, City Hall has already delayed the start of this project by two weeks and threatens to impose even further delays." This was one of the topics on the table as de Blasio sat down for a meeting Tuesday with soon-to-be Gov. Kathy Hochul, who also met with Jumaane Williams, a former rival for lieutenant governor, while in the city. These two have so far been totally civil with each other. De Blasio said he was "very hopeful" to be dealing with a "decent" person as opposed to the "really aberrant" and "not normal" Cuomo. Still, it's not clear they'll end up seeing eye to eye on this particular issue. While de Blasio promised to press Hochul on the need for congestion pricing at their confab, the lieutenant governor sounded not entirely sold on the idea when asked for her stance by The New York Times . "Lieutenant Governor Hochul has supported congestion pricing in the past, but the pace and timing is something she will need to evaluate further given the constantly changing impact of Covid-19 on commuters," her rep said. But de Blasio and Hochul were all smiles in a joint statement after their sitdown, saying: "We look forward to working with each other to continue New York City's recovery and end the fight against COVID." IT'S WEDNESDAY. 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 and a bill signing. WHERE'S KATHY? Touring a school in Corona, Queens. COUNTDOWN TO KATHY: 6 DAYS | | | | INTRODUCING OTTAWA PLAYBOOK : Join the growing community of Politicos — from lawmakers and leaders to pollsters, staffers, strategists and lobbyists — working to shape Canada's future. Every day, our reporting team pulls back the curtain to shed light on what's really driving the agenda on Parliament Hill, the true players who are shaping politics and policy across Canada, and the impact it all has on the world. Don't miss out on your daily look inside Canadian politics and power. Subscribe to Ottawa Playbook today. | | | | |
|  | WHAT CITY HALL'S READING | | "NYC begins requiring proof of vaccination at eateries, gyms," by The Associated Press's Bobby Caina Calvan: "Notices taped to the windows and front door of the Stop Inn, a diner in Queens, made it clear the eatery would comply with the city's new edict against the coronavirus: All patrons dining indoors at restaurants, browsing works of art at museums or sweating it out at gyms must prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The signs at the Stop Inn went up Monday evening, said a server, to give customers due notice that on Tuesday it would begin complying with the city's latest effort to curtail the spread of the virus, particularly the troublesome and more contagious delta variant that has fueled a surge in infections and hospitalizations across the country. Norbu Lama, 17, said he was surprised when a server politely asked for his vaccination card soon after he slid into a booth with his parents and younger sister. 'We didn't know we had to bring it,' he said. The server appeared relieved when Lama and his family presented copies of their vaccination cards on their phone." "NYC Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams goes on European vacation," by New York Daily News' Shant Shahrigian: "Following a tough primary season, New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams is going on vacation. 'Eric is on a long-delayed ... personal trip to Europe with family. Honestly, the staff can't believe it,' campaign spokesman Evan Thies said in a Tuesday statement. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, left Monday and planned to return to the city on Friday, according to Thies. The spokesman did not reveal where Adams was visiting but did acknowledge that he's paying for the Euro-trip himself." " Perkins Loses Harlem Council Primary Recount by 114 Votes to Democratic Socialist," by The City's Rachel Holliday Smith and Christine Chung: "The New York City 2021 primary is finally officially over and Harlem has a new Democratic nominee for its City Council seat. In a major leadership shakeup for the area, Democratic Socialist and first-time political candidate Kristin Richardson Jordan has clinched her win over incumbent Bill Perkins, a New York politics veteran. The close race had gone to a manual recount by the Board of Elections on July 26, and took nearly a month to complete. It was the last outstanding race to be certified from the city's first ever ranked-choice primary on June 22. The race results were made official Tuesday afternoon by the city Board of Elections." | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "A week until she becomes governor, Kathy Hochul comes home to raise money," by Buffalo News's Tom Precious: "Hochul, who resides in Buffalo with her husband, William Hochul, a top Delaware North executive, will see a major influx of cash to her campaign account after the Wednesday evening fundraiser. Fontana's, near the border of Cheektowaga and Buffalo, can accommodate about 1,500 people. A Hochul campaign spokeswoman did not say how many are expected. The names of campaign donors and amounts won't be fully revealed until January when the next campaign filing is due from her political committee at the state elections board. The fundraiser in West Seneca was being billed as a birthday celebration for Hochul, who this month turns 63. Like Cuomo, Hochul has timed fundraisers in the past to her birthday. In an 'off-cycle' campaign finance filing dated Aug. 14, Hochul reported a campaign balance of $1,756,884." — "What Kathy Hochul's days in the Erie County Clerk's Office tell us about her leadership," by Buffalo News's Sandra Tan: "'She was hands-on with everything,' he said. She talked to residents waiting in line at the auto bureaus and worked to improve the staff culture so customers had a more positive experience, said Crangle and Hochul spokesman Matthew Janiszewski. She had TVs, comfortable chairs for adults, and a rug for kids brought into the waiting areas, Janiszewski said. She ensured that DMV customers were greeted by someone when they first entered and given a document checklist so they didn't wait around for a long time, only to be told at the window that they didn't have the paperwork needed to complete their transactions. "But it's the non-DMV work she did at the tail end of her career as county clerk that attracted unwanted attention. She instituted a new process that was supposed to make transactions more convenient for customers. But when Republican Chris Jacobs succeeded Hochul and took over the office in January 2012, he found a year's worth of mortgages, deeds and other real estate papers awaiting electronic verification and requiring return to their owners. Some of the tens of thousands of documents dated back to Hochul's time as clerk." "Disgraced Gov. Cuomo files for $50K pension ahead of delayed resignation," by New York Post's Carl Campanile: "Disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo filed retirement papers with the state to receive a $50,000 annual lifetime pension — just days before his resignation takes effect over his sexual harassment scandal. 'The governor just filed his application for service retirement. The date of retirement is Sept. 1, 2021,' a spokesperson for the state comptroller's office said Tuesday. Under current law, neither resignation or impeachment for alleged misconduct bars eligibility from obtaining a pension for state service. Only a felony conviction can trigger pension forfeiture... Cuomo's windfall is coming because he has accumulated 15 years of state service thanks to his 11 years as governor and four years as attorney general." — "Governor Andrew Cuomo issues clemency for 10 people in last days as governor," by The Associated Press "State lawmakers begin reviewing evidence in Cuomo investigation," by Spectrum's Nick Reisman: "Lawmakers in the New York state Assembly on Tuesday began reviewing documents gathered by investigators for Attorney General Letitia James' office, as well as those hired by the Legislature as the probe into Gov. Andrew Cuomo's controversies this year continues. The review of the documents this week by lawmakers comes a day after Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced the investigation into the governor by the Judiciary Committee would continue after initially suspending the effort on Friday, days after Cuomo's announced resignation. Heastie also pledged the committee would release a report on its findings." ANALYSIS: "Like fire through dry grass," from Empire Center's Bill Hammond: "The death toll in long-term care facilities turned out to be more than 6,000 higher than the state had acknowledged — a disparity shocking enough to make national headlines. The original directive grew out of a moment of genuine crisis, when a deadly but poorly understood virus was spreading with fearsome speed. Once the worst had passed, however, the governor and his aides had an opportunity to reassess their decision-making without the pressure of an emergency. They could have led an honest discussion of the decision they made — by describing the policy accurately, proactively sharing relevant data and engaging in good-faith debate to draw lessons for the future. Instead, they led what amounted to a disinformation campaign — one that continues to cloud understanding of a major public health disaster." "NRA Must Be Dissolved After Failing to Clean Up Misconduct, New York Says," by Bloomberg's Neil Weinberg and David Voreacos: "The National Rifle Association hasn't cleaned up rampant financial and managerial misconduct as it claimed over the past year, illustrating the need for the gun-rights group to be dissolved, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a court filing. A failed bid for bankruptcy protection earlier this year exposed the hollowness of the organization's claim to have corrected the mismanagement, which included lavish spending by its longtime leader Wayne LaPierre and other serious lapses, James said in an amended lawsuit in New York state court. The attorney general said even the bankruptcy judge had cited the 'shocking' level of authority LaPierre exercised over the group." #UpstateAmerica: The New York State Fair canceled the traditional "Governor's Day" event this year ... for obvious reasons. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — See one of these weird bugs? You're supposed to kill it. — Embattled Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren, who is facing criminal charges and is set to leave office in less than five months, put her house on the market. — Ten million dollars is a small price for a 10-acre private island with two Frank Lloyd Wright homes. — The NYPD arrested a man believed to be responsible for setting an outdoor dining structure and multiple garbage cans on fire in Manhattan. — Lincoln Center is getting a $20 million donation to help bring back and revitalize opera, jazz, theater and dance on its campus after taking a hit from the pandemic. — Now we know what happened to Gem Spa's famous Zoltar fortune telling machine after the store closed. — R. Kelly's trial on sexual abuse allegations is set to begin today in Brooklyn federal court. — D train service will be cut in part of Brooklyn for more than three months this fall. — Five women filed a class-action lawsuit against a prominent Queens physician, charging he sexually abused patients. — The MTA is looking to install more ramps rather than costly elevators to make stations accessible to wheelchair users. — Animal rights groups say an emancipated carriage horse with an open wound has been forced to work the streets of Manhattan. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, now of Warburg Pincus is 6-0 … Lincoln Foran … WSJ's Sadie Gurman … CNN's Simone Pathe … Bob Woodruff is 6-0 … Jason Furman … Emily D'Antonio … Bryan Greene MEDIAWATCH — Shawn McCreesh is joining N.Y. Mag as a features writer covering media, politics and power. He most recently was editorial assistant to NYT's Maureen Dowd. The announcement MAKING MOVES — Haley Scott is joining BerlinRosen as vice president of campaigns. She was the campaign manager for Brad Hoylman's Manhattan borough president campaign. Louis Gonzales is also joining BerlinRosen, as director of data strategy and targeting for the campaigns and elections team. He was data director for Scott Stringer's mayoral campaign. ... … Carlos Dávila-Caballero has been promoted to be chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. He most recently was director of D&I at the firm. … Kyle Weidie is now global head of digital marketing at Eversheds Sutherland. He most recently was global head of analytics and digital marketing at Kobre & Kim. READ UP — The Brooklyn Public Library is responding to the Cuomo scandal with a book list of modern and historical nonfiction and fiction titles about political scandals and predatory behaviors. ENGAGED — Scott Nover, a tech reporter at Quartz, on Sunday night proposed to Rebecca Fisher, a law student at the University of Michigan. The couple have been dating for 10 years and met in high school; both are originally from Cherry Hill, N.J. Pic | | REAL ESTATE | | Hochul will face dysfunctional rental aid system, potential eviction crisis upon taking office, by POLITICO's Janaki Chadha: When Kathy Hochul is sworn in as governor next week, she will take over a potential crisis for tenants across the state who were plunged into deep rental debt during the pandemic and have spent months awaiting government relief in vain. She will inherit a rental assistance program that has been mired in dysfunction under Gov. Andrew Cuomo, distributing relief at a glacial pace and frustrating renters as well as modest landlords who have been unable to keep up with their own bills amid a drop in income. And, in the absence of sufficient aid reaching tenants and owners, a Supreme Court decision last week blocking a core tenet of the state's eviction moratorium could accelerate a wave of evictions and a potential spike in homelessness at a time when Covid-19 cases are again on the rise. "City Disapproves Botanic Garden-Adjacent Mega Development," by Brooklyn Paper's Ben Verde: "The City Planning Commission will vote to disapprove the controversial Crown Heights apartment tower that threatens to block the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's sunlight, the commission's chair said on August 16. During a public meeting of the commission, Lago reiterated concerns about the size of the development and the risk it poses to the horticultural museum — as the garden's leadership claims the building would block out much-needed sunlight and destroy some of the local plant life." " Residents file a class-action lawsuit against NYCHA claiming lagging repairs, hazardous living conditions," by QNS' Julia Moro: "Tenants of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) at the Queensbridge Houses campus announced on Tuesday, Aug. 17, a class-action lawsuit against NYCHA for lagging in necessary repairs. The Justice for All Coalition organized support and sought legal representation from Queens Legal Services, who filed the lawsuit on the tenants' behalf. Residents have complained about vermin infestations, asbestos, lead paint and other harmful living conditions for years. One plaintiff, 72-year-old Pamela Wheeler, resides in Queensbridge North building and has complained to NYCHA about an incessant mice infestation in her apartment. According to Wheeler, NYCHA has not addressed that issue or any other complaints she has filed. Wheeler also said her kitchen sink does not work and frequently loses heat in the winter, causing body aches due to the cold temperatures."
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