News: POLITICO New York Playbook: First day of school

Monday, September 13, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: First day of school

Sep 13, 2021

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia

Today is a big day for New York's City's new normal. It's the first day of school — and the first time in a year and a half all one million-ish students are expected back in their classrooms.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has staked a great deal on a full reopening, resisting calls to offer a remote education option for families who want it. One big question: How many kids will show up? Many parents are voicing anxiety over whether their kids will be safe in the classroom and some, our Madina Touré reports, are organizing a "safety strike" vowing to keep their children home. "We're still afraid," said Rashida Harris, a parent leader in the Parent Action Committee. "We don't trust the system. We don't trust the city."

All teachers and school staff will be required to get the Covid-19 vaccine by Sept. 27. But under an arbitrator's ruling late Friday, the city will offer non-classroom assignments to those who get medical or religious exemptions. Eligible students aren't required to be vaccinated, except for those in some higher-risk extracurricular activities.

Today is also the day all city workers have been ordered to return to their offices full time. Some city employees have protested the requirement , calling it both risky and unnecessary, since their computer-based jobs can be done from anywhere. But de Blasio says the city has not had a "particularly stellar experience" with remote work and "is not getting the same product" without workers in offices, besides considering the move a key part of New York's reopening. City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams are both defying the mandate , saying they won't require their employees to report in person today. A requirement for all city employees to either be vaccinated or get tested weekly for Covid-19 takes effect today.

Last but not least, today is the day enforcement begins for a mandate that all customers be vaccinated before getting indoor service at restaurants, fitness, and entertainment facilities, after a court challenge was thrown out on Friday. Civilian inspectors from 13 agencies will fan out to enforce the rules.

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 KATHY? In Central Park making an announcement with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and other elected leaders about Texas abortion laws.

WHERE'S BILL? Welcoming students back for the first day of school at P.S. 25 in the Bronx, holding a media availability, and appearing on NY1's Inside City Hall.

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WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"Never forget: 9/11 families gather once more at Ground Zero for 20th anniversary of terrorist attacks," by New York Daily News' Nicholas Williams and Larry McShane: "The families of 9/11, beneath a blue sky reminiscent of the clear September morning when their loved ones were killed by terrorists 20 years ago, gathered again Saturday to make good on America's promise to never forget. The kin of those killed when a pair of hijacked planes toppled the World Trade Center returned to the hallowed lower Manhattan site to mark the two-decade anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil, honoring the 2,753 first responders and downtown workers who never came home on Sept. 11, 2001. The victims' names again echoed through the silence for most of the five hours at Ground Zero — interrupted only as Brendan McCabe finished reading the name of his 40-year-old namesake father, killed on the upper floors of the South Tower."

— "More people have now died from 9/11 illnesses than during Sept. 11 attacks," by New York Post's Carl Campanile and David Meyer

Covid data dearth at New York public housing continues a pattern of neglect, by POLITICO's Téa Kvetenadze: Norma Saunders doesn't know exactly how many neighbors at her public housing development in the Bronx have died from Covid-19 — she just knows there have been many. She's lived at Bronx River Houses, run by the New York City Housing Authority, her entire life and serves as the tenant association president. But since the start of the pandemic last year, she's had to rely mostly on word of mouth to track Covid cases in the nine-building public housing complex. In one instance, a woman alerted Saunders in April 2020 that she hadn't heard from her 81-year-old neighbor in a week. When NYCHA didn't have a spare key they called the police, who broke down the door to find the man had died.

It would be another month before the health department published numbers showing that 21 of the 2,915 people living in Bronx River had succumbed to the disease and 101 had tested positive — the most Covid deaths of any NYCHA development in the borough, and the second-most deaths throughout the housing authority's 302 developments citywide. The city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has not released specific data on Covid-19 cases and deaths since May 2020.

"DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats sue New York City over delivery fee caps," by CNN's Danielle Weiner-Bronner: "DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats are suing New York City over its decision to make pandemic-era caps on the fees they charge restaurants permanent. The companies argue that the restrictions amount to government overreach and ultimately hurt consumers. New York City last year started restricting what third-party platforms can charge for delivery services as a way to help restaurants cope with pandemic restrictions. Under the rules, the platforms can bill restaurants 15% of a given order for delivery, plus an additional 5% for fees other than credit-card fees, like marketing which are tacked on as well. The city council voted in late August to make the limitations permanent."

"Ida's Health And Building Hazards Will Persist For Months," by Gothamist's Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky: "More than a week after Ida battered New York and New Jersey, residents are still dealing with the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding caused by the post-tropical cyclone. That could be the case for weeks to months, experts say. Occupants of flooded homes face health and safety hazards that persist long after the waters have receded — from mold to mental health challenges."

"NYC Virus Cases Appear to Plateau. Could an Uptick Lie Ahead? " by The New York Times' Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Otterman: "The Delta variant's rapid spread in New York City this summer has slowed in recent weeks, convincing some epidemiologists that the city's third coronavirus wave has begun to ebb. But others are bracing for an uptick of cases as school starts. Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city's health commissioner, described the current moment in an interview as a plateau, and warned that the level of virus transmission — at some 1,500 cases per day — 'remains at too high a level for us to be complacent about where we are.'"

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

Zucker question looms large for Hochul, by POLITICO's Shannon Young: If Andrew Cuomo was the public and private face of New York's Covid-19 response — repeatedly challenging critics to "blame" him for unpopular pandemic policies — Howard Zucker, his health commissioner, was the face of the administration's Covid-19 public defense. And yet the commissioner was often relegated to the physical and metaphorical periphery of the administration's policy decisions as Cuomo's top political aides wielded power over the state's response. Now Zucker is reporting to a new boss, Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is mulling a series of staff shakeups, including at the health department. And there is speculation in health-care and political circles that the state's top public health official may not survive the transition, even as the pandemic has revived in New York because of the Delta variant and vaccine skepticism among a small but significant percentage of state residents.

"A hospital says it won't deliver babies after staffers resigned over coronavirus vaccine mandate," by The Washington Post's Timothy Bella: "An Upstate New York hospital announced that it will stop delivering babies this month after several staffers in the maternity department resigned over the hospital system's coronavirus vaccine mandate. At least six unvaccinated maternity staffers at Lewis County General Hospital have resigned in recent days, and seven others remain undecided on whether to get vaccinated, Gerald Cayer, chief executive officer of the Lewis County Health System, said at a Friday news conference. The staff shortage will result in the hospital being 'unable to safely staff' the maternity department beginning Sept. 25, he said."

— "NY Releases Data On COVID Breakthrough Infections, Unvaccinated Make Up 21 Times More Hospitalizations," by WNYC's Gwynne Hogan and Gothamist's Nsikan Akpan

— Rep. Joe Morelle tested positive for Covid-19 and is urging others to get vaccinated.

"State seeks to move severely autistic clients to secure facility," by Times Union's Brendan J. Lyons: "The parents of adults afflicted with conditions such as severe autism say they are being forced by a state agency to choose between sending their child to a fenced-in institutional facility in the far reaches of the Adirondacks, or face the prospect of losing funding for their long-term care. The situation has rankled a group of state lawmakers who say the practice, put in place under former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, is an apparent cost-saving measure that exploits a loophole in a 2014 law designed to give parents due-process rights in decisions about long-term care for their children when they reach age 21."

"No, New York doesn't allow for mobile sports betting yet. Here's when it could start," by USA Today Network's Joseph Spector: "The NFL season is back. Just not mobile sports betting in New York. After being approved in April as part of the state budget, mobile sports betting is still months away from reality in New York as regulators weigh bids from six potential providers and hope to have the system up and running early next year. The goal is to have bets available online in time for the Super Bowl, the biggest sports gambling day of the year. It is on Feb. 13. 'I still remain optimistic that if not by the end of the year, by the beginning of next year, that we have our operators and providers and we're taking our first bets — and certainly by the Super Bowl,' said Senate Racing Committee chairman Joseph Addabbo, D-Queens."

"As legalized marijuana moves in NY, Savino cautions overtaxing will drive buyers back to underground dealers," by the Staten Island Advances' Kistin F. Dalton: "Four appointments have been made to New York's newly formed Cannabis Control Board and Office of Cannabis Management under New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Set up by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Office of Cannabis Management cannot set guidelines or issue licenses necessary for residents to distribute, process, farm and open dispensaries and consumption locations until the 13-member board has been filled."

#UpstateAmerica: Some tomato plants in Canandaigua are the size of trees, but not growing tomatoes.

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TRUMP'S NEW YORK

"Giuliani associate Igor Fruman pleads guilty to solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national," by CNN's Erica Orden: "Igor Fruman, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, pleaded guilty Friday in New York federal court to a charge stemming from a case alleging he funneled foreign money to US campaign coffers. Fruman, 56, pleaded guilty to solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. He faces up to five years in prison. His plea didn't include an agreement to cooperate with the government. Fruman had faced multiple charges. He and another Giuliani associate, Lev Parnas, were originally indicted in October 2019."

" Rudy Giuliani goes on a tear during 9/11 memorial dinner," by New York Post's Sam Raskin: "Ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani at a 9/11 commemoration on Saturday called a top US general an 'idiot' and 'a–hole,' imitated Queen Elizabeth and distanced himself from Prince Andrew, in a series of soliloquies, video shows. During an appearance at an annual Sept. 11 dinner held at Cipriani, Giuliani wondered of Gen. Mark Milley, 'How's that guy a general?' while imagining physically assaulting the decorated joint Chiefs of Staff chairman because of his advice to close Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan."

FROM THE DELEGATION

"Schumer calls for $33M in funding for weather system upgrades after Hurricane Ida," by New York Post's Sam Raskin: "Sen. Chuck Schumer on Sunday called on Congress to spend $33 million on upgrading the systems that help forecasters predict extreme weather after the remnants of Hurricane Ida caught local officials off guard earlier this month. ... The senator is also seeking $3 million in federal funds for upgrades to the Empire State's system to allow for 'sharper' forecasts."

— Two additional New York counties have qualified for disaster federal aid from Ida.

AROUND NEW YORK

— A man was charged in a hit and run crash that killed a 3-month-old baby in Brooklyn.

— The Mansion neighborhood in Albany, just blocks from the governor's residence, is "begging" the city for help with rising crime.

— "The closure of a popular refugee crossing point from New York to Quebec during the pandemic continues to cause confusion."

— The Buffalo Soldiers — the U.S. Army's famous Black cavalry — finally got a West Point statue.

— Multiple fire companies responded to a large blaze at the Trump golf course in the Hudson Valley.

— A rescue cat of Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa steals the show in his first TV ad, which goes on air today.

— NYPD officers and other city employees are parking their personal vehicles in a brand new bike lane in Lower Manhattan.

— A man found dead at Rikers Island had been blocked from paying his $1 bail.

— The pool at Brooklyn's Bedford Union Armory development is charging $50 for a half hour kids' swimming lesson.

— The MTA has pulled a $500,000 death benefit for any unvaccinated employees who die from Covid-19.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Vivian Schiller of Aspen Digital … NBC's Ginger Gibson and Casey Dolan … Sanette Tanaka Sloan … NBC News PR's Emma Martin … Edelman's Thomas Dudley … CNN's Alli Gordon … Bloomberg's Laura Davison … Danielle Burr … (was Sunday): The Daily Beast's Matt Lewis … Max Boot … Fox News' Andrea DeVito … POLITICO's Ben Schreckinger … NBC's Tom Costello … Yahoo's Ethan Klapper … Ed Moy, former director of the U.S. Mint … David Meis … Richard Thaler … Jill Jackson … Natalie Raps … NYT's Kim Severson … Khan Shoieb ... (was Saturday): Seth Pinsky

MAKING MOVES — Eugene Resnick is the new deputy communications director for the MTA. He was formerly deputy press secretary for city Comptroller Scott Stringer … Tiffany-Ann Taylor will be the new VP at the Regional Plan Association, and Zoe Baldwin will be New Jersey director. Taylor comes from the city Department of Transportation, where she was deputy director of freight programs, education and research for the freight mobility unit. Baldwin was director of government affairs for the NJ Utility & Transportation Contractors Association.

REAL ESTATE

"New Development Returns, Along With New Holdouts," by The New York Times's Stefanos Chen: "Once again, it pays to be a holdout in New York City. After more than a year of moribund sales and projects stalled by the pandemic, developers are attempting to move forward with large assemblages of land and unused air rights to create the next wave of towers, as the market turns the corner. But in their path are a small number of homeowners and tenants — the latest in a long tradition of headstrong and sometimes quirky residents — who won't give up their hard-fought patch of dirt so easily. In other words, New York is back."

" Inwood Watches Closely as New Zoning Kicks In," by The New York Times's C.J. Hughes: "With the lawsuits settled in favor of change in Inwood, developers have begun nosing into the middle-class northern Manhattan enclave, intent on putting up tall new buildings where they were not permitted before. Since last fall, when New York's top court greenlighted a sweeping rezoning of the area, builders have acquired a half-dozen redevelopment sites. At the same time, a handful of projects that were put on hold for years while a lawsuit to halt the rezoning wound its way through courts, have recently snapped back to life. Many of the new projects contain unusually large amounts of affordable housing, which could allay fears about Inwood's becoming New York's latest bastion of luxury."

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