| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia | Presented by Healthcare Education Project | Mayor Eric Adams will roll out plans to combat gun violence this week, after the shooting death of an NYPD officer brought to a head long-simmering concerns about rising violent crime in the city. Two police officers were shot, one fatally, while responding to a domestic dispute call in Harlem Friday night. The second officer remains in critical condition. The slain officer was a 22-year-old rookie remembered for a desire to improve police-community relations. Five cops have now been shot in the first three weeks of the year. "It is our city against the killers," Adams said at Harlem Hospital, where the two officers were treated. "This was an attack on the city of New York." For the new mayor, the murder increases the urgency of delivering on his central campaign promise of restoring public safety in the city. It follows other high-profile crimes like the murder of a woman shoved in front of a subway train in a random attack. While promising a more detailed blueprint soon, Adams is also turning to the federal government to call for a crackdown on illegal guns flowing into the city. "We need help," he said Sunday on CNN. "We have to stop the flow of guns. We are removing thousands of guns off our streets and it appears as though for every gun we remove from the street, five are coming in. That is unacceptable." As for steps the city can take on its own, he said he'll "immediately" move to restore the NYPD's plainclothes anti-crime unit, the controversial division he promised during the campaign to bring back in a modified form to target guns. 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? Touring the NanoTech complex in Albany with Sen. Chuck Schumer. WHERE'S ERIC? Giving remarks on gun violence, meeting with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, and attending a reception with the 2025 Invictus Games Host Committee. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "And I think that to me it was concerning because why would you ever step away if you were innocent?" — former Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy on Andrew Cuomo's resignation via Spectrum News
| | | | A message from Healthcare Education Project: 7 million New Yorkers rely on Medicaid for healthcare. With the Medicaid population growing and COVID persisting, resources for hospitals who care for our most vulnerable can be a life or death issue. Right now, many hospitals are at capacity, maternity services are strained, and access to care is threatened in vulnerable communities. Enough is enough: Every New Yorker deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare. Please join the movement to support our hospitals and frontline healthcare workers. Learn more. | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | City's supervised injection sites reverse over 100 overdoses, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: New York City's two supervised drug injection sites have reversed more than 100 overdoses since they opened their doors less than two months ago. The nation's first officially authorized injection sites began operating at the end of November, one in East Harlem and one in Washington Heights. They allow clients to openly use drugs under the supervision of trained staff, hoping to combat an overdose crisis that killed more than 2,000 people in the city in 2020. They have reversed 114 overdoses, according to data from the program first reviewed by POLITICO. "The need is greater than anyone even expected," said Sam Rivera, executive director of OnPoint NYC, which runs the facilities. The city Health Department initially estimated that injection sites, also known as overdose prevention centers, could save up to 130 lives a year. PAC with ties to Adams raises over a $1M from real estate, nightlife and GOP figures, by POLITICO's Joe Anuta and Sally Goldenberg: A political action committee tied to Mayor Eric Adams — and run by a friend of his with business interests before the city — raised over $1 million from pro-Trump real estate players, a New Jersey nightclub owner eyeing expansion into New York, and a tech giant who got a meeting with the mayor a day after giving $50,000 to the group. The PAC, Striving for a Better New York, was created last September by New York City-based Rev. Alfred Cockfield II with the hopes of boosting moderate candidates in upcoming state elections. In its first public disclosure, the organization showed strong support from business owners — as well as Republican boosters — according to a filing published by the state Board of Elections on Tuesday. The donations were collected over the past 3.5 months. " A Grim January Leaves Some New Yorkers Fearful for the City's Future ," by The New York Times' Michael Wilson, Chelsia Rose Marcius and Nate Schweber: "The march of terrible news has felt dizzying, leaving many to question the very soundness of the city beneath their feet — their home, a place that, for many, has felt unfamiliar of late. In dozens of interviews around the city this weekend, New Yorkers young and old, lifers and newcomers, described a new and deep unease at what looks like an erosion of social norms and the sense of security that they remember before the pandemic."
| | | | JOIN FRIDAY TO HEAR FROM GOVERNORS ACROSS AMERICA : As we head into the third year of the pandemic, state governors are taking varying approaches to public health measures including vaccine and mask mandates. "The Fifty: America's Governors" is a series of live conversations featuring various governors on the unique challenges they face as they take the lead and command the national spotlight in historic ways. Learn what is working and what is not from the governors on the front lines, REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | New Jersey leads the nation in online sports betting. Here comes New York, by POLITICO's Joseph Spector: New York gamblers in recent years have flocked to New Jersey to bet on sports, helping make the state the biggest athletic wagering destination in the nation. Some simply made the trip across the George Washington Bridge to click their phones, place their online bets and head home. Those days could be over. Two weeks ago, the border battle heated up: New York entered the online sports betting market, making it the largest state in the nation to allow for sports betting and ramping up the competition as more and more states fight for their share of an industry long confined to Nevada. New York has surpassed early predictions as sports gambling giants like FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars lured in new customers through massive incentives and free bets ahead of the start of the NFL playoffs. " Localities see 'near seismic' shift in Hochul's first state budget plan," by Buffalo News' Tom Precious: "The jump in overall spending in the Hochul plan includes much money that will benefit localities, including more funding for road and bridge repairs; includes a $1 billion multi-year program aimed specifically at fixing potholes; includes new environmental spending that will result in new infrastructure work locally and expands improvement works projects in more communities; boosts state aid for strained local public health agencies; and adds money to lure more doctors to underserved areas. The reaction by local governments in the days after the Hochul budget was released was unusual, particularly given the ongoing tussles – and, they said, lack of respect – shown by Cuomo toward the units of government that are down the food chain from Albany but still are responsible for so many direct public services." — Child and family advocates say Hochul's child care and after-school funding falls short of what's needed to invigorate the industry. Move over, Rockefeller: DiNapoli climbs longevity mark as statewide NY official, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: Monday will be Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's 5,466th day in office. For those not keeping score at home, that stretch of 14 years, 11 months, two weeks, and three days since he became comptroller on Feb. 7, 2007, means he'll have been in office for as long as Nelson Rockefeller was governor from 1959 through 1973. On Tuesday, DiNapoli will have the fifth-longest tenure of anybody in New York's history who has held the top executive branch posts of governor, attorney general or comptroller. And he'll soon move up to fourth on that list, as he's due to pass former Attorney General Robert Abrams on Feb. 8. #UpstateAmerica: 'Cathedrals of the modern age'? Buffalo preservationists are pushing back on Great Northern's intent to decimate its grain elevator. PLAYBOOK SPECIAL: Buffalo News' Albany bureau chief Tom Precious left daily journalism Friday. On his final day, he agreed to share some secrets he's learned after 25 years of covering state government for the paper. This exchange has been edited for length and clarity. Q: What's something everyone in Albany should know about how Albany works? A: One, that it's hard to appreciate the impact Albany has on the everyday lives of so many residents until you read the bills, take calls from readers, listen to debates, hear the stories of people coming to the Capitol seeking help from government, and see what companies and special interests pay to advance or stop change. And: that there are some remarkably intelligent people in that building; that treating people with respect — no matter how hard you might hammer them in a story — pays dividends; that actually reading bills is kinda cool; and that spending time looking at the historical records — and yes, microfiche filings of things like 'bill jackets' when those things were taken seriously by governors — give insights beyond imagine to understanding Albany today. Q: What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say "strangest thing you ever saw in the state Capitol"? A: Just one? … Had a lawmaker, who sources said had left the Capitol during session to go back to Buffalo for a fundraiser, tell me he drove the nearly 800 miles roundtrip before dashing back to Albany because he needed to get some clean dress shirts from home; saw a hired clown chasing down embattled Pedro Espada with him yelling, "Get that clown away from me"; told by an elevator operator that it took longer to repair a Capitol elevator than it did to build the Empire State Building; witnessed young school kids during an otherwise staged event call Eliot Spitzer "a clown" and "Chuck E. Cheese"; and, after a long election night of coverage in Manhattan and fed up dealing with political types for the day, I went to a bar to meet my friend/competitor, Mike Gormley, for a drink. Walked in and he was already seated with Roger Stone, Steve Pigeon, the "Manhattan Madam" and Randy Credico. I think I lasted one beer. 3. Do you have a favorite story (or a favorite few stories) that you've covered? Why? A: Not a favorite, but perhaps most important: The work I did with a colleague, Jerry Zremski, after the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 outside Buffalo in 2009. Spent months investigating commercial airline pilot training matters, talking with federal crash investigators, pilots, aviation schools, and going up with a pilot in an acrobatic plane to learn about "stick and rudder" skills. Feds changed pilot training rules after our series. Q: In the New York political world, where movement often seems painfully gradual, can you point to clear changes you've seen over the course of multiple years? A: People are less patient, the attacks are more personal and vehement, and social media has upended things, for the better and worse. Folks talk of the days long ago when lawmakers would do battle during the day and be friends once leaving the building. No more in many cases. For all the transparency talk and more things posted to agency websites, the Capitol in some basic ways has retreated. Once a reporter had to know, or should have known, every agency commissioner and deputy commissioner because they would talk to reporters. That's been gone for some time. Pataki, who was no open government award winner, permitted his frontline budget office examiners to talk to reporters on background for a day or two after he unveiled his state budget; we'd get some spin, but mostly the answers to very specific questions about complex subject areas. In the days of Mario Cuomo, legislative leaders would come out of secret budget talks and reveal details of what they talked about and openly complain about whatever took place behind closed doors. Last Tuesday, when Hochul presented her budget, I asked her fiscal office about one single line item. By Friday afternoon, when I left daily journalism, still no answer. [NOTE: Precious did get an answer at 9:32 p.m. Friday evening, though he had officially left the job by then.] Q: Ideally what will you be doing on March 31 this year, if not for reading a Big Ugly ? A: With much fortune, my beautiful wife and I will be getting ready to go see our first grandchild, who is due in April, as our beautiful daughter, who lives too far away in the LA area, becomes a mother. And, stop off to see my beautiful son, who lives too far away in Denver. If I'm traveling on March 31, maybe I'll call up the Big Ugly to see what goodies are jammed into it. Or not.
| | | | A message from Healthcare Education Project:   | | | | | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | " Ex-Giuliani Associate Igor Fruman Sentenced After Guilty Plea in Foreign Donations Case ," by New York Law Journal's Jane Wester: "Igor Fruman, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani who pleaded guilty in September to soliciting political donations from a foreign national, was sentenced in federal court in Manhattan on Friday to one year and one day in prison. Fruman, 55, was accused of working with another ex-Giuliani associate, Lev Parnas, to solicit political donations in exchange for retail medical marijuana licenses in New York, Nevada and other states. He pleaded guilty weeks before he and Parnas were set to stand trial together in Manhattan, where jurors found Parnas guilty of his role in the scheme in October."
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | " Delivery Workers Cheer Restroom Access and Tip Transparency Alongside AOC and Chuck Schumer," by The City's Claudia Irizarry Aponte: "Starting Monday, New York City's app-based food delivery workers are entitled to increased clarity on their daily earnings and tips, and the right to use most restaurant bathrooms, as new laws begin their rollout. The rules emerged from a slate of landmark bills approved by the City Council last September, sparked by THE CITY's reporting and the demands of Los Deliveristas Unidos, a labor group representing thousands of delivery workers. The Deliveristas celebrated the new protections Sunday afternoon with a rally in Times Square, flanked by allies including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-The Bronx/Queens) and Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has advocated for federal funds to create rest stops for the workers and other supports." "Congressman Jamaal Bowman vows to get arrested 'again and again' over voting rights," by Journal News' David Propper and Eduardo Cuevas: "Congressman Jamaal Bowman vowed Friday to get arrested 'again and again' in support of voting rights after U.S. Capitol Police took him into custody during a protest Thursday. Outside the Capitol, police arrested Bowman along with nearly 30 other people who were demanding the U.S. Senate pass a sweeping voting rights bill that the House already passed. 'I will do it again and again and again,' Bowman said in a statement. 'I will keep doing everything in my power to bring attention to the crisis we are in and ensure our democracy functions in a manner that represents the people.'"
| | | — The state's positive Covid-19 test rate stayed below 10 percent for two consecutive days. — FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro will retire in February. — Mayor Eric Adams took some losses when the Bitcoin market crashed after he took his first paycheck in crypto. — Seven top officials have left the Department of Education since new schools Chancellor David Banks took over and others have been demoted. — New York has the lowest rate of people leaving their jobs amid the Great Resignation, according to a new study. — The number of wild turkeys roaming Staten Island has increased since the start of the pandemic. Nobody knows why. — " For Albany drag queens, it's duct tape, glue sticks and glory" — Dogs are now allowed on Governors Island. — Hate-crime complaints skyrocketed by nearly 100 percent in New York City last year. — A group of anti-vaxxers were arrested after refusing to leave the American Museum of Natural History. — The W subway line, the last line suspended due to Covid-driven staff shortages, resumes service today.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: former OMB Director and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan … Dax Tejera of ABC News … WSJ's Byron Tau … Saharra Griffin of the Council of Economic Advisers … CNBC's Jacqui Corba … TPG Capital's Mark Fields … Edelman's Melanie Trottman ... Marion Kaplan ... Elliott Abrams … WSJ's Gerry Baker … Abigail Disney … Rick Leventhal … James Amen … Andrew Green … … (was Sunday): Norah O'Donnell ... John Heilemann ... Patrick Reis … CNN's Aaron Pellish … Edelman's Daniel Workman … Eric Koch of Downfield … (was Saturday): POLITICO's Zach Warmbrodt and Jesse Shapiro … CNN's Sarah Jorgensen … Skadden's Ken Gross ... Francie Harris of the Department of Commerce … Gideon Taylor ... Brianna Ehley of Finsbury Glover Hering … Kevin Bohn … Kendra Barkoff Lamy of SKDKnickerbocker MAKING MOVES: Matt Fernández Konigsberg is now general counsel at Community Security Service after roles in risk and compliance at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and as special counsel in the Andrew Cuomo administration.
| | | | A message from Healthcare Education Project: For more than a decade, the State hasn't increased Medicaid funding for hospitals that care for the most vulnerable New Yorkers. And now, with the Medicaid population growing and hospitals severely strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are stretched too thin – jeopardizing access to healthcare for New Yorkers, including maternity care. Enough is enough: Tell Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to take action and increase Medicaid funding for New York's hospitals who serve as a "safety net" for our most vulnerable patients and provide access to the quality care they need and deserve, including through the COVID pandemic. Our frontline workers who care for New York's most vulnerable depend on it. Learn more. | | | | | Real Estate | | " One Week After Eviction Moratorium Ends, Thousands Of At-Risk Tenants Seek Assistance," by Gothamist's Chau Lam: "A week after a pandemic-era moratorium on evictions ended, thousands of low-income New Yorkers behind on rent sought help from an emergency rent relief program, illustrating that many more households are at risk of losing their homes. The state agency tasked with administering the financial relief, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), received roughly 2,000 applications in the first four days after the statewide moratorium ended on January 15th, according to its spokesperson, Anthony Farmer." " Real Estate Optimistic About New York's 421a Tax Changes ," by Commercial Observer's Celia Young: "What's in a number? Well for 421a — the controversial tax incentive for residential development in New York City — it could be the fate of the city's housing stock. Gov. Kathy Hochul outlined her tweaks to the program on Wednesday. They would still allow developers to pay as little as no property tax for up to 35 years on residential developments that incorporate some affordable housing. The new program, dubbed 'Affordable Neighborhoods for New Yorkers,' would create a new tax code, 485w, slightly increasing affordability levels while decreasing the percentage of affordable units required in a development." | | | | 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 | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment