| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia | | | President Joe Biden, during a visit to Buffalo after a racist mass shooting that killed 10 people, denounced the "poison" of white supremacy in an emotional speech and vowed that the hateful ideology would not prevail. The president made the trip after an 18-year-old gunman targeting Black people at a local supermarket carried out the year's deadliest mass shooting. Biden was joined by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. Calling the attack "domestic terrorism," Biden zeroed in on its racist motivation. "White supremacy is a poison," he said. "It's been allowed to fester and grow right before our eyes. No more." He vowed: "In America, evil will not win. I promise you. Hate will not prevail and white supremacy will not have the last word." Biden also criticized those on the political right — including New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, though he did not name names — who have echoed the "great replacement" theory that apparently motivated the shooter, which claims that Democrats are trying to replace white voters with nonwhite immigrants. "I call on all Americans to reject the lie, and I condemn those who spread the lie for power, political gain and for profit," he said. Yet many residents say the president's words will be meaningless without further action, and it's not yet clear what concrete steps come next. Biden made a nod to the nation's ability to "keep assault weapons off our streets," but there is no credible effort to tighten federal gun laws in a closely divided Congress. Hochul had planned to roll out new gun safety proposals on Tuesday, but delayed the announcement due to the president's visit. She has been thrust into new negotiations over how to toughen gun laws in a state that already has some of the strictest in the nation. New York's red flag law — which can be invoked to bar a person deemed a threat to themselves or others from buying guns — should, in theory, have been a tool tailor-made for the alleged Buffalo shooter, who state police brought in for a mental health evaluation after he threatened a murder-suicide at school. But no one petitioned for intervention under the law, which has been little used. Hochul's new gun measures are now likely to be introduced in the coming days. 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 KATHY? Making an announcement in Manhattan. WHERE'S ERIC? Holding a round table with Muslim women leaders, holding a media availability, meeting with the mayor of Milan, meeting with the Belgian state secretary for asylum, speaking at commencement for NYU medical school, a Police Athletic League dinner, and the German American Chamber of Commerce White Asparagus Gala Dinner. ABOVE THE FOLD — "New York City Coronavirus Cases Reach 'High' Alert Level ," by The New York Times' Joseph Goldstein: "New York City health officials put the city on 'high Covid alert' on Tuesday, after rising case counts and hospitalizations reached a level that could put substantial pressure on the health care system. The announcement was triggered by a color-coded alert system that the city introduced in March. But so far, the system has had little impact on the city's disease control strategy or the public's perception. Mayor Eric Adams warned Monday that the city was nearing the threshold, but said 'we're not at the point of mandating masks.' For two months now there has been a persistent rise in known infections, driven almost entirely by Omicron subvariants." HOCHUL TO ATTEND LCA SHOW: Every governor from Teddy Roosevelt through David Paterson delivered an in-person rebuttal at the annual Legislative Correspondents Association Show. That streak came to an unfortunate end in the previous administration, but a new century-long streak is poised to start: Gov. Kathy Hochul will be delivering the Democratic rebuttal next Tuesday, May 24 at The State Room in downtown Albany. Republican gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani will be delivering his party's rebuttal. Buy your tickets here.
| | | | A message from PhRMA: Did you know more than half of every dollar spent on medicines goes to someone who doesn't make them? There's a long line of middlemen, like PBMs and insurers, collecting a significant portion of what you pay for medicine. The share of total spending for brand medicines received by the supply chain and other stakeholders increased from 33% in 2013 to 50.5% in 2020. Learn more. | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | Rikers reform plan submitted to court in bid to avoid federal takeover of city jail, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: Seeking to stave off a federal takeover of troubled Rikers Island, the city pledged to overhaul its staffing and disciplinary practices to address dire conditions at the jail complex. A federal judge ordered Mayor Eric Adams' administration to come up with an action plan to tackle the crisis — after federal prosecutors said they were considering seeking to strip control of the jail system away from the city and place it under federal receivership. The plan was filed in court Tuesday. City officials agreed to steps including hiring civilian experts to fill high-ranking posts, tightening sick leave policies for correction officers who have missed work in huge numbers, and changing the way staff are assigned to key posts within the jails. Adams optimistic on mayoral control after day of lobbying in Albany, by POLITICO's Madina Touré: Mayor Eric Adams spent Tuesday working the halls of the Legislative Office Building adjacent to the state Capitol primarily in an effort to lobby state lawmakers in support of a four-year extension of mayoral control of city schools as they remain undecided on how to proceed. Adams arrived in Albany late Tuesday morning following an early morning Amtrak train ride along with several members of his team and was seen entering a car around 10 a.m. to head to a packed day of meetings with lawmakers. ... The current version is set to expire June 30. " As Adams Praised a New Police Tool, a Close Ally Had a Stake in the Maker," by The New York Times' Michael Rothfeld, William K. Rashbaum and Dana Rubinstein: "For years, as an elected official and candidate for New York City mayor, Eric Adams promoted an unconventional police tool called BolaWrap. Designed to fire a Kevlar tether that ensnares people who might fight or try to flee from the authorities, the hand-held device has been tested and rejected by the New York Police Department. … What was not widely known as Mr. Adams lauded the device was that his friend, political benefactor and current chief of staff, Frank Carone, had a significant financial stake in the company that makes it. Indeed, Mr. Carone more than doubled his investment within two weeks of Mr. Adams's endorsement at Borough Hall." "NYPD Lawyer Eludes Discipline With 'Just Following Orders' Defense," by Hell Gate's Nick Pinto: "In a summer full of ugly police violence against peaceful protesters, the NYPD's response to a march in Mott Haven on June 4, 2020, stood out as especially brutal. After trapping protesters between walls of helmeted cops brandishing batons, the NYPD held them in place until the recently instituted 8 p.m. curfew. Then, police arrested the marchers en masse for violating the curfew, dousing them with pepper spray and beating them along the way. … The NYPD lawyer responsible for okaying the arrest of those legal observers was identified by the City agency tasked with addressing police misconduct, and was about to face discipline last fall. But in an abrupt reversal in December, not reported until now, he was exonerated after making an unusual defense: He was just following orders." "'This isn't just normal attrition': Why city workers say they're quitting," by Gothamist's Elizabeth Kim: "For Jeremiah Cedeño, working in city government had always felt like a higher calling, something the 34-year-old Bronx native attributes to having been raised in the church. Cedeño viewed himself as a potential lifer in city government. He had worked for three different municipal agencies over the last four years, most recently the Human Resource Administration, which oversees public assistance. But his feelings about his employer dramatically soured over the last year, and he quit several weeks ago. The decision came surprisingly easily. … According to city workers, some staff losses have involved individuals with specialized skills or advanced degrees — such as public health researchers, lawyers, architects, engineers — suggesting the risk of a brain drain in the city workforce."
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "Lawmakers deliberating case of Buffalo shooter and mental health," by Times Union's Joshua Solomon: "Legislators in the final days of the scheduled session are considering whether to make it mandatory to report a 'red flag' if someone makes a violent threat that could pose an extreme risk to themselves or others, according to a source familiar with discussions. The person attributed the proposal in part to questions raised about whether law enforcement or school officials should have taken more proactive steps following the teenager's alleged threat. But the negotiations also are focused on how to address potential mental illness without criminalizing it. A simple policy solution is particularly challenging, lawmakers are finding, especially one that could clearly remedy what took place prior to a racially motivated mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, which left 10 Black people dead." — The state suspended without pay a prison guard who mocked the shooting on social media. " NY Assemblyman Jake Ashby launches state Senate campaign, other races take shape," by Spectrums' Kate Lisa: "New York Assemblymember Jake Ashby will seek election to the state Senate, he announced Tuesday, adding to a multitude of congressional and state Senate hopefuls launching their campaigns after new district boundaries were released Monday. Ashby, a Castleton native, is the first Republican to declare his candidacy for the reconfigured 43rd Senate District, which includes all of Rensselaer County, the northwestern piece of Albany County and all but the northern part of Washington County." " Pols want Hochul hubby's biz to hike wages or stay out of $1.4B Bills stadium," by New York Post's Zach Williams: "State lawmakers want the company employing the husband of Gov. Kathy Hochul to pay its workers more – or risk losing any chance at lucrative contracts in the new Buffalo Bills stadium that she foisted on state and local taxpayers to the tune of $850 million. New York's First Gentleman Bill Hochul is senior vice president and general counsel at Delaware North, a company that manages 'concessions, premium dining and retail services' at the current Bills stadium." " Why Starbucks Workers Had To Wait Six Months To Get Help From The US Labor Board," by New York Focus' Maxwell Parrott: "The complaint shows that the majority of the stores allegedly affected by some of Starbucks' illegal tactics in Buffalo have not so far filed for a union—an alleged coercive strategy used to preempt union campaigns that the NLRB has found difficult to fully address. While the board's announcement could mark a major turning point for Starbucks union in New York, workers whom the company allegedly fired in retaliation for union organizing continue to be stuck in limbo. Though the regional NLRB demanded that the workers be reinstated and reimbursed in the new filing, the process of litigating a complaint often takes a year or even several to run its course." #UpstateAmerica: The state will pay you for fixin' up an old barn if it was built prior to World War II.
| | | | A message from PhRMA:   | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | Bill de Blasio and other New York Democrats eye rare, open congressional seat, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin and Sally Goldenberg: A newly open congressional seat in Manhattan and Brooklyn created by a redistricting plan is drawing a large field of potential contenders — and former Mayor Bill de Blasio is considering jumping into the race. Under draft district maps released Monday, New York's 10th District would cover lower Manhattan, brownstone Brooklyn and the Orthodox Jewish enclave of Borough Park, Brooklyn that enjoys consistent voter turnout. The seat has no incumbent, after Rep. Jerry Nadler, who represents the current 10th District, announced he will instead run against fellow longtime incumbent Rep. Carolyn Maloney in the 12th, which will be reshaped to include his upper West Side home under the new plan. The rare open seat has prompted a scramble from potential candidates, including the former mayor. Four state lawmakers — Sens. Brad Hoylman and Simcha Felder and Assemblymembers Robert Carroll and Jo Anne Simon — told POLITICO they may run. Former City Comptroller Scott Stringer also did not rule out jumping in. Dems question whether Maloney can run DCCC while battling freshman colleague, by POLITICO's Sarah Ferris and Ally Mutnick: House Democrats could find themselves picking sides in a deeply uncomfortable primary this summer: their campaign chair versus a Black freshman. And a growing swath of the caucus is blaming its midterm chief, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, for the predicament. Maloney's decision to abandon a newly redrawn version of his current swing district — and instead run for a seat that includes most of Rep. Mondaire Jones' turf — is raising private concerns from across the party that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chief has put himself in an inappropriate scenario: leading the party's midterm strategy while potentially battling a fellow member. New draft maps continue to shuffle Hudson Valley congressional fields, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: The fields for several races in the Hudson Valley continued to adjust on Tuesday, a day after a court released draft maps for new congressional and state Senate races. Assemblyman Michael Lawler (R-Orangetown) announced that he's considering a run for a potential new CD-17 that is centered on northern Westchester County. "Over the last 24 hours, I have received strong encouragement from across the state to consider running for Congress," he said in a statement late Tuesday afternoon. "While I have not made any final decision, and likely won't until the maps are finalized on Friday, I am leaning towards running for Congress."
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — People have been injecting heroin at two uptown subway stations in the hours after nearby supervised injection sites close. — "Albany Nanotech's newest building will be called NanoFab Reflection, to compliment the school's largest building, NanoFab Xtension." — Hoosick Falls police chief Robert Ashe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of official misconduct. — NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere is suing the federal prison that holds him in Arizona because he says phone conversations with his attorneys are being cut short. — Because of the pandemic: Students who fail their Regents exams can appeal to earn graduation credit. — Clifton Park Town Hall is sorting through "hostile work environment" allegations. — Diversity and sexuality issues in schools are driving big school board election turnout. — Christian Cooper, the Black bird watcher famously threatened by a white woman in Central Park, will star in a new TV show. — Council Member Pierina Sanchez had shots fired near her office for the second week in a row.
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) … Querry Robinson … AP's Meg Kinnard … Clyde Haberman … Hiltzik Strategies' Ryan Hughes … Matt Yglesias … NBC's Josh Lederman and Leah Graf … Jules B. Kroll … Gary Kopff … Jonathan Broder ... Sarah Danzig Simon … Judy Boullet … Fay Sliger … Teddy Nykiel SPOTTED on Tuesday night at the 2022 ceremony for the Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics in New York City which Jessica Contrera of the Washington Post won for her stories on child sex trafficking. Lester Holt engaged in the keynote conversation with David Maraniss. Part of Contrera's acceptance speech … Ten-year anniversary video about the legacy of the late Shadid COMING ATTRACTIONS — Global Citizen will host a two-day summit called Global Citizen NOW on Sunday and Monday at Spring Studios in New York, which expects to bring together more than 200 leaders in numerous fields to talk about how to end extreme poverty and protect the planet. Speakers will include Speaker Nancy Pelosi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, Barbados PM Mia Mottley, Citi's Edward Skyler, Bill Nye, Gayle King, Gloria Steinem, Lynsey Addario, Pharrell Williams and Rachel Brosnahan.
| | | | A message from PhRMA: Did you know that PBMs, insurers, hospitals, the government, and others received a larger share of total spending on medicines than biopharmaceutical companies? That's right, more than half of spending on brand medicines goes to someone who doesn't make them. Let's fix the system the right way and ensure more of the savings go to patients, not middlemen. Learn more. | | | | | Real Estate | | "Council backs off sabotage of 421a," by Real Deal's Kathryn Brenzel: "As the mayor makes a last-minute push to save an affordable housing tax break, City Council members planned to rally for its demise. With seven working days left in the state's legislative session, Mayor Eric Adams is traveling to Albany to make his case for a replacement for 421a. Meanwhile, the City Council's Committee on Housing and Buildings planned a hearing Tuesday on a resolution calling on the state to let it die. But the Council canceled the hearing without explanation." " Average NYC income needs to double just to afford higher median rent, city study finds," by amNewYork's Isabel Song Beer: "New Yorkers need to double their average income just to afford the escalating median rent in the Five Boroughs, a study from the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) revealed. … These findings concluded – among other things — that in 2021, the city's overall household income would need to double in order to afford the median rent price of $2,750. Even so, the vast majority of available residences are taken, as the HPD reported a citywide vacancy rate of 4.54%." | | | | 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 | | | | |
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