| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Julian Shen-Berro | Eric Adams might want all city employees in their government offices full time, but he's got his own flavor of remote work: a private hideaway at 375 Pearl St. with his deputy mayor for public safety, Phil Banks. The famously about-town mayor and Banks have office spots in the 32-story Verizon building, far away from City Hall's prying reporters, eagle-eyed employees and council members. As our Sally Goldenberg put it: "The yet-unreported workspace is the latest example of the fledgling mayor fiercely guarding his privacy as he acclimates to one of the most public political jobs in America." It's not like his City Hall offices aren't private and secure, or he doesn't have other haunts and meeting spots across the city that boast varying levels of visibility. But the Pearl Street sanctum has panoramic views of Manhattan, the New York Harbor and the city's East River bridges. It gives him and Banks easier access to the NYPD. And it's somewhere he has sought refuge that has never shown up on his public schedule. A spokesperson said the mayor has been to the site "less than a handful of times" and emphasized its proximity to 1 Police Plaza, with the administration's focus on reducing crime. The office space is an interesting counter to what Adams said on Sunday, when he suggested he wanted even less distance inside City Hall between his office and the room designated for the city's press corps. "So I think that if there's one thing I would change, I would move Room 9 closer to my office," he said, "so they can see how we're doing some good stuff." 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 KATHY? Making a gun violence prevention announcement in Brooklyn. WHERE'S ERIC? Delivering remarks at Project Renewal's Bedford Green House ribbon cutting and making an economic development-related announcement.
| | | | HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROE BEING OVERTURNED? JOIN WOMEN RULE ON 7/21: Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade , abortion policy is in the hands of the states and, ultimately, voters. Join POLITICO national political correspondent Elena Schneider for a Women Rule "ask me anything" conversation featuring a panel of reporters from our politics and health care teams who will answer your questions about how the court's decision could play out in different states, its impact on the midterms and what it means for reproductive rights in the U.S. going forward. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | "Funding for Penn Station Plan Could Fall $3 Billion Short, Report Says," by The New York Times' Patrick McGeehan: "New York's plan for renovating and expanding Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan will produce only enough revenue to cover about half of the improvements to the shabby station, a new financial analysis concluded. A shortfall that big would require the state to come up with more than $3 billion from other sources to pay for the station overhaul, a favorite project of Gov. Kathy Hochul that is estimated to cost at least $7.5 billion, the new analysis released Wednesday found. The research also estimated that developers of the office towers that would surround the station would receive tax breaks that could total $1.2 billion. The state plans to use payments from those developers to defray the cost of refurbishing the station." "NYPD walks back decision to end of marijuana testing for officers," by Times Union's Brendan J. Lyons: "The New York Police Department announced Wednesday it would no longer randomly test police officers or job applicants for marijuana, but then subsequently sought to walk back that directive. An internal memo shared with the Times Union, which was authored by the department's deputy commissioner for legal affairs, said the policy will align with state Labor Law that prohibits adverse employment actions based on recreational marijuana use. The department will still be allowed to test someone for marijuana 'if there is reasonable suspicion that the member is impaired by marijuana on the job.' But hours later, after news organizations reported on the policy shift, NYPD police Chief Keechant Sewell issued a memo to all commanders stating, 'existing department policies that prohibit the use of marijuana remain in effect. Members of the service are not permitted to use cannabis on or off duty and will continue to be subject to random, scheduled, and for-cause drug screening.'" "NY City Council members demand mayor 'immediately restore' school funding ," by WNYC's Jessica Gould: "New York City council members are demanding the Adams administration 'immediately restore' funding that was cut from public school budgets for the coming school year, and fill the gap using hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent federal stimulus funds. 'Principals, schools, and teachers must make important decisions within the next month, and your continued inaction is hampering their ability to make the right choices for students,' council members wrote in a letter Tuesday sent to the mayor and schools chancellor. The letter was signed by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and 40 of her colleagues on the 51-member council — the latest in a series of tense exchanges over school funding." "Frustration builds as NYC leaves COVID site on sidelines in monkeypox fight," by New York Post's Nolan Hicks: "The early days of the Big Apple's coronavirus vaccine rollout were plagued by incompatible computer systems provided by vendors that frequently crashed under high demand — so City Hall ordered up a home-built system that could handle the traffic. But that system, Vax4NYC, has inexplicably remained on the shelf while the Department of Health has once again opted to use vendors whose technology can't keep up with demand for monkeypox shot appointments, frustrating activists and former city officials. 'It's astounding that one year after the city scrambled to get vaccinations up and running that they're repeating every single mistake,' said one frustrated former city official. 'The city can't control how many monkeypox vaccinations they get. But they can control making sure they have a website that doesn't crash.'" Proposed Council redistricting would create Asian-majority seat, potential rivalry, by POLITICO's Joe Anuta and Sally Goldenberg: A commission tasked with redrawing City Council districts is considering a dramatic shakeup in Brooklyn that would create a new seat dedicated to the Asian American community in one district — and force two Democratic politicians into an unwitting rivalry in another. The districting commission, which is composed of appointees from Mayor Eric Adams, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (no relation) and the legislative body's Republican leader, is expected to publicly release its preliminary recommendations Friday. But according to two people knowledgeable about the maps and a copy of a proposed map reviewed by POLITICO, it has already hashed out a major alteration that could scramble some lawmakers' reelection plans in 2023. Notably, the proposal would combine the western part of Brooklyn's Sunset Park with nearby Bay Ridge. The areas are represented by Council members Alexa Avilés and Justin Brannan respectively, and the arrangement would potentially pit the two incumbent Democrats against each other.
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "Biden picks Clifton Park litigator as region's next federal judge," by Times Union's Robert Gavin: "President Joseph Biden on Wednesday nominated an Albany-based litigator who currently works for Attorney General Letitia James to fill a pending vacancy in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York. Jorge Alberto Rodriguez, who has worked as an assistant attorney general since 2014, would if confirmed fill a spot on the bench made available by the retirement of U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd, who is based in Utica. Having reached the retirement age of 70, Hurd could remain on the bench as a senior judge. If confirmed, Rodriguez would preside over a courtroom in the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse on Broadway in Albany." "Hochul says she will nominate 'thoughtful individual' for Court of Appeals chief judge," by Spectrum's Nick Reisman: "Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed Wednesday to nominate 'a thoughtful individual' to lead New York's highest court and the state judiciary branch. Hochul's nominee to the state Court of Appeals is subject to state Senate confirmation. The process is expected to be a closely watched one in New York political and legal circles as progressive advocates and Democratic state lawmakers have raised concerns over court rulings in recent months they believe have tilted the court to the right on criminal justice issues." " No 'moral compass': Hochul waffles on qualified immunity for NY cops," by New York Post's Zach Williams, Tina Moore, Larry Celona and Bruce Golding: "In a questionnaire submitted to Manhattan's Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club before the June 28 Democratic primary, Hochul said she 'supports efforts to increase accountability and transparency in law enforcement,' suggesting that she favored eliminating qualified immunity. But when asked by The Post for clarification on the governor's position, a spokesperson declined to elaborate, saying only that Hochul 'will review the legislation if it passes both houses.' The spokesperson would not provide a direct answer when pressed Tuesday on whether Hochul would veto or sign such a bill." LONG READ: "Forced to live here, forced to leave: The twin injustices of I-81 and the demolition of the 15th Ward," by Syracuse.com's Jules Struck: "By 1950, eight of every nine Black residents in Syracuse lived in the ward. In 1964, the city began to bulldoze the neighborhood to make way for a lumbering four-lane highway. The highway project took more out of the neighborhood than Jewish- and Black-owned houses and businesses, residents said. It scattered an exceptionally close-knit community and diced up a neighborhood that was in many ways beloved by the people who lived there. So when the city decided to bulldoze the neighborhood, it marked twin injustices to the people of the 15th Ward. The first is that they were forced to live there. The second, that they were forced to leave." #UpstateAmerica: The New York State Fair has hundreds of job openings.
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | The Campaign Trail | | RIVERA'S HAUL: Council Member Carlina Rivera raised more than $400,000 in the race for a congressional seat covering Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, according to her campaign, which must file an official account with the Federal Election Commission by Friday. Nearly 70 percent of Rivera's contributors live in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and their collective largesse came over a 30-day fundraising push in the fast-paced contest for an open House seat. "We are running a focused, determined campaign where every dollar counts, and this overwhelming support has put us in an even better position to win this race," Rivera said in a statement. Her campaign argued that, despite never holding citywide or federal office, she has raised funds on par with the roughly $500,000 brought in by former Mayor Bill de Blasio and Rep. Mondaire Jones, suggesting considerable momentum. However, Dan Goldman, former counsel to House Democrats during the first impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, said he raked in $1.2 million over the same time period. The Lower East Side native lacks the district-wide name recognition of de Blasio and the war chest of Goldman and Jones, who started the race with $2.9 million in his congressional account. (Jones represents parts of Westchester and Rockland counties and recently moved to Brooklyn to run in the open 10th Congressional district following redistricting.) Yet Rivera has gained a number of high-profile endorsements as of late, including health care workers union 1199 SEIU, the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club in Manhattan and Rep. Nydia Velázquez. — Joe Anuta " Convicted sex offender linked to Paladino campaign for Congress," by Buffalo News' Charlie Specht: "In a campaign document, Buffalo developer Carl P. Paladino's congressional campaign identified as its assistant treasurer a man who is a registered sex offender and who was convicted in 2017 of possessing child pornography. A spokesperson for the Paladino campaign on Wednesday denied that Joel J. Sartori is a part of Paladino's bid for Congress in New York's newly redrawn 23rd Congressional District, calling the filing 'a simple oversight.' Sartori, a 63-year-old Lancaster resident whom law enforcement considers a 'moderate risk' to the public, was listed as the assistant treasurer of the Paladino for Congress campaign in documents the campaign filed last month with the Federal Election Commission. Sartori, who was listed as the campaign's 'custodian of records' on a federal campaign document filed June 14, is also the part owner of two limited liability companies Paladino has used to make political donations as recently as last year."
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — A group of Hudson Valley progressives are asking Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney to condemn super PAC spending in Democratic primaries. — New York City's police watchdog agency is considering a rule change that would significantly expand the types of officer violations it can investigate. — New York's cap on property tax increases will be set at its top limit of 2 percent. — Bad oversight meant New York officials lost $292 million in overpayments from the state Medicaid program. — There was yet another shark attack off Long Island. — A man suspected of fatally stabbing a sleeping Manhattan homeless man and wounding two others was arrested. — A new poll from a progressive data firm found Council Member Carlina Rivera, Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou and former House impeachment counsel Dan Goldman leading in the crowded race to represent the 10th Congressional District. — A trio of bills set to be proposed in the New York City Council would crack down on rapid grocery delivery apps such as Gopuff, Getir and Gorillas. — New York's plan to open up new street vendor permits has lagged behind deadline. — A new bipartisan coalition in City Council is picking up the anti-horse carriage push. — The owner of Nolita bar Sweet & Vicious will pay a $500,000 settlement to 16 employees for sexual harassment, discrimination and wage theft, according to AG Tish James's office. — "Actress-turned-onetime gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon got into a 'heated' back-and-forth with Rep. Carolyn Maloney at a political club meeting."
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Washington Free Beacon's Eliana Johnson … ABC's Devin Dwyer … The New Republic's Daniel Strauss … WSJ's Nicole Friedman … U.S. Chamber Of Commerce's David Weissman … Caroline Kelly … National Retail Federation's Matthew Shay … (was Wednesday): Tony Kornheiser MEDIAWATCH — Richard Hudock is now VP of comms for NBC News and MSNBC. He previously was senior director of comms. MAKING MOVES — TJ Cholnoky is now a director at Vault Partners. He most recently was an associate director at Newmark.
| | Real Estate | | "'It's Like a Slum': Supportive Housing Tenants Cope with Violation-Filled Homes. Provider Blames Underfunding," by City Limits' David Brand: "The apartment is rented by a nonprofit tasked with providing safe housing with social services to formerly homeless New Yorkers with mental illness. That nonprofit, Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, receives millions of dollars in contracts from New York's Office of Mental Health (OMH) for its scattered-site program and has about $70 million in a rainy day fund. Its CEO, Dr. Jacob Barak, earns more than $913,000 a year to run an organization and related companies with various real estate holdings, mental health services and housing programs, tax filings show. OMH, meanwhile, oversees the 20,000 scattered-site supportive housing units statewide, including 16,000 in the five boroughs. But as City Limits has previously reported, egregious, unsafe conditions plague New York City's network of scattered-site supportive housing, where nonprofit providers with government contracts rent units in privately-owned buildings and sublease them to formerly homeless New Yorkers with mental illness, HIV/AIDS and other special needs. Postgraduate Center is no exception." | | | | 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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