| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Georgia Rosenberg | Presented by Con Edison | | 
New York City's trash problem continues to pile up on Mayor Eric Adams' pledge to curb it. | Bebeto Matthews/AP Photo | Mayor Eric Adams came into office vowing to clean up the city's streets both literally and metaphorically — to tamp down on rising crime and disorder, but also to spruce up notoriously dirty streets. The crime part of that equation, as has been well documented, isn't going great so far. Turns out the trash part isn't going so well either. Complaints about trash on city streets and sidewalks have jumped since Adams took office, our Julian Shen-Berro reports. In the first six months of the year, there were 17,749 complaints to 311 about the trash — up from 13,026 in the same time last year when Bill de Blasio was in office, a 36 percent increase. Calls about rodents increased 17 percent, but complaints about missed garbage collection dropped 18 percent. The Adams administration has brought back twice a week street cleaning and the alternate side parking much lamented by drivers that comes with it, reversing a pandemic cutback that left the streets dirtier. The mayor also recently announced money for litter baskets to be emptied more frequently and a crackdown on illegal dumping. But take it from an expert: "The whole city is filthy, there's no question about it," said Steven Cohen, a Columbia University professor who studies waste management. No argument there from Adams' Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch. "What I want New Yorkers to know is: We agree, we see it, it's not acceptable," she said. Not that New York has ever been known as particularly spiffy, but she called the deterioration yet another consequence of the pandemic and all its related disruptions, adding: "We have finally, after two long years, been given the resources that we need to get the job done." 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 during Harlem Week. WHERE'S ERIC? Meeting with the Asian American Federation and speaking at a Dominican Hispanic Heritage Day Celebration.
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"What to know about COVID guidelines for NYC schools this year," by Chalkbeat's Reema Amin: "New York City schools will shed many of its COVID prevention strategies from the past two years, according to new education department guidance posted Tuesday for the 2022-23 school year. When the nation's largest school system starts on Sept. 8, students will no longer be required to fill out a daily health screener to enter the building. Schools will no longer swab a portion of students and staff for COVID, as Chalkbeat reported earlier this month. But they'll continue giving out at-home tests. Masking will continue to be optional but will be required for students and staff who return to school five days after testing positive for COVID. And, while vaccines will still be required for staff and visitors, they won't be mandated for students unless they are participating in sports or extracurriculars."
"Adams endorses N.Y. senate candidate with a history of anti-Semitic, anti-abortion, anti-gay rhetoric," by New York Daily News' Michael Gartland: "Conrad Tillard, who once went by the name Conrad Muhammad when he was a member of the Nation of Islam, won Adams' support Monday in his Democratic primary bid against state Sen. Jabari Brisport, a Democratic socialist. Adams' backing of Tillard, who's viewed as more of a moderate, is consistent with other recent endorsements Adams has made of Democrats challenging more left-leaning rivals in primaries. But some of Tillard's past public comments are far from moderate. Tillard, now a Christian pastor, once referred to a Brooklyn assemblyman as a 'snotty-nosed Jewish politician.' He said he does not 'believe in' abortion. And he has said that he 'absolutely oppose(s) same-sex marriage.'" "West Nile virus found in 2 people, record number of mosquitoes in New York City," by ABC7: "West Nile virus has been detected in two people and a record number of mosquitoes in New York City, according to the NYC Health Department. The department announced Tuesday that two human cases have been reported, one each in Brooklyn and Queens. They also say 1,068 West Nile virus-infected mosquito pools have been detected across all five boroughs, the highest number ever recorded. That's compared to 779 virus-positive mosquito pools detected at this time last year." " City Comptroller Denies Every Single Financial Claim for Hurricane Ida Flooding," by The City's Samantha Maldonado and Katie Honan: "Nearly a year after the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded the Forest Hills one-bedroom apartment where Heidi Pashkow and her husband live, the couple is finally beginning to settle back into their first-floor home of over four decades. That's after living with their son's family for about nine months and spending almost $30,000 on repairs, Pashkow said. She received a couple thousand dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and filed a negligence claim against the city for damage caused by sewer overflows in the storm, in the hopes of receiving some money. Pashkow said she was 'shocked' when she received a letter on Monday from City Comptroller Brad Lander completely denying her claim. She wasn't the only one: 4,703 New Yorkers filed claims against the city after their homes flooded during Ida. All 4,703 were denied, according to the comptroller's office." "NYC Social Services boss Gary Jenkins partied on yacht day after declaring emergency for city homeless shelters ," by New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt: "The day after Mayor Adams' administration declared overcrowding in city homeless shelters an emergency, the official tasked with running the embattled housing system went partying on a yacht with his top aide, the Daily News has learned. Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins — who's facing a Department of Investigation probe over his alleged mishandling of the shelter crisis — enjoyed the boat bash in the New York Harbor with his chief of staff, Karen St. Hilaire, on Aug. 2, complete with cocktails and sunset views over Manhattan, social media photos show."
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Andrew Cuomo wins lawsuit over his $5 million book deal, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo won a lawsuit Tuesday in which he challenged New York's defunct ethics agency's attempt to seize his profits from a $5.1 million book deal about the Covid-19 pandemic. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics determined last year that Cuomo improperly used state staff and resources while writing his 2020 memoir on the pandemic, "American Crisis." It ordered him to surrender his compensation to the state. But Cuomo's legal team refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the JCOPE ruling, and Albany County Supreme Court Justice Denise Hartman issued a decision that sided with him on Tuesday afternoon. Hartman determined that JCOPE's actions against the ex-governor would "violate due process" by not following the proper procedures for bringing an action and overstepping its authority.
"Senate GOP to pay $200K settlement in campaign finance probe," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "State Senate Republicans' campaign arm has struck a $200,000 settlement to close an inquiry into the party's alleged abuse of its campaign 'housekeeping' account, a sanction that could temper how soft money funds are spent by New York's political parties. State Board of Elections enforcement counsel Michael L. Johnson charged that Senate Republicans abused their housekeeping account in the lead-up to the 2016 election by issuing a series of campaign-style mailers that allegedly crossed a line into expressly seeking election of GOP candidates. While potential fines and penalties could have totaled more than $2 million, according to Johnson's statement in the settlement, he signed off on the $200,000 agreement last Friday." "Polio May Have Been Spreading in New York Since April," by The New York Times' Emily Anthes: "Polio may have been circulating widely for a year, and was present in New York's wastewater as early as April, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…The new study provides more details from a continuing investigation into a polio case detected in New York last month, when officials announced that a young adult in Rockland County had become paralyzed from polio. It was the first report of polio in the United States since 2013. The findings are not altogether surprising, especially given that polio, which is highly contagious, often spreads without causing serious symptoms, said Joseph Eisenberg, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Michigan. 'It can be circulating pretty extensively, being under the radar, before you actually start seeing paralysis cases,' he said." "New York law now mandates federal, state sex offender checks for staff at all summer camps," by Journal News' Nancy Cutler: "The operators of single-purpose summer recreational programs − a soccer clinic, band program or any other camp that focuses on one thing − have not been mandated under New York law to run a background check or check government sex offender registries for staff, until now. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that makes background checks for all camps mandatory and ensures those checks include a look at state and federal registries. Previously, so-called 'unregulated' or 'single-use' camps did not fall under the state regulations that include running any staff or volunteer names through the state's sex offender registry." #UpstateAmerica: The 361-square-foot hobbit house at June Farms in West Sand Lake is now open for nightly stays — and videos appear just as J.R.R. Tolkien describes: "Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."
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"Carolyn Maloney's Campaign Pitch: A Man Can't Do My Job," by the New York Times' Nicholas Fandos: "One morning last week, a group of leading feminists gathered inside the former Upper East Side home of one of their foremothers, Eleanor Roosevelt, for an emergency meeting. The purpose of the gathering, convened by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, was technically to lay out a 12-point plan to confront the rollback of abortion rights consuming the country. 'I have been in that fight a long time,' the 15-term congresswoman said. 'We take a step forward, they push us back.' But as she and others took turns speaking, the attendees — including leaders from Feminist Majority and the National Organization for Women — found themselves grappling with another, more immediate crisis, as well: the possibility that Ms. Maloney, one of the most powerful women in Congress, could be turned out of office this month after three decades."
"Rep. Jerrold Nadler's foes questions casino stance —and his connection to a big donor," by New York Daily News' Michael Gartland: "Starting in 2007, cash from the deep-pocketed Related Companies began flowing into Rep. Jerry Nadler's campaign war chest. Since then, campaign finance records show that Nadler, who's locked in a tight congressional race with Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Suraj Patel, has raked in more than $60,000 from the firm's chairman Stephen Ross and donors connected to Ross and the firm. Related is the primary developer behind Hudson Yards, a gleaming conglomeration of skyscrapers and upscale shops on the West Side, and the company is now seeking to bring a casino to the high-end enclave." STATE SEN. ALESSANDRA BIAGGI, who is challenging Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney in Tuesday's Democratic primary, is embracing an attack mailer featuring one of her tweets saying that members of Congress who are "past child-bearing age" cannot be expected to be fierce fighters in Washington. "Hudson PAC thanks for sharing one of my finest tweets w/voters in NY-17 who believe that age diversity in our leaders is quite important for results," she wrote on Twitter with a picture of the ad. — Anna Gronewold | | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | |
"Trump to fundraise for Lee Zeldin after staying neutral in GOP primary," by New York Post's Zach Williams: "Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin is hoping Donald Trump will make it rain campaign cash next month in New Jersey — as the former president is scheduled to appear at a pricey fundraiser for the Long Island congressman. Trump's guest appearance at the Sept. 4 event signals he might take a more outspoken role in the gubernatorial contest in his home state after remaining neutral ahead of the June 28 GOP primary for governor. More involvement by Trump gives the Suffolk Republican a financial boost amid ongoing attacks by his Democratic opponent Gov. Kathy Hochul over his ties to the controversial Republican president, who is unpopular in the Empire State and is mired in legal clouds following an FBI raid at his Florida residence."
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— City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams will endorse Carlina Rivera in the 10th district congressional race.
— Time to stop watering your lawns, y'all. It's drought weather. — A new law stops New York retailers from selling replica firearms that are black, blue, silver or aluminum-colored. — It's gotten harder to find a parking spot in the city. — The Harbor School on Governors Island will double in size. — Members of two of New York's oldest crime families were charged with running an illegal gambling ring. — City Council Member Vicki Paladino got in a heated, on-camera confrontation with a pot smoker she says has been illegally squatting at a house in her district. — A woman was killed by a falling tree in a Bronx pool. — The New York State Fair got a $10M boost from taxpayers during the pandemic, but still lost money. — The developers looking to take over Albany's notorious Central Warehouse are still interested despite its continued pitfalls.
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And we can all do our part too. Small changes like switching to clean heating and cooling technology make a big difference for your home and our world. See Our Energy Future | | | | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Dave McCormick … ABC News' Brittany Shepherd … Mike Buczkiewicz of "Morning Joe" … HuffPost's Elise Foley … Fox News' Will Ricciardella … Matt Mittenthal of BuzzFeed comms … Yousef Saba … Nina Bianco … Kensey Johnson … Mark Molaro … Sam Haass … Daniel Penchina … City Council press secretary Breeana Mulligan
MEDIAWATCH — KC Sullivan will be the next president of CNBC. He previously was president and managing director of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, based in London. | | Real Estate | |
"New York Developers Rush to Reduce Emissions as Hefty Fines Loom," by the New York Times' Jane Margolies: "Worried about higher temperatures, more frequent and intense rainfall and rising seas that are nibbling away at New York's coastal edges, the City Council enacted Local Law 97 in 2019 as part of a pioneering legislative package aimed at reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. The law zeros in on large buildings in New York, setting limits on their emissions. The city's one million buildings generate nearly 70 percent of its carbon emissions because much of the energy for their heating, cooling and lighting comes from burning fossil fuels. Now, with just 16 months until the deadline to meet the first thresholds — and with the threat of fines that could climb to millions of dollars a year for buildings that do not — landlords are on high alert."
"Permits Surged Before 421-a Tax Break Expired — But Not Enough to Stave Off a Housing Construction Lull, Developers Warn," by The City's Greg David and Suhail Bhat: "In 2015, the year Albany lawmakers last allowed a lucrative real estate property tax break to expire, developers filed building permits for 55,000 residential units — three times more than the previous year. By getting their projects started, they could still qualify for the tax abatement, known as 421-a, even if it took as many as three years to actually construct and finish. The surge meant the city had development pending that would keep expanding the housing supply even as Albany struggled to come up with a replacement, which did not arrive until 2017. In spring 2022, 421-a expired again, despite pleas from Mayor Eric Adams and the real estate industry to extend it. But this time around, far fewer permits are in motion, according to preliminary building data." "Battery Park City resiliency project gets eleventh-hour greenspace boost," by Crain's Caroline Spivack: "A $231 million resiliency project in Lower Manhattan is getting a major last-minute design change to expand the plan's lawn space at Wagner Park, after the greenspace is rebuilt 10 feet higher than it is now to help protect the area from storm surge and sea level rise. The Battery Park City Authority has revised its plan to fortify the neighborhood from flooding, less than two months before construction is to break ground. The revised plan will add 12,800 square feet of lawn space to Wagner Park—a 74% increase from the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project's previous design." | | | | 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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