| | | | |  | | By Anna Gronewold, Sally Goldenberg and Zachary Schermele | Presented by Tobacco Kills NY | | 
Hans Pennink/AP Photo | With the revelation that former state Republican Chairman Ed Cox could return to a role he held for a decade, a series of county chairs say they’re already lined up behind him. “I support Ed Cox to the state chair. I think he would bring stability to the chairmanship and leadership role that is needed right now,” Dutchess County GOP Chairman Michael McCormack told us yesterday. Westchester County GOP Chair Doug Colety described Cox as “always a gentleman in a rough-and-tumble business.” “Republicans across New York can be proud to be led by such a leader,” Colety said in a statement to POLITICO. “We need his leadership again today.” The news of Cox’s potential homecoming was sparked by Rockland County Republican Chairman Lawrence Garvey dropping his bid for the job in order to back Cox. Cox, 76, has been quietly building support among the county leaders ahead of their scheduled March 13 vote in Albany to name a successor after Nick Langworthy, who succeeded Cox, was elected to Congress last year. Now the son-in-law to late President Richard Nixon could be poised to retake a post he held from 2009 through 2019, over a list of hopefuls that include former Attorney General candidate Michael Henry and Assemblymember Chris Tague. Cox has stayed close to state politics, and he maintains a fundraising network through New York and Washington that has previously bankrolled the party during lean times. Several county chairs said Cox was instrumental last year in orchestrating the successful court fight that led to new district lines for Congress and the state Senate that were more advantageous for Republicans, leading the party to pick up three House seats. Cox did not return requests for comment on his bid, but told Spectrum News, “I’m talking to Republican leaders around the state and I have nothing to add at this point.” — Joseph Spector IT’S FRIDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: agronewold@politico.com and sgoldenberg@politico.com or on Twitter: @annagronewold and @sallygold WHERE’S KATHY? Making an economic development announcement in Cohoes, New York. WHERE’S ERIC? Touring Biotech start-ups in Brooklyn and making a tax season-related announcement in City Hall. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We need to find a way to introduce some form of spirituality in our children because they’re not fighting against the seen, they’re fighting against the unseen.” — Mayor Eric Adams, during a press conference at City Hall on Thursday, just days after dismissing the separation of church and state.
| | | | A message from Tobacco Kills NY: Flavored tobacco products like menthol cigarettes are much more addictive and dangerous than regular tobacco—and Big Tobacco aggressively markets it to young people and people of color in New York, leading to higher rates of death and illness. It’s time to act. Civil rights and public health leaders are fighting to restrict the sale of dangerous flavored tobacco products in New York. Will you join them?
Go to TobaccoKillsNY.org to learn more. | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | “Eric Adams believes divine intervention played hand in making him mayor,” by New York Post’s Bernadette Hogan: “Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday said he believes divine intervention played a hand in his ascent to the mayoralty, and defended his pronouncement this week that kids need more religion in their lives. ‘I’ve never made it a secret that my spirituality guides the humanitarian response that I do,’ Adams told reporters who asked him to explain why he decried the separation of church and state.” “City Council Passes Raft of Bills to Prevent Rampant Battery Fires,” by THE CITY’s Samantha Maldonado: “Over the past two years, lithium-ion batteries have caused a record number of fires, with the batteries that power e-bikes and e-scooters the source of the vast majority of those incidents, according to the Fire Department. Some of the bills in the package restrict what kinds of batteries are available for purchase. Others aim to improve outreach and education about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries and the proper use of e-mobility devices, which delivery workers in particular rely upon to do their jobs. ‘We’re just trying to figure out how we can be successful in supporting the Deliveristas, at the same time being safe,’ said Councilmember Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan), who sponsored or co-sponsored most of the bills.” “SHOCKER: Mayor’s private BQE meeting could divide Brooklyn politicians,” by Brooklyn Daily Eagle’s Mary Frost: “The administration has invited more than 70 southern Brooklyn elected officials and agency heads to a private 11 a.m. meeting on Friday at City Hall to line them up in opposition to limiting the highway to two traffic lanes in each direction. More than 20 district leaders (elected but unpaid leaders of the Brooklyn Democratic Party) were invited to the meeting — a move insiders say is highly unusual.” “NYPD ‘gag order’ claim preventing City Council hearing testimony is bogus, say civil liberties lawyers,” by Daily News’ Michael Gartland: “Civil liberties lawyers slammed the NYPD on Thursday for claiming legal reasons barred department officials from testifying at a City Council hearing about their handling of George Floyd protests in 2020, maligning the excuse as completely bogus.” 1199SEIU moves to rebargain contract for 78,000 health care workers ahead of schedule, by POLITICO’s Maya Kaufman: The union 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East has asked to reopen its master contract with 90 hospitals and nursing homes in the middle of its term, citing the industry’s staffing and retention crisis and widespread burnout among health care workers. The contract with the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of New York, which covers approximately 78,000 health care workers, does not expire until September 2024 … “The unprecedented issues affecting the healthcare system and workforce made it clear to the Union that we could not wait until the expiration of our current contract,” union spokesperson Bryn Lloyd-Bollard said in a statement to POLITICO.
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“Hochul touts housing plan during Long Island tour as lawmakers worry about density and tenants’ rights,” by Daily News’ Denis Slattery: “‘It’s ambitious, but I know we can reach it together,’ the governor said a day after lawmakers critiqued and questioned the plan during a budget hearing in Albany. Hochul, a Democrat, pushed back on critics who have painted the proposal, which requires every town, city and village in the state to set a target number of new homes to create over a three-year period, as a top-down approach saying that communities will have the flexibility to build as they wish.”
“NY lawmakers balking at plan to boost small-dollar campaign donations. Supporters are pushing back,” by WNYC’s Brigid Bergin: “A coalition of left-leaning labor, good government and community organizations is urging state lawmakers to make good on fully funding the state’s new public campaign finance matching program, even as top legislative leaders who’ve backed the initiative warn its future may be jeopardized. Despite adopting the program three years ago, some of those same lawmakers are quietly questioning whether the new state Public Campaign Finance Board is fully prepared to administer the new program in the upcoming election cycle, with talk of delaying its start by two years.” “Union leaders say New York state workforce could see mass exodus for better pay, hybrid work,” by Times Union’s Raga Justin: “Leaders of one of the New York’s largest unions representing public sector employees on Wednesday warned of an impending mass exodus of workers to other states or the private sector if the state does not ramp up investments in workforce retention efforts — including allowing greater teleworking flexibility.” “Lawmakers considering bill to decriminalize sex work,” by NY1’s Zack Fink: “In a political climate in New York where vices like marijuana smoking and sports gambling are now legal, some lawmakers are pushing to decriminalize sex work in New York State. Although it cannot possibly be prevented everywhere, sex for money is still illegal in New York. But for sex workers, and their advocates in the legislature, it’s time to reconsider the criminalization of sex work which has tied up the criminal justice system for what many consider to be a victimless crime.” #UpstateAmerica: NFL free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown is now part owner of the Albany Empire. OK!
| | | | A message from Tobacco Kills NY:   | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | |
“George Santos now under investigation by House Ethics panel,” by Newsday’s Tom Brune: “The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday it has opened a sweeping investigation into New York Rep. George Santos to determine if he violated laws on campaign finance, financial disclosure, conflict of interest and sexual misconduct. The Ethics Committee voted Tuesday to establish a four-member investigative subcommittee to conduct the probe, the statement said. The result likely will determine whether the embattled Santos will face discipline or even expulsion from Congress.”
“Ethics panel scrutinizes AOC over ‘Tax the Rich’ dress and Met Gala ensemble,” by The Hill’s Emily Brooks: “The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may have accepted impermissible gifts related to her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021, when she made headlines for wearing a white dress that said ‘Tax the Rich’ in red letters on the back. A June 2022 OCE report and materials released by the House Ethics Committee on Thursday show frustration from vendors about payments for hair and makeup services for the event being delayed for months, as well as payments for her Met Gala ensemble and other associated costs being paid months later.” | | BIDEN AND THE BOROUGHS | | “Canadians Fume as Migrants Surge at Their Border,” by The New York Times’ Norimitsu Onishi: “Hélène Gravel’s house sits on Roxham Road near Canada’s most famous illegal border crossing, used by migrants leaving the United States to seek asylum up north. She has watched with increasing frustration as a bitter winter has failed to stanch record inflows and as New York City even began buying bus tickets for migrants headed her way. ‘There’s no political will to fix this,’ Ms. Gravel, 77, said in her driveway, a stone’s throw from the border. ‘"Canada is soft,’ she said, adding that asylum-seekers should be processed at official border crossings. ‘And the United States doesn’t care because this is nothing compared with what’s happening on their southern border.’”
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— Columbia University will not require undergraduates to submit SAT or ACT standardized test scores, the first Ivy League school to permanently go test-optional.
— State lawmakers are considering more funding for an oversight program in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. — “In what one criminal justice expert called an ‘extraordinarily lenient sentence,’ a federal judge ordered a former Rensselaer County jail officer to serve six weekends of jail time for sexually abusing a female prisoner repeatedly in 2018.” — We’re begging: “Somebody please save this glorious church” — “Troubled ASA College Closed But Left Students Out In the Cold,” by Documented’s Amir Khafagy | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Susan Zirinsky … Mayer Brown’s Andrew Olmem … Tim Morrison … Elaina Plott … Ira Glass … Alex Smith … George Little … Cameron French … Mary Brunelli … David Yassky
SPOTTED on Thursday night for the VIP opening of new shows of JR, Sophia Narrett and Nikki Maloof at Perrotin Gallery: Robert DeNiro, Emmanuel Perrotin, Osman Can Yerebakan, Rachel Small, Grant Johnson, Kaitlan Collins, Aaron Zelinger and Aly Reister, Ariel Kliegerman and Remi Janier, Valentin Blondel, Alanna Clarke, GaHee Park, Michael and Nolan Greenwald, Josh Friedman, Katherine Bernard and Lily Olsen, Paul Miller, JJ Mitchell and Jesse McCormick.
| | | | A message from Tobacco Kills NY: Flavored tobacco products like menthol cigarettes are much more addictive and dangerous than regular tobacco—and Big Tobacco aggressively markets it to young people and people of color in New York, leading to higher rates of death and illness. It’s time to act. Civil rights and public health leaders are fighting to restrict the sale of dangerous flavored tobacco products in New York. Will you join them?
Go to TobaccoKillsNY.org to learn more. | | | | | Real Estate | |
“Harlem Tenants Ask Judge to Penalize Landlord of Building Rife With Rats and Leaks,” by THE CITY’s Stephon Johnson: “Tenants in a Central Harlem building rife with rats and leaks are asking a Manhattan judge to hold their landlord in contempt of court for what they allege is a failure to follow a December court order to repair dozens of housing code violations. ‘Basically, everything is not handled,’ said Evan Vaughn, a software engineer who’s lived in the building for three years.
“Once the World’s Largest, a Hotel Goes ‘Poof!’ Before Our Eyes,” by The New York Times’ dan Barry: “Bit by bit, floor by floor, the building that once rose 22 stories over Penn Station is shrinking before the city’s very eyes. The black netting draped over its ever-diminishing brick is like a magician’s handkerchief; once removed, it will reveal — nothing. Behold: The Great Disappearing Act of the Hotel Pennsylvania.”
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