| | | | |  | | By Sally Goldenberg, Anna Gronewold and Eleonora Francica | Presented by Tobacco Kills NY | | 
Skyline of Atlanta is in silhouette at sundown. (AP Photo) | AP |
With New York, Chicago and Atlanta left as finalists to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, state and national labor leaders are pushing even harder to knock one of the contenders out of the trio.
A letter sent to DNC Chair Jaime Harrison last week, obtained by POLITICO, argues that Atlanta doesn’t have nearly enough union hotels to host party delegates and price range needs. (There are just two.) That alone should be disqualifying for the “party of labor” under a president who has “proven himself the most pro-union president in history,” the union heads wrote. AFL-CIO’s Elizabeth Shuler, AFSCME’s Lee Saunders and AFT’s Randi Weingarten, along with a slew of New York-based union names, are among the signatories. “We are proud to represent members in Georgia and recognize the great cultural and political value of Atlanta, as well as the civil rights legacy and ongoing work for racial justice being led by activists throughout the state,” the letter reads. “But the importance of having many union hotels for a Democratic convention is well known, and the city has done nothing during its long convention bid to address the problem. With the deadline for the Party to choose a convention site getting close, this lack of union hotel capacity is disqualifying.” It echoes a letter eight top labor leaders sent to President Joe Biden in January, and in doing so shows the influence the unions hope they have over a city choice that represents Democratic priorities in the months to come. With the decision still pending, neither the city of Atlanta nor the Democratic National Committee had an official response to the most recent missive. Representatives for Atlanta’s convention bid pointed to responses to similar criticisms from local leaders: While the state is far less union-friendly than the other two, that’s all the more reason to bring the convention to Atlanta, where movements have historically sparked and grown amid adversity, they say. But New York City and Chicago both say they have a stronger case to make. New York is the second most unionized state behind Hawaii. It is "a bastion for workers’ rights,” say members of the congressional delegation, who also sent a letter to Biden on the topic last week. Sure, the DNC could signal that it sees potential in a swing state like Georgia by swooping in where key priorities like workers rights are at risk. But why, the state’s congressional Democrats wrote, would it want to make everything uncomfortable when delegates could bask in the friendly glow of New York? Chicago has made similar arguments, and while the labor towns are both still in competition with each other, neither would be sad to see Atlanta out of the running for the DNC. IT’S THURSDAY. 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? Selling her housing plan to Long Island with an event at Patchogue Family YMCA. WHERE’S ERIC? Reading a story to an unspecified group of pre-K students on “Read Across America Day,” delivering an address on mental health in New York City, holding an in-person Q-and-A, hosting the NYC Hayes Innovation Prize Award Ceremony, and then hosting the first “catalyst dinner” for his “Breaking Bread, Building Bonds” Initiative.
| | | | 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 IS READING | | “City agrees to pay $21.5K each to protesters trapped by NYPD during 2020 protest, per new settlement,” by WNYC’s Gwynne Hogan and Jake Offenhartz: “According to documents filed in federal court on Tuesday evening, the city and the NYPD reached a proposed settlement to compensate anyone who was corralled by police during the infamous June 4 crackdown, which took place at the height of the protests against the police killing of George Floyd.” “Topeka Mayor’s Advice for Eric Adams: Learn Humility,” by The New York Times’ Dana Rubinstein: “A day after Mr. Adams made his comments, Michael Padilla, the mayor of Topeka, a city with a population of 126,587, returned The New York Times’s request for a response, characterizing Mr. Adams’s comments as ‘concerning and unprofessional.’ ‘He could make his points without trying to diminish our great city, and I wish he would,’ Mr. Padilla said on Wednesday. ‘As Topeka’s mayor, and as a lifelong member of this community, I am so proud of who we are, and what we stand for.’” “NYC Council caucus blames Adams admin for ‘undermining success’ of free preschool,” by Daily News’ Cayla Bamberger: “The Black, Latino and Asian Caucus penned a letter to Mayor Adams Tuesday night to express “deep concerns about the health of our city’s early childhood care and education system.” It was signed by 31 caucus members — a majority of the council.” — The United Democratic Organization, a political club which represents the majority of Chinatown, hasn’t endorsed incumbent Council Member Chris Marte, instead opting to throw its weight behind challenger Susan Lee. (h/t Jeff Coltin)
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | “Hochul pitches housing plan amid bipartisan questions,” by Spectrum’s Nick Reisman: “Gov. Kathy Hochul has been traveling the state to drum up support for a key plank in her $227 billion budget proposal: Significantly expanding housing in New York in order to drive down costs. But opposition from municipal officials who worry about the loss of local decision-making, as well as progressives calling for more aid for low-income renters, has arisen as Hochul tries to sell the proposals a month to go before the state budget is due.” “Labor warns of lost jobs if Gov. Kathy Hochul gets her flavored tobacco ban in NY,” by New York Post’s Zach Williams: “Gov. Kathy Hochul has found a new way to antagonize New York’s union leaders — with labor groups blasting expected job losses from her proposed ban on flavored tobacco. ‘Our union brothers and sisters in the tobacco industry are at risk of losing their jobs, benefits, and pensions due to Governor Hochul‘s proposed ban on menthol/flavored tobacco and tax hike,’ Mike Smith, president of Local 810 International Brotherhood of Teamsters, raged at a Capitol press conference on Wednesday. He claimed that roughly 500 out of 4,000 drivers, warehouse workers and salespeople represented by Local 810 would lose their jobs if Hochul’s proposed ban gets approved in the state budget due March 1.” “Lawmakers want New York to begin reimbursing doulas through Medicaid,” by Times Union’s Raga Justin: “State Sen. Samra Brouk, a Rochester Democrat sponsoring legislation that would task the state Department of Health to set Medicaid reimbursement rates for doulas, said they could provide ‘life-saving care,’ pointing to negative experiences women often experience during their pregnancy.” “Meet the Top Private Earners Among New York Lawmakers,” by New York Focus’ Colin Kinniburgh: “A New York Focus review of lawmakers’ most recent financial disclosures — which date back to 2021 — found at least seven who earned more that year from side jobs than their legislative salaries. The number could be as high as 15: State law does not require lawmakers to disclose their exact outside incomes, only ranges, making accounting from public records imprecise.” AD DROPS (in the budget home stretch): MAKE THE ROAD ACTION is launching a five-figure digital ad to push lawmakers to boost unemployment support and health insurance for immigrant New Yorkers. “Over the last two years, Governor Hochul has repeatedly excluded immigrants from her executive budget proposals and failed to support crucial policy measures,” Co-Executive Director of Make the Road Action Theo Oshiro said. “The legislature must step into the breach.” DEATH WITH DIGNITY is pushing for a right to die law in New York and is launching a video and digital campaign to highlight the story of a New Yorker whose family utilized the California version of the law. #UpstateAmerica: Yoko Ono now considers the farm she and John Lennon bought in the Catskills her permanent home.
| | | | A message from Tobacco Kills NY:   | | | | | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | “Kellyanne Conway Meets With Prosecutors as Trump Inquiry Escalates,” by The New York Times’ Sean Piccoli, Jonah E. Bromwich, Ben Protess and William K. Rashbaum: “Kellyanne Conway, who managed the final months of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign, met with prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office on Wednesday, the latest sign that the office is ramping up its criminal investigation into the former president. | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | “Santos Tries a New Tack in Washington: He Introduces a Bill,” by The New York Times’ Grace Ashford: "Representative George Santos has had a hard time making new friends or winning support in his first few months in Congress — an understandable outcome, perhaps, given the post-election revelations that he lied about much of his background. On Tuesday, Mr. Santos tried a new tactic: He introduced his first bill, seeking to partially undo President Donald J. Trump’s tax plan that limited how much homeowners could deduct in state and local property taxes.” — “George Santos’ lies, ranked,” by City & State’s Annie McDonough and Jeff Coltin: “This is, sadly, an ongoing story, and this list will probably be updated.”
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Starbucks violated federal labor law dozens of times in responding to a union campaign in the Buffalo area, an administrative judge ruled. — Some New Yorkers are having trouble adjusting to the new Long Island Rail Road schedule. — A postal worker in Brooklyn was pistol-whipped and robbed while working his route Tuesday, police said. — NYPD officials said local businesses may want to ask visitors to unmask, in an effort to prevent robberies. — The NYPD has nixed a timed 1.5-mile run in the police academy in efforts to get more women to qualify. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Kevin Madden … Liz Oberg … Caitlin McFall … Ashley Chang of the Rockefeller Foundation
| | | | 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 | |
“Port Chester, N.Y.: A ‘Tiny Little Village’ With a Lot of Development,” by The New York Times’ Lisa Prevost: “With more than 2,800 new housing units approved in the last three years, ‘Port Chester is certainly on the move.’ Not everyone is happy about it.”
“It takes NYCHA 290 days on average to address tenant mold complaints, authority says,” by Crain’s New York’s Olivia Bensimon: “Full remediation of mold and pests—two of the leading causes of poor air quality in New York City Housing Authority units and two benchmarks of the 2019 Department of Housing and Urban Development’s federal monitor agreement—takes too long to correct, NYCHA officials testified.”
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