| | | | |  | | By Danielle Muoio Dunn and Eleonora Francica | Presented by UPS | | | 
People eat at an outdoor restaurant in Manhattan in March 2022 in New York City. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images | The New York City Council is trying to keep the Open Restaurants program for good. The program, which lets eateries use the sidewalk or roadway for expanded outdoor dining, was launched on a temporary basis in 2020 as a lifeline to struggling restaurants during the pandemic — and a safe way for New Yorkers to socialize. Thousands of restaurants have participated and recorded increases in sales... though some have been criticized for attracting rats or taking up parking spaces. Last year, the city survived a lawsuit seeking to end the initiative. But it wasn't until recently, after more than a year of delay, that the Council and City Hall struck an agreement to make the Open Restaurants program permanent, with a bill introduced Thursday. The agreement is a significant step for restaurant groups that have been anxious for clarity on the fate of what has become a major attraction. Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, said it will “cut the red tape and fees for restaurants to participate” compared to policies for outdoor cafes before the pandemic. But it’s also likely to spark some backlash as it moves forward in the Council. The bill would restrict restaurants to setting up the roadway dining structures on a seasonal basis only: from April through November, and between 10 a.m. and midnight. Those changes are bound to face resistance after years of free access. “Warming winter temperatures will continue to make outdoor dining feasible for most of the year and we believe giving the option for restaurants to participate year-round would offer the most value to businesses, diners, and City coffers,” said Sara Lind, co-executive director of Open Plans, a nonprofit advocacy group for more livable streets. “But with the clock ticking on the need for a permanent bill, City Council’s action is welcome news.” HAPPY FRIDAY. WHERE’S KATHY? In Erie County and Albany, highlighting worker and affordability investments in Buffalo. WHERE’S ERIC? In New York City, meeting with the Belgian Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden, calling into a live interview on Caribbean Power Jam Radio’s “The Reset Talk Show,” and delivering remarks at a couple events.
| | | | A message from UPS: Full-time UPS delivery drivers receive an average of $95,000 per year. Plus, UPS contributes another $50,000 annually to health, welfare and pension benefits. After four years in the position, a full-time UPS driver makes on average $42 an hour in wages. Offering the best benefits in the industry may be why more than 50,000 drivers have been with the company for over 5 years. Learn more | | | |  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | Three years ago, the New York Police Department was the central focus of city budget negotiations, drawing protesters to City Hall Park to demand deep cuts. But this year, discussions over the NYPD’s spending plan have been significantly more muted, shifting attitudes that were on display during a City Council hearing on the department's budget Thursday. In contrast to 2020 — when the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer kicked off mass protests and calls to defund the NYPD — lawmakers largely stuck to technical critiques of overtime and pressed police brass on specific ethical issues. They discussed the two officers who shot and killed a man named Kawasi Trawick and the department’s violent response to protests in 2020 that have resulted in settlement negotiations with protestors. A major sign of the change? Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. In 2020, Adams was among the leaders of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus who pushed back against calls to defund the police from more progressive members. A year later, she was elected as head of the Council. “I don’t think this has been awful,” Council Member Crystal Hudson said, praising the department for showing up after police brass skipped a hotly anticipated oversight hearing earlier this year. — Joe Anuta
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | | | What City Hall's reading | | “City Moves to Close Area in Port Authority Where Volunteers Help Migrants,” The CITY’s Gabriel Poblete, Gwynne Hogan: “City officials moved to close down the welcome center inside the Port Authority bus terminal where a bustling network of volunteers have greeted arriving migrants for the past nine months, advocates said Thursday. The midtown site had grown into a vibrant outpost for new arrivals seeking hot food and clothing, along with earlier asylum-seekers looking for legal help, housing assistance and other aid. Community organizer Power Malu with the group Artists Athletes Activists, which has been based out of the Port Authority since August, said the group got word Thursday morning that the state’s National Guard would be closing down the greeting area at 1 p.m. that afternoon.” — “As Crisis Grows, All of New York’s Migrant Plans Are Met With Outrage,” The New York Times’ Liam Stack, Jeffrey C. Mays “NYC Skyscrapers Sit Vacant, Exposing Risk City Never Predicted,” Bloomberg’s Laura Nahmias, Natalie Wong, Dayana Mustak: “The 47-story skyscraper, owned by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund and Paramount Group, has sat empty since 2021, when Deutsche Bank — its only tenant — relocated to Columbus Circle. The owners are using the opportunity for an expensive renovation in a bid to lure new tenants looking for an updated space. So far, there haven’t been any takers, as financial firms either seek out shiny new digs in Hudson Yards, or shrink their footprints altogether with the option of work from home amid a slow deal environment.”
| | | | A message from UPS:   | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | |
“James Cahill, ex-president of the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council, sentenced to more than 4 years in prison for accepting bribes, feds say,” Newsday’s Nicole Fuller: “The former president of a powerful construction industry union was sentenced Thursday to 51 months in federal prison for enriching himself and others by accepting bribes and illegal cash payments — in a wiretap investigation that began in Suffolk County — from a construction contractor, federal prosecutors said. James Cahill, ex-president of the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council, previously pleaded guilty to honest services fraud conspiracy for his role as a “leader” in the scheme. The cash bribes were stuffed in envelopes that were oftentimes delivered inside bathrooms at restaurants in Long Beach, Melville, Rockville Centre and Commack, authorities have said.”
— “Bitcoin trading platform reaches $4.3 million agreement with attorney general,” Times Union’s Rick Karlin
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — New York lost 25,000 jobs last month in the private sector. — The paparazzi who made headlines for pursuing Prince Henry and Meghan Markle say the royals were never in any danger. — Long Island towns and cities have seen their populations shrink with housing prices high. — A pilot program that gives new mothers in New York monthly cash payments will become permanent. | | | | A message from UPS: Full-time UPS delivery drivers receive an average of $95,000 per year. Plus, UPS contributes another $50,000 annually to health, welfare and pension benefits. After four years in the position, a full-time UPS driver averages $42 an hour in wages.
Offering the best benefits in the industry is a big part of why so many UPSers stay at UPS. More than 50,000 drivers have been with the company for over 5 years. And 90,000 part-timers have been with us for over 2 years.
Learn how UPS delivers careers | | | | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Mary Hager of “Face the Nation” … Delaney Porter
| | Real Estate | | “NYC’s Record-Breaking Rents Squeeze Tenants Across Boroughs,” Bloomberg’s Jennifer Epstein: “New York apartment hunters are facing higher rents than ever before and having a hard time finding bargains anywhere. The median rents on new leases in Manhattan, Brooklyn and northwest Queens reached records in April as confident landlords pushed up prices and cut down on incentives, according to a report by appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and brokerage Douglas Elliman Real Estate.” | | | | 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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