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By ANNA GRONEWOLD and ERIN DURKIN
A top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams is reminding municipal workers to ditch their home offices and show up to their jobs — a policy aligned with the business community's desire to inject pre-pandemic energy into the city's veins.
With Adams set to deliver a speech before the business-friendly Association for a Better New York at Cipriani Wall Street this morning, City Hall chief of staff Frank Carone blasted out the missive to agency heads to reiterate the in-person mandate.
"Please note, the Mayor has repeatedly emphasized, for the City to continue its comeback, we need employees from every sector to return to their offices. The benefits of this return for the city are immeasurable and we, as City employees, must continue to lead by example," Carone wrote in the email, a copy of which was obtained by our Sally Goldenberg.
"While hybrid schedules have become more common in the private sector, the Mayor firmly believes that the city needs its workers to report to work every day in person," he added. "To that end, all City employees should be advised that, absent a reasonable accommodation, you are required to report to work in person for every scheduled workday and hybrid schedules of any kind are not permitted."
The order was followed by an invitation to a Zoom call Wednesday at 8 a.m., and a link to the city's Covid-19 leave policy that allows remote work in limited circumstances.
As the call takes place, Adams will be make an announcement at ABNY's "Power Breakfast," an event that attracts business and civic leaders — many of whom have encouraged Adams to push an in-person work policy to reactivate the local economy. An advisory from the organization bills it as a talk about "public safety, the city's economic recovery, public schools and more."
The mayor has spent months calling for a return to offices in the private sector but with little effect on workers whose paychecks he doesn’t sign. Earlier this month, another business organization, Partnership for New York City, polled its members and found only 8 percent of employees coming in five days a week as concerns about crime outranked fears of contracting Covid-19 for New Yorkers opting to work remotely.
IT’S WEDNESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: [email protected] and [email protected] , or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold
T-2 SCHEDULED DAYS left in the 2022 legislative session.
WHERE’S KATHY? Appearing on Good Day New York and announcing the completion of LaGuardia Terminal C.
WHERE’S ERIC? Making an announcement at an Association for a Better New York Breakfast, signing bills, and attending iMentor's Celebration of Mentoring Event.
WHERE’S ANDREW? Not running as an independent.
PIGS ARE FLYING: Heat may have prompted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to stray from his well-worn graduation speech script.
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“Two Years of Mayoral School Control for Eric Adams — With New Strings Attached,” by Chalkbeat’s Reema Amin and The City’s Josefa Velasquez: “Mayor Eric Adams will continue to retain control of New York City schools under a deal struck by state lawmakers Monday. But the first-term mayor will have to be back in Albany sooner than he had hoped to get it renewed, and will now also be tasked with shrinking class sizes over the rest of his time in office. State lawmakers reached a deal to grant Adams a two-year extension of mayoral control of city schools, half of the four years the mayor and Gov. Kathy Hochul had proposed to fellow Democrats who control the Legislature. The deal includes several changes to the city panel that votes on education policy.”
— Adams reacts: The mayor criticized the deal in a statement Tuesday night. "While we believe all parties are operating in good faith, we also believe the legislation as currently written is not the best we can do for New York City students, and we look forward to addressing these concerns in the coming days,” he said. “For example, while my administration strongly supports lower class sizes, unless there is guaranteed funding attached to those mandates we will see cuts elsewhere in the system that would harm our most vulnerable students in our highest need communities — including the loss of counselor positions, social workers, art programs, school trips, after-school tutoring, dyslexia screenings, and paraprofessionals. There must also be a mechanism for altering or delaying the plan to reduce class sizes if the mandate is shown to severely adversely impact racial equity and the city’s fiscal health.”
“Donors to pro-Adams’ political action committee have sizable investments in Evolv Technologies, a gun detection company favored by City Hall,” by New York Daily News’ Michael Gartland: “Two deep-pocketed donors who spent a combined $1 million to support Eric Adams’ mayoral run work at companies that hold sizable investments in Evolv Technologies, the manufacturer of a gun detection system Adams began touting earlier this year. Kenneth Griffin, CEO of the Citadel investment firm, gave $750,000 to the pro-Adams Strong Leadership NYC political action committee during his mayoral run last year, city Campaign Finance Board records show. Robert Granieri, the founder of Jane Street Financial Services, contributed $250,000 to the same PAC. Records show that both firms hold sizable investments in Evolv Technologies, a company the Adams administration tapped to temporarily supply a gun detector at City Hall and which launched a pilot program in February at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.”
“Union sues NYC to stop unvaxxed NYPD detectives from being fired,” by New York Post’s Priscilla DeGregory
“Gunmaker Glock to be sued over mass shooting aboard Brooklyn subway,” by New York Daily News’ Graham Rayman: “A Brooklyn woman shot and severely wounded in a mass shooting aboard a Brooklyn N train last month will file a lawsuit Tuesday against Glock, which manufactured the 9-mm. gun used in the 33-bullet attack on straphangers. ... Her lawsuit in Brooklyn Federal Court alleges Glock — one of the world’s largest gunmakers — markets its weapons and distributes them in a way that is a “public nuisance” under state law and endangers public safety.
HATE SPIKE: Hate crimes in New York City doubled last year and Jews were the most targeted group, according to a new report by the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism and the Community Security Initiative set for release today. The crimes increased by 196 percent from 2020 to 2021, with Jewish people accounting for 40 percent of the victims. New York state led the nation in antisemitic incidents, with a 24 percent increase in 2021. They tallied 616 extremist and antisemitic incidents statewide, half of those involving the distribution of white supremacist propaganda by groups including Patriot Front, New Jersey European Heritage Association and White Lives Matter. — Erin
Senate passes abortion package, but constitutional amendment undecided, by POLITICO’s Shannon Young: Lawmakers kicked off the final week of the legislative session on Tuesday by voting on a series of bills that seek to bolster protections for abortion providers and patients who travel to New York for the procedures ahead of a potential U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade. The Senate approved a six-bill package in the early evening that would shield abortion patients and providers from out-of-state legal actions as it met late Tuesday. The Assembly is also expected to move the legislation before the session officially ends on Thursday. But the fate of another measure that would enshrine New Yorkers’ abortion rights in the state constitution remains uncertain.
“After Buffalo Shooting, New York Set to Raise Purchase Age for Semiautomatic Rifles,” by Wall Street Journal’s Jimmy Vielkind: “New York lawmakers said they would increase the minimum age to buy a semiautomatic rifle to 21 years old from 18 under legislation to tighten gun laws following mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas. Under the package of legislation, the state also will ban the purchase of bullet-resistant vests by civilians and require that pistols be enabled with microstamping technology, which places a forensic mark on any shell casing fired by a particular gun.”
GOP sets a post-Pataki mark for spending on a gubernatorial race, by POLITICO’s Bill Mahoney: While the general election is still five months away, Republicans have already spent more on this year’s gubernatorial race than in two decades. Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin has spent $8.5 million, and businessman Harry Wilson has spent $7.7 million since launching their campaigns, state Board of Elections records posted in recent days showed. Both of those totals easily surpass the $2.3 million raised by 2018 GOP nominee Marc Molinaro. And coupled with the $1.3 million spent by Rob Astorino and $487,000 by Andrew Giuliani in the past year, this year’s Republican contenders have now already combined to spend far more than in any gubernatorial election since former Gov. George Pataki’s last campaign in 2002.
“Transition to new ethics panel sparks early legal threat,” by Times Union’s Chris Bragg: “As the much-criticized Joint Commission on Public Ethics prepares to shutter on July 8, questions remain about the transition to a replacement body created in this year’s state budget. One bubbling to the surface is whether current JCOPE commissioners will be allowed to serve on the new 11-member panel, called the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government.”
“Antonio Delgado releases first TV ad, a month ahead of the primary,” by City & State’s Jeff Coltin: “Delgado is facing Ana María Archila and Diana Reyna in the primary. He will be the only one who actually has the money to make a major public push. Delgado reported having more than $2 million left in his campaign account, after shifting that much money from his abandoned Congressional reelection campaign. That towers over Archila, who reported just over $203,000 on hand as of last week, and Reyna, who has only $126,000. … It’s always hard to get attention for a second-tier race like LG, but Delgado has barely seemed to be trying, limiting his interviews and public appearances since getting tapped to run by Hochul on May 3. He has declined to attend a debate Wednesday at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in Manhattan hosted by City & State, Pix 11 and the Coro New York Leadership Center, and the former congress member’s team could not point to any forums hosted by clubs or interest groups that he has attended so far.”
— Gov. Kathy Hochul declined NY1's invitation to participate in NY1’s June 2 Democratic gubernatorial primary debate.
#UpstateAmerica: After a tranquilization just blocks from the state Capitol in Albany’s Washington Park, tales of Tuesday’s #SineDieBear might now eclipse memories of #BudgetCoyote.
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De Blasio to make overdose prevention centers a plank in his congressional campaign, by POLITICO’s Amanda Eisenberg: Then-Mayor Bill de Blasio used his last 10 weeks in office to push through a controversial, long-stalled pilot for overdose prevention centers in New York City. Now, as candidate for the newly redrawn 10th Congressional District, de Blasio plans to use the sites as a key part of his platform. “It’s a national model now. I want to promote it nationally,” de Blasio said in an interview about the centers that allow people to use illegal drugs under medical supervision. The two Upper Manhattan sites that opened in late November have reversed at least 314 overdoses — many that could have been fatal — according to the nonprofit OnPoint NYC that runs the facilities. De Blasio said he's yet to tour the centers.
— De Blasio is calling on the state teachers pension fund to divest from gun companies.
“Max Rose on his congressional run: ‘I’m staying in this fight,’” by Staten Island Advance’s Giavanni Alves: “Democratic congressional candidate Max Rose declared on Tuesday that he is not intimidated by the increasingly competitive race for the 11th district seat due to new district lines and will remain in the election.”
“Dems' lead impeachment lawyer to run for Congress in New York,” by Axios’ Hans Nichols and Jonathan Swan: "Dan Goldman, the former lead counsel for House Democrats in their first impeachment of former President Trump, is planning to jump into the crowded Democratic primary in New York’s 10th Congressional District. Driving the news: Goldman, a former federal prosecutor and MSNBC legal analyst, is expected to announce in the coming days, according to people familiar with the matter."
— Rana Abdelhamid is ending her congressional campaign after redistricting removed Queens from the 12th District.
— City schoolsbanned the use of Illuminate Education products after a massive data breach.
— The MTA is rebranding East Side Access as “Grand Central Madison.”
— The Q23, one of the slowest buses in the city, is the only way for many Queens residents to get to work.
— Adams said law enforcement responding to a school shooting in the city would not repeat the mistakes of cops in Uvalde, Texas.
— Hudson Valley Republican Sen. Mike Martucci announced that he will not seek reelection.
— City pools don’t plan to bring back adult lap swimming hours.
— E-bike riderswere threatened with tickets for riding in Prospect Park.
— New York has brought in $267 million from sports wagering since new mobile rules went into effect.
— Democrats in Onondaga County are not keen on County Executive Pat McMahon’s plan to spend $85 million on a new aquarium.
— The state’s Covid-19 case rate has fallen for two weeks.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: FT’s Ed Luce … NBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald … Constance Boozer … Dan Bartlett of Walmart … Spencer Ackerman of The Daily Beast … CBS’ Olivia Gazis … AP’s Bill Barrow … SBA’s Matt Coleman … Dan Tannebaum of Oliver Wyman … CNN Business’ Nicole Goodkind … Matt Winkler
WEEKEND WEDDING — Mark Dirzulaitis, VP for Vestar Capital Partners, recently married Sheena Mehta, director of acquisitions at Branded. The couple met on the first day of business school during their MBA welcome reception at The Wharton School, and had a traditional Jain ceremony in the morning at Southampton Inn and a traditional Jewish ceremony at Longhouse Reserve in East Hampton. Pic ... Ceremony pics
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Controversial Harlem rezoning withdrawn by developer, by POLITICO’s Janaki Chadha: The developer behind a controversial rezoning proposal in Harlem pulled the plan Tuesday ahead of a City Council vote — amid firm opposition from local Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan and insufficient appetite from the rest of the body to override her. Backers of the Lenox Avenue and 145th Street proposal were hoping the full Council would approve the project over Richardson Jordan’s objections, as it has done on rare occasions in the past — most recently the approval of the New York Blood Center rezoning last year. But the demise of the plan, which would have generated upward of 900 apartments, indicates the Council’s unofficial policy of deferring to local members on land use proposals is alive and well, despite the prominent recent example to the contrary.
“Majority of City Council Declares Opposition to Reauthorizing NYC Tax Lien Sale,” by Gotham Gazette’s Samar Khurshid: “New York City’s controversial tax lien sale program, which helps the city collect unpaid property debt, expired at the end of February and a majority of City Council members now say they will refuse to reauthorize it. The city government uses the tax lien sale program, created in 1996, to sell unpaid debts on property taxes and sewer and water bills to private entities, which pay the city about 75 cents on the dollar. ... The program disproportionately affects low-income Black and Latino homeowners, a fact that elected officials and housing advocates have repeatedly criticized.”