| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia | Presented by CVS Health | Tucked into Mayor Eric Adams' anti-crime plan is a proposal that has drawn less attention than his push to revive a disbanded NYPD unit or his efforts to weaken bail reform laws, but could prove just as controversial. The mayor wants to expand the use of facial recognition technology, our Sally Goldenberg and Joe Anuta report — turning to a tool that some other American cities have retreated from or banned altogether. "We will also move forward on using the latest in technology to identify problems, follow up on leads and collect evidence — from facial recognition technology to new tools that can spot those carrying weapons, we will use every available method to keep our people safe," Adams said in his crime speech. The NYPD has been using facial recognition for more than a decade, to mixed results. Police officials have credited the tool with helping to solve murders, rapes and missing person cases, and they stress it is used fairly and only in a narrow capacity. But reports have found inaccuracies , and privacy hawks have sounded alarms, leading to local legislation two years ago to mandate the NYPD regularly disclose details about its use of surveillance technology. "It just felt like the floor was dropping out from beneath me. To hear him this enamored with this sort of technology was incredibly disappointing," said Albert Fox Cahn, head of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. Two citywide elected officials, Comptroller Brad Lander and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, are also crying foul. Lander pointed out how the software "is notoriously inaccurate when it comes to identifying people of color generally and women of color in particular. We shouldn't rush into expanding the use of technology that may increase the risk of racial profiling and false arrests." On the other hand, there's also a backlash to the backlash. "So many policies advanced by the progressive left are actually harming the people they are trying to protect," former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said in an interview. IT'S TUESDAY. 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? Meeting with education groups. WHERE'S ERIC? Meeting virtually with the New York State Nurses Association and hosting a Lunar New Year celebration.
| | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the pandemic, in communities across the country, CVS Health has been there. We've opened more than 4,800 COVID-19 test sites, administered 41 million tests and given 50 million vaccines. We've expanded access to prenatal and postpartum care via telemedicine, increased remote access to mental health services and invested in affordable housing to help build healthier communities. We've been on the frontlines, making health care easier to access and afford. Learn more. | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | Adams defends ties to close friend with checkered past, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: Mayor Eric Adams defended his relationship with a restaurateur with a criminal history from a money laundering case, calling it an example of mentoring someone with a troubled past. As POLITICO reported, Adams is close friends with Zhan "Johnny" Petrosyants, who often keeps watch as the mayor holds court at the upscale Midtown restaurant Osteria La Baia. "Yes, I'm going to talk with people who have stumbled and fell," Adams said Monday at an unrelated City Hall press conference when asked about his relationship with Petrosyants. "Because I'm perfectly imperfect, and this is a city made up of perfectly imperfect people." Adams, who extols a plant-based diet, says 'I'm perfectly imperfect' when asked if he eats fish, by POLITICO's Amanda Eisenberg: Mayor Eric Adams, a self-described devotee of a "plant-based" diet, was defensive Monday when asked to explain a POLITICO report that found he also eats fish. "Here's my message: The more plant-based meals you have, the healthier you are going to be," Adams said at an event about lifestyle medicine at Kings County Hospital. "New Yorkers, don't beat yourself up. No one is perfect in this city," Adams said. POLITICO reported Friday that Adams has been spotted ordering fish at two high-end Manhattan restaurants, despite his insistence that he eats a plant-based diet and even penned a 224-page book about his supposedly strict food regimen. — AND THEN, THE CONFESSION: Adams admitted in a statement later Monday that he does sometimes eat fish. "Let me be clear: Changing to a plant-based diet saved my life, and I aspire to be plant-based 100 percent of the time. I want to be a role model for people who are following or aspire to follow a plant-based diet, but, as I said, I am perfectly imperfect, and have occasionally eaten fish," he said. — Adams announced an expansion of a chronic disease management program that focuses on diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors rather than medication. " Eric Adams' Would-Be Economic Czar to Remain in Private Sector ," by The City's Katie Honan and Yoav Gonen: "Mayor Eric Adams' reported choice to head the city's powerful Economic Development Corporation will not be taking the job after all, multiple people familiar with the matter told THE CITY. Carlo Scissura will remain as president and CEO of the New York Building Congress, according to those sources. A spokesman for the organization didn't respond to a request for comment. THE CITY reported last month that Scissura was secretly paid to advocate on behalf of a property owner he called a 'friend' in dealings with city agencies — but city and state records show he never registered as a lobbyist." — Scissura confirmed he would stay put in a statement to POLITICO. "I have loved serving as president and CEO of the New York Building Congress for the last five years and am thrilled to recommit to this historic organization. This is the best way that I can serve the people of our city and state at this crucial time, to guarantee we build reliable mass transit, schools, open spaces and other crucial infrastructure that moves New York forward," he said. " NYC workers protest vaccine mandate ahead of termination deadline ," by New York Post's Catalina Gonella and Evan Simko-Bednarski: "Over 300 city workers and others marched across the Brooklyn Bridge Monday protesting the city's announcement that municipal employees without a COVID-19 vaccination would be fired by week's end. Gathering in front of FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn, protesters chanted, 'No medical tyranny, no vaccine mandates" and 'My body, my choice. The vaccine you will not force,' before marching across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall. … City employees who have not shown a vaccine card will be let go by Friday, a City Hall spokesperson told The Post. That's expected to include the roughly 3,000 employees who have been without pay since failing to meet a November vaccination deadline, City Hall said, as well as some 1,000 city workers hired since the rule went into effect who have not shown proof of vaccination." " 'I'm Scared': Thousands in New York Public Housing Are Behind on Rent ," by The New York Times' Mihir Zaveri
| | | | HAPPENING THURSDAY – A LONG GAME CONVERSATION ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS : Join POLITICO for back-to-back conversations on climate and sustainability action, starting with a panel led by Global Insider author Ryan Heath focused on insights gleaned from our POLITICO/Morning Consult Global Sustainability Poll of citizens from 13 countries on five continents about how their governments should respond to climate change. Following the panel, join a discussion with POLITICO White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López and Gina McCarthy, White House national climate advisor, about the Biden administration's climate and sustainability agenda. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | " Hochul: Update on New York mask rule for businesses coming Wednesday," by Spectrum's Nick Reisman: "New York's proof-of-vaccination or mask rule for businesses is set to have an 'update' on Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday said. Hochul indicated no change will come for masking in schools as neighboring states in recent days, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, have moved to suspend the statewide requirement in the coming weeks. Any change in the mandate for businesses would come as it is set to expire on Thursday. 'We are going to be assessing our situation here in New York,' Hochul said during an appearance in Ulster County assessing damage from a recent storm." " Hochul fundraiser: A 'small, private' and pricey dinner for 20," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "On Thursday evening, Gov. Kathy Hochul is set to hold a very high-dollar campaign fundraiser in Manhattan being advertised as a 'small, private dinner' with the governor. According to the invite obtained by the Times Union, the event will benefit the 2022 campaigns of Hochul and her partner on the ticket, Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, who are both expected to attend. To be a 'host' of the event costs $45,200, while being a 'co-host' is $25,000. To be a 'friend' costs $10,000, the lowest-priced ticket listed on the invite. No more than 20 guests will be allowed to attend the small private dinner, according to the invite, which will presumably give attendees time to speak one-on-one with Hochul and Benjamin." "Andrew Cuomo Says He's Been 'Vindicated,' Won't Rule Out Run," by Bloomberg's Laura Nahmias: "Five months after he resigned over a swirl of sexual harassment allegations, New York's former Governor Andrew Cuomo isn't ruling out another run for public office. He insists it's too soon to talk about it. Instead, he's consumed by what he alleges are serious mistakes by New York State Attorney General Letitia James and the independent lawyers who investigated the sexual harassment claims against him. Her office determined the accounts of 11 different women were credible and that Cuomo 'violated multiple federal and state harassment laws,' according to the Aug. 3 report. The findings were so damaging and explosive that Cuomo resigned weeks after the report's release. But if he had to do it all over, he wouldn't have resigned, the former governor, 64, told Bloomberg News in a Friday telephone interview, one of a handful since leaving office." " 'Space': The bureaucratic frontier threatening the state's new Public Campaign Finance Board," by WNYC's Brigid Bergin: "Albany, we have a problem. That was the message Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, the co-executive director of the New York State Board of Elections, conveyed to commissioners last month about what was impeding the progress of the state's new Public Campaign Finance Board (PCFB). A top concern, according to Zebrowski Stavisky: the lack of office space. 'Especially for the launch of the Public Campaign Finance Board,' she said. 'Space is a big priority.' This was making it harder to bring in the personnel needed to launch the program — since there is nowhere to put them." #UpstateAmerica: Massena, N.Y., native Jonny Gustafson earned viral commentary on his Olympics luge run from comedian Leslie Jones.
| | | |   | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | " N.Y. Sen. Alessandra Biaggi to run for Rep. Tom Suozzi's redrawn House seat," by New York Daily News' Tim Balk: "State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, a progressive who represents the Bronx and Westchester, said Monday that she will run for the Long Island congressional seat occupied by Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) after it was redrawn to extend further west. Suozzi, a moderate Democrat, is currently staging a campaign for governor, running to Gov. Hochul's right. He has represented the Third Congressional District since 2017. Biaggi, a 35-year-old daughter of Italian immigrants, has crusaded against sexual harassment and police abuse during two years in the Legislature." " Rep. Jamaal Bowman won't face action by Ethics Committee over voting rights protest," by New York Daily News' Michael McCauliff and Dave Goldiner: "Bronx Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) won't face any punishment or further investigation by the House of Representatives Ethics Committee over his participation in a recent voting rights protest outside the Capitol."
| | Biden and the Boroughs | | " Justice Dept. signals it may allow safe injection sites ," by The Associated Press' Jennifer Peltz and Michael Balsamo: "A year after winning a major court battle against the opening of so-called safe injection sites -- safe havens for people to use heroin and other narcotics with protections against fatal overdoses — the Justice Department is signaling it might be open to allowing them. In response to questions from The Associated Press, the Justice Department said it is 'evaluating' such facilities and talking to regulators about 'appropriate guardrails.' The position is a drastic change from its stance in the Trump administration. … The first officially authorized safe injection sites opened in New York City in November."
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — The BMW that ran down and killed a 99-year-old Holocaust survivor in Brooklyn has been slapped with 10 school-zone speeding tickets and four red-light tickets since 2016. — Adams signed an executive order directing city agencies to respect free speech and press rights and release information in a transparent fashion. — Former Democratic Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny is considering a run for his old Coney Island seat, this time as a Republican. — Coney Island and Brighton Beach were two Brooklyn neighborhoods hit the hardest by Omicron with low vaccination rates. — The MTA will launch a four-month long fare-capping pilot as it hopes to lure riders back after two years of pandemic-related losses. — Hochul wants to spend $41 million to repair eastern approach steps of the Capitol. — A Buffalo Diocese priest inherited a parishioner's $467,000 estate after she changed will, much to her family's chagrin. — New York ranked fourth in the nation for the highest number of fentanyl deaths last year. — Sen. James Skoufis and Assemblymember Amy Paulin want to make it a crime to send unsolicited explicit pics. — The installation of working fire alarms at an East Village library branch has been delayed more than 12 years.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Ted Koppel … Alexandra Brodsky … Samantha Smith … Hudson Institute's John Walters, Michael Pillsbury and Sarah May Stern … Will Levi … Vox's Zack Beauchamp … Rodney Margolis ... Jonah Triebwasser ... Charles S. Cohen ... Robert S. Kapito ... Itzik Shmuli ... Samantha Grosinger (h/ts Jewish Insider) MAKING MOVES — Former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is now working as senior vice president at Montefiore Medical Centernow working as senior vice president at Montefiore Medical Center. … Nicole Robinson-Etienne is the new external affairs director for LinkNYC. She was formerly vice president of government and community relations at Institute for Community Living. … Kirsten Sechler is now chief HR officer at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. She most recently was director of professional development at the firm. MEDIAWATCH — " Top editor exits after clash with CBS News boss over rescue of Afghan journalists," by N.Y. Post's Alexandra Steigrad: "London Bureau Chief Andy Clarke, a 38-year CBS veteran who was responsible for dispatching journalists around the world, stepped down last week after multiple disagreements with CBS News co-president Neeraj Khemlani over budget cuts, according to sources close to the network." — Tammy Audi is joining The New York Times as enterprise editor on the national desk. She most recently was the deputy on the Wall Street Journal's Enterprise desk. … Per Talking Biz News: "Wall Street Journal reporter Jennifer Smith is leaving the newspaper after more than a decade."
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Healthier Happens Together. Learn more. | | | | | Real Estate | | " Ex-N.Y.C. Shelter Boss to Pay $1.2 Million After Bribery Plea ," by The New York Times' Amy Julia Harris: "The former head of one of the largest operators of homeless shelters in New York pleaded guilty Monday to pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from contractors in a scheme that went on for years, as homelessness in the city grew to record numbers. Victor Rivera, the founder and former chief executive of the nonprofit Bronx Parent Housing Network, admitted to accepting kickbacks from contractors working with the organization and laundering the money through entities he controlled, according to the city Department of Investigation." " Hochul's Proposed 421-A Replacement Is In For a Fight, Key Lawmakers Signal ," by New York Focus' Colin Kinniburgh: "After Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her State of the State address in early January, housing organizers issued a bitter rebuke. 'On housing, Governor Hochul is continuing the worst of Cuomo's legacy,' said the Housing Justice for All coalition in a statement. The group singled out one policy in particular: the 421-a tax break for real estate developers, which Hochul promised to let expire—only to replace it with a new, substantially similar tax break. The details of Hochul's proposed 421-a revamp, unveiled two weeks later in her executive budget, did little to allay criticism. Dubbed the Affordable Neighborhoods for New Yorkers Tax Incentive, or 485-w, it would deepen the program's affordability requirements and slightly increase wage requirements for construction and building service workers in the largest buildings." " Give Homeless Families a Break, Shelter Providers Urge Mayor Adams ," by The City's Josefa Velasquez: "Homeless services and legal groups are calling on Mayor Eric Adams to permanently abolish a longtime requirement that entire families show up in person to a Bronx intake center in order to apply for homeless shelter. That process — suspended temporarily in the pandemic — brought young children to the Department of Homeless Services' facility when their parents or guardians applied for shelter, and again to reapply after an application was rejected." | | | | 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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