| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin , Anna Gronewold and Julian Shen-Berro | Presented by Instacart | It turns out Andrew Yang wasn't the only political candidate to hightail it out of New York City during the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the candidates now vying to represent Manhattan and Brooklyn in Congress made themselves scarce at the height of the contagion too, our Georgia Rosenberg reports . Dan Goldman, the Trump impeachment lawyer who appears to be a leading candidate in the 10th District race, decamped for the Hamptons. He spent the months from March 2020, when he tested positive for Covid-19, to August 2020, at his family's multimillion-dollar second home in Water Mill in Southhampton, returning in time for his kids to start the new school year. He requested an absentee ballot there for the June 2020 primary. Former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman also ditched the five boroughs in 2020, staying at a friend's home in Massachusetts from March through May. Then there's Rep. Mondaire Jones, who until June didn't live in New York City at all. He spent the early pandemic in the suburban Westchester and Rockland district he now represents, where he was running for his seat at the time. Other hopefuls stayed cooped up in their city apartments like the rest of us schlubs. We'll see how much traction this issue gets in the 10th District, which encompasses affluent neighborhoods in lower Manhattan and brownstone Brooklyn where many voters themselves fled the city. But supporters of candidates who stayed put certainly hope it will matter. "The pandemic put leaders to the test, and voters should take note of who stepped up," said Sochie Nnaemeka, director of the Working Families Party, which backs Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou. IT'S FRIDAY. 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? Visiting Maplewood Dairy and making a tourism and economic development announcement. WHERE'S ERIC? Making a social services announcement and holding a hearing on abortion rights bills.
| | | | A message from Instacart: Instacart connects New Yorkers to the local stores they love in their communities. https://newyorkimpact.instacart.com/ | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | " NYC Health Dept reassigns senior epidemiologist who publicly disagreed with city's monkeypox messaging ," by Gothamist's Caroline Lewis: "Dr. Don Weiss, the director of surveillance for the New York City Health Department's Bureau of Communicable Disease, is being removed from his post after criticizing the city's response to a worsening monkeypox outbreak. His new assignment at the Division of Family and Child Health begins on Monday, according to an official letter from a human resources executive at the department that Weiss posted on his personal website. The letter is dated July 22nd — just days after Weiss publicly disagreed with the city's public health messaging around monkeypox in an article in the New York Times. Weiss said in the story that the department acted irresponsibly by not advising people at high risk for the disease — specifically, men who have sex with men — to temporarily reduce their number of sexual partners." "' It's Scary': Gay Men Confront a Health Crisis With Echoes of the Past ," by The New York Times' Liam Stack: "It was happy hour at a gay bar in Harlem, 4West Lounge, and the after-work crowd had come to drink rum punch and watch 'RuPaul's Drag Race.' But instead, perched on stools, the men talked about the rapidly spreading monkeypox virus: their efforts to snag a coveted vaccine appointment, in a city where demand for the shots far outstrips supply; the slow government rollout of vaccines and treatment; and their confusion about how the disease spreads and how to stay safe. 'It feels like survival of the fittest, with all the pandemic waves and now monkeypox and all these vaccine problems,' said James Ogden, 31, who secured a vaccine appointment after weeks spent navigating the city's glitchy online sign-up process." — " New York finally getting 110K monkeypox vaccine doses after feds' OK: Schumer ," by New York Post's Bernadette Hogan and Nolan Hicks: "New York state will receive 110,000 new doses of the monkeypox vaccine — with 80,000 coming to the Big Apple alone — as the Biden administration finally released the stock of shots and is expected to declare the virus a public health emergency." Inflation, rising wages create staffing challenges at city summer program , by POLITICO's Madina Touré: Skyrocketing inflation and rising service-industry wages are making it tough for the city's marquee summer camp program to attract and retain talent, according to a trade group. The city pays community-based organizations to run Summer Rising, which provides free, full-day education and enrichment activities for more than 100,000 elementary- and middle-school students. But funding boosts the city made to operator contracts have not kept pace with rampant inflation — and employers like Starbucks are luring away potential workers with salaries above the state's $15 minimum wage, according to United Neighborhood Houses, an umbrella group for CBOs. " NYC DOE appeals judge's order temporarily barring school budget cuts ," by New York Post's Carla Bamberger: "New York City is appealing a judge's order to temporarily halt individual school budget cuts amid plunging student enrollment. In a filing on Thursday, the city asked an appellate court to undo the temporary restraining order issued by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Lyle Frank last week. 'I am gravely concerned about our ability to assure the orderly opening of schools this September,' said Schools Chancellor David Banks in an affidavit submitted Thursday. 'I cannot overstate how consequential, and even disastrous this is for our city,' he added."
| | | | 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 | | Alleged Zeldin assailant to be kept in custody as judge reviews records, health information , by POLITICO's Max Jaeger and Anna Gronewold: The man accused of attacking GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin as he stumped for his gubernatorial campaign last week will remain in custody as a judge considers information on his mental health and substance abuse history. U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian Payson determined Thursday that the man, David Jakubonis, 43, will stay in detention at the Monroe County Jail pending further action, according to his public defender, Steven Slawinski. Payson is considering opposing arguments about whether Jakubonis's demonstration — jumping on stage while brandishing a pointy, cat-shaped self-defense keychain at Zeldin — was an isolated incident or if it signals a larger danger to the community from a troubled individual who should be further kept in custody. Payson wants to see more records, full-size images of the weapon and video of the incident, Slawinski said. Jakubonis faces a federal count of assaulting a member of Congress with a dangerous weapon. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. — " Monroe County district attorney spoke at fundraiser featuring Zeldin in May, " by Times Union's Joshua Solomon: "Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley, who is facing scrutiny for her political activities, spoke at a local Republican Party committee's fundraiser in May which featured U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee for governor. Doorley said she sees no issue with her actions at the event, despite ethics guidelines that suggest sitting district attorneys should not attend political functions or take active roles in others' campaigns." " Steve Pigeon sentenced to 1 year in prison in judge bribery case ," by Buffalo News' Aaron Besecker: "G. Steven Pigeon, the once-influential political operative and former Erie County Democratic Party chairman, was sentenced Thursday to one year in prison. Acting State Supreme Court Justice Donald F. Cerio Jr. ordered that he serve the sentence concurrently with the four-month federal sentence issued Wednesday in a separate case. Pigeon admitted in September 2018 he bribed a State Supreme Court judge. That judge, John A. Michalek, who pleaded guilty to bribery and resigned six years ago, is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday afternoon." " CVS accused of 'robbing' health care providers in anti-trust lawsuit ," by Times Union's Rachel Silberstein: "New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued CVS Health Corporation (CVS) for violating antitrust laws and financially harming hospitals and clinics that provide care for underserved communities, her office announced Thursday. For years, CVS required New York safety net providers to exclusively use a CVS-owned company, Wellpartner, to process and obtain federal subsidies on prescriptions filled at CVS pharmacies, according to the lawsuit. The attorney general's office contends that CVS' scheme forced providers to incur millions in added costs, while CVS continued to benefit through its subsidiary. CVS' policies deprived the health care practices of critical federal funding that could have been used to improve and expand patient care, the lawsuit states." #UpstateAmerica: With the Rochester aqueduct set for renovation, some are wondering what will happen to the graffiti art.
| | | | A message from Instacart:   | | | | | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | Charges of fake Trump endorsement roil a GOP primary in New York , by POLITICO's Meredith McGraw: This summer, the New York State Conservative Party sent out a mailer to in-state voters supporting Republican congressional candidate Nick Langworthy that included the phrase "CHOSEN BY PRESIDENT TRUMP," along with a photo of Langworthy with Trump in the Oval Office. And earlier this month the Langworthy campaign blasted out a fundraising text message that said "President Trump called on Nick Langworthy to lead Republicans in the fight against New York's radical liberals." Technically, neither statement is factually incorrect. Trump did support Langworthy as New York's GOP chairman. But that was then. Langworthy is now seeking a different office. And Donald Trump has not actually endorsed him or anyone else in that race. That's prompted complaints from fellow New York Republicans and the campaign of his primary challenger, businessman Carl Paladino, that Langowrthy's text messages and direct mailers are deliberately deceiving voters. " Trump says 'nobody's gotten to the bottom of 9/11' as he shills for Saudi golf tour ," by New York Daily News' Dave Goldiner: "Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed the 9/11 terror attacks remain a mystery on Thursday as he deflected criticism from families of the victims about his partnership with a controversial Saudi-backed golf tour. Promoting the upstart Saudi-backed tournament at his New Jersey golf resort, Trump parroted conspiracy theories that assert there are significant unanswered questions about one of the worst-ever terror attacks on American soil. 'Nobody's gotten to the bottom of 9/11, unfortunately,' Trump told ESPN. 'And they should have, as to the maniacs who did that horrible thing to our city, to our country, to the world.'"
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | " NY-10 contenders seize every opportunity to scrutinize rivals' fundraising ," by NY1's Emily Ngo: "The race for the 10th Congressional District has shaped up to be an expensive one with nearly $6.6 million raised in total. But precisely where the dollars are coming from has inspired fierce lines of attack among candidates jostling for every advantage. 'I'm proud to be raising money without taking a dime, a dime from corporations, And unlike my colleague, Dan Goldman, in this primary, I'm not self-funding,' Rep. Mondaire Jones said Thursday. Jones' most recent campaign finance filling showed he raised over the rest of the field combined: $3.3 million. He said Goldman is using his family fortune to influence the race, but Goldman spotlighted that Jones' campaign war chest was built primarily when he was a candidate for his current Hudson Valley district. 'One of the things that I am dealing with is a congressperson coming down from another district, raising money from a different campaign, but using it here,' Goldman said Thursday, also criticizing 'a city councilwoman who's taking money from people with special interests.'" " Sen. Schumer vows to find cash to plug $3B hole in 9/11 health program ," by New York Daily News' Michael McAuliff: "West Virginia Democratic maverick Sen. Joe Manchin blocked Democrats from using their new budget bill to plug a looming $3 billion hole in the 9/11 health program, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday has vowed to find the cash some other way. 'We will get this. There's ample opportunity to get this in ... other must-pass bills,' Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Capitol Hill. 'Manchin didn't want it in this bill. But there's going to be opportunity, and we're going to get it done.'"
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY . | | | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — The City Council will hold a hearing on the city's response to asylum seekers in homeless shelters. — Mayor Eric Adams asked the ATF to double the number of agents stationed in New York City. — Adams said the U.S. is in a recession , contradicting President Joe Biden. — The Brooklyn bishop who was robbed during a livestreamed service is accused in a lawsuit of stealing retirement savings from a parishioner. — Adams' son doesn't agree with him about drill rap. — Victims of an outbreak of Legionnnaire's disease in the Bronx are suing the nonprofit owner of a building linked to the outbreak. — A former private social club in Albany is still open after a "violent poker heist." — New York City speed cameras will begin operating 24/7 on Monday . — Two shootings by different, off-duty New York correction officers this month raise questions about training and deadly force . — City Council Member Tiffany Cabán voiced concerns over conditions witnessed during a recent visit to Rikers Island.
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NBC's Peter Alexander … White House's Herbie Ziskend … Nate Rawlings … Reuters' Joanna Plucinska … Bloomberg's David Westin … AP's Aaron Kessler … Garance Franke-Ruta … CNN's Kristin Fisher … Laura McGann … Ken Burns … Ellie Titus … Ari'el Stachel … Mark Laichena MAKING MOVES — Julia McNally is the new Attorney-in-Charge of the Queens Neighborhood Office at the Legal Aid Society. She was previously director of housing in Queens. … Michael Shapiro is now managing director of government affairs for Blackstone, with a focus on infrastructure investments and projects. He most recently was deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the Department of Transportation and was also a member of the White House Infrastructure Implementation Task Force. … Jermaine Sean Smith is the new executive director of the Southern Queens Park Association. He was previously an associate vice president at HeartShare St. Vincent's Services.
| | | | A message from Instacart: Across New York, Instacart shoppers connect local communities to neighborhood businesses and give customers more time to spend with friends and family. https://newyorkimpact.instacart.com/ | | | | | Real Estate | | " Amazon's Plans for Massive Warehouses Go Forward Amid Logistics Review ," by Wall Street Journal's Liz Young: "Amazon. com Inc. is making room for big new warehouse projects even as the e-commerce giant reins in its aggressive logistics expansion. The e-commerce giant recently won local approval to build a five-story, 3.1 million-square-foot distribution center in western New York, and has even bigger sites in the works in Southern California and Colorado as it bolsters a network aimed at getting more goods faster to more Americans. The projects signal that the sprawling warehouses that anchor Amazon's U.S. logistics network still have a place in the company's strategy following its announcement in May that it was slowing the build-out of its logistics network and planned to sublease some existing space following its slowest quarterly revenue growth in about two decades." | | | | 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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