| | | | |  | | By Anna Gronewold , Erin Durkin and Julian Shen-Berro | Presented by Equinor | Former President Donald Trump has given Rep. Lee Zeldin his "Complete & Total Endorsement" for governor of New York. Trump's Sunday statement on Truth Social praised Zeldin as a "brilliant lawyer" and for his record in Congress on border issues, crime, veterans and the Second Amendment. "Lee Zeldin is a WINNER who GOT THINGS DONE," Trump wrote. The unsurprising endorsement, just over three weeks out from Election Day, drives dollars and excitement from the Republican base. It's also another example of Zeldin embracing resources from the Trump faction of the GOP, rather than courting moderate Democrats or independent voters he would need to win over statewide as a Republican. It's more likely a deterrent for them. Trump remains unpopular among voters in his first home state. Late September polling from Siena showed his unfavorability at 63 percent among likely voters, versus 32 percent who view him favorably. Polls have been mixed on just how large a lead Hochul has over Zeldin. Siena said 17 points. Marist last week said 10 points . Zeldin's got a two-point upperhand in his strongest region, his home base on Long Island, according to Newsday . But his hometown paper endorsed Hochul . Part of Zeldin's response is that his anti-crime platform, bolstered by a duo of violent events that have affected him personally, can help close that gap. "Whether I'm in a blue county or a red county or talking to Republicans, Democrats or independents, I hear about people who care about crime and public safety," Zeldin told our Joe Spector last week. "They want to take back our streets." IT'S MONDAY. 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? Making a public safety announcement in East Farmingdale. WHERE'S ERIC? Speaking at an NYPD graduation ceremony, making a sanitation announcement, joining the Mayor's Film and Television Production Industry Council's kick-off meeting, and attending the Times Square Alliance's 30th anniversary gala.
| | | | A message from Equinor: Can a wind turbine generate more than electricity? Yes, it can. At Equinor, our work to power 2,000,000 New York homes with homegrown, renewable energy is only part of the story. The Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects are also boosting the economy, generating jobs, and launching tomorrow's clean energy infrastructure today. Equinor is a broad energy company, committed to become net-zero by 2050. We're proud to be a leader in this growing industry. | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | Adams plans to end 'buffet' for rats with transformative new trash pickup plan , by POLITICO's Danielle Muoio Dunn and Sally Goldenberg: Mountains of black bags clogging city sidewalks have come to symbolize a declining quality of life throughout the five boroughs. Now, Mayor Eric Adams, who ran for office promising to clean up the dirty city, is dramatically transforming garbage pickup. To limit the unsightly havens for rats, Adams is expected to announce a plan on Monday to delay when residents and building owners can begin putting out trash for collection — moving the starting time from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The proposal has been in the works for months but only came to fruition after City Hall struck a deal with a prominent union that supported Adams' election last year but opposed his trash plan. Adams releases first tax returns as mayor , by POLITICO's Sally Goldenberg and Joe Anuta: Mayor Eric Adams paid $56,074 in taxes on $245,324 in his salary, pension and rental income last year, according to a copy of his 2021 tax returns provided by his office. The release, which covers his last year as Brooklyn borough president, sought to shed light on his mysterious personal life, after questions about his finances and living arrangements shaped the Democratic mayoral primary last year. His total income was offset by $13,347 in deductions, making for an effective tax rate of 24 percent. ... The 24-page form was filed several months late, in accordance with an extension from the IRS, and shows Adams has made an effort to clean up his murky personal financial disclosures since becoming mayor. " MTA officials for years misled the public about delays, cost overruns in long-stalled project to bring LIRR to Grand Central ," by New York Daily News' Clayton Guse: "For more than a decade, MTA officials told one story about the massive East Side Access project to bring Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal — while construction managers repeatedly warned of another: It would cost billions more and take years longer to build than the agency said. At last, the East Side Access project is nearing completion — it is to bring the first LIRR passengers to Grand Central in December, more than a decade behind its original schedule and more than four times over its original budget. The latest price tag for the project is $11.6 billion, MTA officials told the Daily News." " Critics say NYC Parks Department is a patronage mill for Mayor Adams' pals ," by New York Post's Susan Edelman, Matthew Sedacca and Rich Calder: "The Adams administration has quietly tapped a City Council member's wife and another top Bronx Democratic supporter to fill two, high-ranking, $177,000-a-year Parks Department jobs, The Post has learned. The Parks Department in August gave Jessenia Aponte, wife of Councilman Rafael Salamanca (D-Bronx), a huge promotion that comes with a $72,000-plus raise, naming her Bronx borough commissioner. In another under-the-radar move, the agency last month handed Anthony Perez, former executive director of the Bronx Democratic Party, the job of Manhattan borough commissioner. Both Salamanca and Perez campaigned heavily for Eric Adams during his successful 2021 mayoral run, helping him lock up key Hispanic voting bases, especially in the Bronx, according to multiple sources." " Lander doubles down on call to strip NYC of control over Rikers ," by Gothamist's Michelle Bocanegra: "New York City Comptroller Brad Lander reiterated his call to remove the troubled Rikers Island jail complex from the city's control on Friday, making him the highest-ranking city official to call for it to be placed under federal receivership. In an interview on WNYC's 'Brian Lehrer Show,' Lander made his case for the federal government's appointment of a receiver a day after publicly calling for Rikers' transition out of city control during a Columbia Law School forum. The conditions at Rikers have been subject to long-standing scrutiny that has only intensified with recent deaths in the complex." — " Amid high suicide rates at Rikers, correction officers aren't completing suicide prevention courses ," by Gothamist's Matt Katz
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO 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. With a fresh look and improved features, 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. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | " How Kathy Hochul is 'bribing' her way to election — with nearly $1 billion of your money ," by New York Post's Zach Williams, Carl Campanile and Bruce Golding: "Gov. Hochul gave herself nearly $1 billion for a slush fund in this summer's state budget, with no restrictions on what projects or groups she could spend the money on. It allowed her to hand out cash with no review by the Legislature. Critics claim she has used the enormous amount of taxpayers' cash in an unethical bid to buy votes or control political groups in the forthcoming election against Republican Lee Zeldin. The governor and her Democratic allies in the Legislature added the $920 million worth of outlays to the $220.5 billion fiscal plan in an 11th-hour move in April that government watchdogs warn is wide open to abuse. 'These slush funds are totally unaccountable. It's not how public dollars should be doled out,' senior policy adviser Rachael Fauss of Reinvent Albany said Friday." " Overlaps between Zeldin campaign, outside groups backing him ," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "In December, conservative billionaire Ronald Lauder donated $100,000 to his outside elections spending group, Safe Together New York. A day later, the firm of a longtime Lauder political consultant, John McLaughlin, was paid $100,000 by Safe Together for work on a newly created radio ad criticizing Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. While these transactions were only the beginning of Lauder's huge political spending over the past year, they stand out — because McLaughlin is also the campaign pollster for U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island, Hochul's Republican opponent." " 20 State Cannabis Dispensaries Are Supposed to Open This Year — But Not a Single Location Has Been Announced Yet ," by THE CITY's Gabriel Poblete: "Gov. Kathy Hochul says New York is 'on track' to open some cannabis dispensaries within months — but industry leaders say they see only red signals ahead. The state government set a goal of opening dispensaries by the end of the year that'll allow New Yorkers to legally purchase cannabis. Hochul told the editorial board of Advance Media, owner of Syracuse Post-Standard, the state would open 20 dispensaries by the end of the year, with another 20 openings each month after. Her plan is propped up by a $200 million loan fund to help people who have been negatively affected by weed-related convictions open their retail shops, with the first 150 licenses reserved for those with past records. But players participating in the process warn the timetable may be unrealistic." #UpstateAmerica: Spooky job alert! Who preserves the decrepit gravestones we know and love around the Northeast? The Albany Grave Digger.
| | | | A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining challenge opportunity of our time. Our world needs energy to keep moving forward — but it must be affordable, reliable, and accessible. We all have a role to play. At Equinor, we're doing our part by helping accelerate the energy transition. We're growing our renewable energy portfolio and lowering emissions from production. We're already on the way to powering about 2,000,000 New York homes with energy from the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind offshore wind projects. We're creating jobs, building tomorrow's infrastructure, and sparking new economic activity. But for us, that's only the beginning. By the time the global population reaches 9 billion in 2050, our goal is to have net-zero emissions. Discover more about Equinor at www.equinor.com/USA. | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | " Manhattan congressional candidate publishes a porn video to highlight his sex positive platform ," by City & State's Jeff Coltin: "In a grunt for attention, third-party Congressional candidate Mike Itkis has released a sex tape to highlight his sex positive campaign platform. The 53-year-old Army cyber operations officer is bound to lose to Rep. Jerry Nadler in Manhattan's 12th Congressional District. But he posted the 13 minute video to a popular online porn site of him having sex with porn performer Nicole Sage as 'a conversation piece,' he told City & State. 'If I would just talk about it, it wouldn't demonstrate my commitment to the issue. And the fact I actually did it was a huge learning experience, and it actually influenced items on my platform.'" " NY-19 — or the one where Marc Molinaro doesn't have it in the bag ," by City & State's Rebecca C. Lewis: "When a judge finally approved congressional district lines and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro decided he would run in the 19th Congressional District, he likely felt good about his prospects. His special election opponent then-Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, whom he battled for the old version of the district over the summer, chose to run for a full term in a different district. Although Molinaro lost that August special election to fill the seat vacated by Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, Molinaro found himself in a general election battle with first-time Democratic candidate Josh Riley. … At one time, Molinaro's victory would have seemed inevitable. ... But like so many other Republicans who expected major midterm victories with Democratic control in Washington, Molinaro may fall victim to his own party's agenda."
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — A 15-year-old boy was shot dead during an argument on a subway car in Far Rockaway. — SUNDAYS WITH SCHUMER: The senior senator urged New Yorkers to fight back against shrinking airplane seats. — For decades, state Supreme Court candidates whose names appear on the Conservative Party line in the 4th District have rarely lost . — New York collected $2.4 billion more in taxes than initially expected during the first six months of the fiscal year. — A man was shoved onto the subway tracks at a Bronx station. (He was helped back up to the platform by a good Samaritan.) — "'Terrible scene': Dead birds litter front of NYC condo with glass facade" — Shenendehowa High School was awarded Special Olympics National Banner status for its sports teams that welcome students with disabilities. — The ex-girlfriend of GOP congressional candidate Colin Schmitt hosted a fundraiser for his Democratic opponent Rep. Pat Ryan. — Asylum seekers in New York want to work , but can't request a work permit until months after they submit their asylum application.
| | | | 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: Bloomberg's Peter Grauer … Bloomberg Government's Angela Greiling Keane … CBS' Bo Erickson … NBC's Caroline Klein (25) … (was Sunday): Sarah Westwood of the Washington Examiner … Jim Courtovich … Alex Macfarlane of SKDK … Foreign Policy's Ravi Agrawal (4-0) … Brendan Greeley … (was Saturday): Lis Smith … NBC's Jon Allen … John Doty of House Judiciary/Rep. Jerry Nadler's (D-N.Y.) office … Liz Kenigsberg of SKDK … Stu Loeser … Rotimi Adeoye of the ACLU … Ken Griffin … Stat's Rick Berke … Nathaniel Styer, press secretary for the New York City Department of Education MEDIAWATCH — Peter Haskell is leaving his post as a longtime reporter for WCBS radio , after developing a rare vocal disorder … Kathryn Meyers is now a producer at Fox Business. She most recently was a producer at CNBC. … Lizzie LeBow is now an associate booking producer for "Alex Witt Reports" on MSNBC. She most recently was a producer for TMJ4 News in Milwaukee. … Rishi Iyengar is now a staff reporter at Foreign Policy magazine. He most recently was a tech writer in CNN's San Francisco bureau. IN MEMORIAM — Laura Anglin, former deputy mayor and state budget director, has died at age 57 .
| | Real Estate | | " A Housing Crisis Has More Politicians Saying Yes to Developers ," by The New York Times' Mihir Zaveri: "For years, elected officials from across the political spectrum in New York City have scored points by attacking a common enemy: Real estate developers. Politicians routinely quashed projects. Some officials argued they were protecting a neighborhood's character and property values. Others said they were fighting corporate greed. On Friday, a left-leaning City Council member, Julie Won, said she would oppose a big new project in her Queens district, calling it a 'gentrification accelerator.' But a housing shortage and affordability crisis may be changing the political calculus for some progressives who have traditionally been among the most fervent critics of the real estate industry." " NYC: Languishing Staten Island waterfront projects will be addressed in 'coming months ,'" by Staten Island Advance's Paul Liotta: "A host of failed economic development projects cover the Staten Island waterfront, and most point back to one agency — the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC). For years, projects connected to EDC, like the New York Wheel and its abandoned garage, Lighthouse Point, and Pier 1, have languished along the waterfront and its surrounding community. Republican Borough President Vito Fossella, and City Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore), both in their first years in office, have emerged as leading Staten Island voices looking for a new direction than what's been offered." " NYCHA opens comment period on voting plan for funding stream ," by New York Daily News' Tim Balk: "The New York City Housing Authority took a step Friday toward unleashing a stream of funding for repairs to some 25,000 units, opening public comment on a plan to allow developments to vote on whether they want to opt into the program. The votes would allow residents to decide if they want their developments to be included in the Public Housing Preservation Trust, a new public benefit corporation that officials have said will bring in billions of dollars for repairs. The city's crumbling Housing Authority complexes house about 460,000 people in almost 180,000 units, according to City Hall." | | | | 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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