It was the Yankees game

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Jul 11, 2023 View in browser   By Joe Anuta, Joseph Spector and Hajah Bah New York Yankees' Clarke Schmidt pitches during a baseball game on June 6, 2023, in New York. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has affected air quality in the state. | AP Photo/Frank Franklin II As the Bronx Bombers took the field June 5, New York City’s Air Quality Index had already hit 150, driven upward by smoke from Canadian wildfires. It was a level considered unhealthy to everyone — and one that showcased the city government’s failure to communicate the severity of the situation, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams argues in a report set to be released Tuesday. The report, shared with POLITICO ahead of its release, contends the mayor should have pushed earlier for canceling sporting events and ordering students and municipal workers to stay home. It also makes the case that the city is woefully underprepared to communicate emergency information to the public going forward. “If your first press conference occurs at 10 a.m. right before the sky turned orange for a whole day, that’s an indication that something went wrong, which we have to acknowledge,” Williams said in an interview. Ahead of a City Council oversight hearing scheduled for Wednesday, his report goes through the timeline of events and suggests 17 steps the city can take to improve its response — which Williams' office gleaned from contacting other municipalities around the country. A few of the suggestions: Setting air quality levels that would automatically trigger moving schools and jobs to remote work Designating clean air centers and distributing masks Having a step-by-step plan of action for the government and for the administration to create a civilian air quality monitoring network Employing a better alert system that does not require residents to proactively sign up (because many do not) In response, the mayor’s office said it was able to mobilize rapidly to handle an unpredictable situation. On the day the sky turned orange, for example, the forecast did not call for air quality to reach unhealthy levels at all. “The city mounted a whole-of-government response to keep New Yorkers informed and protected during last month’s smoke event,” spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said in a statement. “While forecasting air quality is difficult to do and forecasts are available only 24 hours in advance, public messaging around potentially bad air quality began a week before the worst of the smoke.” Ahead of this week’s hearing, Williams said he hopes the administration will admit that nobody bats 1.000, and that there are lessons to be learned. “You have to be willing to say that we didn’t get these things right so you can move forward and do better,” Williams said. “When it comes to this [topic], I have not heard that.” IT’S TUESDAY. WHERE’S KATHY? Delivering remarks at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials 40th Annual Conference and making an announcement on hate crime protections at The Museum of Jewish Heritage. WHERE’S ERIC? A full day of events that includes an appearance on the Russian Television Network of America, remarks at the same Latino conference, a speech to the 2023 David Rockefeller fellows, a housing and homelessness-related announcement, a public hearing and bill signing on literacy training and an appearance on Davidzon Radio, another Russian station. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Being the mayor, it would shock you to know how many people come to me all day, every day. They stop me on the train. They stop me on the street. They have ideas. They have things they want to do." — Mayor Eric Adams on Monday in response to the indictment of six people who allegedly reimbursed donors to Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign. He said he didn't know about the scheme.   JOIN 7/11 FOR A TALK ON THE FAA’S FUTURE: Congress is making moves to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act, laying the groundwork for the FAA’s long-term agenda to modernize the aviation sector to meet the challenges of today and innovate for tomorrow. Join POLITICO on July 11 to discuss what will make it into the final reauthorization bill and examine how reauthorization will reshape FAA’s priorities and authorities. REGISTER HERE.     ABOVE THE FOLD Pedestrians line Main Street after floodwaters receded from a storm July 10, 2023, in Highland Falls, N.Y. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast. | AP Photo/John Minchillo STORM CLEANUP: Parts of Orange County were in the middle of a massive cleanup after record-breaking rainfall destroyed local roads around West Point and killed a 35-year-old woman who was swept away outside her home amid the powerful flooding. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday visited Highlands Falls and then later Ontario County in the Finger Lakes that also had heavy flooding. Hochul said climate change fueled the storm, which brought as much as eight inches of rain to parts of the Hudson Valley. She said state and local governments need to use “every bit of our power mobilizing to fight the ravages of climate change because, again, these are unprecedented weather events that keep hitting us over and over and over again.” Amtrak on Monday had indefinitely suspended service between Albany and New York City. Metro-North on Tuesday planned a partial restoration of train service on the Hudson Line, with trains running between Grand Central Terminal and Peekskill at least once per hour. The MTA was also going to continue limited bus service between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie. Attorney General Letitia James, meanwhile, warned against price gouging due to the storm, saying in a statement: “I urge New Yorkers who see higher prices on essential goods to report it to my office immediately.” WHAT CITY HALL IS READING Rikers Jail Monitor Pushes for Contempt Order Over ‘Pervasive Dysfunction’, by THE CITY's Reuven Blau: “Mayor Eric Adams and Correction Commissioner Louis Molina are vehemently opposed to the appointment of a receiver. They contend some progress has been made and that more time is needed to turn things around within the struggling department.” Victim of Saturday shooting spree mourned by community, Mayor Adams in Bay Ridge, by Gothamist’s Brittany Kriegstein: “Family, friends, Mayor Eric Adams and hundreds of Yemeni community members from Brooklyn and Queens assembled to mourn Monday as 86-year-old Hamoud Saeidi was laid to rest, two days after he was shot to death at random by a 25-year-old scooter rider.” NYC teachers union UFT approves 5-year contract with raises, bonuses, more virtual learning, by Daily News’ Cayla Bamberger: “The starting teacher salary in the nation’s largest school district will reach $72,349 including the bonus — an increase of more than $11,000, according to the union. The top salary will be $151,271, and it will take most teachers eight years to make more than $100,000. Previously, it took 15 years to reach that threshold.” Mayor Adams says donor accused of illegal fundraising scheme attended Gracie Mansion event, by Gothamist’s Elizabeth Kim WHAT ALBANY'S READING NY has yet to enroll in new Medicaid program for inmates, by Times Union’s Raga Justin: “It is the first time Medicaid will offer health care coverage for inmates, following the recent approval of California’s successful petition to the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to use funding from the federal government for the same purpose.” New York implements new protections for undocumented immigrant workers, by New York State Politics’ Nick Reisman More than $12 million in contracts approved for improvements at Wilkeson Pointe, by Buffalo News’ Dale Anderson: “The project will move parking areas away from the water’s edge, relocating trails and the construction of a new food service building with restrooms, an outdoor seating area and storage for maintenance equipment. New utility lines will be installed and landscaping will be improved.”   UNLEASH THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE WITH POLITICO, A 7/20 INTERACTIVE EVENT: Imagine a future where rare genetic diseases are not only treatable, but potentially curable. Where our approach to chronic illness takes a monumental leap forward. That future is already taking shape in the form of next-generation health care treatments such as gene therapy. Join POLITICO on Thursday, July 20 and delve into the burgeoning field of gene therapies, which hold the power to redefine our health care landscape. Are you ready to explore this new frontier in health care? Don't miss this chance to be part of the conversation. REGISTER NOW.     AROUND NEW YORK — Assembly Member Clyde Vanel introduced a bill drafted by artificial intelligence. (City & State) — The free Boys II Men concert on Long Island brought out 40,000 people. (CBS New York) — Live Nation will refund fans for tickets after a bomb threat Saturday forced the cancelation of a show at SPAC. (Times Union) SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Garrett Graff … Joe Wall of Goldman Sachs … Andrew Kirell … Ali Schmitz … Ari Teman … (was Monday): A.O. Scott … Jeffrey D. Klein MAKING MOVES — Katherine Truitt is now DC office manager for Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.). She is a former senior caseworker/constituent services representative for former Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.). … Michael Weinberger has joined the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as a partner and will focus on real estate finance. He most recently was at Cleary Gottlieb. … Enrique Desmond Arias has been appointed director of the Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center. He has previously served as a consultant to the Ford Foundation and numerous U.N. programs. (h/t National Security Daily) MEDIAWATCH — The New York Times to Disband Its Sports Department, by NYT’s Katie Robertson and John Koblin: "Coverage of games, players and leagues will now come primarily from The Athletic, the sports website that the company bought last year." Scott Mayerowitz is leaving The Points Guy where he has served as executive editor for almost five years. He will do consulting in the travel space and pursue other career opportunities. … Geraldo Cadava has been named a contributing writer at The New Yorker. He is an author and a professor at Northwestern University. Real Estate Where Does New York City Office Furniture Go When No One Wants It? by NYT’s Stefanos Chen   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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