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Your afternoon must-read briefing informing the daily conversation among knowledgeable New Yorkers | | | | |  | | By Julian Shen-Berro | | 
New York City Mayor Eric Adams poses for a photo after testifying during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo |
Mayor Eric Adams traveled to Capitol Hill this morning, meeting with congressional lawmakers to discuss gun violence prevention efforts and clashing briefly with a Georgia Republican.
His trip began with the New York congressional delegation , issuing a joint statement with Rep. Jerry Nadler that called for “real solutions” to gun violence. Adams then went before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, testifying at a hearing held in the wake of multiple mass shootings across the country — including in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas. During his testimony, Adams voiced support for three bills that would strengthen federal gun control: raising the purchasing age of certain firearms from 18 to 21, tightening gun purchasing regulations, and establishing stricter background check requirements for gun sales involving unlicensed individuals or between private parties. He also urged Congress to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Adams said lawmakers should give local and state agencies more funding to combat gun violence and its causes, too. The issue is personal for Adams, a former cop who staked his mayoral candidacy on public safety and continues to turn to the city’s crime rates as a key metric to track his success. Still, nearly every major category of crime in the city has risen dramatically over the course of the pandemic, according to recent NYPD data. Adams partly blamed an illegal gun pipeline from other states, noting “many of the guns that we're witnessing are purchased or stolen from outside our state.” “‘It is illegal to carry a gun in our city, yet police officers take them off the streets every day in record numbers,’” said Rep. Jody Hice, a Georgia Republican, quoting Adams. “You made that statement, correct?” “Yes, and many come from Georgia,” the mayor quickly retorted. IT’S WEDNESDAY: Thanks for joining us for Playbook PM as we keep you up-to-date on the latest New York news from the campaign trail, in Albany and in City Hall. Summer is near, but the news is still heating up! |  | From the Capitol | |
GUESS WHO’S BACK: We haven’t heard much from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s attorney Rita Glavin lately. But today she filed a request with State Police and the Manhattan district attorney’s office calling for an investigation into Albany County Sheriff’s Office.
Team Cuomo has been critical of Sheriff Craig Apple’s investigation into sexual harassment allegations against the former governor at the Executive Mansion in late 2020. Cuomo was briefly charged in the case after the Sheriff’s Office filed a criminal complaint last October, only to have the case dismissed by prosecutors in January. “This case was rotten to the core , reeked of politics, and it's indisputable that someone in that Cowboy Sheriff’s Office committed a felony and illegally leaked grand jury information,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement. “The people of this state deserve answers and we will not stop until they get them.” — Joseph Spector NO TEA LEAVES: At the Democratic gubernatorial primary debate on Tuesday night, Gov. Kathy Hochul tried to explain that she’s made no decision yet on whether she will a sign a partial ban on cryptocurrency mining after the measure passed the Legislature last week. "We need to be cautious," she said about the bill, saying it was important that the state not do anything to hurt the environment. She denied that the decision will have anything to do with cryptocurrency money flowing in her campaign and that of her running mate, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. — Joseph Spector — ICYMI in Playbook this morning , the state Senate’s longtime chief of staff for the Democratic conference is headed to lobbying and consulting firm Tusk Strategies. Shontell Smith will be executive vice president, alongside Eric Soufer, who runs the 35-person company’s fintech practice; Jackie Zupsic, who oversees the California office; Henry Greenridge, who handles transportation matters; and Kristina Howard of the D.C. office. — Sally Goldenberg | | FROM CITY HALL | |
ADAMS WORRIED ABOUT GUN CASE: Famous for a schedule that leaves him just a few hours of shut-eye, Adams says something more than a busy nightlife is keeping him up these days. “You know, there's not many things that keep me up at night as much as this decision that's being deliberated now in the Supreme Court, and I'm surprised that many of us are not really focused on this,” the mayor told reporters in Washington, D.C. today, following his testimony on gun violence before a Congressional committee.
He was referring to the Supreme Court’s upcoming determination about New York’s century-old law that imposes limits on carrying handguns. “The Constitution talks about the right of having arms but it does not state the right of carrying a concealed weapon anywhere you want, whenever you want, and particularly in a city that’s densely populated like New York,” he added. Adams, a retired NYPD captain, said he will continue pushing for gun detection devices in the city’s subway system, which is effectively controlled by Hochul. “We have to really focus in on disarming people,” Adams said. He initially called for metal detectors in subways, following a train shooting in Brooklyn in April, leaving many skeptics wondering whether that would further clog the already-crowded train stations. But he has since clarified that the devices he envisions would work differently from airport-style metal detectors and would not disrupt foot traffic. — Sally Goldenberg CASH OF THE TITANS: Budget negotiations between the mayor and the City Council are entering their home stretch, with multiple observers expecting an early handshake agreement as soon as Thursday. However, one of the major sticking points has been cuts to the Department of Education, according to two sources with knowledge of the talks. The Adams administration has proposed reducing funding for schools with lower enrollment, which adds up to $215 million for the department as a whole. The Council, however, wants that cash to be put back into their budgets. — Joe Anuta | | ON THE BEATS | | SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING: A new report from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli suggests New York school districts did not provide mental health training to all staff for the 2020-21 school year by the state Education Department’s Sept. 15 deadline. Eighteen of the 20 districts sampled in the audit either offered no mental health training or provided training that lacked some or all recommended components, including how to recognize warning signs or access crisis support. It found that just two — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Canandaigua City — offered training with all 12 mental health components recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services District officials cited a variety of reasons for why the components were not included in training provided to staff, including lack of awareness of the HHS suggestions, a lack of clear guidance from SED and mental health training that occurs year round instead of before Sept. 15. The Covid-19 pandemic also affected their ability to provide timely mental health training, some districts said. — Shannon Young MONKEYPOX IN THE CATSKILLS: The state Health Department said Tuesday it confirmed its first case of orthopoxvirus outside of New York City. A case of monkeypox was found in Sullivan County, bringing the state total to nine confirmed orthopoxvirus/monkeypox cases. “As the risk for monkeypox remains low, we urge New Yorkers to be alert and seek care if you have symptoms consistent with monkeypox, as we continue to learn more about this virus,” Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said in a statement. Monkeypox is a rare viral illness that does not usually cause serious illness, but if not treated can lead to hospitalization or death. The symptoms are typically a rash, often in the groin area and may also include a fever, swollen lymph nodes and pain when swallowing. Most infections last two to four weeks — Joseph Spector CRYPTO: New York’s financial services department issued regulatory guidance to the virtual currency industry on stablecoin expectations, DFS Superintendent Adrienne Harris announced today. Stablecoins, which are virtual currencies tied to another currency or commodity, must be fully backed by a reserve of assets, and issuers must have clear redemption policies, according to the new guidance. The reserve also needs to include assets such as “U.S. Treasury bills acquired by the issuer three months or less from their respective maturities,” “reverse repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury bills,” notes and bonds on an overnight basis, and deposit accounts at U.S. state- or federally chartered depository institutions. The reserve also needs to be subject to independent audits. Paxos, one of the companies issuing stablecoins in the state, applauded the “meaningful” guidance, saying it “provides a strong foundation for the regulatory oversight of stablecoin issuers and tokens moving forward.” — Amanda Eisenberg | | The Campaign Trail | |
IS SAN FRAN A SIGN FOR NY? Republicans seized on the results Tuesday night in San Francisco where District Attorney Chesa Boudin was recalled amid backlash over crime and criminal justice reform.
The New York GOP is running on anti-crime platform, knocking Democrats and Hochul for not doing more to address the issue. “Yesterday, Californians made their voice heard, and, in November, New Yorkers will too when they remove Kathy Hochul for, among many reasons, her refusal to fire pro-criminal Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin said in a statement. Hochul’s campaign has pointed to her efforts to reform New York’s bail laws and toughen gun laws as examples of her tough-on-crime approach. “Since taking office, Governor Hochul has been laser focused on keeping New Yorkers safe and cracking down on illegal guns, lowering costs for middle-class families, and protecting the right to an abortion,” her campaign manager Brian Lenzmeier said in a statement after Tuesday night's Democratic primary debate. “The governor was the only person on the stage ... with a clear vision to build a stronger, safer, and more affordable state for all New Yorkers.” — Joseph Spector NYC CHAIRS FOR DELGADO: The Democratic chairpeople in New York City’s five boroughs endorsed Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado for the party primary for his seat June 28, picking him over his primary foes Diana Reyna and Ana Maria Archila. Delgado lives in the Hudson Valley, while his opponents live in the city, so support in the boroughs will be key for him in the primary. “One of New York's biggest strengths is its diversity. I’m humbled that this group of leaders spanning from one side of the city to the next have put their faith in me to deliver for their communities.” Delgado said in a statement announcing the backing. | | AROUND NEW YORK | |
— “Replacement theory” propaganda has been circulating on Staten Island.
— SUNY Ulster has a new president. — Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia says a “good guy with a gun” won’t always stop heavily armed shooters. — A Troy council member has entered a guilty plea in a federal voting fraud case. — The state has begun holding meetings to discuss what’s next for shuttered North Country prisons.
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