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POLITICO's must-read briefing informing the daily conversation among knowledgeable New Yorkers | | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman | |  Rep. Jamaal Bowman sits alone on the steps outside the Cannon House Office Building on Sept. 30, 2023, just hours after he set off the fire alarm in what he says was an honest mistake. | Anonymous House staffer - shared with POLITICO | Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulling the fire alarm at the Capitol complex was, as an apt Twitter account dubbed it, a Crazy Ass Moment in American Politics. The Yonkers Democrat said it was a mistake. There was no fire. He said he was rushing Saturday to get to a vote and got confused by some emergency exit signage. But a different narrative spread faster than non-existent fire: Bowman was a chaos agent, Republicans said, trying to buy Democrats more time on the spending bill. “I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote,” Bowman pushed back in a statement. Bowman contended just the opposite was true: He was eager to get to the bipartisan effort to keep the government open. Staten Island GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis politically pounced, readying a resolution to expel Bowman, though it would face an uphill fight. “It’s not just pulling any fire alarm. It’s pulling a fire alarm in the middle of a proceeding,” Malliotakis told Playbook. “He was a high school principal. If anyone knows the ol’ trick of pulling a fire alarm, it’s a high school principal,” she said. (He led a middle school, but point stands.) Added Hudson Valley Rep. Marc Molinaro, another Republican: “Even my 4-year-old knows not to pull the fire alarm.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended her fellow squad member, noting that Bowman is cooperating with investigators and charging that Republicans are hypocrites considering how they haven’t ousted Rep. George Santos. “They are protecting someone who has lied to the American people, … But they’re filing a motion to expel a member who in a moment of panic was trying to escape a vestibule?” the Bronx Democrat told CNN. “Give me a break.” Those close to Bowman told Playbook he was embarrassed by the confusion and was cooperating with investigators. And that Republicans frothing at the mouth should release the security video, not just a still. But the name George Latimer started making the rounds. This is politics, after all, and the Democratic Westchester County executive has notably not NOT said he’s running against Bowman in 2024, as AIPAC looks for a challenger more aligned with the group’s position on Israel. “I’m interested if AIPAC says anything,” one House staffer told Playbook, “and it’s not like (Bowman) was the most popular figure previously.” Latimer, responding to Playbook, said he’s unlikely to announce a decision either way before mid-November, as he, like others, are keeping a close eye on the redistricting process that could alter the lines in the key Hudson Valley races. TRUMP WATCH: Donald Trump is set to go to trial Monday in New York’s civil lawsuit accusing him of extensive business fraud. (POLITICO) WEATHER WATCH: Wildfire smoke is expected back Monday in New York, Mayor Eric Adams warned Sunday. He said that forecasts indicate a plume of wildfire smoke may reach New York City around sunrise Monday morning, causing noticeably hazy skies with the potential of air quality concerns. IT’S MONDAY. Thanks for reading! Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE’S KATHY? Making an asylum-seekers announcement in Manhattan and speaking at the Gansevoort Peninsula ribbon cutting. WHERE’S ERIC? Attending a business leaders breakfast, hosting a two-day summit on the U.S. fentanyl crisis, making a health-related announcement, meeting with Colombia’s ambassador to the U.S. and the Consul General of Colombia in New York, speaking at a flag-raising ceremony for Nigeria, attending the 15th Annual New York City M/WBE Procurement Fair and, lastly, speaking at the Brooklyn Public Library’s annual gala. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If anyone was caught off guard, they had to be living under a rock,” — Mayor Eric Adams, during a Friday appearance on 1010 WINS, in reference to criticism that the mayor did not adequately warn the public before Friday’s storm.
| | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | |  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
View of the House tally on Saturday's continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown. | U.S. House | WE HAVE TO DO THIS AGAIN: New York House Republicans don’t want to live out Groundhog Day over the next month and a half. Congress will have another 45 days to come up with a longer-term spending plan after averting a federal government shutdown this past weekend with a short-term deal. The strategy for Republicans going forward? Find ways to reduce spending to give House Speaker Kevin McCarthy the strongest hand possible in negotiations with the White House and the Democratic-led Senate, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler told Playbook. That involves going line by line through appropriations bills to find savings, he said. “We're going to use this opportunity to fight to get something done on the border,” Lawler said. “House Republicans’ No. 1 priority is to secure the border,” Malliotakis agreed. “And I think it’d be very hard to get Speaker McCarthy to bring up any vote that does not include securing our border.” Molinaro is also hopeful a deal can be reached, and that the focus this time around will be on issues facing voters like the cost of living and the migrant crisis. “This was a marathon amount of work that just isn’t over yet because the American people and upstate New Yorkers expect a government that functions; they expect us to respect their hard-earned tax dollars; and they expect us to solve the problems that face this country,” he told Playbook. But more distractions and melodrama await. Molinaro is not relishing the idea of a challenge by Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz to McCarthy’s leadership, a prospect that would require him to work with Democrats to be successful. “The people I represent are tired of toxic partisanship. They’re tired of pseudo-psycho political theater meant to fill somebody’s ego,” the freshman lawmaker said. When the House finally approved a stop-gap measure to fund the government Saturday, hours before the deadline, all GOP members from New York backed it. That may not be terribly surprising, given much of the GOP delegation from New York will be defending their seats for the first time next year. For some Republicans representing more moderate districts than their colleagues, the last several weeks have been a frustrating departure from the issues they want to focus on. — Nick Reisman
| | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING | | | 
City Council’s GOP representatives Joe Borelli, pictured, and Joann Ariola spoke to their congressional colleagues in Washington, D.C. about the migrant crisis. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | ADVISING BIPARTISANSHIP: The GOP minority in the City Council has grabbed the megaphone handed to it by the GOP majority in the House to discuss the migrant crisis. But the local Republicans say they’ve been giving national ones advice in return: How to work with Democrats. Joe Borelli and Joann Ariola, two of the six Republicans in the 51-member City Council, went to Washington recently to deliver testimony before separate House panels on the migrants surging into the city. There were sidebar conversations on the plan for newcomers in the city and security at the southern border. “There’s obviously a hard-line approach, which most members of the House would support, but it may not be practical given the Democratic control of the Senate,” Borelli told Playbook. “We tried to give some guidance on where some compromise can be had.” Borelli believes a compromise would be legislation that alleviates the city’s struggle with migrants and halts border crossings. “There is no scenario where those two things don’t have to get addressed in the next year,” he said. — Emily Ngo More from the city: — Adams’ chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, says the federal government should “do its job: Close the borders.” (PIX11) — Three donations to Adams’ 2021 campaign are drawing scrutiny from law enforcement. (Daily News) — Bill Clinton is backing a bid to change the city's right to shelter law. (New York Post)
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | | | 
The race to succeed Democratic Sen. John Mannion as he runs for Congress in the Syracuse area is heating up. | Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images | STIRPE SEEKS SENATE: Democratic Assemblymember Al Stirpe will announce plans to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by John Mannion, a person with knowledge of the discussions said The Central New York Senate district, which includes the Syracuse suburbs, has been closely contested in recent years. Mannion, now running for the Democratic nomination to take on Republican Rep. Brandon Williams, narrowly won reelection in 2022. Stirpe’s bid is expected to have “the full support of the state Senate Democrats,” a person with ties to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee said. He’s also considered by Democrats to be the right candidate to hold the seat in their column in a presidential election cycle. Democrat Tom Drumm, a former Oswego County legislator, announced his bid for the seat last week. — Nick Reisman HOCHUL WANTS BORDER LIMITS: Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday blamed Republicans in Congress for not taking up changes to the country’s immigration laws in order to stem the flow of migrants into New York. Hochul in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” reiterated that “the border is too open right now” amid the migrant crisis while carefully noting she’s backing President Joe Biden’s handling of the situation. “It’s in our DNA to welcome immigrants,” Hochul said in the interview, “but there have to be some limits in place.” More than 100,000 migrants have passed through New York City alone since last year. Hochul also expects a “robust” amount of money will be set aside in the state budget next year to address the issue. — Nick Reisman CUOMO AIDES WIN DISMISSAL: A federal judge dismissed the civil discrimination cases filed by a member of the State Police against two former advisers to ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Melissa DeRosa and Rich Azzopardi were sued last year by the woman known as “Trooper-1” — one of the women who had accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. Judge LeShann DeArcy Hall didn't immediately release a reason for the action taken late Friday. DeRosa and Azzopardi were both included in the suit by the unnamed trooper, who had accused Cuomo of touching her back and stomach as well as making inappropriate comments. DeRosa was included initially as a co-defendant; Azzopardi was later added to the case after criticizing the lawsuit representing the trooper. “With each passing day more information comes to the surface — and none of it comes close to telling the true story,” DeRosa said in a statement. “I look forward to discussing it in the coming weeks." Messages to Wigdor LLP, the law firm representing the trooper, were not immediately returned. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — The State Police are at a crossroads after the resignation of Acting Superintendent Steven Nigrelli. (Times Union) — The Hochul administration is making another attempt to implement a system to help determine when someone is too high to drive. (New York Post)
| | | | Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of new episodes – click here. | | | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Buck Showalter won’t return as Mets manager in 2024. (ESPN) — Curbside compost collection begins in Brooklyn on Monday (amNewYork) — A Jewish religious bath’s planned construction in Ramapo has been challenged after a federal lawsuit was filed alleging local officials violated a resident’s 14th amendment right. (Lohud) — The man who rushed Lee Zeldin at a gubernatorial campaign event last year has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. (Times Union) — A massive search is underway for a 9-year-old girl who went missing on Saturday during a camping trip near Albany. (The New York Times)
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | MAKING MOVES: Shannon Geison will be campaign manager for Mondaire Jones’ New York congressional bid. She was chief of staff for Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.). … Samantha Acevedo will leave her post as deputy chief of staff to State Sen. Jessica Ramos to join Brown & Weinraub as a legislative director. … Astrid Aune, who has served as Ramos’ senior adviser, will be the state senator’s new deputy chief of staff.. ... Kai Falkenberg was appointed Guardian U.S’.s first general counsel. She was executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at G/O Media and earlier, acting commissioner and first deputy commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. WEEKEND WEDDING – Chloe Chik, press secretary to City Comptroller Brad Lander and William Bristow, associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, got married Saturday in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The couple met at a College Democrats of New York convention in Albany. Lander was the officiant. MEDIAWATCH – “Fox claims Smartmatic used defamation suit to woo investors, points finger at Soros,” by Reuters’ Alison Frankel SPOTTED at a book party on Saturday night hosted by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser for Adam Nagourney’s “The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism” ($31.50): Elisabeth Bumiller, Maureen Dowd, Andrea Mitchell, David Sanger, Mike Allen, Jeff Zeleny, Juleanna Glover, Tammy Haddad, Mark Leibovich, Dick Stevenson, Eric Lipton and Elham Dehbozorgi, Chris and Kathleen Matthews, Doug Rediker and Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Sally Quinn, Annie Karni, Jose A. Del Real, Michael Bender, Robert Draper, Julian Barnes, Dan Balz, Michael Schaffer, EJ Dionne and Mary Boyle, Jane Mayer, Margaret Carlson and Reid Epstein. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NYT’s Lynsea Garrison … POLITICO’s Shannon Young … NPR’s David Gura … Sejal Hathi … Annie Keating … Mike Corbelle … Robin Goldberg … Tom Krisher WAS SUNDAY: Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) … WSJ’s Ben Pershing … WaPo’s Jose Del Real … CNN’s Brian Todd and Evan Semones … Fenway’s Ben Krauss … Rob Seidman of the Glover Park Group … Michael Knopf … Jake Sporn, SVP at Tusk Strategies WAS SATURDAY: POLITICO’s Sally Goldenberg … Greg Mecher of FTI Consulting (47) … Edelman’s Emily Lippard … AT&T’s Lin Whitehouse … Courtney Sanders Felts of the U.S. Chamber … WSJ’s Steve Russolillo … Craig Minassian of the Clinton Foundation and Minassian Media … Marc Lasry ... Gilad Erdan … David Herszenhorn … Hildy Kuryk ... JJ Mitchell of Overcoats ... Hillary Dolinsky … Charlotte Ross … Elie Kaunfer WAS FRIDAY: Melissa DeRosa, former secretary to Cuomo
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