| | | | |  | | By Maya Kaufman, Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman | | | With help from Jason Beeferman
| 
Mayor Eric Adams lauded the work of his administration one year after it announced plans to involuntarily hospitalize severely mentally ill New Yorkers unable to care for themselves. | John Minchillo/AP Photo | One year has passed since Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a plan to involuntarily hospitalize New Yorkers deemed unable to meet their basic needs because of a severe mental illness. And its chief architect says the results have exceeded expectations. Among the city’s two “Top 50” lists, which track homeless New Yorkers well-known to service providers for the severity of their needs and their longlasting resistance to help, 54 people have been moved off the streets since November 2022. Forty have been placed in supportive housing units, while 14 remain hospitalized, according to data obtained by Playbook.
Brian Stettin, Adams’ senior adviser on severe mental illness, says those are exactly the people the city wanted to help, but who previously were neglected by the health and social services system, unless they committed an act of overt violence.
That translates into a 145 percent increase in “successful placements” for members of the two lists compared to the prior 12-month period, according to data provided by City Hall. Adams will discuss the efforts this morning at a news conference. “The most important thing we’ve accomplished here is to prove what is possible when the city leans in,” Stettin told Playbook in an interview. “There’s proof of concept.” The city is “committed to getting this right,” Adams said in a statement about the directive’s one-year anniversary. "I'm proud that a year into this effort, we have made progress helping and housing a significant number of those most in need of care and support,” he added. But beyond the “Top 50” lists, which are discussed weekly by a task force of city agencies and nonprofit social services providers, the directive’s impact is much foggier. The city has seen about 130 involuntary removals per week, on average, since May, but City Hall does not yet have data available on the demographics of people affected or their outcomes. It’s also unclear how many were initiated by outreach teams that work with homeless people versus NYPD officers, both of whom have civil commitment authority under state law. Plus, there’s no predirective point of comparison, because city agencies weren’t systematically tracking involuntary removals. The NYPD, in fact, wasn’t tracking them at all, per a mayoral spokesperson. (The department referred a request for comment to City Hall.) We’ll know more … eventually. A City Council bill, which quietly went into effect earlier this year, after Adams neither signed nor vetoed it, mandates annual reporting on the numbers of involuntary removals. But the first report isn’t due until Jan. 1, 2025. — Maya Kaufman IT’S WEDNESDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from Equinor: Can offshore wind power America’s energy transition? Yes, and Equinor will play a key role. We are working to realize the potential of Empire Wind and Beacon Wind. Renewable power for the Empire State. A beacon for our net-zero future. These projects will create jobs, boost local economies, and decrease emissions. Equinor is proud to be a global leader in the growing offshore wind industry. And we’ll do it together. Learn more. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In New York City with no public schedule. WHERE’S ERIC? Speaking about the city’s severe mental illness plan, attending the funeral service of an FDNY EMT, attending another flag raising (his third of the week) for Puerto Rico, going to a ribbon-cutting for the new headquarters of transit company Via and attending the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “All we have is a bare, undetailed summons filed by a person who, according to public records and in her own words, is so litigious that she’s written a book on how to file lawsuits…” — Lisa Zornberg, the mayor’s chief counsel, on a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Adams in 1993.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander met with White House Senior Adviser Tom Perez on Tuesday in Washington D.C. | New York City Comptroller's Office | UNDER COMPTROL: Months after Adams needled “the loudest person in the city” Comptroller Brad Lander for not going to Washington to ask for migrant funding — and weeks after an FBI raid cut short Adams’ own capital trip — Lander went to Washington on Tuesday to ask for migrant funding. “We didn’t find any change in the couch cushions of the federal offices we visited today,” Lander told Playbook. But he wasn’t entirely joking — Lander said he pushed White House senior adviser Tom Perez on finding more money for migrants in existing pots like Medicaid or school funding. But they came up short. President Joe Biden has proposed splitting up $1.4 billion among local governments housing and serving migrants. That’s well short of what New York City alone is spending. And it may not be accepted by the Republican majority in the House, even if some of that would go to red states like Texas. Lander said he hoped they “would not spite their own communities out of nasty xenophobia.” Adams said he was happy Lander was going, even if “it took a little while.” Lander said he agreed “we absolutely need more resources from Washington” but that “there are things that City Hall could be doing better,” including case management and making sure migrants who are authorized to work get connected with legal jobs. — Jeff Coltin
| | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING | | | 
Mayor Eric Adams denied the existence of a list that details which new buildings should have their official openings expedited. | Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. | LIST? WHAT LIST? Adams and members of his administration on Tuesday denied using an internal list of development projects to expedite building fire safety inspections. The roster of prioritized buildings is reportedly linked to an FBI investigation focused on the mayor’s 2021 campaign, and Adams has confirmed he reached out to the fire commissioner after a Turkish government official asked him for help. City Hall officials said they help building owners both big and small, but there’s no LIST. It “may have existed under prior administrations,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said about the so-called DMO list. But now, “there is no DMO list. There is no DMO list by another name.” It wasn’t immediately clear how City Hall would describe the screenshot Gothamist posted of a document of buildings titled “MASTER LIST – PRIORITIZED.” — Jeff Coltin and Jason Beeferman ALSO AT OFF-TOPIC TUESDAY: Adams’ chief campaign fundraiser Brianna Suggs, whose home was recently raided by the FBI, will no longer solicit money for his political operation, he said at his weekly, wide-ranging press briefing. She’s expected to keep working on the campaign “in another role,” the Daily News reported, but something might have changed about the relationship. Right before Thanksgiving, Suggs hired her own lawyer, former Southern District prosecutor Rebecca Ricigliano, The New York Times first reported. Suggs was previously repped by the campaign’s lawyers, and this change may suggest she has different legal interests than Adams. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — New York and other states thought fast work permits would solve their migrant problems. It hasn’t. (POLITICO) — Just 10 percent of migrants passing through an East Village reticketing site City Hall opened to encourage them to move somewhere else have accepted tickets elsewhere. (THE CITY) — Adams’ financial disclosures from his time as a state senator do not include details about a 2012 trip he took to Azerbaijan and Turkey, filings show. (New York Daily News) — Outgoing Correction Commissioner Louis Molina’s trip with seven aides in September to London and Paris cost New York City taxpayers around $40,000. (New York Daily News)
| | | | A message from Equinor:   | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | |  The SAG-AFTRA and WGA unions picket outside outside Warner Bros., Discovery, and Netflix offices in August. The Screen Actors Guild, which includes SAG-AFTRA, wants to end non-compete clauses in New York. | AP | SAG BACKS NON-COMPETE BILL: The Screen Actors Guild is making a push to end non-compete clauses in New York, a measure that is subject to some last-minute lobbying as Hochul considers it. Supporters of the measure to end noncompete agreements in employment contracts on Tuesday unveiled a year-end effort to have the measure approved. That includes SAG-AFTRA, a union that is fresh off its victory following the monthslong actors strike. “Workers, regardless of their salary, should never be prohibited from changing employers if their current workplace is not fruitful for them,” SAG-AFTRA-New York Executive Director Rebecca Damon said during a news conference in Albany. “They should never be prohibited from continuing to work in a location where they have established a family and permanence.” But opponents, including the state Business Council, have urged the governor to veto it, arguing it would ultimately hurt employers. Both sides are funding ad campaigns to persuade Hochul. “It defies logic that a tech worker in Buffalo could quit their job today, and then hand over trade secrets to a competitor tomorrow,” Business Council Vice President Paul Zuber said in a statement. “This excessively broad legislation seriously jeopardizes innovation, compelling employers to shift good-paying jobs — and billions of dollars in tax revenue — to other states.” — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Two state prisons in New York are getting mixed reviews from a watchdog organization. (Times Union) — One of the Democratic-appointed judges on the state Court of Appeals suggested a gun law should be struck down. (LoHud) — The Farm Bureau is making a push to have Hochul veto a pesticides bill. (Spectrum News) — Melissa DeRosa’s name was also being polled recently, and just like Andrew Cuomo, the governor’s former top aide seems to want people talking about a potential run for office. (Page Six)
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | | |  Rep. George Santos continues to refuse to resign from Congress, even as expulsion becomes increasingly likely. | Getty Images | EXPULSION STAND: Rep. George Santos signaled he’ll stay defiant until the very end — and that end appears near. “I will not be resigning,” he declared late Tuesday from the House floor, suggesting also that colleagues moving to expel him had reasons other than his ethical and potentially criminal transgressions. “Are we now to simply assume that because somebody doesn’t like you, they get to throw you out of your job?” the indicted Republican asked. Votes on his expulsion are set to come by Thursday, the resolution introduced by House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest more likely to succeed. Santos dared his colleagues to vote him out. “Put up or shut up,” he said earlier Tuesday. The Nassau County and Queens representative told Capitol Hill reporters that he isn’t encouraging colleagues to vote against any measure to expel him. “It’s not a good use of my time,” he said. “What’s a good use of all of our time is fixing the massive inflation in this country, is fixing the issues we have in our border.” Santos denied Playbook’s request for an interview, saying he wasn’t interested, demanding we never contact him again and vowing to change his phone number if continued to do so. — Emily Ngo More from the delegation: — Santos’ portrayal as a wealthy Wall Street type allowed him to infiltrate the tightly controlled Nassau GOP, Mark Chiusano writes in his new book The Fabulist. (City & State)
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | THE STATE OF MARIJUANA | | |  A settlement agreement in a state cannabis licensing case would lift an injunction and allow New York’s early cannabis retail licensing program to move forward. | AP | LICENSING SET TO MOVE FORWARD: New York dispensary licensees are poised to move forward under the terms of a settlement agreement in a case that has nearly halted the state’s cannabis rollout. On Tuesday, the parties submitted a settlement agreement to the court. Under the terms, each of the four plaintiffs who sued the state would be awarded an adult-use dispensary license, provided that they adhere to the regulations of the cannabis program. The agreement would lift the injunction and allow New York’s early cannabis retail licensing program to move forward. More than 400 entrepreneurs who have been directly harmed by marijuana enforcement have received licenses but their businesses have been in limbo as a result of the litigation. The impact: Opening additional dispensary outlets will help the state’s supply chain struggles, as cultivators have struggled to recoup their investments into the 2022 crop due to the limited number of retail outlets. They could also help the state’s attempts to clamp down on the proliferation of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries selling cheaper, untested products. But with thousands of illicit storefronts in New York City alone, it’s unlikely the initial dispensary licensees will be effective at meeting demand. The state opened up a general licensing period in October, which will end next month. — Mona Zhang
| | | | A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining opportunity of our time. Our world needs reliable and accessible renewable power that reduces emissions and stabilizes the grid. We all have a role to play, and Equinor is doing our part. Equinor is already powering more than a million homes worldwide with offshore wind. Empire Wind and Beacon Wind can power New York. The energy is homegrown. So are the jobs. These projects serve the people who live and work in the community. And we’re just getting started. From clean air to new jobs, and investments that will benefit New Yorkers. Equinor in New York is a wind-win. Plug in at www.equinor.com/NY. | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — A Westchester eatery put a severed finger into a woman’s salad, according to a lawsuit. (LoHud) — Buffalo will issue a $43 million bond to pay a settlement to a woman who was paralyzed after being struck by a city police car. (Buffalo News) — Long Island’s Diocese of Rockville Centre is offering $200 million to survivors of childhood clergy sexual abuse in an attempt to end years of bankruptcy proceedings. (Newsday)
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | MAKING MOVES — Kassandra Perez-Desir has joined DoorDash as their new head of government relations for New York, New Jersey & Puerto Rico. She most recently was regional director of government affairs and public policy at Verizon. … Tanushri Shankar is now chief of staff for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She most recently was deputy chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and is an Everytown for Gun Safety alum. (h/t POLITICO Playbook) — City Harvest has hired Carlos Rodriguez as chief policy and operations officer. He was previously CEO of Community Food Bank of New Jersey. … Brooklyn Org has hired former Osborne Association Chief of Staff Nicole G. Epps as chief operating and financial officer. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: CNN’s Pamela Brown … Chris Frates of Storyline … Geoffrey Ogunlesi … Alissa de Carbonnel … Alexandra Ulmer … John Goncalves (WAS TUESDAY): Jon Stewart ... Paul Shaffer ... Sallie Krawcheck
| | | | GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | Real Estate | | — Sotheby’s will lease out its headquarters to Weill Cornell. (Bloomberg) — Stephen Sondheim sold his Manhattan townhouse for $7 million. (Wall Street Journal) — Queens County is one of the best places in the country to rent a home, according to a new report. (QNS.com) | | | | 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 | | | | |
