| | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin, Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Shawn Ness
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City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said she would not open an investigation into Council Member Lincoln Restler after Mayor Eric Adams' top lawyer demanded her to. | Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit | NEW YORK MINUTE: It’s the party of the year — but Mayor Eric Adams won’t be at the Met Gala tonight, a spokesperson told Playbook. Adams attended in 2022, turning heads in a custom “End Gun Violence” tux. Though the nightlife mayor declined the invite this year, he won’t be avoiding the cameras — instead going to the Knicks playoff game. Adams restored one round of budget cuts to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other major cultural institutions, but they’re still pushing for a funding increase. City Hall praised the gala for driving economic activity, and last week touted their private fundraising to redo the modern wing. The City Council will be represented by Speaker Adrienne Adams, Keith Powers and — for the first time — Gale Brewer all planning to attend. — Jeff Coltin NON-FAMILY FEUD: The mayor and City Council speaker embraced over their first budget deal in 2022. But last year, Speaker Adams famously dealt Mayor Adams a controlled stare. Now? The “Adams & Adams” law firm the pair joked about has gone the way of Cellino & Barnes. The mayor’s top lawyer demanded the speaker open an investigation into Council Member Lincoln Restler on Friday, POLITICO reported — after he raised questions about how the administration handled recent sexual harassment complaints against the mayor’s friend and adviser, Tim Pearson. The speaker quickly said there wouldn’t be an investigation — underscoring how the letter seemed like petty retaliation. It was a way to embarrass Restler after he aggressively criticized them, doubling as a defense of the city staffer whose independence he questioned. The letter further escalated tensions with the legislative body at a particular moment in the calendar when other executives would be turning down the heat. "City of Yes, Randy Mastro, budget hearings, the lien sale,” one council member said to Playbook, ticking off items on the mayor’s agenda before the council. “City Hall needs and wants many things from the City Council right now. Probably not the best time for them to be picking fights,” the member added. It’s a stark departure from the Bill de Blasio years, said Restler, who happened to work for the previous mayor. And Restler agreed “It makes it significantly harder for the mayor to get key administration priorities, including the budget, over the finish line when he and his staff attack the City Council.” Restler voted against both previous budgets, a City Hall spokesperson noted. The mayor’s office has had a “fruitful relationship” with the speaker over their terms, the spokesperson said in a statement, “and would hope that decorum never stands in the way of Council Member Restler or any other council member from putting people over politics.” The Democratic mayor’s “closest allies in the City Council are the Republicans and the members of the Common Sense Caucus,” Restler added. “They are his people.” The council’s relative progressivism, compared to the more moderate mayor, has been a top source of tension, touching off battles over police transparency, housing vouchers and — when things first started getting heated — the migrant crisis. But things have gone beyond that recently, from the council’s united pushback on the mayor’s new mandated Google Form to control council-agency interactions, to the speaker’s Friday afternoon demand of a city investigation into the NYPD’s social media use, after NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell repeatedly called out Council Member Tiffany Cabán. That’s right — both Adamses are openly demanding investigations into each others’ sides of City Hall for bullying. The budget is due June 30, and don’t expect smiles. — Jeff Coltin HAPPY MONDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from Safety Runs First: ADVANCING EQUINE SAFETY IN HORSERACING: Thoroughbred racing is applying unprecedented resources to protect the wellbeing of our horses. For the first time ever, all horses now run under the same safety and anti-doping rules, overseen by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). Advanced diagnostic technologies and big data add a new layer of protection. Combining uniform rules and hands-on care with the latest technologies ensures safety always runs first. To learn more visit SafetyRunsFirst.com. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In New York City and California participating in a fireside chat with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference. WHERE’S ERIC? Meeting with Holocaust survivors and professor Michael Berenbaum, speaking at the NYPD’s recruit graduation ceremony, making a sustainability and infrastructure-related announcement, delivering remarks at Union Square Partnership’s annual meeting and celebration, going on WHCR 90.3 FM’s Soul Lounge Primetime, then on the Knicks Playoff Pregame show. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I shot a man. I sold drugs. I put myself in that predicament. I became a target.” — Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs in a New York Times profile recalling the circumstances that led to him serving time in prison.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
Environmental groups and business organizations are at odds over a bill that would require businesses that sell or distribute packaging to register with a reduction organization. | Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images | PACK IT UP, PACK IT IN: Business organizations and environmental groups are locked in a battle over a measure that’s meant to reduce packaging waste. Environmental advocates who have pressed for the bill over the last several years contend it’s necessary to reduce landfill waste. Business entities, however, contend the provisions would be too expensive and onerous to enforce. Both sides are jockeying for an advantage in the final weeks of the legislative session, which is scheduled to end on June 6. The Business Council pointed to a study from York University in Toronto that found the measure, if enacted, would lead to $1 billion in annual costs for packaging producers over the next five years that would be passed on to consumers. At the same time, the lobby group later today will release a survey conducted for its research arm that found a plurality of New Yorkers want a balance between environmental improvements and the cost for consumers. Ken Pokalsky, the group’s vice president, called the current packaging reduction measure “unworkable.” “It differs significantly from what other states have adopted, pushing too far and too fast on source reduction; it bans essential materials used in packaging and seems more punitive than productive,” Pokalsky said. “We believe New Yorkers want a more balanced recycling law. Supporters of the bill, meanwhile, are pointing to the potential savings for local governments. They estimate about 5 million tons of packaging waste is generated in the state every year. Environmental groups have enlisted the backing of local officials, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger, and highlighted the cost of solid waste disposal. The price tag for waste disposal in New York City stands at $477 million. “This legislation will reduce plastic packaging while shifting the financial burden from taxpaying consumers to companies to collect, sort, and manage their own packaging waste,” Lander said. — Nick Reisman
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Mayor Eric Adams said that pro-Palestinian protests shouldn't disrupt daily life and result in canceled graduation ceremonies. | Caroline Rubinstein-Willis/Mayoral Photography Office | EYE ON COMMENCEMENTS: Graduation ceremonies at colleges reeling from large-scale protests should go on in person as planned, Adams said in a national TV interview Sunday. “I don’t think we should allow anything to get in our normal way of life,” the mayor told ABC’s “This Week.” “We will do our job, and if the institution decides to graduate their students and celebrate a beautiful experience with their families, we’ll make sure it’s done in a peaceful manner.” It was an apparent reference to the city’s role in securing sites through the NYPD, which schools including Columbia University to NYU to City College have called in to use force to quell protesters demanding divestment from Israel. An NYU spokesperson told Playbook the university plans to proceed with its May 15 commencement in person as planned at Yankee Stadium. A Columbia spokesperson said it’s committed to ensuring that “all ceremonies run smoothly and that all our students and their families and friends get the celebration they deserve,” adding that an update about planning is forthcoming. Adams in the ABC interview additionally defended his use of the label “outside agitators” — despite the lack of evidence — in describing who he believes is behind the protests. More from POLITICO here on that rhetorical tactic. — Emily Ngo More from the city: — What prompted City College, the Harlem institution with a long history of activism, to call the police in to end a campus protest. (New York Times) — City leaders and parks advocates argue outdoor spaces will be plagued with overflowing trash, dirty bathrooms and overgrown landscapes thanks to proposed budget cuts. (Gothamist) — The Department of Correction pulled all 3,000 body-worn cameras after one caught fire and injured a captain on Rikers Island. (New York Post)
| | | | A message from Safety Runs First:   | | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | |  Lee Zeldin will be in Albany today to speak out against a proposed Equal Rights Amendment for the state's constitution. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images | FOR YOUR RADAR: Republican former Rep. Lee Zeldin will be in Albany today to push back on the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution. Democrats are putting before voters this November a measure that’s meant to enshrine a broad array of rights into the state constitution, including the right to an abortion. The proposal could help boost turnout for Democrats in down-ballot races, especially for an estimated half-dozen swing House seats that could determine control of the chamber in January. Zeldin, the 2022 nominee for governor, is joining a chorus of Republicans who are trying to sink support for the proposal, who have argued there will be unintended consequences if the amendment passes. He’ll be appearing at a 1 p.m. news conference at the state Capitol. — Nick Reisman ABC CHANGES: A trio of changes is being sought by the liquor and alcohol industry in New York as the session winds down over the next month. The business-backed Cheers for Change Coalition wants state lawmakers to approve measures meant to allow restaurants and bars in New York City to obtain temporary retail permits, allow liquor stores to sell a limited quantity of their products to restaurants and bars and speed up the process for liquor stores statewide to obtain a license from the State Liquor Authority. Changing New York’s arcane alcohol and beverage control laws has been a slog. But the measures were included in the more than a dozen or so recommendations made by a commission studying New York’s alcohol and liquor regulations. The liquor store industry has been optimistic some changes are coming. Paul Zuber, a spokesperson for the Cheers for Change Coalition and a vice president at the Business Council, said the industry has been generally positive about the state Liquor Authority chair Lily Pham’s efforts to make changes. Gov. Kathy Hochul, too, has backed efforts to change the state’s alcohol laws, many of which date back to the end of the Prohibition era. “I’ve seen some progress under Governor Hochul,” Zuber told Playbook. “To her credit, I think she truly understands that the process is not as streamlined and as good as it could be.” — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Facing rape allegations, Brooklyn state Sen. Kevin Parker called the Adult Survivors Act, which he voted for, unconstitutional. (New York Post) — New protections for children in custody battles could be considered as the legislative session ends. (Newsday) — The governor is a Swiftie, and her fandom could help boost her with voters. (Daily News)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
Rep. Jamaal Bowman is claiming he brought in over $1 billion to constituent and community organizations. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images | YOU KNOW WHAT’S COOL? A BILLION DOLLARS: Rep. Jamaal Bowman appears to be really reaching by claiming he’s brought over $1 billion back to his district. “Over the last 3 years I have tirelessly fought for my constituents by bringing over $125 million to my district,” Bowman said as recently as December, defending himself against a congressional censure over his fire alarm incident. Two months later, Bowman octupled that amount, declaring he’d “brought back over $1 billion to constituents and community organizations” in the district over his three years. And he’s used that same claim in campaign ads in his primary run against George Latimer, including one hitting TV this week. To reach that billion, Bowman is counting about $916 million in federal grants and loans that he apparently had little to nothing to do with. As LoHud first reported last week, Bowman’s office declined to provide an itemized list but referred Playbook to a website listing federal grants within the district, including things like drug trials funded by the National Institute of Health, or HUD formula grants to public housing. “The Congressman does a lot of behind-the-scenes work to fight for Democrats’ priorities in budgets, which then turns into these funding streams for NY-16,” a government spokesperson explained to Playbook. But when almost every other member of Congress talks about the money brought back to the district, they only refer to community project funding — that members really do advocate for. Even Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the most powerful Democrat in the House, only claimed to have brought back $22 million to Brooklyn in a year. — Jeff Coltin More from Congress: — Rep. Jerry Nadler hits back in a Q&A against GOP efforts to weaponize antisemitism. (POLITICO) — Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mike Lawler and university trustees say Congress could crack down further on student protesters and the FBI could get more involved. (The Intercept) — Bowman is touting support for neglected areas of his House district ahead of his heated primary against George Latimer. (LoHud)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — A contract squabble is threatening to upend the season at an Adirondack camp. (Times Union) — School districts on Long Island are facing a financial headache from Child Victims Act settlements. (Newsday) — A non-profit organization wants better tracking of Freedom of Information Law requests. (Times Union)
| | | | A message from Safety Runs First: BRINGING RACING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY: Three years ago, Congress created the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) to enhance the safety and integrity of Thoroughbred racing. Under HISA, for the first time in the sport’s 200-year history, every horse across the country is now running under the same safety and anti-doping rules. In addition, HISA is partnering with leading technology providers, including AWS and Palantir, to create new data-enabled tools to assist veterinary screenings. These tools add a new layer of protection by helping identify at-risk horses before they reach the starting gate.
The industry is also investing in the latest technologies for diagnostic imaging and wearable biometric devices. Combining enhanced, uniform rules, data analytics and cutting-edge technologies is improving safety outcomes and enhancing the ecosystems of care at every track nationwide, ensuring safety always runs first. To learn more visit SafetyRunsFirst.com. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES — Deputy communications director for Mayor Adams Kate Smart is leaving City Hall to join Sen. Bob Casey’s (D-Penn.) reelection campaign as deputy communications director. MEDIAWATCH — “ABC News President Kim Godwin Is Stepping Down,” by WSJ’s Joe Flint and Isabella Simonetti. — Lisa Gibbs will be the next CEO and president of the Pulitzer Center. She currently is VP for philanthropic development at the AP. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Andrew Kaczynski, a senior editor at CNN, and Rachel Louise Ensign, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, on April 17 welcomed Maya Kaczynski, who joins big sister Talia. Pic ... Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Tucker Eskew of Vianovo … NBCUniversal’s Tejasi Thatte … Joe Nocera … MSNBC’s Lisa Ferri … Liza Romanow … (WAS SUNDAY): POLITICO’s Francesca Barber … Ruth Schwalbe ... Emily Kutner ... AP’s David Sharp … Gary Lauder … Morgan Pehme … ABC’s Rachel Scott … ABC’s Diana Paulsen … Jenna Valle-Riestra … Lulu Cheng Meservey … Bloomberg’s Mike Dorning … Axios’ Ryan Heath … Jack Sterne. … (WAS SATURDAY): CNN’s Polson Kanneth … Mike DuHaime … Eliot Nelson … Reuters’ Ted Hesson … Kelly Love … NBC’s Megan Stackhouse … Katie Ross … (WAS FRIDAY): New York City Council Member James Gennaro … Mikhail Prokhorov ... Stewart F. Lane.
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