| | | | |  | | By Nick Reisman, Emily Ngo and Jeff Coltin | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Shawn Ness
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Rep. Mike Lawler wants Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the Antisemitism Awareness Act to the Senate Floor. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | A House Republican facing a tough reelection fight is using Chuck Schumer as a political foil. Rep. Mike Lawler urged attendees of the Jerusalem Post’s annual conference in Manhattan Monday to pressure the Senate majority leader into bringing the Antisemitism Awareness Act to the Senate floor. “Right now, that is sitting on Chuck Schumer’s desk, the highest-ranking Jewish official in American history,” the Hudson Valley freshman said. And the very mention of Schumer’s name drew jeers from some in the pro-Israel crowd — the second round of boos for New York’s senior senator in just as many days, likely inspired by his pivotal condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March. Following Monday’s conference, PR firm NSA Creatives issued a press release announcing the crowd booed Schumer and highlighting Lawler’s line of attack. The incident reflects Republicans’ estimation of cracks in Schumer’s base eight months into the Israel-Hamas war that has divided the Democratic Party and seen public sentiment shift toward sympathizing with Palestinians as their death toll climbs. Republicans like Lawler who are in tight election battles view their party’s pro-Israel posture as a winning message for some swing voters in heavily Jewish New York. “Senator Schumer just secured $14 billion dollars, with no conditions, for Israel and is not playing these silly, partisan games,” Angelo Roefaro, a spokesperson for Schumer, told Playbook. The same accomplishment was referenced at Manhattan’s Israel Day Parade Sunday when Jewish Community Relations Council of New York CEO Mark Treyger introduced the majority leader. But there, at the annual march, Schumer was met by a smattering of boos as he took the mic to say, “We will defeat Hamas” and chant, “Bring them home.” Schumer did not attend the Jerusalem Post conference, but several Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, were on hand to affirm their staunchly pro-Israel agenda. The Antisemitism Awareness Act Lawler referenced would expand the definition of antisemitism the Department of Education uses to evaluate discrimination claims. Though it reached the Senate earlier last month, bipartisan objections over free speech have stalled its fast-track passage. Now, after calling last March for new elections in Israel, Schumer has joined with other congressional leaders in inviting Netanyahu to address Congress. It’s a move that some progressives say gives Netanyahu a powerful platform to attack President Joe Biden ahead of the November election. (“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal,” Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote on X, saying he would not attend.) Lawler, seeking to fend off a challenge from Democrat Mondaire Jones in November, has been a fixture at pro-Israel rallies. He marched in the Israel Day parade alongside Democrats, including Schumer. Lawler told the right-wing Newsmax along the route, “We want peace. And the fastest way for that to occur is for Hamas to surrender and release the hostages.” — Amira McKee and Isa Farfan HAPPY TUESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from Amazon: Maydeen turned a temporary job at an Amazon fulfillment center into a full-time career. “Amazon provides so much training and support,” she said. As the largest job creator in the U.S. Amazon is committed to helping employees thrive with benefits starting on day one and free, on-the-job skills training programs. See how Amazon supports employees. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In New York City with no public schedule. WHERE’S ERIC? Delivering remarks at PAGV’s 2024 annual conference, making an education- and budget-related announcement, hosting a media availability, participating in PFNYC’s business leaders town hall, speaking at Puerto Rico’s flag-raising ceremony, appearing live on Soul City Network’s “Urbanology” podcast, delivering remarks and presenting awards at NTAC’s award ceremony. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “George Latimer is not a racist.” — Former Rep. Mondaire Jones, who is Black, in an interview with the New York Times announcing his endorsement of Latimer over Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
Many of New York's Republicans have not shied away from showing their support for former President Donald Trump. | Patrick Semansky/AP | TRUMP TEMPERATURE: Vulnerable New York Republicans aren’t shying away from the guilty verdict in former President Donald Trump’s hush money case, POLITICO reports. Freshman GOP Rep. Nick LaLota is calling for a pardon from Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democratic supporter of Biden (good luck with that). Lawler in the Hudson Valley sent out a fundraising email decrying the process that led to Trump’s conviction. The effort by Democrats to “wage political war on their enemies should frighten every New Yorker, no matter which party you belong to or who you support for president,” Lawler said in a statement. The reactions from lawmakers like LaLota, Lawler as well as Reps. Marc Molinaro, Brandon Williams and Anthony D’Esposito have also been relatively cautious: decry the process and the Democratic officials who they believe have overreached in a bid to appeal to voters who may not be full-throated MAGA. “They’re not alone that the prosecution was extreme in this case. This is the prudent way to react after the judgment,” said Bill O’Reilly, a New York-based consultant who has advised GOP campaigns. Still, Democrats spy an opportunity in the conviction to turn the law-and-order arguments Republicans have seized on for the last several election cycles. “How can you say you back the blue and the rule of law and support law and order when you’re asking for exceptions to be made for a man who has 88 felony counts against him?” Democrat Mondaire Jones, who is challenging Lawler, told Playbook. Added LaLota challenger John Avlon: “The Trump conviction merely highlights the stakes, but the major point is just how far out of step the far-right and the Trump flunkies are, that they’re calling due process a banana republic, that they’re calling for Trump to be pardoned. This is the opposite of law and order.” And yet, New York Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs urged caution. “You would have had to spend a couple of weeks in a rabbit hole to know what’s happening,” he told Playbook. “I don’t know if we have to remind folks. The voters know and I believe they’ll act accordingly.” — Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo
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Over 200,000 migrants have come to New York City since the spring of 2022. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images | MIGRANT MILESTONE: More than 200,000 migrants have come through New York City’s intake system since the spring of 2022 as of this week, a sobering milestone for the Adams administration. “In other words, in a little more than two years, a population larger than that of most major U.S. cities has descended on the five boroughs, asking for shelter,” City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said in a statement. “New York City has shown the nation what responding to a national humanitarian crisis humanely looks like, and we are proud that more than 65 percent of those individuals have moved out of our shelter system.” Mayor Eric Adams continues to stress the intense need for aid from Biden, applauding executive action set to come today to secure the southern border but noting the city has spent $4.6 billion thus far on this crisis. More than 201,200 migrants have arrived in the city in the past two years, and more than 65,000 are in the city’s care, according to updated numbers. City Hall, as part of a court settlement, has begun turning migrants away from shelters after an initial stay. Meanwhile, spending by New York state for the migrant crisis has surpassed $1 billion over the last 11 months, according to a new tally by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office. The lion’s share of the money spent has been on housing for migrants, about $760 million. More than $200 million has been spent on the National Guard response between June 2023 and the end of May. Hochul and lawmakers agreed to a $4.3 billion package in the state budget last month for migrant housing as well as resources like legal aid to be spent over the next 12 months. — Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman ADAMS TAPS MOLINA: A familiar name is back leading an agency after Adams appointed former Correction Commissioner Louis Molina on Monday to lead the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Adams proudly defended Molina, even as the federal monitor overseeing Rikers questioned his leadership and commitment to transparency. He left the department in October and was given the title of assistant deputy mayor for public safety, working under Phil Banks. Molina was a surprise pick for DCAS — other candidates from within the agency were being floated, including Jesse Hamilton, a former state Senator turned DCAS staffer who’s a longtime friend and political ally of the mayor. Council Member Lincoln Rester called it “shocking” they’d go outside the agency, but he doesn’t have a say, for now. The council is expected to pass a bill Thursday that would trigger a citywide referendum to require legislative approval of certain department heads — including DCAS. — Jeff Coltin and Joe Anuta More from the city: — Adams has agreed to stave off some of his most controversial education cuts, including a large funding reduction for public schools with declining enrollment, ahead of budget negotiations with the council. (Daily News) — An explosive showdown between President Biden’s now-campaign manager and Adams prompted the mayor to unleash criticism of Biden’s handling of the border crisis. (New York Post) — Video of an NYPD cannabis raid and arrest on Staten Island has raised questions, and potential due process violations, about Adams’ new enforcement offensive. (THE CITY)
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Lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul have reached an agreement on a bill designed to protect kids on social media. It is a top priority for Hochul in the final week of session. | Hans Pennink/AP | SOCIAL DEAL: Lawmakers and Hochul have reached an agreement to regulate algorithmic social media feeds for child users and curtail how much information tech firms extract from minors online, Brooklyn Democratic Sen. Andrew Gounardes said Monday. The bills were a top priority for Hochul and Attorney General Tish James in the final week of the legislative session. Prominent social media firms like Meta have criticized the bills for undermining the experience of kids online and have raised free speech concerns. But Hochul and supporters in the Legislature have said the bills are necessary to bolster mental health and online safety for kids. The governor has also indicated she may go further in the near future: She has said kids shouldn’t have access to smartphones during school hours. — Nick Reisman THE DUTCH ARE COMING: King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are making a stop in Albany, a city their country last controlled nearly 400 years ago. The royals are taking a three-day trip to the United States starting next Monday. The trip is set to include visits to Georgia and East Flatbush, Brooklyn. The king and queen are scheduled to visit on June 12 the tech hub NY CREATES and the Schuyler Mansion, the home of Philip Schuyler and the father-in-law of Alexander Hamilton. In the evening there will be a reception with Hochul at the Executive Mansion. But the visit is also fraught with history. The city was initially founded as a Dutch settlement and remnants of that heritage — including the orange in the city flag — remain. And then there’s the impact the Dutch royal family has had on Albany itself. Princess Beatrice of the Netherlands visited Albany in 1959. Afterward, then-Gov. Nelson Rockefeller was so aghast by the city’s dowdy appearance he successfully pushed to build the Empire State Plaza, a brutalist state office complex that replaced a largely residential neighborhood. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Trump’s trial might have helped to derail a late push to allow cameras in New York courtrooms. (POLITICO Pro) — Hochul has tapped a member of Adams’ administration to become director for the Office of Victim Services. (Spectrum News)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — State Dems Chair Jay Jacobs all but endorsed Latimer, saying he “would make an excellent congressman” while giving “no comment” on Bowman (New York Post) — New York has not managed to evade the trans culture wars, despite measures passed in recent years, and conservatives are seizing upon the wedge issue in an election year. (City & State) — ‘Ur in luck’ if you need to pee — Mayor Adams announced plans to build or renovate 82 public restrooms over the next five years. (Gothamist)
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When Maydeen started at an Amazon fulfillment center she thought it would just be a temporary job. Now, “it’s become a career. Since starting at Amazon I’ve been promoted five times,” she said.
Read employee success stories. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES: Edward Kim was appointed deputy U.S. Attorney and Lillian Evans as executive assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York — following the departure of Deputy U.S. Attorney Andrea Griswold and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Corwin. Griswold is joining Skadden as a partner in White Collar Defense and Investigations Group, while Corwin is retiring. ... Mercury announced the hire of two communications strategists, Candace Sandy, former comms director for the city Probation Department, and Gregory Smiley of the consultancy Trench Town Group. MEDIAWATCH: Joe Spector, POLITICO’s former New York editor, is now vice president of communications and public affairs at Global Strategy Group. … Vice Media veteran Emily Lipstein has joined Streetsblog as engagement editor. … Daniel Nasaw is launching Park View Group, a comms and content consultancy in the AI, cybersecurity and defense-tech spaces. He previously was national security news editor at the Wall Street Journal and is also a veteran of BBC and The Guardian. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Mort Zuckerman … ProPublica’s Justin Elliott … Andrew Meehan … State Senate Dems spox Mike Murphy … Claire Holmes of Risa Heller Communications … Ninfa Segarra … Geto & de Milly’s Daniel White … NBC’s Emily Gold … Gena Wolfson … (WAS MONDAY): Harrison Bader ... Judge Ronnie Abrams ... Lauren Becker … Eric S. Rosengren. Missed Monday’s New York Playbook PM? Read it here.
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