HOCHUL TO MICHIGAN: Hochul is in the swing state of Michigan today with battleground Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer, Tony Evers of Wisconsin and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania to boost Vice President Kamala Harris’ White House bid. This is Hochul’s latest foray into a crucial state for the Harris-Walz ticket — she previously traveled to Pennsylvania for a rally. The visit is part of the “Blue Wave Bus Tour” the governors are participating in to support Harris in the airtight presidential race. Hochul has been a reliable surrogate for Harris, appearing at the Democratic National Convention and rallies and on cable news on behalf of the presidential ticket. It’s a job that dovetails with her push for Democrats to flip five House seats in New York in order to win back control of the closely divided chamber. But Hochul has struggled with her job approval and favorability ratings in public polling for much of the year. One found her less popular than Trump in the Democratic stronghold of New York. She has also batted away criticism from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who blamed the governor for running a poor campaign in 2022 and losing House seats as a result. The Michigan visit coincides with Hochul has strenuously denied an interest in joining a potential Harris administration. The governor shot down a report by NOTUS that her representatives reached out to Harris about a job in Washington. Hochul blamed “bad actors” for spreading the claim she would resign before running for reelection in 2026. “People are trying to create the notion that I’m not running for reelection and I’m running for reelection,” she said. “There’s a lot of people in that category.” With Hochul traveling to the Great Lakes State, her No. 2 is heading to Pennsylvania to stump for Harris-Walz. Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado will be in Pittsburgh today with fellow lieutenant governors and mayors alongside Black community leaders, according to his campaign. — Nick Reisman DEBATE ME: Republican Westchester County district attorney candidate John Sarcone has not been getting much traction for a debate with his Democratic opponent, Judge Susan Cacace. So instead, he’s willing to settle for a debate with Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Sarcone believes Stewart-Cousins has agreed to a debate over the state law limiting circumstances when cash bail is required — a measure that has drawn political backlash for Democrats. He has seized on a brief interaction with the Yonkers Democrat when they had a short back-and-forth over the issue at a public event earlier this month. “I will debate anyone anywhere at any time on the revolving door of crime that New York State Democrats have created,” Sarcone said in a statement. The idea that Stewart-Cousins is willing to debate Sarcone, however, is an overstatement. Mike Murphy, a spokesperson for the Senate Democrats, denied any debate has been informally agreed to by the legislative leader. “Mr. Sarcone was misrepresenting the truth at this forum,” he said. “The senator offered to clear up these misrepresentations at the time. Truth matters.” Cacace’s campaign did not return a message seeking comment. — Nick Reisman FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Meta, the company that owns Facebook, is pouring more money into efforts to influence the SAFE Act, the first in the nation social media measure signed by Hochul in June that regulates how children are exposed to social media’s addictive algorithms. The company is paying PR firm Bluejacket Strategies around $7,600 a month to run a campaign geared at persuading Attorney General Tish James to include a measure that requires app stores to receive parental approval before teens under 16 can download applications into the law. “Meta is advocating for regulatory solutions that support teens and empower parents, including rules that require app stores to get parental approval for teens under 16 to download apps,” Jamie Radice, a spokesperson for the social media company, told Playbook. While the act, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Nily Rozic, focuses on algorithms, not app stores, the company is hoping James can incorporate the change during the rulemaking process. Even though the law was championed by the governor and Gounardes, it’s still unclear how effective the measure will be at protecting youth from algorithms. James, who played a key role in advocating for the legislation, is tasked with determining how strongly, and through what means, the law will be enforced — a process that is ongoing. — Jason Beeferman More from Albany: — Outmigration from New York has slowed in the last year. (Newsday) — Asian American parents are concerned the pending Equal Rights Amendment could lead to discrimination. (New York Post) — I-787, Albany’s version of the Beltway, could be in for major changes. (Times Union)
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