| | | | |  | | By Joe Anuta, Jeff Coltin, Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Cris Seda Chabrier | 
Mayor Eric Adams has limited his public schedule due to an unspecified illness. | Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office | PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY: City Hall sought to clarify the mayor’s health status Monday evening after sparking a torrent of speculation throughout the day with a late-night post about Eric Adams’ wellbeing. “Mayor Adams has recently been speaking with his doctor, and has some more routine tests scheduled for tomorrow, followed by another doctor’s appointment later this week,” Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy wrote on X. “I and numerous members of the team have spoken to the mayor today and he’s doing well.” What exactly is ailing the extremely private Democrat was left unsaid. The confusion started just before 11 p.m. Sunday night when Levy blasted out a bulletin indicating the mayor was feeling poorly, and leaving open the possibility Adams might be temporarily unable to govern as he takes a multiday break from public events to seek counsel and testing from doctors. Much was left to the imagination. And when it comes to the idiosyncratic executive, that informational vacuum sent an especially eclectic set of rumors coursing through the political ecosystem. Things weren’t much better on the inside. “We’re all squinting and staring at Fabien’s Twitter waiting for updates,” one city worker, who was granted anonymity to discuss administration messaging, told POLITICO. A City Hall spokesperson said the mayor spent the day working at home, but would not confirm whether Adams actually attended a daily 8 a.m. call with senior aides on his schedule. Adams did, however, participate in a virtual NYCHA town hall in the afternoon, according to a person with knowledge of the event. While Levy’s initial statement immediately sent the chattering class into a tizzy, former Mayor Bill de Blasio press secretary Eric Phillips said City Hall has to balance the mayor’s privacy with keeping the public informed — and it’s more art than science. “In a situation where the mayor might be substantially sick and there are a few days he might be out of pocket, I think it’s reasonable to issue some broad guidance rather than give constant mini-health updates,” he said. “Even if that guidance is creating a bit of mystery.” — Joe Anuta IT’S TUESDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | A message from Homeowners for Financial Empowerment: Short-term rentals are a lifeline for NYC homeowners, allowing them to afford their homes, stay in their communities, and contribute to local businesses. Big hotel investors and special interests want to make it harder for homeowners to rent out space in their homes—all to pad hotels' bottom lines. Strong homeowners make for strong NYC neighborhoods. Support Bill 1107. LEARN MORE. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? Making a housing announcement in Schenectady. WHERE’S ERIC? Not expected to have public events scheduled. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If you don’t have that love, masculinity is just bullshit … fake, dangerous, and ultimately not fulfilling.” — Rep. Pat Ryan, in a GQ interview at the Army-Navy football game about how Democrats can win men back.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | 
Rep. Ritchie Torres visits Miriam in Brooklyn after it was vandalized. | Courtesy Brooklyn BridgeBuilders | TORRES COMES TO BROOKLYN: Israel defender Rep. Ritchie Torres is raising money for a super PAC hoping to unseat City Council Member Shahana Hanif for not standing with Israel after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. The Bronx Democrat, who’s eyeing a run for governor next year took his advocacy local on Sunday, keynoting Brooklyn Bridgebuilders’ first fundraising event in Park Slope. Organizers say they raised $15,000. Torres, who didn’t respond to a request for comment, uses his social media platform to relentlessly defend Israel and call out its critics. Hours earlier and just a half mile away, vandals tagged Israeli restaurant Miriam with red paint saying “genocide cuisine” and more. Politicians offered the restaurant an outpouring of support. Sen. Chuck Schumer and City Comptroller Brad Lander, a mayoral candidate, dropped by to eat there on Sunday, as did Torres. Bridgebuilders pointed the finger at Hanif, posting on X that she’d previously declined to condemn “Free Palestine” graffiti. Hanif had immediately condemned the vandalism at Miriam, saying “This hateful act threatens the safety of our community.” The events Sunday underscored how the war between Israel and Hamas — and related tensions in New York, home to large Jewish and Arab populations — will be a major factor in the June Democratic primary for Hanif’s Brooklyn seat. Hanif, who is Muslim and a democratic socialist, has been supportive of the Palestinians throughout the war. She’s facing a challenge from Maya Kornberg, a political scientist who is Jewish. Kornberg declined to comment on the fundraiser. Hanif won a crowded primary in 2021 and had an easy reelection in 2023 — an off-cycle race following redistricting. Polls consistently show voters’ top concerns are crime and the cost of living. But one constituent — Joni Kletter, who worked for de Blasio — condemned the council member, saying her ”silence after Oct. 7 was just so shocking and upsetting to people,” that it motivated her to co-found Brooklyn Bridgebuilders. “It’s not really about Israel as much as it is people feeling safe in this community,” Kletter said about reports of antisemitism. “And that’s very real.” The independent expenditure committee has raised $65,000 and Kletter said the group is considering spending against other DSA-aligned candidates. "Trump Democrat Ritchie Torres just voted alongside MAGA Republicans to pass the Laken Riley Act, which will enable immigrant detention and deportation without due process,” Hanif said in a statement. “These so-called Bridgebuilders seem like anything but. I will continue to stand up for my district, against hate in all its forms, for housing justice, for universal childcare and for fully funded public schools." Hanif is also facing opposition from Solidarity PAC, a citywide group backing candidates who support Israel. There’s a mayoral angle too. Hanif is a former staffer of Lander, whose challenger in the mayoral race — Scott Stringer — came to the Bridgebuilders fundraiser in Lander’s neighborhood. “It’s a great, community-based organization,” said Stringer, who went to eat at Miriam afterward. — Jeff Coltin
| | | | Power shifts, razor-thin margins, and a high-stakes agenda. We’ve transformed our coverage—more reporters, more timely insights, and unmatched policy scoops. From leadership offices to committee rooms, caucus meetings, and beyond, our expert reporting keeps you ahead of the decisions that matter. Subscribe to our Inside Congress newsletter today. | | | | | | | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | 
Rep. Dan Goldman is backing Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine for City Comptroller. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The race for City Comptroller is now Manhattan versus Brooklyn — and one of the pols who represents both is picking Manhattan. Rep. Dan Goldman is endorsing Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine for the open seat, saying he’s “shown that he has the creativity, knowledge and experience to bring down costs, build affordable housing, and grow the City’s budget while also being a diligent watchdog of city agencies and our finances.” Brooklyn City Council Member Justin Brannan is the other top contender in the race, after Queens Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar defected to the public advocate race Monday, as POLITICO first reported. — Jeff Coltin MAN BITES, DOG: Simon the Bassett cattle dog was sworn in as the second honorary dog mayor in New York City, following a whirlwind of an election drowning in bizarre cryptocurrency drama. (New York Post) More from the city: — More than 100 more people sued the city Monday alleging they were sexually abused by staffers and other detainees at the city’s juvenile detention centers. (Gothamist) — Ling Ye, a former aide to Goldman, is looking to topple City Council Member Alexa Avilés. (New York Post) — More than 250,000 elementary school students now have scholarship accounts through the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. (New York Family)
| | | | A message from Homeowners for Financial Empowerment:  
| | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | | 
Lawmakers are struggling with how to cover the $33 billion funding gap in the MTA's capital plan. | Angelia Weiss/AFP/Getty Images | REVENUE RAISERS: Closing the $33 billion gap in the MTA’s capital plan remains the biggest question hanging over state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul. And whatever they decide could have massive political consequences. The governor has insisted the revenue question remains in the Legislature’s court after top lawmakers in December rejected the initial MTA capital plan. Hochul has not publicly embraced any ideas for filling the shortfall and did not include any provision to that effect in her $252 billion budget proposal last week. She has suggested an updated capital plan to be proposed by the MTA will clarify the agency's dire financial situation, saying last week, “Once we receive it, we’ll determine the best way to fund it.” The few options discussed among lawmakers include an increase in the payroll mobility tax. Brooklyn Sen. Andrew Gounardes wants a menu of revenue actions, which could partially offset the political impact of any potential tax increase. “This is obviously a system that services an entire region, not just one city. It has an enormous economic impact across the entire state,” Gounardes said. A tax increase that affects suburban communities — including those that rely on MTA commuter rail service — could be a tough sell to lawmakers old enough to recall the payroll tax hike debacle of 2009, which was blamed for Democratic losses the following year. State and federal Republicans have similarly tried to leverage the congestion pricing toll program to their political advantage. Revenue from the tolls is expected to raise some $15 billion in municipal bonds for infrastructure upgrades. Still, some Democrats from outside the city argue there’s a need to bolster a dilapidated mass transit system that could also aid upstate manufacturing. “I’m confident the Assembly, the Senate and the governor are aligned around fully funding [the capital plan],” said Rochester state Sen. Jeremy Cooney. “The question is the how and the when.” Key lawmakers want to see Hochul put something on the table to jumpstart the discussions. “We all realize there’s a giant hole that’s sitting there,” said state Sen. Mike Gianaris. “We’re going to look at our options as we go through the budget process and hopefully the governor takes some responsibility for the MTA she controls and has proposals of her own.” Hochul spokesperson Avi Small responded, “When the Legislative leaders decided to veto the MTA’s capital plan, they told us they’d like to discuss funding during budget negotiations. We look forward to working collaboratively with them in the coming months.” — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Bureaucrats completed a draft plan for “cap and invest” before Hochul delayed the plan. (POLITICO Pro) — New York Inspector General Lucy Lang blasted the Trump administration’s purge of federal IGs. (Urban CNY News) — State parks saw record attendance in 2024. (Spectrum News)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
Rep. James Comer launched an investigation into sanctuary cities. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | HOUSE GOP EYES NYC: House Oversight and Government Reform Chair James Comer has launched an investigation into sanctuary cities, including New York City, as the new Trump administration issues a deluge of executive actions to crack down on illegal immigration, POLITICO reports. The Kentucky Republican sent letters seeking more information to the Democratic mayors of New York, Boston, Chicago and Denver. Comer also called on them to testify before his committee on Feb. 11. Spokespeople for some of the mayors did not say whether they would accept the invitation but acknowledged they have received the letter. Adams stands apart from the other Democrats because of his warming relationship with Trump. “Mayor Adams has made clear that New York City is committed to working with our federal partners to fix our broken immigration system and focus on the small number of people who are entering our localities and committing violent crimes,” Adams spokesperson Liz Garcia said in a statement. “We will review the letter and respond accordingly.” — Hailey Fuchs and Emily Ngo ESPAILLAT STEPS IN: Rep. Adriano Espaillat has begun pushing back on Trump’s mass deportation plans in a myriad of ways, even with his Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the broader Democratic Party splintered on how to respond. Federal immigration officials have been directed to adhere to quotas that may ramp up arrests, including in New York. On Monday, the Manhattan and Bronx Democrat and Pablo José Hernández, the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, sent a letter to newly confirmed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the reported incidents of wrongful detention by ICE agents in Puerto Rico and Newark, N.J. “These actions have alarmingly sown fear among residents, disrupted businesses, and raised serious concerns about the behavior of federal agencies and the preservation of due process rights,” they wrote. Also Monday, Espaillat said he and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) will reintroduce legislation to codify protections for immigrant communities at so-called sensitive locations, including schools and hospitals. Trump is reversing his predecessor’s policy prohibiting ICE arrests at a list of sensitive locations. “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, chaired by Espaillat, seeks a new voice on Trump. (Punchbowl News) — An analysis of the nearly 6,000 congressional and state legislative elections in November shows just how few races were true races. (New York Times) — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pushes for funds to guard against bird flu and higher egg prices. (Buffalo News)
| | | | New Year. New Washington. New Playbook. With intensified congressional coverage and even faster delivery of policy scoops, POLITICO’s reimagined Playbook Newsletter ensures you’re always ahead of the conversation. Sign up today. | | | | | | | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — Sewer sludge has impacted drinking wells in Steuben County. (Spectrum News) — Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is launching an audit of Western Regional Off-Track Betting. (Buffalo News) — A state trooper has been accused of making up the story that he was shot by a motorist. (Times Union)
| | A message from Homeowners for Financial Empowerment: Owning a home in NYC has always been a dream. But with skyrocketing costs and high mortgage rates, that dream is slipping away for too many. Short-term rentals were a lifeline for NYC homeowners who now find themselves more vulnerable than ever. Under Local Law 18, one- and two-family homeowners who relied on home sharing to maintain and stay in their homes experienced devastating financial losses, facing foreclosure, bankruptcy, being forced to come out of retirement, and even to leave NYC. Small, neighborhood homeowners who live in their homes full-time deserve a say over how and when to rent out space in their homes. Big hotel investors and special interests want to make it harder for homeowners—all to pad hotels' bottom lines. Help homeowners save their homes and communities. LEARN MORE. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman
MAKING MOVES: Former New York City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez has joined Adams’ City Hall as executive director of tenant protection. She was most recently vice president of policy at Tech:NYC … Carm Basile has joined Park Strategies as a senior advisor. He was most recently the CEO of the Capital District Transportation Authority …
— De Blasio and Bowman campaign veteran Rebecca Katz is among the partners launching the Fight Agency, a political consulting firm aiming to elect more nontraditional candidates with a populist, anti-establishment streak. (POLITICO) HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado … Jerry Skurnik … Voters for Animal Rights’ Allie Feldman Taylor … Actum’s Melissa Diaz … former Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) … Justin Fox … CNN’s Jay McMichael … Nick Iacono … Alexandra Thornton … (WAS MONDAY): Daniel Och ... Arthur Fleischer ... Paul Sislin Missed Monday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here. | | | | 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 | | | | |
