| | | |  | | By Emily Ngo, Jeff Coltin and Nick Reisman | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Cris Seda Chabrier
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Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park is warning that deep cuts to a crucial food assistance program would hit the city hard. | John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit | Molly Wasow Park, New York City’s social services commissioner, is speaking out on the sweeping cuts to a crucial food assistance program threatened by a Trump-backed budget plan. Her comments to Playbook on Wednesday make Park the latest official in Mayor Eric Adams’ administration to stand against President Donald Trump’s policies when the Democratic mayor will not publicly criticize the Republican president. About 1.8 million residents rely on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, in New York City, the largest jurisdiction in terms of recipients, Park reminded during the interview in her lower Manhattan office. “A third of them are kids, a third of them are older adults, and it is really a lifeline,” Park said. “We’re literally talking about taking food out of kids’ and older adults’ mouths to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest.” Her message — a spotlighting of the stakes of the budget resolution approved by the slimmest of margins Tuesday in the House and now making its way through the Senate — is one being amplified by Democratic officials and organizations sounding the alarm. Meanwhile, the mayor has been far less forceful, vocal and exacting in calling out the potential perils of Trump’s agenda as the president’s Justice Department seeks to dismiss Adams’ federal fraud case. And Park is not alone. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch declared during a speech Tuesday, “The NYPD will not participate in civil immigration enforcement — period.” On Monday, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos reaffirmed to families in a letter that city policies protecting LGBTQ+ students remain in place despite Trump’s actions. House Democrats who unanimously opposed the budget resolution have been highlighting how many SNAP recipients they have in their districts. Gov. Kathy Hochul focused a social media post on the potential slashing of health care “all to bankroll giveaways to billionaires.” Park said early estimates show SNAP cuts could cost New York City $900 million a year. The municipal budget stands at about $115 billion. “Serving this population is what DSS is here to do. It’s what I am here to do,” she said, criticizing neither Adams nor Trump directly. The commissioner stressed the benefits reductions will cause hits to the local economy, including grocery stores, while impacting housing and other services. City Hall, asked by Playbook for comment, said via spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus, “For decades, New Yorkers have relied on critical services like SNAP and Medicaid to better their lives and their families and allow them to put food on their tables. It is vital that these programs continue.” While muted on Trump’s agenda, Adams did sue the presidential administration for its clawback of $80 million in FEMA funds for migrant shelter and services. He has defended diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, measures and said undocumented immigrants should not fear using city services. But he is also seeking to loosen “sanctuary city” protections through an executive order. Many of Adams’ Democratic counterparts around the country, by comparison, have spoken unequivocally against Trump. None of them are in Adams’ position, however: dimming reelection prospects, four deputy mayors resigning, a criminal case still pending and warming ties to the president that his adversaries — and prosecutors — say amount to a quid pro quo. “Just like he has tried to do with every new administration, Mayor Adams wants to work with the president, not war with him, to better the lives of New Yorkers,” Mamelak Altus said. “But he has also been abundantly clear that there are things he and other members of the Adams administration will disagree with President Trump on and will address those instances on a case-by-case basis.” Joel Berg of Hunger Free America told Playbook of SNAP, “If anything close to this magnitude of cuts is actually implemented, it would lead to the greatest hunger and food insecurity crisis since the Great Depression.” He added that having the cuts be “one of things the mayor of New York City feels he cannot speak out against is very troubling as a citizen.” — Emily Ngo IT’S THURSDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE’S KATHY? In New York City. She will appear on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” participate in a virtual chat on youth mental health and make a workforce development announcement. WHERE’S ERIC? Also in New York City, where he will make an education-related announcement, host a roundtable discussion with members of Muslim media and speak at the Kings of the Roundtable’s Black History Month event. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Unlike Mayor Adams who raised your rent, or Governor Cuomo, who put you in Tier 6 (pension plan), I have the guts to ask for your endorsement in person.” — Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, at the District Council 37 mayoral forum Wednesday night, which Adams pulled out from and Cuomo never planned to attend.
| | | | A message from Uber: Insurance Hitting Uber Riders in the Wallet. New York State has some of the most onerous and expensive insurance laws for rideshare trips in the country and Uber riders are paying the cost. In December 2024, 25% of rider fares on average went toward government-mandated commercial insurance for Uber rideshare trips. Lawsuit abuse and the litigation environment in New York are driving up costs of everything even more, including insurance premiums. Learn More. | | | |  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | 
Kevin Elkins, the political director at the New York City District Council of Carpenters, is expected to join former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's mayoral campaign. | David Dee Delgado/Getty Images | CUOMO WATCH: A labor official in talks for a top post in former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s expected mayoral campaign is troubling the city’s well-heeled real estate industry, POLITICO reports. Kevin Elkins, political director at the New York City District Council of Carpenters, is expected to hold a role in the campaign, according to three people familiar with the matter. “If you were to pick a single name that would antagonize the vast majority of the industry it would probably be Kevin Elkins,” said one industry source, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. The bad blood between the industry and the union — which is nearing an endorsement of Cuomo — runs deep. The carpenters stand somewhat apart from other building trades unions in their publicly antagonistic and pugilistic posture toward the real estate industry, one of the wealthiest in New York and one that plays a big role in public policy and politics. The union was a driving force behind expanded wage requirements in the revived multi-family housing tax break approved in Albany last year, known as 485-x. Developers came away unhappy with the deal, arguing the labor rules made the incentive unusable for many residential projects in a housing-starved city. And Elkins frequently goes after the industry’s leading trade group, the Real Estate Board of New York, on social media — both regarding fraught negotiations in Albany, and over issues in which the carpenters union is not especially involved, like a City Council measure reining in broker fees. A person close to the former governor defended Elkins. “Kevin is a smart guy who fights hard for his people and those are good things to have on a campaign, of which there currently isn’t one,” the person said. “The governor has and always will do what is best for all New Yorkers.” — Janaki Chadha
| | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | | 
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado will only preside over the Senate chamber after Gov. Kathy Hochul stripped him of his office space, staff and tech. | Mary Altaffer/AP Photo | OFFICE SPACE: The Hochul administration is stripping Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado of his office space, staff and executive chamber-issued electronic devices — a move that comes after he signaled a possible Democratic primary challenge to the governor. A person familiar with the move told Playbook that Delgado is losing his second floor office suite in the Capitol as well as offices in New York City and the Hudson Valley. He will retain the third-floor office near the state Senate chamber that’s allocated to the lieutenant governor. Hochul is also gutting Delgado’s staff and will reallocate an untold number of workers who are on the governor’s budget line to other areas, the person said. Delgado will retain the one constitutional function of his otherwise powerless office: Presiding over the Senate chamber. A spokesperson for the lieutenant governor did not comment Wednesday evening. The LG announced last week he would not run for reelection alongside Hochul next year and said “all options are on the table” for his political future. He subsequently opened a new campaign account. Hochul has not called on Delgado to resign, but told reporters this week it’s unclear he’s unhappy in the role and she wished him well. The relationship between Delgado and Hochul soured months ago, and the first ray of public daylight became apparent in July when he called on President Joe Biden to drop his reelection campaign while the governor remained a prominent White House ally. Hochul’s office also sharply rebuked Delgado when he called on Adams to resign, with her spokesperson declaring the lieutenant governor does not speak for the administration. Delgado told reporters during a stop in Schenectady Tuesday that he wants to stay in the job. "I love being out there with the people, being the voice that I can be for New Yorkers, connecting with folks all across the state in a real, meaningful way,” Delgado said, according to Spectrum News. — Nick Reisman MUSK FALLOUT: Democratic state lawmakers were once accommodating of an Elon Musk-friendly proposal that would have helped his electric vehicle company Tesla. But the billionaire’s political alignment with Trump is making the measure a harder sale. POLITICO Pro’s Marie J. French reports Tesla’s long-sought bill that would allow the company to sell electric vehicles directly to consumers, which remains restricted in several states. “You could not pay me to carry that bill now,” said New York state Sen. Pat Fahy, a Democrat from the Albany area who for several years sponsored legislation to allow direct sales. “I’m thoroughly disgusted with Elon Musk and everything he stands for.” It’s a switch for Democrats, who have wanted to encourage electric vehicle sales and reduce emissions. And the direct sales legislation has drawn Republican support. “Deciding whether someone’s business model functions well in your state with the mandates you’ve given … based on one person’s personality I don’t think is a good way to make public policy,” Republican state Sen. Mark Walczyk said of Democrats dropping their support due to the association with Musk. — Nick Reisman OH SNAP: Prominent businesses in New York — including yogurt giant Chobani and the Price Chopper supermarket chain — are pressing New York officials to expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. “Our organizations are committed to ensuring all New Yorkers have the resources they need to afford a nutritious diet,” they wrote in a letter to top state officials. “Raising the SNAP minimum benefit to $100 a month is not just sound economic policy, it is the right thing to do.” The letter, which was also signed by the influential Business Council of New York State, comes as Democrats have pledged to tackle the cost of living following Republican successes last November. If approved, the measure would require a $100 million appropriation in the state budget. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Hochul pledged an “orderly resistance” to the Trump administration ending congestion pricing. (Newsday) — The governor, a western New York native, won’t endorse in the race for Buffalo mayor. (Buffalo News) — Public college students are calling for the state to boost funding at SUNY and CUNY. (WAMC)
| | | | Donald Trump's unprecedented effort to reshape the federal government is consuming Washington. To track this seismic shift, we're relaunching one of our signature newsletters. Sign up to get West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government in your inbox. | | | | | | | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | 
A "lookback window" that allows survivors of sexual abuse to file suits past the statue of limitations closes on Saturday. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images | FINAL CALL: A 2022 law that temporarily extended the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits focused on gender-motivated violence ends Saturday, potentially impacting hundreds of survivors. Victims of rape and sexual assault who were attacked before 2016 will lose the right to file civil lawsuits against their assailants on March 1, when an extended statute of limitations sunsets. Under the Gender-Motivated Violence Act, survivors of sexual abuse can typically sue their abusers — as well as institutions that have enabled abuse — within seven years of the alleged incident occurring. If the victim was an infant when the abuse took place or became disabled as a result, they have nine years to take civil action. Those time frames expanded in 2022 when an amendment to the law allowed victims to file lawsuits until March 1, 2025. That “lookback window” resulted in more than 500 new civil cases filed in connection with abuse that allegedly occurred in New York City’s juvenile detention facilities, according to Levy Konigsberg, a firm that represents survivors. Those facilities include Crossroads Juvenile Center, Horizon Juvenile Center, the detention complex on Rikers Island and Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, according to the firm. Some of the plaintiffs were as young as 12 when they were allegedly abused, and the overwhelming majority are male. “There was a pervasive problem of institutionalized sexual abuse in New York City juvenile detention centers and this law has allowed that severe problem to be exposed,” said lawyer Jerome Block, a partner at the lawfirm. Roughly 42 percent of the claims concern Spofford, which the city closed in 2011 after decades of abuse. Among the perpetrators named in the lawsuits is Natalie Medford, a former staff member at Horizon, who is alleged to have abused at least 21 victims. In 2022, Franklin Maldonado won a suit against Medford, who he accused of raping and assaulting him repeatedly while other employees ignored her actions. The city has actively worked to dismiss these cases, arguing that victims cannot sue institutions, only individual perpetrators of the abuse. “The city has taken the position that only the perpetrators, only the individual people who perpetrated the sexual violence can be sued under the revival window,” said Block. He called the argument “cynical” because suing the perpetrators, who are often unidentified, would not lead to institutional reforms. “The Act does not authorize these claims against the City, and we have moved to dismiss them,” the city’s Law Department said in a statement. “The incidents are alleged to have occurred either before the GMVA was enacted in 2000 or before its expansion in 2022 to allow civil suits against entities such as the City.” City Council Member Carlina Rivera, who sponsored the “lookback window” law, wants the suits to lead to reforms such as required training for staff and detained minors to recognize sexual abuse, increased oversight and enhanced surveillance. “If the city of New York and its institutions have committed crimes against these individuals under their care, it is up to us to settle these claims and determine the outcome that is as close to justice as these individuals can pursue,” said Rivera. — Cris Seda Chabrier NOT WOWED: Older adults seemed unimpressed by Adams in a town hall in Brooklyn Wednesday. A cracked and leaky roof at the Willoughby Older Adult Club, where the event was held, stoked grievances against the mayor’s public housing agency. Adams — already having a rough week — admitted that public housing is in crisis, but blamed the federal and state governments for the lack of funds to fix the dilapidated buildings. Daniel Green — a NYCHA executive — promised action, but attendees were unsatisfied. “Listen to what he's saying, he said they will look. Not fixed, they're gonna look at it, which they've been doing for the years I've been here,” said Claudette Macey, who runs the Fort Greene Council that provides services at 14 older adult clubs in Brooklyn. More complaints ensued: broken door locks in public housing, poor quality food in older adult clubs and too few police officers patrolling the neighborhoods. Adams didn’t miss the opportunity to take a swipe at the press. “Was the press here when they were clapping?” Adams said in reference to the crowd clapping when he came in. “You never get what we have done. You don’t get that.” Adams, who has yet to start campaigning for reelection, also called out soon-to-be challenger Andrew Cuomo, the former governor. “Everyone who is running should come out and announce that they’re running. Don’t hide in the shadows and try to do a shadow campaign,” he said. — Cris Seda Chabrier More from the city: — The City Council’s finance chair wants to solve the mystery of how many of Adams’ hires in the mayor’s office are paid on other agency’s budget lines. (THE CITY) — Lander misled a mayoral forum when asked about the city’s holdings in Israeli government bonds. (Daily News) — The New York Working Families Party endorsed a slate of incumbents including City Council Member Chris Marte, which is earning the progressive group some heat. (City & State)
| | | | A message from Uber:  
| | | | | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
A Hudson Valley House race will likely pit GOP Rep. Mike Lawler against Democratic challenger Beth Davidson. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | HUDSON SHOWDOWN: The mud is already slinging in the Hudson Valley House race that will likely pit GOP Rep. Mike Lawler against Democratic challenger Beth Davidson. Lawler, who is also weighing a run for governor, is more inclined to rail against Hochul and her policies. But his team didn’t pull punches in insulting his 2024 rival Mondaire Jones, who has endorsed Davidson, a Rockland County legislator. And Davidson’s team quickly hit back with an apparent reference to Lawler’s Tuesday vote for the GOP budget resolution that could slash Medicaid. “If Beth Davidson thought celebrating the endorsement of a two-time loser, infamous for calling to defund the police, supporting cashless bail and promoting sanctuary state policies was a good idea, you really need to question her political judgment,” Lawler campaign spokesperson Chris Russell said of Jones. Jones, a former House member, declined to comment. Davidson campaign spokesperson Molly Kraus noted that the candidate raised more than $200,000 in 48 hours after announcing her bid. "While Mike Lawler destroys his coalition of support in the Hudson Valley, Beth Davidson is growing hers,” Kraus said. “It’s no surprise Mike is already scared to run against her, particularly as he votes to rip away health care from seniors and children in the Hudson Valley, while doing nothing to lower our taxes or cost of living.” — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — A bipartisan bill to fully fund the embattled World Trade Center Health Program through 2090 was introduced in Congress. (Daily News) — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is privately pushing Democrats to fill their guest lists next week with people affected by federal job cuts and the funding freeze. (Axios) — Lawler says the GOP budget bill will take “arduous” negotiations, but urged Republicans to stick together. (Fox Business)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — New York City marked the anniversary of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. (NY1) — A report found New York City poverty and unaffordability are on the rise. (Gothamist) — A nonprofit newsroom is trying to fill a coverage gap in the Catskills. (Times Union)
| | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES: Chris Sosa of Sosa Strategies is now the general consultant for Jessica Ramos’ mayoral campaign. He’s an alum of Assemblymember Alex Bores’ campaign. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) … Chelsea Clinton … Ralph Nader (91) … Fox News’ Ashley DiMella … Virginia Flynn … Vinnie Polito … Sasha Johnson … Rebecca Sinderbrand … (WAS WEDNESDAY): Alana Newhouse ... Paul J. Fishman Missed Wednesday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
| | | | A message from Uber: Insurance Laws and Lawsuit Abuse create more costs for Uber Riders
New York residents already shoulder some of the nation's highest auto insurance costs, paying an average of $3,840 a year for full coverage.
Similarly, the mandatory cost of rideshare insurance per trip in New York is among the highest in the country. One reason behind this is the $1.25 million in liability coverage when a passenger is in the vehicle, which is 25 times the liability requirement for personal vehicles.
Insurance premiums continue to rise in part because of the litigation environment in New York. Lawsuit fraud and abuse drives up costs for everything, including insurance rates.
Uber is pushing for commonsense legislative changes that keep all trips covered while bringing down the cost of trips.
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