View this email in your browser

A message from Homeowners for Financial Empowerment

Compiled by Eric Holmberg

Tuesday, September 09, 2025

Weather

Mostly cloudy in New York City, mostly clear in Albany and partly cloudy in Buffalo. New York City, low 62; Albany, low 49; Buffalo, low 54.

This week's magazine

Burning out

* The New York City public workforce is massive, but it’s diminished. More than 17,000 full-time positions in city government were vacant as of August. Across multiple agencies, unfilled vacancies are straining city workers to a breaking point.

Who’s Who in MWBEs

* City & State’s Who’s Who in MWBEs highlights many of the most important figures in this space, including leaders of MWBE firms large and small, and public officials who are developing and carrying out key MWBE programs.

 ▶ Read This Week's Issue

From City & State

* New Yorkers will likely have an opportunity to vote on three ballot proposals intended to spur housing development this fall after all. New York City Board of Elections commissioners overwhelmingly voted to keep the measures on the ballot this afternoon.

* On Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams named three politicians as he railed against Andrew Cuomo’s efforts to get him to drop his reelection campaign. “Andrew has had a career of pushing Black candidates out of races,” the mayor said.

Heard around town

By Sophie Krichevsky

Public defender Eli Northrup may be taking another stab at elected office. 

After coming in second behind now-Assembly Member Micah Lasher in the 2024 Democratic primary for Manhattan’s Assembly District 69, Northrup filed yesterday to run for the seat once again, state campaign finance records show. 

The move comes less than a week after Lasher filed to run for Congress in light of Rep. Jerry Nadler’s announcement that he will not seek reelection next fall. Though Lasher is not the only one to have taken steps toward a House run, and even more have expressed interest in replacing Nadler, he is widely viewed as Nadler’s heir apparent. Given that Lasher can only run for either the Assembly or for Congress, Northrup could very well be running for an open seat. 

Asked about the filing, Northrup did not explicitly commit to running, and told City & State he was “considering the best way to serve (his) community during this critical moment.” As for how Nadler’s decision not to seek reelection may have influenced his plans, Northrup said, “I've continued to be involved in progressive politics in the neighborhood. … In terms of Jerry Nadler retiring, that’s not something that I anticipated or had knowledge of.” Read more here.

Got tips? Email editor@cityandstateny.com

NYC is home to the world’s most restrictive short-term rental policy. HFE is a coalition of organizations, homeowners, small business owners and neighbors working to help New Yorkers stay in their homes. They help make homeownership affordable, support small businesses by welcoming visitors to the outer boroughs and preserve communities by giving homeowners a lifeline to earn extra income.

New this afternoon

* New Yorkers will get a chance to vote on three housing-related ballot measures that would shift more power over new development to the mayor despite a late push by the City Council to keep the initiatives off the November ballot, The New York Times reports.

* Some of New York’s most powerful billionaires are again lining up behind Andrew Cuomo’s bid to become mayor, with pledges to pump more cash into his campaign and help Mayor Eric Adams find a lucrative private sector job that might induce him to exit the race for City Hall, the Daily News reports.

* With the grim anniversary of 9/11 just days away, Cuomo went after mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani for appearing on the show of megapopular Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who once said “America deserved 9/11,” New York magazine reports.

* State Attorney General Letitia James’ office hired Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP to deal with a pair of subpoenas sent by federal prosecutors in Albany regarding James’ investigations of the National Rifle Association as well as a civil fraud case she brought against Donald Trump, Gothamist reports.

* U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he met yesterday with Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, but he did not endorse Mamdani in the race yet, Politico reports.

* More news below …

Preserving New York’s Nuclear Fleet Saves Ratepayers $50 Billion
A new report from the Carbon Free NY Coalition finds that keeping New York’s upstate nuclear plants operating will save ratepayers $50 billion by 2050. Extending the Zero-Emission Credit program will add $38 billion into the economy, support 14,400 jobs, and preserve $10 billion in tax revenues. Read the full report and see why New Yorkers can’t afford to lose nuclear: www.carbonfreeny.com/nuclear-fleet

* The progressive grassroots political organization Citizen Action endorsed Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2026, State of Politics reports.

* New York City’s public education system is failing to properly serve children who are learning English as a new language, according to a report from the city comptroller, the Times reports.

* Two people have died and 35 more have fallen sick due to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Westchester County, but the sources of the infections were not revealed, the Daily News reports.

* Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said dozens of immigrant workers are being sent to their countries of origin and five workers will be charged with felonies for reentering the country illegally after federal agents carried out a large-scale immigration raid at a food manufacturing plant west of Syracuse last week, the Times Union reports.

* Nearly $1.2 billion in managed Medicaid premiums were paid for members who may have resided outside of New York, according to an audit released by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office, State of Politics reports.

* A federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of nine inmates at a state prison in Oneida County who are allegedly being held unlawfully in mental health units for roughly 24 hours a day and without access to therapy or medical treatment, the Times Union reports.

New York State stands at a critical crossroads in confronting the intertwined crises of serious mental illness, substance use disorder, and homelessness. As bold reforms meet federal shifts, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation and City & State New York will convene leaders across health, housing, justice, philanthropy, community advocacy, and faith-based organizations for the Mental Health Summit: A Collaborative Path for Well-Being on Wednesday, October 22. Register now!

Presented by: The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation

National politics

* Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Qatar as the group’s top figures gathered to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, and the strike on the territory of a U.S. ally marked a stunning escalation, The Associated Press reports.

* The release of new information from the estate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a suggestive note to him apparently signed by Trump, has not quieted the clamor on Capitol Hill for full transparency from the Department of Justice about Epstein’s case, the Times reports.

* With job growth tanking and the economy wobbling, pressure is on for the Federal Reserve to start lowering interest rates, with markets now expecting a cut at each of the three remaining meetings this year, CNBC reports.

“Changing the Playbook on Hospital Prices” is a one-day conference on the importance of and tactics for making hospitals more affordable. The event hosted by the 32BJ Health Fund, 32BJ Labor Industry Cooperation Fund, and City & State will take place on Thursday, October 9th at The Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. Unsustainable hospital prices have reached a crisis point. Explore actionable tactics to change the playbook with keynote speaker Mark Cuban alongside policymakers, consumer advocates, employers, and other healthcare purchasers. REGISTER NOW Questions? Contact LICF@32bjfunds.com

In depth

* Police officers in New York state crashed their official vehicles, hit other motorists and arrived at work reeking of alcohol, and yet, they sometimes evaded criminal punishment, the Times and New York Focus report.

* A report from the Center for an Urban Future details the damage that neglect has wrought on Queens’ largest and most popular preserve, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, so how do we think big without turning it into a gentrification magnet, Curbed writes.

* Before New Yorkers can even think of hopping aboard self-driving cars, the vehicles face several hurdles that extend well beyond the end of this month, when a Waymo testing permit Adams approved in August expires, The City reports.

New Yorkers are always moving. Take a deep dive into the systems that keep us in motion at the Transportation in NY Summiton 10/28. Featuring keynote speaker Jamie Torres-Springer, President of MTA Construction & Development and a fireside chat with Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority of NY & NJ.. Register now, and contact us about sponsorship!

Sponsored by: Boingo Wireless; Boldyn Networks; AJW; Brown and Weinraub; Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP; Gateway Development Commission; Hollis Public Affairs, Inc.; T-Mobile for Government; Trucking Association of New York

Top tweet

Andrew Cuomo standing next to a sign that says in big letters “America deserved 9/11” with no additional context other than a photo of a Twitch streamer that most regular New Yorkers have never heard of

what a fantastically run campaign

https://x.com/hollypret/status/1965469787238400019

– Matt Binder @MattBinder

Copyright © 2025 City & State NY LLC, All rights reserved.

You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to First Read Emails from City & State.

Our mailing address is:

City & State NY LLC
44 Wall Street, Suite 705
New York, NY 10005

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.