Adams Announces Transition Team + Conservative Bloc Eyes Council Speaker Race

Local News

• Mayor-elect Eric Adams released a massive transition team that includes almost 800 names. It is headed by Sheena Wright, the CEO of the nonprofit United Way of New York City.
• Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City health officials reinforced the city’s existing indoor masking recommendations in light of the emerging Omicron variant of COVID-19. Additionally, the City’s vaccine mandate is expanding to include employees of private and religious schools and all child care workers.
• New York City’s public school class sizes dropped by 5% in 2021, according to new data from the NYC Department of Education.
• Congressman Hakeem Jeffries’ history is being scrutinized as he is being groomed to take over the House Democratic caucus after Nancy Pelosi’s retirement.
• Two supervised injection sites have opened in Manhattan, the first of their kind in the country.
• Con Edison has been lobbying in support of banning natural gas in new building construction and major renovations.
• A surge of Covid-19 patients is overwhelming hospitals in upstate New York, many of which are facing staffing shortages.
• The City is terminating its youth shelters contract with CORE Services after reports of exorbitant compensation and self-dealing by the non-profit’s CEO.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced an extension of the financial assistance application deadline from December 6th to January 4th for New York residents affected by Hurricane Ida. New York State announced a relief program for the estimated 5,100 undocumented New Yorkers affected by Ida, but two months after the storm, only 32 have received funds.
• Years after Governor Cuomo ordered a massive overhaul to the state’s Medicaid system, New York has failed to improve kids’ access to mental health care.

Elections

• A bloc of Republicans and conservative Democrats is hoping to influence the selection of the City Council Speaker, claiming they have between 10 and 12 votes on the new council.
• Four Democratic candidates have declared for New York State Attorney General, and four others have announced exploratory committees. Three Republicans have also declared.
• Congressman Tom Suozzi, a centrist Democrat who represents Long Island, has joined New York’s upcoming governor’s race. He is joined by  Governor Kathy Hochul, State Attorney General Letitia James, and Jumaane Williams.
• The certified results for last month’s general election show turnout reaching record lows, as just 20% of eligible voters cast a ballot for mayor.