Good Morning, New York! NYC’s violent crime rate are plummeting in 2025, politicians are going after Elon Musk in both NYC and Albany, and an extender is passed until Thursday to continue budget negotiations. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025.

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Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— NYC's violent crime rates are plummeting in 2025, especially murders and shootings. New NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch is getting the kudos, credited with cleaning house and implementing new "quality of life" policies. Tisch also loosened police academy requirements and wants to tackle recidivism. (NY Post)

— Another person has died at Rikers, the fifth death this year alone, putting the jail on track to exceed last year's total. The detainee, 27-year-old Dashawn Jenkins, was reportedly "visibly ill" before staff found him, prompting calls for independent oversight of the troubled facility. Critics like Freedom Agenda's Darren Mack are blasting Mayor Adams, saying his policies are filling up Rikers and endangering inmates. (Gothamist)

— NYC Comptroller Brad Lander is gunning for Tesla, claiming Elon Musk's involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is tanking the stock. Lander believes Tesla misled investors by claiming Musk was dedicated to the company while he was busy with Trump's DOGE initiative, causing NYC pension systems to lose over $300 million this year. He's urging the city's Law Department to sue, hoping to force governance changes or potentially even divest from Tesla. (Teslarati)

Capitol Gains

— New York's state budget is late, no surprise there! Hochul and state lawmakers passed a budget extender to keep the government running through Thursday, but even that deadline seems unlikely to be met. Key policy issues like criminal discovery laws, mental health standards, and cellphone restrictions in schools are the sticking points keeping Democrats from reaching a deal. (Times Union)

— Should New York pull the plug on its Tesla deal? With a new agreement on the table for Tesla's Buffalo factory, Assemblymember Pat Burke is urging the state to walk away, citing concerns about Elon Musk and unmet job promises from the original 2014 deal. While Gov. Hochul's administration defends the agreement as preserving jobs and investment, critics like the UAW argue New York should demand more concessions and question whether subsidies should support a company led by a CEO 'actively attacking our democracy.' Meanwhile, others call the factory 'a big white elephant' and claim that continuing is the only move they have. (Gothamist)

— Gov. Hochul is furious after ICE agents allegedly removed a mother and her three children from their upstate New York home. The family, who lived and worked at a dairy farm in Jefferson County, were reportedly transported to a detention center in Texas. Hochul is demanding their immediate return, echoing concerns from school officials and the NY Immigration Coalition about the children's well-being and education. (State of Politics)

Trail Mix

— Elise Stefanik isn't getting the UN ambassadorship anytime soon, but she may be getting a promotion. House Speaker Mike Johnson says they're brainstorming "creative roles" for the New York rep in House GOP leadership after Trump nixed her nomination as UN ambassador. Trump and Johnson have both hinted she'll be back "at the leadership table," though her old position is already filled. (State of Politics)

— Eric Adams is dodging questions about whether he'll even have enough signatures to get on the Democratic primary ballot, raising questions about his commitment to the race. Adams hasn't ruled out running as an independent, but his campaign is barely visible, and he's trailing in the polls behind Cuomo and Mamdani. It's unclear if he'll abandon the Democratic race, run as an independent if he loses, or drop out altogether. (amNY)

— Andrew Cuomo is stirring the pot in the NYC mayoral race after accusing his left-leaning rivals of siding with "forces of antisemitism." Cuomo specifically targeted City Comptroller Brad Lander, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, linking them to anti-Israel policies and the Democratic Socialists of America. Unsurprisingly, those candidates quickly fired back, accusing Cuomo of exploiting Jewish suffering for political gain and pointing to his own questionable record on the issue. (NY Daily News)

— Andrew Cuomo's mayoral bid is gaining momentum with endorsements from five new Queens lawmakers, who cite his experience and record on affordability and public safety. These endorsements come after Cuomo secured the support of the Queens Democratic County Chair, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks. The list of endorsers is: State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Assembly Member David Weprin, Assembly Member Edward Braunstein, and Council Member Lynn Schulman (Press Release via Andrew Cuomo)