Good Morning, New York! The state has generated record amounts of money from marijuana, Joe Borelli is leaving to become a lobbyist, and NYC has a new honorary dog mayor. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Monday, January 27th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany with no public schedule.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule due to illness.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

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Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Mayor Eric Adams has cleared his public schedule this week for a series of doctors appointments, with his press team saying that the Mayor isn’t “feeling his best.” They claim he is only undergoing routine medical tests, and no further details were revealed. Government operations will remain unchanged. (NY Post)

— Israeli restaurant Miriam was vandalized in Park Slope yesterday, with red paint reading ‘Genocide cuisine’ and ‘Israel steals culture.’ It has already been condemned by Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams, as well as other candidates for their jobs such as Ritchie Torres and Brad Lander. (Daily News)

— The Greater New York Hospital Association is preparing for an influx of ICE agents, and has informed its members that they should direct agents to a hospital liaison like their in-house counsel, and reminds members that a warrant signed by a judge is required for agents to enter a non-public area. (Newsday)

— Gravity Technologies appears to have managed to skirt a public bidding process for the installation of charging towers around NYC. They also conveniently hired a lobbying firm connected to Eric Adams. DCAS refused to say that they were planning to purchase from Gravity, and said that they did meet with many companies. (The City)

Capitol Gains

— New York is set to generate a record $161.8 million in tax revenue from marijuana sales, a number that got off to a slow start but is projected to continue rising in the coming years. Sales continue to rise, and crackdowns on illegal stores have helped boost the sales of those running legal shops. (NY Post)

— Soaring construction costs could put a wrench in Hochul’s plans. Developers and contractors blame regulatory checklists and strong unions on the high costs of large-scale public construction projects. (Times Union)

— Assembly Member Harvey Epstein wants to protect ‘transgender and non-binary bathroom rights’ according to an op-ed he wrote in support of bill A805. He wants to mandate public buildings try to have a gender-neutral bathroom, and expressed disappointment that the State Capitol did not yet have one. (amNY)

Trail Mix

— NYC has a new honorary dog mayor in Simon the Bassett cattle dog, who won an election fueled by cryptocurrency interests. Crypto fans backed Bertram the Pomeranian, backing him with BERT coin and even offering financial incentives in exchange for votes. (NY Post)

— Rochester City Councilwoman Mary Lupien will run for Rochester Mayor, with her campaign launching on Saturday night. Lupien is a democratic socialist, and is challenging current Mayor Evans, who is running for re-election. (WHAM)

— Democrat Ling Ye has launched a primary challenge to DSA-backed Alexa Avilés with the support of pro-Israel groups. Ye immigrated to New York at 14, and has previously worked as an aide to Dan Goldman. Avilés has come under fire for abstaining on a resolution to condemn Jewish hate. (NY Post)

— City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli is leaving the City Council to become a lobbyist at Chartwell Strategy Group, opening their New York City office. Borelli is term-limited at the end of this cycle. (NY Post)

— State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar will leave the comptroller race and instead run for public advocate, challenging Jumaane Williams. She will enter the race with a significant fundraising advantage, but in challenging circumstances against a popular incumbent with name recognition fueled by two statewide bids. (X/DanMannarino)