Good Morning, New York! NYC's EMTs are furious after the City Council okayed a pay bump for grocery delivery workers, leaving first responders with smaller paychecks, Hochul is blaming NY Republicans for the state’s budget hole, and the GOP is cutting ads using a clip of Zohran advocating for the “abolition of private property.” This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Friday, July 18th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany, then in Ulster County rallying with Hudson Valley Community against federal cuts, then in Washington D.C.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule available

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

Don't expect open primaries in New York City anytime soon. The city's Charter Revision Commission has decided against putting the proposal on the ballot this year. Richard R. Buery Jr, the Chair of the group, said there was not a clear consensus on how move forward on the issue. (The City)

NYC's EMTs are feeling the burn after the City Council okayed a pay bump for grocery delivery workers, leaving first responders with smaller paychecks. The union is blasting the city for failing to negotiate in good faith and says many EMTs are struggling to make ends meet, even living in their cars. City Hall insists that they are actively talking to the union but can't get into specifics. (amNY)

NYC's wealthy might be packing their bags, all thanks to Zohran Mamdani, a mayoral candidate with a plan to tax millionaires. While Florida real estate agents are seeing a spike in interest, there's little hard proof that New York's high-end market is slowing down... yet. But with just Mamdani pushing for higher taxes, (and Hochul saying she has no plans to do the same) the city's top earners might just head to Long Island or Jersey instead. (CNBC)

Capitol Gains

Gov. Hochul is blaming federal Republicans for "intentional" pain in New York, directing state agencies to cut $750 million from the budget in response to slashed federal aid. Hochul is specifically calling out NY Republicans who "voted against their districts." Meanwhile, Republicans are firing back, accusing Hochul of dishonesty and blaming state Democrats for the state's financial woes. (Newsday)

New York is pumping the brakes on building new offshore wind power lines because of Trump's opposition. State officials say they don't want to stick utility customers with the bill for transmission lines if the federal government isn't issuing wind project permits. While green energy advocates are bummed, Hochul's office says she's still committed to renewables but wants to protect ratepayers from uncertainty. (NY Post)

Kathy Hochul's got a tough call to make on the aid-in-dying bill, and it could impact her reelection. While advocates are optimistic she'll sign the bill as is, the Catholic Church is demanding a veto, and some Dems worry about equal access to the life-ending prescriptions. With Republicans already using the issue as ammo, Hochul's move could make or break her 2026 campaign. (Politico)

Trail Mix

Zohran Mamdani is catching heat from the Republican Party after a video resurfaced of the NYC mayoral candidate advocating for the "abolition of private property." The RNC is using the clip to paint Mamdani as a radical, while GOP officials are vowing to tie Democratic opponents to him in the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans like Rep. Malliotakis are blasting Mamdani's views as communist, as Trump has previously referred to him. (NY Post)

Seven Democrats are battling it out for a shot at Republican Mike Lawler's House seat in New York's 17th Congressional District. The race is already heating up, with Cait Conley and Beth Davidson leading in fundraising, though Peter Chatzky is close behind after lending his campaign a cool half-million. Meanwhile, Lawler is weighing a run for governor, which could dramatically shift the dynamics of this competitive district. (Lohud)

Andrew Cuomo is changing his tune on rent control, now advocating for NYC to have more power to regulate rents despite criticizing similar proposals in the past. As he runs for mayor, Cuomo says stripping Albany of its power to regulate NYC rent would make housing more affordable. However, housing experts and tenant advocates are skeptical of the timing and motivation, questioning why he didn't act during his time as governor, while landlord reps fear a pro-tenant City Council would go too far. (Gothamist)