Good Morning, New York! Keith Powers is pushing to legalize bodega cats by amending the city's health code, Wall Street lobbyists are in a full-court press to kill a New York bill that would limit creditor lawsuits against countries that default on their debt, and did the NY Conservative Party chair try to take out a press aide? This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Friday, June 13th, 2025.

WHERE’s KATHY: In New York City and Albany, Delivering Remarks at the Memorial Service for Representative Charles B. Rangel.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule available.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Looks like bodega cats might finally get some official love from the Big Apple. Council member Keith Powers is pushing to legalize the iconic felines by amending the city's health code. The move aims to protect the cats, provide them with free vaccinations and relieve bodega owners from unfair fines. (NY Post)

— ICE continues to be a flashpoint in NYC, as Lower Manhattan saw a third night of protests resulting in more arrests. Demonstrators, angered by ICE detentions at immigration court, clashed with police near Foley Square. Despite the smaller crowd sizes compared to previous nights, tensions remain high, and the NYPD is bracing for further demonstrations linked to Trump's planned military parade. (amNY)

— NYPD's Chief of Department, John Chell, is facing scrutiny for allegedly using a false identity to dodge income taxes. According to NYPD records obtained by THE CITY, the scheme involved a fabricated name and social security number. If substantiated, these actions could lead to serious repercussions for the department's top-ranking uniformed officer. (The City)

Capitol Gains

— New York's prisons could be in for some changes. State lawmakers just passed a package of bills aimed at reforming the prison system. The bills address issues like visitation rights, solitary confinement, and access to rehabilitative programs. (Buffalo News)

— Gov. Hochul faced a grilling from Republicans on Capitol Hill over New York's immigration policies, with potential gubernatorial challengers Reps. Stefanik and Lawler leading the charge. Hochul maintained the state cooperates in criminal investigations involving immigrants, while also blasting Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles. The hearing devolved into a back-and-forth between Hochul and Lawler, highlighting the simmering political tensions. (State of Politics)

— Wall Street lobbyists are in a full-court press to kill a New York bill that would limit creditor lawsuits against countries that default on their debt, arguing it could hurt the state's economy. Supporters of the bill, developed after Puerto Rico's debt crisis, say it would rein in "vulture funds" and protect struggling nations. With the legislative session ending soon, it's unclear if the Assembly will vote on the bill amidst the lobbying blitz. (NYS Focus)

Trail Mix

— Cuomo and Mamdani went at it during the final mayoral debate, with Cuomo questioning Mamdani's experience and Mamdani bringing up Cuomo's scandals. Brad Lander also had a strong showing, boosted by the NYT endorsement and sharp criticisms of Cuomo. The debate also hinted at potential alliances, with some candidates choosing to uplift each other rather than attack. (Gothamist)

— Congressman Tom Suozzi, once a close ally of Mayor Eric Adams, is throwing his support behind Andrew Cuomo for mayor. Suozzi says he's backing Cuomo to prevent "the socialists"– particularly Zohran Mamdani– from winning, while Adams' campaign downplays the endorsement, arguing that voters care more about results than endorsements. (NY Post)

— Did the NY Conservative Party chair try to take out a press aide? Former NY-21 candidate Anthony Constantino is making the explosive claim that party chair Gerard Kassar tried to kill his aide, Paul Antonelli, by sabotaging his car's brakes. Constantino is pushing for investigations into the alleged incident. (NNY360)