Good Morning, New York! MAGA-aligned architectural enthusiasts are pushing hard for a neoclassical makeover of New York's Penn Station, but first have to get past an unfriendly MSG owner James Dolan. Meanwhile, the state legislature approved a nearly $14 million emergency loan to Dunkirk, and Bloomberg drops another $3.3 million on Cuomo’s PAC. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Thursday, June 19th, 2025.

WHERE’s KATHY: In New York City, and Westchester and Rockland Counties with no publicly scheduled events.

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Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— NYC retirees just suffered a major setback in their fight against the city's Medicare Advantage plan, with the state's highest court ruling against them. The court said the retirees didn't prove their coverage would be worse, but a retirees' group says the ruling effectively allows the city to move forward with the controversial plan. While City Hall argues the switch saves money, unions are fracturing over concerns that the plan could limit healthcare choices. (Gothamist)

— MAGA-aligned architectural enthusiasts are pushing hard for a neoclassical makeover of New York's Penn Station. With funding from conservative donors and a design ready to go, the "Grand Penn" plan suddenly has a shot at reality thanks to Trump's Department of Transportation taking over the project. But they still need to wrangle MSG owner James Dolan, who isn't keen on relocating his arena. (Politico)

— NYC's mayoral race is heating up, with early voting numbers doubling since 2021. Young voters appear to be a driving force behind this surge, especially in areas like brownstone Brooklyn, which could be a game-changer for Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. However, experts are split on whether this early enthusiasm will translate to increased overall turnout or simply reflect existing supporters voting sooner. (Gothamist)

Capitol Gains

— Yeshiva education just got a major shakeup. New York's highest court unanimously sided with reformers, upholding the state's right to enforce educational standards in nonpublic schools, including yeshivas. While some yeshiva advocates are grateful for a potential 'reprieve,' others argue the ruling reinforces the state's obligation to step in when schools fail their students. (NY Daily News)

— Dunkirk's one step closer to shoring up its finances, but not everyone's happy about it. The State Assembly just passed a controversial bill to loan the city nearly $14 million, despite opposition from local lawmakers and the public who worry about the high interest rate and potential burden on taxpayers. Gov. Hochul's signature is the last hurdle. (State of Politics)

— Despite a fiery hearing in Washington and increased attention on ICE, New York lawmakers failed to pass the New York for All Act, a bill that would have limited ICE cooperation. The stalled bill aimed to cement state policies into law and extend them to local governments. According to Sen. Andrew Gounardes, "paralysis" among Democrats over how to respond to Trump administration actions, rather than direct opposition to the bill or political fallout concerns, led to the inaction. (Lohud)

Trail Mix

— Kathy Hochul is digging in her heels and refusing to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, shutting down mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani's plan to tax the rich. Hochul worried that raising taxes would only accelerate the exodus of New Yorkers to places like Palm Beach, while Mamdani insists the state is keen on taxing those who can afford it. Critics, including other mayoral candidates like Cuomo and Tilson accuse Mamdani of campaigning on 'delusional' financial plans. (NY Post)

— Mike Bloomberg is dropping some serious cash to boost Andrew Cuomo's mayoral campaign, adding another $3.3 million to the pro-Cuomo super PAC. This latest donation brings Bloomberg's total contribution to a whopping $8.3 million, making him the PAC's biggest backer. The money is apparently aimed at countering the momentum of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, and brings the PAC's total to $24 million. (Politico)

— Eric Adams is ditching the Democratic primary drama to focus on winning the general election as an independent. But winning over Republicans might be tough, with Curtis Sliwa already in the race as the GOP nominee. Adams is also fighting the Board of Elections over his ability to run on two independent party lines, calling the situation "unfair." (State of Politics)