Good Morning, New York! ICE arrests the organizer of pro-Palestine protests at Columbia, correction officers have another deal on the table, and the latest Siena College poll results show Hochul with a commanding primary lead. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Monday, March 10th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany, delivering remarks to the United Federation of Teachers Lobby Day.

WHERE’s ERIC: In Brooklyn, making a public safety announcement.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— ICE has arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student who helped lead anti-Israel protests last spring. Khalil's lawyer says ICE agents claimed to be acting on State Department orders revoking his student visa and green card, though the legality of seizing a green card without due process is questionable. The arrest, which follows Trump's pledge to deport protesting international students, sparked outrage and left Columbia students worried about their own safety and activism. (NY Daily News)

— Columbia University is also bracing for more protests after Trump axed $400 million in federal funding, citing the university's failure to curb antisemitism. Despite the funding cut and the detention, student protest groups are vowing to continue their demonstrations for as long as it takes. (amNY)

— Chinatown is bracing for a hit as new tariffs on Chinese goods threaten to raise prices and disrupt cultural traditions. Store owners worry they'll have to hike prices on essential items, from noodles to takeout containers, impacting already vulnerable communities. While businesses intend to support each other, some fear that rising costs could force shops to close, further eroding the cultural fabric of these historic neighborhoods. (NBC News)

Capitol Gains

— After 20 days of striking, a deal may be in place to end the New York prison strike, but it's not a done deal yet. The agreement hinges on 85% of striking correction officers returning to work, with some officers saying the deal doesn't adequately address safety concerns. The state agreed to reinstate health insurance to striking members whose coverage was terminated as long as they pay the Cobra rate for the period of termination and return to work by the deadline outlined in the agreement. (Times Union)

— Hochul's facing a challenge to her green truck mandate. Some Democratic lawmakers are calling her emissions-free truck rule 'nearly impossible' and want to delay it until 2027, citing a lack of infrastructure and cost concerns. But environmental groups are fighting back, claiming the proposed delay is a scare tactic from diesel truck manufacturers. (NY Post)

— In response to Trump's recent executive order targeting gender-affirming care, NYC and state lawmakers are scrambling to protect transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, especially those under 19. The city is considering legislation to protect healthcare providers, while the state is looking to expand Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care and strengthen anti-discrimination laws. Despite potential legal challenges, lawmakers are determined to push back against what they see as a hostile agenda. (Gothamist)

Trail Mix

— Numbers are up from the latest Siena College poll, with Hochul up by 35% in a theoretical Democratic primary. (Hochul 46%, Delgado 11%, Torres 10%). On the Republican side, Lawler leads Blakeman in preliminary numbers, although large swaths are undecided. (Lawler 25%, Blakeman 13%.) (Siena College)

— In a surprise exclusive interview with the Post, Socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani said he wants to hike corporate taxes to fund big-ticket items like free transit, childcare, and even city-run food stores. Mamdani claims this would primarily hit out-of-state corporations, arguing NY's market is too attractive to scare businesses away. He also aims to shift non-crime duties away from the NYPD. (NY Post)

— Andrew Cuomo's mayoral campaign is heating up, and he's not backing down from his support of controversial bail reforms, calling them a correction of a "terrible social wrong". While promising to hire 5,000 more cops, Cuomo defended the reforms, saying they prevent jailing people simply because they can't afford bail. Meanwhile, Adams defended his record at a church in Queens, as another former governor, George Pataki, blasted Cuomo as self-serving and unfit for office. (NY Post)