Good Morning, New York! Hochul’s guardrails on Adams are floundering in the City Council, Albany postal workers are protesting potential cuts, and Cuomo joins his first mayoral forum. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Monday, March 24th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany for a domestic violence roundtable.

WHERE’s ERIC: In NYC, hosting media availability and going on News 12.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— The MTA plans to hire a consultant for a whopping $186 million to keep things on track for a Second Avenue Subway extension to East Harlem. Despite a $3.4 billion federal grant and some initial progress, the project's funding remains shaky due to congestion pricing uncertainty and threats from President Trump. The total cost is estimated to be $7.7 billion for the 1.7 mile extension, which would make it some of the most expensive track ever laid on a per mile basis. (Gothamist)

— New York's legal cannabis shops are ready to light up the lounge scene, but they're hitting a snag: state regulators haven't finalized the rules for on-site consumption. Store owners are frustrated, pointing out that they've invested in lounge spaces that are currently gathering dust. The Office of Cannabis Management says they're working on it, but it has taken almost 5 years to get where they are now, so it currently appears unlikely that a system will be developed anytime soon. (NY Post)

— Looks like the music's stopping at Forest Hills Stadium, at least for now. A fight over noise complaints has led the NYPD to deny sound permits, potentially nixing 13 scheduled shows. Residents say the concerts are too loud, while the stadium and tennis club need to reach an agreement to resume operations. (NY Post)

Capitol Gains

— Gov. Hochul's plan to put "guardrails" on Mayor Adams is hitting a brick wall in the NYC Council, despite her concerns about potential federal influence. City Council members are wary of giving the state more power over city affairs. With the Council resisting the guardrails framework and Hochul rejecting their counterproposal, both sides are at a standstill. (Politico)

— Families of sanitation workers who cleaned up Ground Zero after 9/11 could soon get some help. Albany lawmakers are backing a bill, named after a sanitation worker who died of 9/11-related cancer, that would give their kids and siblings additional civil service exam credits, similar to those received by families of first responders. If the bill passes the State Senate, it'll head to Gov. Hochul's desk for approval. (NY Post)

— Albany postal workers are sounding the alarm over looming cuts to the U.S. Postal Service under the direction of the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. At a rally organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, workers protested the planned DOGE cuts, citing deteriorating conditions and sinking morale. Union representatives fear these changes are a step toward privatizing the postal service, threatening both jobs and essential community services. (Times Union)

Trail Mix

— Chuck Schumer's not backing down, despite increasing pressure from his own party. The Senate Minority Leader again insisted he's "not stepping down" after angering some Democrats with his vote on a GOP-led funding bill, a move that some fellow Democrats saw as a sign of weakness; Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being encouraged to challenge him for his Senate seat in 2028. Schumer defends his decision, arguing that a government shutdown would be far worse, with Sanders criticizing the Democratic party as that Schumer leads as out of touch and "dominated by billionaires". (Axios)

— The NYC mayoral race is heating up as Andrew Cuomo joined other hopefuls by participating in his first major forum in Washington Heights. Cuomo had previously skipped other events. While Mayor Eric Adams was noticeably absent, candidates took subtle jabs at him, and many positioned themselves against Donald Trump, who Cuomo mentioned more than anyone else. Others went after Cuomo directly, criticizing his handling of nursing homes during the pandemic and mental health facilities while in office. (ABC7)

— EYE ON NY-17: Jessica Reinmann is making her deep connection to Israel a centerpiece of her campaign against Rep. Mike Lawler. She cites her grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, as instilling in her a strong sense of Jewish heritage and the importance of Israel as a homeland. With antisemitism on the rise, especially on college campuses like her daughter's, Reinmann says she would prioritize holding institutions accountable for protecting Jewish students if elected. (Jewish Insider)