In partnership with

Good Morning, New York! NY Republicans say that a SALT deal may be near, with the cap being raised to $80,000. Meanwhile, the state assembly passes a bill in support of Steve Cohen’s casino project at Metropolitan Park, and AOC makes her first endorsements in the NYC election. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Friday, May 16th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Washington DC with no publicly available events.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule available.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Steve Cohen's dream of a Mets-adjacent entertainment empire is one step closer to reality! The Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill to reclassify the Citi Field parking lot from parkland to commercial property, paving the way for the $8 billion Metropolitan Park. However, the project still needs State Senate approval. (QNS)

— Despite the uproar at CUNY campuses over anti-Israel protests, Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez isn't going anywhere. The CUNY board of trustees gave him a thumbs-up after a job performance review, citing his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. While lawmakers have slammed Matos Rodriguez and called for his resignation for not addressing the campus chaos, CUNY board chairman Bill Thompson said, 'He's staying'. (NY Post)

— NYU is putting the brakes on one grad's future after he called out a "genocide" in Gaza during his commencement speech. The university, saying the student lied about his planned remarks, is withholding his diploma and considering disciplinary action. The move has sparked debate, with groups like the ADL supporting NYU's decision and CAIR calling for the student's diploma to be released. (CNN)

Capitol Gains

— New York Republicans are signaling they might be willing to play ball with an $80,000 SALT cap to get on board with Trump's tax package. Some GOP lawmakers are pushing for a higher deduction for state and local taxes in exchange for their votes. But, others say time is running out to strike a deal that will work for everyone and raise the cap high enough. (Bloomberg)

— New York could be the first state to regulate hospital markups, capping routine outpatient bills at 150% of what Medicare pays. The proposed Fair Pricing Act aims to save New Yorkers over a billion dollars annually by preventing hospitals from charging excessive facility fees and keeping prices consistent across different care settings. Exemptions would be made for safety net facilities, and violators could face hefty fines. (Rochester First)

— The CDPAP transition is still in chaos. A new bill aims to fix issues after a rocky change to a single management company, which left many home care workers unpaid and patients without care. The legislation would create smaller fiscal intermediaries to give CDPAP users more choices, but Gov. Hochul's office argues that this would bring back the waste and fraud of the old system. (State of Politics)

Brought To You By…

The news site that doesn’t cater to your beliefs. Or try to sell you theirs.

Instead, Ground News shows you how left, center, and right-leaning outlets are covering the same story—so you can easily compare reporting and get a well-rounded perspective on the issues that matter to you.

Join 1M+ readers from all political persuasions who use Ground News to see the news, the world, and themselves a little clearer.

Start your free trial today

Trail Mix

— Rep. John Mannion held an invitation-only "town hall" where he announced plans to open a Utica office next month after delays. Unlike his predecessor, Mannion's team kept the location secret, required sign-ups, and, according to a former staffer for his predecessor, screened questions. Some attendees were disappointed by the format, noting a lack of challenging questions and dissenting viewpoints. (WKTV)

— NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani is catching heat for skipping state Assembly resolutions that condemned the Holocaust and supported Israel's anniversary. Critics are blasting his choices as part of a pattern, citing his past comments and recent endorsement from controversial ex-Congressman Jamaal Bowman. While a spokesperson claims Mamdani supports Holocaust Memorial Day, he objects to language in the Israel resolution that suggests the country is a 'light unto the nations' amid its current government's actions. (Politico)

— AOC is officially playing kingmaker in the 2025 NYC elections, endorsing two left-leaning City Council members, Shahana Hanif and Alexa Aviles, in their reelection bids. This move is especially significant since everyone's waiting to see who she'll back in the crowded mayoral race. Word is, she's already met with candidates Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander, so an announcement could be coming soon. (NY Daily News)