On Tuesday, the New York City Council voted to override the mayor’s vetoes of two bills passed in December — a ban on solitary confinement and another that will require the police to log more of its interactions with the public.
The veto override vote tally ended up being even higher than when the bills passed last month. There are practical reasons for that (some who abstained in December didn’t now) but most people said those extra votes were in support of legislative power of the council by its members after attempts at meddling by the mayor. Those attempts were clearly not successful, but Mayor Adams and his team are still — for lack of a smarter term — messing with the council members.
Take Thursday’s trash announcement in Manhattan. Although the pilot to bring containers for trash is happening in Councilman Shaun Abreu’s district, and he also happens to chair the council’s sanitation committee, he was uninvited to the event because he voted to override the veto, the Daily News reported.
We may be seeing even MORE of Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar at announcements if the mayor keeps disinviting members he doesn’t like.
Also this week, the preliminary mayor’s management was released. It’s a mixed bag.
One big story I’d like to highlight from colleagues is another investigation into straw donations, this time for the Adams 2025 election. I can’t emphasize the time and care something like this takes to get to publication.
I urge everyone to read it – and share with anyone living in New York City.
Don’t forget: Morschers Pork Store closes tomorrow. Winter will be even shorter this year.
Oh, and this “Tiny Love Story” from the New York Times might hit you unexpectedly, like it did me.
Six months before she lost her life, my sister Anne-Marie gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. At 20, she was too young to care for him. He was whisked into foster care and promptly adopted. No one in our family ever laid eyes on him, but on his birthday each year, I hoped the wind would carry my good wishes to him. Forty years after Anne-Marie’s passing, Mark, my long-lost nephew, contacted me via Ancestry.com. This past December, his daughter Ariana was born. My sister, dead since 1978, is a grandmother. Like the phoenix of legend, she lives. — Catherine Peacock
🎧LISTEN🎧
Harry, Chrissy and I chatted about the mayor and the chairs on FAQ, and then Harry interviewed Craig Gurian whose lawsuit over community preference in the city’s housing lottery was settled last week [FAQ]
Billy Joel released his first new song in a very long time this week, “Turn the Lights Back One.” [YOUTUBE]
Nobody asked, but here are my five favorite Billy Joel songs right now, subject to change (if you hate Billy Joel, don’t tell me. Open your hearts and minds instead.)
“Miami 2017” - Some say it’s a corny, weird sci-fi song. It gained significance after Sept. 11 and then Hurricane Sandy, but Billy Joel got the inspiration for it during the New York City’s financial crisis in the 1970s, “Ford to City: Drop Dead” and all. I prefer when it’s performed as a hard-charging rock anthem, not sad like during the benefit shows.
“The Downeaster Alexa” - Billy gets political here about the changing ocean and overdevelopment and how it effects the fishermen. This live version has the whole story behind it at the start, and Billy plays the accordion!
“I Go To Extremes” - Billy Joel wrote this as an apology to his then-wife Christie Brinkley for his erratic behavior. I’d like to think it’s about manic depression, too.
“Everybody Loves You Now” - Written about a spoiled woman who thinks everybody wants her, I like that Billy admits in the song he wants her, too. Self-aware.
“A Matter of Trust” - One of his most honest love songs.
And here are some photos from my camera roll this week. Thank you for reading!