Subject: POLITICO New York Playbook, presented by Nuclear Matters: SUCCESS ACADEMY docs cite ‘possible cheating’ -- COURT appeal on de Blasio info -- HOUSING policy takes shape
From: "Azi Paybarah, Jimmy Vielkind and Mike Allen" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 10 May 2016 05:31:10 -0600

05/10/2016 07:28 AM EDT

By Azi Paybarah in Manhattan, Jimmy Vielkind in Albany, and Mike Allen in D.C., with Daniel Lippman

INTERNAL CHARTER NETWORK REPORTS RAISE ALARM -- POLITICO New York's Eliza Shapiro: Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz did not approve of the finding - made by an "ethnographer" she hired to study her rapidly expanding charter network - that some teachers at her high-performing charter school network might be responding to the enormous pressure placed on them by cheating. So Moskowitz, the network's combative founder, deployed senior managers to inform the staffer, Roy Germano, that he was banned from visiting schools for the remainder of the year. Moskowitz disparaged Germano to other employees, according to a memo written by Germano in July 2015 and obtained by POLITICO New York, and he was
 told to halt his research projects immediately. He was fired last August, approximately a month after the report was completed.

Germano's reports and memo, along with trove of other documents obtained by POLITICO - a separately commissioned internal draft risk assessment report, a compilation of exit interviews, and internal Success staffing records, among other documents - paint a picture of a growing enterprise facing serious institutional strain in the form of low staff morale, unusually high turnover, and the kind of stress that drives teachers to exaggerate their students' progress. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851dde41c93d2b09549a0ec1399a30952a60d5f52d84a7d9a237

UNDER THE RADAR -- "Despite Controversy, De Blasio's Political Nonprofits Faced Little Government Scrutiny," by City and State's Sarina Trangle: "Mayor Bill de Blasio is asked about his ties to several controversial nonprofit groups that were set up to promote his political agenda, he often points to the city's Conflicts of Interest Board. The obscure 22-person city agency, the mayor says, has vetted and signed off on his involvement with the groups, including the Campaign for One New York, which raised funds for his universal prekindergarten push and other initiatives, as well as two other nonprofits. Although the three nonprofit groups have been bolstered by those who do business with the
 city, the mayor has also repeatedly defended himself by claiming that his administration is being fully transparent about its relationships."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851db90284ef809eb87a74aa75e27c26af17598e70f37b754326

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It's easy to get a little saddened by what you see in the headlines, but the speed of innovation is increasing, somebody can have a great idea in Istanbul, and we can implement it here next year." -- Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiling the city's new "digital playbook" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851db1f112692ad89727b4e043a95111d5ffd828ffe42a6b4780

BONUS QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It's not as hard as a job as it used to be." -- Anthony Weiner, on being mayor of NYC, via WNYC: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851da8cea564921e1b37c2354cc4aef2bb7634fd8dab1d318921 

HEADLINE OF THE DAY: "De Blasio Releases City's New 'Digital Playbook,' Doesn't Really Explain What It Is" -- Observer's Will Bredderman http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851d8d02e203f8b4127acc6ad02a2c8f86c8b3de7b3fc4685c15

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, Democracy Prep founder Seth Andrew, Director of strategic initiatives at District Council 37, AFSCME Chris Policano, Director of public affairs at Richmond University Medical Center William Smith, director of special projects at Two Trees Management, Dave Lombino, who is also a New York Sun alum, NY1 reporter Grace Rauh, also a New York Sun alum, and Senate aide Evan Schneider. Also: U2 lead singer, activist and Bloomberg fan Bono, and Saturday Night Live actor Kenan Thompson, who impersonated Rev. Al Sharpton and NY1 anchor Errol Louis.

OOPS -- Yesterday's newsletter misstated actor Rosario Dawson's preferred candidate for president. It's Bernie Sanders. -- Azi Paybarah

** A Message from Nuclear Matters: Providing 61 percent of the state's carbon-free electricity, New York's nuclear energy plants are a necessary and valuable part of the state's energy mix, and deserve the support of state lawmakers for their role in providing New York with reliable electricity while protecting the environment. Learn more: NuclearMatters.com. **

TABS -- Daily News: "CALLING THEM OUT: These 3 men could fix law that protects predators instead of kids. Yet, they refuse to act. TELL THEM THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE." -- Post: "YOU WON"T READ THIS ON FACEBOOK: Site censors the news" -- SEE THEM: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851d4a6e9fce33137bdeb47894b5f2fd7b052d7b887063dd5470 

-- amNY: "SCHOOL BRAKE: Push for more speed cameras to protect kids" -- Metro:  "WELCOME TO BOO YORK: We rank the 10 most boo-worthy sports figures for New York fans." -- SEE THEM: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851d570822b3adc211dd65a9c4dc3a0edb74f7830557eca22420 

-- Hamodia: "Third anti-Semitic act in a week sets Crown Heights on Edge" -- El Diario: [translated]: Students at risk

FRONT PAGES -- NYT, 1-col., above the fold: "TRUMP, IN SWITCH, TURNS TO G.O.P. TO RAISE MONEY: Aiming for $1.5 Billion; Organizational Edge by Democrats Creates an Urgent Need" -- WSJNY, 2-col., above the fold: "Union Financed Fight to Block Airbnb in City" -- SEE THEM: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851dee39acde7ac4ef6ab737e00a0ca57d74ba6fe94bb2907f2b 

COURT ACTION -- Court Is Asked to Compel de Blasio Nonprofit to Heed Subpoena -- Times' J. David Goodman: "A state ethics panel asked a court on Monday to compel the Campaign for One New York, a political nonprofit connected to Mayor Bill de Blasio, to hand over documents related to its lobbying and fund-raising activities after the group's lawyer declared last week that he would not comply with the panel's subpoena. The panel, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, known as Jcope, filed papers in State Supreme Court in Albany seeking to have a judge enforce the subpoena, arguing that the nonprofit had no basis for refusing to provide the documents, according to two people familiar with the
 matter. The Campaign for One New York now has several days to respond, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the papers were filed under seal. The group's lawyer, Laurence D. Laufer, said in a letter on Friday that the group would no longer cooperate with the panel's investigation into the nonprofit's lobbying activities, saying the inquiry had become 'blatantly political.' At issue before the judge is whether the panel's most recent subpoena was lawful, or whether the panel sought documents in a manner that was overly broad or burdensome, or that sought information that would be considered privileged and therefore not subject to disclosure." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851da6d18fe0c5f2357c84fb43fb9bb72fd4da9d4625afac9a7f

COLUMBIA PROF HAS MULTIPLE TIES TO BHARARA PROBE - Gannett's Jon Campbell: "An Ivy League professor with longstanding ties to a lobbyist at the center of a federal probe has deep connections to some of the economic-development projects and key players currently under investigation. In 2013, William Eimicke, a Columbia University professor and former aide to then-Gov. Mario Cuomo, joined a key contracting board controlled by SUNY Polytechnic Institute. The same year, he served as a paid consultant to COR Development, a Syracuse-area developer that sought and received a lucrative contract from a closely related board ... A review of public records shows Eimicke has frequently performed
 consulting work for COR, a client of Todd Howe, the lobbyist and former Cuomo aide whose work is being scrutinized as part of Bharara's investigation into the governor's major upstate economic-development initiatives. And he also provided consulting work for a still-under-construction, $25 million racetrack in central New York that has received more than $7 million in state grants and hired an engineering firm on Howe's client list." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851d956e62d70c9ab5f9f1748b0861180ba2f9df97fd339d6be4 

RETIREMENTS, SUSPENSIONS FOLLOW DANNEMORA PRISON BREAK - POLITICO New York's Keshia Clukey: Nearly a year after an elaborate prison break at Clinton Correctional Facility, some retired corrections officers and union officials say turnover at the prison could pose new dangers, as inexperienced new officers take the place of retiring officers. In the 11 months since two convicted murderers escaped, triggering a weeks-long manhunt and costing the state tens of millions, nearly 10 percent of the maximum-security prison's staff and top administrators have retired, union officials say. And while most of the officers suspended after the escape are now back to work, the corrections department says
 a few of their cases remain in limbo, including Lyle Mitchell - whose wife, prison seamstress Joyce Mitchell, helped the pair escape, in part by smuggling them hacksaw blades inside hamburger meat - and Mary Lamar, whose boyfriend, correction officer Gene Palmer, provided the pair with a screwdriver, pliers and the hamburger meat. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851daec3565da5f38a9ac775d5aa1c13fce09d09338108709a42 

AIRBNB PLAY -- Union Financed Fight to Block Airbnb in New York City -- Wall Street Journal's Josh Dawsey: "A political organization funded by a top hotel-trades union has helped develop a multifaceted lobbying effort to persuade New York City politicians to curtail Airbnb, according to emails and records reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The group known as Share Better has written talking points and op-eds for City Council members, arranged meetings and suggested new rules for home-share services. The president of the 32,000-member New York Hotel Trades Council, which has funded Share Better, has met with Mayor Bill de Blasio at least four times, the documents show. Unite Here, another
 hotel union close to Mr. de Blasio that opposes Airbnb, has given $400,000 to the Campaign for One New York, a now-defunct political organization whose activities have drawn state and federal investigations." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851d59a1650414ee493b96d6490a4319cbe1606a143e4d06b5c9

EAT BEAT -- "The Absolute Best Peking Duck in New York," by Grub Street's Adam Platt  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851d9090888dd977c96cb5085519c2575b47256ed9d926011592

--"The 50 Best Dive Bars in New York," by Grub Street's Mary Jane Weedman  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851d0543365d7a3006391f4c4857c407456e69d60a89a46dde39

MEDIA MORNING -- "Trump Gave $150,000 To Charity That CNN Head's Wife Helped Lead," by BuzzFeed's Alex Campbell: "The personal ties between Donald Trump and Jeff Zucker, the chief executive of CNN, extend beyond the reality TV hit they created together into a far more personal realm: the expensive Manhattan private school where they have both sent children, and where Zucker's wife [Caryn] was until recently a member of the board. Trump's foundation has contributed more than $150,000 over the past three years to the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, a nonprofit school on Manhattan's Upper West Side also known as Columbia Prep."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851da923ccdcde5c9fd64be0bc6ef320d0bca5ff905eef13a117

-- "The Facebook Papers, Part 1: The great unbundling," by Re/code's Tony Haile: "Digital media companies do five things. They create, host, curate, distribute and monetize content. Facebook now does four of them. ... Facebook's mass acts as an intense gravitational force in the industry, warping user behavior and fracturing the economic incentives that defined media companies. It suggests that those media companies that survive will view much of the infrastructure they possess today as just as much of a millstone as they did the printing press."  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851d2418e8d1b9520a86ca0b5967f84b5254c0a53408bfff4432

REAL ESTATE -"City Hall's new housing policy begins to takes shape," by POLITICO New York's Sally Goldenberg: "A new policy that requires below-market-rate housing from developments in rezoned areas is responsible for at least 1,464 units so far this year, including several projects cleared by the City Planning Commission on Monday. The figure was provided by City Hall, based on a tally of apartments being set aside for low- to moderate-income tenants through the new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing plan that passed the City Council in March. Some developers got their approval processes underway earlier this year, in anticipation of the new policy de Blasio had been touting since he was
 candidate in 2013. In all, it is estimated the policy will be responsible for the creation of 12,000 apartments by 2024 - the final year of the mayor's 10-year housing plan. Many developers believe the total will be hard to achieve without a replacement for 421-a, a popular tax break that lapsed in January." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851dd3366f70292a3d1391b368ebeefe11aab26c487f983b909f

-"SL Green's Holliday, Mathias get bigger pay packages in 2015," by The Real Deal's Rey Mashayekhi: "SL Green Realty CEO Marc Holliday and president Andrew Mathias scored bigger pay packages in 2015, despite the real estate investment trust's recent changes to its compensation program following shareholder feedback. Holliday received just over $23 million in total compensation in 2015, a 40 percent year-over-year increase from $16.4 million in 2014. Mathias received $16 million, a year-over-year increase of 45 percent from $11 million. That's according to a proxy statement the REIT released last month." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851def3e3aa7b8f3225947d98a20666265fba04e1527af5c322c

--"The lower Manhattan real estate bubble is bursting," by Business Insider's

Wolf Richter: "In Lower Manhattan, 31 towers with over 5,000 apartments are sprouting up. They're not exactly in the 'affordable' category. The median price for condos - half sell for more, half sell for less - has soared 77% since 2013, to $2.43 million, while the median price in the overall Manhattan condo market has shot up "only" 54% to $1.84 million. These are stunning numbers, even for those of us who've become inured to stunning numbers by being exposed on a daily basis to the craziness in San Francisco. ... And demand in that space is now sagging: The number of condos sold at over $4 million plunged to their 'lowest level since 2012.'"  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851dd48ce67366fb362c36fed000416b83fd323a8db24bd5dc5d

THE HOME TEAMS -- POLITICO New York's Howard Megdal: Mets 4, Dodgers 2: Steven Matz pitched six strong innings, while Curtis Granderson and Kevin Plawecki homered.

-- Yankees 6, Royals 3: Carlos Beltran hit two of New York's five home runs.

-- The day ahead: the Mets are at Dodger Stadium. The Yankees host the Royals.

#UpstateAmerica: A Syracuse alum has gained national attention for his resemblance to Adam Sandler. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851dc8cedacd5b5ffca10c222af01467248e63708e5bcafcdff5 

** A Message from Nuclear Matters: New York's existing nuclear energy plants provide 61 percent of the state's carbon-free electricity and play a vital role in achieving our clean-energy and carbon-reduction goals. Additional premature retirements of safe, reliable nuclear energy plants mean New Yorkers would pay more for electricity, the economy would suffer and we would face substantially higher carbon emissions.

New York has taken an essential step forward to address the premature closures of our nuclear energy plants. The proposed development of a Clean Energy Standard by the Public Service Commission would, for the first time, ensure that existing nuclear plants are valued for their carbon-free attributes.

We urge the state to include all of New York's existing nuclear energy plants, regardless of their geography in the state, in the proposed Clean Energy Standard. All nuclear energy facilities bring significant reliability and clean-air benefits to New York. Learn more: NuclearMatters.com. **

FOR MORE political and policy news from New York, check out Politico New York's home page: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=db70feecd68c851dfbe87e3a97c8188db66b5dbb3deeae2275e773ada7b621e2 

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