Photo Gallery: de Blasio Trump Tower Protest



Mayor Bill de Blasio headlined a protest outside Trump Tower Tuesday, declaring opposition to the Republican tax overhaul bills currently in process in Congress.  de Blasio was joined by Assembly Members Jo Anne Simon and David Weprin and Council Member Corey Johnson, along with several dozen other protesters.  President Trump was not in Trump Tower, or elsewhere in New York, during the protest.

Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery is available here.

Flight #587: 2017 Memorial



Mayor Bill de Blasio attended the annual memorial service marking the November 12, 2001 crash of American Airlines Flight #587.   For the fourth time as mayor de Blasio  joined attendees at the service, held at the memorial constructed just off the beach on Rockaway’s Beach 116th Street. The flight was headed from JFK to the Dominican Republic and the majority of those onboard were Dominican Americans and Dominican nationals. The crash also killed five people on the ground in Rockaway.

de Blasio was infamously late to the 2014 memorial service, his first as mayor. He missed the moment of silence, provoking a firestorm of criticism over his then-frequent tardiness to public events. This year, as in 2015 and 2016, de Blasio arrived early and worked his way through the audience shaking hands, hugging and talking with attendees before the service began.  Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, who represents Rockaway,  was the only other elected official to attend.  Former Assembly Member Guillermo Linares, now the president of the New York State Higher Education Corporation, attended and spoke on behalf of Governor Cuomo. Continue reading Flight #587: 2017 Memorial

2017 Mayoral Race Photo Retrospective



The 2017 mayoral election is over, but the photos live on.

Our photo retrospective covers the race from a 2016 endorsement of Bill de Blasio and a January 2017 appearance by Paul Massey through election night.  I’ve chosen this selection from the more than 100 campaign events I attended.

Four aspiring Republican mayoral candidates at a March forum hosted by the Columbia College Republicans. None of the four made it to the Republican primary or general election.

Continue reading 2017 Mayoral Race Photo Retrospective

Malliotakis On Election Night



The election is over but the campaign rolls on.

Nicole Malliotakis acknowledged defeat Tuesday night as vote totals rolled in confirming the expected, that Mayor Bill de Blasio had soundly defeated her, but her speech could not fairly be called a concession speech.  Taking the stage with a smile to Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down Malliotakis repeated many of her campaign themes while never mentioning Mayor de Blasio.

Continue reading Malliotakis On Election Night

Dietl Votes



Independent mayoral candidate Bo Dietl voted this morning on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.  Arriving just after 8:00 Dietl was greeted by a modest press contingent.

Speaking shortly after he voted Dietl expressed some satisfaction at having run, but with anticipatory disappointment at the expected outcome.  He offered a compliment to Mayor de Blasio for funding the NYPD, but also threw several jabs at the mayor.  Dietl offered unprompted praise for Republican candidate Nicole Malliotakis, describing her as having a “bright future” and saying that he hopes “her day comes one day.”

Video:

Here is Dietl’s post-voting press conference:

Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: de Blasio With A Bronx Wrap



Mayor Bill de Blasio wrapped up his reelection campaign with an election eve appearance on Fordham Road in the Bronx.  In his final appearance before election day the mayor greeted passersby for about 40 minutes Monday evening, shaking hands, hugging and posing for pictures with the steady flow of well-wishers who lined up for a moment with the mayor.  de Blasio was joined by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., who is also up for reelection.

Heavily favored to win according to public polls, de Blasio appeared relaxed and enjoying himself and extended his stay when staff first tried to bring the meet & greet to a close.  His greetings as people moved in for their photo included an ever-present request that they vote for him Tuesday, with Diaz periodically chiming in “vote for the D’s, de Blasio  & Diaz.”

de Blasio did not, however, take any press questions.

Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery is available here.

Pataki For Malliotakis



Former New York governor George Pataki today endorsed Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis in tomorrow’s election.  Speaking at a press conference in Middle Village Pataki praised Malliotakis and castigated incumbent Bill de Blasio.  He also endorsed City Council candidate Bob Holden, who’s running against incumbent Liz Crowley in the district that includes Middle Village.

Video:

Here’s the full press conference:

Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery is available here.

Fake News: Middle Village Edition



“That’s fake news, pal … don’t believe that nonsense.”  That was the retort of a Malliotakis supporter today when I asked former New York governor George Pataki why he supports replacing Mayor Bill de Blasio despite record decreases in crime and a resilient economy in the City during de Blasio’s time in office.  Pataki spoke at a Middle Village press conference, endorsing Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis and Republican City Council candidate Bob Holden.

Continue reading Fake News: Middle Village Edition

Photo Gallery: Tuozzolo Dedication



The NYPD dedicated a plaque to the memory of Sergeant Paul Tuozzolo Saturday, drawing Sergeant Tuozzolo’s wife Lisa, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner James O’Neill and several hundred other guests to the 43rd Precinct in Soundview.  It was exactly one year since Tuozzolo was killed in the line of duty, as he and his colleagues sought to apprehend an armed man who had repeatedly violently attacked his wife.

Continue reading Photo Gallery: Tuozzolo Dedication

For Sale?



Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis today hung “for sale” signs on the City Hall fence.  Literally, as her main opponent might say.

Malliotakis held a press conference this morning just outside of City Hall and hung “for sale” signs on the fence mid-presser.  Malliotakis sought to focus attention on recent testimony of de Blasio donor Jona Rechnitz in the federal corruption trial of Norman Seabrook, in which Rechnitz said he donated large amounts of money to Mayor de Blasio in exchange for special treatment.

Video:

Here is Malliotakis’ full press conference:

Update – Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery is available here.

MTA Police For Malliotakis



Republican/Conservative mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis received a third union endorsement today, as the MTA Police Benevolent Association endorsed her in a press conference at Grand Central Terminal.  Malliotakis’ two other endorsements are also police unions, the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association and the New York State Troopers PBA.

MTA PBA President Mike O’Meara cast their endorsement as choosing to side with Governor Cuomo in his continuing conflict with Mayor de Blasio, saying that Malliotakis “unlike Bill de Blasio truly cares about working with our governor to fix the problems that are affecting the MTA.”  He referenced the “homeless epidemic” and the untreated mental illness that many of the homeless people his members deal with on a daily basis suffer from, lauding Malliotakis as focused on addressing those issues.

Continue reading MTA Police For Malliotakis