Thursday, July 7, 2011

The New York Times

Nick Confessore looks at Gov. Cuomo’s governing style: “After riding to victory on a wave of public revulsion against state lawmakers, Mr. Cuomo courted them like kings. He spent most of his nights at the Executive Mansion, where he hosted groups of lawmakers for frequent wine-and-buffet dinners, regaling them with stories, offering unsolicited political advice and preaching his platform. When he ventured to lawmakers’ districts for speeches on spending or ethics, Mr. Cuomo never failed to invite them along — an exercise not only in deference, but also in demonstrating to legislators the full force of his popularity with voters.”

Kaplan & Hernandez note: “New York City, whose top elected officials strongly supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, will take the unusual step of opening city offices on a Sunday, July 24, so gay couples can marry on the day the law takes effect.”

Patrick McGeehan reports: “Shutting down the Indian Point nuclear power plant would lead to significantly dirtier air and higher electric bills for New York City residents, according to a report commissioned by the city that is circulating among state officials in Albany.”

Elissa Gootman writes: “He did battle with the powerful New York City teachers union. He stood down placard-wielding protestors at meetings of the Panel for Educational Policy. For more than eight years, he closed schools, opened schools and otherwise tried to transform the nation’s largest school system. Now Joel I. Klein, who left his post as the city’s schools chancellor in December, has been given a task by one of the world’s most powerful media moguls: helping to oversee one of the seamier media scandals in recent memory. After stepping down from the chancellorship, Mr. Klein, 64, took a job with the News Corporation, one of the world’s largest media conglomerates, as chief executive of the education division and as executive vice president in the office of the company’s chairman, Rupert Murdoch. Now, amid allegations that a British tabloid owned by the News Corporation, News of the World, hacked the cellphone of a murdered 13-year-old girl nine years ago, Mr. Murdoch has announced the appointment of Mr. Klein to ‘provide important oversight and guidance’ in investigating the matter. Mr. Klein is also to be partially responsible for ‘keeping News Corporation’s board fully advised,’ Mr. Murdoch said in a prepared statement.”

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