Arrests of peddlers and panhandlers in the subway have more than tripled over the past two months, compared to the same period last year. Officers have made 274 arrests. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton included the reduction of panhandling in the subway as a top priority in his inauguration speech. In a similar fashion, arrests at public housing for such violations as drinking beer in public and riding a bike on the sidewalk have increased to 21 percent from the same period last year. Such data is now available under Bratton, and was kept under wraps by the previous commissioner. Bratton sees the crackdown on low-level offenses as a way to deter more serious ones. Stop-and-frisks in the transit system, however, have dropped 96 percent.

Other Stories We're Following

Assemblyman Boyland Found Guilty Of Bribery (Wall Street Journal)

Stop-And-Frisk Advocates Pan Unions' Negotiating Plan (Capital)

Moskowitz To Keep Fighting Mayor Over Nixed Charters (Daily News)

Mayor Insists He’s Not Out To Destroy Charters (Politicker)

Full-Day Kindergarten Lost In Pre-K Debate (NY Times)

Mayor's Approval Rating Hits 39 Percent In Poll (Wall Street Journal)

Cuomo Hints At ‘Legislative Fix’ For Charter Co-Locations (Capital)

City’s Jobless Rate At Lowest Level In 5 Years (NY Times)

Queens Pols Let Residents Decide How To Spend Millions (Daily News)

The Heart-Racing Scramble That Is Applying To Pre-K (WNYC)

Legislators Want Money For Pedestrians, Cyclists (Associated Press)

Governor's Race Starts With A Whimper (Crain's)

The city will drop a lawsuit challenging the new law making it easier to bring racial profiling cases against police officers, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday. The suit was initiated by the Bloomberg Administration. The move is expected to be made officially on Monday. Last month de Blasio also withdrew Bloomberg's challenge to court ordered reforms of stop-and-frisk practices. The police unions supported the Bloomberg challenge, and the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association filed its own suit. Union officials will use the suit as a bargaining tool in contract negotiations.

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Mayor Wants Healthcare Savings In Exchange For Raises (Daily News)

Bloomberg Paid Record $1.5 Billion Overtime In 2013 (DNAinfo)

De Blasio Ignores Pledge To Restore After-School Vouchers (NY Post)

What Can Cuomo Do To ‘Save’ Charters? (Capital)

Ex-Cuomo Aide Pushes Health Exchange Tweak (Capital)

Council Gushes Over de Blasio's Budget (Crain's)

Fed: NYC's Economy Off To Cold Start (Crain's)

Silver: Charter Schools Not Getting More Money Right Now (Daily News)

Cuomo Uses de Blasio To Burnish Political Brand (NY Times)

Cuomo's Approval Ratings Drop Sharply In New Poll (Wall Street Journal)

Mayor's Allies Press Him On Housing (Wall Street Journal)

Ray Kelly Takes Job With Real Estate Company (WABC)

Metro Area's Economy Almost As Large As Australia's (The Atlantic Cities)

Seperated by a few city blocks, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke yesterday at dueling education rallies in Albany. De Blasio addressed about 1,000 supporters, mostly union members, to push for his tax on the wealthy for pre-K and after-school programs. Meanwhile, Cuomo committed to supporting charter schools in front of around 7,000 charter-school parents, teachers, and students. He didn't mention de Blasio by name, but charter supporters are upset the mayor revoked $200 million in funding for charters and denied three charters space in public school buildings. Many at the charter rally said they support de Blasio's tax plan. And more than 30 charter school leaders boycotted the charter rally. Afterwards, the mayor and governor met privately and characterized their discussion as productive, but leading to no changes on their stances about the pre-K tax. De Blasio said he'd support Cuomo for re-election either way. The mayor also faces resistance on the charter-school front from two allies. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito and Public Advocate Letitia James, unhappy the mayor allowed most charters to move into public schools, are pressing ahead with a lawsuit to block them.

Other Stories We're Following

Police Unions Link Contract To Stop-Frisk Litigation (Capital)

Officers Linking With Domain Awareness System (Wall Street Journal)

Street Stops Still ‘Basic Tool,’ NYPD Commissioner Says (NY Times)

Unions Demand Domino Construction Workers Be Organized (Daily News)

Commissioner To Ride Subway At Night To See Issues (Daily News)

Flexible Air Rights For More Affordable Housing? (NY Observer)

Shanghai Is More Expensive Than New York (Wall Street Journal)

Mayor's Housing Team Meets With Advocates (Crain's)

The Rise And Future Of The New York Startup Ecosystem (TechCrunch)

Mayor Bill de Blasio will be in Albany today lobbying for his pre-kindergarten plan but it is unclear what exactly he can achieve. The mayor scheduled meetings with a number of legislative leaders but the lines of support already seem to have solidified. De Blasio told reporters that he "hopes" to meet with Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the issue but no meetings have been scheduled. This is de Blasio's fourth trip to Albany since becoming mayor. Supporters of de Blasio's pre-k plan will rally in Albany as will pro-charter school activists. Cuomo and de Blasio appear headed toward another education showdownover charter schools as Cuomo has reportedly pledged to back legislation to fund space for charter schools that are kicked out of NYC school locations. De Blasio reversed three Bloomberg-approved charter school co-locations last week. 

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Cuomo Spends Campaign Cash For TV Ads Pushing His Budget (Albany Times Union)

Deal is Reached on Redevelopment of Brooklyn Sugar Refinery (NY Times)

State May Change Insurance Exchange Rules (Capital)

Brooklyn Borough President Sough Donations to Fund Non-Existent Non-Profit (NY Post)

Deadline For Pre-K Signups Delayed to Allow City to Generate Funding For Expansion (Daily News)

Mayor de Blasio With Keep Bloomberg’s Bullpen (Daily News)

Nine Mayor’s Office Officials Have City-Funded Drivers (Wall Street Journal)

Council Aiming to Abolish Runoffs (Wall Street Journal)

School Aid Tour Ends at Capitol (Albany Times Union)

Moreland Commission’s New Chief Vetted (Albany Times Union)

John Liu Keeping His Political Options Open (Politicker)

City Agency Secretly Settled Campaign Finance Lawsuit (Crain's)

More FEMA Funds Slated For Debris Removal, Future Storm Preps (NY 1)

GMHC Still Searching For CEO Months After Firing Former Leader(DNAinfo)

Community Board Reform on Table at City Council Hearing (DNAinfo)

The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio is set to release a report today detailing its plan to double the number of after-school programs for middle school students. The programs would provide 95,000 slots at 512 schools across the city. The de Blasio administration says the after-school program expansion could be in jeopardy if Albany does not approve the mayor's plan to raise income taxes on the wealthy. De Blasio is scheduled to travel to Albany on Tuesday to lobby for the tax increase that would allow for his universal pre-k plan and the after-school expansion. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Senate GOP oppose de Blasio's plan. The state budget is due April 1 and this month will feature both intense lobbying and negotiating in Albany as legislators try to hammer out details. 

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Teachers Spending $500 Out of Own Pockets For Kids’ School Supplies(Daily News)

State’s Sandy Response Was Hampered By Technical Glitch (Albany Times Union)

Drug Clinic Under Investigation For Shady Spending (Daily News)

State Senator Calls For Independent Democrats to be Booted From Democratic Party (Daily News)

Boycott of St. Patrick’s Day Parade Puts Mayor in the Middle (NY Times)

Senate GOP Leader Vows to Fight For City’s Charter Schools (NY Post)

Cuomo Aides Using State Resources to Build Turnout at Volunteer Events(NY Post)

North Brooklyn Polls Call For Vision Zero Now (Capital)

De Blasio Attends St. Pat’s for All Parade (Politicker)

Mark-Viverito Joins Espaillat on Campaign Trail (Politicker)

A New Push For Penn Station (Wall Street Journal)

City Details After-School Expansion (Wall Street Journal)

New Campaign Encourages Legal Permanent Residents to Become Citizens (NY1)

State Food Stamp Aid Will Reduce Strain on City’s Poor, Advocates Say(DNAinfo)

Cuomo Challenger Lays Out Battle Plan (Crain's)

Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday he will block three charter schools from opening in public school buildings yesterday. All of them are part of the Success Academy system, run by former City Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz. The mayor will allow 14 charters to "co-locate" within public schools as planned, including five run by Moskowitz. He left untouched a majority of plans affecting charter schools. But he opposed the three because he won't allow elementary schools to open on high school campuses or schools to cut programs for students with disabilities. Moskowitz said the move will affect about 600 students and there is no contingency plan yet. The Bloomberg Administration had been accused of favoritism toward her schools. A number of City Council members were unhappy with how many co-locations de Blasio allowed.

Other Stories We're Following

New Rules For Stop-And-Frisk Encounters (Wall Street Journal)

Slumlords Force City To Pay For Repairs (Daily News)

Zero Homes Repaired. 19,920 To Go (WNYC)

Calls For City To Offer Homeless Kids And Families More Aid (NY Times)

Commissioner To March In St. Patrick's Day Parade (NY Post)

Shoddy Public Housing Boilers Cost City $1 Million A Month (WNYC)

Lawmakers Want A Say In Cuomo’s Medicaid Waiver Spending (Capital)

Mayor Challenges Domino Redevelopment Plan (NY Times)

Man Sues Citi Bike, NYC For $15 Million After Crash (NY Post)

DiNapoli: NYC Sales Tax Collections Rose 6.8 Percent (Crain's)

Gillibrand Urges Feds To Look At Bee Losses In NY (Associated Press)

Mapping New York's Traffic Crashes (The Atlantic Cities)

The City Council overwhelmingly passed an extended paid sick leave bill yesterday in a 46-5 vote. Businesses with five or more employees will be required to provide up to five days of paid sick leave. The law passed last year only covered those with 20 or more workers. The new version will also allow workers to take time off to care for grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings. It further adds the manufacturing sector to the list of businesses covered. The bill will go into effect on April 1, but businesses with 19 or fewer employees receive a six-month grace period. Some members expressed concern over the effects of the bill, even among those who voted yes. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said the new law will extend paid sick leave to 500,000 more workers, is expected to sign it.

Other Stories We're Following

Suit: City Property Tax Unfair To Blacks, Hispanics (Wall Street Journal)

Cuomo Tries To Steer GOP As It Picks His Rival (NY Times)

Avella's Defection Strengthens Senate Coalition (Albany Times Union)

Double-Parked Trucks In Bike Lane Hit By Ticket Blitz (NY Post)

Espaillat To Challenge Rangel For Harlem Congressional Seat (NY Post)

Ravitch: Lowering Verrazano Tolls Defies 'Common Sense' (Daily News)

What Is Bill de Blasio Communicating? (Capital)

Bicycling Up 133 Percent In Gentrifying Bed-Stuy (Crain's)

Potholes Costing New York Drivers $2,300 A Year (Daily News)

Doormen, Landlords Set To Bargain (Wall Street Journal)

The city is prepared to have 29,000 new full time pre-K seats ready for the next school year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday. All that's needed is funding, he added. The Department of Education has received proposals from 650 sites at community-based organizations, making up about 20,000 potential seats, and 280 public schools submitted applications for the additional 9,000 seats, officials said. Meanwhile, Harold Levy, the former schools chancellor, came out in support of de Blasio's pre-K plan. And Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said the proposal isn't off the table in budget negotiations. The mayor also responded to reports that many current pre-K centers repeatedly violated health and safety laws. He called for closer oversight of the programs and additional funding for more health inspectors.

Other Stories We're Following

Council Boycotts Formal Presence At St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Politicker)

Queens Sen. Tony Avella Joins Rebel Democrats (Daily News)

Silver: Corruption Commission Exceeded Mandate (Wall Street Journal)

Implementing Municipal IDs Can Be A Challenge (Wall Street Journal)

More Arrested In FDNY, NYPD 9/11 Pension Scam (NY Post)

Mayor Digs At Media For Focusing On ‘Sideshows’ (Politicker)

NY Dream Act Passes Assembly, Heads To Senate (Associated Press)

Coalition Pans Cuomo Tax Cut Plan (Albany Times Union)

Mayor: Focus On ‘95 Percent’ Who Are Not Charter Students (Capital)

DiNapoli Wants Details On Future Spending (Albany Times Union)

When Students Don't Return From School Break (WNYC)

Lawmaker’s Personal Mission: More LGBT-Friendly Schools (WNYC)

Cuomo’s Marijuana Project Lacks Dedicated Budget (Capital)

World Trade Center PATH Station Reopens (NY Post)

It's been a year and a half since Superstorm Sandy struck, yet none of the nearly 20,000 homeowners registered under the city's Build it Back program has seen construction begin on their property. Only 100 or so of those homeowners had signed a deal for how much assistance they would get to rebuild, according to a recent report by Alliance For a Just Rebuilding. The program has managed to go through $10 million since it began in June. Mayor Bill de Blasio promised during his election campaign to keep the city's Sandy rebuilding efforts on track, but some homeowners are skeptical. De Blasio promised a review of his predecessors' work in the coming weeks and would reveal his own plan. The city council plans to hold a hearing on the Build It Back program in March. 

Other Stories We're Following

Assemblyman Allegedly Used Nonprofit Funds to Buy Turkeys For His Political Club (Daily News)

What is a Majority Vote in the State Senate? (NY Times)

Pre-K Operators Have Record of Health, Safety Violations and Corruption(Daily News)

De Blasio Addresses Speeding Controversy (Wall Street Journal)

City Landlords Sue Over Tenant Protections (Wall Street Journal)

Mayor Has Private Sit-Down With Republican Lawmaker (Politicker)

More Questions Than Answers at Vision Zero Hearing (Capital)

Embattled Assemblyman Will Not Seek Re-Election (DNAinfo)

De Blasio Faces Growing Public Hospitals Deficit (Crain's)

For the first time, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he would sign an act that would provide tuition funding for the children of undocumented immigrants if the bill passes both houses of the legislature. Cuomo previously touted his support for the federal DREAM ACT but never answered where he stood on the state bill. Some believe Cuomo made the statement to repair his rocky relationship with the minority community. But some legislators say they have been courting the administration on the act for months and have met with them several times. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hasrecently lent his support to the bill and touted the financial benefits it could have for the state. It is unclear if Senate Republicans will allow the bill to come to a vote and if there are enough Democratic votes for it to pass. Sen. George Latimer, R-Rye, has said he would vote for the bill. 

Other Stories We're Following

Ad Campaign Seeks to Increase Chances of Cuomo’s Campaign Finance Plan (NY Times)

NYU Hospital’s Political Fund-Raising Questioned (NY Times)

Astorino to Announce Bid For Governor (NY Post)

Experts, Studies Clash on Benefits of Mayor’s Pre-K Plan (Daily News)

Mayor Weathers Missteps (Wall Street Journal)

Schools Chancellor Meets With Charter School Leaders (Wall Street Journal)

Klein Targeted By Senate Democrats (Crain's)

Mayor Calls Out Verizon on Broadband Agreement (Crain's)

De Blasio Boosts State’s DREAM Act (Albany Times Union)

De Blasio Refuses to Take “Speedgate” Questions (Politicker)

Despite Millions in Funds, Program Fails to Repair Any Sandy-Damaged Homes (DNAinfo)