In its final meeting of the year, the City Council bid a long farewell to eight-year Speaker Christine Quinn. For three hours, almost every Council member took the time to thank the speaker for her service. Quinn, who lost her Democratic primary bid for mayor, heard even some of her sharpest critics praise her achievements. The meeting also saw votes on 26 bills. The council passed a compromise bill banning foam food containers that Mayor Michael Bloomberg argued were virtually impossible to recycle. The Dart Corporation that produces the material has until Jan. 1, 2015, to prove the material can be recycled and resold in a viable way or else the ban will go into effect. The body also passed a bill that bans e-cigarettes wherever regular cigarettes are currently forbidden.

NEW FROM THE GOTHAM GAZETTE — The Longest, Darkest Night Of The Year: On December 21st, the longest night of the year, communities across America observe Homeless Memorial Day. Though it's been held for 25 years, it's usually not covered by the media. If ever it deserves coverage and thought, though, it's this year in New York City. Commentary by Jeff Foreman. READ MORE.

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard. #deblasio

Other Stories We're Following

Silver Wants Plan to Share Student Data With Company Put on Hold (Daily News)

Garodnick Forces Fight On (Capital)

Taxi Industry Bids the Bloomberg Era and Not-So-Fond Farewell (NY Times)

City Job Recovery Not Quite as Strong as Bloomberg Claims (NY Times)

De Blasio Denies Back-Room Deals In Speakers Race (Daily News)

Mark-Viverito Makes Her Case (Wall Street Journal)

De Blasio Launches Star-Studded Pre-K Campaign (Wall Street Journal)

Audit Reveals Payroll Abuse (Albany Times Union)

Assemblyman Accused of Sexual Harassment by Aides (Albany Times Union)

Council Spokesman Moving to REBNY (NY Observer)

7 Subway Lines Slated For Service Changes This Weekend (DNAinfo)

Unusual Suspects Boost City Employment Figures (Crain's)

Manhattan Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito declared victory in the race for City Council speaker last night as she unveiled the support of 31 of her colleagues. Mark-Viverito would be the first Puerto Rican woman and first Hispanic to head the Council. Mayor-Elect Bill De Blasio has lobbied hard to get Mark-Viverito, an early supporter, in as speaker. De Blasio began calling councilmembers on Monday night — even winning the support of Republican Eric Ulrich of Queens. County leaders had backed Councilman Dan Garodnick for the position. Garodnick billed himself as a better check on de Blasio. He contested Mark-Viverito's victory last night but it appears that de Blasio's lobbying has paid off.

NEW FROM THE GOTHAM GAZETTE — City Council To Take Up Leftover Bills At Final Meeting: The City Council is expected to mark its final all-member meeting of the year on a note of legislative triumph — and by saying goodbye to nearly two dozen outgoing colleagues. By Chester Soria. READ MORE.

ALSO: Why De Blasio's Pick For Budget Director Makes Perfect Political Sense. READ MORE

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard. #deblasio

Other Stories We're Following

Metro-North Time Sheets Were Falsified Inquiry Says (NY Times)

Life Expectancy of New Yorkers Rises With Influx of Immigrants (NY Times)

Rangel Expected to Seek 23rd Term (NY Times)

Bloomberg’s Health Legacy (Daily News)

John Liu Gives His Last Hurrah (NY Observer)

NYC Student Test Scores Rise Slower Than Other Cities (Wall Street Journal)

Cuomo’s Hopeful Tax-Cut Math (Capital)

Time to Save LICH, But Not Much (Capital)

Women Firefighters Push de Blasio to Help Boost Their Ranks (DNAinfo)

Bloomberg Warns de Blasio on Labor Contracts (Crain's)

Incoming-mayor Bill de Blasio has been phoning Council members in support of Melissa Mark-Viverito in the race for Council speaker, although he did skip a Christmas event of hers. She's widely seen as a front-runner with Daniel Garodnick as her main competitor in this fluid race. Democratic county leaders are not happy with the mayor-elect's involvement and are readying themselves for "all out war." They may have lined up 30 or more votes for Garodnick. De Blasio is focusing his attention on several Brooklyn members perceived as willing to break from their leadership.

NEW FROM GOTHAM GAZETTE — Safeguarding Staten Island's East Shore From Future Hurricanes: The city announced last week that it will spend $100 million on flood-prevention infrastructure upgrades for the New Dorp Beach and South Beach areas of Staten Island. Those two neighborhoods — located on Staten Island’s East Shore — were at the epicenter of devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy over a year ago. By Sarah Crean. READ MORE. 

ALSO — De Blasio Transition Team Announces 'Inauguration For All New Yorkers' http://ow.ly/rRR40 | Industry's Opposition To Foam Ban Cleared Away http://ow.ly/rRR8y

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard. #deblasio

Other Stories We're Following

Bloomberg And Garbage: A Pile Of Unfinished Business (WNYC)

Bloomberg Defends Homelessness Policies (Wall Street Journal)

Bloomberg Touts Successes In Brooklyn (NY Times)

New Brooklyn DA Booting Prosecutor Who Nailed Clarence Norman (NY Post)

Incoming First Lady Reaches Out To Female Members (Capital)

Wanted: Schools Chief Who Never Crossed de Blasio (NY Times)

New York’s Millionaire PACs (Capital)

Anti-Democrat Consultant Fights Subpoena From Corruption Commission (Daily News)

More Cracking Down On Dangerous Traffic Violations (Daily News)

U.S. Attorney Targets Convicted Politicians' Pensions (Crain's)

Neighborhoods At City's $51,865 Median Income (WNYC)

Sources: Former Deputy Chancellor In Line To Run Schools (NY Post)

Gov. Cuomo said yesterday that he would add a rebate for urban renters as part of his property tax credit plan, which was previously criticized as unfairly benefiting upstate and suburban constituents. The program would now direct at least $290 million to New York City households over three years, although details are still unclear. The administration is also unspecific about how the cuts will be paid for.

IN THE GOTHAM GAZETTE — A Strategy for Paving the Way to Fewer Traffic Fatalities: What stops the city from enacting measures to stop traffic carnage? In one word: Albany. By David Howard King. READ MORE Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard. #deblasiosnewyork

Other Stories We're Following

City Agrees To Remove Mold In Public Housing More Quickly (NY Times)

De Blasio’s Shadow Transition Team (Capital)

$1.3 Billion Hike In School Aid Proposed (Albany Times Union)

Deadline For Fracking Study Delayed (NY Times)

New York Sees Huge Health Exchange Enrollment Jump (Capital)

Young, Liberal Council Members Aim To Shake Institution Up (Wall Street Journal)

Civilian Complaint Board's First Stop-And-Frisk Case (NY Post)

Forest City Unloads Atlantic Yards Stake (Crain's)

Doctors Say Pedestrian Injuries Continue Rising In Queens (Daily News)

Riders Complain Station Is Still Dump After $19 Million Investment (Daily News)

Thompson Thinks Bratton Will Be Better This Time Around (Politicker)

Bloomberg To Promote Legacy Over Next Two Weeks (Wall Street Journal)

Today's Report

The Safety Of Railroad Bridges Statewide
An audit by the state comptroller's office found that the Department Of Transportation's railroad bridge inspection program doesn't sufficiently monitor whether dozens of railroad companies comply with its inspection and reporting requirements for the almost 3,000 railroad bridges across the state they own or have maintenance responsibility for. (read the full report)

With only weeks left before the end of his tenure, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's legacy is being scrutinized anew. The Associated Press writes, "The city has never been safer or cleaner, a teeming metropolis transformed into a must-see attraction for more than 50 million tourists a year. " Meanwhile, City & State has published a series of interviews with key figures during the Bloomberg years, including Adrian Benepe, Katherine Oliver and Joel Klein. But all of this legacy talk isn't slowing down the Bloomberg administration: The New York Times reports that City Hall officials are pushing to get deals sealed on $12 billion in development before the mayor leaves office.

NEW IN THE GOTHAM GAZETTE — A Strategy for Paving the Way to Fewer Traffic Fatalities: What stops the city from enacting measures to stop traffic carnage? In one word: Albany. By David Howard King. READ MORE

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard. #deblasiosnewyork

Other Stories We're Following

City's Lawyer: FDNY Court Monitor Spending Too Much (NY Post)

Quinn Says Political Future Remains Undecided (Daily News)

Joe Lhota: 'I Am Going To Stay Active' (Yeshiva World)

Upstate District Finds Success With Common Core (Albany Times Union)

Public Housing Units Go Unoccupied For Years (NY Times)

Central Park Drive To Be Named After Mayor Lindsay (NBC)

Proposed Towers At Center Of Greenpoint Development Debate (Wall Street Journal)

Parents Fret About New Statewide Student Database (Associated Press)

The New Mayor's Biggest Challenge: Fixing The Schools (New York Magazine)

'Vapers' fight against proposed NYC ban of e-cigarettes (Crain's)

Federal investigators say they will launch a 60-day review of the safety culture of Metro-North -- the first investigation ever conducted for a passenger railroad. Investigators cited the recent crash of a Metro-North Train that killed four and injured more than 70 as well as a number of other safety incidents for the impetus of the inquiry. The last similar safety investigation took place of cargo carrier CSX in 2006. Metropolitan Transportation Authority representatives say they have been conducting a safety review since this spring. 

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard.

Other Stories We're Following

Poll Finds Hope is Running High For Next Mayor (NY Times)

De Blasio Picks Bloomberg Official as Social Services Chief (NY Times)

De Blasio to Meet With Obama (Daily News)

Bloomberg Promises to Continue Fight Against Gun Violence (Daily News)

Cuomo’s Sandy Charity Benefits Private Equity Investors (NY World)

Bloomberg’s Last Appearance on The John Gambling Show (Wall Street Journal)

Bloomberg Appointee Criticizes Boss on Homeless Policy (Wall Street Journal)

Residents of Some Upstate Cities Get 30 Times As Much As NYC in Cuomo Contest (Capital)

Speaker Hopefuls Who Get Big Taxi Money (Capital)

East River Ferry Service Extended Until 2019 (Crain's)

Tenants of Soon-to-Be-Demolished Building Demand Answers (DNAinfo)

After weeks of uncertainty Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio announced yesterday that he would move his family into Gracie Mansion and out of their home in Park Slope. De Blasio announced the move in a letter posted to his website and signed by his wife and two children. Concerns about his son's commute to Brooklyn Tech high school were part of the decision-making but the letter from the de Blasio's cites security concerns as a major factor in the move to Gracie Mansion. De Blasio will be the first mayor since Rudolph Giuliani to call Gracie Mansion home.

Other Stories We're Following

Quinn Says Council Speaker Should be Pro-LGBT, Pro-Choice (Politicker)

New York City to Require Child Flu Shots (NY Times)

Montefiore Faces Neighborhood Opposition to Medical Center in the Bronx(NY Times)

Rangel Spends Chunk of Campaign Cash to Fight Censure (Daily News)

Cuomo Dismisses Pot Legalization (Daily News)

Cuomo Slow to Make Own Appointments to MTA (Capital)

When Bill Bratton Abandoned Muslim Mapping (Capital)

Researchers Study NYC Park Usage (Wall Street Journal)

Ray Kelly Recounts Successes, Criticism (Wall Street Journal)

De Blasio ay Allow Corporate Subsidies to Sunset (WNYC)

Upstate Casino Site Pool Growing (Albany Times Union)

Pricey Rockaway Bathrooms Get 24-Hour Security (DNAinfo)

New York City Gets Least Cuomo Development Cash (Crain's)

Gov. Cuomo's tax relief commission recommended a package of tax reductions costing $2 billion over three years. Much of its tax-cutting attention went to the suburbs and upstate, including a two-year property tax freeze that would apply to residents outside the city. There were proposals to help renters in the city, but details were sparse. Another proposal included lowering the corporate tax rate to 7.1 percent from 6.5 percent. The Assembly leader signaled some opposition to the plan, saying the state should focus on providing money for public education.

Want A Minute With The Next Mayor? Imagine for a moment that you’ve got a minute of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's time. What should be his top priorities as the next mayor? We're crowdsourcing your responses on our website — so sound off and let your voice be heard.

NEWS FROM CITY HALL — The City Council approves a law, named in memory of a 4-year-old girl struck and killed by an SUV fleeing from police, that will require more detailed reporting of emergency response times. By Chester Soria. READ MORE

PLUS — Council approves lobbying reform ... As well as Kingsbridge Armory plan for ice-skating rink.

Other Stories We're Following

Corruption Probe Appears To Target Hikind, Maimonides (Crain's)

City Launches Nation’s Largest Free Public WiFi Network (NY Observer)

New Data Shows Hospital Charges All Over The Map (WNYC)

Two City Colleges Draft Rules That Restrict Protests (NY Times)

Walcott Admits Charter School Rollout Could've Been Better (WNYC)

Report: Hospital-Acquired Infections Decline (Associated Press)

Port Authority Inspector General Investigating Bridge Closures (Wall Street Journal)

The Man Who Makes Cuomo's Commission Look Credible (Capital)

As Bloomberg Departs, A Soccer Arena Deal Emerges (Capital)

New York Asks Cellphone Carriers To Explain Antitheft Switch Rejection (NY Times)

Incoming Police Commissioner Wants To See Supervisors' Resumes (Daily News)

Tourism Set To Bring In Record 55 Million Visitors In 2014 (Daily News)

Push To Diversify City Contracting Falls Short Of Goals (City Limits)

The incoming Brooklyn District Attorney, Kenneth Thompson, named Mark Feldman as his chief assistant yesterday. The former state and federal prosecutor previously served in three different city district attorney’s offices as well as the U.S. attorney’s office. Meanwhile, the Post reports that Bill de Blasio's first pick for education chancellor, Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond, turned down his offer to take the post, although she denies it. Other sources tell Capital that de Blasio is trying to convince his longtime adviser, Carmen Farina, to fill the position.

Other Stories We're Following

NYPD Sergeant First To Fall In Ticket-Fixing Scandal (Daily News)

The Story Of One Of The City's 22,000 Homeless Kids (NY Times)

Advocates Seek Overhaul Of State Board Of Elections (Albany Times Union)

Are Ethnic Enclaves Bad for Immigrants? (WNYC)

City Subpoenas Secret Tapes By Police Officer (NY Times)

Major Retailers To List Shoppers' Rights (Associated Press)

Record Snowfall Expected Tuesday Morning (DNAinfo)

Today's Report

Thousands of City Homeowners Could Lose State Property Tax Break
The Basic STAR tax abatement for homeowners has been around for 15 years, but this is the first year they are required to register for it. The deadline is December 31 and only half of eligible New York City homeowners have registered for the $300 tax break. The statewide average of 66 percent. (read the full report)

Recent Reports
Building a Progressive Policy Framework to Educate All of New York’s English Language Learners, One In Five NYC Children Hungry, Loose Change Means Millions For MTA, Spike In Heating Costs, City Payphones Turn Profit, more recent reports.

A week after a Metro-North train derailment killed four people, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it was making “immediate” safety improvements at “critical curves” and movable bridges. The MTA also said it had upgraded its signal network at the curving section of track north of the Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx where the crash occurred on Dec. 1. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Federal Railroad Administration called for the safety improvements. U.S. safety regulators have also called for Metro-North to use two train operators during some stretches on routes. Also on Sunday, two Senators called for cameras to be installed on Metro-North Railroad trains to help prevent similar deadly accidents.

Why Ban Foam Food Containers? The Recycling Program Bloomberg Doesn't Want: Foam makes up one half of one percent of New York City’s total waste, takes decades if not centuries to biodegrade and can end up polluting waterways. And it could cost the city millions a year to recycle. By Chester Soria. READ MORE.

Countdown to Approval For Rockaway Pipeline Project: Today is the last day the public will be able to submit comments on a draft Environmental Impact Statement for major sections of the Rockaway pipeline project. By Sarah Crean. READ MORE.

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Other Stories We're Following

Tale Of A Small-Time Pot Arrest (BuzzFeed)

The Season's Most Dangerous Toys? So Says One Group (am New York)

De Blasio Family 'Close' To Decision On Gracie Mansion (Capital)

City Releases New Online Map of Crime (NY Post)

Encounter With Ray Kelly (New York Magazine)

This Is Bloomberg's Poverty Researcher (NY Times)

School Construction Authority Hit With Staggering Insurance Increase (Crain's)

Opening Of Whole Foods Expected To Transform Gowanus, Brooklyn (Wall Street Journal)