“It’s gonna be interesting to see how this works. It’s certainly a first-of-its-kind experiment.”

Staten Island Reform Party Chair Frank Morano speaking to Gotham Gazette on the emerging effort by Bo Dietl and Nicole Malliotakis to wrest the Reform Party line away from Sal Albanese

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The Latest on Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose
National Hurricane Center And, just in an abundance of caution, here’s information about storm preparation and evacuation zones in New York City.

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Review Board Recommends Harshest Punishment for Garner Cop


The New York Times
“A New York City agency that investigates police misconduct has found that the officer who put his arm around the neck of Eric Garner before his death did use a chokehold and restricted Mr. Garner’s breathing, a person familiar with the case said on Friday. The city agency, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, recommended the stiffest punishment against Officer Pantaleo: departmental charges that could lead to suspension or dismissal. Officer Pantaleo was notified of the recommendation last week. The person familiar with the case requested anonymity to speak about confidential disciplinary matters.”

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Mayor Names Statues Commission Bound to be Source of Controversy
CBS2 “During this week’s debate with Democratic primary rival Sal Albanese, Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to say whether he thinks the statue of Christopher Columbus should stay or be removed, instead saying he’s interested in what the commission finds. ‘I think the right way to handle all the issues that have been brought up is it to have a commission that looks at all of these matters; comes up with, as best as possible, a universal standard for how we move going forward,’ de Blasio said during the debate. Albanese said he thinks the statue should remain, as does Republican candidate for mayor Nicole Malliotakis.”
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Dietl and Malliotakis Make a Play for the Reform Party Line
Gotham Gazette “GOP mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis and independent candidate Bo Dietl are both making a last-minute push to win the Reform Party ballot line for November’s mayoral election. While Sal Albanese, who is also challenging Mayor Bill de Blasio in the Democratic primary, has been backed by the Reform Party, Dietl and Malliotakis are each attempting to convince their supporters to help them steal the ballot line by voting on primary day — Tuesday, September 12 — using a provision in state election law that effectively allows an open vote.”
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Push for Tax Cuts to Combat Wave of Retail Store Closings
WNYC “In the United States, only New York City and Florida tax businesses on the rent they pay to their landlords. Now, business leaders in New York are pushing for a rollback in the Commercial Rent Tax as a way to fight the growing number of vacant storefronts in popular neighborhoods like Soho. The leaders of all five New York City borough chambers of commerce recently wrote a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio asking him to support a bill that would cut the number of firms that must pay the tax.”