It’s been a busy couple of weeks in New York politics, but don’t sleep on some land use drama unfolding in the City Council — a fight that could reshape the way development deals get done as the city heads into a new administration.

City Council Land Use Committee chair Rafael Salamanca is planning to vote in favor of a contentious proposal to redevelop the New York Blood Center, our Janaki Chadha reports. Why is that weird? Because the City Council member who represents the district, Ben Kallos, is adamantly opposed to the plan, and the Council has always gone along with the wishes of the local member on such matters.

Not on this one, though. There’s a burgeoning push to approve the Blood Center project over objections from Kallos and other Upper East Side pols, who say the expansion would disrupt the residential nature of the neighborhood and the structure would block sunlight for a local school and park. The Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus has urged the body not to kill the deal.

Now Salamanca, the most influential Council member when it comes to zoning matters, says he’s a definite yes, possibly opening the floodgates for other pols to vote the same way. He lauded the non-profit’s life-saving mission and dismissed concerns about shadows in the high-end neighborhood as petty, telling Janaki: “There’s so much going on in my community, and to see the Upper East Side is complaining about shadows is beyond us.” Mayor-elect Eric Adams is also weighing in, telling POLITICO in a statement later Monday that the parties involved should find a way to “get to yes.”

The project is set to come up for a Council zoning subcommittee vote today. The question becomes whether a break with Council tradition will end up being a one-time thing or set a new precedent in New York real estate. That will largely depend on the next Council speaker, so as that race gets underway, expect the seemingly mundane matter of “member deference” to be a hot topic.

IT’S TUESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: [email protected] and [email protected], or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold

WHERE’S KATHY? Appearing on Fox 5’s Good Day New York, speaking at a women’s Veterans Day tribute, and holding a Covid-19 briefing in Mount Vernon.

WHERE’S BILL? Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, holding a media availability, and speaking at NYPD Memorial Day.

WHERE’S ERIC? In the Dominican Republic meeting with the National Council of Private Enterprise.

ABOVE THE FOLD — ‘It’s a disgrace’: Progressives take aim at Buffalo mayor’s DNC post, by POLITICO’s David Siders and Holly Otterbein: Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown infuriated progressives with his winning write-in campaign last week against the democratic socialist who beat him in the primary. Now prominent left-wing Democrats are calling for the veteran New York mayor’s head, urging Democrats to strip Brown of his position on the Democratic National Committee. “When you pull a stunt like this, somebody wins a primary, a working-class woman, and you go to every rich donor in both parties to fund a write-in campaign … it’s a disgrace,” said Larry Cohen, chair of the Bernie Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution.

City's study of environmental inequities gains new momentum amid Covid, by POLITICO’s Danielle Muoio Dunn: When longtime environmental advocate Adriana Espinoza was tapped by Mayor Bill de Blasio to lead New York City’s first environmental justice study, she had no idea that in a matter of weeks the entire city would shut down. The Covid-19 pandemic was already spreading throughout the five boroughs — and just as quickly as Espinoza had set up her desk at City Hall, she was packing it up to work from home, like millions of her fellow New Yorkers. But the public health crisis would soon give her work new meaning. Communities of color that have long lived in the shadow of power plants, highways and waste transfer stations were among the hardest hit by the pandemic.

City offers sick leave to parents for kids' vaccines, by POLITICO’s Erin Durkin: City workers and contractors will get additional paid sick time to get their children vaccinated against Covid-19, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. The administration is also moving to get legislation quickly passed in the City Council that would require private sector employers to give their workers the extra sick time. Almost 17,000 children ages 5 to 11 have received their first Covid-19 vaccine since shots for kids kicked off on Thursday, and public schools began giving the shot to their students Monday morning. “We want to get them all vaccinated. We want to keep them all safe,” de Blasio said. “We want to make it really easy for parents.”

— “At Some Schools, Overwhelming Demand For Kids' Vaccines On First Day Of NYC Public School Vaccine Clinics,” by WNYC’s Jessica Gould and Gothamist’s Elizabeth Kim: “Parents are reporting a bumpy rollout for New York City’s Covid-19 vaccine clinics for 5 -11 year-olds at public schools. The city launched the effort Monday morning, offering vaccines at around 200 schools, but many parents said they and their children were turned away when sites ran out of doses. One parent said the vaccination van showed up empty; others reported delays and long lines.”

“As Deaths Rise in N.Y.C. Jails, Oversight Board Fails to Raise Alarm,” by The New York Times’ Dana Rubinstein and Jonah E. Bromwich: “Of all the agencies that share responsibility for New York City’s troubled jail system, only one was established by the city solely to monitor conditions behind bars. That organization, the Board of Correction, has its own budget and the power to inspect the city’s jails at any time, even daily. It is meant to serve as an independent check on the entire system, to ensure that those in city custody are treated humanely. But as the death count in city jails rose to 14 this year, the board’s inaction was conspicuous.”

“Eric Adams meets with leaders in Dominican Republic,” by NY1’s Gloria Pazmino: “Quickly fulfilling a campaign promise, Mayor-elect Eric Adams is in the Dominican Republic, meeting with political and business leaders and pledging to create a strong relationship between the country and the nation’s largest city. After attending a political conference in Puerto Rico with New York politicians, Adams arrived Sunday and traveled to Santiago De Los Caballeros, the country’s second-largest city which is considered a hub for new industries and business.”

“Place your bets: State taps nine firms to offer mobile sports betting across New York,” by Buffalo News’ Tom Precious: “Whether the Buffalo Bills will be a betting option for gamblers drawn to the 2022 Super Bowl is, well, up to the Buffalo Bills. But no matter who is playing, the odds that legalized online wagering on the high-betting game is in place in New York by February increased Monday with the awarding of sports betting licenses to two groups of companies – totaling nine firms in all – that represent a who’s who of gambling interests. In a move that will dramatically increase gambling activity in New York, state regulators Monday selected the ways and the means by which betting on sports contests via computers and smartphones will get underway early next year in a move that will generate billions of dollars in gambling wagers over the next decade.”

“Remington Arms moving headquarters from Ilion to Georgia; local jobs impact unclear,” by Utica Observer-Dispatch’s staff and wire reports: “Gun maker Remington Firearms will move its headquarters from Ilion in the Mohawk Valley to Georgia, with plans to open a factory and research operation there. The company and Georgia officials announced Monday that the nation's oldest gun manufacturer that started in Herkimer County in 1816 would invest $100 million in the operation in LaGrange, Georgia, southwest of Atlanta, hiring 856 people over five years. It was not immediately clear what effect the transfer would have on Remington's operations in New York and Tennessee.”

“Prison officials to close 6 facilities in New York state,” by Spectrum’s Nick Reisman: “Six facilities that are part of New York's prison system will close next March amid a decade-long decline in the number of people the state incarcerates....No layoffs are anticipated, a spokesman said, and the cost-cutting through the closures is expected to save $142 million. ‘DOCCS will work closely with the various bargaining units to provide staff with opportunities for priority placement via voluntary transfers, as well as priority employment at other facilities or other state agencies as a result of the formal Civil Service process that is followed with the closure of a correctional facility,’ said spokesman Tom Mailey in a statement.”

“Amid labor shortage, hospital association asks to delay minimum staffing rules,” by Times Union’s Bethany Bump: “A regional association representing 50 upstate New York hospitals is calling on the state Department of Health to delay implementation of new laws that will require hospitals and nursing homes around the state to establish and maintain minimum staffing levels. The Iroquois Healthcare Alliance — which represents hospital systems in 32 upstate counties, including the Capital Region — argues implementation of the laws by Jan. 1, 2022 is infeasible given current widespread staffing shortages plaguing health care facilities statewide.”

“Cuomo lawyer calls on AG James to probe Albany Sheriff that filed groping charge against the former gov.,” by New York Daily News’ Janon Fisher and Denis Slattery: “Disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s legal team is accusing Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple of illegally leaking grand jury information to the press. Attorney Rita Glavin released a letter Monday calling on Attorney General James to open an investigation Apple, whose office filed a forcible touching charge against Cuomo last month. Glavin wants an investigation ‘into the unlawful disclosure... of grand jury information relating to Governor Cuomo and the strong evidence that Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple was the source of that unlawful disclosure.’ The letter calls on James, whose office oversaw a five-month probe into sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo, to appoint an independent prosecutor to conduct the investigation into Apple.

— Glavin is pointing to legislation signed in response to the murder of George Floyd to argue that Attorney General Tish James has no choice but to investigate a criminal probe into the ex-governor... Glavin ended her letter by citing a state law that says the attorney general’s office “shall” have the responsibility to “’receive and investigate complaints from any source ... concerning allegations of ... criminal activity’ by any local police department or Sheriff’s office.

— “Criminal complaint against Cuomo includes transcript with misstatement by alleged victim," by Times Union’s Brendan J. Lyons: “A criminal complaint filed against former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in Albany City Court includes an excerpt from his alleged victim's sworn statement to investigators with the state attorney general's office in which she misstated the sequence of events that she said unfolded in the governor's private office last December.”

#UpstateAmerica: There’s now a children's book about last year’s Lil Christmas Hero, the tiny owl found in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree that was cut down in Oneonta last year.

“More Trump associates, including former NYPD chief, Bernard Kerik, are subpoenaed in probe of Capitol riot,” by New York Daily News’ Tim Balk: “A half-dozen associates of former President Donald Trump, including former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik, were sent subpoenas on Monday from a House panel probing the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The panel said in a statement that it is ‘demanding records and testimony’ from a group with links to Trump’s so-called war room. The committee said the room hosted efforts to freeze the electoral vote counting as Trump sowed lies about the November presidential election.”

“International Visitors Land Post-Pandemic Shutdown Reunions at JFK Airport,” by The City’s Christopher Alvarez, Ben Fractenberg, and Gabriel Sandoval: “Some New Yorkers embraced loved ones for the first time in nearly 20 months on Monday after the Biden administration lifted foreign travel bans put in place in response to the pandemic. Shortly after their flights touched down at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, many foreign visitors shed tears of joy as they hugged their family and friends.”

— Mayor-elect Eric Adams said schools should teach about cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

— Jumaane Williams and his wife India Sneed-Williams opened up about their challenges with fertility.

— Student groups at Syracuse University are pushing for the school to revoke Rudy Giuliani’s honorary law degree.

— Cycling over the Brooklyn Bridge almost doubled since the city installed a new dedicated bike lane on the span’s roadway.

— The state appears to be... saving money?!

— Former Cuomo and de Blasio aide Karen Hinton’s upcoming book “Penis Politics” has been banned from Facebook ads because of its title.

— The Queens DA is dismissing dozens of cases that relied on the testimony of NYPD officers convicted of serious misconduct.

— Hochul signed a pair of bills aimed at cracking down on invasive robo calls. … Hochul also approved for the Firearm Violence Research Institute to study New York’s gun violence.

— Private employers now have to notify their workers if they plan to monitor employee phones or emails.

— The LIRR suspended three foremen accused by the MTA's watchdog of stealing thousands of dollars from the railroad by falsely claiming they were working overtime.

— A Green-winged Teal duck is making waves in Central Park.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) … Sarah Isgur … POLITICO’s John Harris … Sunshine Sachs’ Claire Tonneson … HuffPost’s Arthur Delaney … Capital One’s Jill Shatzen Kerr … Peter Lichtenbaum of Covington & Burling … David Levine of BerlinRosen … The Economist’s Idrees Kahloon … Mike Bloomberg of Groundwork Data … Edelman’s Aleena Hasnain … Matthew Dolan … Will Dowling

MEDIAWATCH — “New York Times’ Wirecutter Writers Plan Strike Around Black Friday,” by Bloomberg’s Josh Eidelson

— Sara Dorn is now a breaking news reporter for City & State.

IN MEMORIAM — “Peter Zimroth, lawyer who oversaw NYPD reforms, dies at 78”

MAKING MOVES — Alexandra Robinson is now deputy speechwriter for the Department of Labor. She most recently was press assistant for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“Manhattan Billionaires’ Row Homeless Shelter Opens After Years-Long Legal Battle,” by The City’s Rachel Holliday Smith: “After four years and several court battles, a residence for 140 homeless men quietly opened, steps from some of the priciest real estate in Manhattan. The West 58th Street shelter is located in the former Park Savoy Hotel, next door to an entrance of the 1,000-foot-high One57, one of several supertall buildings on so-called Billionaires’ Row. The shelter opened Friday, the Department of Homeless Services said, more than four years after the city first submitted plans to the state in August 2017 — and more than three years after neighbors sued to block the facility.”

“Rochester Looks to Renew 485-a Tax Break Before Critics Take Office,” New York Focus’ Colin Kinniburgh: “Rochester began participating in the program in 2003 and has renewed its participation every three years, most recently at the end of 2018. The city’s version is due to expire next month, and tenant groups were eager to see it lapse. But outgoing Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren has other plans. Warren, who is set to step down on December 1 as part of a plea deal over a range of charges including campaign finance violations, submitted a bill to the city council in late October that would renew the 485-a tax break for three more years, until the end of 2024.”

“Letitia James Backs ‘Good Cause’ Eviction Bill in Run for New York Governor,” by City Limits’ David Brand: “New York gubernatorial candidate Letitia James called on state lawmakers to pass 'Good Cause' eviction protections in a stump speech Saturday, separating herself from incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul on a key priority for many tenants’ rights advocates. The Good Cause bill would give tenants the right to a lease renewal in most cases and curb unlimited rent hikes in non-stabilized apartments.”