DAY ONE: Just minutes after Gov. Kathy Hochul’s ceremonial swearing in Tuesday morning, she promised (or warned) that brevity will be a hallmark of her administration.

She wasn’t joking. That afternoon, Hochul, in just under 12 minutes, laid out her top priorities in taking charge as the state’s first woman governor: 1) combating the Delta variant 2) getting relief funds to New Yorkers who qualify and 3) tackling transparency and ethical failures that have dogged Albany for years.

She also officially answered one of the biggest looming questions by announcing she will direct the Department of Health to require anyone entering school buildings this fall to wear face coverings.

It wasn’t much she hadn’t already signaled. New York is facing enough challenges without Hochul having to seek out new policy work. And some pressing matters — including the state’s eviction moratorium that expires at the end of the month — require collaboration with the Legislature.

The moratorium and the distribution of direct rent relief were primary focuses of her first huddle with Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Tuesday.

All three leaders on Tuesday expressed optimism about the prospect of a new spirit of collaboration to combat myriad crises. Whether that’s because a new governor means women will now outnumber men in the upper echelon of Albany power, or because a new blend of personalities promises to address issues with fresh eyes, the state Capitol is getting a chance to revamp its image.

“It’s really more an unlearning of an abusive form of toxic masculinity and decoupling it from the notion of leadership,” Democratic operative and columnist Alexis Grenell told Anna. “We may finally have that opportunity to see the shifting of what leadership can look like apart from a male gendered vision that was unfair to both men and women.”

IT’S WEDNESDAY. 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 MSNBC’s Morning Joe, CBS This Morning, and NPR’s Morning Edition.

WHERE’S BILL? Holding a media availability and speaking at an NYPD graduation ceremony.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The difference between me and Andrew Cuomo? Neither of us is governor, but I still have my Emmy(s).” — actor, activist and former gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon on Twitter

New York's first full ranked-choice election changed campaigns — if not the results, by POLITICO’s Erin Durkin: New York City’s ranked-choice voting system reshaped the city’s primary campaign — but during its first citywide run, the new method definitively changed the outcome in only a handful of races. In three races out of a total of 63, the candidate who won the largest number of first-choice votes ultimately lost the election, according to a POLITICO analysis of final election results. In the other 60 races, the top first-choice vote getter was victorious — either because they won an outright majority, as was the case in 21 races, or because they ultimately emerged the winner from the ranked-choice vote counting process, as happened in 39 contests … But in three City Council races — Democratic primaries in Queens and Harlem and a Republican primary on Staten Island — a candidate who lagged in first-choice votes ultimately came from behind to win with the benefit of down-ballot votes. Two of those races were so close they were only decided after lengthy hand recounts, with the final batch of results certified last week.

“An ‘Absolute Emergency’ on Rikers Island as Violence Increases,” by The New York Times’ Jonah E. Bromwich and Jan Ransom: “A detainee was stabbed. A correction officer was slashed. And another person imprisoned on Rikers Island had scalding water thrown on him, causing second-degree burns all over his body. Those episodes were included in a letter that a federal monitor filed with a court on Tuesday that described ‘unreasonably high’ levels of violence inside the city’s sprawling jail complex this summer. The letter, filed by Steve J. Martin, who has been appointed to oversee New York City’s jail system, said that the violence in the jail complex had worsened significantly since a report filed in May described a ‘pervasive level of disorder and chaos’ in the system as a whole ... The monitor’s letter attributed many of the problems to staffing shortages, which it found had seriously compromised the safety of ‘detainees and staff, which in turn, generates high levels of fear among both groups with each accusing the other of exacerbating already challenging conditions.’ ‘Turmoil is the inevitable outcome of such a volatile state of affairs,’ the letter said.”

“Eric Adams ran errands for a prostitute named Micki as a teen, report says,” by New York Post’s Julia Marsh: “Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams has frequently told the story of his arrest and beating by NYPD cops in Queens when he was a teenager. But for the first time, he’s revealed the backstory to the encounter and it involves a part-time prostitute named Micki. ‘By the time he was 15, Adams was known as a tough little guy, trusted to run numbers and hold money for older hustlers in his neighborhood,’ Fox News political analyst Juan Williams writes in a new profile of the city’s likely next mayor in The Atlantic. ‘Life was hustle, and Eric was making it. Hanging out with an older crowd took him into the local strip club, Pier II, where he met a dancer and part-time prostitute named Micki,’ Williams continues.”

“Dermot Shea says he’s ‘100 percent’ behind NYPD COVID vaccine mandate,” by New York Post’s Craig McCarthy: “Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Tuesday he is ‘100 percent’ behind requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for the NYPD — where more than half of the workforce remains unvaccinated — though he stopped short of issuing a mandate. ‘Yes, I would 100 percent,’ Shea said during a morning appearance on NY1 when asked if he supported a mandatory immunization policy similar to the one imposed on Big Apple teachers. ‘There’s just so much unnecessary loss [of life] in my opinion right now … We lost somebody last week that was an extremely healthy man that had at one point in his career not gotten sick for 17 years. Think about that. Never called in sick in 17 years and we lost him.’ ‘I think everyone should be lining up to get it that hasn’t gotten it yet,’ Shea added.”

— More than 100,000 people have gotten vaccinated at city-run sites since they started offering $100 payments.

“Interview With Kathy Hochul: ‘I Feel a Heavy Weight of Responsibility,’” by The New York Times’s Katie Glueck and Luis Ferré-Sadurní: “Governor Kathy C. Hochul, the first woman in history to lead New York, took the helm this week under extraordinary circumstances, as she replaced a disgraced governor and moved to confront staggering public health, educational and economic challenges across the state. Minutes after sketching out her vision in her initial address as governor on Tuesday, Ms. Hochul — a Western New York Democrat — sat down with The New York Times at the State Capitol. In a wide-ranging interview, the relatively little-known executive discussed her governing philosophy and her plans for the state, her political leanings (“I’m a Biden Democrat”) and her ambitions for her new team (she has decided on her lieutenant governor, she said). And she offered some of her most extensive remarks to date about how she contrasts with Andrew M. Cuomo, whom she replaced in office following his resignation.”

Cuomo loses Emmy following scandal, resignation, by POLITICO’s Nick Niedzwiadek: Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been stripped of the honorary Emmy given to him for his Covid briefings last year. The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the revocation on Tuesday, hours after he stepped down as governor in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal. The Academy awarded Cuomo its Founders Award in November “in recognition of his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world,” according to the press release issued at the time. Cuomo's public standing soared in the early months of the pandemic, based in large part because the seemingly informative briefings stood in contrast to the confused messaging from then-President Donald Trump. Cuomo's name will now be removed from the organization's records. “His name and any reference to his receiving the award will be eliminated from International Academy materials going forward," the group said in a statement.

O CAPTAIN (WHOSE CAPTAIN?): “Ow, Captain! Staffers say Cuomo’s dog has as much bite as former governor”

New York Republicans toast Cuomo’s downfall outside gun shop, by POLITICO’s Bill Mahoney: More than 200 New York Republicans gathered in the parking lot of a gun shop several miles north of Albany on Tuesday evening to eat pizza, drink Bud Light and celebrate the downfall of the man who has served as their top villain for much of the past decade. “We had a heavy, heavy rain shower yesterday, it’s almost like a cleansing shower washing New York of the filth of the Cuomo administration, which was an 11-plus-year reign of terror on the people of New York,” Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said at the “Andrew Cuomo’s Finally Gone” party. “Tough, tough week for Andrew Cuomo. No home, no job, no dog, no Emmy.” “It’s liberating to have him finally gone,” said state Republican Chair Nick Langworthy. “It’s just hard to imagine a world without that bully trying to dictate edicts in our lives every single day.”

— About 12 hours after Cuomo’s resignation took effect, longtime confidante and Department of Financial Services Linda Lacewell resigned, writing “it is time for me to move on and make way for new leadership.” Times Union editor Casey Seiler recalled Lacewell as "one of the former governor's most devoted flunkies and a major supporting player in the AG's report."

“Safe Injection Site Supporters Push Hochul to Fulfill Cuomo’s Pledge for Overdose Prevention Pilot,” by City Limits’ Jeanmarie Evelly: “Three years ago, when then-Governor Andrew Cuomo was running for re-election, health advocates say he promised them he would move forward on a pilot program to launch the state’s first Overdose Prevention Centers—designated sites where where people can use intravenous drugs under supervision, a harm-reduction model that supporters say helps prevent overdose deaths. But the initiative never came to pass, says Charles King, chief executive for the nonprofit Housing Works, which has been pushing for the implementation of the centers—also known as safe injection sites—for the last several years. … Now, he and other advocates are turning to new Governor Kathy Hochul to deliver the Overdose Prevention Centers they say Cuomo reneged on. On Tuesday, as Hochul was being sworn in as the first female governor of the state, Housing Works and more than 60 other New York community-based organizations and advocacy groups sent her a letter imploring her to take up the cause.”

“JCOPE’s opaque new transparency policy,” by Times Union’s Chris Bragg: “On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul called for a complete overhaul of New York's ethics oversight system. And as New York's much-maligned current ethics watchdog faces the prospect of dissolution, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics recently announced a reform: A new policy making its work less secretive. But in practice, the policy so far has been principally aimed at bolstering the reputation of the JCOPE itself – with information released or withheld based on that criteria – not promoting transparency. The Times Union asked JCOPE about the status of three separate investigative matters that have come before the panel in recent years. JCOPE declined to provide information about the status of two of them, while disclosing information about one. A JCOPE spokesman could not explain, however, why he was able to provide information about the one matter – while needing to suppress information in the two other instances.”

#UpstateAmerica: The annual Ring of Fire tradition in the Finger Lakes will look a little different this year. The sale of LED flares has picked up markedly as New Yorkers seek a more environmentally friendly way to kiss summer goodbye.

“Rep. Maloney opposes Soho rezoning plan while de Blasio official politicizes it,” by New York Post’s Julia Marsh: “New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney panned Mayor de Blasio’s plan to redevelop Soho, saying it would push out poorer New Yorkers, while one of Hizzoner’s administration officials made it a political litmus test. ‘The current plan will displace, erode, and impact the lives of rent-protected and lower income residents in Soho/Noho and the neighboring communities, many of which are located in the 12th Congressional District,’ the longtime congresswoman testified at a hearing held by Borough President Gale Brewer Monday night. Meanwhile Jackie Bray, former director of the mayor’s office of tenant protection who now runs COVID-19 testing operations, tweeted late Monday, ‘You cannot call yourself a progressive & not support up-zoning wealthy neighborhoods.’”

“De Blasio demands Biden step up on kid COVID vaccines,” by New York Daily News’ Michael Gartland: Mayor de Blasio implored President Biden to make the emergency approval of COVID vaccines for young children the federal government’s top priority and challenged the feds Tuesday to set a timeline for accomplishing that goal. De Blasio threw down the gauntlet on granting an emergency-use authorization on vaccines for kids between 5 and 11 twice Tuesday morning — first during an appearance on national TV and later at his morning press briefing. ‘I know Joe Biden cares, to his great credit. I know the team’s working non-stop,’ de Blasio said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. ‘But they’ve gotta make this a central priority — get that vaccine ready for the 5- to 11-year olds, and then there’s not even a question anymore about our schools. Everyone in the school building at that point could be vaccinated — should be vaccinated.’”

— New York schools are struggling to hire bus drivers and support staff as full capacity reopenings approach.

— The Metropolitan Opera reached a labor deal with its orchestra, paving the way for its reopening next month.

— The Sanitation Department is using hidden cameras to catch illegal garbage dumpers.

— As job growth pauses, the unemployment rate in the Buffalo and Niagara area has stagnated.

— A Long Island bull is still on the run after more than a month.

— School leaders in Western New York praised Hochul for clarity after she announced masks will be mandatory in the classroom.

— The unfurling of a rogue banner in support of Andrew Giuliani at a Mets game was met with boos and heckles including “you suck” and “he’s going to jail.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: HUD’s Mike Burns … PwC’s Michael O’Brien … Daniel Barash of SKDKnickerbocker … NBC’s Monica Alba … Jen Lifhits … Ronn Torossian … former Rep. John Faso (R-N.Y.) ... POLITICO Europe’s Christian Oliver … Clementine Aymard Quinn ... Jane Wasserman … Komal Shah

MAKING MOVES — Seth Stein is the new deputy commissioner for communications at the city Department of Transportation. He was previously assistant commissioner for communications at the Department of Buildings.

MEDIAWATCH -- Per Talking Biz News: “Lydia O’Neal has joined the Wall Street Journal as a reporter, covering supply chains and logistics. She comes from Bloomberg Tax, where she covered corporate tax policy with a focus on tax incentives, mergers and acquisitions, corporate financing, and corporate lobbying.”

“NYC overtakes San Francisco as most expensive city for renters: report,” by The Real Deal’s Suzannah Cavanaugh: “Call it a comeback — for New York City, at least. This month, the Big Apple overtook reigning champ San Francisco as the most expensive city for rentals, a report by apartment listing site Zumper found. A New York one-bedroom averaged $2,810 in August; similar digs in the Bay Area ran for $2,800. It’s a minor upset — sure — but one that showcases a major shift. ‘This was unthinkable even two years ago,’ said Jeff Andrews, the report’s author.”

“Campaign to Landmark Demolition-Bound Grand Prospect Hall Heats Up,” by Brooklyn Paper’s Ben Verde: “They want to keep the dream alive. A pair of Brooklyn teens are leading the charge to save the historic Grand Prospect Hall, as its new owner races to demolish it. Solya Spiegel, 16, and Toby Pannone, 18, are spearheading the grassroots campaign to landmark the Victorian dance hall, launching an online petition and putting in a formal request for the Landmarks Preservation Commission to review the premises before the wrecking balls swing. ‘Why would we give this away?’ said Spiegel. ‘This is such an amazing part of Brooklyn, it’s incredible.’”