Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
The 2023 U.S. Open has been plagued by excessive heat, and, well, a plague. But players had one major gripe: weed smell. Athletes complained that one particular court always smells strongly of marijuana, and somehow it impacts their ability to play tennis? An investigation by the U.S. Tennis Association was inconclusive, but no investigation is needed to confirm that adults can legally use cannabis in New York – even near the U.S. Open’s absolutely gigantic stadium complex! Sorry! This is a time-honored city passtime, and we won’t be curbing our weed use to suit tennis players.
Michael Mulgrew -
It might not be an apple left on a desk, but for many New York City teachers and their union head we are willing to guess it’s much better. With so many new asylum-seeking students entering schools this fall, the city is dropping a major bureaucratic hurdle that’s long discouraged teachers with dual expertise in bilingual or English from switching subjects. The eased tenure rules will effectively free up 500 to 600 sorely needed educators to teach bilingual education or English Language Learners going forward – a win for teachers and asylum-seeking students alike.
Roland Rexha -
After 16 years the Staten Island Ferry’s approximately 120 engineers, captains and mates have a contract with city officials. Roland Rexha, the secretary-treasurer of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association and one time Staten Island Ferry worker, played a key role in the deal. The new contract includes an immediate 28.55% raise and also back pay for MEBA members, based on a prevailing wage ruling by city Comptroller Brad Lander earlier this year.
Letitia James -
After the NYPD ran riot during the 2020 George Floyd protests, the state attorney general’s office joined the Legal Aid Society and NYCLU in suing the department for violating protesters’ rights. The city has already paid out millions of dollars to protesters (including state Sen. Zellnor Myrie), and state Attorney General Letitia James announced a major settlement with the NYPD and two of its unions this week, which prohibits the department from “kettling” and mass-arresting protesters.
Brian Chesky -
Is this the end of Airbnb in New York City? New restrictions on short-term rentals through sites like Airbnb went into effect this week – a blow for the company and its CEO, which has been in a yearslong regulatory battle with the city. Already, the number of listings on Airbnb has fallen by 15,000, suggesting that tech’s Golden Age of free-wheeling disruption may finally have come to a close in New York.
Anthony Capone -
DocGo’s proposed $430 million emergency contract to provide services to asylum-seekers was rejected by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a rare censure from the fiscal watchdog’s office. Lander doesn’t have the authority to fully block the contract, but it wasn’t a great look. Meanwhile, the for-profit company hired 50 unlicensed security guards to keep watch over upstate hotels sheltering migrants, a state investigation found. For CEO Anthony Capone, the huge paycheck apparently outweighs the headaches.
Jess Dannhauser -
The legalization of recreational pot in New York was about more than dispensaries and growers; it was also meant to keep parents and guardians from losing custody of their children over marijuana use. But several months after legalization, that’s exactly what happened to Chanetto Rivers, a Black woman who this week won a $75,000 settlement after the city Administration for Children’s Services took away her newborn baby after they tested positive for marijuana. The agency has faced accusations of racial bias in the past, but ACS could find itself facing more legal challenges to family separations after this settlement.