This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

“Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules on bullying and harassment?” That was Rep. Elise Stefanik’s viral question to the president of her alma mater at a congressional hearing on antisemitism. And Stefanik didn’t like the answer. The North Country Republican grilled three elite university presidents on their harassment policies during the hearing last week that resulted in at least one resignation, an entire outraged news cycle and an SNL cold open. The exchange garnered Stefanik cheers from antisemitism hawks across the political spectrum and the country.

When rumors are flying that you’re considering a run for mayor, a well-timed, invite-only meeting with senior White House officials to talk about “building a better New York” sure does a lot of heavy lifting to make you look good. Even more so when the current mayor has had some… issues meeting with those officials to talk about the biggest issues facing the city. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie made a trip to D.C. on Thursday for his own private meeting, where he posed for photos with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (a one-time ally of Myrie’s and former Adams rival) and powerful union boss Henry Garrido (whose DC37 just sued the Adams administration.)

’Tis the season for holiday miracles, and one well-off benefactor certainly delivered with a donation that will stave off layoffs at GrowNYC, the organization led by Van Ooyen that is responsible for compost collection at the city’s greenmarkets. That programming was set to be eliminated under city budget cuts, but an anonymous donation announced this week will allow it to stay in place and 53 staffers to keep their jobs through June. Still, behind the sheen of this holiday magic is the harsh reality that cuts to other organizations doing community composting are still in place, and the permanent fate of GrowNYC’s compost collection is still up in the air.

The presidents of Columbia and New York University have been the target of both Republicans concerned about antisemitism and progressives worried about their large private endowments. Now, state Sen. John Liu and socialist Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani want to hit them where it hurts most – in the pocketbook. Both introduced a bill that would amend the state constitution to require Columbia and NYU to pay property taxes on their robust real estate portfolios. That amounts to $321 million in taxes. Fortunately,  Columbia has $13.6 billion in its endowment and NYU has $5.9 billion. And if they still fall short, t’is the season of giving.

New York Republicans are in a tough spot after the Court of Appeals sided with Democrats who asked that a new congressional map be drawn for the entire state. Republican Committee Chair Ed Cox in particular was fuming at the decision, calling New York Democrats “corrupt” and suggesting in a joint statement with Rep. Elise Stefanik that they stacked the bench in anticipation of this case. The decision means Cox and New York’s G.O.P congress members may have a more complicated election in 2024.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has rightfully dumped a metaphorical bag of coal in Johnathan Santana’s lap, dubbing him the city’s worst landlord for the second year in a row. What a distinction to retain such a title. With a staggering 3,293 open violations across 15 buildings, it’s hard to imagine he’ll manage to top it next year, but who knows. Here’s hoping the spotlight will be sufficiently shaming.