By Jason Beeferman, Nick Reisman, Jeff Coltin and Emily Ngo

Mayor Eric Adams cuts the ribbon for Life's WORC's newly named Victoria Schneps-Yunis Building, with Schneps-Yunis standing to the mayor's left. | Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

Mayor Eric Adams ventured out to Long Island on Wednesday to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of Victoria “Vicki” Schneps-Yunis, a longtime friend and New York newspaper magnate.

But the trek to Nassau County is indicative of a long and controversial relationship between the mayor and the Schneps family, who have traded favors with Adams for years.

“When I write my book, there's going to be a chapter on what she did to get me to become the mayor of the city,” Adams said at the event in Garden City.

The program was hosted by Life’s WORC, a nonprofit serving individuals with disabilities that was founded by Schneps-Yunis after the closing of Willowbrook State School. The organization renamed one of its buildings in her honor Wednesday.

Schneps-Yunis, and her son, Joshua Schneps, run Schneps Media, the newspaper conglomerate that owns more than 30 newspapers and magazines in the New York area, including AM New York, the Brooklyn Paper and the Bronx Times. Their papers endorsed Adams in his 2021 run for mayor.

When Adams was Brooklyn borough president, Schneps Media produced a staunchly pro-Adams newspaper that Adams mailed out to about 148,000 Brooklyn households on the taxpayers’ dime, costing the borough over $500,000 since 2014, the New York Daily News reported in 2019. The Schneps family reaped advertising profits from the arrangement, selling 20 pages worth of ads in its issues.

One issue of the paper, One Brooklyn, included Adams’ “lifestyle and personal finance tips,” and 20 different photos of Adams, the Daily News reported.

During his tenure as borough president and mayor, Adams has attended many of Schneps-Yunis’ award ceremonies, where she would sometimes give out “Vicki’s” instead of Oscars. In 2017, she donated $1,000 to Adams’ borough president campaign.

And when Adams was elected the city’s 110th mayor, the newspaper empress was on stage, right behind him, cheering his victory.

Four months later, Adams appointed Joshua to the city’s Districting Commission, where he was one of four mayoral appointees who voted to reject redistricting maps in September at the direct request of Adams’ deputy chief of staff.

Adams’ midday voyage east comes as he has faced criticism for his placement of friends and relatives in positions of power in City Hall. His administration has included Adams’ NYPD pal Philip Banks, unindicted co-conspirator in an NYPD corruption scandal and brother of the city schools’ chancellor; now-resigned chief of staff Frank Carone; and former head of mayoral security Bernard Adams, who is the mayor’s brother and a longtime friend of Vicki’s.

“I’m not really a very political person, so whenever I can not get involved in politics, that’s what I choose,” Joshua Schneps said Wednesday, adding “it wasn’t the mayor, (but) somebody from city government” who reached out and “asked” him to be on the commission. — Jason Beeferman

IT’S THURSDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.

WHERE’S KATHY? In Israel until Friday.

WHERE’S ERIC? Participating in an older adult town hall, hosting a reception in honor of the blind and low-vision community, delivering remarks at an Israeli American Council rally and attending the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation’s annual dinner.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We can’t wait to read what will surely be the next great American novel.” — a spokesperson for Attorney General Letitia James, in Vanity Fair, on Melissa DeRosa’s forthcoming book, which is highly critical of James.

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An ad campaign will be launched Thursday in an attempt to pressure Gov. Kathy Hochul to reject a bill that bans certain non-compete clauses in employment contracts. | Darren McGee/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A business-aligned ad campaign is set to launch Thursday in a bid to persuade Gov. Kathy Hochul to reject a bill to ban non-compete clauses in employment contracts.

The seven-figure ad buy will have it featured in heavy rotation in the Albany area, New York City and Western New York media markets, a person familiar with the plans told Playbook.

At issue is a measure approved this year by the Democratic-led Legislature that would ban provisions in employment contracts meant to restrict where a person can work after their job ends.

If approved, it would not ban confidentiality agreements or solicitation deals — a stipulation that’s aimed at protecting proprietary information. Lawmakers who have backed the legislation have said it takes into consideration workers’ rights along with the needs of the private sector.

Still, business organizations across a range of sectors have raised concerns with the proposal.

The campaign opposing the legislation is backed by The Public Policy Institute of New York, the research arm of the Business Council.

“Job creators, representing businesses of all sizes, are united in sounding the alarm on the pending non-compete ban in New York,” Heather Briccetti Mulligan, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement to Playbook. “It poses a serious risk to innovation and job growth and will send good jobs to other states.”

Moonshot Strategies is managing the ad buy. — Nick Reisman

More for-hire vehicle drivers will have to learn how to charge electric cars after a new Taxi & Limousine Commission rule. | Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

PLUG IT OR SHOVE IT: Adams is going in reverse when it comes to gas guzzlers, even while he’s having rideshares like Uber go electric.

The city’s Taxi & Limousine Commission unanimously approved a rule Wednesday requiring 100 percent of for-hire vehicles to be either zero-emission or wheelchair-accessible by 2030. The phase-in starts at 5 percent of trips by the end of next year, but TLC Commissioner David Do said the city’s already at 3 percent electric and 8 percent wheelchair accessible.

But Adams isn’t leading by example. He’s driven in a long, gas-powered Chevy Suburban SUV. a switch from former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was driven in a hybrid Chrysler Pacifica minivan, and before that, a hybrid Chevy Tahoe SUV.

Adams blamed it on his NYPD security team — “If we could find something that would fit what is needed based on the security detail, I would love to” — but it isn’t clear why he needs a bigger vehicle than de Blasio did, other than stashing his city agency jacket collection. — Jeff Coltin

MIGRANT UPDATE: Adams pleaded for help from construction and real estate industry leaders Wednesday in pressuring the federal government to provide more aid to New York City to handle the growing influx of migrants.

“New York City is the ATM machine for the Democratic and the Republican Party,” he said at an annual event hosted by the New York Building Congress. “Before you write a check for any national election, you have to ask them, why are you doing this to New York City?”

He warned once again that the continued flow of migrants will ultimately lead to people sleeping on the streets. "The visualization of this crisis is about to become real for all of us,” he said.

The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless, meanwhile, slammed Hochul on Wednesday for supporting the mayor’s push to suspend the decades-old right-to-shelter mandate and warned of “Hochul-villes” popping up around the city if that attempt is successful.

“It does seem that their hope here is that the public spectacle of human suffering will serve as some kind of deterrent to more people coming to New York City,” said Dave Giffen, executive director of the coalition.

The comments came on the same day the City Council held an oversight hearing on legal services for asylum seekers to help them obtain work permits.

Council Member Shahana Hanif raised concerns that migrants won’t be able to stay on top of immigration paperwork in light of mandates that they must leave shelters after 30 or 60 days.

“This adds to the reason why I feel the 30, 60-day directives are harmful and creates deeper precarity for asylum seekers,” she said. — Janaki Chadha

More from the city:

— New hospital units for Rikers detainees are years behind schedule. (POLITICO Pro)

— One of the mayor's top advisers, Tim Pearson, grabbed a migrant shelter guard by her neck and threw her to the ground, according to an eyewitness statement. (The City)

— Democrat-turned-Republican City Council Member Ari Kagan is now advocating for a ban on elective abortions — after supporting pro-abortion legislation just last year. (Daily News)

— Republican City Council candidate Kristy Marmorato isn’t running on a MAGA platform, but she’s backed by a number of prominent Trump supporters. (City & State)

Multiple New York school districts placed students on lockdown Wednesday after various “swatting” attempts. | Matt Slocum/AP

N.Y. SCHOOLS UNDER LOCKDOWN AGAIN: At least 10 school districts were put under lockdown Wednesday after “swatting” or prank calls were placed with threats. According to the state police, the threats were unfounded.

“The State Police is aware of swatting incidents that have occurred across New York state. We are actively working with our federal and local partners to investigate these reports and any specific threats,” spokesperson Deanna Cohen said in a statement.

The latest threat comes after a similar incident in March when hundreds of schools were placed on lockdown. At the time, Hochul said the calls originated from foreign lands. She noted the calls were a source of trauma for staff as they simulated the sounds of a school shooting.

“I want to reassure parents that their children are safe at school — swatting threats are false and intended to cause panic and scare students, teachers and families,” Hochul said in a statement Wednesday. — Katelyn Cordero

MAYORS’ WORRY: Municipal governments in New York fret a bill to expand the state’s wrongful death law will hurt their bottom lines.

Opponents are mounting a final push to get Hochul to veto the measure, which supporters have argued is necessary to update the state’s wrongful death statute by adding emotional anguish to the law.

But businesses, as well as local governments, continue to raise the same concerns they did with a previous version of the proposal. Hochul vetoed that bill; lawmakers this year passed a revised version

“If this bill becomes law, increased liability costs won't just drain resources from municipal services — small businesses and healthcare facilities that play a crucial role in local economies, providing jobs, and lifesaving services will be impacted too,” said Barbara Van Epps, the executive director of the New York Conference of Mayors. — Nick Reisman

More from Albany:

— Hochul has signed into law a measure meant to help those overcoming pregnancy, infant loss. (NY1)

— Former Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa writes in her new book that AG Tish James initially called one of the ex-governor’s accusers “not credible.” (New York Post)

— A managed long-term care provider warns New York can’t reduce support for older people as Covid remains a threat. (LoHud)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Israel and met with volunteers on Wednesday. | New York Governor's Office

GOVERNOR IN ISRAEL: During the first day of her trip, Hochul met with Israelis whose loved ones have been killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attacks.

She also helped distribute food and supplies for displaced people, according to a pool report by The New York Times’ Luis Ferré-Sadurní, who is traveling with Hochul.

The governor met with a man whose wife, as well as his three children ages 4, 8 and 10, were taken hostage by Hamas gunmen.

"Your pain becomes our pain,” she told the man. “We'll make sure to raise your voices."

On Wednesday evening, Hochul visited Sherfayim, a kibbutz north of Tel Aviv, and a hotel that has been turned into a temporary shelter for families who were evacuated due to the attacks by Hamas in the south.

About 400 people displaced by the attacks were staying at the hotel. They had arrived from Kafar Aza, a kibbutz near the border with Gaza that had been hard hit by the attacks.

Hochul is making the trip, her first abroad since taking office in 2021, in a show of solidarity following the Hamas attacks in Israel that killed more than 1,000 people and took hundreds more hostage.

The visit comes as Israel has launched a barrage of retaliatory strikes on Gaza and coincided with President Joe Biden’s one-day visit Wednesday.

Hochul arrived at 5:40 p.m. local time and met briefly with Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog during a security briefing.

“With our friends, we’re stronger,” he said.

“You have friends with the United States and New York,” she replied. — Nick Reisman

BACK IN NYC: Adams thanked Hochul for taking the trip and said he’s in touch with Israeli officials while deciding if he’ll make a trip of his own — but suggested that he’s busy enough in New York.

“I have an awesome responsibility right now during these extremely stressful times, to make sure people peacefully show their concerns, that we can make sure that nothing happens here in the city of New York,” he said at an unrelated press conference Wednesday.

Adams said that international events led to reactions on the streets of New York so the city mobilized all uniformed police officers “out of an abundance of caution” after a rocket explosion killed hundreds at a hospital in Gaza. — Jeff Coltin

More from Israel:

— New York would reimburse the costs for any New Yorkers evacuating from Israel or Palestinian land under a new bill introduced by state Sens. Julia Salazar and Gustavo Rivera and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher.

— A “cease fire now” rally for Gaza Friday in Manhattan is actually being organized by NYC-DSA this time, along with other progressive organizations.

PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW.

— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says Cornell University should fire a professor who made controversial remarks about Hamas during a pro-Palestine rally. (CNY Central)

— Staten Island will be getting its first new subway cars in half a century. (Gothamist)

— A worker at the Utica Zoo was hospitalized after she was bitten by a lion. (Syracuse.com)

MAKING MOVES: Laurian Farrell has been named deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Coastal Resilience for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. She was a global director at the Resilient Cities Network.

— Garphil Julien, who was policy adviser at the National Economic Council, has joined Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations faculty as a research and policy development associate. (h/t Marcia Brown in West Wing Playbook)

OUT AND ABOUT: City & State celebrated the NYC 40 under 40 Tuesday night, where government, politics, and advocacy professionals were honored at Midtown Loft and Terrace.

SPOTTED THERE: Amazon policy manager and senator’s daughter Jessica Schumer, Rep. Dan Goldman’s chief of staff Haley Scott, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Assemblymember Steven Raga, City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán and her future colleague Yusef Salaam. — Jason Beeferman

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NYT’s Carl Hulse … Fox News’ Steve Doocy … Bloomberg’s Satchie Snellings … Ray Day of the Stagwell Group … Lauren Crawford Shaver of FTI Consulting … Nicole Pavia … Katie Rayford … Andrea Bernstein … Will Cadigan of CNN … Dale Brown of the Financial Services Institute … Gregory Weston

WAS WEDNESDAY: Emma Green

— Construction spending in New York City has increased by $13 billion this year, and 10,000 jobs have been added in the city, in a booming year for New York’s builders. (Crain’s New York Business)

— Rochester-based supermarket chain Wegmans opened its first Manhattan location in the East Village. (Daily News)

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