Welcome to the late-night Sundae Scoops. What’s your flavor of choice? I discovered Ben & Jerry’s “Dirt Pie” this weekend – vanilla pudding ice cream with oreos – don’t get me started…
After a long, hot weekend, where Americans celebrated our freedom on Independence Day… although it’s been bittersweet for many who question who is running this country and who will be able to help keep us together leading up to the Presidential election… Alas, here we are.
I had the opportunity to join Ben Leo on UK’s GB News on July 4th to comment on peoples’ reactions to the personalities of the two Presidential nominees – and discuss how voters are much more driven by feelings than facts. After last week’s debate and Biden’s one-on-one with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos– the feeling about Biden has completely changed. Democrats no longer feel confident in his ability to run this country for four more years after seeing what they saw on national television over the last week. All this has nothing to do with his policy record… It’s just the political personality fact that when he’s not able to articulate things on stage, people feel uneasy…
In this vein… former Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke alongside Rabbi Marc Schneier at The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach before a crowd of about 200 this weekend, where he announced his nonprofit campaign Never Again – NOW! which will be running digital and social media ads denouncing Hamas and providing educational facts about Israel… Cuomo spoke about the state of New York, crime, New York City, antisemitism and next steps with President Biden… When he alluded to the possibility of VP Kamala Harris taking over as Democratic Presidential nominee, the crowd booed (albeit not as loud as they booed at the mention of Senator Chuck Schumer) when speaking about the sentiment that Democratic Party leaders have been hiding President Biden’s cognitive decline for months or years…(!) In the room where it happened was also Schneps Media’s Vicki Schneps and Jewish philanthropist and advocate Ari Ackerman…
Douglas Elliman’s Dottie Herman spent time out East this weekend as well, hosting 70 people at her home where she set off her own fireworks and sang God Bless America. With the state of the country and New York City so prevalent on people’s minds, especially when it comes to real estate, housing and retail vacancies, Dottie shared a conversation she had with former Governor George Pataki recently about how he would go about changing legislation to deter crime… Also in the Hamptons, Southampton Town Trustee Scott Horowitz, a Republican environmentalist fisherman, who spent some time teaching his grandson, Jackson, about the variety of trees and leaves…
Traveling west on Long Island, Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz hosted a community conversations event at East Norwich Bagels with Nassau County Legislator Samantha Goetz, whereby the two informed local constituents about state and county resources… while former Assemblyman and candidate for Congress Mike LiPetri spent time with Suffolk County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi harvesting oysters at the Huntington-Northport Oyster Reef Project… and other political personalities like NYSEDC’s Ryan Silva was in Maine with his family… Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado spent this weekend in Saugerties celebrating Col. Roger Donlon, the first person to receive the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War…
In NYC, Andrew Rigie birthday dinner at Bungalow NYC and 4th of July NYC BBQ… NYC Council Member Kevin Riley celebrated his son Caleb’s 2nd birthday… Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso announced lunchtime jazz at Borough Hall – the first four Tuesdays in July made possible by Downtown Brooklyn & Jazz Foundation
Monday, July 8: Let’s all wish my baby boy Maltese Bouchon a happy 4th birthday…
July 12: Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island one-day enterprise AI event IMPACT New York
STAY TUNED: Style Across the Aisle: a first-of-its-kind fashion show is coming to New York City during Fall Fashion Week, September 2024… Elected officials model the runway wearing designers from their districts. Mayor Eric Adams will be modeling, and Ingrid Lewis-Martin will be emceeing. Guess whose idea this was? 😉
Political Personality of the Week
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo was the 56th Governor of New York. He is the son of Mario Cuomo, the 52nd governor of New York, and Matilda Raffa Cuomo.
Cuomo began his career in public service working as a campaign manager for his father’s gubernatorial campaign in 1982 and subsequently served as an assistant district attorney in New York City. He founded Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged (HELP USA) in 1986, which became one of the largest providers of transitional housing for homeless people in the United States. In 1993, Cuomo was appointed as Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and later became the Secretary of HUD under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. During his tenure at HUD, Cuomo focused on initiatives to increase homeownership and reduce homelessness.
In 2011, he was elected Governor, during which time he focused on same-sex marriage legalization, gun control, and minimum wage increases. He also faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and various natural disasters. Cuomo’s tenure ended in 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment, leading to his resignation. He was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.
Andrew Cuomo graduated from Fordham University in 1979 and Albany Law School in 1982.
Fast Facts:
- From Queens
- Former Housing Secretary under President Clinton
- Served as campaign manager for his Dad’s race for governor
- Sagittarius birthday, December 6