Given how depressed Democrats were on Tuesday night (especially after President Trump declared victory), this Photoshopped image indicates where this whole thing might be headed.
That was fast. In 24 hours, the nation went from an inevitable Trump sequel to an apparent Biden presidency. So even without results from Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania, the vaunted New York City press corps already transitioned to demanding answers to hypotheticals from the mayor.
The main one: "OK, if Biden has won, will he bail out ___________?" (insert "transit," "the city," "the municipal workforce" or any other long-suffering urban noun in that blank space).
Mostly, Hizzoner didn't bite, though he certainly let on that he thinks a newly minted President Biden would do more for Gotham than the devil we know. (NY1, NY Post). The Daily News pointed out de Blasio's concern that any bailout money might pass through Gov. Cuomo's Albany sausage grinder.
NY1's Dan Rivoli looked at the transit implication of a Biden presidency — and determined that the MTA would get some help, but probably not enough.
Meanwhile, the NYPD is still on alert for unrest ... though, who, exactly, would be the unrestive ones right now, given that the apparently vanquished president is the one threatening legal action to alter what appear to be the results? (NY Post) Gothamist had full team coverage of the NYPD's rush to charge anyone with obstructing governmental administration.
And then the speaker of the Council, who didn't reduce the police budget when he had the chance earlier this year, tweeted that he was outraged when he saw more Jake Offenhartz video:
The NYPD also created a horribly done anti-looting video aimed at, again, who? (NY Post)
In other news from a very slow news day (outside of national politics):
Credit where due department: The typically pro-car CBS2 did a total slam dunk report on the 34th Avenue open street in Jackson Heights and Corona, with reporter Dave Carlin literally calling it a “gift” from the city. The segment featured prime organizer Jim Burke and it's clear that whatever Burke said to Carlin off camera really stuck with him. The tone of Carlin's piece was atypical for local TV — more “It should be permanent” instead of “Who are these crazy people who want it to be permanent.” That's a game-changer in Queens.
From the assignment desk: DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg will take a victory lap of sorts by cutting a symbolic ribbon on two good new protected bike lane projects: one on Flatbush Avenue and the other on Fourth Avenue (the more significant and much-needed improvement). The fun starts at 10:45 a.m. in Grand Army Plaza.
"In Stockholm, people really thought that congestion pricing would be the end of the world, the city will come to a standstill, no one would be able to get to work anymore and all the theaters and shops would just go bankrupt. None of that happened."
