Raids, raids, raids

Plus, Mayor Adams tests positive for COVID. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [A wild week in New York politics]( Last week, federal prosecutors indicted Linda Sun, a former New York state official who worked for both Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Sun is accused of being a secret agent for the Chinese government, and [making millions of dollars through the scheme.]( According to the indictment, Sun and her husband, Christopher Hu, lived a lavish lifestyle complete with a 2024 Ferrari and $3.6 million home on Long Island, all funded by a business deal tied to exporting lobsters. So who’s to blame for Sun’s rise in state government? [Depends on who you ask](. Both Hochul and Cuomo’s teams are blaming the other. And what does this all mean for a top Chinese official who was in frequent, often secretive contact with Sun? Well, that also [depends on who you ask.]( Days after Sun’s indictment, [federal agents raided the homes]( and seized phones belonging to high ranking New York City officials — including the police commissioner, schools chancellor, and [first deputy mayor](. The raids have [left City Hall in limbo]( even as the administration insists that neither the mayor nor his staff are involved in the federal investigation. Amid the controversy, Mayor Eric Adams visited two Brooklyn churches on Sunday where he [compared himself to Job]( the biblical figure known for enduring tragedy as a test of his faith in God, implying that this ongoing FBI probe is just the latest round of affliction in his life that he’s overcome. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week What else is happening in City Hall Mayor Eric Adams tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Adams received his positive test result after attending an event earlier in the afternoon. [Read more.]( The mayor's sweeping plan to fuel housing development still has a few months to go before the City Council decides on its final fate, but the proposal is already factoring into a bitter building dispute brewing in Brooklyn. [Read more.]( More than 900,000 NYC public school students returned to classes on Thursday without a citywide smartphone ban after Adams' last-minute announcement to delay its rollout, which left some educators scrambling to craft their own policies for their classrooms. [Read more.]( What’s going on in Albany In public, Gov. Kathy Hochul has repeatedly said her order to pause congestion pricing was motivated by economics, not politics. But behind the scenes, her lawyers are claiming the debate over the controversial tolling program does in fact live in the “political realm.” [Read more.]( What's new in New Jersey A group of New Jersey mayors and local officials are suing the Garden State to invalidate a new affordable housing law that seeks to spur the development of tens of thousands of low priced units. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast]( [What to Expect at the Presidential Debate]( We look to Tuesday night's highly anticipated presidential debate between vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.