Breaking down the Menendez indictment

Also, Adams becomes a Freemason. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [Defiant, indicted Bob Menendez: 'I’ll be exonerated and still the senior senator of New Jersey']( [Mayor Eric Adams, in light blue pants and a white short-sleeved colored shirt with the word mayor on the back, speaks to a crowd at the Intrepid Museum’s Memorial Day ceremony]( Federal prosecutors [indicted Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey]( and his wife on corruption charges Friday, [alleging he took bribes to enrich New Jersey businessmen]( while offering benefits to the Egyptian government. Following the indictment, New Jersey's top Democrats, including Gov. Phil Murphy, [called for Menendez to resign]( saying the allegations as troubling and noting that while Menendez is entitled to defend himself against the accusations, he should step down while the legal process plays out. While Democrats on The Hill have largely stayed silent, the dam is starting to break. Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday [joined the calls asking for Menendez to step aside]( praising him for "his extraordinary work and boundless work ethic." Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Kim, who represents New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, [announced his campaign on Saturday to unseat Menendez]( the indictment. Menendez denied allegations of bribery Monday but never explicitly addressed his 2024 reelection plans. “The allegations are just that, allegations,” he said at a press conference without taking questions. “When all the facts are presented, I’ll be exonerated and still the senior senator of New Jersey.” [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week The state of the NYC migrant crisis One of the biggest pieces of news this past week regarding the migrant crisis was the [Biden administration expanding protections for recently arrived Venezuelan migrants]( which includes work authorization. But now that more Venezuelan migrants are able to apply for work authorization permits, they face another hurdle: [navigating the bureaucracy.]( Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday she’ll be [deploying an additional 150 National Guard members to help migrants]( with applications. Over in Washington, Staten Island City Council member and Republican Minority Leader Joe Borelli testified before the House's Homeland Security Committee about the city’s migrant crisis, saying the city is “essentially paying to be the world’s refugee camp.” [He spoke to WNYC’s Janae Pierre about his testimony.]( There are also a lot of questions about who the city is paying to provide care for thousands of migrants. Last week, [City Council members grilled Adams administration officials in a heated probe]( asking whether the city is doing enough to screen the contractors they plan to pay more than $5 billion to shelter and care for newly arrived migrants. Only three of the roughly 200 such contracts had a competitive bidding process. And those contractor services are expensive. Take laundry services for example where the city [pays as much as three times more for contracted laundry services]( at some migrant shelters compared to traditional homeless shelters. With all this going on, the city is [preparing to ask a judge to exempt migrants from its right-to-shelter mandate,]( requires the city to provide a bed in a shelter to anyone who asks for one. This comes after Adams already limited some shelter stays for migrants to 60 days, and time will be up soon for some new arrivals, [leaving them worried about their next steps.]( Adams, NYPD commissioner become Freemasons The mayor joined NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and NYPD Chief of the Department Jeffrey Maddrey in becoming Freemasons over the weekend, but details of the event were scarce, even though it was hosted at Gracie Mansion. [Read more.]( Dorm-style housing proposal included in NYC new housing plan The mayor pitched the idea to allow for the return of single-room occupancy housing apartments, a type of dorm-style complex where tenants would have their own private studios, but typically share kitchens and bathrooms. The proposal is [part of a new housing plan]( announced last week. [Read more.]( NJ residents take reparations discussions into their own hands State lawmakers failed to advance a bill that would initiate discussions of reparations for the state’s Black residents, so some residents decided to move forward with discussions on their own, starting today. Nine public hearings focusing on the state's history of slavery will be held over the next two years. [Read more.]( Bomb threat at NYC Drag Story Hour event leads to legislation discussions The threat forced attendees to abandon the Drag Story Hour event in Brooklyn on Saturday, and now city lawmakers are planning legislation to address the ongoing hostility against such drag book reading events. [Read more.]( City Council renews commitment to universal child care The Women and Gender Equity Committee held a hearing Thursday to discuss a five-page bill introduced in March that aims to establish high-quality universal child care to all children from six weeks to five years old, regardless of immigration status, amid Adams’ calls for steep budget cuts. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast] [“**** Through A Goose”: Freedom Caucus vs. Problem Solvers Caucus On A Government Shutdown]( U.S. Representative Andrew Garbarino (R, NY-2) talks about the role of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the House funding impasse. [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]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? 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