The Continued Fallout From the Cuomo Report

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It’s Thursday.

Weather: Cloud cover begins to break up in the afternoon. High around 80.

Alternate-side parking: In effect until Aug. 15 (Feast of the Assumption).

Credit…Brendan Mcdermid/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The reverberations continue throughout New York.

One day after the state attorney general, Letitia James, released a report finding that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, including current and former state employees, the firestorm around Albany intensified.

Prosecutors in Manhattan and in Westchester, Nassau and Oswego Counties announced on Wednesday that they were pursuing criminal investigations in connection with the report. And several key allies withdrew their support.

[Read more from my colleagues Michael Gold and Jonah E. Bromwich on the fallout.]

Here’s the latest:

The criminal investigations

Three of the prosecutors on Wednesday joined the Albany County district attorney, who said on Tuesday that he is conducting a criminal investigation into Mr. Cuomo’s actions. Still, that is not a sure sign of criminal charges: It could be difficult for prosecutors to make a legal case, and victims would need to file formal reports.

The governor’s conduct, which according to the attorney general’s report included unwanted touching and groping, violated federal and state law, the report said.

When asked about the investigations, a spokesman for the governor referred back to Mr. Cuomo’s initial response on Tuesday. “I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Mr. Cuomo said in that response.

“That is just not who I am, and that’s not who I have ever been,” he said, adding that “the facts are much different from what has been portrayed.”

[See a copy of the report — and watch Mr. Cuomo’s full response.]

The fading support

A Marist poll conducted on Tuesday night found that 59 percent of New Yorkers thought the governor should resign.

On Wednesday, some of Mr. Cuomo’s close allies, including two past members of his administration, expressed the same sentiment. The chairman of the state’s Democratic Party, Jay Jacobs — once one of the governor’s staunch defenders — called on him to resign, as did several other lawmakers who had previously withheld judgment.

Mr. Cuomo has also now lost the support of nearly every major union in the state.

[A look at the figures in the governor’s circle who have withdrawn their backing.]

The potential impeachment process

Public attention is turning to the State Assembly, which is in the midst of a sprawling impeachment investigation.

It could take a month to complete the inquiry and draw up the articles of impeachment, according to one person familiar with the process. A trial in the State Senate could begin as soon as late September or early October.

Here are some other stories from my colleagues on the repercussions of the report:

CNN’s Cuomo Conundrum: A Star Anchor With a Brother in Trouble

Carl Heastie: The Man Who Would Oversee Cuomo’s Impeachment

From The Times

9 Charged With Trafficking Dozens of Guns to New York From Georgia

A Milestone for Broadway as ‘Pass Over’ Begins Performances

The New Skaters of New York

Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, Rock Journalist, Dies at 75

From New York Times Opinion: How Cuomo Got Away With It for So Long and I’m a Civil Rights Lawyer. Cuomo Got His Due.

Want more news? Check out our full coverage.

The Mini Crossword: Here is today’s puzzle.

What we’re reading

The New York City police commissioner addressed a viral video that showed a sergeant knocking a woman, suspected of fare evasion, to the ground. [Daily News]

How barber shops and salons in New York are trying to help raise vaccination rates. [Gothamist]

The New York International Auto Show, set to kick off later this month, was canceled for the second straight year over coronavirus concerns. [NBC 4 New York]

And finally: How to show proof of vaccination in N.Y.C.

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement on Tuesday that people participating in indoor activities at restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and performances in New York City must soon show proof of vaccination for the coronavirus brought a slew of questions from New Yorkers: How can I show vaccination status? Which vaccine app is best? What if I lost my card? What if I got vaccinated in another country?

There are a few main ways to prove you are vaccinated, Mr. de Blasio said: a new app released by the city, called NYC Covid Safe; the state’s Excelsior Pass; or by simply showing your paper vaccination card or a copy of your official vaccination record.

[Have other questions? Read my colleague Sharon Otterman’s full guide to the new rules.]

NYC Covid Safe is basically a camera app that enables users to take a picture of their vaccine card and store it in the app. It does not verify whether the picture represents a real card.

On the other hand, the Excelsior Pass — which debuted in March as the first government-issued vaccine passport app in the country — verifies applications against the city and state vaccination records.

People vaccinated abroad can show or submit their vaccine record from the place where the vaccine was administered.

[My colleagues Erin Woo and Kellen Browning wrote about how the mayor’s plan has reignited a debate about online privacy.]

Starting Aug. 16, you’ll need proof of vaccination, one way or another, to attend indoor dining, indoor fitness gyms and indoor entertainment venues, such as movie theaters, concert halls and night clubs. Enforcement will not begin until Sept. 13.

Children under 12, who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, will be allowed to enter restaurants with vaccinated adults if they are masked.

It’s Thursday — hit download.

Metropolitan Diary: The cabby’s solo

Dear Diary:

My aunt, a lifelong devotee of the opera, began taking me to the old Met from the time I was 16. Her excitement for a performance often washed over me as well.

By the time I was 20, Lincoln Center was the opera’s glamorous new home, and, feeling very grown up, I decided to head into the city on my own to hear “La Bohème.”

I entered a waiting taxi in front of the Port Authority.

“Lincoln Center,” I said smartly.

“Opera?” the cabby asked as he pulled away from the curb.

“Yes,” I said.

“You like opera?” he asked, somewhat surprised.

“Oh yes,” I answered gamely, trying to act the part of my aunt.

With that, to my utter surprise, he burst into a high falsetto voice and began singing “Ave Maria.”

I was flabbergasted. How are you supposed to react trapped in the back of a cab speeding uptown with a driver singing his heart out?

He caught my eye from the rearview mirror. I think he sensed my discomfort, but he kept singing with a broad smile on his face.

Then I thought of my aunt and realized she would have gotten a kick out of this.

His solo ended about the time we reached Lincoln Center.

“Bravo!” I said, handing him the fare and climbing out of the cab.

“Thank you.” he called out. “Enjoy the show!”

“Oh, I already did!” I answered as I walked onto the plaza.

— Leonora Green

Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Read more Metropolitan Diary here.

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