♪ >>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS" WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

>>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III.

SYLVIA A.

AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ.

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG.

THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION.

AND BY -- JANET PRINDLE SEIDLER.

JODY AND JOHN ARNHOLD.

CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN FAMILY.

JUDY AND JOSH WESTON.

DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA SOHN FOUNDATION.

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

IN OUR FRONT PAGE FORECAST.

I'M JACK FORD.

THIS IS OUR WEEKLY LOOK AHEAD AT MAJOR STORIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE TRI-STATE.

A NEW RECOMMENDATION FOR MASKING UP IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA.

WHILE THERE IS NO MANDATE AT THIS TIME, MAYOR BILL de BLASIO IS, IN HIS WORDS, STRONGLY RECOMMENDING THAT NEW YORKERS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR VACCINATION STATUS, WEAR MASKS IN PUBLIC SETTINGS.

THIS COMES AFTER THE CDC RELEASED SOME VERY SIMILAR RECOMMENDATIONS JUST LAST WEEK.

AS FOR GOVERNOR CUOMO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, HE'S URGING PRIVATE BUSINESSES TO REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SERVICE.

HE ALSO SAID THAT NPA WORKERS WILL NEED TO EITHER WILL VACCINATED OR TESTED ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

THEN IN PART 2 OF TONIGHT'S CONVERSATION, WE'LL ALSO BE DISCUSSING WHAT'S NEXT FOR NEW YORK'S BATTLE AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE.

THIS AFTER A WEEKEND SHOOTING IN QUEENS LEFT 10 PEOPLE INJURED.

SO FOR MUCH MORE ON THESE TOPICS, ON BOTH OF THESE STORIES, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME IN TONIGHT'S PANEL FOR THIS CONVERSATION.

AND WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BE JOINED FIRST BY A PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL STRATEGIST WHO HAS WORKED WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN NEW YORK POLITICS.

ALSO PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIES, AND WE'RE WELCOMING HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME HERE ON "METROFOCUS."

ALSO BEING JOINED BACK, CHAIR OF THE CONSERVATIVE COLOR COALITION AND HOST OF "SATURDAY AGENDA."

ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

AND OUR GOOD FRIEND LAURA, WHO IS NEW YORK POLITICS REPORTER AT LARGE AND A FORMER NEW YORK DAILY NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER.

ALSO THE AUTHOR OF THE FUN CITY NEWSLETTER.

SO ALL OF YOU, WE HAVE, AS ALWAYS, A LOT TO TALK ABOUT HERE.

SO LET'S START WITH WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR LEADERS.

GOVERNOR CUOMO AND MAYOR de BLASIO JUST TODAY ABOUT ISSUES INVOLVING MASKING AND VACCINES.

SO LET'S START WITH GOVERNOR CUOMO'S COMMENTS THAT YOU OFFERED EARLIER THIS MORNING.

LAURA, I WILL START WITH YOU HERE.

I WILL THROW OUT THE TOPICS, AND YOU CAN START TO FILL US IN ON THE HEADLINES AND THEN WE CAN ALL TALK ABOUT THIS.

I MENTION IN THE INTRODUCTION HIS SUGGESTING -- THIS IS A SUGGESTION, HIS SUGGESTING BUSINESSES SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU DON'T COME THROUGH OUR DOORS UNLESS YOU'RE VACCINATED.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

>> I THINK THAT HE -- IT'S UP TO BUSINESSES WHETHER OR NOT THEY THINK THAT THAT IS GOING TO HAVE A NEGATIVE OR A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR BUSINESS.

MAYBE DEPENDING WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS YOU ARE AND WHERE YOUR BUSINESS IS AND WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE, YOU MIGHT TURN AWAY CUSTOMERS WHO DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PROVIDE PROOF OF VACCINATION IN ORDER TO COME THROUGH THE DOORS.

OR IT MIGHT REASSURE PEOPLE OF A DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC IN A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT THE SAFETY OF YOUR BUSINESS IF YOU MANDATE THAT EVERYONE WHO COMES IN HAS A VACCINE.

SO LEAVING IT UP TO THE BUSINESSES THAT WAY IS, YOU KNOW, IT COULD HAVE MIXED RESULTS.

IT IS GOING TO BE A JUDGMENT CALL AND HOW WELL THEY KNOW THEIR CLIENT BASE.

I THINK THE MORE INTERESTING THING FROM CUOMO'S PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY IS THAT HE SORT OF GESTURED TOWARD DOING BUT DIDN'T QUITE DO WHAT MAYOR de BLASIO DID LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE, WHERE HE STATED THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A VACCINE MANDATE FOR ALL CITY -- NEW YORK CITY EMPLOYEES BY SEPTEMBER 13th.

CUOMO SAID TODAY THAT HE WANTED A VACCINE MANDATE FOR SOME STATE EMPLOYEES, BUT NOT ALL.

AND ANNOUNCED MTA AND PORT AUTHORITY EMPLOYEES, I BELIEVE, WHO WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE VACCINATED AND THEN MAYBE THE REST OF THE STATE WORKFORCE WILL BE SUBJECTED TO THE SAME VACCINE MANDATE.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SCIENCE IS UNDERPINNING THE REQUIREMENT FOR SOME STATE EMPLOYEES AND NOT OTHERS.

BUT I THINK THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE POLITICS AT PLAY THERE THAN SCIENCE.

>> SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THESE HEADLINES AND LAURA'S OUTLINE FOR US.

I WILL COME TO YOU FIRST.

LET'S TALK FIRST ABOUT THIS NOTION OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FINANCIAL TURMOIL THAT SO MANY BUSINESSES HAVE HAD TO OPERATE UNDER, JUST SAY TO THEM, YOU KNOW WHAT?

MAYBE YOU HAVE GOT TO SAY YOU CAN'T COME THROUGH THE DOOR UNLESS YOU'RE VACCINATED.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?

>> THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC POLICY IS SUPPOSED TO ENCOURAGE WHAT IS BEST FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND ALSO FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD.

THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IN THE MESSAGING, I'VE SAID, IS THAT WE HAVE A TRUST DEFICIT, AND WE HAVE A TRUST DEFICIT BECAUSE PEOPLE DO NOT EITHER BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE TELLING THEM TO GET THE JAB ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THEM OR BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE MESSAGING HAS BEEN SO MISMATCHED THAT PEOPLE DON'T ACTUALLY NO WHAT IS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

SO LET US BE VERY CLEAR.

THE DATA SHOWS US THAT VACCINES SAVES LIVES.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, WE HAVE LESS HOSPITALIZATIONS.

IF YOU HAVE THE VACCINE, WE KNOW IT LEADS TO LESS DEATH.

THOSE ARE THE STATS.

AND BASED ON THE STATS, WE ALSO KNOW THAT VACCINATIONS HAVE BEEN WORKING.

THEY HAVE BREAK-THROUGH CASES THAT PEOPLE ARE ALARMED BY AS A RESULT OF THE DELTA VARIANT ARE QUITE RARE.

AND SO, LOOK, THAT'S WHAT WE DO KNOW.

SO THIS NOTION NOW THAT WE WOULD START CRAFTING PUBLIC POLICY FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THIS COUNTRY OR THE ENTIRETY OF NEW YORK STATE BASED OFF OF THESE BREAK-THROUGHS DOES NOT SEEM TO MAKE MUCH SENSE.

NOW IF YOU EXTEND THAT TO WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID HERE, THAT HE IS GOING TO TELL PRIVATE BUSINESSES, SUGGEST TO THEM THAT THEY SHOULD TURN PEOPLE AWAY IF THEY HAVE NOT HAD PROOF OF VACCINATION, I WILL REMIND THE GOVERNOR THAT A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY LIVE IN POVERTY.

20%ERTY RATES FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN THIS COUNTRY.

SO NOW YOU HAVE CREATED, AGAIN, THIS PROXY TO HAVE MIINDIVIDUAL WHO MIGHT HAVE THE GREATEST NEED TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE ON A WEEK TO WEEK, ALMOST DAY-TO-DAY BASIS BECAUSE THEY ARE LIVING LITERALLY PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, BUSINESSES SAYING THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO FIRE PEOPLE.

THERE ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THIS MESSAGING WHEN THE REALITY SHOULD BE THAT, LOOK, PLEASE GET THE VACCINE.

IT WILL, PERHAPS, SAVE YOUR LIFE, THAT WE HAVE SEEN THE FACT THAT THE DATA SUPPORTS THAT.

BUT ALSO IF YOU FIND YOURSELF NOT VACCINATED AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, THEN PERHAPS GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO GO TO THE SUPER MARKET FOR YOU.

PERHAPS GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO THESE DAILY ERRANDS FOR YOU.

IF YOU STILL HAVE CONCERNS, IN SPITE OF YOUR OWN VACCINATION, IN SPITE OF YOUR OWN DESIRE TO WEAR A MASK, CURTAIL THE ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD REQUIRE YOU TO BE AROUND THESE PEOPLE.

I THINK AS A GENERAL RULE, CRAFTING POLICY TO PLAY TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR IS PROBABLY A BAD IDEA, AND IT ACTUALLY, IN MANY WAYS, OBSCURES THE BROADER ISSUE, WHICH IS THE LACK OF RESPECT THAT HAS BEEN EXHIBITED FOR PEOPLE WHO, IN THEIR OWN MINDS, JUST HAVE HONEST CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THEY SHOULD DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND WHAT WE STILL SEE TODAY.

>> HOW ABOUT THE POLITICAL ASPECT OF THIS?

LAURA MENTIONED THIS.

LOOK, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE POLITICAL ASPECTS TO EVERYTHING THAT TAKES PLACE HERE.

I'M NOT DEMEANING IT.

BUT HOW ABOUT THE POLITICAL ASPECTS.

AS JOE SAID, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE.

IT IS A VERY LOGICAL ARGUMENT THAT SAYS, IF YOU ARE NOT VACCINATED, YOU CAN'T WALK IN THE DOOR BECAUSE IF YOU ARE NOT, YOU WALK IN THE DOOR, YOU CAN SPREAD THIS HERE.

YET, AS JOE MENTIONED, AS LAURA MENTIONED, THERE ARE POLITICAL PARTS OF THIS MAKE YOU SAY, IS IT -- IS IT THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

YOU KNOW, A MENTOR OF MINE WHO IS LEGENDARY IN THE JOURNALISM BUSINESS AND FRED WOULD OFTEN SAY TO US, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

SO FROM A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE, TRIP, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS SUGGESTION THAT BUSINESSES, DON'T OPEN YOUR DOORS TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE VACCINE.

>> I WOULD WANT TO REFRAME THE QUESTION HERE.

EARLIER TODAY, THE MAYOR STOPPED SHORT OF THE MASK MANDATE.

LAURA HAD MENTIONED THAT HE IS, YOU KNOW, REQUIRING CITY WORKERS TO BECOME VACCINATED BY MID-SEPTEMBER OR HAVE WEEKLY TESTS AND HE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDING THAT NEW YORKERS IN PUBLIC PLACES, YOU KNOW, WEAR A MASK, BUT THAT'S AN ENCOURAGEMENT.

HE'S NOT MANDATING MASKS.

I THINK THE CITY AND THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER A MASK MANDATE.

THE DELTA VARIANT, AS WE KNOW, IS A GAME CHANGER.

IT IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS.

MORE SO THAN THE QUOTE, UNQUOTE DELTA VARIANT.

WE KNOW THAT COVID CASES ARE GOING UP.

THERE ARE MORE THAN 1,200 NEW CASES OF COVID A DAY.

THIS IS SCIENCE.

THIS IS ABOUT GETTING OUR ECONOMY BACK.

THIS IS ABOUT GETTING KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.

AND IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE KNOW THAT WE ARE STILL IN THE SPIKE FOR COVID.

WE REALLY SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER A MASK MANDATE.

THE THING I WILL SAY ABOUT THIS, AND JOE ELUDED TO THIS A LITTLE EARLIER AND LAURA ELUDED TO THIS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NOT PUTTING BUSINESSES IN A DECISION TO MAKE THIS DECISION, IN A POSITION TO MAKE THIS DECISION, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD GUIDANCE FROM MAYOR de BLASIO ON MASKS SINCE MAY.

AND, SO, YOU KNOW, I SAY THIS TO THE DEMOCRATS.

SOMETIMES THERE IS A FAILURE OF PUBLIC LEADERSHIP.

I REALLY DO THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER A MASK MANDATE.

AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE CITY SHOULD HAVE MORE FREQUENT COMMUNICATION ON THESE TYPES OF THINGS.

>> LAURA, LET ME JUST ADD.

ONE SECOND.

LET ME GET LAURA IN ON THAT AND I'LL COME BACK TO YOU.

LAURA, WHAT ABOUT THAT?

WERE YOU SURPRISED AT ALL THAT MAYOR de BLASIO SAID, ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO USE THE SAME LANGUAGE.

I'M GOING TO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE IT.

BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY MANDATES HERE.

>> I WASN'T SURPRISED.

I THINK THAT HE -- IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN THE SCIENCE AND THE POLITICS AND SORT OF MORALE.

GOING BACK TO A MASK MANDATE MAY BE THE ABSOLUTE SAFEST WAY TO TACKLE THIS IN TANDEM WITH ANOTHER, MORE VIGOROUS VACCINATION EFFORTS.

BUT FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT MIGHT FEEL LIKE BACKSLIDING, LIKE ALL OF THIS MANY MONTHS OF PROGRESS ARE FOR NAUGHT, THAT IT COULD JUST DEMORALIZE AND DISCOURAGE PEOPLE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK AN AREA WHERE HE AND OTHER LEADERS HAVE MAYBE FAILED TO -- TO EMPHASIZE THINGS STRONGLY ENOUGH IS THAT WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN THIS CITY OF REQUIRING VACCINATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC LIFE AND IN CIVIC LIFE.

IT'S BEEN GENERATIONS SINCE WE HAD SUCH A MASK VACCINATION CAMPAIGN.

PROBABLY THE LAST TIME WAS THE POLIO VACCINE, WHICH IS A LOT OF NEW YORKERS WERE SMALL CHILDREN THAT WERE NOT EVEN ALIVE THEN.

BUT IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED PRECEDENT IN THIS COUNTRY THAT YOU HAVE TO GET VACCINES TO GO TO COLLEGE, TO GO TO SCHOOL, TO -- YOU HAVE TO NOT HAVE SMALLPOX OR CHICKENPOX OR TYPHOID FEVER.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THOSE DISEASES, SOMETHING LIKE TUBERCULOSIS.

IF YOU GET IT, THE CITY HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE YOU AND ISOLATE YOU FROM YOUR FAMILY, FAR AWAY.

AND THAT -- THAT IS ONE OF THE PERILS AND ONE OF THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE MAKE TO LIVE CLOSE TOGETHER AND IN A SOCIETY.

AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES.

WE ALL HAD OUR SHOTS AS CHILDREN.

MMR, RUBELLA, THINGS LIKE THAT.

THAT IS REQUIRED TO LIVE CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER IN A COUNTRY.

AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT THAT, AND THEY FORGET ABOUT THAT BEING AN ELEMENT OF PARTICIPATION IN THIS DEMOCRACY, AND IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF AMNESIA OR MISUNDERSTANDING OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS.

>> I REMEMBER IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL ALL OF US LINING UP TO GET OUR POLIO VACCINATIONS.

AND THERE WEREN'T QUESTIONING ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE HAD SEEN WHAT THAT DISEASE OR THAT INSIDIOUS DISEASE COULD DO TO PEOPLE.

SO, LOOK, I WAS LITTLE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE.

I SUSPECT THERE WAS SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT WASN'T HAPPY ABOUT IT.

BUT I REMEMBER ALL OF US LINING UP TO TAKE IT.

JOE?

>> I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME NUANCE IN THE CONVERSATION AND SAY, LOOK, ON SOME BASIC LEVEL, WE KNOW THE VACCINES HAVE BEEN WORKING.

THE DATA SUPPORTS THAT.

EVERY SCIENTIFIC MEASURE SUPPORTS THAT.

THE ISSUE BECOMES IN A WORLD WHERE OVER 50% OF AMERICANS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED OR SOME PEOPLE TO SOME DEGREE HAVE STOMACH ACTUAL IMMUNITY HAVING PREVIOUSLY ALREADY GOTTEN THE VIRUS, WHAT SHOULD OUR OBJECTIVE BE?

>> YES, WE DO HAVE A DELTA VARIANT.

BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE VACCINE, THE VACCINE WAS SUPPOSED TO ENSURE, AGAIN, THAT HOSPITALIZATION RATES WENT DOWN AND THAT DEATH WENT DOWN.

IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO ENSURE THAT NO PERSON EVER GOT COVID AGAIN.

AND WE DO KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, THE PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE THESE BREAK-THROUGH CASES, BY AND LARGE, ARE NOT DYING.

BY AND LARGE, ARE NOT HAVING THESE ADVERSE HOSPITALIZATION RATES.

WHICH IS WHY IF YOU GO BACK IN NEW YORK CITY, YOU SEE THE SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE BELOW 20.

YOU HAVE SEEN THE DEATH RATES SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE BELOW 4.

THOSE ARE JUST THE NUMBERS.

SO, AGAIN, THE ISSUE BECOMES, ARE WE TOO FOCUSSED?

ARE WE SO PARANOID ABOUT COVID THAT WE'RE FOCUSSING ON THE WRONG METRIC?

AGAIN, I GO BACK TO WHAT THE PEOPLE TOLD US PREVIOUSLY, WHICH WAS, AGAIN, THE ISSUE WAS MAKING SURE OUR HEALTH SYSTEM WAS NOT OVERWHELMED AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT DYING.

WE HAVE ACHIEVED THOSE OBJECTIVES.

WE NEED TO PIVOT INTO REACHING THAT SECOND POOL OF PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REZHESITANT.

INSULTING THEM IS NOT GOING TO WORK.

AND SCARING THEM IS CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO WORK, DOPARTICULAR WHEN WE TURN AROUND AND TELL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE WHAT WE ASK, IT TURNS OUT NONE OF THAT IS GOING TO MATTER ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU STILL NEED TO WEAR A MASK INDOORS.

IT LEADS PEOPLE TO FEEL DEPRESSED, AS IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED, AND THAT ONLY FUELS THIS RESISTANCE THAT WE HAVE AMONGST A POOL OF PEOPLE WHO, IF WE GO BACK FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WERE RELUCTANT TO GO DOWN THIS PATH OF GETTING THE VACCINE WHEN WE KNOW IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COLLECTIVE PUBLIC.

>> FOLLOWING ON THAT THOUGHT AND ADDING SOMETHING THAT WE HEARD MA YOUR de BLASIO SAID.

IF YOU MANDATE MASK WEARING, YOU MIGHT HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN READY TO TAKE THE VACCINATIONS SAY, WELL, I GUESS I DON'T NEED IT THEN BECAUSE IF EVERYBODY IS WEARING MASKS, WELL, WE'RE TOLD THAT'S THE BEST PROTECTION.

I'M STILL OKAY NOT DOING MY VACCINATION HERE.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?

>> YEAH.

I WOULD SAY THAT IS A FALSE COMPARISON HERE.

WE NEED BOTH.

WE NEED BOTH MASK WEARING AS WELL AS VACCINATION.

AND THE REASON WHY WE NEED TO WEAR MASKS, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS FEAR MONGERING AT ALL, IS BECAUSE THERE IS STRONG EVIDENCE THAT EVEN IF YOU ARE VACCINATED AND YOU ARE ASYMPTOMATIC, YOU CAN STILL SPREAD COVID-19, PARTICULARLY THE DELTA VARIANT.

SO WE NEED TO DO BOTH.

I THINK THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR LEADERS TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE THAT WE HAVE TURNED A LONG WAY FROM THE CORNER FROM MARCH AND APRIL 2020 WHEN COVID WAS REALLY BAD.

I STAYED IN NEW YORK DURING THOSE MONTHS.

IT WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.

WE REMEMBER THOSE DARK DAYS.

WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF THIS.

WE MADE ENORMOUS PROGRESS FROM EARLIER JUST THIS YEAR.

REMEMBER BACK IN JANUARY AND DURING THE WINTER OF THIS YEAR A LOT OF THE HEADLINES WERE, YOU KNOW, VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.

WE MADE PROGRESS ON THAT, TOO.

THERE IS A LOT OF ESTABLISHMENT WE SHOULD CONVEY TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT THROUGH.

WE'RE NOT DONE WITH COVID.

ONE OF THE FINAL POINTS I WILL MAKE, THERE IS CERTAIN COMMUNITIES FOR MANY REASONS THAT HAVE LAGGED BEHIND IN TERMS OF GETTING THEIR VACCINE.

YOU KNOW, THAT IS PART OF GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, PARTNERING UP WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND TRUSTED LEADERS SAYING, THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, GETTING VACCINES.

THERE IS A LOT MORE WORK INSTILLING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE THAT OUR LEADERS NEED TO DO HERE.

BUT GOING BACK TO THE CENTRAL PREMISE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO BOTH MASKS AND GET VACCINES.

>> AND WHAT ALL OF YOU SAID ECHOES WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM DR. FAUCI SAYING, YES, WE HAVE MADE DRAMATIC PROGRESS.

AND, YES, WE ARE EXPERIENCING SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES RIGHT NOW.

HE SAID INTERESTINGLY HE DID NOT ENVISION LOCKDOWNS, BUT WE DO NEED TO DO THINGS TO CONTROL THIS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VACCINATION RATES.

LET ME PIVOT FOR A SECOND HERE AND GET TO OUR SECONDARY YEAH WE WANTED TO TOUCH BASE ON, AND THAT'S THE EXTRAORDINARY ISSUE OF GUN VIOLENCE THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY ACTUALLY.

AND, LAURA, LET ME COME TO YOU ABOUT THIS.

WE HAVE SEEN BOTH OF THE CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR IN NEW YORK CITY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS STEP UP AND OFFER SOME SIGNIFICANT THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS.

LET'S START WITH ERIC ADAMS, THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.

WHAT IS HE SAYING IN TERMS OF ONE OF THE THINGS HE WOULD WANT TO DO IMMEDIATELY, IF INDEED HE IS ELECTED THERE?

>> HE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT POTENTIAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS THE GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC IN NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE.

AND ONE OF THEM IS A JOINT COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS NOT JUST THE GUNS THEMSELVES BUT ALSO GANG-RELATED VIOLENCE.

AND HE HAS ALSO BEEN TALKING ABOUT INCREASING CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAMS IN ADDITION TO INCREASING TARGETED POLICE INTERVENTIONS IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE'RE SEEING THIS GUN VIOLENCE.

SO IT IS A MULTI -- MULTISTEP, MULTILAYERED APPROACH TO TACKLING A PERSISTENT PROBLEM THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IN NEW YORK.

AND ONE THAT INVOLVES NOT JUST POLICE BUT SORT OF NONPROFIT VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION GROUPS, SO PEOPLE WHO SPECIALIZE IN GETTING THROUGH TO THE KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TURNING TO GANGS AND TURNING TO GUNS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF OTHER, MORE LIFE PRESERVING SOLUTIONS TO RESOLVE CONFLICT.

BUT HE HAS A LONG ROAD TO GO.

AND SO DOES CURTIS LEE BEFORE EITHER OF THEM WILL BECOME THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY.

I THINK PEOPLE FORGET WE STILL HAVE MAYOR de BLASIO UNTIL DECEMBER 31st OF 2021.

IT IS STILL HIS PROBLEM.

AND -- >> AND IT -- >> THEY ARE NOT ELECTED YET.

>> WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE'RE HEARING FROM HIM ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THE GUN PROBLEM?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, HE -- HE IS INTERESTED IN CROWD SOURCING, IDENTIFYING THE PERPETRATORS OF GUN VIOLENCE.

I DON'T KNOW IF SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THERE ARE HANDPRINTED FLYERS UP IN CERTAIN SUBWAY STATIONS FROM THE GUARDIAN ANGELS SOLICITING ANY INFORMATION OR TIPS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES IN THE TRAIN STATION AND OFFERING REWARD MONEY FOR IT.

A VERY INTERESTING APPROACH TO HANDLING THIS.

BUT DEFINITELY ONE THAT IS MORE AGGRESSIVE, I WOULD SAY, IS THE RIGHT WORD.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME.

YEAH.

>> AND IN LINE WITH THAT AGGRESSIVE, AND YOU ARE PROBABLY GOING TO GET THERE AND I APOLOGIZE FOR JUMPING IN ON YOU, BUT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT STOP AND FRISK AS PART OF A STANDARD POLICE PRACTICE.

TO TRIP AND JOE, LET'S START WITH ERIC ADAMS, ALL RIGHT?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE SUGGESTION OF, OKAY, LET'S JOINT TASK FORCE, FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL TO TRY TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS.

>> IT IS REMARKABLE HOW ERIC ADAMS, HE HAS BEEN CERTIFIED THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE AS MAYOR FOR A FEW WEEKS.

MANY OF US PRESUME HE WILL BE THE NEXT MAYOR.

IT IS REMARKABLE HOW MUCH OF A NATIONAL FIGURE HE HAS BECOME IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

HE'S ALREADY BECOME A NATIONAL ADVOCATE ON THE ISSUE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION.

YOU KNOW, ERIC ADAMS WAS -- I WILL SAY THIS.

YOU KNOW, HE WAS THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.

THE DEMOCRATIC ELECTORATE THROUGH MUCH OF THIS YEAR WAS NOT FOCUSSED ON GUN VIOLENCE, I SHOULD SAY PUBLIC SAFETY, AS THEIR NUMBER ONE ISSUE UNTIL THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, FROM LATE APRIL TO THE END OF JUNE.

ERIC ADAMS HAD A VERY CONSISTENT MESSAGE FROM THE START OF THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY AND HE EXECUTED VERY WELL ON THAT.

YOU KNOW, HAVING A TASK FORCE, FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL IS CERTAINLY A GOOD, INTRIGUING IDEA.

IT TAKES A LOT MORE THAN THAT.

IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF COOPERATION, QUITE FRANKLY, FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL AS WELL.

BECAUSE, AS WE KNOW, WE HAVE STRONG GUN CONTROL LAWS IN NEW YORK CITY AND STATE, BUT OTHER PLACES LIKE PENNSYLVANIA AND GEORGIA AND ALONG THE I-95, THE SO-CALLED IRON POP LINE, THERE IS A LOT OF GUN TRAFFICKING FROM THOSE STATES THAT HAVE COME INTO NEW YORK.

WE NEED STRONG PARTNERSHIP FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TACKLE THE ISSUES OF GUN SAFETY AND GUN VIOLENCE.

>> LET ME GET YOU IN ON THIS.

I ONLY HAVE TWO MINUTES LEFT HERE.

SO LAURA LAID OUT THESE AGGRESSIVE AND DIFFERENT APPROACHES HE'S OFFERING HERE.

BUT ALSO SUGGESTING GOING BACK, YOU KNOW, TO THE PAST, IF YOU WILL, AND THE NOTION OF REINTRODUCING STOP -- AGAIN, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES ALWAYS SAID THAT THE CORRECT TITLE IS STOP, ASK AND THEN PERHAPS FRISK.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

>> VIOLENCE, HOMICIDE, THEY ARE NOT THE DISEASE.

THEY ARE SYMPTOMS.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIX THEM WITH FLYERS.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIX THEM BY GOING BACK TO STOP AND FRISK.

WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO STOP THEM WITH JOINT TASK FORCE.

ALL THAT DOES IS TO DEAL WITH TREATING THE SYMPTOMS AND NOT SURIE ING CURING THE DISEASE.

YOU HAVE A DISEASE KNOWN AS DESPAIR.

IT IS TRICKLE DOWN DESPAIR FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.

AND AS WE SEE OURSELVES LIVING IN ABNORMAL TIMES, WE SEE THE ABNORMAL OUTCOMES BEGINNING TO RISE.

THAT'S WHY WE ARE NOT A HOMICIDELY INCLINED PEOPLE, AND, YET, WE SEE HOMICIDE CLIMBING FROM COAST TO COAST BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WHEN PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR NEXT MEAL, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD, THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN A SCENARIO WHERE THEY FEEL AS IF THEIR LIFE NO LONGER HAS VALUE.

WE HAVE TO INSTILL IN PEOPLE THE NOTION THEIR LIFE HAS VALUE BY PUTTING IN PLACE POLICIES THAT ALLOW THEM TO BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES.

THAT MEANS A COMPLETE REVAMP OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM BECAUSE IT IS FUELED BY THE FACT THAT WE REFUSE TO DO WHAT THE DATA SHOWS US NEEDS TO BE DONE.

IT IS TALKING ABOUT DEALING WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A WAGE CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS, I THINK, THAT EITHER ARE TOO GREEDY IN THE NAME OF BUSINESS OR WHO WANT TO TALK ABOUT A $15 MINIMUM WAGE WHILE THEY WEAR A T-SHIRT THEY GOT FROM H AND M THAT WAS MADE FOR CENTS ON THE DOLLAR IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.

AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES HERE, UNFORTUNATELY, TODAY.

>> AGAIN, THERE IS SO MUCH FOR US TO TALK ABOUT.

IT IS ALWAYS A DELIGHT TO TALK TO ALL OF YOU.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE FIRST TIME.

LAURA, ALWAYS A PLEASURE WITH YOU.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING YOU ALL BACK HERE SOON.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

BE WELL.

TAKE CARE SOON.

>> HAVE A GOOD ONE.

>> THANK YOU.

♪ >>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III.

SYLVIA A.

AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ.

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG.

THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION.

AND BY -- JANET PRINDLE SEIDLER.

JODY AND JOHN ARNHOLD.

CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN FAMILY.

JUDY AND JOSH WESTON.

DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA SOHN FOUNDATION.