By Azi Paybarah in Manhattan, Jimmy Vielkind in Albany, and Mike Allen in D.C., with Daniel Lippman

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE -- Asked to defend de Blasio, Council responds cautiously -- POLITICO New York’s Gloria Pazmino: “When Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez sent an unsolicited statement to reporters on Thursday afternoon, urging progressives to “stand behind” Mayor Bill de Blasio, he became one of the first members of the City Council to publicly support the mayor amid a swirl of overlapping investigations. Rodriguez has been one of the more reliable allies of the mayor — backing de Blasio’s agenda even on some unpopular proposals, like a proposed ban on horse carriages and a cap on new Uber vehicles — and a spokesman said his message of support was unprompted by the mayor or his aides. But several members of the Council told POLITICO New York that top officials in the mayor’s intergovernmental relations division had asked members to issue statements of support.”

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Those officials went as far as distributing talking points to close allies “in case they wanted to write op-eds,” one source said. The talking points included a list of the mayor’s signature achievements over the last two years, including several that were mentioned by Rodriguez in his statement: universal pre-kindergarten, improved policing tactics and increased safety, and thousands of new units of affordable housing. One source who received a copy of the talking points said it included a line about how much is “on the line” for the mayor’s progressive agenda and the need to “not jump to judgment.” http://politi.co/1sysjYG

BROWN’S SENATE STRATEGY — POLITICO New York’s Jimmy Vielkind: Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says he will work with Democratic leaders in the State Senate to give his party a governing majority after this year’s elections. “My plans are to work with the Senate Democratic leadership and party chairs across the State of New York,” Brown told reporters after he was installed as chairman of the Democratic State Committee. “Right now, technically, we do have a Democratic Senate and hopefully we will be able to have all of those Democrats work together in the Senate and be in the majority.” http://politi.co/1qFRjvW

-- Here is the ballot listing the Democratic National Committee delegates who were elected: http://bit.ly/1sxR9YM

** A message from Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector: Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector supports plans to build a modern streetcar that will link underserved neighborhoods from Astoria to Sunset Park. We are actively engaging New Yorkers who live and work along the corridor to participate in the planning process. Learn more and join us at www.bqx.nyc! **

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The mayor “is inviting a challenger in 2017 who can make the case that I support all these progressive policies and I am going to be able to deliver them because I can work with other elected officials.” -- Councilman Rory Lancman, via NY1’s “Inside City Hall”: http://goo.gl/8K8P55

BONUS QUOTE OF THE DAY: “‘If they can make room for 10,000 people, they can make room for a few dozen cats,’ State Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol said at a cat colony neighboring the Greenpoint Landing development site on the Brooklyn waterfront, where the keepers of two separate colonies fear encroaching construction.” http://nyti.ms/1WNS8kH

FLASHBACK OF THE DAY: Bill de Blasio 2013 “sees the world a bit differently” than de Blasio 2016, in terms of Freedom of Information Law requests, reports NY1’s Grace Rauh: http://goo.gl/8yjSHh

TABS -- Daily News: “EARTH, WIND & LIAR: Trump plays GOP votes for suckers — calls climate change ‘bulls—t,’ then submits plan for a wall to protect his golf course from ‘global warming’” -- Post: “DIRTY BILLS: Trump unveils ‘rape’ ad vs. Clinton; Cosby: I drugged teens for sex” -- SEE THEM: https://goo.gl/nd27PH

-- amNY: “‘HAMILTON’ HEIGHTS: Huge hit propels Broadway to record box office season” -- Metro: “COMING TO THE RESCUE: Brooklyn community raises money to pay beloved ice cream vendor’s $1,000 fine” -- SEE THEM: https://goo.gl/Il42Ie

-- Hamodia: NY Law Would Tighten Abuse Reporting for Disabled” -- Newsday: “FEDS MOVE TO SEIZE DOC’S ASSETS” -- El Diario [translated]: We need more resources

FRONT PAGES -- NYT, 2-col., below the fold: “A Duel of Political Operatives” -- WSJNY, 1-col., above the fold: “Leniency In Store For Minor Offenses” -- SEE THEM: https://goo.gl/YfDDXl

LAWMAKERS SEEK RESOLUTION TO DFS REGULATION — State of Politics’ Nick Reisman: “State lawmakers are considering a three-tiered system for regulating daily fantasy sports in New York that would include small-time operators, major companies like FanDuel and DraftKings as well as Yahoo Sports.’ We’ve carved out a piece for Yahoo which is a little different than the big fantasy sports operators and we’ve carved out a piece for the little fellows, so we’re trying to make it accommodating to everyone that engages as a business in fantasy sports,’ said Sen. John Bonacic, the Republican who chairs the Senate’s Racing and Wagering Committee. Bonacic plans to introduce his legislation either later this week or early next week, with plans for a $10 million licensing fee for the large companies, with a three-year tax credit over the first three years. ‘The major part of the revenue will be from the licensing fee,” Bonacic said. “I don’t anticipate much revenue from daily usage, maybe $5 million.’ In the Democratic-led Assembly, Racing and Wagering Committee Chairman Gary Pretlow plans a bill sometime this week, he said.” http://bit.ly/1WL6MIZ

OFFICER REFORM? -- With new guards at Rikers city looks to change a harmful culture -- POLITICO New York’s Colby Hamilton and Gloria Pazmino: “Prior to Commissioner Ponte, it was more a focus on numbers as opposed to quality,” said Dr. Larry Johnson, a DOC veteran who was named executive director of the Applicant Investigation Unit in 2014. “Because the department just wanted the numbers, the quality wasn’t the best.” Johnson said the unit had previously been comprised of just four investigators — all civilians — charged with conducting interviews, background checks and psychological evaluations. “There is really no way that you could really investigate, or complete a thorough medical examination, with minimal staff and the amount of candidates that are coming in to get processed,” Johnson said. Johnson dramatically increased the size of the AIU, which now numbers 87 people and receives additional support from uniformed personnel.

-- ONCE THE NEW RECRUITS ARE accepted, they enter DOC’s cadet training academy, which is now under the direction of Warden Penny Jones, a three-decade veteran of the department. Jones has said the changes in the recruiting pipeline have led to “more professional” recruits, allowing her to implement a rigorous curriculum that includes courses in crisis management, mental health and first aid, with an emphasis on de-escalation techniques, conflict resolution and crisis intervention, in keeping with the department’s new use-of-force policy. The new courses have increased the training by two weeks, and now include weekly required tests, on top of the midterm and final exams before graduation. The academy is currently open 24 hours a day, five days a week, allowing the department to train and prepare more recruits — including for overnight shifts — yielding a record number of cadets moving through the process. But the pace of change could be slow. http://politi.co/1TvTXMM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Lobbyist Glen Casey, Mason Tenders District Council leader Mike McGuire, Queens Village Republican Club President Phil Orenstein … Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon, musician Patti LaBelle ... Bob Dylan is 75 and the late rapper Heavy D … (was yesterday): Cub Barrett, comms director at Friends of the High Line

THE SHADOW CAMPAIGN: David Brock and Roger Stone – N.Y. Times A1, lower right corner, “A Duel of Political Operatives,” by Amy Chozick (online: “As Trump and Clinton Clash, 2 Operatives Duke It Out in Their Shadows”): “One takes a pint-size dog named Toby almost everywhere, smokes electronic cigarettes and wears his silver hair in a sweeping pompadour. The other has a portrait of Richard M. Nixon tattooed on his back, boasts that he owns more shoes than Imelda Marcos and traffics in conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination.

“The 2016 election ... features two central antagonists known for their colorful traits and devotion to the dark arts of politics: David Brock and Roger J. Stone Jr. ... On the wall of Mr. Stone’s office in South Florida, which has an undisclosed address because of the death threats he said he had received, hangs a ‘Spy vs. Spy’ cartoon, which young staff members titled ‘Brock-Stone’ after the two battling operatives.” http://nyti.ms/1TTvhxm

BROADWAY BUZZ -- “Broadway Defies the Odds With Another Record-Breaking Season,” by Times’ Michael Paulson: “‘Hamilton’ brought a boost. ‘The Lion King’ provided ballast. And Broadway, once again, broke a record: The theater season that just ended attracted more people, and more money, than any before. Broadway seems to be defying the cultural odds: An ancient art form in the digital age, it is strengthening thanks to an ever-increasing influx of tourists and a resurgent enthusiasm for musical theater. The season that ended on Sunday included 13,317,980 visitors to Broadway shows — a record number, up 1.6 percent over the previous season … Theaters grossed $1.373 billion, also a record, up 0.6 percent over the previous season, although the grosses are not adjusted for inflation.” http://nyti.ms/25jASs5

REAL ESTATE —“Chinese fund is the buyer of a stake in a downtown office tower owned by Brookfield,” by Crain’s Daniel Geiger: “A nearly $1 trillion Chinese investment company is the buyer of a 49% stake in the downtown office tower 1 New York Plaza. China Investment Corp., a sovereign wealth fund with more than $700 billion under management, purchased the minority interest from Brookfield Office Properties, which will retain a controlling stake in the building. The deal values the 50-story office tower at about $1.4 billion, meaning CIC paid about $700 million for its interest in the property. … The sale gives CIC a passive stake in the 2.6 million-square-foot property, whose largest tenant is the prominent law firm Fried Frank.” http://bit.ly/1TT8Msk

—“Luxury sales soar in Manhattan as new towers enter market,” by POLITICO New York's Sally Goldenberg: “Despite reports of a supply glut and a slowdown, New York City's luxury residential market is still hot and is growing at the same pace as gold, according to a new report. During a six-month period that ended on March 31, 566 apartments in Manhattan's 100 priciest buildings were sold, up from 334 during the same period a year earlier, according to a report released on Tuesday by real estate website CityRealty. At the same time, the average price per square foot saw an 8 percent drop from last year to $2,602, while the median price per square foot inched up 3 percent to $2,344. CityRealty concluded that the changes indicate a fairly steady market for high-end condos included in the annual analysis, ‘The CityRealty 100,’ which ranks the top 100 residential condos in Manhattan that have a minimum price of $1,000 per square foot during the preceding 12 months or whenever the last transactions took place.”

—“Glen: Brooklyn Bridge Park board to vote soon on housing plans,” by POLITICO New York’s Mazin Sidahmed: “The Brooklyn Bridge Park board will vote in favor of a project to build two apartment buildings on Pier 6 within the month, deputy mayor for housing and economic development Alicia Glen said on Monday. The vote will move forward despite the state withdrawing its approval of the plans last week, citing concerns about a potential conflict of interest. ‘We’re intending to have the Brooklyn Bridge Park board vote in favor of a project within the next couple of weeks,’ said Glen, who is chair of the Brooklyn Bridge Park board. … Jonah Bruno, the press secretary for Empire State Development, told POLITICO New York that the state was willing to hold another meeting, ‘with the goal of adding affordable housing to the Brooklyn Bridge Park plan, but from recent reports it seems the City feels approval is not necessary.’” http://politi.co/1XsJaI0

THE HOME TEAMS -- POLITICO New York’s Howard Megdal: Mets 7, Nationals 1: Despite losing Lucas Duda to a stress fracture in his back, the Mets still hit three home runs, including a league-leading 15th from Yoenis Cespedes, in support of a solid Bartolo Colon start.

-- The day ahead: the Mets are in Washington. Old friend R.A. Dickey and the Blue Jays visit the Yankees. The Liberty host a matinee at The Garden against the Dream.

#UpstateAmerica: One of the world’s top experts on Elvis’ autograph lives in Amherst. “I’ve studied Elvis Presley’s autograph every day of my life for the past 25 years,” he says. http://bit.ly/1WNOfw0

** A message from Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector: Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit that supports plans to create connectivity and generate economic development along the East River waterfront corridor from Sunset Park to Astoria through the construction of a modern streetcar that complements and enhances existing transportation infrastructure.

We are focused on engaging New Yorkers who live and work along the corridor to actively participate in the planning process and provide feedback on how BQX can best serve those who have been left out by the existing transportation network. We are also working to grow our coalition of community members, transit experts, educational and cultural institutions, small businesses and large employers to include and reflect the diversity of stakeholders who want and need better transportation choices in one of the fastest growing corridors in New York City. Find out more about why we support the BQX and join our effort at www.bqx.nyc **

FOR MORE political and policy news from New York, check out Politico New York’s home page: http://politi.co/1MkLGXV

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