Ethics: $7.4 billion in contracts for clients of lawfirms that employee legislators. [Thomas Kaplan / New York Times]
Appointments: Cuomo appointee, Howard Milstein, has a troubled past. [Michael Powell / New York Times]
Headline: “Sen. James Alesi backs same-sex marriage in final week of session.” [Joseph Spector / Democrat and Chronicle]
Same-Sex Marriage: Two more votes needed. [Tom Precious / Buffalo News]
Same-Sex Marriage: How Cuomo rolled out the support Monday. [Laura Nahmias / The Capitol]
Same-Sex Marriage: “tide may have turned dramatically.” Alesi hinges support on religious carve outs; Ball needs to see the language. [Simon Garron-Caine / Gay City News]
Same-Sex Marriage: “I’m not going to make it a party vote, a conference vote,” said Dean Skelos. [Jimmy Vielkind / Times Union]
Same-Sex Marriage: “It’s unclear if Republicans will provide the needed votes to approve gay marriage, though momentum Monday night seemed to be moving that way.” [Ken Lovett / Daily News]
Same-Sex Marriage: Archbishop Dolan expected to call “certain” state senators. [Jacob Gershman / WSJ]
Same-Sex Marriage: “I believe that the votes will be there for marriage equality if the vote happens,” said Cuomo. [Nick Confessore and Michael Barbaro / New York Times]
Same-Sex Marriage: “Flood your senators with phone calls. Inundate them with emails. Bury them with letters. But keep it positive. Keep it loving.” [Bill Hammond / Daily News]
Same-Sex Marriage: “Alesi’s stunning change of heart” and “shocking confession” about 2009 vote. [Brendan Scott and Fred Dicker / NY Post]
2009: ” ‘I’ve apologized for letting people down, but I was supporting a conference vote that I believed at the time politically was necessary when we [ Republicans ] were in the [Senate] minority,’ Alesi said, essentially saying that the GOP didn’t want to give the Democrats who then controlled the chamber a victory.” [Yancey Roy / Newsday]
Endorsements: After apologizing for homophobic rant, Tracy Morgan voices support for same-sex marriage. [Joe Gracely / Daily News]
Pressure: Weiner is a test of Pelosi’s clout; aides say Pelosi spoke with Weiner regularly throughout the week, urging him to leave. [Carl Huse and Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times]
Pressure: Obama wants him to resign; Pelosi said, “I hope…Weiner will hear this.” [Geoff Earle and SA Miller / NY Post]
Weiner Problems: “Weiner’s predicament has rocked the Democratic Party, particularly the women who hold leadership posts.” [AP]
Weiner Chorus: Menendez doesn’t call for Weiner’s resignation. [Sergio Bichao / Home News Tribune]
Rehab: Editors call Weiner’s two-week treatment stint “a PR cover to let an embattled member buy time.” Granting him the leave “is a gross abuse.” [Daily News]
Rehab: “I think there is something noble in what [Weiner] is doing right now.” [Andrew Brown / Guardian]
Context: “Personally don’t think what he did is all that bad and I think the media’s preoccupation with this story is a little absurd,” said Gennette Cordova. [Alison Gendar / Daily News]
Redistricting: If not now, not for another 10 years, editors fear. [Jay Jochnowitz / Times Union]
Graduation Rates: Statewide info being released today. [AP]
Layoffs: Moving forward in Albany.[Rick Karlin / Times Union]
Layoffs: Unions eye health care fund to protect jobs; in talks with Bloomberg. [Michael Saul / WSJ]
Layoffs: ‘This is not a typical budget negotiation year, it’s a bad year, and I’m not afraid to ask for help,’ Ms. Quinn said in an interview.” [Fernanda Santos / New York Times]
