“Inside City Hall,” an hour-long look at New York politics, can be seen on NY1 News weekdays at 7 and 10 p.m.

On last night’s “Inside City Hall,” former Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch talked about the looming fiscal crisis facing states around the country.

Tonight’s program includes: Glimmerglass Festival’s Francesca Zambello and director Tazewell Thompson, who will discuss their production of the opera “Lost in the Stars” – which is set in apartheid-era South Africa.

Watch NY1 Political Director Bob Hardt discuss some of the stories making news today in this morning's Political Buzz below:

The New York Times

Eric Newcomer notes: “After a letter on Wednesday from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who had remained on the sidelines during the three-week lockout at Consolidated Edison, New York’s utilities commission agreed to organize a meeting between Con Ed and its union.”

Joseph Berger reports: “As opponents shouted ‘Shame!’ from a City Council balcony, New York University won final approval on Wednesday for a huge expansion plan that will change the look and feel of Greenwich Village more than almost any other project in decades.”

Kate Taylor notes: “Bill de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, said on Wednesday that he planned to sue Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and several city commissioners to compel them to turn over data on the city’s revenue from fines.”

Aaron Edwards writes about 10-year-old Kameron Slade’s speech about gay marriage at the City Council.

David Chen hangs out with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn at her weekend home in New Jersey.

Reporting from North Carolina, Kirk Semple writes: “During the final weeks of his life, Pvt. Danny Chen, the Chinese-American soldier from Lower Manhattan who killed himself last year while on duty in Afghanistan, was withdrawn and shy, struggling to find his place on a small military outpost in a violent region of the country, several of his fellow soldiers said Wednesday.”

New York Post

David Seifman reports: “An Upper East Side legislator, deluged by complaints about wayward delivery bikes, introduced a bill yesterday that would require the NYPD to specify when it gives out summonses to users of electric bicycles.”

Maddux & Campanile write: “In a move that was amazingly foolish and incredibly brazen, a former Queens lawmaker now under indictment on federal bribery charges called an FBI informant at the center of his corruption case — only minutes after he was released on $1 million bail — in a possible attempt to obstruct justice, stunned officials said yesterday.”

Erik Kriss notes: “State Senate Minority Leader John Sampson’s recent car crash caused more than $70,000 in damage, according to police documents.”

New York Daily News

Pete Donohue reports: “The MTA is ratcheting up the pressure for union workers to accept givebacks — or wage freezes — to help balance its budget. Unveiling its latest four-year financial plan, Metropolitan Transportation Authority executives Wednesday said that the sacrifice it seeks from workers pales in comparison to what it is imposing on riders and drivers.”

Lovett & Blain report: “State legislative leaders have been playing the financial markets to beef up their campaign treasuries — and sometimes investing in companies with business before the state. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) invested more than $2 million in campaign funds in 100 companies through mutual funds. Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos’ campaign has a $2 million investment portfolio that includes $700,000 in municipal bonds.”

Wall Street Journal

Jacob Gershman writes: “New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has studiously avoided talk of a 2016 White House run, but he has positioned himself on two fronts, amassing the nation's largest gubernatorial war chest and organizing a series of August policy summits with Democratic leaders and academics.”

The ItCH will be off tomorrow – and back Monday.

Have a great weekend.

Bob Hardt