NEW THIS MORNING

NEW THIS MORNING: * Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the fraud trial of former state Sen. Pedro Espada, who they argued had used his government-funded health clinic as a personal ATM, the New York Times writes: http://nyti.ms/Ic1O14 * Paul Rivera, an aide to Democratic Sen. John Sampson, is getting a $50,000 raise despite cuts for other Senate employees in the past year, the Daily News reports: http://nydn.us/I8rIBt * Despite its 110-year history of free tuition, Cooper Union will begin charging tuition for graduate students next year, the Times reports: http://nyti.ms/JFuZsW *  Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's bill to use public financing for campaigns would be funded in part by money from Wall Street fraud settlements, the Associated Press reports: http://bit.ly/If6KmM * City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is trying to avoid politicizing her May 19th marriage to partner Kim Catullo despite the advantages of doing so, the Times reports: http://nyti.ms/JFdyIU * East River Ferry ridership numbers have far exceeded expectations since the program's launch last year, feeding speculation the City Council will try to make the program permanent, the Wall Street Journal says: http://on.wsj.com/I8giAj * The power of the Orthodox Jewish vote in New York has increased, a trend noticeable in the recent special elections for former Rep. Anthony Weiner and former Sen. Carl Kruger's seats, the Observer reports: http://bit.ly/JKEWXO