NEW THIS MORNING

NEW THIS MORNING NEW YORK CITY'S POST-SANDY FUTURE: Sandy was the second major storm system to batter New York City in the last two years, and it likely won't be the last. The mayoral candidates take up the question of what the city needs to do to be ready: http://bit.ly/Qb23i0  Cuomo will not raise taxes or fees in the next state budget to make up for losses incurred by Hurricane Sandy, as state legislators await a midyear report on state finances that will include Sandy's impact on the current budget, the New York Post's Fred Dicker writes: http://bit.ly/YhOyR5 With Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer now out of the running, the New York City mayoral race will have no major Jewish challenger in the Democratic field for the first time in more than half a century, The New York Times writes: http://nyti.ms/Tax1nh Because of a $27 million grant from the federal Labor Department, more than 5,000 New Yorkers will be hired for temporary government jobs to help in the Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, with jobs lasting for up to six months the Post reports: http://bit.ly/V1hFlo The News calls the legislative push for medical marijuana a cover for full-on legalization, citing other states that have passed medical marijuana laws and have found that most patients use the drug for recreational use rather than pain: http://nydn.us/XUHQl3 The News criticizes the Education Department for its "absurd" policy of testing four-year olds for gifted and talented programs in New York City public schools, and calls for a lottery system instead: http://nydn.us/tj0HSO