NEW THIS MORNING

SEN. RUBEN DIAZ SR. WANTS HIS MEMBER ITEMS: The outspoken Bronx Democrat said he wants to dump Minority Leader John Sampson for failing to protect his right to direct member items to his district: http://bit.ly/xRYoOm NEW THIS MORNING: * The Manhattan district attorney is investigating a rape allegation against Greg Kelly, the son of Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and a local TV anchor, an accusation he denies, the New York Times reports: http://nyti.ms/ztHsTN * State Senate Republicans are redrawing district maps that would pit key Democratic Sen. Michael Gianaris against a fellow Democrat, and merge two other Queens seats held by Democrats, the Daily News notes: http://nydn.us/xGm65I * Gov. Andrew Cuomo is prodding Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the UFT to reach an agreement on teacher evaluations, including whether the schools chancellor has final say over appeals, the Wall Street Journal reports: http://on.wsj.com/xn0RvV * A study shows New York City students at small public high schools are more likely to graduate than those at larger schools, findings in line with the Bloomberg administration's push for small schools, the Times writes: http://nyti.ms/wK5msP * The MTA is modifying a contract on its East Side Access project in an effort to cut two years from the excavation work and reduce but not completely eliminate project delays, the Journal writes: http://on.wsj.com/x5uxIq * New York City teachers drank alcohol between class and lied about their income to get subsidized housing, and one slapped a student, yet all kept their jobs last year, showing how hard it is to remove some bad teachers, the Post finds: http://nyp.st/xxnQ1E