New York City was spared the worst of Hurricane Irene.

The subway system is limping back to life, while commuter rails remain partially paralyzed.

Even Bloomberg’s loudest detractors conceded that with his vigilant and visible handling of Tropical Storm Irene, he had done much to repair his reputation for C.E.O.-style leadership, a reputation that had been badly tarnished when his administration bungled the cleanup of a post-Christmas blizzard last year, Michael Barbaro reports.

Annoyance flashed across the mayor’s face when a reporter questioned whether any of the aggressive actions taken by the city in anticipation of the storm were linked to the botched response to the snowstorm. “This has nothing to do with a blizzard,” the mayor scoffed, according to Michael Howard Saul.

Tish James, who led the “Mother of All Hearings” into the blizzard response, jokingly noted that there would not be a sequel.

Staten Island and Queens faced the worst of it.

The city of Troy is facing severe flooding while a dam near there is in danger of breaking.

Gov. Cuomo investigation into the salaries at non-profits could set off a fight with some of his largest donors.

Very few of the 50 or so shuttered OTB parlors have found new tenants.

Mayor Bloomberg is privately telling people that he will support Christine Quinn as his sucessor. Whether or not that is a benefit is another matter.

On Twitter, Howard Wolfson disputes that account.

Jerry Springer, on his former boss Bob Turner, and his fellow ideological travelers: Something in their life, some trauma made them conservative. I think we should have a telethon for them, that’s all.”

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