NEW THIS MORNING

NEW THIS MORNING: * Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch is urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take the lead in advancing a statewide teacher evaluation system, which has stalled over opposition from unions and district officials, the New York Times says: http://nyti.ms/zGkejf * Cuomo has lent several items from his personal collection of New York historical documents for display as part of the restoration of the state Capitol building, the Times reports: http://nyti.ms/AikIxO * The state recently closed its seventh prison, and shifted 2,600 inmates and 1,400 staff to its remaining 60 facilities, as part of Cuomo's plan to consolidate the state's prison population, the Associated Press says: http://bit.ly/zNR8Dp * Early speculation about who will succeed City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in 2013 has centered on two members who represent neighboring districts: Inez Dickens and Melissa Mark-Viverito, the New York Observer says: http://bit.ly/zQR0dS * A retired sergeant is suing the Port Authority after the agency eliminated his free tolls for life benefit for retirees, the Wall Street Journal reports: http://on.wsj.com/zooo5v * A group of chefs, bakers and restaurateurs, including celebrity chef Mario Batali, have started an anti-hydrofracking group to raise awareness about the threat the drilling method poses to New York's breadbasket, MetroFocus reports: http://bit.ly/xtWZ9p