Thursday, August 19, 2021

139 Days and Counting - Did the Country Make a Mistake Opening Up on July 4th

 


Here I am back in May when Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and I broke ground for the Bronx Hip Hop Museum. Notice the people behind us, most of whom were not wearing face masks. Did we open the country up to early, and not care about the COVID virus back on July 4th? 


If it was safe back then, why am I worrying now in the middle of August about rising COVID virus indicators? By the time I leave in 139 days who knows how high the indicators will go, as it was the holiday season where the indicators for the virus spiked last year. 


My hallmark is probably going to be, that I will be remembered as the COVID-19 Mayor, and not for all the other things I have done to make this city better.


D.A. Vance, N.Y.P.D. Commissioner Shea Announce Indictment of 13 Members of East Harlem “Chico Gang”

 

Indictment Alleges 21 Shootings Over 2 ½ Years; 17 Guns Recovered 

Part of Manhattan D.A.’s Comprehensive Strategy to Combat Gun Violence in East Harlem

 Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea today announced the indictment of 13 members of “Chico Gang,” based in and around NYCHA’s Wagner Houses, for engaging in numerous shootings and other acts of violence carried out against their rivals, including residents of NYCHA’s Jefferson Houses. The indictments allege 21 shootings – with 12 shooting victims – in and around the Jefferson Houses and other areas of East Harlem beginning in November 2018.

The defendants are charged in two New York State Supreme Court indictments containing 65 counts. All of the defendants are charged with Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree. Additional charges include varying counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault and Attempted Assault in the First Degrees, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, among other crimes. The indictment follows a long-term investigation led by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Unit (“VCEU”) and the NYPD’s Manhattan North Violent Crimes Squad.

“This indictment is one part of our work to break the cycle of violence gripping East Harlem, as teens are recruited to take the place of older gang members and continue their bloody rivalries,” said District Attorney Vance. “These defendants are alleged to have shot a dozen people, four of whom were unintended targets – including a 12-year-old boy. While we continue to aggressively prosecute gun violence in all of its forms, we are keenly aware that prosecutions alone cannot break this cycle. Over the past four years, we’ve invested tens of millions of dollars in violence prevention in East Harlem, from Youth Opportunity Hubs to networks of Community Navigators to our first-of-its-kind Center for Trauma Innovation. But without scaling up large, sustained investments in support systems and opportunities for vulnerable populations and historically marginalized communities, the City is facing a losing battle. Tackling the pandemic’s seismic, destabilizing impacts on unemployment, homelessness, and mental health, the availability of guns from states with lax gun laws, and law enforcement’s deficit of trust, credibility, and clearance rates in communities of color requires a whole-of-government approach.”

Police Commissioner Shea said: “The arrests of these gang members were specifically targeted to remove the drivers of this gang violence from our streets. The Chico gang has carried on senseless rivalries targeting other gangs with innocent members of the community – including children – being caught in the crossfire. It has to stop. We have worked very hard in the NYPD alongside the Manhattan DA’s Office, using forfeiture money seized from drug crews and criminals to fund programs and places to offer young people choices. These have included sports programs, jobs mentoring and skills. These defendants have made choices that they showed no intention of turning back from. Now, hopefully, they will face the consequences.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, the 13 defendants are members of “Chico Gang” based in NYCHA’s Wagner Houses, located in East Harlem between Second Avenue and Harlem River Drive from East 120th to East 124th Streets. Many of the defendants were enlisted by older gang members who were charged by the Manhattan D.A.’s Office in February 2019 with numerous acts of violence, including 17 shootings, in retaliation for the fatal shooting of Juwan “Chico” Tavarez inside the Jefferson Houses.

As alleged in this indictment, between November 7, 2018, and July 29, 2021, the 13 defendants conspired to possess guns to continue the older gang members’ rivalry with individuals living in the Jefferson Houses, as well as to handle violent disputes with other individuals in the East Harlem area. In total, the defendants are charged with committing 21 shootings with 12 shooting victims, as well as multiple additional weapons-related crimes. Four of the shooting victims were unintended targets, including a 12-year-old boy who was shot in the leg on December 23, 2018.

Over the course of the investigation, investigators executing court-authorized search warrants and effecting arrests recovered 14 semi-automatic pistols and three revolvers, at least five of which were originally purchased in Maine, where the defendants traveled on multiple occasions to acquire firearms.

Tackling Gun Violence in East Harlem

The Manhattan D.A.’s Office takes a comprehensive approach to combatting gun violence. The Office is committed not only to prosecuting those responsible for gun violence, but preventing young people from getting involved in gun and gang violence in the first place. The Office also recognizes the impact these prosecutions have on the family, friends, and neighbors of those charged.

The Office’s Community Partnerships and Crime Strategies Units continue to work closely with community partners in East Harlem to coordinate prevention efforts, connect with more young people in the area, and assess additional resource needs for people who live in the Wagner and Jefferson Houses and the surrounding neighborhood. The Office also works with credible messengers to connect with youth at risk of becoming involved in gun violence.

In September, the Office will host its signature“Art of Healing” festivalin East Harlem to encourage residents and community members to use creative arts as a resource to heal trauma resulting from gun violence. Details, including date and location, will be available here. The Community Partnerships and Crime Strategies Units continue to address schools and community groups around Manhattan about gun violence prevention, with presentations tailored to specific audiences. Request a presentation here. Saturday Night Lights – the Office’s signature youth violence prevention program which was recently expanded to 100 gyms citywide – operates four sites in East Harlem. Learn more and sign-up for free, world-class sports and fitness training for young people here.

The D.A.’s Office has invested considerable resources in East Harlem through its Criminal Justice Investment Initiative. In September 2020, D.A. Vance awarded $8 million to Exodus Transitional Community to create a first-of-its-kind Center for Trauma Innovation (“CTI”) located in East Harlem and serving Northern Manhattan. The CTI addresses the needs of individuals exposed to trauma by enhancing and expanding trauma-informed and trauma-specific services and resources. The Center focuses on communities of color that experience disproportionate rates of violence and have less access to trauma services. The D.A.’s Office previously awarded Exodus Transitional Community $989,000 to provide trauma-informed programming to young people ages 14-24 through its CommonUnity program.

In 2017, D.A. Vance invested $10.3 million to create a Youth Opportunity Hub in East Harlem, which brings together community-based organizations to provide comprehensive services to young people. Union Settlement coordinates services under the Youth Opportunity Hub and partners with more than two dozen local East Harlem providers to offer tailored supports and programming, including employment and workforce training, violence prevention, recreation, mental health services, legal representation, maternal and infant health services, leadership development, and benefits assistance.

District Attorney Vance thanked the NYPD, including Deputy Chief Brian McGee (Commanding Officer Detective Borough Manhattan North), and the Manhattan North Violent Crimes Squad’s Captain Kurtis Rose, Sergeants John Mejia and William Dooley, and Detectives Albert Krasniqi and Fidel Santiago. D.A. Vance also thanked Detective Ben Murtiff of the Augusta (Maine) Police Department.

Is Jumaane Williams Starting His Campaign For Governor Today

 

Current New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams who ran against Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul in the 2018 primary as a city councilman from Brooklyn is shown receiving the endorsement of NYPN in 2018. 

His schedule today includes two stops upstate in the afternoon, before joining Mayor de Blasio tonight at the Mayor's Homecoming Concert in Brooklyn. the two stops upstate are,

At 1 P.M. – Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joins Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson and leaders from the Hudson/ Catskill Housing Coalition for a rally in support of Hudson’s Good Cause Evictions law. 41 N. Second Street, Hudson.

At 2:30 P.M. – Williams joins Ulster County County Executive Patrick Ryan to announce new emergency transitional housing. 289 Fair St, Kingston.

Then at 6:30 P.M. – Mayor de Blasio and Public Advocate Williams deliver remarks at the “It’s Time for Hip Hop in NYC: Brooklyn” free concert series. Brooklyn Army Terminal, 80 58th St, Brooklyn.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

OcasioCortez.com - Update on the census numbers:

 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress

You have to see these numbers:

Large U.S. counties with stronger than expected census counts (vs. estimates).

  1. Queens, NY +8%
  2. Brooklyn, NY +8%
  3. Honolulu, HI +5%
  4. Bronx, NY +5%
  5. Manhattan, NY +5%

Source: Dave Wasserman

Last year, Team AOC launched a major, seven-figure effort to encourage constituents from the Bronx and Queens to complete the census. With so much at stake in the redistricting process, it was important for us that every single person was counted.

Team AOC organizers engaged 3,800 residents from communities at risk of being undercounted at nearly 1,800 events across the district. With more than 200 languages spoken in the district, we directed funding for multilingual mailers and ads to reach and educate New Yorkers on the importance of filling out the census.

The U.S. Census Bureau recently published new counts showing Queens and the Bronx were in the top 5 large counties to outperform their census expectations. So, what does that mean?

  1. More federal funds for underserved communities: We helped bring an estimated $53 million in new federal resources for our district.
  2. A Congressional seat was saved: New York only lost one House seat after the city’s Census Bureau warned that two seats would be lost if participation was low.

This is a big win, and it was made possible by this group of grassroots supporters. This census organizing effort is exactly the kind of investment our campaign uniquely prioritizes.

The census only happens once every ten years — but our fight to ensure that underrepresented communities get the resources and representation they need never stops. And our grassroots donors play a pivotal role in funding these strategic investments. That’s why we’re asking for your support today to continue this crucial work.

Thank you for being a part of our movement,

Team AOC

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - AUGUST 18, 2021

 

95% of Recent Positives Sequenced in New York State are Linked to Delta Variant

More Than 23 Million Shots in Arms Statewide -- 
52,233 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours

20 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday


 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19.

Based on data entered into the online GISAID sequence repository, approximately 95% of recent positives in New York State are linked to the Delta variant for samples collected between August 1 and August 14, 2021.  

"New Yorkers worked tirelessly to prevent the spread of the COVID virus in their communities and we cannot afford to take any steps backward," Governor Cuomo said. "The vaccine has repeatedly been proven effective against the virus and with the ongoing spread of the Delta variant, it is crucial that you get vaccinated if you haven't already. It's free, it's available and it's effective."

 
Today's data is summarized briefly below:

·         Test Results Reported - 156,128
·         Total Positive - 4,737
·         Percent Positive - 3.03%
·         7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.16%
·         Patient Hospitalization - 1,888 (+75)
·         Patients Newly Admitted - 322
·         Patients in ICU - 381 (+12)
·         Patients in ICU with Intubation - 157 (+9)
·         Total Discharges - 189,602 (+242)
·         Deaths - 20
·         Total Deaths - 43,299
·         Total vaccine doses administered - 23,020,994
·         Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 52,233
·         Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 318,446
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 74.9%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 68.4%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 77.8%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 70.1%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 63.0%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 57.1%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 65.5%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 58.5%

Attorney General James Wins Lawsuit Against Former Ice Cream Shop Owner For Filing False, Race-Based Police Report and Use of Racist Intimidation Tactics and Violent Threats

 

Former Owner of Bumpy’s Polar Freeze Forced to Pay Peaceful BLM Protesters He Harassed, Threatened, and Pulled Weapons On First Lawsuit Utilizing AG’s Authority to Prosecute False, Race-Based Police Reports and First Lawsuit Brought by AG James’ Hate Crimes and Bias Prevention Unit

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that a judge ruled in her favor in a lawsuit filed against the former owner of Bumpy’s Polar Freeze, a popular ice cream shop in Schenectady, New York, for discrimination, harassment, making violent threats, and filing false, race-based police reports against peaceful protesters. The decision resolves a March 2021 lawsuit against the former owner of Bumpy’s, David Elmendorf, for multiple racist and discriminatory actions he took in violation of the law shortly after the ice cream shop’s allegedly racist hiring practices came to light last year. In altercations with peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters, Elmendorf brandished several weapons and made death threats in an effort to stop protests, while simultaneously using a number of offensive, racial epithets when referring to Black protesters. Following the altercations, Elmendorf called the police and falsely claimed protesters were brandishing weapons as he used their race and color as the reason for the call.

As part of the judgment, Elmendorf is required to pay $500 to each of the nine victims he harassed and threatened and is permanently enjoined from making future threats to intimidate, coerce, harass, or use physical violence against any persons or group of people because of their race, from having or brandishing a deadly weapon within 1,000 feet of any peaceful protest, from communicating with any of the victims from the incident, and from creating false reports with the police based on a person’s skin color.

This lawsuit was the first brought by Attorney General James’ Hate Crimes and Bias Prevention Unit and was the first lawsuit under a new authority granted to Attorney General James by the state legislature last year, allowing her office to prosecute those making false, race-based police reports to local police.

“There is zero tolerance for harassment, intimidation, or violence of any kind against anyone in New York,” said Attorney General James. “As this nation continues to be plagued by division and hate, this decision sends a critical and clear message that those who perpetuate racism and discrimination, including filing false, race-based police reports, will be held to the fullest extent of the law. This is an important step forward, but our work isn’t over — we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that every New Yorker feels safe and protected.”

Last June, text messages allegedly authored by Elmendorf circulated on social media, revealing the use of racial epithets and Elmendorf’s refusal to hire Black individuals. In response, Black community groups — including Black Lives Matter — as well as hundreds of others protested against Elmendorf on private property near Bumpy’s. Over a period of two days, Elmendorf then terrorized peaceful protesters by making several armed, racist death threats with both a .22 caliber air rifle and a baton. Additionally, Elmendorf called local police and made false reports — claiming protesters were armed, when, in fact, no protesters were carrying any weapons.

The lawsuit charged Elmendorf with intending to choose his victims based on race, in violation of New York Civil Rights Law (NYCLR) § 79-n, as well as violating their ability to practice their civil right to peacefully protest when he threatened to use physical force and harassed protesters with racial slurs, under New York Civil Rights Law § 40-c.

Additionally, for the first time since the passage of the additional provision in NYCLR § 79-n last summer, Attorney General James brought a charge against an individual for filing a false, racially-motivated police report. Last year, following the high-profile case against Amy Cooper, a white woman who called 911 on an innocent Black birdwatcher in Central Park, the state legislature passed a law giving Attorney General James the authority to sue any person who — when motivated by racial or other bias — “summons a police officer…without reason to suspect a violation of the penal law.”

“I thank Attorney General Letitia James and the staff of the New York Attorney General’s Office for their professionalism and dedication to justice for our community,” said Schenectady County Attorney Christopher H. Gardner. “This decision demonstrates that government, at all levels, is committed to seeking justice for all members of our community. When I requested the Attorney General’s assistance to help address this difficult situation, she did so immediately and without hesitation.”

“This outcome sends a clear message that racism and hatred will not be tolerated in our community,” said Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy. “On behalf of the city of Schenectady, I would like to thank Attorney General James and her team for their dedicated work on this historic case.”

“As a member of Schenectady Clergy Against Hate, I want to applaud Attorney General James for asserting that racism and discrimination has no place in our community,” said Rabbi Matt Cutler, Schenectady Clergy Against Hate. “We also applaud Justice Michael Cuevas for levying the maximum penalty per victim as permitted by law. We as people of faith believe that it is our moral imperative to eradicate hatred wherever it exists. We will use whatever tools we have before us — education, criminal prosecution, civil liabilities claims, the media, the pulpit, peaceful gatherings, peer-to-peer advocacy, etc. There is no place for hate in Schenectady County and we stand together as a community to pursue justice!”

“We consider the outcome of this lawsuit to be a victory for the entire community of Schenectady,” said Rev. Nicolle D. Harris, president, NAACP Schenectady Branch #2175. “It demonstrates that acts of racism will not be tolerated. It is the vision of the NAACP to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination. We applaud Attorney General Letitia James because this win against David Elmendorf, the former owner of Bumpy’s Polar Freeze, moves us toward that vision becoming a reality.”

“In June of 2020, All Of Us stood against and called out the racist acts of David Elmendorf, the owner of Bumpy’s Polar Freeze. We were able to successfully shut down the business but not before David himself attacked Black protesters and allies,” said Jamaica Miles and Shawn Young, All Of Us. “We were proud to learn that Attorney General Letitia James’ Office later filed a lawsuit for race-based actions against the peaceful protestors who were calling for justice. The outcome of the case brings us a step closer in our journey to addressing racism in our region and in our state. This is a victory for All Of Us and the community. This is a victory for all who stand against racism. This is a victory for the many businesses that actively support their entire community. Racism thrives in silence and in the dark. We are sincerely thankful for all those in the community who took action to raise awareness around the racist acts of Mr. Elmendorf and the business practices of Bumpy’s, especially those who were willing to relive their traumatic experience testifying about what happened. This process was a collective one. This is what community looks like.”

140 Days and Counting

 



I'm partying so much with my 'Homecoming Concerts'. It's great to be the Mayor of New York City, but my eight years are coming to a close. We have six more days of Andrew Cuomo as Governor of New York State, then caretaker Kathy Hochul will clean out the Governor's mansion so on January 1, 2023 I will be able to move in.

Soon to be Governor Hochul is having a tough time finding a second in command to her, and that only will make my victory even easier next year as we battle for Albany. I am a proven leader, and anyone who has an idea of running with Kathy Hochul should give me a call, because you will have a full four year term, not just a few months as the Lt. Governor.


MAYOR DE BLASIO HOLDS HEARING ON DOMESTIC WORKERS BILL, SIGNS LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE CITY CONTRACTORS TO ENTER LABOR PEACE AGREEMENTS

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio today signed a bill to require city human services contractors to enter into labor peace agreements within 90 days of receiving a city contract and held a public hearing on a bill to protect domestic workers from discrimination under the human rights law.

 

“New York City puts working people first,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “These two pieces of legislation are critical, from protecting domestic workers to ensuring New York City remains a union town. I thank Speaker Johnson, Council Member Rose and the City Council for their partnership on these critical issues.”

 

Intro. 2252-A, sponsored by Speaker Johnson, requires city human services contractors to negotiate with labor organizations for a labor peace agreement when a labor organization provides notice to a city human services contractor. To ensure compliance with this requirement, this bill provides that a human service provider must provide an attestation to the City regarding any relevant labor peace agreements no later than 90 days after the human services contractor is awarded a contract.

 

Intro. 339-B, sponsored by Council Member Debi Roseadds domestic workers to the scope of employees covered under the NYC Human Rights Law, and requires employers to take CCHR's sexual harassment training and give employees a notice of rights. 

 

“As the agency that enforces the NYC Human Rights Law, the NYC Commission on Human Rights fully supports Intro 339 which extends employment protections to domestic workers, one of the fastest growing sectors of the service economy,” said Carmelyn P. Malalis, Chair and Commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights. “Family care-givers, home health aides, and house cleaners are often vulnerable to discrimination and harassment by nature of being a single employee in their workplace. This bill will allow the Commission to apply the protections of the NYC Human Rights Law to domestic workers—ensuring that New Yorkers dedicated to the work of caring can access remedies available to other workers in New York City. We look forward to the signing of this bill, which will help make New York City a safer city for all workers.”

 

“No City dollars should ever be paid out to employers who engage in union-busting and that’s exactly what this new law will help ensure,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. “It will also help give over 200,000 of our City’s essential human service workers the right to organize for the pay and benefits they deserve without fear of retaliation or punishment or interference from their employers. I was proud to have sponsored this in the Council, and I am thrilled it is being swiftly signed into law. I thank my Council colleagues and the de Blasio administration for moving to make this bill a reality.”

 

“Labor peace is now the law of the land – and it’s been a long time coming,” said Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME. “Workers in the non-profit social and human services sectors have been in crisis. They face dangerous working conditions, rising health care costs, low pay and extremely high turnover. They have been asking for the ability to organize without fear, and it has finally been granted. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Johnson and the entire City Council for standing up for these workers and doing what’s right.”

 

“Int. 339 will right a historical wrong under which domestic workers, for too long, have not been protected from discrimination in the workplace. Domestic workers work behind closed doors doing the essential work of caring for families, people and homes. Now we see that New York City is moving towards a more just workforce in which domestic workers can go to work protected under the New York City’s Human Rights Law. With 200,000 domestic workers in New York City alone, 91 percent are female, 81 percent are immigrants and 32 percent are Black, this move forward to human rights protection in the domestic workplace is a huge advancement for all women of color because domestic workers do the work that make all other work possible!” said Marrisa Senteno and Allison Julient New York Co-Directors of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.