Statement From Attorney General Schneiderman On New Immigration Ban

  “Courts across the country have made clear: President    Trump is not above the Constitution.

While the White House may have made changes to the ban, the intent to discriminate against Muslims remains clear. This doesn’t just harm the families caught in the chaos of President Trump’s draconian policies – it’s diametrically opposed to our values, and makes us less safe.

My office is closely reviewing the new executive order, and I stand ready to litigate -- again -- in order to protect New York’s families, institutions, and economy.”

Last month, Attorney General Schneiderman filed suit against President Trump’s original immigration ban, and led a coalition of Attorneys General that opposed the ban in courts across the country.

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR MURDERING MAN IN CHANCE ENCOUNTER

Defendant, A Parolee, Bludgeoned Man to Death with Cellphone

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted for Murder and Manslaughter for the unprovoked fatal beating of a father of six children in his Bronx building. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly ferociously beat to death an innocent man he did not even know – an attack which was caught on camera and is nearly unbearable to watch. For this senseless killing, he now faces charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life.” 

  

  District Attorney Clark said that Junal Jordan, 40, of East 156th Street, was charged with second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. Jordan was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice William Mogulescu. He was remanded and is due back on June 1, 2017. 

  According to the investigation, on the evening of Feb. 2, 2017, Jordan was shadowboxing while waiting for an elevator at the Melrose building he was staying at when he encountered Bakary Darboe, 46, who resides in the building. Jordan was seen on surveillance video grabbing Darboe when Darboe was exiting the elevator, and repeatedly punching him, before putting him in a chokehold and striking him in the head with a cellphone. Darboe died at the scene. 

  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Burim Namani of the Homicide Bureau under the supervision of Christine Scaccia, Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and the overall supervision of Nicole Keary, Deputy Chief of the Trial Division and Jeremy Shockett, Chief of the Trial Division. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Statement from Comptroller Scott M. Stringer on President Trump’s New Travel Ban

   “Let’s call this new travel ban what it is: another paper-thin attempt to target people based on where they’re from, what religion they practice, and their cultural heritage. It’s another all-out assault on the Constitution, and another attempt to target Muslims. This White House is showing, day after day, that it actively believes in discrimination and supports tearing families apart.

“This order makes us less safe – not more. It doesn’t further U.S. interests –  it undercuts our standing in the world. It doesn’t put ‘America first’ – it shreds the very fabric that binds us as a nation and as New Yorkers. It takes us in the wrong direction – fast.

“Accepting refugees is about common sense and common decency. Welcoming people from every country, no matter what religion they practice, is what makes this nation strong. And President Trump seems to be doing all he can to put himself on the wrong side of not just American values, but history itself.”

Wave Hill Events Mar 16–Mar 24

  Some weeks, it is striking how closely art and nature work hand in hand in this garden environment: We start the week with an art workshop, then move on to a primer on birding (or a bird-related Family Art Project), a special behind-the-scenes tour of the greenhouse and finish up with open studios in the gallery and a glorious concert in historic Armor Hall—intimate, full of life, naturally and aesthetically.

THU, MARCH 16    WINTER WORKSPACE WORKSHOP: IDIOMS ON RICE PAPER

Work with Winter Workspace artist Elisabeth Condon to immerse yourself in the art of brushwork and experience the magic of practicing idioms in ink on rice paper. With each stroke, strengthen your painting, drawing and observation skills. $55/$45 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 10AM–1PM

SAT, MARCH 18    BIRDING BOOTCAMP

Can you tell a catbird from a cowbird? New and experienced birders are invited to join expert birder, naturalist and educator Gabriel Willow to discover the many groups of birds that call NYC their home. Through images and a short lecture, Gabriel shares proven techniques to simplify bird identification using visual and auditory clues. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Registration recommended, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.

MEET AT WAVE HILL HOUSE, 9:30AM–1:30PM

SAT, MARCH 18    FAMILY ART PROJECT: GIVE A WINTER BIRD A HOME OR A FEEDER

Returning migrators and winter birds could use a little help with nests and food right now. Use the boxy shape of an ordinary milk carton to your advantage, camouflaging it with natural materials like pine boughs and leaves, and add an inviting stick perch. Add seeds and welcome home our feathery friends.

Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, MARCH 18    GARDEN & CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

SAT, MARCH 18   BEHIND-THE-SCENES GREENHOUSE TOUR

Venture through closed doors for a behind-the-scenes garden tour of Wave Hill. Peek inside the Potting Shed, preview the South African bulbs getting ready for their dazzling Palm House debut and be among the first visitors to view the newly-renovated Alpine House, with Wave Hill Gardener Susannah Strazzera. Free with admission to the grounds.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 1PM

SUN, MARCH 19    FAMILY ART PROJECT: GIVE A WINTER BIRD A HOME OR A FEEDER

Returning migrators and winter birds could use a little help with nests and food right now. Use the boxy shape of an ordinary milk carton to your advantage, camouflaging it with natural materials like pine boughs and leaves, and add an inviting stick perch. Add seeds and welcome home our feathery friends.

Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, MARCH 19    PRE-CONCERT TEA

Enjoy Afternoon Tea in the Mark Twain Room prior to today’s concert in Armor Hall. The Café at Wave Hill pairs a classic menu with an assortment of green, black and herbal teas. This traditional tea service includes the four classic elements of savory, scones, sweets and tea. The menu, presented by Great Performances, includes an array of tea sandwiches, scones and bite-sized desserts. Afternoon Tea also includes a glass of sparkling wine. Afternoon Tea Service is $36. Wave Hill Members receive a 10% discount. Advanced registration is required, online atwavehill.org. We will take reservations until noon, Friday, March 17.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, NOON

SUN, MARCH 19    WINTER WORKSPACE DROP-IN SUNDAY

Artists in the Winter Workspace program share their studio practice with visitors on this Drop-in Sunday. In the Winter Workspace today are Michael Kelly Williams,Leenda Bonilla and Alison Owen. Stop by Glyndor Gallery to speak to the artists and get a closer look at the creative process. Free with admission to the grounds. 

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 1–3PM

SUN, MARCH 19    CONCERT: SIRIUS QUARTET

Acclaimed for “savoring the life of each richly inflected note" (Los Angeles Times),Sirius Quartet combines exhilarating repertoire with unequalled improvisational fire. These conservatory-trained performer-composers shine with precision, soul and a raw energy that audiences adore. The ensemble champions a forward-thinking, genre-defying approach and has appeared at venues that include Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the Stuttgart Jazz Fest and the Beijing Music Festival. Its members are: Fung Chern Hwei and Gregor Huebner, violins; Ron Lawrence, viola; and Jeremy Harman, cello. At Wave Hill, the ensemble offers works inspired by Argentinian tango, Afro-Cuban rhythms and a one-of-a-kind take on the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” Performances begin at 2PM and last approximately one hour with no intermission. Ticket prices: Adults $28/$22 Wave Hill Member, Children (ages 8-18) $15/$12. Order tickets online or onsite at the Perkins Visitors Center. For additional information, please call 718.549.3200 x251.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

SUN, MARCH 19    GARDEN & CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

MON, MARCH 20    

Closed to the public.

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–5:30PM, starting March 15.  Closes 4:30PM, November 1–March 14.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

STATEMENT FROM STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA ON CURRENT ADMINISTRATION'S REVISED EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING NATIONALS FROM SIX MAJORITY MUSLIM COUNTRIES

   "I unequivocally condemn and denounce the Executive Order recently signed by the current administration that reinstates a 90-day travel ban on individuals from six majority Muslim countries including Syria, Lybia, Yemen, Sudan, Iran and Somalia. It is important to note that while the new Executive Order was only slightly modified, its key provisions do not differ from the original version. 

This Executive Order will continue to shut our country's doors to refugees from all over the world adding to the desperation of countless men, women and children seeking an opportunity to restart their lives after surviving dramatic and harrowing experiences that made them flee their home countries. While our national security is and should be paramount, the measures that this Executive Order seeks to implement are counterintuitive and shortsighted to our country's efforts to successfully fight terrorism at home and abroad. By singling out individuals from these six majority Muslim countries, this administration further perpetuates the feelings of fear, discrimination, violence and hate that have impacted Muslim communities across our country.

I remain committed to resisting this administration's efforts to discriminate against people, whether it be based on their nationality, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation."

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TRAVEL BAN

  “President Trump’s latest attempt at a travel ban is as discriminatory as his first one. The ban is a direct reflection of the President’s misguided ideas about immigrants, refugees and homeland security. The intent of this approach is to broadly vilify a Muslim community central to American life and to our security at home and abroad. Undermining this relationship through indiscriminate travel bans – rather than developing immigration screening capable of targeting real threats – endangers an American moral standard of inclusiveness that underpins our security.

“If the President took a quick look around his own hometown he would see that we don't need to discriminate to be safe. In fact, New York City's inclusiveness helps make this the safest big city in America. Thankfully, the stroke of a pen in Washington won’t change our New York values and it won’t make us any less proud to be the ultimate city of immigrants.”

SENATOR KLEIN HOLDS KNOW YOUR RIGHTS FORUM FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES

Panel of legal experts will field immigration questions from concerned Muslim community members

Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, and Councilman Ritchie Torres, joined by advocates and community members, held a Know Your Rights Forum on Friday night to provide legal services and educate Muslim community members on their immigration rights as actions by the federal government threaten their well-being.

The forum is a pillar of the Independent Democratic Conference’s newly created Immigrant Defense Coalition that includes an expansion of immigrant services available at Senator Klein’s district office, as well as an emergency hotline that directs immigrants to appropriate services. Those in need of information and assistance should call 1-800-213-6385.

“Immigrant communities in New York and across the country need our support as they are faced with uncertainty from the federal government. Tonight’s forum was an important opportunity to talk to immigrants and let them know that we stand by them in this time. We must continue to have these discussions and make sure these communities know that there are resources available to them if they need them,” said Senator Klein.

“Now more than ever we must stand in support of our immigrant communities. This forum was an opportunity, not only to inform immigrants about the resources they have available to them, but to show them that we are continuing to work to defend their rights freedoms. As a community, we must do our part and provide guidance to those who need it the most,” said Assemblyman Gjonaj.

“All residents regardless of their immigration status or religious background have rights and protections under city, state and federal laws. These forums aim to ensure that everyone is aware of their rights and alleviate some of the fears that residents may have during this uncertain political climate,” said Councilman Ritchie Torres.

The Know Your Rights Forum followed an earlier event at the Bronx Muslim Center in which members of the Jewish and Muslim communities stood together in solidarity against the recent rise in hate crimes across New York and the rest of the nation. On Thursday, Senator Klein announced a legislative package to protect religious freedoms. During the forum, a  panel of legal experts fielded immigration questions from the community members.  

News From Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel Statement on Republican Plan to Force Radical Health Care Agenda Through the Energy & Commerce Committee

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement regarding House Republicans’ plot to force their health care agenda through the Energy and Commerce Committee:

“New reports tell us that House Republicans plan to push their clandestine ‘replacement’ for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through the Energy and Commerce Committee this week. As of today, neither the public nor a single Democratic member of the Committee has had an opportunity to even see the Republican bill – let alone assess the full impact it would have on the American people and our economy.

“Before enacting the ACA, Democrats held 79 hearings and markups over two years. In contrast, Republicans have chosen to hide their draft in a basement. If they were proud of their efforts, they’d be out there championing them. But that’s far from the case.

“It’s not hard to guess why. First, after seven years of promises, Republicans have been astoundingly incapable of forming a consensus within their own party as to how to act on the ACA. But, most importantly, the GOP is embarrassed to reveal just how inadequate their proposal is in comparison to the ACA’s achievements.

“Here are some successes just in NY-16 that Republicans are putting at risk:

·         78,700 individuals in the district who are covered by the ACA’s Medicaid expansion now stand to lose coverage if Republicans eliminate the expansion. In addition, 21,900 individuals who have purchased Marketplace coverage now stand to lose their coverage if the GOP dismantles the Marketplaces.

·         421,800 people with employer-sponsored health insurance are at risk of losing important consumer protections, like the prohibition on annual and lifetime limits.

·         371,000 people who now have health insurance that covers preventive services, like cancer screenings and flu shots, without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles stand to lose this access if Republicans eliminate ACA provisions requiring health insurers to cover important preventive services without cost-sharing.

“These ramifications aren’t limited to the health care sector. Repeal would cause New York to lose 130,700 jobs in 2019 alone. The U.S. overall would lose 2.6 million jobs. In addition, repealing the ACA would shrink New York’s economic output by more than $89 billion from 2019 to 2023.

“And the outlook isn’t just grim for New York. In fact, every single Congressional district’s uninsured rate has dropped since the ACA went into effect – meaning, every Republican Member of Congress that votes to repeal is voting to erase gains in his or her own district.

“Given this bleak forecast, it’s no surprise that Republicans are hiding their bill from view. What is surprising, though, is the about-face Republican members have made since Congress considered the ACA.

“Members who once decried any negotiations they felt were hasty or opaque have been silent on their leadership’s refusal to share drafts publically. During the 111^thCongress, Democrats posted the original ACA text online a full month prior to the first committee markup – because that is the openness our constituents deserve.

“I joined my Democratic colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee in calling on Chairman Greg Walden to post the text of their repeal bill at least 30 days before moving to a markup. At a very minimum, Republicans ought to afford their colleagues – and their constituents – that courtesy.”

ENGEL STATEMENT ON NEW MUSLIM & REFUGEE BAN

  Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“A bad policy that’s been polished by lawyers and spin doctors is still a bad policy, and the President’s new Muslim and refugee ban is just the same story on a different day. We all know what Trump advisor Rudy Giuliani admitted: this Administration is trying to keep as many Muslims as possible out of the country while scraping past legal muster. Any way you cut it, that’s discriminatory, dangerous, and unconstitutional.

“The Muslim and refugee ban won’t make us any safer. In fact, even the President’s own Homeland Security Department says that banning people based on their home country won’t stop terrorism and only harms our nation’s security. This ban will cut off avenues of cooperation with important partners in the fight against terrorism.  The very people we need to combat violent extremism live in the communities targeted by this ban’s discriminatory measures.

“The President should learn a lesson from America’s past. The United States is a country of immigrants and must remain a haven for those fleeing persecution.  Mr. Trump should listen to the thousands who flocked to our country’s airports to protest his first attempt at this ban. Slamming the door on people because of their religion violates our laws, betrays our values, and ignores our history.”