“The heroes who rushed to action during our city’s darkest hour put their lives on the line to protect their fellow Americans. It’s anextraordinary service and one deserving of our nation’s never-ending gratitude. With the passage of the permanent authorization of the Victim Compensation Fund, no first responder or survivor will have to worry about receiving the support they deserve. On behalf of the people of New York, I am extremely grateful to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Representatives Nadler and Maloney, and the entire New York delegation, as well as the responders, survivors, and activists for their resolve and for leading the charge to pass this bill.”
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Community Weekly Update July 9, 2019 - July 15, 2019
Dear Friends,
We’re excited to share with you the busy week we had in District 32 full of community events, Know Your Rights workshops, and Family Days.
There were also some devastating power outages at NYCHA Jackson Houses and alarming fires at 1466 Watson Ave. but we were on the ground to ensure that tenants' needs were being met, and in some cases needed to be evacuated. Our residents’ safety and well-being are our highest priority.
Furthermore, our weekend was packed with great community events, including the NYPD 41st Precinct Unity in the Bronx, 8th Annual Bronx Pride, 22nd Annual Children’s Day at Thessalonia Baptist Church, NYCHA Forest Houses Family Day, and the Hispanic Federation’s Annual Family Health Expo Vive Tu Vida.
We partnered with Bronx Legal Services, NYC Immigrants Affairs, and Bronx Immigration Partnership Emergency Preparedness Clinic to provide informational Know Your Rights workshops for our neighbors. With ICE raids happening across our state and country, we must remain vigilant.
Strengthening our international ties is very important for our communities and the district. I was honored to welcome our special guests from Bangladesh, Consulate General Sadia Faizunnesa and Minister of Planning Muhammad Abdul Mannan, in Parkchester and the President of Taiwan in New York, Tsai Ing-wen, with my colleagues at the Taipei Economic Culture Dinner.
Lastly, this past week, we heard of the tragic passing of Hector Figueroa, a legendary leader who fought tirelessly for workers’ rights and community justice. We will forever honor his legacy and continue his commitment to labor rights.
Sincerely,
Luis Sepúlveda
New York Senator, District 32
AS OUTAGES CONTINUE, WILLIAMS CALLS FOR ANSWERS FROM CON EDISON
 |
OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE
FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK
JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS
Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams continued his calls for action and accountability from Con Edison as outages are ongoing today, with thousands of people without power in Brooklyn and Queens. This comes days after about 50,000 people were without electricity during this past weekend's heat wave and over 70,000 lost power in the blackout on Saturday, July 13, with smaller outages through the intervening week.
Con Edison says it deliberately cut service in multiple neighborhoods on Sunday in order to prevent larger outages, but did so without warning. Power has not been fully restored in these areas as of Tuesday afternoon. The Public Advocate has questioned proposed rate increases that ConEdison announced earlier this year, particularly in light of the previous rate increase three years ago and Con Edison's failure to use the revenue to adequately update infrastructure. He made clear at a Monday 'Public Power' town hall that a new increase should not move forward unless satisfactory answers and assurances are provided that funding will improve the system to additional outages.
Public Advocate Williams sent a new request for information to Con Edison today in a letter to its President and CEO. A copy of the letter is below and can be downloaded here.
LETTER FROM PUBLIC ADVOCATE WILLIAMS
Dear Mr. McAvoy:
As I stated in my July 19, 2019 letter, my staff at the Office of the Public Advocate have been closely monitoring the blackouts that have impacted hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers over the past week. In addition to the concerns I expressed in the previous letter, I have some additional inquiries related to the most recent blackouts, especially the intentional power cut that took out power to 30,000 ratepayers in southeast Brooklyn.
A press release issued by your organization at 11 PM on Sunday, July 21, 2019 stated that the southeastern blackout was caused intentionally as part of a pre-emptive move to protect vital equipment. However, a press release dated two and a half hours earlier announcing the outage makes no reference to the intentional nature of the blackout. This raises a number of questions:
● When there is a need to make an emergency power cut, how is the decision made? How long ahead of such cuts are these decisions finalized? Who has to approve of these decisions?
● Knowing in advance that the grid would hit high demands due to the heat, what was done in advance to prevent and/or prepare for this power outage? Why was the public not made aware of this disruption of service until hours later? Is it standard practice to not warn communities ahead of such cuts? Is there a communications structure in place to inform customers?
●When these decisions are made, what considerations or aid are offered to those impacted? Is there any pre-emptive outreach to senior housing or other communities with low mobilization to mitigate the increased risk these communities face in a blackout during a heatwave? Does your organization offer any outreach or aid to assist those whom are dependent on electric medical equipment such as breathing machines?
● I understand Con Edison dispatched a team of 4000 electric operations personnel this past weekend in anticipation of issues related to the heatwave. Is Con Edison utilizing employees or outside contractors to provide these support services?
● If your company is utilizing outside contractors, what process determines the experience and training of staff at these firms? What quality control does your organization perform to enforce such standards?
● The peak demand last night was more than 10,000 MW short of the peak demand Con Edison has claimed the system is designed to withstand. Why was the affected equipment from the blackouts considered vitally at risk at a significantly lower level of demand? Is the actual peak demand your system can handle lower than the 13,300 Megawatts you have publicly claimed?
I know that your company is still working on investigating all of the blackouts from the past week. While I look forward to hearing the results of that investigation, I am concerned that preparations for any heatwaves may not be as adequate as necessary, and that many of our cities most vulnerable residents will pay the price. I know your organization is aware of how vital the resiliency and continuous operation of the grid is to the daily lives of all New Yorkers.
I look forward to your expeditious response. For further discussion, please contact First Deputy Public Advocate for Policy Nick E. Smith, at nsmith@advocate.nyc.gov, if you have any questions. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jumaane D. Williams
Public Advocate for the City of New York |
Assemblymember Michael Blake - Statement on Monitor Barry Schwartz's Damning Report of NYCHA
Today’s report released by NYCHA monitor Barry Schwartz further confirmed that NYCHA is an absolute mess that requires dramatic and transformational change to help Bronxites and New Yorkers finally have quality public housing. The report is a damning indictment of an organization that in the Monitor’s own words, has a “history of cover-ups and false statements” and without “a sufficient focus on integrity” .
A humanitarian crisis continues within NYCHA. I have long stated that people need to be fired and held criminally liable for their neglect. There must also be a serious consideration about a federal emergency declaration to effectuate a dramatic overhaul of NYCHA. Bronxites and New Yorkers are the priority, and, we must put people first.
Monitor Schwartz makes it clear that NYCHA is making little progress ensuring every day and life saving improvements are made at scale. Whether it be the lack of transparency around lead paint inspections to overall mismanagement, he called "NYCHA an organization fraught with serious problems in structure, culture, and direction and perhaps even worse"
Mr. Schwartz calls NYCHA staffer's work “often incomplete, imprecise, and/or inaccessible” and “creating an inaccurate perception of NYCHA’s performance". Sadly, his comments cannot be surprising given NYCHA’s blatantly lying about the status of elevator and power outages, which happen all of the time within our district whether it be Morris, Jackson or Morrisania Air Rights or regularly closing out ticket orders before providing maintenance repairs, if they even occur at all.
However, the utter disregard, carelessness, and negligent habits formed by the agency that is tasked with helping some of our most vulnerable citizens is probably most evident in regards to the epidemic of lead paint throughout NYCHA housing.
NYCHA lied to Bronxites, New Yorkers and federal housing authorities about compliance towards federal regulations, while by its own “smoke-and-mirrored” data. This inhumane reality is compounded by not only failing, since 2010, to do the mandated biennial testing for apartments but also going five years without doing visual inspections in ALL of its apartments as mandated by law.
However, even if NYCHA conducted these tests, no one at the agency could “identify who is in charge of and accountable for properly addressing lead paint matters.” Simply put, there is no clear decision maker.
The Monitor’s report explicitly stated what those who have to deal with it on a daily basis already knew. That too many people within NYCHA are failing us with corrupt, and ineffectual lack of service, which is a flagrant disgrace towards the residents that they are purported to serve. We need better, we deserve better, and to truly #BelieveintheBronx, we need to be able to live, breathe, learn, and grow in public housing that will not harm us, and work with agency staffers who actually cares.
Sincerely,
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Assembly Member Michael A. Blake
Bronx Jewish Center Host Community Dinner. Friday August 2nd , 2019
Please join us for our next community Shabbat dinner at the Bronx Jewish Center,1969 Haight Avenue,Bx NY 10461 to be held on Friday, August 2nd starting at 7:00 PM. The special theme for that evening will be Shabbat in Egypt.... Yes,That"s right Eqypt. All of your favorite Egyptian style dishes will take center stage! We look forward to seeing you! Enjoy a delicious 4 course dinner with your fellow neighbors.Turn your Friday night Shabbat into an evening of spiritual awakening, inspiration,Jewish songs and culinary delight.
Please RSVP@718-812-1701 to let us know you are coming .Shabbat dinners are held the first Friday of every month.
“No, it isn't all about the food,” said Rabbi Pewzner of the Bronx Jewish Center. “What is important is that the ENTIRE community joins together and welcomes the start of the Shabbat . It will be a beautiful time for everyone. Please join us.We look foward to welcoming you.
Where: 1969 Haight Avenue Bx NY 10461
Cost: Free of charge and all are welcome to join!
Website:www.BronxJewishCenter. org
Contact: office@bronxjewishcen
Telephone: #718-812-1701
Monday, July 22, 2019
Congressman Adriano Espaillat Opens New Manhattan Office
720 West 181st Street (just off Broadway) in the heart of Washing ton Heights is the address of Congressman Adriano Espaillat's new Manhattan Congressional office. His Bronx office remains on the Grand Concourse as Congressman Espaillat covers parts of both the boroughs of the Bronx and Manhattan.
Above - It was a steamy almost 100 degrees as Congressman Adriano Espaillat waits to enter his new Manhattan office located at 720 West 181st Street.
Below - Congressman Espaillat is interviewed outside his new Manhattan office.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Welcomes ACF FIORENTINA to Belmont
The Italian Soccer team ACF FIORENTINA came to Arthur Avenue the Little Italy in the Bronx to celebrate their upcoming game. Hundreds of fans and onlookers were on hand to see the team, and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Bronx BP Diaz Jr. welcomed ACF FIORENTINA as he holds a Proclamation for Mario's Restaurant behind him.
Attorney General James Holds Equifax Accountable By Securing $600 Million Payment In Largest Data Breach Settlement In History
Settlement Includes Up to $425 Million in Consumer Restitution,
With $175 Million Payment to States — Over $9 Million to NY Alone
Equifax Required to Provide Credit Monitoring Services for All Americans Affected by Breach for Up to 10 Years
New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that she has co-led a coalition of 50 Attorneys General in reaching the largest data breach settlement in history with Equifax Inc., as a result of an investigation into the company’s massive 2017 data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly half the U.S. population. The Attorneys General secured a settlement with Equifax that includes a Consumer Restitution Fund of up to $425 million, a $175 million payment to the states, and significant injunctive relief for consumers.
“Equifax put profits over privacy and greed over people, and must be held accountable to the millions of people they put at risk,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “This company’s ineptitude, negligence, and lax security standards endangered the identities of half the U.S. population. Now it’s time for the company to do what’s right and not only pay restitution to the millions of victims of their data breach, but also provide every American who had their highly sensitive information accessed with the tools they need to battle identity theft in the future.”
“Credit rating agencies have a responsibility to safeguard consumers' financial and personal information, and this egregious data breach and the agency's response was completely unacceptable,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “In New York we are sending a clear message to these agencies that they will be held accountable if they leave consumers' private data vulnerable to exposure, and we will continue our rigorous oversight of these agencies to ensure New Yorkers are protected in the future.”
On September 7, 2017, Equifax — one of the big three consumer credit reporting agencies — announced a data breach, ultimately affecting over 147 million consumers, or 56-percent of American adults, making it one of the largest-ever breach of consumer data in history. New York, alone, had 8,542,568 residents whose personal information was illegally accessed.
Breached information included Social Security numbers, names, dates of birth, addresses, credit card numbers, and, in some cases, driver’s license numbers. Shortly after, a coalition — that has since grown to 50 Attorneys General — launched a multi-state investigation into the breach.
The investigation found that attackers were able to exploit a vulnerability in Equifax's system by targeting the Apache Struts web-application software — a widely used enterprise platform. While Equifax was informed of a vulnerability in March 2017, the company failed to patch all of its systems and failed to replace the software that monitored the breached network for suspicious activity. As a result, the attackers penetrated Equifax’s system, which went unnoticed for 76 days.
Under the terms of the settlement, Equifax will be required to pay restitution to affected consumers in a multitude of ways. First, the company has agreed to provide a single Consumer Restitution Fund of up to $425 million — $300 million will initially be dedicated to compensation, with an additional $125 million available if initial funds are depleted. The program to pay restitution to consumers will be conducted in connection with settlements that have already been reached in the multi-district class action suits filed against Equifax, as well as with settlements that have been reached with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Equifax will pay an additional $100 million to the CFPB.
Consumers who are eligible for redress will be required to submit claims showing they have been a victim of fraud or have taken proactive steps to set up credit monitoring services by submitting documents online or by mail.
Next, Equifax has agreed to offer consumers, who had their data exposed, with free credit-monitoring services for up to 10 years. Consumers that take part in the service will have up to $1 million of identity theft insurance available — at no deductible — to cover identity recovery expenses and legal costs. The first four years of credit-monitoring service will include monitoring of all of the big three credit reporting agencies, while years five through 10 will be made available through Equifax.
Additionally, Equifax has agreed to take several steps to assist consumers who are either facing identity theft issues or who have already had their identities stolen. These steps include making it easier for consumers to freeze and thaw their credit, and dispute inaccurate information in credit reports, as well as maintain sufficient staff to assist consumers who may be victims of identity theft.
A new website will soon allow consumers to learn more about the Restitution Fund, enroll in credit-monitoring services, and have their questions answered. In the meantime, consumers can sign up to receive email updates regarding the launch of the Equifax Settlement Breach online registry at http://www.ftc.gov/equifax. Consumers can also call 1-833-759-2982 for more information.
Equifax has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to strengthen its security practices and will continue to do so going forward by, among other things:
- Reorganizing its data security team, including the designation of a Chief Security Officer, who shall report regularly to the Board of Directors about Equifax’s security posture;
- Running regular simulated exercises to test its ability to respond to a security event;
- Encrypting personal information stored on their system or adopting similar control mechanisms;
- Prohibiting the use of Social Security numbers as a sole authenticator, and otherwise limiting their use;
- Adopting two-factor authentication and password rotation policies;
- Performing regular security monitoring, logging, and testing of its systems;
- Reorganizing and segmenting its network; and
- Reorganizing its patch management team, and subsequently employing new policies to identify and deploy critical security updates and patches.
Equifax has also agreed to regular third-party assessments to evaluate whether it’s administrative, technical, and physical safeguards meet the requirements provided in the agreement.
Finally, as part of the settlement, Equifax has agreed to pay the 48 states involved in the lawsuit, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico a total of $175 million as a fine, $9,186,782.83 million of which will be delivered to the State of New York.
The settlement requires court approval.
Additionally, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) separately investigated Equifax’s security practices, and found that the company engaged in practices that violated the Dodd-Frank Act and Financial Services Law § 408. As a result, Equifax will be fined an additional $10 million by DFS, bringing the total New York State will receive in fines to more than $19.2 million.
“First and foremost, the settlement announced today holds Equifax accountable for its egregious breach in its duty to consumers in safeguarding their sensitive personal identifying information and restores some peace of mind and protection to New Yorkers,” said DFS Superintendent Linda Lacewell. “Strengthening consumer protections for New Yorkers, DFS now requires credit rating agencies to be licensed and supervised by DFS, and comply with the Department’s landmark cybersecurity regulation to better guard against potential breaches.”