Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams will introduce a legislative package today aimed at supporting small businesses in New York City struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic as well as essential workers on the frontlines. The legislation comes as New York City has implemented new restrictions in hotspot areas seeing COVID-19 spikes and the city faces the potential of a second wave of the virus.
Thursday, October 15, 2020
PUBLIC ADVOCATE TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, ESSENTIAL WORKERS AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Upcoming Wave Hill Events: Virtual and Onsite!
Bats and Halloween go hand in hand. But do bats deserve their spooky reputation? Bat conservationist and community scientist Danielle Gustafson dispels the many myths about bats and sheds light on the diversity and value of these misunderstood creatures, both locally and worldwide. And if you enjoy mangoes, bananas or tequila, you have bats to thank!
Saturday, Sunday, October 31, November 1,10AM–1PM
Election Day
TUE, NOVEMBER 3
Congressman Adriano Espaillat - Now Accepting Applications to U.S. Military Service Academies
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Gene De Francis Travels the 80th Assembly District Talking to the People of the 80th A.D. in his Quest to Win the Assembly Seat
Last week after picking up support from a major West Bronx Democratic Club (The Northwest Bronx Democrats) Gene De Francis has kicked his campaign into high gear criss-crossing the 80th Assembly District, while his opponent concentrates on her campaign for Bronx Borough President next year.
Assembly candidate Gene De Francis is visiting every part of the 80th Assembly District which is split by the Bronx River Parkway. He is visiting schools, housing developments, parks, stores, and almost everywhere a candidate can garner votes from.
We caught up with assembly candidate Gene De Francis last week at Loreto Park, and Wednesday this week at the Pelham Parkway Houses. Residents were well receptive to candidate Gene De Francis talking about the many problems of the Pelham Parkway housing complex. Be it leaks, cracked floors, no heat in the winter, no hot water, vermin infestations, odors in various parts of buildings or just plain the lack of maintenance. Tenant after tenant had a story to tell candidate Gene De Francis.
Above - 80th A.D. candidate Gene De Francis talks with a woman who wanted to be known as BX Bklyn girl 102762, about the problems in her building and the complex as a whole.
Below - 80th A.D. candidate Gene De Francis talks to another woman at the Pelham Parkway Houses who did not want to be in the photo.
At Loreto Park 80th A.D. candidate Gene De Francis talks to this woman who is obviously an essential worker.
RECOVERY AGENDA: NEW YORK CITY RELEASES WINTER OUTDOOR DINING GUIDANCE
- Electric radiant heaters will be allowed in sidewalk and roadway seating setups. For full guidance from the Department of Buildings, click here.
- Natural gas radiant heaters will be allowed on the sidewalk only. For full guidance from the Department of Buildings, click here. Natural gas radiant heaters must also comply with the Fire Code.
- Portable heaters fueled by propane will be allowed on the sidewalk only. Propane heating will be regulated by the Fire Department, with requirements for safe handling, use and storage. For full guidance from the Fire Department, click here.
Governor Cuomo Appoints Commission to Oversee Creation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Statue
Commission Includes Diverse Array of Late Justice Ginsburg's Family, Friends, Esteemed Colleagues, And Other Leaders
Statue to Memorialize Renowned Jurist in Her Birthplace of Brooklyn
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today appointed 23 members to a new commission that will oversee the creation of a statue honoring the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The commission includes members of Justice Ginsburg's family, close friends, esteemed colleagues, and other leaders. The commission will provide recommendations to the Governor regarding the artist, design, location and installation of the memorial statue.
"Last month I announced New York State will honor the life and legacy of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a statue in her native Brooklyn. Now I'm releasing a list of the 19 members that we have appointed to the commission who will oversee the creation of the statue. Justice Ginsburg will forever stand as a singular figure in history, unmatched in her pursuit of justice and equality under the law for all Americans. Only the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg was a tireless champion for women's rights and throughout her lifetime brilliantly navigated a complex landscape of gender-based discrimination to ultimately ascend to the highest court in the land. She leveraged that position to fiercely advocate for equal rights and ensure those who followed in her footsteps would face fewer obstacles along the way," Governor Cuomo said. "Ruth Bader Ginsburg embodied a set of ideals often missing in today's civic dialogue - she showed us reason, empathy and hope. Her legacy as a jurist, professor, lawyer and scholar will endure for generations and we are honored to erect a permanent statue in memory of Justice Ginsburg. Lord knows she deserves it."
The commission comprised of 18 members and 5 honorary members appointed by the Governor includes:
- Jane Ginsburg, Daughter to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Clara Spera, Granddaughter to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Mimi Ginsburg, Granddaughter to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Constance Beaty, Artist and Portraitist for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Irin Carmon, Senior Correspondent at New York Magazine and Co-Author of "Notorious RGB: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg."
- Jodie Cohen, Principal of James Madison High School
- Alphonso David, President of the Human Rights Campaign
- Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO, National Women's Law Center
- Subash Iyer, Special Counsel for Ethics, Risk and Compliance at MTA and Former Clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Judge Robert A. Katzmann, United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- Shana Knizhnik, Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society and Co-Author of "Notorious RGB: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg."
- Susana Torruella Leval, Director Emerita of El Museo del Barrio
- Gillian Metzger, Harlan Fiske Stone Professor of Constitutional Law at Columbia University and Former Clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Trevor Morrison, Dean of NYU School of Law and Former Clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Sonia Ossorio, President of NOW New York
- Anne Pasternak, Director of the Brooklyn Museum
- William Savitt, Partner, Litigation Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Former Clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Nina Totenberg, Legal Affairs Correspondent at NPR
Honorary Members
- Honorable Hillary Clinton, Former United States Secretary of State
- Janet DiFiore, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and the State of New York
- Letitia James, Attorney General of New York State
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Gloria Steinem, Feminist Activist and Co-Founder of Ms. Magazine
Governor Cuomo Announces State Will Withhold Funds for Localities and Schools in COVID-19 Cluster Zones That Fail to Enforce Public Health Law
Sends Letter Warning Local Governments in Cluster Zones That They Will Lose State Funding If They Fail to Enforce Gathering Limit and School Closure Rules
Sends Separate Letter Warning Public and Private Schools in Cluster Zones That They Will Lose State Funding If They Do Not Comply with Closure and Testing Rules
Positive Testing Rate in Hot Spot Areas is 6.29 Percent; New York State Positivity Without Red Zone Focus Areas Included is 0.95 Percent
7 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
SLA and State Police Task Force Visits 634 Establishments; Observes 2 Establishments Not in Compliance
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State will withhold funds for localities and schools in COVID-19 cluster zones that fail to enforce public health laws. The New York State Department of Health will send a letter warning local governments in cluster zones that they will lose state funding if they fail to enforce state limits on gatherings and the closure of schools. The letter will be sent to New York City, Orange County, Rockland County, the Town of Ramapo and the Village of Spring Valley.
Governor Cuomo also announced that DOH will send an additional letter warning public and private schools in cluster zones that they will lose state funding if they do not comply with state requirements on closure and testing.
"We know that public and private schools in the red zones are supposed to be closed. We know that there were violations where yeshivas were operating. We know there were violations where religious gatherings were happening that exceeded the guidelines. This is especially a problem in Brooklyn and Orange and Rockland Counties," Governor Cuomo said. "Number one, we are sending a notification to local governments saying they must enforce public health law under Section 16. If the local government does not effectively enforce the law, we will withhold funds. We're also sending a letter to all schools in the red zones saying to them that they must be closed. If they violate the Section 16 order, we will withhold funding from the schools. This is a last and final warning."
In "Red Zone" focus areas included as part of the Governor's Cluster Action Initiative, the positivity rate for test results reported yesterday is 6.29 percent - up from the 4.13 percent the day before. The "Red Zone" focus areas are home to 2.8 percent of state's population, yet had 15.6 percent of all positive cases reported yesterday to New York State.
Within the "Red Zone" focus areas, 3,053 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 192 positives or a 6.29 percent positivity rate. In the remainder of the state, not counting these "Red Zone" focus areas, 108,691 test results were reported, yielding 1,040 positives or a 0.95 percent positivity rate. The state's overall positivity rate is 1.10 percent with focus areas included. The "Red Zone" focus areas are home to 2.8 percent of the state population yet had 15.6 percent of all positive test results reported to the state yesterday, and 12.2 percent of all positive case results reported to the state this current week.
Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 634 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 2 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:
- Nassau - 2
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
- Patient Hospitalization - 938 (+15)
- Patients Newly Admitted - 146
- Hospital Counties - 39
- Number ICU - 201 (+20)
- Number ICU with Intubation - 100 (+10)
- Total Discharges - 77,870 (+115)
- Deaths - 7
- Total Deaths - 25,605
An Update from State Comptroller DiNapoli: NY's Economy & Finances in the COVID-19 Era
While all states have lost employment since the COVID-19 pandemic struck earlier this year, New York surpasses almost every other in both number and percentage of job losses. From February through August 2020, the Empire State ranks second to Hawaii in percentage of employment decline and second only to California in the total number (see map below). During that same period, unemployment in the State rose from 3.7 percent to 12.5 percent, based on preliminary estimates.
Employment in New York increased from May through August. However, those gains, over 686,000 jobs, represented only 35 percent of the record-breaking loss of 1.9 million in March and April. As the Office of the State Comptroller has reported previously, New York’s job losses are concentrated in lower-paid sectors of the economy.
The employment impact on New York and other indicators, including figures on overall economic activity, continue to support the case for significant additional federal aid in response to the pandemic and the associated recession.
For more current highlights on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the State’s finances and economy, visit our web page. Additional topics this week include:
- New York State's GDP Declined by 36 Percent in the 2nd Quarter of 2020
- Small Businesses Continue to Experience Economic Hardships
- New York State's Budget
The State Comptroller's office is committed to keeping New Yorkers regularly updated on the State's economy and finances.