Friday, January 22, 2021

Assemblymember Nathalia Fernandez - OFFICE NOTICE

 

IMPORTANT NUMBERS & LINKS

24-Hour NYS Coronavirus Hotline1-888-364-3065
For NYC Updates: English - Text COVID to 692-692 | Spanish - Text COVIDESP to 692-692
For NYS email updates sign up herehttps://now.ny.gov/page/s/coronavirus-updates
Connect to Free & Confidential Mental Health + Substance Abuse Support at 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888 692-9355)
NYC's 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline800-621-4673
Her Justice Legal Help Line718.562.8181
Tenants’ Rights Hotline212-979-0611
The Violence Intervention Program (VIP) hotline: call 1-800-664-5880 or visit their website  https://www.vipmujeres.org/.
Non-Profit Providers: Guidance for Non-profit providers
For Tenants/Landlords: Disinfection Guidance for Buildings
Guidance for Employers & Employees about COVID-19 Mandates: Update on Workplace Laws
NYCEM pets planning: Pet Emergency Plan


344 Days and Counting Down

 


344 days left for Mayor Bill de Blasio until he is term-limited out of office.

Queens Man Arrested for Threatening to Murder Members of Congress

 

Queens Man Arrested for Threatening to Murder Members of Congress

 A criminal complaint was filed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Brendan Hunt, also known as “X-Ray Ultra,” with threatening to murder United States officials.  Hunt was arrested this morning in Queens and made his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr., who ordered the defendant detained pending trial.

Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrest and charge.

“Our democracy depends on the legislators who shoulder the responsibility of government.  By allegedly threatening to murder and intimidate elected officials, Hunt is striking at the core of our government,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme.  “This Office will aggressively disrupt such conduct and prosecute offenders like the defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Before the assault on the Capitol building, and again after, Hunt’s alleged online commentary directly called for the assassination of members of Congress.  This is not a hard message to understand –threats of violence against our public officials won’t be tolerated.  Mr. Hunt was arrested this morning by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force. To others from this area who still don’t get it – if you are considering a similar path to ‘take up arms’ like Mr. Hunt did, that road leads nowhere except a reservation at our building downtown,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.

Mr. DuCharme and Mr. Sweeney praised the outstanding work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force on the case.

As alleged in the complaint, on January 8, 2021, two days after the riot in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Hunt posted a video to an Internet-based video sharing site in which he exhorted his viewers to violence, urging them that “[w]e need to go back to the U.S. Capitol when all of the Senators and a lot of the Representatives are back there, and this time we have to show up with our guns.  And we need to slaughter these m-----f------.”  The video was one in a series of statements by Hunt posted on social media since at least December 6, 2020, in which he called for violence and “public execution” against members of Congress.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, Hunt faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Attorney General James Secures Agreements with Condo Owner, Management Company, and Security Firm to Protect Rent-Stabilized Tenants

 

Pinnacle Managing and SW Security Violated Rent-Stabilization Laws,  Investigated Chinese Tenants Without Cause

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced agreements with a condo owner, its principals, and a security firm over repeated violations of rent stabilization laws and guidance. The agreements with 132-40 Sanford LLC, the sponsor of the Summit at Infinity 8 Condominium located at 132-40 Sanford Avenue, its real estate management company, Pinnacle Managing Co., LLC, and security firm SW Security Services, LLC, resolves violations relating to the modification of a front door lock of the rent-stabilized building located in Flushing, Queens, which ultimately led to several of the building’s tenants, mostly Chinese tenants, forfeiting their rent-stabilized apartments. Under the terms of the agreements, the companies will implement a series of measures that are inclusive of all tenants, undergo anti-discrimination trainings, and donate $50,000 to nonprofit organizations that focus on tenant organizing in Asian communities.

“Tenants have a right to remain in their homes, and we must do all we can to protect affordable housing,” said Attorney General James. “These companies failed to deliver the pinnacle of service to tenants, and their actions forced individuals — particularly Chinese tenants — out of their rent-stabilized homes. Let this serve as a warning that we will not tolerate anyone or any entity that violates our housing laws and threatens New Yorkers’ right to a safe and decent home.”

In 2017, after acquiring the occupied rent-stabilized rental building at 132-40 Sanford Avenue and submitting initial offering documents to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to convert the building to a condominium, the sponsor hired SW Security Services to change the building’s front door lock system to an electronic access system. However, the sponsor and Pinnacle Managing failed to apply to the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) for permission to change the door lock, in violation of the state’s rent stabilization guidance.

The subsequent key fob distribution process was also overly burdensome on tenants and excluded certain individuals. Tenants were incorrectly told to present a valid New York state ID or other government-issued ID to receive their new key fob. At the time, only U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents qualified for government-issued IDs, leaving the significant number of non-citizen and non-legal permanent resident Chinese tenants of the building with the impression that they were not entitled to access their own homes. According to DHCR guidance, owners must accept any form of identification from tenants as long as it contains a photo of the tenant and it is impermissible for a rent-stabilized owner to require an ID issued by a certain state or jurisdiction.

Additionally, the OAG’s investigation found that in March 2018, when SW Security Services distributed key fobs to tenants, the company’s Director of Investigations impermissibly recorded information from tenant IDs, including the jurisdiction issuing the ID and the address listed. The security company then used the information from the IDs as a basis for recommending 13 private investigations into certain tenants. Ten of the 13 tenants were individuals with Chinese surnames. Both the sponsor and management company authorized those investigations, which resulted in seven of the tenants — six of whom had Chinese surnames — to forfeit their apartments.

As part of the agreement with OAG, 132-40 Sanford LLC and Pinnacle Managing are required to implement a series of measures, including:

  • Donating $50,000 to a nonprofit organizations that focus on tenant organizing on behalf of the Asian community;
  • Conducting anti-discrimination training for staff through the New York City Commission on Human Rights;
  • Implementing a form flyer for key fob distribution that does not require a New York ID. Pinnacle Managing is also required to have these flyers (and all applications for keys) translated into languages that are spoken in the building;
  • Agreeing not to record any data from IDs when handing out key fobs to tenants and their guests. The company will also be required to implement a system for key fob distribution that does not require any ID other than one that proves identity and does not require listing of individuals residing in the apartment;
  • Agreeing not to hire any security services firm to distribute key fobs; and
  • Agreeing to comply with DHCR guidance and regulations.

SW Security Services will also implement similar measures pertaining to their own staff, including:

  • Requiring investigators to attend anti-discrimination and rent-stabilization trainings;
  • Implementing policies for interactions with minors; and
  • Agreeing that investigators will not record any data from tenant IDs when handing out key fobs.

Espaillat, Torres Lead Delegation Urging Resolution Between UnitedHealthcare and Montefiore Health System

 

 In a letter to UnitedHealth Group and the Montefiore Health System, Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Ritchie Torres (NY-15), in collaboration with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14)Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17), call for the urgent and immediate resolution of negotiations that have stalled since last month while potentially leaving over 60,000 without in-network access to their doctors and hospitals in their communities while continuing to combat COVID-19.


“During this COVID-19 pandemic, New Yorkers relied on UHC and Montefiore in tandem for their health care that they knew and relied upon. We are told the result of arrested negotiations leaves over 60,000 patients in the Bronx, Newburgh, and White Plains without in-network access to their doctors and hospitals. Many of us have heard from constituents concerned about this loss of healthcare access,” stated members in the joint letter.

As previously reported, contract negotiations between the Montefiore Health System and UnitedHealthcare have stalled for nearly a month as more than 60,000 patients could be burdened with higher fees for services no longer considered in-network and face increased out of pocket expenses as a result. This is a critical time especially for minorities communities that continue to be devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Members urge UnitedHealth Group to return to the negotiating table and work in good faith to reach a mutually agreeable outcome.

The letter in its entirety is below:

January 21, 2021

David S. Wichmann
Chief Executive Officer
UnitedHealth Group
Minneapolis, MN 55440-1459

Dr. Philip O. Ozuah, MD, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer
Montefiore Health System
111 East 210th Street,
Bronx, NY 10467

Dear Messrs. Wichmann and Ozuah:

We understand that UnitedHealth Group and its affiliate UnitedHealthcare of New York (“UHC”) and the Montefiore Health System (“Montefiore”) were unable to come to a resolution and agreement during negotiations, before the end 2020. During this COVID-19 pandemic, New Yorkers relied on UHC and Montefiore in tandem for their health care that they knew and relied upon. We are told the result of arrested negotiations leaves over 60,000 patients in the Bronx, Newburgh, and White Plains without in-network access to their doctors and hospitals. Many of us have heard from constituents concerned about this loss of healthcare access.

With over two weeks since the negotiation deadline having passed, we urge both UHC and Montefiore to return to the negotiating table and work in good faith to reach a mutually agreeable outcome. Until this matter is resolved, we will continue to urge all parties to work together and find a solution to this impasse that invariably impacts the health and safety of New Yorkers who will still require healthcare during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Respectfully,

Thursday, January 21, 2021

345 Days and Counting Down

 


What Me Worry?

I still have 345 days left in office.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State Vaccination Program - 93% of First Doses Delivered Have Been Administered

 

New York's Health Care Distribution Sites Have Administered 93% of FirstDoses Received from Federal Government

State Administered 96,000 Vaccines in the Last 24 Hours

New York On Pace to Be Out of Vaccine Tomorrow

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's vaccination program. To date, New York's health care distribution sites have administered 93 percent of first doses received from the federal government, and 91 percent of first and second doses.

"We are racing to administer the vaccine as quickly as possible while doing everything we can to reduce the infection rate. We've made progress on both fronts since the post-holiday surge but there's a long way to go before we reach the light at the end of the tunnel," Governor Cuomo said. "The State administered 96,000 shots in the last 24 hours, and we have the operational capacity to do even more - but we need more doses from the federal government because the real problem continues to be that the demand outpaces supply. We also need providers to continue prioritizing the groups they are responsible for serving in order for the system to remain fair."

New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals far exceed the vaccine supply coming from the federal government. While the federal government has increased eligibility for the vaccine to include 7 million New Yorkers, the federal supply of vaccines has actually decreased. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment. 

A breakdown of the data is as follows (based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11AM today): 

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN 

  • Percent of First and Second Doses Administered - 91%
  • First Doses Received - 1,053,650
  • First Doses Administered - 975,958; 93%
  • Second Doses Received - 136,500
  • Second Doses Administered - 108,573

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES EFFORTS TO HELP YOUNG ADULTS OVERCOME CHALLENGES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC


New initiatives to serve over 13,000 young New Yorkers with employment, training, and education support in the face of economic downturn

 

Newly released Disconnected Youth Task Force report provides a long-term strategy to keep them on a path towards economic and career success


Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a series of steps his Administration is taking to support New York City youth and young adults – both current students and those who are out of school and unemployed – as they weather the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Measures include a campaign with CUNY to engage 5,000 young adults to enroll in college this spring, as well as an initiative to connect more than 2,000 high school students with paid internships and opportunities to earn college credit.  

 

Accompanying these announcements is a new report by the citywide Disconnected Youth Task Force, entitled Connecting Our Future, which focuses attention on New York City’s population of out-of-school/out-of-work (OSOW) 16 to 24-year-olds. Originally convened in 2019, the Task Force updated its original analysis to account for an expected spike in OSOW as a result of job

losses and educational disruptions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. This report will serve as the City’s strategic plan to serve this population.  

 

“The measures we’re announcing today represent just a first set of actions demonstrating our commitment to center their wellbeing as we begin the long road to recovery from the pandemic,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We look forward to working with the new Biden-Harris administration and Congressional leadership to build back NYC better than ever.”  

 

The first set of initiatives announced today focuses on re-engaging young adult New Yorkers who are neither enrolled in school nor working:   

 

  • CUNY has launched a new Winter Bridge program to enroll 5,000 students from the NYC DOE Class of 2020 who had accepted an offer to CUNY but had yet to matriculate as of the Fall semester.  Current CUNY students will work as College Coaches, sharing their own experiences as college students, and providing support to help new students complete CUNY enrollment and financial aid processes.  Students in the Winter Bridge Program can enroll for spring 2021 in CUNY Start/Math Start and Accelerated Studies in Associate Programs (ASAP).  

 

  • In partnership with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC and the NYC Center for Youth Employment (CYE), CUNY will launch a Welcome Back campaign to re-engage at least 600 students, including 100 former CUNY ASAP students majoring in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields whose enrollments lapsed in 2020, as well as 500 prospective students who were recently admitted into CUNY community college programs but never enrolled. Participants will receive intensive supports through admissions and re-enrollment processes, including financial aid, ongoing academic and career advisement, and STEM intensive programming with peers. 

 

  • The Young Men’s Initiative (YMI) will launch License to Careers (L2C), a new pre-apprenticeship initiative to train and place 50 recent high school graduates into career track positions within the transportation sector. This is a new model that will be studied for potential scaling and replication in other sectors of the New York City economy. 

 

  • In partnership with DYCD, the Mayor's Office will launch a new fellowship for OSOW young adults from Advance & Earn, a new training, education, and employment program launched in 2020 for youth between the ages of 16-24. The fellowship will recruit 15 Fellows for a four-month work experience where they will hone policy, research, and advocacy skills. Fellows will survey and interview young adults in their communities to learn about the issues they are facing in their everyday lives. 

 

The second set of programs announced today focus on keeping students engaged and on track by expanding career readiness and exploration opportunities to high-need youth:   

 

  • The de Blasio Administration has completely restructured the Work Learn & Grow program to focus on college and career readiness. This past fall, the new model, administered by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) in partnership with DOE and CUNY, provided 2,155 high school students with the opportunity to take a for-credit CUNY course through Kingsborough Community College. After completing the course, participants began a paid internship experience that will run through the spring, through which they can earn up to $3,000. 

 

  • In partnership with CYE, CUNY Explorers, a program that employs CUNY students as College Coaches and mentors for DOE middle school students, will expand and serve an additional 5,000 DOE students. The program will now provide college exploration through after-school activities and expand to work with high school students in 9th and 10th grade. 

 

  • CYE, in partnership with ExpandED Schools, will train up to 25 nonprofit service providers to serve up to 500 youth with entrepreneurship activities and STEM career exploration as part of DYCD’s Learning Labs and after-school programs. 

 

  • YMI and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Office to Prevent Gun Violence will expand eligibility in Anti-Gun Violence Employment Program (AGVEP) to serve up to 50 youth within secure detention. Youth will be engaged in an 18-week stipend-based program that starts under ACS care and continues upon discharge with After Care services. Young people released from Rikers with connections to select service providers will also have the opportunity to be engaged with this program. Services will include job training, therapeutic services and educational and employment opportunities. 

 

  • In partnership with ACS, The Kite, and Petey Greene, and with support from YMI, the Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) will provide 12 weeks of tutoring to a total of 80 youth at both Horizon and Crossroads Juvenile Centers in support of remote learning. Participants will receive tutoring individually and in small groups. As youth return to the community, CCA will work with ACS, DOE and other stakeholders to ensure they have ongoing access to academic support services. 

 

Finally, to support unemployed and under-employed young adult job seekers searching for employment and training opportunities, the City has created two new tools, WorkingNYC and Career Discovery NYC:  

 

  • Developed by the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development and Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity, WorkingNYC (working.nyc.gov) centralizes City programs and resources that help New Yorkers access employment, job training, and adult education, career exploration and skill building programs.  

 

  • NYC Small Business Services has launched Career Discovery NYC (careerdiscovery.cityofnewyork.us), a centralized resource to assist New Yorkers with career discovery and training, features online, no-cost trainings that prepare New Yorkers with the necessary skills to pursue a pathway for an in-demand career path in the industrial, tech, and media sectors.  

      

“As New York City navigates beyond the COVID-19 crisis, our highest aspirations for economic democracy and social justice depend upon how effectively we can prepare all our young people for their futures,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives and Chair of the Disconnected Youth Task Force. “The report of the Disconnected Youth Task Force provides policymakers the clearest picture yet of who our OSOW young adults are, where we are delivering them effective services and where we must do better, and a comprehensive strategy to help every young New Yorker toward career success.” 

 

“We applaud these initiatives that will enable the City University of New York to continue supporting young adults as they weather the economic fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “Whether it’s our new Winter Bridge partnership with the Department of Education to get public school students enrolled in college, our coordinated efforts with the NYC Center for Youth Employment to reengage with more than 1,100 students, or new efforts that focus on long-range priorities such as internships and other career engagement opportunities, CUNY is more than willing to play a vital role in the civic life of the city we are so proud to call home.” 

 

“Our youth and young adults who support their families and communities while attending school have been hit hardest by this crisis and they deserve the spotlight this taskforce is putting on their recovery,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “Our educators and schools will continue to serve these young people by providing a high-quality education that meets their unique needs, while enthusiastically supporting the recommendations of this report.” 

 

"Kingsborough Community College (KCC) is pleased to represent CUNY and partner with DYCD and DOE for the Work, Learn & Grow program, and provide high school students with college and career readiness. Now more than ever, young people need exposure to opportunities that can prepare them academically, socially and emotionally for their future as college students and as members of the workforce.  With more than 50 academic programs of study, a Center for Career Development & Experiential Learning, and personalized counseling support for students, KCC is uniquely positioned to participate in this important program and help students succeed," said Kingsborough President Dr. Claudia V. Schrader

 

The Disconnected Youth Task Force report, Connecting Our Future, includes demographic analysis of the OSOW population, a look at the portfolio of programs both to prevent disconnection and to re-engage those already OSOW, and recommendations to provide short-term assistance for current OSOW young adults and long-term, system-level improvements to reduce their number over time. The Task Force includes City officials, nonprofit leaders, advocates, and employers.  

 

Its report is especially timely in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, which has hit hardest within communities of color both in health outcomes and economic impacts. Following a decade of steady reduction in the number of OSOW young adults, the report estimates that between job losses and educational disruptions, the pandemic has likely at least doubled the number.  

 

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, programs like Summer Bridge, Advance & Earn, Train & Earn, the WIOA-funded Learn & Earn, and Work Learn & Grow are still able to connect young people with employment, paid internships, job training, credentials and other vital opportunities for career and life success. I am proud to serve with my esteemed colleagues on the Disconnected Youth Task Force, and we look forward to the continued implementation of these programs and the new initiatives being announced today to support our young emerging leaders,” said Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Bill Chong

 

“The jobs crisis, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has hit young New Yorkers and the sectors they work in particularly hard,” said NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Jonnel Doris. “The Disconnected Youth Task Force’s work helps us minimize the long-term impact on our young people. We are excited to be adding new resources to Career Discovery NYC to support young New Yorkers in their career exploration and employment opportunities.” 

 

"Young people with aspirations, tremendous potential, and talent will be facing even greater challenges in realizing their dreams in the wake of the pandemic," said Department of Probation Commissioner Ana M. Bermúdez. "DOP is proud of our continuing efforts to bring resources and opportunities into communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the justice system, and now disproportionately impacted by COVID-19." 

 

“Ensuring youth have the resources and supports that they need to successfully transition to adulthood is a top priority for ACS,” said Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner David A. Hansell. “I am so pleased that Mayor de Blasio is taking critical steps to open more doors of opportunity for the youth and young adults hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, including youth in our foster care and juvenile justice system.” 

 

"Today's report underscores the urgent need for action across all levels of government to support and uplift tomorrow’s leaders of New York City," said NYC Human Resources Administration Administrator Gary Jenkins. “As our City continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on equity first and foremost, the Department of Social Services-Human Resources Administration is committed to doing its part to provide young adults across the five boroughs with the tools they need to achieve long-term career growth and success.”  

 

The Task Force calls for City government to:  

 

  • Prioritize re-engagement of OSOW New Yorkers through education, employment, and training as a core component of COVID-19 recovery efforts 
  • Help prevent disconnection by integrating career readiness into K-12 education and CUNY systems through CareerReady NYC, an initiative launched in 2019 
  • Elevate visibility and clarify accountability by identifying where primary responsibility for OSOW services sits within City government. 

 

In addition to its recommendations, “Connecting Our Future” presents unprecedented detail on the city’s OSOW population—including demographics and causal factors. Among its findings:  

 

  • Over the decade prior to the pandemic, the city’s OSOW population declined by nearly 40 percent, largely due to sustained improvements in the high school graduation rate and consistent job growth—but even before COVID-19, one in eight 16 to 24-year-old New Yorkers were OSOW 
  • Those that remained OSOW as of 2018 were older and better educated than the population a decade earlier—nearly three in four have at least completed high school and about one in eight have a bachelor's degree 
  • The population remains overwhelmingly Black and Latino, and are found in every neighborhood but concentrated in a number of economically distressed communities  
  • Contributors to disconnection from school and work include challenges in K-12 schooling, struggles with college completion and job retention, and absence of strong networks and support systems; given the demographics of the population, institutional bias is a factor as well