Governor Hochul Signs Legislative Package to Combat Housing Discrimination

In Response to Newsday’s “Long Island Divided” Expose, Governor Hochul Signs a Nine Bill Action Plan to Combat Housing Discrimination 

Establishes the Anti-Discrimination in Housing Fund to be Used by the Attorney General’s Office for Fair Housing Testing

Establishes that All State and Local Agencies Have an Obligation to Further Fair Housing

Increases the Required Training for Real Estate Professionals Relating to Fair Housing Laws and Housing Discrimination; Requires Standardized Intake Procedures be Used by Real Estate Professionals

Creates a Dedicated Telephone Line for Housing Discrimination Complaints

 Governor Kathy Hochul today signed a sweeping legislative package that included nine different bills to combat housing discrimination. This legislative package addresses many of the issues identified in an expose by Newsday, “Long Island Divided”, which explored discrimination and both explicit and implicit bias that exists in the real estate industry.

"For too long, the dream of owning a home has been out of reach for too many New Yorkers because of discrimination and bigotry," said Governor Hochul. "When intrepid investigative journalists uncovered housing discrimination in New York, we took action to end this unacceptable practice. I'm proud to sign strong new laws expanding access to fair housing and allowing more New Yorkers to achieve the American dream of owning their homes."

The centerpiece of the legislation is the Anti-Discrimination in Housing Fund that will permit the state to conduct fair housing testing. New efforts also range from increasing training and raising the maximum fines for misconduct by real estate brokers and salespersons, to emphasizing that all state and local agencies that administer state housing programs have an obligation to “affirmatively further fair housing.” These new bills, passed thanks to the efforts of Senate Housing Committee Chair Brian Kavanagh and Assembly Housing Committee Chair Steven Cymbrowitz, will ensure the real estate workforce is well versed in fair housing practices, and that the new fund is sufficiently resourced to carry out its intended purpose. 

Creation of the Anti-Discrimination in Housing Fund, Increasing Fines and Adding a Surcharge to Licensing Fees

Legislation (S.945-B/A.6866) establishes an Anti-Discrimination in Housing Fund, a portion of which will be supported by fines collected for violations of anti-discrimination sections of the real property law. This bill increases the fine ceiling from $1,000 to $2,000 and then diverts 50 percent of the revenue from these fines to the Anti-Discrimination in Housing Fund. This fund will be available to the Office of the Attorney General for fair housing testing who will allocate grants to various government and non-governmental entities specializing in anti-housing discrimination. 

11 Days and Counting

 

I am starting my daily Media availability and Mr. moderator I do not want you to call on that Ace reporter Robert Press from the Bronx Chronicle and Parrot TV Talking Politics Friday's at noon live on You Tube . He will rip me apart on that show as he has done to soon to be former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Bronx democratic Party. 

I don't want Ace reporter Robert Press to ask me to tell everyone the numbers of Omicron cases because we are trying to keep those numbers secret so we can panic everyone to get vaccinated and get their booster shots. Also we want people to get tested so we can have numbers of people testing positive so we can scare people even more. I don't want that Ace reporter Robert Press to ask me what is the reliability of the testing, because just like the vaccination and booster shots we don't really know. I will change the subject to Climate Change this morning.

Statement from Governor Hochul on Winter Surge in COVID-19 Cases

 

"I want to thank President Biden for his leadership in fighting the nationwide COVID-19 winter surge and taking comprehensive action against the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. 

As part of our state's comprehensive Winter Surge Plan, we’ve taken bold steps to make vaccines, boosters, testing and masks more widely available in all corners of New York State, and we will continue to bring relief to hospital systems so they can remain focused on providing care to all New Yorkers. 

The President and I spoke again today about how to address this surge, and I'm grateful that he is responding to our requests for additional personnel to support our hospitals and health systems, including the deployment of 30 ambulances with staff to Upstate areas; new mass testing sites, including the first one to be operational in New York City before Christmas; and rapid tests sent directly to Americans in their homes. This is real leadership. 

I look forward to our continued partnership with the Biden Administration to assist New York State as we fight the winter surge." 

CONSUMER ALERT: Attorney General James Asks Consumers to Report Price Gouging of At-Home COVID-19 Testing Kits and Other In-Demand Items

 

AG James Also Issues Warning Against Fraudsters Seeking to Prey on Consumers

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued a consumer alert to New Yorkers concerning potential price gouging of over-the-counter coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing products for at-home use, as well as other in-demand essential products. Today’s alert comes in light of a surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, which has resulted in the rise of New Yorkers seeking to use at-home testing kits before gathering with friends and loved ones for the holidays.

“As New York sees an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, more and more New Yorkers are looking for at-home tests and other tools in the fight against the coronavirus,” said Attorney General James. “If New Yorkers see exorbitant price increases on testing kits or other goods vital and necessary for health, safety, and welfare, they are encouraged to report it my office immediately. And fraudsters are on notice that if they attempt to price gouge during this new surge, we will not hesitate to take action.”

The Office of Attorney General (OAG) has received complaints of COVID-19 testing products being sold at double or triple its retail price. A standard BinaxNOW brand test kit at a New York store, like Walgreens, costs appropriately between $14 and $25 for a package of two tests, however, there has been alleged reports of the same products being unlawfully sold for more than $40 and up to $70 per package. 

New York law prohibits merchants from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling goods or services that are vital to their health, safety, or welfare for an “unconscionably excessive” price. An excessive price would be represented by a gross disparity between the price of the product immediately prior to and after such an occurrence.

Last year, a law was passed that substantially strengthened Attorney General James’ ability to bring charges against individuals and entities violating New York state’s price gouging statute, as they sought to excessively increase prices on essential goods and services during pandemics or other emergencies.

Today’s action is the latest in Attorney General James’ efforts to protect consumers from fraudulent conducts and deceptive practices. In addition to sending more than 1,900 cease and desist letters to merchants since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the OAG also stopped three third-party sellers that used Amazon to price gouge on hand sanitizers and disinfectants and sued a major egg distributor for exorbitantly raising the price of eggs that resulted in Attorney General James securing 1.2 million eggs to help feed needy New Yorkers.

The OAG continues to monitor entities across the state for deceptive practices and price gouging schemes. Any New Yorker who is aware of or believes that they have been the victim of price gouging is encouraged to file a complaint online or call 800-771-7755.

Member of H-2 Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for International Narcotics Distribution Conspiracy

 

Defendant Trafficked Heroin into the United States for Violent Mexican Drug Cartel

 AT the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Deovaldo Gutierrez Alfaro, also known as “Leoba,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon to 60 months’ imprisonment for his participation in a large-scale international narcotics distribution conspiracy.  The defendant was arrested in Nayarit, Mexico in March 2019 and extradited to the United States in November 2019.  Alfaro pleaded guilty in June 2021. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William D. Bodner, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Angeles Division (DEA), announced the sentence. 

“With today’s sentence, the defendant is held accountable for conspiring to smuggle large quantities of heroin and other dangerous drugs into the United States and for transmitting hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal drug proceeds between the United States and Mexico,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This Office and its law enforcement partners are committed to dismantling international drug cartels and their distribution cells that fuel addiction and promote drug-related violence in our cities and local communities.” 

“Drug trafficking organizations continue to flood our communities with drugs and perpetuate the cycle of addiction that is causing unprecedented overdose deaths across the nation,” stated DEA Los Angeles Special Agent-in-Charge Bodner. “This case exemplifies the hard work and collaborative efforts utilizing domestic and international resources to effectively disrupt sophisticated criminal syndicates.”

According to court filings and facts presented during court proceedings, the defendant was a member of the H-2 Cartel, a violent Mexican drug trafficking organization based in Nayarit and Sinaloa, Mexico.  The H-2 Cartel had numerous drug distribution cells in the United States, including in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Ohio, Minnesota, North Carolina and New York.  The DEA estimates that between January 2013 and February 2017, the H-2 Cartel distributed on a monthly basis approximately 500 kilograms of heroin, 100 kilograms of cocaine, 200 kilograms of methamphetamine and 3,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States and earned millions of dollars in illegal proceeds.  In furtherance of its drug trafficking operation, the H-2 Cartel used firearms and physical violence, including torture and dozens of homicides.

Between June 2013 and December 2016, the defendant conspired with the H-2 Cartel to smuggle large quantities of heroin from Mexico into the United States and distribute the heroin throughout the country, including in the Eastern District of New York.  The defendant also helped the Cartel move hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States back to Mexico.  In September 2015 and November 2016, law enforcement seized more than three kilograms of heroin in connection with two drug shipments that the defendant had coordinated.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics & Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Heeren, Ryan C. Harris, and Andrew D. Wang are in charge of the prosecution.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Alfaro’s arrest and extradition.

Bronx Connect receives $100,00,00 From AT&T For Its Afterschool Program

 

After school programs are a thing of the past in many New York City public schools having been cut severely during the Mayor Bloomberg era in City Hall. Those afterschool programs were a bridge to what a student may not have understood in the classroom, or were programs that helped enrich students. 

Bronx Connect has teamed up with AT&T to bring some of these programs to students in an out of school classroom at Bronx Connect on East 148th Street. Bronx Connect has served youth whom society has identified as high risk of recidivism. With proper mentorship and wrap-around case management, Bronx Connects youth beat all odds.

Dr. Wendy Calderon-Payne the Executive Director of Bronx Connect goes over the program for the event with AT&T.

Terence Derrick is the teacher, or Digital Instructor for the student working on computers. 

Omar McNeil is one of the students in the Bronx Connect program who talks about what is offered to the students.

Mural painting is one of the parts of the program.

Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo is in full support of the Bronx Connect program.

Mr. Timothy Tapia of AT&T speaks of why he supports the Bronx Connect student program.

Here Mr. Tapia of AT&T presents Bronx Connect with a check for one hundred thousand dollars to continue the afterschool program.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - DECEMBER 21, 2021

 

100,601 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours       

57 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.

“Cases are rising due to the winter surge, but this is not March 2020 – we knew this was coming and New York is taking action to make vaccines, boosters, and testing more widely available,” Governor Hochul said. “We know what works – get vaccinated, get the booster, mask up, and exercise caution in indoor public spaces. Now is the time for all of us to do our part and help protect those more vulnerable to make sure we all get through this holiday season safely.” 

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported - 214,165
• Total Positive - 22,258
• Percent Positive - 10.39%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 7.88%
• Patient Hospitalization - 4,328 (+308)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 632
• Patients in ICU - 799 (+30)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 470 (+19)
• Total Discharges - 223,962 (+308)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 57
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 47,671
  
  
  The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only. 

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 60,624
  
  
  This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings. 

• Total vaccine doses administered - 32,548,719
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 100,601
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 1,092,097
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 88.1% 
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 80.1% 
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 94.6%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 82.4% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 76.8% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 69.1% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 82.3% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 71.1%

 EDITOR'S NOTE:

Where are the Omicron figures for yesterday and today. On December 19, 2021 there were 192 Statewide cases of Omicron in New York State, and 41 cases in New York City. Governor Kathy Hochul, where are the figures for yesterday and today, or is there no danger to the public?

Attorney General James Sues Grinch Who Failed to Deliver Holiday PlayStations and Xboxes

 

AG James Obtains Court Order Freezing Bank Accounts and Preventing Future Sales Unless Gaming Console Orders Can Be Fulfilled on Time

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today has taken legal action to stop a New Jersey woman from ruining Christmas for dozens of families. Attorney General James filed a legal proceeding against Tandria Faulkner — operating under the names Sonjia Posh Boutique LLC and Prestigious Marketing Concepts, Inc. — for failing to deliver PlayStations, Xboxes, and other consumer goods to New Yorkers and other consumers as promised before the 2020 holidays. In connection with the lawsuit, Attorney General James also obtained a temporary restraining order that freezes the bank accounts of Faulkner and her businesses and stops her from taking any further orders for items she is not in direct possession of. 

“Today’s court order stops this grinch from ruining anymore holidays this year, and our lawsuit seeks to recoup everything paid for game consoles that were never received,” said Attorney General James. “Despite false promises of PlayStations, Xboxes, and other high-end items, Tandria Faulkner and her companies were not able to deliver and only stole Christmas from numerous families. New Yorkers should know that the only ones who can deliver impossible presents in an expedited fashion are Santa and his team of elves! New Yorkers can trust that we will always fight to protect their wallets and make their holidays as joyous as possible.” 

Attorney General James’ lawsuit alleges that Faulkner accepted hundreds of orders for hard-to-find PlayStation 5s and Xbox Series Xs and Ss in the fall of 2020, just prior to the launch of those game consoles and when they were in especially high demand. Many consumers were promised that they would receive the items in time for Christmas. When the deliveries failed to arrive, many consumers were given shifting excuses and many never even received refunds.

The lawsuit further alleges that Faulkner was paid over $500,000 from consumers in connection with this scheme.

Attorney General James’ lawsuit — filed in New York County State Supreme Court — is seeking restitution for any consumer who did not receive either their product or a refund from Faulkner and a permanent injunction stopping Faulkner from accepting orders for items she is not in possession of, among other relief. 

Attorney General James asks any consumer who placed an order with Prestigious Marketing, Sonjia Posh Boutique, Tandria Faulkner, or any representative of the three, and never received their requested item or a refund to file a complaint online with the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau or call the office at 1-800-771-7755. Attorney General James also cautions consumers shopping for the upcoming holiday season to exercise caution when ordering game consoles and other hot ticket items, and to ensure that the seller actually has the items in stock when placing an order.