MAYOR ADAMS, DEPARTMENT FOR THE AGING DISTRIBUTE 1,000 FREE COMPUTER TABLETS TO OLDER NEW YORKERS AND CONNECT THEM WITH CITY SERVICES

 

Distribution Aims to Close Digital Divide for Older Adults Who Do Not Have Internet Service or Digital Equipment

 

Tablets Will Connect Older Adults to Additional City Services

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA) Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez today announced the distribution of 1,000 free Wi-Fi equipped computer tablets to older New Yorkers in an effort to bridge the digital divide and help connect them with city services. This tablet distribution was held today at Borinquen Court in the Bronx and is part of an initial 10,000-tablet distribution initiative that DFTA began last October.

 

“Having access to the internet and so many of the services our city offers is not a luxury, but a necessity, and today’s delivery of 1,000 tablets to older New Yorkers will finally help make it a reality for our seniors,” said Mayor Adams. “These tablets will help close the digital divide, deliver crucial services to New Yorkers, and limit social isolation by allowing our seniors to stay connected and engaged with their friends and family. Age should not stand in the way of staying in contact with loved ones or connecting with key services, and so I applaud the Department for the Aging in working to keep the quality of life a priority for our older adults.”

 

“I applaud DFTA on their efforts to combat the digital divide among older adults through the distribution of 10,000 tablets,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “The last two years especially have shown the importance of ensuring older adults across New York City have access and knowledge on how to utilize the many ways technology can help everyone stay connected to their friends, family, and global community. I look forward to continuing these efforts and helping to close the technology gap among our older adults.”

 

“The last two years have shown us how important it is to be digitally connected. For older New Yorkers, being in touch with family and friends online and having access to virtual services was a game changer. It helped counter the impact of social isolation and empowered them with new skills. That said, there is a deep digital divide among our older adult population because many cannot afford to buy a computer device nor pay for internet service. This initiative finally helps connect the disconnected,” said DFTA Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez. “We are excited to provide them with this crucial technological equipment and internet service to help them stay engaged, active, and informed about the services offered by the city and the Department for the Aging.”

The tablet distribution is a continuation of the Department for the Aging’s long-term efforts to keep older New Yorkers connected, engaged, and help them limit social isolation through virtual programming and online services. The program provides free Wi-Fi equipped tablets to older New Yorkers who do not have an internet-enabled electronic device and reside within a Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) neighborhood. To date, 9,000 tablets have been distributed by DFTA’s network of providers. The remaining 1,000 will provide the agency with the opportunity to reach older adults who are not connected to DFTA services or programs.

 

Each tablet comes with free internet service through December 31^st, provided by T-Mobile, and is preloaded with applications, including Zoom, Gmail, and the NYC COVID Safe app. Older adults will also be provided with free training on their new tablets at local senior centers, and learn how to connect to DFTA virtual programs. During the distribution event, DFTA is referring tablet recipients to the nearest senior center that offers the training.

 

In addition to keeping older adults engaged and digitally connected, the initiative also achieves one of the goals outlined in DFTA’s Community Care Plan — a five-year plan to expand aging support services and help older adults age in their homes and avoid institutionalization. The Community Care Plan builds upon the success and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the expansion of virtual services that kept many older adults active and engaged while mitigating social isolation.

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When the pandemic caused the physical closure of older adult centers, older adult center services transitioned to virtual programming and over-the-phone services. These virtual programs included fitness classes, art workshops, and social events that were attended by about 40,000 individuals. Providing older New Yorkers with the technological equipment they need will build on the success of virtual programming and help make it available to even more older adults.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - APRIL 19, 2022

 As New Yorkers Continue to Travel During Spring Recess, Remember to Use the Toolkit: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment

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

“As we continue to monitor two new and highly contagious variants, the vaccine and the booster remain our best tools to move forward safely through this pandemic,” Governor Hochul said. “If you haven’t gotten vaccinated or boosted, make an appointment for your shot today. If you feel sick, get tested and limit your exposure to others. If you test positive, talk to a doctor right away about treatments."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Cases Per 100k – 23.77
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k – 30.71
• Test Results Reported – 70,118
• Total Positive – 4,646
• Percent Positive – 6.18%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 5.33%
• Patient Hospitalization - 1,357
• Patients Newly Admitted – 790*
• Patients in ICU – 170
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 64
• Total Discharges - 293,712 (+583)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 48*
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 55,315*

*Important Note: Due to the holiday, HERDS data collection from health care facilities was paused from 4/15/2022-4/17/2022. Data from those days were submitted in Monday’s report. Where noted, totals include four days of cumulative data from 4/15/2022-4/18/2022.  As a result, some data may appear higher than recent trends.  

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.

 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.  

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 70,573     

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 - 38,028,092
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 21,761
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 205,061
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.2%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 83.6%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 86.6%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 82.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 72.9%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 81.8%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 73.9%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 89.9%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 76.6%

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:    

Borough	Saturday, April 16, 2022	Sunday, April 17, 2022	Monday, April 18, 2022
Bronx	1.56%	1.64%	1.72%
Kings	2.91%	3.04%	3.18%
New York	4.70%	4.85%	4.85%
Queens	2.82%	2.98%	3.08%
Richmond	3.31%	3.42%	3.45%

“Diamond Enterprise” Boss Sentenced To 51 Months In Prison In Connection With Criminal Acts Including Racketeering, Threats, Money Laundering, Fraud, And Gambling

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ABDURAMAN ISENI, a/k/a “Diamond” was sentenced to 51 months in prison, based on his leadership of a multi-year racketeering enterprise from in or about 2017 through 2020, and criminal offenses related to threats, money laundering, bank fraud, false statements to a bank, and illegal gambling.  ISENI committed these offenses despite two prior federal convictions in the Southern District of New York for racketeering and money laundering. ISENI previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Serving more than a decade in federal prison should have demonstrated to Abduraman Iseni the consequences of serious crimes.  But instead, after his release he went back to racketeering, threats, money laundering, and other offenses.  Today’s sentence should send a message that this Office will make every effort to hold dangerous, recidivist felons to account.”

According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:

ISENI oversaw a racketeering enterprise referred to in the Indictment as the “Diamond Enterprise”.  The Diamond Enterprise was an organized criminal group operating under ISENI’s direction.  ISENI offered his protection, connections, and substantial influence in the criminal underworld to other members of the racketeering enterprise, in exchange for a share of their illegal profits.  The Diamond Enterprise thrived in part on the revenues generated by a network of illegal gambling parlors – “Sports Café,” “Friendly Café,” and “Oasis Café” – located throughout Brooklyn, that hosted underground poker games and hosted illegal sports books. Some of these revenues, in turn, were laundered through a series of bank accounts in an effort to conceal and facilitate the Enterprise’s continued operations.

In addition to the Enterprise’s operations, ISENI separately admitted to threatening a victim with physical violence, including an incident where he held a fork close to a co-defendant’s eye and threatened to jab it in, and a host of additional crimes, including money laundering, bank fraud conspiracy, and making false statements to a bank for the purpose of inducing the bank to release funds to which ISENI was not entitled.     

Prior to this more recent conduct, Iseni was twice convicted of federal offenses in the Southern District of New York – a 1996 conviction for racketeering and a 2012 conviction for money laundering – and served over a decade in federal prison.

In addition to his prison term, ISENI, 56, of Staten Island, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $349,000 and to pay a $5,000 fine.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of FBI New York’s Balkans and Middle East Organized Crime Squad, the FBI’s Newark Office, the United States Customs and Border Protection, the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the New York State Liquor Authority, and the New York City Police Department, for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case.  

Comptroller Lander Unveils NYC Climate Dashboard to Hold City Accountable to Climate Goals

 

NYC faces climate risks including double the heat waves, super storms, and 30-inch sea level rise. Dashboard illustrates maps of floodplain levels, as well as progress toward targets to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and enhance resiliency.

 To kick-off Earth Week, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and the Comptroller’s Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung unveiled the NYC Climate Dashboard to shine a spotlight on the City’s incremental progress and path forward to meet its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. The dashboard tracks key metrics on NYC’s energy transition, emissions, pension fund investments, and resiliency infrastructure. As the City’s Chief Accountability Officer, the Comptroller has  identified climate change as one of the greatest risks facing the city. The dashboard aims to help New Yorkers hold the City accountable to its climate goals to mitigate the threats of climate crisis, advance a just transition to renewable energy and a green economy, and build a city that’s more resilient in the face of rising seas and temperatures.

“Climate change is this century’s most pressing crisis and most urgent opportunity. Protecting our city from rising sea levels, devastating flash flooding, and deadly heat waves requires government, businesses, property owners, financial institutions and everyday New Yorkers working strategically to hit ambitious, but achievable goals.  The NYC Climate Dashboard will track our collective efforts to drastically reduce our emissions, convert to 100% clean energy, make a just transition to a green economy, and adapt our infrastructure to protect New Yorkers,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. 

As New York City’s Chief Fiscal Officer, Chief Accountability Officer, and custodian for the City’s pension funds, the New York City Comptroller is tasked with taking the long-term view to manage and address risks facing the city, including the climate crisis that threatens New York City’s physical, social, and financial future.

In the coming decades, risks to New York City include double the frequency of dangerous heat waves, double the frequency extreme precipitation and flash flooding—like Hurricane Ida, and up to 30 inches of sea level rise that threaten our communities and infrastructure.

The dashboard tracks various components of NYC’s initiatives to address the climate crisis, from reducing emissions, to investing in climate solutions, to making our city more resilient. The dashboard aims to illustrate climate mitigation and readiness, including the city’s total energy consumption by power mix; greenhouse gas emissions by building, transportation, and waste; our divestment progress from fossil fuels and investment in climate solutions; and maps of coastal flooding, heat, and stormwater risks.

Key data on the dashboard includes:

• New York City has reduced emissions by 25% since 2005; with a goal to reduce emissions by 80% of those 2005 levels by 2050.
• As of 2020, 76.6% of energy consumption is fossil-fuel based gas and oil. The City aims to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050.
• Over 40% of New York City’s buildings have failing energy ratings.
• Fewer than 1% of vehicles registered in New York City are electric. The city’s 630 electric vehicle charging stations bring us over halfway to our initial target of 1,000 charging stations by 2025.
• The New York City pension funds have divested $2.8 billion from fossil fuels and invested $7 billion in climate solutions.
• Nearly 2.5 million New Yorkers live in the 100-year floodplain today and low-lying neighborhoods like the Rockaways, Staten Island, Eastern Manhattan and Western Queens, and Southeast Brooklyn will become more vulnerable as sea levels rise.

“As the City Comptroller’s first-ever Chief Climate Officer, my mission is to deploy the accountability, oversight, and accounting tools of our office to get our city on track to reduce emissions, protect our neighborhoods, and transition our economy away from fossil fuels. This dashboard tangibly assesses the danger our inaction poses towards our city and keeps us accountable to moving the needle on both mitigation and adaptation. Meeting our emissions reduction and resiliency goals is not an option for New York City – the future of our neighborhoods depends on the collective actions we take now,” said Louise Yeung, Chief Climate Officer for the New York City Comptroller. 

View the NYC Climate Dashboard here.

Watch the video here.