Attorney General James Sends Clear Message: Access to Abortion is Legal and Protected in New York

AG James Sends Letter to Law Enforcement to Remind Them about New York’s

Abortion Laws and Protections for Residents, Visitors, and Providers  

New York Attorney General Letitia James today reminded law enforcement throughout New York state: Abortion rights are protected in New York. In a letter sent to New York state law enforcement including district attorneys, county sheriffs, local police departments, and others, Attorney General James reminded agencies about New York’s robust abortion rights laws which include protections for residents, visitors, and providers. The letter also included answers to frequently asked questions to ensure all law enforcement personnel in New York state understand that abortion rights are protected and have guidance on how to enforce those laws.  

“As abortion rights are rolled back and banned in other states, it is important for everyone to know that New York is, and will continue to be, a safe haven for abortion access,” said Attorney General James. “Everyone must understand the facts surrounding New York’s abortion access and privacy protections, especially as other states are attempting to punish people who provide or obtain abortion care. I will always fiercely defend reproductive justice and freedom of choice in New York.” 

Following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling that protected abortion rights nationwide, a patchwork of laws in different states, including some banning abortion completely, has led to confusion among patients, providers, and law enforcement. The letter from Attorney General James provides clear answers and information about abortion rights and protections in New York state, and offers help and guidance to state and local law enforcement officials. 

Attorney General James noted that the recently passed laws continue New York’s leadership in guaranteeing safety, security, and privacy for anyone seeking or providing lawful abortions. Attorney General James also informed her colleagues that the recently passed state laws ensure New York officials cannot help other states that attempt to penalize people for obtaining or providing lawful abortion care in New York. Additionally, she urged her colleagues in law enforcement to familiarize themselves with local reproductive health service providers, help address their safety needs, and offer any necessary support to ensure there is no unlawful interference with reproductive health services. Attorney General James also encouraged law enforcement personnel to promptly report incidents of interference by contacting the Office of the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau at (212) 416-8250 and civil.rights@ag.ny.gov. 

“The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) District II, representing ob-gyns and other medical professionals delivering obstetric and gynecologic care in New York, applauds Attorney General James for her guidance letter to law enforcement that outlines protections for abortion care delivered in our state,” said Christine Herde, MD, FACOG, Chair, ACOG District II.  “The attacks across the country necessitate bold and protective action in safe harbor states like New York for both patients and clinicians. By emphasizing New York will not help other states that seek to penalize people for obtaining or providing lawful abortion care in our state, this letter sends a strong message that New York recognizes abortion as essential health care and values the medical professionals who provide it.”    

“Complete chaos has ensued since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, resulting in a public health crisis that is only getting worse,” said Nancy Northup, President and CEO, Center for Reproductive Rights. “Abortion is already illegal in 12 states and that number will continue to grow as more states implement bans. Amid this uncertainty, we applaud the leadership of Attorney General James as a fierce advocate for the right to make one’s own health care decisions, not only for New Yorkers, but for people from every state. Her statements today — along with the state’s recent enactment of interstate shield laws protecting abortion providers, patients, and helpers — demonstrate with unequivocal clarity that people who travel to New York to exercise their right to abortion can do so without fear.”    

“We are grateful to New York Attorney General James for reaffirming the state’s commitment to protecting access to abortion and ensuring that the state’s law enforcement bodies are reminded of New York laws and provided guidance to be able to carry them out effectively,” said Melissa Fowler, Chief Program Officer, National Abortion Federation (NAF). “Since the fall of Roe, clinics in New York — and other haven states — have seen an increase in patients from states with harmful abortion bans. Simultaneously, we have seen a steady rise in violence and harassment against providers from anti-abortion extremists who continue to be emboldened by the Supreme Court’s decision. It is critical at this moment for states like New York to remind their law enforcement officials that abortion is both legal and protected and that they must proactively uphold the law so that patients can seek care without fear of intimidation and abortion providers can operate without threats and violence.”

“In this moment, the country needs New York’s leadership. Half the states are moving with lightning speed to ban virtually all abortions, and access to care in many parts of the country is already a fiction,” said Donna Lieberman, Executive Director, New York Civil Liberties Union. “We applaud Attorney General James for doing everything she can to ensure that New York law enforcement know that abortion is a fundamental right, and that it is their duty to respect that right. Five decades ago, and three years before Roe, New York opened its doors to women from across the U.S. who needed abortion care, and we are called to do so once again. Women, young people, transgender, and gender non-conforming people are counting on us.”  

“Now more than ever, it is critical that patients seeking abortion care, abortion providers, and law enforcement officials have a clear understanding of the privacy and safety protections New York state laws provide,” said Georgana Hanson, Interim President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts. “We are grateful for the Attorney General’s unwavering leadership in addressing this issue, and know this communication and partnership will ensure that laws designed to protect bodily autonomy and essential health care are upheld in New York, while making clear that interference with reproductive health services will not be tolerated. Patient privacy and safety is paramount, and addressing the safety needs of providers and clinics is critical to keeping access to abortion care a reality.”   

Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting Tuesday 10/11/2022

 

The guests at Tuesday's Pelham Parkway meeting were Mr. Joe Franklin of the Borough Manager Bureau of Pest Control Services for the Department of Health NYC, and clerk Ms. Cauldwell from the White Plains Road Post Office. 

Mr. Franklin had handouts he spoke of which depicted various problems people run into. How to rid your building of Rats, Mice, Roaches, and preventing and getting rid of Bed Bug safely. Mr Franklin spoke on the various topics and took questions from the audience.

Also on the program wa a clerk from the White Plains Road Pot Office who described her job a little and asking for help from the customers of the post office to help keep her post office going and open. 

(L - R) Elio Morales Treasurer PPNA, Mr. Joe Franklin NYC Department of Health, Steve Glosser President PPNA.

A view of the crowd at the PPNA meeting.

Ms. Cauldwell from the White Plains Road Post Office asks for help in keeping the finance station open.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES CITY HALL, MUNICIPAL BUILDING TO BE LIT PINK FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that both City Hall and the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building will be lit pink tonight in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

 

“This month we honor the survivors, those currently fighting, those we’ve lost to breast cancer, and all the friends and family members who have sadly witnessed the pain this disease inflicts on millions,” said Mayor Adams. “This devastating disease affects hundreds of thousands of people each year, and Black women have the highest rates of mortality, but screening early and often can save lives. Especially as we come out of the pandemic, I encourage all New Yorkers to talk with their health care providers and make sure they are up to date on screenings.”

  

VCJC News & Notes 10/14/22

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful! Reminders Shabbos Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar. Here are the times you need:   Shabbos Candles Friday 10/14/22 @ 5:59 pm Shabbos morning services at 8:45 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Shabbos Ends Saturday 10/15/22 @ 7:02 pm   Chag Sunday, October 16 – Hoshanah Rabbah Candle lighting   5:56 pm Mincha/Maariv   6:00 pm  Monday, October 17 – Shemini Atzeret Shacharit        8:45 am YIZKOR approx    9:30 am Mincha/Maariv  6:00 pm Candle lighting   6:57 pm •    Simchat Torah Party Monday night before Maariv, refreshments served Tuesday, October 18 – Simchat Torah Shacharit         8:45 am Mincha/Maariv    6:00 pm Yom Tov ends    6:56 pm   Yizkor Reminders Having observed Yizkor on Yom Kippur and another Yizkor on Shemini Atzeret, this is a reminder that it is customary to donate to charity as part of the observance.  Whether you attended services at VCJC or not; whether you vocally made a pledge or not; it is expected that you will make a donation in honor of those you remembered during Yizkor.  If you pledged to VCJC, thank you, and please redeem your pledge as soon as you are able.  If you attended, but did not announce a pledge, please consider donating to VCJC as part of your Yizkor observance.  If you observed Yizkor elsewhere, please honor the custom of charity as part of Yizkor, and if you are willing, include VCJC in your largesse.   Donations may be made in person in the office, by check by postal mail, or through one of the options on our Donation page.  Van Cortlandt Jewish Center 3880 Sedgwick Ave Bronx, NY 10463

A Decade After Sandy: Comptroller Finds Coastal Resiliency Projects Past Deadline With 27% of Federal Funds Still Unspent

 

Nearly a Quarter Trillion Dollars of Real Estate at Risk of Flooding by 2050

Ten years after Superstorm Sandy devastated New York City’s shores, an analysis by New York City Comptroller demonstrates the slow pace of recovery and resiliency spending. Of the nearly $15 billion of federal grants, the City has spent $11 billion, and a far lower percentage of City capital funds on key projects. Many coastal resiliency projects remain years from completion.   

The Superstorm took the lives of forty-three New Yorkers and caused an estimated $19 billion in damages. Looking ahead, the report assesses the economic risks to NYC’s real estate, property tax revenue, and essential infrastructure in the floodplain, finding that rising sea levels and more frequent storms will put $242 billion of coastal real estate at risk by the 2050s. 

“The climate crisis is moving far faster than we are,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “Superstorm Sandy was a wake-up call for the devastating risks that climate change poses to our city – but from the trudging pace of too many resiliency projects, it seems like we’re still asleep. Without significant improvements to infrastructure design and delivery, New York City will fail to get ready in time for the next storm.”  

In this retrospective, Ten Years After Sandy: Barriers to Resilience, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander tracks the progress the City has made in spending its storm recovery and resiliency aid dollars. 

• The City has spent $11 billion of the nearly $15 billion of federal grants aimed towards Sandy aid and recovery as of June 2022. 66.2% of the nearly $10 billion in FEMA Sandy grants. 92.4% of the $4.2 billion HUD CDBG-DR grants.  
• However City’s Sandy Funding Tracker only captures the spending of federal grants and does not include the City’s own capital contributions. The Sandy Funding Tracker only accounts for the federal funds (18%) of the $1.9 billion total East Side Coastal Resiliency budget. The Comptroller’s under-the-hood examination of total project budgets and actual spending found that the City has only spent 13.3% of the $1.9 billion ESCR budget.   
• The FY23 Capital Plan indicates that the anticipated completion dates for some of the uncompleted Coastal Resiliency Projects are as far out as 2030.   

Real Estate & Essential Infrastructure  

The second portion of this analysis examines the fiscal risk future storms could pose to waterfront real estate prone to coastal flooding. In the past decade as new waterfront developments have steadily increased, market rate values of real estate in the 100-year floodplain have increased to over $176 billion – a 44% increase since Superstorm Sandy. Rising tides and more frequent storms will put upwards of $242 billion (a 38% increase at today’s current market value) at risk of coastal flooding by the 2050s, with Brooklyn experiencing the most dramatic increases in property values at risk in coming decades.   

The tax lots in the current 100-year floodplain are estimated to generate $2.0 billion in annual property taxes. As the floodplain grows, more tax lots will be put at risk, threatening $3.1 billion in annual projected property tax revenues by the 2050s (using current property values). Significant essential infrastructure lies in the 100-year floodplain, including:  

• Public housing will be particularly impacted. Today, 17% of NYCHA’s buildings are in the 100-year floodplain; this number will grow to 26% by the mid-century.  
• 79% of transportation and utility land uses that support our electric and gas utilities, rail yards, airports, docks and piers, bridges, tunnels, and highways.  
• 67% of open space and outdoor recreation areas, from neighborhood parks that provide vital space for local residents to iconic parks that draw visitors.  
• 46% of the city’s industrial and manufacturing that house waste transfer stations, construction businesses, warehouses, and distribution centers. 

Comptroller Lander continues, “New York City is at risk of losing a quarter of a trillion dollars in real estate to coastal flooding by midcentury, as well as significant swaths of our public housing, transportation, recreation, and industrial spaces. We must accelerate the pace and complete the lifesaving infrastructure that communities from the Rockaways to Southern Brooklyn to Staten Island urgently need – and use new federal infrastructure and climate funds to protect vulnerable communities from the even wider range of climate risks that we’ve seen grow in the decade since Sandy.”     

The Comptroller’s report recommends that the City expand capacity to deliver capital projects on time and on budget as well as revisit and update the City’s long-term resiliency plans to address our current understanding of climate risks and maximize use of forthcoming federal funds. The report’s recommendations include:

1. Rapidly enact the initial recommendations of First Deputy Mayor Grillo’s Capital Process Reform Task Force to accelerate the pace of incomplete resiliency projects and push the pace of future capital projects forward on longer-term action. 
   
2. Improve public transparency of capital project tracking. 
3. Implement grant accounting procedures for federal funds to improve the City’s ability to track and maximize federal reimbursement. 
4. Fully fund operations and maintenance activities associated with emergency activation and long-term maintenance of new resilient infrastructure. 
5. Develop a citywide long-term resiliency plan to address long-term land use changes and codify design guidelines for resiliency infrastructure. 
6. Establish diverse and sustained funding sources for future resiliency investments. 

The report is available here.

Former Honduran Congressman Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Import Cocaine Into The United States And Possessing Machine Guns And Destructive Devices

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FREDY RENAN NAJERA MONTOYA was sentenced to 30 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and possessing machine guns and destructive devices during the course of that conspiracy.  NAJERA previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe, who sentenced Najera today.       

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Fredy Najera, a former Honduran congressman, abused his high-powered position by operating a large-scale narcotics trafficking organization that imported tons of cocaine to the United States.  Najera oversaw the construction of airfields in Honduras and the use of militia-style tactics and weaponry to protect the illicit shipments. Najera has now been sentenced to 30 years in U.S. federal prison for his conduct in connection to importing over 30 tons of cocaine, which continues to contribute to the devastating cycle of addiction and abuse that affects so many Americans.”

According to the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during other court proceedings: 

From approximately 2008 through 2015, NAJERA abused his position as a Honduran congressman to lead large-scale and violent drug-trafficking activities in the same part of Honduras that he represented in his government position.  NAJERA’s crimes involved the distribution of more than 30 tons of cocaine, which was ultimately imported into the United States.  In connection with these activities, NAJERA used, and employed security teams who used military-grade weapons including machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. 

During that same time period, NAJERA constructed, maintained, and staffed clandestine airstrips in Olancho, Honduras, that were used to receive multi-hundred-kilogram shipments of cocaine sent from Venezuela to Honduras.  NAJERA facilitated the receipt of cocaine-laden planes and helicopters at his airstrips and coordinated the transportation of the cocaine westward in Honduras so that it could be imported into the United States.  Heavily armed security personnel employed by NAJERA participated in the receipt and transportation of these shipments.  NAJERA also cultivated criminal relationships with members of the Honduran National Police and the Honduran military in order to support his drug-trafficking activities by obtaining sensitive law enforcement information used by traffickers to avoid arrests and to plan transportation routes for U.S.-bound cocaine.

In 2012, NAJERA introduced members of the Sinaloa Cartel to Honduran officials who provided nearly unfettered access to a major commercial shipping hub in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.  The Sinaloa Cartel relied on NAJERA’s connections to transport approximately 10 tons of cocaine through Puerto Cortés.

In addition to his prison sentence, NAJERA, 46, of Honduras, was sentenced to five supervised release, ordered to forfeit $39,000,000, and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000,000.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the Bilateral Investigations Unit of the Special Operations Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), New York Strike Force, and DEA Tegucigalpa Country Office, as well as the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.    

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES UPGRADED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR PROTECTING WORKERS’ RIGHTS

 

Phase One Focuses on Protecting Child Performers

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) today announced the official launch of NYSDOL’s new Management System for Protecting Workers’ Rights (MPWR) which begins with the Child Performer Permits application now being available on MPWR. This creates a more guided and streamlined process for employers, parents, and guardians filling out the application. All employers who work with child performers in New York State must obtain a certificate to employ the performer and parents or guardians must obtain a Child Performer Permit in order for the performer to be eligible to work.

“My roots are in the acting and performance community, so I know how important it is to ensure child performers are protected,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “NYSDOL’s new Management System for Protecting Workers’ Rights not only allows parents and guardians to quickly submit applications for permits, but it also increases security, helping protect New Yorkers from online threats.”

MPWR is a $10 million multi-faceted case management system for NYSDOL’s Division of Worker Protection, set to be completed in 2023. The Child Performer application was the first to be released on MPWR, and so far, more than 550 have applied using MPWR since the application opened on September 29, 2022. As MPWR continues to develop, more applications currently processed by mail will be available online, making application processes quicker, easier, and more secure.

MPWR will also allow New Yorkers to report claims of labor violations, unemployment fraud, and more online in multiple languages and receive updates in real time about the status of their claims. It will allow the Department to collect real-time data, enhancing its ability to analyze and identify trends. MPWR is part of NYSDOL’s ongoing 4 year modernization plan, which Governor Hochul announced in June is now at the halfway point.

The requirement to obtain a Child Performer Permit applies to minors who live or work in New York. Performer permits obtained by parents or guardians are free. Employers who apply for permits have to pay a fee. Previously, NYSDOL’s Division of Labor Standards processed paper applications and applicants had to send in checks. MPWR allows for applicants to submit necessary information and receive certification quickly.

For more information on Child Performer Permits, visit NYSDOL’s Child Performer webpage.

MAYOR ADAMS STOPS ADDITIONAL GHOST GUN RETAILER FROM SELLING GHOST GUN KITS TO NYC RESIDENTS

 

Settlement Follows Three Other Settlements in August

 

City’s June Lawsuit Against One Remaining Defendant Continues

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an agreement with online ghost gun retailer Arm or Ally that stops the company’s illegal selling and delivering of gun components to New York City residents. These ghost gun components are used to assemble illegal and untraceable firearms and pose a grave risk to New Yorkers. The agreement with Arm or Ally — based in Kansas City, Missouri — is the fourth agreement the city has reached with online ghost gun retailers following a lawsuit filed against five companies in June 2022. The Adams administration announced three previous agreements with Rainier Arms (based in North Auburn, Washington), Rock Slide USA (based in Broadway, North Carolina), and Salvo Technologies (doing business as 80P Builder and based in Largo, Florida).

 

“Our city will not allow ghost guns to endanger New Yorkers and continue to carve highways of death in our communities,” said Mayor Adams. “Thanks to the strong collaboration between our law enforcement agencies, we have now already been able to hold four of the five companies named in our lawsuit accountable for selling and delivering these illegal weapons to our city and stop their unlawful conduct dead in their tracks. This represents yet another aggressive step our administration has taken to keep New Yorkers safe from the scourge of gun violence and reduce illegal gun possessions across our city.”

 

“The city is focused on using every tool it can to keep these deadly, untraceable weapons out of our communities,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix. “This latest settlement is good news for New Yorkers concerned about the violence caused by ghost guns. With each settlement, the city has sent a clear message: We will hold accountable any ghost gun retailer who threatens public safety and thinks they are above the law.”

 

As part of today’s agreement with Arm or Ally, the seller agrees — among other things — to:

• Immediately stop selling ghost gun components to New York City residents,
• Implement a technological bar to any such sales in the future, and
• Provide the city with its sales data for all such sales since 2020.

 

In addition to Arm or Ally, Salvo Technologies, Rainier Arms, and Rock Slide USA, New York City filed suit against Indie Guns (based in Orlando, Florida) in June. That suit continues. 

 

In addition to the city’s lawsuit, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed her own lawsuit in June against 10 defendants — including the five the city sued — for selling tens of thousands of illegal, unfinished frames and receivers to New Yorkers that were then converted into unserialized, untraceable handguns and assault-style weapons.