Metro North Parkchester/Van Nest Station Info Meeting

 

Tuesday October 3rd was the Parkchester/Van Nest new Metro North information session. It seemed to be deja vu to me as I could recall meetings like this in the past, as the four Eastside Metro North stations have been slated to be built for over twenty years. 

It seemed every ten years there were similar information sessions where people have been asked what would you like to see at the new station, what upgrades do you think the community might need, and where do you think the new stations should go? When I asked one of the Metro North people didn't we do this several times before. The answer I received was originally it was a Metro North project where Metro North gathered the information. Then the project was turned over to the MTA who started the process from the beginning, and the project was given back to the Metro North so we have to do the same thing again. 

Councilwoman Amanda Farias and Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson both were at this information session, and both spoke about the advantages of the four new Metro North stations. I was able to ask Borough President Gibson about the proposal to put six thousand affordable housing units total at the Parkchester/Van Nest and Morris Park stations only, and the no parking at all. That Community Board 11 would be getting over five thousand new units of affordable housing with the over five hundred units already being built. I mentioned Mayor Adams City of Yes plan to build 100,0000 new units of affordable housing split across the fifty-nine community boards which would be less than two thousand per board. I also told the BP of the Harrison station up the line where Governor Hochul announced one hundred-forty-three new affordable units of housing, a shopping center with over seven hundred total parking spaces for the affordable housing, Metro North station, and shopping center. Borough President Gibson agreed that it would be too much housing for Community Board 11, and that parking would be needed. 

The next Metro North Info Session is Wednesday October 18th for the Coop-City station. The meeting will take place at Section 5 135 Einstein Loop from 6 - 8 PM.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson is speaking with Councilwoman Amanda Farias stands next to her.

A map of the Parkchester/Van Nest area with where the new Metro North station will be going.

Where on the tracks, and a conceptual site plan of the Parkchester/Van Nest station.

It looks like it is back to step one, where people are given yellow sticky papers to stick on the matching category they are writing what they want at the Metro North station.

One of the many places to stick the paper with your suggestion.

Sukkat in the Park

 

The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is seven days that asks us to think about the idea of "home" and what it means to have a roof over our heads. This year from Friday September 29th through Friday October 6th Jewish people ate meals in the Sukkah located under the open sun. The sukkah is made up of at least three walls and a roof made up of unprocessed natural vegetation often bamboo or palm branches.  

On Wednesday October 5th Rabbi Saabia Pewzner of the Bronx Jewish Center built a Sukkah in Bronx Park East at the Lydig Avenue entrance where about one hundred people of the Jewish faith and others came to honor the holiday of Sukkat. They ate inside the Sukkah as Jewish music played and people danced outside. 

The Sukkah (in green and white) can be seen in the background right, along with a Mitzvah truck (left) that travels through the neighborhood to educate people about the Jewish holiday of Sukkat. 

A view inside the Sukkah, as you can see the bamboo roof as people are eating under the open sky.

A tradition of Sukkat is the Lulov (made up of palm, myrtle, and willow branches), and the Etrog (citron fruit) that are waved while saying a prayer. Holding the Lulov and Etrog is Steven Glosser President of the PPNA, as Rabbi Pewzner holds the television microphone as the local cable channel was also filming the event.  

Standing outside the Sukkah are (L - R) Steven Glosser, Rabbi Pewzner, Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr., and Joe McManus representing congressman Ritchie Torres. 

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's Weekly News - October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

This month, State Comptroller DiNapoli highlights the rise in cybercrime and the serious threat it poses to New York State and its local governments in two recently released reports. Cyberattacks in New York State increased 53% between 2016 and 2022. Estimated losses in New York from cyberattacks in 2022 totaled over $775 million, while losses nationwide totaled $10.3 billion. DiNapoli’s Cyberattacks on New York’s Critical Infrastructure report details the recent proliferation of cyberattacks, the most common types, and discusses efforts to respond to and prevent such attacks.

In New York, cyberattacks have impacted local governments and schools both large and small, including reported attacks at counties including Albany, Chenango, Erie, Nassau, Schenectady, Suffolk, and Schuyler; cities including New York, Albany, Buffalo, Yonkers, Long Beach, and Olean; and towns including Brookhaven, Ulster, Canandaigua, and Moreau. In a second report, DiNapoli's office recommends local government and school officials treat cybersecurity risks as they do any other hazard they encounter: identify the risks, reduce their vulnerabilities, and plan for contingencies.

“Cyberattacks are a serious threat to New York’s critical infrastructure, economy, and our everyday lives,” said DiNapoli. “Data breaches at companies and institutions that collect large amounts of personal information expose New Yorkers to potential invasions of privacy, identity theft, and fraud. Also troubling is the rise in ransomware attacks that can shut down systems we rely on for water, power, health care and other necessities. Safeguarding New York from cyberattacks requires sustained investment, coordination, and vigilance.”

Read More

MTA Avoided A Fiscal Crisis, Now It Has To Convince Riders To Come Back

In a turnaround from the fiscal crisis it faced a year ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today stands on firmer financial ground, largely because the state budget provided dedicated sources of revenue to close projected budget gaps, according to State Comptroller DiNapoli’s annual report on the MTA’s fiscal outlook. With this improved financial picture, the burden is now on the MTA to improve the region’s transit system and win riders back, while keeping its budget balanced, DiNapoli’s analysis concludes.

Read More

Audits

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority – New York City Transit: Risk Assessment and Implementation of Measures to Address Extreme Weather Conditions
• Department of State – Implementation of the Security Guard Act
• Department of Transportation – Compliance With Freedom of Information Law Requirements
• New York Power Authority – Selected Management and Operations Practices: BuildSmart NY/Executive Order 88
• State Education Department – Adult Career and Continuing Education Services: Vocational Rehabilitation Supported Employment Program
• State Education Department – Oversight of Mental Health Education in Schools
• New York City Office of Technology and Innovation – LinkNYC Program Revenues and Monitoring
• Medicaid Program – Recovering Managed Care Payments for Inpatient Services on Behalf of Recipients With Third-Party Health Insurance
• Department of Health: Medicaid Program – Improper Medicaid Payments for Claims Not in Compliance With Ordering, Prescribing, Referring, and Attending Requirements
• New York State Health Insurance Program – UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York: Overpayments for Physician-Administered Drugs
• New York State Health Insurance Program – Empire BlueCross: Overpayments for Physician- Administered Drugs
• Department of Civil Service – New York State Health Insurance Program: Incorrect Payments by CVS Caremark for Medicare Rx Drug Claims That Were Improperly Paid Under the Commercial Plan

Municipal & School Audits Cattaraugus County Town of Orangeville Wallkill Central School District

ALSO IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK

_{Note: Some news links may require a paid subscription.} 

• MTA must grow ridership for sound fiscal future, says NY state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli

• The N.Y.C. Subway Is No Longer Broke. Can It Buy Rider Happiness?
  
  
• Deputy comptroller assesses MTA’s financial needs, future plans
  
  
• State Comptroller Report Faults MTA for Lack of Climate Change Plans
  
  
• New York ranks third most vulnerable state for cybercrime, as ransomware grows: State Comptroller
  
  
• Report: Cyberattacks in New York increased 53% between 2016 and 2022 
  
  
• New York Comptroller DiNapoli on Sustainability
  
  
• Transparency Needed as NYC Moves Forward with Difficult Budget Choices: DiNapoli 

Post of the Week 
Tom DiNapoli @NYSComptroller 

Frank James Sentenced to Life in Prison for Subway Mass Shooting

 

 Defendant Fired 32 Rounds, Wounding 10 Defenseless Victims Before His Gun Jammed on Crowded Subway Car in Brooklyn in April 2022

Frank James, 62, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz II to 10 concurrent life sentences in prison, plus 10 years to run consecutively for shooting 10 people during an attack on the New York City subway in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, on April 12, 2022. James previously pleaded guilty to all 11 counts of a superseding indictment, which included 10 counts of committing a terrorist attack or other violence against a mass transportation vehicle – one count for each gunshot victim – and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of his violent attack.

“Nothing can undo the damage that Frank James’s mass shooting inflicted on the 10 victims who were shot or the dozens more who suffered other injuries, but this sentence ensures that he will spend the rest of his life in prison for the devastation he caused,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This sentence also makes clear that the Justice Department has no tolerance for crimes that terrorize our communities and will ensure accountability for those who perpetrate them.”

“Whenever domestic violent extremists violate our laws and commit heinous acts of violence against the American public, the FBI will work hand in hand with our law enforcement partners at all levels to pursue justice for the victims and hold criminals accountable for their abhorrent actions,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The public we serve deserves nothing less.”

“In an act of cold-blooded terrorism, this defendant shot 32 rounds at defenseless victims trapped in a subway car during their rush hour commute,” said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “ATF agents immediately responded to the scene of the shooting and joined their state, local and federal law enforcement partners in the investigation. When a gun was recovered on the subway platform, ATF conducted an urgent trace of the crime gun to identify the purchaser, ultimately leading to the name of the shooter. Today’s sentence not only reflects the heinousness of the crimes committed, but it reflects the extraordinary work of all the law enforcement and prosecutors involved. It takes the best of the best to catch the worst of the worst.”

“This sentence delivered the necessary penalty for Frank James who callously carried out a terroristic mass shooting on a crowded subway car, intentionally attempting to kill innocent people, and spilling much blood,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “He wounded 10 victims in his planned out attack and affected the lives of many more. Every one of the victims who experienced that horror feared that they would never see their children or loved ones again. It is appropriate that the defendant will never know freedom again and will spend the rest of his life in prison so that no one can be harmed further by him. I hope that this sentence brings some closure to the many victims of this violent attack and brings comfort to the city at large in knowing that justice was done.”

During rush hour on the morning of April 12, 2022, James used a Glock 17 pistol he legally purchased to conduct a mass shooting on an N subway train in Brooklyn. James planned his act of terror for years – purchasing smoke bombs, disguises, firearms, and ammunition. He scouted the location for his attack and completed multiple practice runs. As part of his attack, James, disguised in an orange reflective jacket and yellow hard hat to look like a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employee, set off a smoke-bomb in a subway car before opening fire on his captive victims. Panicked passengers ran to the far end of the subway car, allowing James to shoot at his victims more easily. When the defendant started shooting, the train was between stations and then temporarily stalled, leaving victims trapped. In total, 10 victims were struck by 16 bullets fired by the defendant. Dozens more suffered from smoke inhalation and other mental and physical injuries due to the defendant’s attack. James then fled the scene of the attack, changing his clothing frequently to evade detection while law enforcement engaged in a 36-hour manhunt to find him and bring him to justice.   

At some point after the shooting, James purchased a burner phone which he used to follow the coverage of his attack while hiding from law enforcement. For example, James watched 31 videos of news reports about his subway shooting. He also watched a James Bond chase scene from the movie “No Time to Die” 10 times after the attack. Finally, James turned himself in by calling the NYPD crime stoppers hotline on April 13, 2022, the day after the mass shooting.

The New York Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the ATF.

Attorney General James and Multistate Coalition Secure $49.5 Million from Cloud Company for Data Breach

 

Blackbaud’s 2020 Data Breach Exposed Donor Information of Thousands of Nonprofit Organizations Nationwide Multistate Investigation Found Blackbaud Failed to Implement Strong Data Security Measures to Protect Donors’ Personal Information from Data Breaches

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a multistate coalition of 50 attorneys general reached a $49.5 million agreement with cloud company Blackbaud over a massive data breach that impacted thousands of nonprofit institutions, including charities, colleges and universities, and health care organizations in New York and across the country. Blackbaud provides donor data management software and, in 2020, experienced a data breach that exposed the personal information of its customers and millions of their donors and constituents. As a result of today’s agreement, Blackbaud has agreed to overhaul its data security and breach notification practices and pay $49.5 million to the affected states, of which New York will receive $2.9 million.

“New Yorkers, and all Americans, deserve to know that their personal information is secure and protected,” said Attorney General James. “Blackbaud was supposed to safeguard the private information held by nonprofits regarding donors and customers, but instead its poor data security measures put everyone at risk. There is no excuse for a cloud company to have poor data security measures. As data breaches become more pervasive, my office will continue to ensure companies are securing their networks against these attacks.”

Blackbaud provides software to various nonprofit organizations, including charities, higher education institutions, K-12 schools, and healthcare, religious, and cultural organizations. Blackbaud’s customers use its software to connect with donors and manage data about their constituents, including contact and demographic information, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial information, employment and wealth information, donation history, and protected health information. This type of highly sensitive information was exposed during the 2020 data breach, which impacted over 13,000 institutions that were Blackbaud customers and millions of their respective consumer constituents. Blackbaud paid the threat actor a ransom and was provided evidence that the stolen data was deleted.

Thousands of New York institutions were affected by Blackbaud’s data breach. A full list can be found here.

This settlement resolves claims made by Attorney General James and the coalition of 50 attorneys general that Blackbaud violated state consumer protection laws, breach notification laws, and HIPAA. The multistate investigation found that Blackbaud failed to implement reasonable data security and fix known security gaps, which allowed unauthorized persons to gain access to Blackbaud’s network. Following the breach, Blackbaud neglected to provide its customers with timely, complete, or accurate information regarding the breach, as required by law. As a result, notification to the consumers whose personal information was exposed was significantly delayed or never occurred at all, as Blackbaud downplayed the incident and led its customers to believe that no notification was required.

Under the settlement, Blackbaud has agreed to strengthen its data security and breach notification practices going forward, including:

• Discontinuing misrepresentations related to the processing, storing, and safeguarding of personal information; the likelihood that personal information affected by a security incident may be subject to further disclosure or misuse; and breach notification requirements under state law and HIPAA.
• Implementing and maintaining incident and breach response plans to prepare for and more appropriately respond to future security incidents and breaches.
• Updating breach notification provisions that require Blackbaud to provide appropriate assistance to its customers and support customers’ compliance with applicable notification requirements in the event of a breach.
• Improving security incident reporting to the CEO and board, employee training, and appropriate resources and support for cybersecurity.
• Applying personal information safeguards and controls requiring total database encryption and dark web monitoring.
• Using specific security requirements with respect to network segmentation, patch management, intrusion detection, firewalls, access controls, logging and monitoring, and penetration testing.
• Implementing third-party assessments of Blackbaud’s compliance with the settlement for seven years.

Joining Attorney General James in today’s multistate agreement are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

This agreement continues Attorney General James’ efforts to protect New Yorkers’ personal information and hold companies accountable for their poor data security practices. In September, Attorney General James reached an agreement with Marymount Manhattan College to invest $3.5 million to protect students’ online data. This past May, Attorney General James secured $300,000 from Sports Warehouse for failing to protect the data of 2.5 million customers. Also in May, Attorney General James recouped $550,000 from a medical management company for failing to protect patient data. In April, Attorney General James released a comprehensive data security guide to help companies strengthen their data security practices. In December 2022, Attorney General James secured $200,000 from student cap and gown producer Herff Jones for failing to protect consumers’ personal information. In October 2022, Attorney General James announced a $1.9 million agreement with the owner of SHEIN and Zoetop for failing to properly handle a data breach that compromised the personal information of millions of consumers. In June 2022, Attorney General James secured $400,000 from Wegmans and required the retailer to improve data storage security after a data breach exposed consumers’ personal information. In March 2022, Attorney General James issued a consumer alert advising T-Mobile customers to take appropriate steps to protect their personal information following a data breach.