Governor Hochul Awards $1.8 Million in Grants for 26 Projects in Hudson River Communities

 

Grants Will Protect Watershed Communities from Future Flooding, Enhance River Access and Education, and Promote Environmental Stewardship

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced grant awards totaling more than $1.8 million for 26 projects to help communities along the Hudson River Estuary improve water quality, enhance environmental education and advance stewardship of natural resources. The grants complement the Governor’s comprehensive plan to protect communities from the impacts of climate change by investing in resilience.

"New York State is investing in projects that will improve resiliency and protect our natural resources both in the Hudson River Valley and across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “These 26 local grants will provide dozens of communities support to improve recreation, expand river access and education, and preserve and protect this iconic river for future generations of New Yorkers.”

Now in its 21st year, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Hudson River Estuary Grants Program implements priorities outlined in the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2021-2025. To date, DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program awarded 643 grants totaling more than $28 million. Funding for DEC’s Estuary Grants program is provided by New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects. Governor Hochul’s proposed 2024-25 Executive Budget maintains EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program’s history. 

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s sustained efforts to bolster community resiliency to climate change’s impacts, $1.8 million in grants awarded today for 26 projects will help Hudson River Valley communities develop plans to both protect residents and natural resources from severe weather driven by climate change while strengthening ecosystems. These grants build upon local conservation efforts and priorities to sustainably improve water quality and protect the Hudson River.”

Grant recipients listed by region are:

MULTI-REGION

• Riverkeeper, Inc.: $150,000 for “Dam Reconnaissance” on 12 Hudson River tributaries, targeting at least 16 priority dams whose removal will restore natural stream flow, improve habitat and aquatic connectivity, and benefit river herring and American eel, two Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
• Hudson River Watershed Alliance: $75,000 for “Building Organizational Capacity for Watershed Planning and Implementation,” which will create a regional guidance document to define specific key roles on watershed planning and implementation for community-based watershed groups throughout the Hudson River Estuary Watershed. 
• Pace University: $49,811 for “Flood Resilience Network Land Use Leadership Alliance Training Program,” a project with the Land Use Law Center which will implement a community-based Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) training program for five to seven municipalities that are members of the Hudson Valley Flood Resilience Network. The training provides climate change adaptation-focused policy, planning, and regulatory tools for shoreline resiliency and resilient communities. 

CAPITAL REGION

Albany County

• Radix Ecological Sustainability Center: $65,625 for “Renewable Remediation for River Regeneration Round 2,” which will continue operation of Radix’s solar-powered boat to deploy and monitor artificial floating wetlands in the Hudson River near Albany’s South End neighborhood.

Columbia County

• Columbia Land Conservancy, Inc.: $75,000 for “Columbia County Countywide Conservation and Open Space Plan,” which will engage a broad coalition of community partners to ensure that the countywide conservation vision responds to the needs of diverse communities, considers suitable renewable energy siting, and provides opportunities for the development of affordable housing.

Rensselaer County

• Riverkeeper, Inc.: $150,000 for “Planning and Engineering for Kenwood Mill Dam Removal,” to continue working with Princeton Hydro to conduct hydrologic and hydraulic modeling on Kenwood Mill Dam on Mill Creek and produce final engineering design plans and permit applications, resulting in a shovel-ready project. 

MID-HUDSON VALLEY

Dutchess County  

• Town of Red Hook: $109,000 for “Willets Drive West and East Culvert Replacements,” to develop shovel-ready designs for the replacement of two stream crossings in poor condition on town-owned Willets Drive West and East.
• Town of Milan: $93,500 for “Woody Row Road Culvert Replacement,” to develop a shovel-ready design for the replacement of the stream crossing in poor condition on town-owned Woody Row Road.
• Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum: $37,925 for “River Lab at the Discovery Museum,” a project to develop Hudson River Estuary education programs for elementary-age school groups and the public at the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Pavilion and in the museum. 

Orange and Ulster Counties

• Bard College: $69,300 for “River Harmful Algal Blooms Watershed Characterization and Communication Toolkit,” to develop a Watershed Characterization report and communication materials focused on harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Walkill River in partnership with the Wallkill River Watershed Alliance, Hudson River Watershed Alliance, and Riverkeeper. Inc.

Putnam County

• Town of Kent: $40,825 for “Town of Kent Open Space Plan Initiative,” to complete a town-wide Open Space Inventory and Plan to develop strategies to conserve and protect its natural resources.

Putnam and Westchester Counties

• Riverkeeper Inc.: $59,543 for “Nutrient Analysis in Peekskill Hollow Brook, a Regional Drinking Water Source,” a project that will use DEC’s Loading Estimator of Nutrient Sources (LENS) tool to estimate point and nonpoint phosphorus contributions in the Peekskill Hollow Brook watershed, to inform drinking water-source monitoring and protection or clean water plan development for the city of Peekskill and other stakeholders.

Rockland County

• The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York: $75,245 for “Hudson River Education: Extending the Pathway into Climate,” a project that supports summer high school interns in Rockland County Potential Environmental Justice Area communities to deepen their science connection as they work on climate change impacts on the Hudson River. 
• Village of Nyack: $17,000 for “Nyack Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan,” to conduct a vulnerability assessment and create an adaptation plan for Nyack residents and businesses that will address climate change hazards. The assessment will include frequency and duration of heat waves, increasing intensity of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, storm surge, and climate change-related disease. 

Ulster County

• Arm of the Sea Productions, Inc.: $46,350 for “Resilient Electrical Service and ADA Lift for Tidewater Center,” to install resilient electrical service to the Arm-of-the-Sea Tidewater Center, connect that service to the outdoor performance space and Program Support Center, and install an electrically-powered, ADA-compliant lift for the Program Support Center. 
• Town of Hurley: $36,800 for “Town of Hurley Natural Resources Inventory,” to engage a consultant to develop a Natural Resources Inventory to be used in conjunction with the 2018 Hurley Open Space Plan and an updated Comprehensive Plan to provide the tools needed to incorporate climate resilience and mitigation elements, improved wetland and watercourse protections, and critical environmental area protection in the Town Zoning Code.
• Hudson River Maritime Museum: $20,000 for “Accessible Gangway for A-dock,” to purchase and install an ADA-compliant aluminum gangway to improve accessibility to the floating docks on the western side of the museum campus, referred to as “A-dock.” 
• Town of Lloyd: $19,176 for “Illinois Mountain Connectivity Plan,” to complete a connectivity plan for Illinois Mountain Park, which will serve to evaluate and conserve natural resources through the creation of a connectivity plan and inform the development of a future conservation plan for the mountain.

Westchester County

• Hudson Valley Stream Conservancy: $114,920 for “Sprout Brook Dam Removal Phase 2: Final Planning, Deconstruction and Stream Restoration,” which will complete the Sprout Brook Dam removal and stream restoration and will restore aquatic connectivity to the stream for migrating fish and eels. 
• Village of Hastings-on-Hudson: $75,000 for “North Broadway/Zinsser Drainage,” a project to conduct the necessary planning and preliminary design for a new stormwater system to implement drainage improvements to control flooding in the village of Hastings-on-Hudson. 
• Village of Ardsley: $59,384 for “Village of Ardsley Natural Resources Inventory,” to engage a consultant to complete a Natural Resources Inventory to identify areas for plant and animal habitat improvement, enhanced flood storage to facilitate resiliency, and to guide opportunities for green infrastructure in the Downtown Business District.
• Town of Cortlandt: $50,000 for “Town of Cortlandt and Village of Croton Intermunicipal Natural Resources Inventory,” for the town of Cortlandt and village of Croton to complete an intermunicipal Natural Resources Inventory for both communities, to identify critical natural resources and to develop preservation and management strategies.

NEW YORK CITY

Kings County

• Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Inc.: $100,000 for “Enhancement of Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy’s Environmental Education Center and Program,” a project to fund the conceptualization and design of several new state-of-the-art exhibits themed around the urban ecology of the New York Harbor. 

Kings, Queens, and New York Counties

• City Parks Foundation: $100,000 for “Learn Coastal Classroom,” a project to support City Parks Foundation’s Coastal Classroom program, which teaches elementary, high school, and college students about the city’s waterways, from coastal ecology and human impacts on the environment, to stewardship, and more. 

New York County

• Downtown Boathouse: $75,000 for “Expansion of Free Kayaking Programs in Manhattan,” to increase free and inclusive recreational access to the Hudson River by purchasing new adaptive equipment and specialty boats for people with disabilities, and by broadening community engagement with its off-season pool program.
• New York Restoration Project: $47,364 for “The Living Shoreline at Sherman Creek Park [Phase 2]” to extend the Living Shoreline model to include and restore a five-acre tidal mudflat on the Harlem River waterfront in Northern Manhattan’s Sherman Creek Park.

In January, Governor Hochul announced a comprehensive resiliency plan to protect New Yorkers from extreme weather, flooding, and other climate impacts as part of her 2024 State of the State and included $435 million in the Executive Budget proposal to help implement the initiatives. Highlights include:

• Creating the ‘Resilient & Ready’ Program to establish a flexible fund to support resiliency efforts for low- and moderate-income homeowners ahead of future storms. The program will enable State Homes and Community Renewal to assist households that experience flood damage to make necessary repairs in the aftermath of storms and will cover the cost of proactive flood mitigation improvements.
• Creating the Blue Buffers Voluntary Buyout Program, with $250 million included in the 2024-25 Executive Budget to encourage buyouts in communities most vulnerable to flooding. The program will prioritize outreach and education first and then begin identifying voluntary projects based on the level of flood risk, ensuring we protect our communities that are most vulnerable to high water and storm surges.
• Making major investments in statewide disaster response to put more boots on the ground, improve training and preparedness, and address evolving threats as they come.
• Update Coastal Erosion Hazard Area (CEHA) Maps, which are essential to the protection of beaches, dunes, and bluffs that maintain and enhance flood resilience, so that communities and permit applicants quick quickly determine if a property is within a CEHA.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Notice how not a penny is given to the Bronx in the form of the Hudson Greenway to protect the shoreline of the Hudson River in the Bronx to protect against flooding. Good work Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. 

D.A. Bragg Announces Indictment Of Afterschool Program Employee For Sexually Abusing An 8-Year-Old Student

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of MILES MCNEAL, 25, for sexually abusing an 8-year-old student multiple times in a Harlem afterschool program. MCNEAL is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the Second Degree, one count of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. [1] 

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Child Abuse Bureau and NYPD Child Abuse Squad are continuing to investigate these allegations as there may be additional survivors. The Office has specially trained professionals who can speak to children and their families in a child-friendly setting, and any parent who believes their child had contact with MCNEAL should call 212-335-4300. 

“As alleged, Miles McNeal abused his power as an afterschool program teacher to sexually abuse an 8-year-old student. These alleged acts are despicable, and no student or parent should ever have to fear that they may face this abusive behavior at a school,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We believe that there may be additional survivors, and this remains an ongoing investigation. Please reach out to our Office if you believe your child may have been abused by Miles McNeal – our team has extensive experience and trauma-informed training to handle these investigations with the care and sensitivity they deserve.” 

According to court documents and statements made on the record, on multiple occasions between September 8, 2022, and August 18, 2023, MCNEAL molested and sexually abused the 8-year-old at a Harlem afterschool program. 

MCNEAL was the survivor’s afterschool and camp teacher. He would routinely take her out of class and away from other students into an empty classroom, where the abuse would occur. MCNEAL’S abuse escalated in severity, beginning with photographing the survivor’s body, then rising to sexual abuse. 

Assistant D.A. Samantha LiTrenta is handling the prosecution of the case under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Heather Buchanan (Bureau Chief of the Child Abuse Bureau). Trial Preparation Assistant Ryan Dyke and Investigative Analyst Tessa Ferrall are also assisting with the case. 

D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly Detective Denisse Caceres of the Special Victims Division. 

[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT DECISION ON RENT STABILIZATION LAWS

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after the United States Supreme Court issued a decision on New York’s rent stabilization laws:

“We are pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied the remaining petitions challenging New York’s rent stabilization laws. For 50 years, rent stabilization has kept rents affordable for millions of New Yorkers and their families. Today, tenants can breathe a sigh of relief. As this administration tackles the city’s affordability crisis from all angles, we remain committed to defending New York’s rent stabilization laws so tenants can afford to stay in their homes and communities.”

Representative Jamaal Bowman - Virtual Town Hall Tomorrow!

 

Dear Neighbor, 

My town hall on student debt with special guest Senator Elizabeth Warren will be tomorrow Wednesday, February 21st at 6:30pm (not Tuesday, as a previous email said). Join us for information about debt reduction and a conversation about the ongoing fight to get relief for more borrowers. To participate, call (833) 408-1991 at the time of the event or watch live at facebook.com/RepBowman. To listen in Spanish, call (833) 380-0698 at the time of the event. 

If you need assistance from my office before then, you can reach us at the numbers below or at Bowman.casework@mail.house.gov. We look forward to hearing from you.

Peace and love, Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16)

U.S. and U.K. Disrupt LockBit Ransomware Variant

 

U.S. Indictment Charges Two Russian Nationals with Attacks Against Multiple U.S. and International Victims; FBI Seizes Infrastructure; and Department of Treasury Takes Additional Action Against LockBit

The Department of Justice joined the United Kingdom and international law enforcement partners in London today to announce the disruption of the LockBit ransomware group, one of the most active ransomware groups in the world that has targeted over 2,000 victims, received more than $120 million in ransom payments, and made ransom demands totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

The U.K. National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Cyber Division, working in cooperation with the Justice Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other international law enforcement partners disrupted LockBit’s operations by seizing numerous public-facing websites used by LockBit to connect to the organization’s infrastructure and seizing control of servers used by LockBit administrators, thereby disrupting the ability of LockBit actors to attack and encrypt networks and extort victims by threatening to publish stolen data.

“For years, LockBit associates have deployed these kinds of attacks again and again across the United States and around the world. Today, U.S. and U.K. law enforcement are taking away the keys to their criminal operation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “And we are going a step further — we have also obtained keys from the seized LockBit infrastructure to help victims decrypt their captured systems and regain access to their data. LockBit is not the first ransomware variant the Justice Department and its international partners have dismantled. It will not be the last.”

Additionally, the NCA, in cooperation with the FBI and international law enforcement partners, has developed decryption capabilities that may enable hundreds of victims around the world to restore systems encrypted using the LockBit ransomware variant. Beginning today, victims targeted by this malware are encouraged to contact the FBI at https://lockbitvictims.ic3.gov/ to enable law enforcement to determine whether affected systems can be successfully decrypted. 

“Today’s actions are another down payment on our pledge to continue dismantling the ecosystem fueling cybercrime by prioritizing disruptions and placing victims first,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Using all our authorities and working alongside partners in the United Kingdom and around the world, we have now destroyed the online backbone of the LockBit group, one of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs. But our work does not stop here: together with our partners, we are turning the tables on LockBit — providing decryption keys, unlocking victim data, and pursuing LockBit’s criminal affiliates around the globe.”

The Justice Department also unsealed an indictment obtained in the District of New Jersey charging Russian nationals Artur Sungatov and Ivan Kondratyev, also known as Bassterlord, with deploying LockBit against numerous victims throughout the United States, including businesses nationwide in the manufacturing and other industries, as well as victims around the world in the semiconductor and other industries. Today, additional criminal charges against Kondratyev were unsealed in the Northern District of California related to his deployment in 2020 of ransomware against a victim located in California. 

Finally, the Department also unsealed two search warrants issued in the District of New Jersey that authorized the FBI to disrupt multiple U.S.-based servers used by LockBit members in connection with the LockBit disruption. As disclosed by those search warrants, those servers were used by LockBit administrators to host the so-called “StealBit” platform, a criminal tool used by LockBit members to organize and transfer victim data.

“Today, the FBI and our partners have successfully disrupted the LockBit criminal ecosystem, which represents one of the most prolific ransomware variants across the globe,” said FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. “Through years of innovative investigative work, the FBI and our partners have significantly degraded the capabilities of those hackers responsible for launching crippling ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure and other public and private organizations around the world. This operation demonstrates both our capability and commitment to defend our nation's cybersecurity and national security from any malicious actor who seeks to impact our way of life. We will continue to work with our domestic and international allies to identify, disrupt, and deter cyber threats, and to hold the perpetrators accountable.”

According to the indictment obtained in the District of New Jersey, from at least as early as January 2021, Sungatov allegedly deployed LockBit ransomware against victim corporations and took steps to fund additional LockBit attacks against other victims. Sungatov allegedly deployed LockBit ransomware against manufacturing, logistics, insurance, and other companies located in Minnesota, Indiana, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, Florida, and New Mexico. Additionally, as early as August 2021, Kondratyev similarly began to allegedly deploy LockBit against multiple victims. Kondratyev, operating under the online alias “Bassterlord,” allegedly deployed LockBit against municipal and private targets in Oregon, Puerto Rico, and New York, as well as additional targets located in Singapore, Taiwan, and Lebanon. Both Sungatov and Kondratyev are alleged to have joined in the global LockBit conspiracy, also alleged to have included Russian nationals Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev and Mikhail Vasiliev, as well as other LockBit members, to develop and deploy LockBit ransomware and to extort payments from victim corporations.

“Today’s indictment, unsealed as part of a global coordinated action against the most active ransomware group in the world, brings to five the total number of LockBit members charged by my office and our FBI and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section partners for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “And, even with today’s disruption of LockBit, we will not stop there. Our investigation will continue, and we remain as determined as ever to identify and charge all of LockBit’s membership — from its developers and administrators to its affiliates. We will put a spotlight on them as wanted criminals. They will no longer hide in the shadows.”

With the indictment unsealed today, a total of five LockBit members have now been charged for their participation in the LockBit conspiracy. In May 2023, two indictments were unsealed in Washington, D.C., and the District of New Jersey charging Matveev with using different ransomware variants, including LockBit, to attack numerous victims throughout the United States, including the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department. Matveev is currently the subject of a reward of up to $10 million through the U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, with information accepted through the FBI tip website at https://tips.fbi.gov. In November 2022, a criminal complaint was filed in the District of New Jersey charging Vasiliev in connection with his participation in the LockBit global ransomware campaign. Vasiliev, a dual Russian-Canadian national, is currently in custody in Canada awaiting extradition to the United States. In June 2023, Russian national Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov was charged by criminal complaint in the District of New Jersey for his participation in the LockBit conspiracy, including his deployment of LockBit against victims in Florida, Japan, France, and Kenya. Astamirov is currently in custody in the United States awaiting trial.

Kondratyev, according to the indictment obtained in the Northern District of California and unsealed today, is also charged with three criminal counts arising from his use of the Sodinokibi, also known as REvil, ransomware variant to encrypt data, exfiltrate victim information, and extort a ransom payment from a corporate victim based in Alameda County, California. 

The LockBit ransomware variant first appeared around January 2020 and, leading into today’s operation, had grown into one of the most active and destructive variants in the world. LockBit members have executed attacks against more than 2,000 victims in the United States and around the world, making at least hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in ransom demands and receiving over $120 million in ransom payments. The LockBit ransomware variant, like other major ransomware variants, operates in the “ransomware-as-a-service” (RaaS) model, in which administrators, also called developers, design the ransomware, recruit other members — called affiliates — to deploy it, and maintain an online software dashboard called a “control panel” to provide the affiliates with the tools necessary to deploy LockBit. Affiliates, in turn, identify and unlawfully access vulnerable computer systems, sometimes through their own hacking or at other times by purchasing stolen access credentials from others. Using the control panel operated by the developers, affiliates then deploy LockBit within the victim computer system, allowing them to encrypt and steal data for which a ransom is demanded to decrypt or avoid publication on a public website maintained by the LockBit developers, often called a data leak site. 

The FBI Newark Field Office is investigating the LockBit ransomware variant.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, David E. Malagold, and Vinay Limbachia for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys Jessica C. Peck, Debra Ireland, and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the charges against Sungatov and Kondratyev unsealed today in the District of New Jersey. The Justice Department’s Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust and Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.

The disruption announced today was the result of a joint operation between the FBI; NCA South West Regional Organised Crime Unit; France’s  Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command; Germany’s Landeskriminalamt Schleswig-Holstein and the Bundeskriminalamt; Switzerland’s Federal Office of Police, Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Zurich, and Zurich Cantonal Police; Japan’s National Policy Agency; Australian Federal Police; Sweden’s Polismyndighetens; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Politie Dienst Regionale Recherche Oost-Brabant of the Netherlands; Finland’s Poliisi; Europol; and Eurojust.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen L. Gilbert are investigating and prosecuting the case against Kondratyev in the Northern District of California.

Additionally, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced today that it is designating Sungatov and Kondratyev for their roles in launching cyberattacks.

As mentioned above, victims of LockBit should contact the FBI at https://lockbitvictims.ic3.gov  for further information. Additional details on protecting networks against LockBit ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov. These include Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisories AA23-325A, AA23-165A, and AA23-075A.   

An indictment is merely an allegation. Under U.S. law, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Manuel Beras Medina

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Manuel Kelvin Beras Medina, who died on November 18, 2022 in an encounter with law enforcement in Inwood, Manhattan, New York County. Following a thorough investigation, which involved witness interviews, review of crime scene evidence, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ use of deadly force against Mr. Medina was justified, and therefore charges could not be pursued in this matter. 

On the evening of November 18, 2022, New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers with a joint state, city, and federal Strike Force working in conjunction with federal prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (USAO-SDNY) were attempting to purchase kilograms of cocaine from an alleged seller at a restaurant in Inwood, Manhattan. The Strike Force is comprised of NYPD officers, New York State Police (NYSP) troopers, and special agents with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Strike Force members arrived at the restaurant shortly after 7 p.m. and waited for 30 minutes before the alleged seller changed the meeting location to an apartment building at Vermilyea Avenue and West 204th Street. 

While waiting outside the building, Strike Force members observed Mr. Medina exit the lobby while talking on his phone before returning to the building and entering an apartment at the back of the lobby. At 8:30 p.m., one member told the others over the radio that there were drugs visible inside the apartment and gave the order to move in. The Strike Force members entered the apartment calling for Mr. Medina to put his hands up, but instead he pulled a gun from his waistband and fired multiple times as he backed into the kitchen. Four officers fired in response. Mr. Medina was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers recovered two firearms at the scene.

Under New York’s justification law, a person may use deadly physical force to defend against the use of deadly physical force by another person. When the defense of justification is raised at trial, the prosecution must disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, Mr. Medina, who was the target of a drug taskforce investigation, fired a gun at multiple officers and did not drop the weapon. Under these circumstances, based on the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers who fired were justified, and OSI determined that criminal charges could not be pursued in this matter.

Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Join Us! Women’s History Month Networking Event

 

Reserve Your Spot, Click Here

Join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce for our Women’s History Month Networking Event sponsored by Assemblymember Amanda Septimo. 

 

During the event, you will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded women, gain valuable insights from industry experts, and build a supportive network that will help you and your business thrive. 

 Wednesday, March 6th, 2024

Sankofa Haus 2422 3rd Avenue Bronx NY

 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

For the complete Bronx Chamber Events Calendar, featuring educational workshops, networking events and other opportunities hosted by the Chamber, its members, & partners, please visit and bookmark our website events calendar link in your browser - new events are added weekly!

Governor Hochul Celebrates Globalfoundries’ $11.6 Billion Investment to Expand Semiconductor Manufacturing Plant in Saratoga County

 

Transformative Expansion Project Will Establish a New 358,000 Square-Foot Manufacturing Facility on Existing Campus in Malta, Creating More Than 1,500 Direct Jobs and Thousands of Indirect Jobs

New York State Investment Will Unlock Nation-Leading Commitments to Workforce Development, Sustainability, and Community Investment

Project Will Also Leverage Significant Federal Investment Through CHIPS and Science Act, Solidifying Additional Community Benefits

Once Completed, New Facility Will Help to Grow Domestic ChipmakingCapacity, Bolster National Security, and Drive Unprecedented Local and Statewide Economic Growth in New York’s Capital Region

Builds on Governor Hochul’s Commitment to Establishing a Global Hub for Semiconductor Manufacturing in New York State

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Saratoga County-based GlobalFoundries will invest more than $11.6 billion over the next 10 years to expand its existing Fab 8 semiconductor manufacturing site in New York’s Capital Region. The transformative investment will allow the company to immediately expand its existing facility and then build a new, 358,000 square-foot semiconductor manufacturing facility on its campus in Malta, tripling its capacity to meet growing demand for chips, enhancing national security by expanding the United States’ chipmaking capacity, and creating more than 1,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. The project builds on Governor Hochul’s successful effort to establish New York State as a global hub for semiconductor research and manufacturing, following the recent announcement of an historic $10 billion partnership to create the first publicly owned High NA EUV Lithography Center at NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex.

“New York State is becoming the best place on earth to build a business,” Governor Hochul said. “Thanks to our pro-business policies, commitment to innovation and best-in-the-nation workforce, green jobs and high-tech manufacturers are flocking to the Empire State. This $11 billion investment from GlobalFoundries is a game changer, and with the partnership of the Biden administration, New York’s congressional delegation, and all of our local stakeholders, the best is yet to come.”

GlobalFoundries is a leading manufacturer of essential semiconductors that power everyday technologies that New Yorkers rely on. The company’s chips power features like mobile secure payment, airbag deployment, critical U.S. defense systems, and streaming devices and support fast-growing sectors like the automotive, data center and infrastructure, aerospace and defense, and smart mobile industries. More than 60 percent of the market relies on the types of chips that GlobalFoundries makes.

The company’s existing Fab 8 facility in Malta is a national leader in advanced manufacturing, producing 400,000 wafers each year. To date, the company has invested more than $15 billion in Fab 8 region and currently employs 2,500 employees in the Capital Region.

An economic impact study by Regional Economic Models, Inc. estimates that the GlobalFoundries project will generate positive economic growth for the Capital Region and New York State. Over the course of 20 years of operations, REMI estimates that the project will:

• Create 1,508 jobs directly with the company and thousands of indirect jobs by 2032.
• Grow New York State's economy, generating an additional $1.7 billion in real (inflation adjusted) economic output, on average per year and $1.1 billion in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on average.
• Provide an estimated annual average of $630 million in real disposable personal income to New York residents.
• Generate an average annual increase of $50 million in state government revenue, totaling $1.05 billion over 21 years, and an average annual increase of $63 million in revenue to local governments, totaling $1.3 billion over the same timeframe.

Construction on the new facility is expected to begin in 2025 and will be pursuant to a project labor agreement with workers who will be paid federal prevailing wage rates, at a minimum.

This project is being supported with $575 million in performance-based Green CHIPS tax credits in exchange for creating 1,508 direct jobs, and completing its multi-billion-dollar investments. Additionally, the company must also meet its community benefits and sustainability requirements. GlobalFoundries will also receive a $30 million infrastructure investment from the State The New York Power Authority—which currently provides GlobalFoundries with 15 megawatts of low-cost power from the ReCharge NY program—will consider further support for this expansion project when its Board of Trustees meets in March.

GlobalFoundries will be required to make at least $60 million in workforce training and community investments and negotiate a plan with Empire State Development that includes academic research and development projects, workforce and talent development, onsite or adjacent childcare, K-12 STEM education programming, and curriculum scholarships and tuition reimbursement. The company will also work with ESD to set a target percentage of permanent hires from targeted census tracts and historically disadvantaged populations. Empire State Development will commit to up to $15 million in spending for workforce development activities related to the project.

Additionally, GlobalFoundries will work to ensure that 30 percent of the project's eligible construction spending and 20 percent of its eligible ongoing annual operating spending is awarded to companies owned by individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities, with priority given to New York State Certified Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses. GlobalFoundries will also encourage construction contractors and subcontractors to identify candidates for hiring from disadvantaged and underrepresented populations.

To qualify for New York's Green CHIPS program, ESD and GlobalFoundries will enter into a Green CHIPS Sustainability Plan, which includes utilizing 100 percent renewable energy for electricity with potential onsite solar energy infrastructure and onsite battery storage systems. Additionally, the fabs and associated office buildings will be constructed to a minimum LEED Gold status. GlobalFoundries will also make investments in alternative and public transportation infrastructure, implement water reclamation and recycling measures, and adopt waste-reduction measures.

Governor Hochul’s Commitment to Growing New York’s Semiconductor Industry

Governor Hochul has maintained a strong commitment to building a modern economy in New York State through by growing a dynamic and innovative semiconductor industry. In 2022, the Governor signed New York’s historic Green CHIPS legislation to make New York a hub for semiconductor manufacturing, creating 21st century jobs and kick-starting economic growth while maintaining important environmental protections. As part of the FY 2024 Budget, Governor Hochul secured a $45 million investment to create the Governor’s Office of Semiconductor Expansion, Management, and Integration (GO-SEMI), which leads statewide efforts to develop the chipmaking sector. The Governor also announced a $10 billion partnership to bring the future of advanced semiconductor research to New York’s Capital region by creating the nation’s first and only publicly owned High NA EUV Lithography Center at the Albany Nanotech Complex.

GlobalFoundries’ investment adds to New York's already robust semiconductor industry which is currently home to 156 semiconductor and supply chain companies that employ over 34,000 New Yorkers. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s efforts, the industry is continuing to expand with major investments from semiconductor businesses and supply chain companies like Micron, AMD, Edwards Vacuum, and TTM Technologies to expand their presence in New York.

Semiconductors are vital to the nation's economic strength, serving as the brains of modern electronics, and enabling technologies critical to U.S. economic growth, national security, and global competitiveness. The industry directly employs over 300,000 people in the U.S. and supports more than 1.8 million additional domestic jobs. Semiconductors are a top five U.S. export, and the industry is the number one contributor to labor productivity, supporting improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of virtually every economic sector — from farming to manufacturing.