Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Council Member Ruben Diaz Sr. - MY CHRISTMAS SEASON ACTIVITIES


You should know that during the Christmas season, every year, I coordinate a series of activities throughout Bronx County.

Do you know that in addition to distributing thousands of turkeys and $ 10.00 certificates to all Senior Centers, I also organize the following activities:

1st. Activity: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Saturday December 14, 2019
Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club 1930 Randall Avenue (Cor. White Plains Road) Bronx, NY.
A celebration with live music and food for adults and toys for children. Sponsored by: Hon. Marcos A. Crespo and Rev. Rubén Díaz.

2nd Activity: 9 am - 12 pm, Thursday, December 19, 2019
Maestros Caterers, 1703 Bronxdale Avenue Bronx NY. Christmas Breakfast for Ministers. Sponsored by: N.Y. Hispanic Clergy Organization, International Christian Vision Radio, and Genesis Cruises & Tour.

3rd Activity: 7:00 pm - 12:00 am Thursday, December 19, 2019
Maestros Caterers, 1703 Bronxdale Avenue Bronx NY. Christmas party for the Community. Sponsored by: Rev. Rubén Díaz, Hon. Rafael Salamanca, Mr. George Alvarez and Hon. John Perez.

4th Activity: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm Saturday, December 21, 2019
Holy Spirits Church 1940 University Avenue (Corner 179 Street) Bronx NY. Distribution of Toys for children 1-9 years old. Supported by: Rev. Rubén Díaz, Mr. George Alvarez and Father Ricardo Fajardo

5th. Activity: 7:00 pm Saturday December 21, 2019
Harding Park community Bronx, NY. Christmas Parranda (Music) Supported: Rev. Rubén Díaz.

6th. Activity: 12:00 pm- 2:00 pm Saturday, January 4, 2020
Mott Hall V 1551 East 172nd Street (Between Manor & Ward Street). The Visit of the Three Wise Men with toys for children, Supported by: Rev. Rubén Díaz, Mott Hall V, Taiwan Economic & Cultural Office in NY, Police Benevolent Association, Taiwan Merchant Association and Taiwanese American Association.

With these activities, which are completely free for our community, sponsored by private funds, not public funds, I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to our community and wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and a Happy New Year!!!

I am Councilman Rev. Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Hibzallah Operative Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For Covert Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hibzallah’s Islamic Jihad Organization


Ali Kourani Was Trained by Hizballah’s External Terrorist Operations Component and Gathered Intelligence in New York City in Support of Attack-Planning Efforts

 Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that ALI KOURANI was sentenced to 40 years in prison based on terrorism, sanctions, and immigration convictions arising from KOURANI’s illicit work as an operative for the Islamic Jihad Organization, Hizballah’s external attack-planning component.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Ali Kourani was recruited, trained, and deployed by Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization to plan and execute acts of terrorism around New York City.  After spending years conducting surveillance on the City’s critical infrastructure, federal buildings, international airports, and even daycare centers, he is now the first Islamic Jihad Organization operative to be convicted and sentenced for his crimes against the United States.  The lengthy prison term imposed today on Kourani sends an important message to Hizballah and the Islamic Jihad Organization:  If you are caught planning harm against this City and its residents, you will face justice and be held accountable.”
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said:  “While living in the United States, Kourani served as an operative of Hizballah in order to help the foreign terrorist organization prepare for potential future attacks against the United States.  With today’s sentence, he is being held accountable for his crimes.  The evidence at trial showed that Kourani searched for suppliers who could provide weapons for such attacks, identified people who could be recruited or targeted for violence, and gathered information about and conducted surveillance of potential targets within our country.  Such covert activities conducted on U.S. soil are a clear threat to our national security and I applaud the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this investigation and prosecution.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “Ali Kourani’s arrest was a reminder to us all that New York City and its surrounding areas remain primary targets for those looking to conduct a violent attack against our way of life.  His sentencing today, however, is also a reminder of the many successes of our FBI JTTFs nationwide, and their never-ending determination to disrupt the plans of those working to harm us.”  
Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea said:  “This sentencing is an another example of the dedicated work of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and the close partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District, to combat terror and hold accountable those who seek to support and promote terrorist groups.  I thank the NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners whose hard work brought Mr. Kourani to justice.”
As reflected in the criminal Complaint, Indictment, court filings, and evidence presented at trial: 
Hizballah is a Lebanon-based Shia Islamic organization with political, social, and terrorist components that was founded in the 1980s with support from Iran.  Since Hizballah’s formation, the organization has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds, including United States citizens and military personnel.  In 1997, the U.S. Department of State designated Hizballah a Foreign Terrorist Organization, pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and it remains so designated today.  In 2010, State Department officials described Hizballah as the most technically capable terrorist group in the world, and a continued security threat to the United States.
The Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), which is also known as the External Security Organization and “910,” is a highly compartmentalized component of Hizballah responsible for the planning, preparation, and execution of intelligence, counterintelligence, and terrorist activities on behalf of Hizballah outside of Lebanon.  In July 2012, an IJO operative detonated explosives on a bus transporting Israeli tourists in the vicinity of an airport in Burgas, Bulgaria, killing six people and injuring 32 others.  Law enforcement authorities have disrupted several other IJO attack-planning operations around the world, including the arrest of an IJO operative surveilling Israeli targets in Cyprus in 2012, the seizure of bomb-making precursor chemicals in Thailand in 2012, including chemicals manufactured by a medical devices company based in Guangzhou, China (Guangzhou Company-1), and a similar seizure of chemicals manufactured by Guangzhou Company-1 in Cyprus in May 2015 in connection with the arrest of another IJO operative. 
KOURANI, who was born in Lebanon, attended Hizballah-sponsored weapons training in Lebanon in 2000 when he was approximately 16 years old.  After lawfully entering the United States in 2003, KOURANI obtained a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering in 2009, and a Master of Business Administration in 2013.
KOURANI and certain of his relatives were in Lebanon during the summer 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, when a residence belonging to his family was destroyed.  At some point by 2008, IJO recruited KOURANI to its ranks.  In August 2008, KOURANI submitted an application for naturalization in the United States in which he falsely claimed, among other things, that he was not affiliated with a terrorist organization.  In April 2009, KOURANI became a naturalized citizen and was issued a United States passport.  Despite claiming in his passport application that he had no travel plans, KOURANI traveled to Guangzhou, China – the location of Guangzhou Company-1 – on May 3, 2009.  The purpose of the trip was to develop relationships that the IJO could rely on to obtain ammonium nitrate to be used as an explosive precursor chemical. 
IJO assigned KOURANI an IJO handler, or mentor, responsible for providing him with taskings, debriefings, and arranging training.  KOURANI sometimes communicated with his handler using coded email communications, including messages sent by the handler that informed KOURANI of the need to return to Lebanon.  In order to establish contact with his handler when KOURANI returned to Lebanon, KOURANI called a telephone number associated with a pager (the IJO Pager) and provided a code that he understood was specific to him.  After contacting the IJO Pager, the handler would contact KOURANI to set up an in-person meeting by calling a phone belonging to one of KOURANI’s relatives.  The IJO also provided KOURANI with additional training in tradecraft, weapons, and tactics.  In 2011, for example, KOURANI attended a weapons training camp in the vicinity of Birkat Jabrur, Lebanon, where he used a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, an AK-47 assault rifle, an MP5 submachine gun, a PKS machine gun (a Russian-made belt-fed weapon) and a Glock pistol.
Based on other taskings from IJO personnel, which IJO personnel conveyed during periodic in-person meetings when KOURANI returned to Lebanon, KOURANI conducted operations, which he understood to be aimed at preparing for potential future Hizballah attacks.   These covert activities included searching for weapons suppliers in the United States who could provide firearms to support IJO operations; identifying individuals affiliated with the Israeli Defense Force whom the IJO could either recruit or target for violence; gathering information regarding operations and security at airports in the United States and elsewhere, including JFK International Airport in New York; and surveilling U.S. military and law enforcement facilities in New York City, including the federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.  KOURANI transmitted some of the products of his surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts back to IJO personnel in Lebanon using digital storage media.
In addition to the prison term, KOURANI, 35, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. 
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department.  Mr. Berman also thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

Attorney General James Urges FTC To Protect Consumers By Taking Action Against Deceptive Marketing Practices


AG James Co-Leads Coalition of AGs Seeking to Prevent
Consumers from Being Trapped Into Recurring Payments

  New York Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general from around the nation urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to adopt greatly needed regulations to prevent consumers from being deceived by negative option marketing schemes. In a letter to the agency, the coalition argues for the FTC to use its rulemaking authority to further expand existing negative option regulations.

“We’re urging the FTC to take action and use its power to protect consumers from the harm of predatory marketers,” said Attorney General James. “Deceptive marketing hurts us all, which is why I will continue to use every tool in my office’s arsenal to protect consumers and stop marketers from targeting consumers.”
With negative option marketing, a marketer presents consumers with an offer and the consumers’ silence or failure to take action in response to that offer is deemed acceptance or approval of the offer. One especially problematic type of negative option offer involves a so-called “free” trial, where consumers are offered a free trial period of a product or service. To receive the free trial, consumers are required to submit their credit or debit card number. However, the free trial has additional terms and conditions — which are not clearly or conspicuously disclosed to the consumer — stating that unless consumers cancel the goods or services they are agreeing to continue to receive and pay for them. Companies are not required to remind consumers before their free trials come to an end, which could result in some consumers being charged automatically once the free trial comes to an end.
The current regulations were adopted in 1973 and regulate only one type of negative option marketing — the delivery of merchandise where consumers receive periodic announcements that merchandise will be delivered unless they decline within a set time frame (ie. book-of-the-month clubs). 
In their letter, the coalition of attorneys general recommends that the FTC expand its regulations in order to achieve the following:
  • Informed Consent: In addition to consenting to any trial offer, sellers should have to obtain a separate consent to charge for goods or services after the trial period has ended.
  • Periodic Notices: Sellers should be required to send regular notifications to consumers enrolled in negative option plans that disclose the timing, amount, and method by which the seller bills the consumer for the renewal, and that provides the consumer with a convenient method to cancel the goods or services.
  • Define Simple Cancellation Processes: Consumers should be allowed to cancel their memberships using the same method they used to enroll in a program.
  • Refunds: Consumers who are unwittingly enrolled in negative option plans should be entitled to a refund from the date the free trial ended and their enrollment began to be charged.
The Office of the New York Attorney General reminds consumers to proceed carefully before submitting billing information to a marketer — whether online, by phone, or through any other means. To avoid ending up with unauthorized charges, consumers are encouraged to scrupulously review the details of any offer — including the fine print — which may contain important details of an offer.
Attorney General James and Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro drafted the letter, which has the support of the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

Institutional Investors Renew Call for an Independent Board Chair at Facebook as Controversies Continue Unabated


Treasurers release findings on which mutual funds voted in support of an independent chair – and which did not

  The group of investors that led the 2019 shareholder proposal at Facebook seeking an independent board chairman today released its findings of proxy voting data, which reveals which mutual funds joined the supermajority (68%) of Facebook’s outside shareholders who voted against management’s opposition of an independent board chair.

Major institutional investors, including Vanguard, Blackrock, MFS, AllianceBernstein, American Funds, BNY Mellon, Goldman Sachs, John Hancock, JPMorgan, Putnam, and State Street voted in support of an independent board chair to lead Facebook.
In contrast, Morgan Stanley, T. Rowe Price, Fidelity Investments, Dimensional Funds, Neuberger Berman, Schwab, Invesco, and Legg Mason, despite the litany of controversies and governance failures, voted in line with management’s recommendation to support Mr. Zuckerberg’s unified power as both CEO and Chair of the company’s board, while he also holds a controlling bloc of shares.
Investors also announced that they have re-filed the shareholder proposal again this year, which will be voted on at Facebook’s 2020 Annual Shareholder Meeting.
“There is no check-and-balance at Facebook without an independent board chair — and Mark Zuckerberg’s totalitarian grip as both CEO and Board Chair must end,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Facebook’s unrelenting turmoil shows why independence and accountability matter — and why power should not be consolidated around one person. Outside shareholders have sounded the alarm on the need for real oversight and governance reforms, and it’s time for Facebook to listen.”
Evidence continues to come in that having the same person be the chair and the CEO is deeply problematic. For example, in PWC’s 2019 annual director survey, 57% of directors who sit on a board with a unified chair/CEO reported it is difficult to voice dissent.
“Now is the time for change,” said Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. “Facebook’s independent investors agree that it’s time for the company to separate the Board Chair and CEO roles. Right now, Mr. Zuckerberg is both Board Chair and CEO, serving as his own boss, and clearly it’s not working. The Board needs to be led by a strong, independent voice tasked to provide real oversight over management, address governance failings, help restore trust in the company, and better protect shareholders’ interests. We hope the company will use this as an opportunity to take a decisive step toward building a more successful, sustainable company for the long-term.”
Recently, Facebook lost its place in the top 10 in Interbrand’s annual Best Global Brands report, falling to 14th place with the estimated value of its brand declining 12% to $39.9 billion.
“We believe that Facebook’s lack of an independent board Chair, along with inadequate board governance, has contributed to the mishandling of several ongoing controversies,” said Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner. “Adopting an independent board chair structure will help diversify Facebook’s leadership and could help the company begin to re-build trust by incorporating additional accountability mechanisms into its governance structure.”
The proxy voting data is based on fund N-PX reports that were filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2019.
“While Mark Zuckerberg has served as both chairman of the board and CEO, the company has faced congressional scrutiny for a number of missteps —from the role of its platform in propagating misinformation to releasing the personal data of tens of millions,” said Connecticut Treasurer Shawn T. Wooden. “A company as vast and as powerful as Facebook should be structured to ensure that there are appropriate checks and balances between the board and management.”
“Time has shown the wisdom of the majority of Facebook’s outside shareholders in calling for an independent board chair,” said Jonas D. Kron, SVP, Trillium Asset Management. “Morgan Stanley, T. Rowe Price, Fidelity Investments, Dimensional Funds, Neuberger Berman Schwab, Invesco, and Legg Mason should seriously reconsider their position on the proposal and how they will vote at the 2020 Annual Meeting.”
“Facebook’s original motto was to “move fast and break things” but what has really been broken is the trust independent shareholders have in Facebook’s governance model that clearly isn’t working, and effectively lets Mark Zuckerberg be his own boss” said Pennsylvania State Treasurer Joe Torsella. “Shareholders deserve an independent board chair to provide real oversight for the company. It’s time for Facebook to change by accepting better governance and oversight, and to rebuild the public trust it has lost over the past few years.”

VNNA CHRISTMAS PARTY 12/2/19 AND TREE LIGHTING 12/15/19


On Monday December 9, 2019, Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance (VNNA) is having their annual Christmas Party! From 7pm to 7:30pm we will have our meeting with community updates. At 7:30pm the Party starts and is being catered by our Van Nest Merchant, Fine Food, as last year! Come by and mingle, even if it is for a quick bite, come on by and say Hello! Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Holidays....peace to all in our community! And if you can, please bring a new toy to donate towards our Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa on December 15th.

On Sunday December 15th at 4:00pm we will begin our annual Christmas Tree Lighting with some old fashioned Christmas caroling, hot coco and cookies in front of the white cross, The Convent Gardens, on Van Nest Ave between Unionport Road and Victor Street! Bring your flashlights to see the song sheet and listen for Santa arriving shortly after to welcome the children with presents. Bring in the Holiday season with singing and peace in our hearts.

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RELEASE: House Intelligence Committee Releases Draft Report As Part of Impeachment Inquiry


Report To Be Voted on This Evening

Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released the draft report – “The Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report” – to all Members and the public. The Committee will vote tonight to issue the report, before the Chairman of the Committee transmits it and any accompanying materials to the House Judiciary Committee consistent with H.Res. 660.

The draft report was written by the staff of the House Intelligence, Oversight and Reform and Foreign Affairs Committees.

After releasing the report to all Members and the public, Chairman Adam Schiff, Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney and Chairman Eliot Engel stated:

“We want to thank the Members and staff of the House Intelligence, Oversight and Reform, and Foreign Affairs Committees for their hard work in conducting this investigation over the last three months and preparing this report.

“The evidence is clear that President Trump used the power of his office to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations into his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, and a debunked conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 election. These investigations were designed to benefit his 2020 presidential reelection campaign.

“The evidence is also clear that President Trump conditioned official acts on the public announcement of these investigations: a coveted White House visit and critical U.S. military assistance Ukraine needed to fight its Russian adversary.

“Finally, the evidence is clear that after his scheme to secure foreign help in his reelection was uncovered, President Trump engaged in categorical and unprecedented obstruction in order to cover-up his misconduct.

“These matters are not seriously contested. To the contrary, they make it plain that President Trump abused the power of his office for personal and political gain, at the expense of our national security.

“The President’s actions have damaged our national security, undermined the integrity of the next election, and violated his oath of office. They have also challenged the very core of our Constitutional system of checks and balances, separation of powers, and rule of law.

“It will be up to the Congress to determine whether these acts rise to the level of an impeachable offense, whether the President shall be held to account, and whether we as a nation are committed to the rule of law—or, instead, whether a president who uses the power of his office to coerce foreign interference in a U.S. election is something that Americans must simply ‘get over.’

“With the release of our report, the American people can review for themselves the evidence detailing President Trump’s betrayal of the public trust.”

As stated in the Executive Summary to the draft report, the Committees concluded that:

The impeachment inquiry into Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States, uncovered a months-long effort by President Trump to use the powers of his office to solicit foreign interference on his behalf in the 2020 election.  As described in this executive summary and the report that follows, President Trump’s scheme subverted U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine and undermined our national security in favor of two politically motivated investigations that would help his presidential reelection campaign.  The President demanded that the newly-elected Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, publicly announce investigations into a political rival that he apparently feared the most, former Vice President Joe Biden, and into a discredited theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 presidential election.  To compel the Ukrainian President to do his political bidding, President Trump conditioned two official acts on the public announcement of the investigations:  a coveted White House visit and critical U.S. military assistance Ukraine needed to fight its Russian adversary.

During a July 25, 2019, call between President Trump and President Zelensky, President Zelensky expressed gratitude for U.S. military assistance.  President Trump immediately responded by asking President Zelensky to “do us a favor though” and openly pressed for Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Biden and the 2016 conspiracy theory.  In turn, President Zelensky assured President Trump that he would pursue the investigation and reiterated his interest in the White House meeting.  Although President Trump’s scheme intentionally bypassed many career personnel, it was undertaken with the knowledge and approval of senior Administration officials, including the President’s Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.  In fact, at a press conference weeks after public revelations about the scheme, Mr. Mulvaney publicly acknowledged that the President directly tied the hold on military aid to his desire to get Ukraine to conduct a political investigation, telling Americans to “get over it.”     

President Trump and his senior officials may see nothing wrong with using the power of the Office of the President to pressure a foreign country to help the President’s reelection campaign.  Indeed, President Trump continues to encourage Ukraine and other foreign countries to engage in the same kind of election interference today.  However, the Founding Fathers prescribed a remedy for a chief executive who places his personal interests above those of the country:  impeachment.  Accordingly, as part of the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, in coordination with the Committees on Oversight and Reform and Foreign Affairs, were compelled to undertake a serious, sober, and expeditious investigation into whether the President’s misconduct warrants that remedy.

In response, President Trump engaged in an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of this impeachment inquiry.  Nevertheless, due in large measure to patriotic and courageous public servants who provided the Committees with direct evidence of the President’s actions, the Committees uncovered significant misconduct on the part of the President of the United States.  As required under House Resolution 660, the Intelligence Committee, in consultation with the Committees on Oversight and Reform and Foreign Affairs, has prepared this report to detail the evidence uncovered to date, which will now be transmitted to the Judiciary Committee for its consideration.

Based on witness testimony and evidence collected during the impeachment inquiry, the Committees released the following findings:

I.                    Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States—acting personally and through his agents within and outside of the U.S. government—solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.  The President engaged in this course of conduct for the benefit of his reelection, to harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and to influence our nation’s upcoming presidential election to his advantage.  In so doing, the President placed his personal political interests above the national interests of the United States, sought to undermine the integrity of the U.S. presidential election process, and endangered U.S. national security.

II.                 In furtherance of this scheme, President Trump—directly and acting through his agents within and outside the U.S. government—sought to pressure and induce Ukraine’s newly-elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to publicly announce unfounded investigations that would benefit President Trump’s personal political interests and reelection effort.  To advance his personal political objectives, President Trump encouraged the President of Ukraine to work with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

III.              As part of this scheme, President Trump, acting in his official capacity and using his position of public trust, personally and directly requested from the President of Ukraine that the government of Ukraine publicly announce investigations into (1) the President’s political opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and his son, Hunter Biden, and (2) a baseless theory promoted by Russia alleging that Ukraine—rather than Russia—interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.  These investigations were intended to harm a potential political opponent of President Trump and benefit the President’s domestic political standing. 

IV.              President Trump ordered the suspension of $391 million in vital military assistance urgently needed by Ukraine, a strategic partner, to resist Russian aggression.  Because the aid was appropriated by Congress, on a bipartisan basis, and signed into law by the President, its expenditure was required by law.  Acting directly and through his subordinates within the U.S. government, the President withheld from Ukraine this military assistance without any legitimate foreign policy, national security, or anti-corruption justification.  The President did so despite the longstanding bipartisan support of Congress, uniform support across federal departments and agencies for the provision to Ukraine of the military assistance, and his obligations under the Impoundment Control Act.

V.                President Trump used the power of the Office of the President and exercised his authority over the Executive Branch, including his control of the instruments of the federal government, to apply increasing pressure on the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian government to announce the politically-motivated investigations desired by President Trump.  Specifically, to advance and promote his scheme, the President withheld official acts of value to Ukraine and conditioned their fulfillment on actions by Ukraine that would benefit his personal political interests: 

A - President Trump—acting through agents within and outside the U.S. government—conditioned a head of state meeting at the White House, which the President of Ukraine desperately sought to demonstrate continued United States support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, on Ukraine publicly announcing the investigations that President Trump believed would aid his reelection campaign. 

B - To increase leverage over the President of Ukraine, President Trump, acting through his agents and subordinates, conditioned release of the vital military assistance he had suspended to Ukraine on the President of Ukraine’s public announcement of the investigations that President Trump sought.

C - President Trump’s closest subordinates and advisors within the Executive Branch, including Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Energy J. Richard Perry, and other senior White House and Executive Branch officials had knowledge of, in some cases facilitated and furthered the President’s scheme, and withheld information about the scheme from the Congress and the American public. 

VI.              In directing and orchestrating this scheme to advance his personal political interests, President Trump did not implement, promote, or advance U.S. anti-corruption policies.  In fact, the President sought to pressure and induce the government of Ukraine to announce politically-motivated investigations lacking legitimate predication that the U.S. government otherwise discourages and opposes as a matter of policy in that country and around the world.  In so doing, the President undermined U.S. policy supporting anti-corruption reform and the rule of law in Ukraine, and undermined U.S. national security.

VII.           By withholding vital military assistance and diplomatic support from a strategic foreign partner government engaged in an ongoing military conflict illegally instigated by Russia, President Trump compromised national security to advance his personal political interests.

VIII.        Faced with the revelation of his actions, President Trump publicly and repeatedly persisted in urging foreign governments, including Ukraine and China, to investigate his political opponent.  This continued solicitation of foreign interference in a U.S. election presents a clear and present danger that the President will continue to use the power of his office for his personal political gain.

IX.              Using the power of the Office of the President, and exercising his authority over the Executive Branch, President Trump ordered and implemented a campaign to conceal his conduct from the public and frustrate and obstruct the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry by:

A - refusing to produce to the impeachment inquiry’s investigating Committees information and records in the possession of the White House, in defiance of a lawful subpoena;

B - directing Executive Branch agencies to defy lawful subpoenas and withhold the production of all documents and records from the investigating Committees;

C - directing current and former Executive Branch officials not to cooperate with the Committees, including in defiance of lawful subpoenas for testimony; and

D - intimidating, threatening, and tampering with prospective and actual witnesses in the impeachment inquiry in an effort to prevent, delay, or influence the testimony of those witnesses.

In so doing, and despite the fact that the Constitution vests in the House of Representatives the “sole Power of Impeachment,” the President sought to arrogate to himself the right to determine the propriety, scope, and nature of an impeachment inquiry into his own misconduct, and the right to deny any and all information to the Congress in the conduct of its constitutional responsibilities.


EDITOR'S NOTE: 

The above is only a summary. Click on the link provided to see the full Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry report in its entirety. 


Roadmap to a More Just and Humane Era: New York City Changing Official City Map to Make Rikers Island a Public Space by 2026


Map change will ensure that a correctional facility will never be allowed on Rikers again

  As part of its ongoing commitment to close the jail facilities at Rikers Island, today the City began the land use process to officially prohibit the incarceration of individuals there after December 31, 2026, when the borough-based jail system is expected to be in operation. The land use application filed today by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Department of Correction and the Speaker of the City Council is the first step in the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) to change Rikers designation on the official city map to a public place.  

“This is a major step for New York City, and shows our deep commitment to closing Rikers Island. We are moving away from the failed policies of mass incarceration and showing the world that Rikers days are numbered,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson
“By guaranteeing that Rikers will never again be used for incarceration, we’re charting a new course forward for the Island and the people of New York City. We’re making good on our promise to close Rikers once and for all. Though mass incarceration may not have started here, we’ll do all we can to make sure it ends here,” said Mayor de Bill Blasio
The application is solely focused on changing the mapping of Rikers to end its use as a jail. The proposed mapping action does not lead to any new development or construction on its own. Any future plans will require a new planning and public review process, including a separate approval for and environmental review process as necessary.
The filing of the ULURP today is the latest step made possible by the City’s successful years-long effort to substantially reduce its levels of incarceration. Today New York City is the safest large city in America and has the lowest incarceration rate of any large city in the nation. The number of people in the city’s jails today is fewer than 7,000, the lowest rate since the late 1970s. The city remains on-course for a population of no more than 3,300 by 2026.
The City has continued to take concrete steps towards to closing Rikers Island since the Council’s vote in October. Last month, the City announced the planned closure of two more jails— Eric M. Taylor Center (EMTC) on Rikers Island and Brooklyn Detention Complex (BKDC)—in March and January respectively. These will be the second and third jails shuttered by the Administration, joining the George Motchan Detention Center, which was closed in 2018.
In addition to the new announced closures, the City recently announced its initial timeline for finding and securing firms to execute the design-build demolition and construction process for the borough-based jails. Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) for early work items were published last month with the remaining RFQs to be issued in the first quarter of 2020.
“This mapping change further solidifies the city’s commitment to creating the modern facilities that both people in custody and DOC employees deserve. We are looking forward to the day when we can begin operations in borough jail facilities designed for safety, with state-of-the-art programming and visitation areas,” said Cynthia Brann, New York City Department of Correction Commissioner.
“Today’s filing of the land use action to turn Rikers Island into a public place is another step forward in our commitment to build smaller, safer, and fairer justice system. New Yorkers are witnessing proof of how our city is turning from a model of safety that relied primarily on enforcement and incarceration to one that relies on building on community strength and partnership,” said Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We await the results of the ULERP process to see what will be coming to what is currently known as Rikers Island.
We have been told that with the announcement by Governor Cuomo to make LaGuardia Airport an international airport the runways must be made longer. How much longer? On to Rikers Island. This information was given to us by a City Council member, and a member of Congress who said the work has already begun on the runway extensions.

Attorney General James Fights To Ensure Women Across The Nation Retain Access To Safe, Legal Abortions



AG James Leads Coalition of States Fighting to Ensure Women’s Reproductive Freedom is Not Limited

  New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 22 attorneys general fighting to ensure women across the nation are able to maintain access to safe, legal abortions. In an amicus brief filed with the United States Supreme Court — in support of the petitioners in the case June Medical Services v. Gee  the coalition of attorneys general seek to overturn a decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upholding a Louisiana law that requires abortion providers to maintain admitting privileges at a local hospital. 


“While Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land for over 45 years, states continue to look for ways to restrict access to safe, legal abortions and place burdensome restrictions on women’s reproductive freedom,” said Attorney General James. “The State of Louisiana already makes it hard for women to exercise their reproductive rights with the limited number of abortion clinics available across the state, but this law just aims to further regulate women’s bodies and deprive them of one of their most important constitutional rights. This law is simply about controlling women’s bodies, controlling their choices, and controlling their freedom, which is why we will continue to fight it every step of the way.”
In 2014, Louisiana passed a law that requires abortion providers to maintain admitting privileges at local hospitals. If the law were enforced, Louisiana would be left with, at most, two physicians who could provide abortion services in the state, despite the fact that roughly 10,000 women obtain abortions in Louisiana each year. Louisiana’s admitting-privileges requirement is identical to the Texas statute that was invalidated and found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. The United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana granted a permanent injunction against implementation of the Louisiana law, but, in 2018, the Fifth Circuit reversed that decision. June Medical Services and two physicians appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which granted an emergency application to stay the law from taking effect, pending the outcome of the appeal.
The coalition of attorneys general filed the amicus brief because states have an interest in ensuring the availability of safe, medically sound abortion services and in protecting the health and safety of women seeking abortion services, as well as defending the long-recognized, substantive due process right to choose to terminate a pregnancy and the undue-burden standard that governs review of regulations implicating that right. In the brief, the attorneys general argue that Louisiana’s law is an unnecessary and onerous burden that fails to promote women’s health and will end up further limiting the number of abortion providers available to women in Louisiana.
Today’s amicus brief is just the latest in Attorney General James’ long history of fighting for women’s reproductive health freedom. In October 2019, Attorney General James filed a multistate amicus brief in support of a lawsuit filed by the Jackson Women’s Health Organization against the State of Mississippi, challenging a law that would prohibit abortions after as early as six weeks of pregnancy.
In September 2019, Attorney General James led a multistate amicus brief in support of a challenge filed by Kentucky clinics and physicians challenging a Kentucky law that would ban physicians from providing second-trimester abortion services using the most common and safest procedure available for women after fifteen weeks of pregnancy.
In August 2019, Attorney General James filed another amicus brief in support of a lawsuit filed by the Whole Woman’s Health Alliance against the State of Indiana after the state denied the clinics application for a license to open an abortion clinic that would provide medical abortions in South Bend.
Attorney General James is also litigating the appeal in People ex rel. James v. Griepp, to ensure that women who enter the Choices Women’s Medical Center in Jamaica, Queens are not harassed, obstructed, or threatened by protesters.
In March 2019, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of 21 states in a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s regulations that threaten essential services provided under federal Title X funding. The rule — also known as the “gag rule” — places an unlawful and unethical restriction on health care providers’ ability to fully inform patients of the reproductive health services available to them by disallowing referrals for abortions and restricting counseling related to abortions. Another provision would require those who perform abortions to physically segregate their services — an expensive and potentially impossible requirement.
Finally, Attorney General James has also challenged the Trump Administration’s efforts to strip access to cost-free birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act. In October 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a preliminary injunction against the Administration’s efforts.
Joining Attorney General James in filing today’s amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
While we applaud New York State Attorney General Letitia James on her nationwide actions, we must remind her that she is the Attorney General of New York State and not the Attorney General for the entire country. There are also what is known as 'States Rights', of which New York State has recently changed many of its laws concerning the 'Reproductive Health Act'.