In this week's address, the President addressed critical pieces of
national security business that remained unfinished when the Senate left
town. This Sunday at midnight, key tools used to protect against
terrorist threats are set to expire.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Catching Up with The Curator: The Presidential Portrait of John F. Kennedy
Go Inside the White House with Curator, Bill Allman, as he discusses the inspiration behind the presidential portrait of the 35th President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Lawsuit Heating Up Over Hologram Technology
Hologram USA is suing a company called Pulse that claims the basis for hologram technology is in the public domain.
Roundtable on Food Safety
Richard Williams with the Mercatus Center and former FDA Director Michael Jacobson discuss the Obama administration’s move to ban trans fats in foods, recent foodborne illness outbreaks, and food labeling standards for GMOs.
Source: C-Span
Broadband Internet Access
National Journal Technology Correspondent Brendan Sasso talked about FCC Chair Tom Wheeler’s proposal to expand broadband
internet access through the FCC’s Lifeline program, which provides
telephone service to low-income Americans.
Source: C-Span
Saudi Arabia's New Leadership
Middle East scholars and energy experts talked about the implications of
recent changes in Saudi Arabia’s leadership on the global energy market
and regional stability.
Source: C-Span
Reporter Charnice Milton Mourned in Southeast D.C.
By Derrick Ward and Andrea Swalec
From The G-Man offers its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Charnice Milton. May she forever rest in peace.
U.S. Officially Removes Cuba From State Sponsors of Terrorism List
The U.S. has formally dropped Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
"The rescission of Cuba's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism reflects our assessment that Cuba meets the statutory criteria for rescission," State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said in a statement.
"While the United States has significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba's policies and actions, these fall outside the criteria relevant to the rescission of a State Sponsor of Terrorism designation."
Now that Cuba is off the list there are only three countries remaining: Iran, Sudan and Syria.
Source: NBC News
Full article available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-officially-removes-cuba-state-sponsor-terrorism-list-n366621
Second Estimate of GDP for the First Quarter of 2015
Statement on the Second Estimate of GDP for the First Quarter of 2015
WASHINGTON, DC – Jason
Furman, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, issued the
following statement today on the second estimate of GDP for the
first quarter of 2015. You can view the statement HERE.
Posted by Jason Furman on May 29, 2015 at 9:30 AM EST
Today’s
downward revision to GDP growth was entirely accounted for by revisions
to inventory investment and net exports, with other changes being small
and neutral on balance. The first-quarter slowdown was the result of
harsh winter weather, tepid foreign demand, and consumers saving the
windfall from lower oil prices. The combination of personal consumption
and fixed investment, the most stable components of GDP, has grown 3.4
percent over the past four quarters. This solid long-term economic trend
complements the robust pace of job growth and unemployment reduction
over the last year. The President is committed to further strengthening
these positive trends by opening our exports to new markets with new high-standards free trade agreements that create opportunities for the middle class, expanding investments in infrastructure, and ensuring the sequester does not return in the next fiscal year as outlined in the President’s FY2016 Budget.
FIVE KEY POINTS IN TODAY’S REPORT FROM THE BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
- Real gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.7 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter of 2015, according to the second estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The decline follows an increase of 3.6 percent at an annual rate during the second half of 2014. First-quarter growth was likely affected by a number of factors including especially harsh winter weather in the first quarter (see point 3) and a spike in personal saving (see point 4). A decline in the trade balance was another major contributor, partially reflecting the continued drag on U.S. exports from the slowdown in foreign growth. Indeed, net exports subtracted nearly 2 full percentage points from quarterly GDP growth. Structures investment subtracted about 0.7 percentage point from GDP, likely reflecting reduced oil mining in the wake of last year’s decline in oil prices.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
Real
private domestic final purchases (PDFP) — the sum of consumption and
fixed investment — rose 1.2 percent at an annual rate in the first
quarter, a faster pace than overall GDP. Real
PDFP growth is generally a more stable and forward-looking indicator
than real GDP, as it excludes volatile components like inventories, net
exports, and government spending. PDFP is a better predictor of next-quarter GDP than GDP itself. The year-over-year growth rate of PDFP rose this quarter to 3.4 percent.
The entire downward revision to first-quarter GDP can be accounted for
by downward revisions to two especially volatile components of economic
output: inventory investment and net exports. Inventories
and net exports subtracted a combined 1.1 percentage points from
annualized GDP growth relative to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ first
estimate. At the same time, business investment added 0.2 percentage
point more than originally estimated. Other small revisions to the
contributions of personal consumption expenditures and residential
investment offset one another.
- Over the past decade, first-quarter GDP growth has averaged a considerably slower pace than the other three quarters. Economists have debated whether this gap reflects a problem with the algorithms used to seasonally adjust GDP data (“residual seasonality”), especially harsh winter weather in recent years, or noise. The seasonal adjustment process should remove the growth effects of “normal” winter weather, but particularly harsh winters will still reduce seasonally adjusted output. And weather in the first quarter was especially harsh: Q1 was only the fourth quarter in 60 years on record with three or more snowstorms sufficiently severe to be rated by the National Climatic Data Center’s Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS). The historical relationship between weather and first-quarter growth suggests that weather may have reduced annualized growth by about a full percentage point this quarter, and by about 0.6 percentage point on average over the past decade. That effect accounts for much, but not all, of first-quarter underperformance since 2005.
The
debate so far over the cause of first-quarter underperformance has
tended to treat residual seasonality and weather effects as analytically
distinct explanations. However, to the extent that worsening winter
weather is part of a long-term trend rather than a random occurrence,
changing weather patterns may be related to residual seasonality. A
seasonal adjustment algorithm should adjust for effects of normal
weather within a particular quarter—and to the extent that global
climate change leads to a new “normal” for weather, seasonal adjustments
will eventually catch up. Indeed, first-quarter underperformance
(defined as the difference between GDP growth in the first-quarter and
the rest of the year) has tended to increase over the past ten years, in
parallel with intensifying winter weather.
- Consumers have so far saved most of their windfall gains from last year’s energy price decline. Since June, national average gasoline prices have fallen more than $1 per gallon, providing the equivalent of about a $700 tax cut per household. Looking over the past year, energy consumption as a share of disposable personal income has declined by 1.1 percentage points, leaving more space in consumer checkbooks to save and spend. To date, however, households appear to have put most of those gains in the bank, as the personal saving rate has risen by 0.6 percentage point over the past four quarters. Just over the last quarter, the personal saving rate rose 0.8 percentage point—an unusually large increase that is at the 88th percentile of historic increases.
Historically
the personal saving rate has tended to revert to its short-term mean;
temporary spikes like this one do not usually persist. If the saving
rate returns to normal levels with continued growth in real disposable
personal income and no major resurgence in gasoline prices, personal
consumption growth is likely to increase. If the saving rate returns to
its previous level by the end of 2015, consumer spending would grow at a
nearly 4 percent annual rate for the final three quarters of the year.
If the saving rate remains constant at the new higher level, consumer
spending growth would also pick up somewhat to a 2.5 percent annual rate
for the final three quarters of the year. Given the current forecasts
for growth in disposable personal income, the saving rate would have to
rise by another 0.4 percentage point by the end of the year to continue
the 1.8 percentage point annualized growth rate in Q1. All told, the
difference between a mean reverting saving rate and a rising saving rate
is about 0.8 percentage point for GDP growth for the four quarters of
2015.
- Gross domestic income (GDI)—an alternate indicator of economic output that would equal GDP absent measurement error—grew an estimated 1.4 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter, faster than estimated GDP. Over the last four quarters, real GDI grew 3.6 percent, as compared with the 2.7 percent growth in real GDP over that period. GDP gauges overall activity by measuring the final expenditures of households, businesses, governments, and trading partners in a given time period, while GDI measures the incomes generated during that production process. If we hadperfect information, the two measures would equal one another: they are conceptually identical as a measure of economic activity. But because the data underlying each are gathered from different sources, they often differ substantially in practice due to measurement error. This quarter, although GDP fell at a 0.7 percent annualized rate, GDI rose at a 1.4 percent annualized rate. This 2.1 percentage point gap reflects the inherent uncertainty underlying measures of aggregate output, and underscores the importance of focusing on multiple data sources and longer term trends. Some economists track the average of the two measures as a more stable gauge of activity, a measure BEA will start reporting in July. The average of GDP and GDI rose 0.3 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter. While combining information from GDP and GDI can help reduce measurement error about what actually happened in the current period, PDFP (see point 1) may provide a better indication of growth in future periods because it omits noisy economic developments.
As the Administration stresses every quarter, GDP figures can be volatile and are subject to substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one single report, and it is informative to consider each report in the context of other data that are becoming available.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
New York State Gun Violence Awareness Month Begins June 1
Elected Officials, Clergy, Activists and Community Leaders Converge to Address Increase in Violence
New York, NY – (May 26, 2015) –For the third year Gun Violence Awareness Month (GVAM)
will take place
across New York during the month of June, highlighted by anti-violence
events and advocacy efforts, and by proclamations from Mayors and County
Executives, community leaders, clergy and activists, who will mark
GVAM in their respective communities with heightened awareness and activities.
On June 10, 2015,
thousands of New Yorkers across the state will wear orange, the
universal theme color
of peace that has been adopted to remember the lives lost and to
amplify the clarion call for gun violence prevention as New York heads
into the summer months. Elected officials, businesses, unions, student
organizations and community groups will wear orange,
and there will be events across the city and state.
Other highlights for
GVAM will include PSA’s from city and state leaders, a social
media campaign, endorsement from Mayors at their annual June conference
in San Francisco, “Sermon Sundays” where ecumenical religious leaders,
including preachers, rabbis and Imams across
New York State have signed on to devote one Saturday or Sunday
in their House of Worship to anti-violence, and proclamations,
resolutions and letters of support from a range of elected officials.
State Co-Chair of
GVAM is Byron Brown the Mayor of Buffalo. Also uniting around the
effort are US Congressional leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Charles B. Rangel,
Carolyn Maloney; Members of the NYS Black Puerto Rican Hispanic and
Asian Legislative Caucus; NYS Assemblyman Brian
Kavanagh, Co-Chair of NYLGVP and Chair of ASLGVP; NYS Assemblywoman
Michelle Shimel, Co-Chair of NYLGVP; Byron Brown, Mayor of Buffalo,
Stephanie Miner, Mayor of Syracuse; Lovely Warren, Mayor of Rochester;
Kathy Sheehan, Mayor of Albany; Mike Spano, Mayor
of Yonkers; Noam Bramson, Mayor of New Rochelle; Earnest Davis, Mayor
of Mount Vernon; Scott Stringer, NYC Comptroller; Letitia James, NYC
Public Advocate; Gale Brewer, Manhattan Borough President; Eric Adams,
Brooklyn Borough President; Melinda Katz, Queens
Borough President; Ruben Diaz Jr, Bronx Borough President; Jumaane
Williams, NYC Councilmember; Robert Cornegy, NYC Councilmember; Ydanis
Rodriguez, NYC Councilmember; Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone;
Tamika D. Mallory, Chair of the New York Justice
League, Erica Ford, LifeCamp Inc./I love My Life.
New
York State is the only state in the nation to dedicate and entire month
to the issue of gun violence
prevention and awareness. In 2013 the first resolution unanimously
passed the New York State Legislature naming June Gun Violence Awareness
Month as part of a five year push to reduce gun violence across the
State. The resolution was sponsored in the Assembly
by former State Assemblyman Karim Camara and in the Senate by State
Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson. Similar resolutions and proclamations
were issued in every major city in New York State, including New York
City. Highlights from last year’s
GVAM included, a public service announcement done by New York
City First Lady Chirlane McCray and New York City Councilman Jumaane
Williams, Co-Chair of the New York City Council Gun Violence Task Force.
Events in June will include: Everytown for Gun Safety June 2nd #WearingOrange; Mother’s in Charge, Inc.
June 6th National Rally; National ASK Day on June 21st;
and many other marches, town hall meetings, youth engagement
activities, gun buy backs, public service announcements and social media
campaigns. For more information on the month’s activities or to get
involved, please visit: www.gunviolenceawarenessmonth.
Long Term Care and the Nursing Home Industry
Advocate Says a ‘Dangerous Trend’ Will Force Alzheimer’s and Dementia Residents into Life-Threatening Situations
Jack Halpern is the CEO of the New York City-based "My Elder Advocate, LLC". The organization provides advocacy services and helps seniors with issues such as eviction prevention, nursing home or assisted living placement and long term care planning.
In March, Mr. Halpern was showcased in the episode "Home Health Aides from Hell", which will be the focus of discussion for members of the New York State Standing Committee on Aging during its next legislative session, as confirmed by Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr., who serves on the committee.
Mr. Halpern recently asked The G-Man Interviews to meet with him to discuss what he described as a dangerous trend – in New York nursing homes and those in other states – that will lead to the evictions or deaths of Alzheimer’s and dementia residents who need and rely on long term care.
The interview was conducted on May 22nd at My Elder Advocate’s Brooklyn office.
Information pertaining to this episode is available through the following links:
My Elder Advocate, LLC.
http://www.myelderadvocate.com/home
CBS News report
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medicare-fraud-allegations-national-nursing-home-chain-accused-of-billing-for-excess-care/
New York Times report
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/business/as-nursing-homes-chase-lucrative-patients-quality-of-care-is-said-to-lag.html?smprod&_r=1
New York Times article on Excellent Home Care and Extended Home Care
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/nyregion/reinventing-long-term-care-and-endorsing-firms-accused-of-fraud.html?_r=0
Village Voice article on Howard Fensterman and Excellent Home Care
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2010/10/the-hasidic-looting-of-new-yorks-home-health-care-456.html
In March, Mr. Halpern was showcased in the episode "Home Health Aides from Hell", which will be the focus of discussion for members of the New York State Standing Committee on Aging during its next legislative session, as confirmed by Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr., who serves on the committee.
Mr. Halpern recently asked The G-Man Interviews to meet with him to discuss what he described as a dangerous trend – in New York nursing homes and those in other states – that will lead to the evictions or deaths of Alzheimer’s and dementia residents who need and rely on long term care.
The interview was conducted on May 22nd at My Elder Advocate’s Brooklyn office.
Information pertaining to this episode is available through the following links:
My Elder Advocate, LLC.
http://www.myelderadvocate.com/home
CBS News report
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medicare-fraud-allegations-national-nursing-home-chain-accused-of-billing-for-excess-care/
New York Times report
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/business/as-nursing-homes-chase-lucrative-patients-quality-of-care-is-said-to-lag.html?smprod&_r=1
New York Times article on Excellent Home Care and Extended Home Care
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/nyregion/reinventing-long-term-care-and-endorsing-firms-accused-of-fraud.html?_r=0
Village Voice article on Howard Fensterman and Excellent Home Care
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2010/10/the-hasidic-looting-of-new-yorks-home-health-care-456.html
Washington Journal: U.S. Strategy Against ISIS
John Bradshaw and Michael Doran talked about the current U.S. strategy in the fight against ISIS* in Syria and Iraq.
* The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic
State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is a militant group that has called
itself the Islamic State.
Rick Santorum Presidential Campaign Announcement
Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) announced his campaign for the 2016
Republican presidential nomination. He talked about his agenda for jobs,
the economy, fighting terrorism, and veterans. After his speech he was
heard mingling with the crowd at Penn United Technologies in Cabot,
Pennsylvania.
EU, Burundi’s Catholic Church Pull Out from Observing Elections
By Clement Manirabarusha
BUJUMBURA (Reuters) – The
European Union and Burundi’s influential Roman Catholic Church on
Thursday pulled out from observing elections in the African country,
saying that next month’s vote cannot be fair because of daily unrest and
a crackdown on media.
More than a month of demonstrations against President
Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to seek a third term in office has sparked
the biggest political crisis since an ethnically-charged civil war ended
in Burundi in 2005.
Source: Euronews
Full article available here: http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3020163-eu-suspends-election-observer-mission-to-burundi/
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
State Department Daily Briefing
Jeff Rathke responded to reporters' questions on a variety of foreign
affairs topics, including the Middle East peace process and the
closed-door espionage trial of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian.
Military Response to Ebola
The highlighted area represents West Africa.
Officials from four Defense Department organizations talked about the
U.S. military response to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, and
the research it has conducted on the deadly disease. They focused on
their behind-the-scenes work and how those actions halted further spread
of the disease.
Source: C-Span
U.S. Incarceration Rates
Panelists talked about a National Academy of Sciences report on the
origins and effects of growing incarceration rates in the U.S.
Source: C-Span
International Hotspot: Fighting ISIS in Iraq
Iraqi soldiers launch offensive and Shia militia trains volunteers to fight militants.
Arrested Execs Turned FIFA Into 'Criminal Enterprise,' AG Says
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch discusses criminal probe of the world soccer organization.
Mom Recalls Pain of Bullied Transgender Teen Who Committed Suicide
Katharine Prescott's 14-year-old child Kyler, who was born female but
identified as male, committed suicide after online bullying.
‘Deadliest Day’: Reports of 80 Killed in Saudi-Led Strikes Across Yemen
By Sarah Joanne Taylor | With UNITED NATIONS, OXFAM, REUTERS
Source: Euronews
Full article available here: http://www.euronews.com/2015/05/27/deadliest-day-reports-of-80-killed-in-saudi-led-strikes-across-yemen/
EU Boosts CAR Aid
The EU is to increase financial aid to the Central African Republic, officials said on Tuesday.
The European Commission announced an extra 72 million euros in fresh funding during a donor conference in the Belgian capital of Brussels.
Source: Euronews
Full article and accompanying video available here: http://www.euronews.com/2015/05/26/eu-boosts-car-aid/
Madagascar Lawmakers Vote to Remove President
Madagascar’s parliament has voted to remove President Hery Rajaonarimanpianina from office.
It’s thought 121 of 125 lawmakers backed the move alleging constitutional violations and incompetence. His critics say he’s failed to deliver promised reforms.
Source: Euronews
Israel Strikes Gaza After Alleged Militant Rocket Attack
Israeli aircraft have struck a number of sites in Gaza. It comes
after Palestinian militants allegedly fired a rocket, which landed near
the Israeli port city of Ashdod.
The Israeli military says it struck four “terror infrastructures” in Gaza after the rocket attack.
Source: Euronews
Russia Is Boosting Air Defenses Inside Eastern Ukraine: State Department
Russia is building up its air
defenses inside of eastern Ukraine and bolstering forces along the
border in violation of a recent truce, the State Department said on
Wednesday.
"The Russian military has deployed additional air defense systems into eastern Ukraine and moved several of these nearer the front lines," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.
Source: NBC News
Full article and accompanying videos available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/russia-boosting-air-defenses-inside-eastern-ukraine-state-department-n346686
Texas Officials: 44 Foot Wall of Water 'Destroyed Everything in its Path'
Officials from Hays County, Texas, discuss the 'tsunami' of water which
came down the Blanco river destroying 70 homes, and damaged 1400 more.
IRS Breach Puts Spotlight on the Internet's 'Costco of Cybercrime'
The Internal Revenue Service revealed Tuesday
that criminals accessed tax information for more than 100,000 taxpayers
via an online system -- and they bypassed security screens using
personal information like Social Security numbers and addresses, which
experts say are routinely sold online between criminals for just a few
dollars.
The IRS said that 200,000 taxpayers' accounts received suspicious login attempts, and half of those accounts were accessed. The attackers were able to look at taxpayers' filings because they "confirmed" their identities by entering personal data like Social Security numbers, dates of birth and street addresses.
Source: NBC News
Full article and accompanying videos available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/irs-hack-hackers-buy-info-costcos-cybercrime-experts-say-n365366
Horace Mann Sex Abuse Probe Blasts School, Finds Dozens of Victims
Horace
Mann School
By Tracy Connor
A probe commissioned by a group of alumni at New York's elite Horace
Mann School has found that more than 64 students were sexually abused by
nearly two dozen faculty and staff between the 1960s and the 1990s —
far more than an investigation by the district attorney identified.
Source: NBC News
Full article available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/horace-mann-sex-abuse-probe-blasts-school-finds-dozens-victims-n365291
The Clean Water Rule: A Statement by President Obama
For
more than 40 years, American families and businesses across the country
have counted on the Clean Water Act to protect the streams and wetlands
we rely on for our way of life – from recreation to public health to a
growing economy. In recent years, however, court decisions have led to
uncertainty and a need for clarification. One in three Americans now
gets drinking water from streams lacking clear
protection, and businesses and industries that depend on clean water
face uncertainty and delay, which costs our economy every day. Too many
of our waters have been left vulnerable to pollution. That’s why I
called on the Environmental Protection Agency and
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clear up the confusion and uphold
our basic duty to protect these vital resources.
Today, after
extensive input from the American public, they’re doing just that –
finalizing the Clean Water Rule to restore protection for the streams
and wetlands that form the foundation of our nation’s water
resources, without getting in the way of farming, ranching, or
forestry. This rule will provide the clarity and certainty businesses
and industry need about which waters are protected by the Clean Water
Act, and it will ensure polluters who knowingly threaten
our waters can be held accountable. My Administration has made
historic commitments to clean water, from restoring iconic watersheds
like the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes to preserving more than a
thousand miles of rivers and other waters for future
generations. With today’s rule, we take another step towards
protecting the waters that belong to all of us.
Kinship Caregiver Programs Awarded $1.34 Million
Money Will Support 13 Programs Serving Children and Families Across New York State
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced
that New York State has awarded $1.34 million to 13 programs to provide
Kinship Caregiver services, an important permanency option for children
in foster care and others who cannot safely live with their parents. The
funding will be administered by the New York State Office of Children
and Family Services.
“All children deserve a safe and secure place to live, and today we are taking a major step forward in giving them a place to call home,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will provide caregivers with the tools to build a brighter future for thousands of New York children and place them on a path towards growth and success.”
Kinship care is a living arrangement in which children who cannot safely live with their parents live full-time with a relative or close non-relative. Research shows that children who reside with relatives achieve better outcomes than those in non-relative foster care.
“All children deserve a safe and secure place to live, and today we are taking a major step forward in giving them a place to call home,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will provide caregivers with the tools to build a brighter future for thousands of New York children and place them on a path towards growth and success.”
Kinship care is a living arrangement in which children who cannot safely live with their parents live full-time with a relative or close non-relative. Research shows that children who reside with relatives achieve better outcomes than those in non-relative foster care.
The funding was awarded through a competitive Request for Proposals process. Programs will provide an array of services to kinship caregivers, including crisis intervention, family assessments, linkage to community resources, parenting education and training, support groups, and trauma screenings.
Sheila J. Poole, Acting Commissioner of OCFS said, “Every child needs a loving, nurturing, safe place to call home. By funding these programs, we are helping to connect grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives to the resources they need to provide that environment.”
From 2006 through 2010, there were 131,108 grandparents and 87,405 non-grandparent caregivers raising relative children in New York, according to the American Community Survey. It is estimated that one quarter of children in foster care statewide are in a formal kinship placement.
The programs that were awarded and approved for funding are:
Program
|
Approved Funding
|
Population Served
|
Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth
|
$102,980
|
Erie County
|
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rochester / Catholic Family Center
|
$102,980
|
Monroe County
|
Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country, Inc.
|
$102,980
|
Clinton County
|
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County
|
$102,980
|
Orange County
|
Family and Children’s Services of Ithaca
|
$102,980
|
Tompkins County
|
Family Enrichment Network, Inc.
|
$102,980
|
Broome County, Tioga County
|
Family Service Society of Yonkers
|
$102,980
|
Westchester County
|
Gateway-Longview, Inc.
|
$102,980
|
Erie County
|
Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, Inc.
|
$102,980
|
Brooklyn
|
Leadership Training, Inc.
|
$102,980
|
Nassau County, Suffolk County
|
New Alternatives for Children, Inc.
|
$102,980
|
New York City
|
New York Council on Adoptable Children, Inc.
|
$102,980
|
New York City
|
The Neighborhood Center, Inc.*
|
$102,980
|
Oneida County
|
- * Also provides information and referral services to Chenango, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, and Oswego counties
Governor Cuomo proclaimed May as Foster Care
Awareness Month to recognize that every child has the right to grow up
in a safe, healthy and stable home environment. Foster parents play an
essential role in providing temporary, safe, and nurturing homes to
children when their parents are unable to care for them.
From 1995 to 2012, the number of children in New York State's foster care system has decreased from approximately 54,000 to fewer than 19,000.
About OCFS
OCFS serves New York by promoting the
safety, permanency, and well-being of children, families, and
communities. For more information about kinship caregiver services in
your area, and to find out how to become a foster parent, visit ocfs.ny.gov.
OCFS maintains an active social media presence. “Like” the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Facebook page and follow @NYSOCFS on Twitter in English or the Spanish-language Twitter account, @NYSOCFS espanol.
OCFS maintains an active social media presence. “Like” the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Facebook page and follow @NYSOCFS on Twitter in English or the Spanish-language Twitter account, @NYSOCFS espanol.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
The President Meets with the Secretary General of NATO
President Obama delivers remarks after meeting with NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. May 26, 2015.
Beijing Boosts South China Sea Naval Defense
China is increasing naval operations in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. Beijing has plans to build two lighthouses there, a move widely expected to escalate tensions in a region already on edge about China’s controversial island reclamation project. It compares that to construction in other parts of the country like building homes or roads.
China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei claim all or parts of the South China Sea.
Source: Euronews
Iran Nuclear Negotiations
Ambassadors Gérard Araud, Sir Peter Westmacott, and Peter Wittig talked
about the impact of the Iran nuclear deal on European
interests. Ambassador Araud spoke about how the talks began in 2003,
Ambassador Westmacott spoke about how the Iranians got to this point in
the negotiations, and Ambassador Wittig spoke about the impact of
European sanctions and his expectations for economic ties between Europe
and Iran.
Source: C-Span
2016 Republican Presidential Field
Washington Post National Politics Reporter Robert Costa joined by phone to discuss the Republican field in the 2016 presidential election.
NYS Law Enforcement Agencies to Receive $13.3 Millon to Fight Gun Violence
Cuomo: “Through the GIVE initiative, we are giving law enforcement agencies more resources..."
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced
that law enforcement agencies in 17 counties participating in the
state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative will receive $13.3
million to target gun violence and save lives.
Now entering its second year, the initiative requires the use of proven strategies to reduce shootings and firearm-related homicides in communities served by 20 police departments in those counties.
“This administration has worked tirelessly to combat gun violence in New York and prevent the needless tragedy that comes with it,” Governor Cuomo said.
“Through the GIVE initiative, we are giving law enforcement agencies more resources necessary to fight gun violence in our streets in order to save lives and make communities across this state safer.”
GIVE funding targets communities served by the Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Hempstead, Jamestown, Kingston, Middletown, Mount Vernon, Nassau County, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Schenectady, Spring Valley, Suffolk County, Syracuse, Troy, Utica and Yonkers police departments. District attorneys’ offices, probation departments and sheriffs’ offices in the 17 counties, which report 87 percent of the violent crime outside of New York City, also receive funding through the initiative.
New York State created GIVE a year ago, revamping a decade-old program that provided funding to the same agencies and counties to foster the use of data analysis, intelligence and partnerships to fight crime. Under GIVE, participating agencies must build upon that framework and implement evidence-based strategies proven to reduce gun violence. Administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, the initiative also provides agencies with extensive training from national experts to help them effectively implement those strategies.
Michael C. Green, executive deputy commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services, said, “New York State stands alone in our commitment to funding evidence-based efforts to combat gun violence and our corresponding commitment to providing comprehensive, hands-on training from nationally recognized experts. Funding is critical, but it is equally important to provide agencies with information and resources so they can implement proven strategies as intended. We remain committed to working with our GIVE partners to help save lives and look forward to providing additional training as we move ahead with the second year of GIVE.”
This second round of funding, coupled with free and ongoing technical assistance, will allow agencies to further integrate the following strategies into their daily operations:
- · Hot-spots
policing, which uses data such as incident reports, calls for service
and other information about areas of persistent criminal activity,
allowing agencies to focus their resources in areas where crime is more
likely to occur in order to target, reduce and prevent it.· Focused
deterrence, in which law enforcement identifies chronic offenders and
targets them for enhanced attention, enforcement and prosecution. Also
key to the approach is a partnership among law enforcement agencies,
community groups and social services organizations, which join together
to communicate directly with offenders, outlining clear consequences for
continued criminal behavior.
· Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which identifies how buildings, vacant lots, traffic patterns and other environmental factors in a neighborhood may influence criminal activity; and
· Street outreach workers, who work in specific communities to interrupt cycles of violence or prevent retaliation. The strategy also includes case managers, whose role is to connect individuals involved in violence with resources to help them change their behavior.
The GIVE funding cycle begins July 1, 2015, and ends June 30, 2016, with agencies eligible for one, one-year extension. The grants fund personnel, such as prosecutors and crime analysts, as well as overtime and equipment.
In addition to monitoring crime trends and grant funding and evaluating agencies’ progress, the Division of Criminal Justice Services will continue its comprehensive technical assistance program, coordinating regional workshops and networking opportunities as well as county- and/or agency- specific training.
The following agencies will share a total of $13,330,467 to implement the following evidence-based strategies:
· Erie County: The Buffalo Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department and Central Police Services will share $1,750,734.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED
· Monroe County: The Rochester Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $1,716,578.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED
· Westchester County: The Yonkers and Mount Vernon police departments and District Attorney’s Office, Department of Public Safety and Probation Department will share $1,253,049.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers
· Onondaga County: The Syracuse Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $1,150,520.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED
· Suffolk County: The Suffolk County Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Probation Department and Crime Laboratory will share $1,068,093.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers
· Nassau County: The Nassau County and Hempstead police departments and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $1,026,707.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers
· Schenectady County: The Schenectady Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $818,654.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers
· Albany County: The Albany Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $801,213.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence, CPTED and street outreach workers
· Orange County: The Newburgh (city) and Middletown police departments and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $753,379.
· Newburgh: hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED· Middletown: hot-spots policing and CPTED
· Niagara County: The Niagara Falls Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $696,367.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED
· Oneida County: The Utica Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $591,598.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED
· Rensselaer County: The Troy Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $559,750.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and street outreach workers
· Broome County: The Binghamton Police Department and District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office will share $393,944.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED
· Dutchess County: The Poughkeepsie (city) Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $341,211.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED
The following agencies will focus on reducing aggravated assaults, as those incidents drive violent crime in these communities. Kingston and Jamestown police also will focus on targeting domestic violence, as those incidents contribute to the aggravated assaults reported in those cities.
· Ulster County: The Kingston Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $179,175.
· Hot-spots policing and CPTED
· Chautauqua County: The Jamestown Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department will share $152,495.
· Hot-spots policing, focused deterrence and CPTED
· Rockland County: The Spring Valley Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office and Intelligence Center and Probation Department will share $77,000.
· Hot-spots policing and focused deterrence
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (www.criminaljustice.ny.gov) is a multi-function criminal justice support agency with a variety of responsibilities, including law enforcement training; collection and analysis of statewide crime data; maintenance of criminal history information and fingerprint files; administrative oversight of the states DNA databank, in partnership with the New York State Police; funding and oversight of probation and community correction programs; administration of federal and state criminal justice funds; support of criminal justice-related agencies across the state; and administration of the state’s Sex Offender Registry.