Saturday, June 27, 2015
Department of Homeland Security on High Alert
As Independence Day approaches, officials prepare for potential attacks
Published Jun 26, 2015.
Weekly Address: The Affordable Care Act is Here to Stay
In this week's address, the President called the Supreme Court's
decision on the Affordable Care Act a victory for hardworking Americans
across the country, whose lives are more secure because of this law.
NYPD Ramps Up Security After 3 Overseas Terror Attacks
By Jonathan Dienst
Law enforcement officials in New York City and the U.S. are on high
alert following a trio of terror attacks that spread across three
continents on Friday. Chief Investigative Reporter Jonathan Dienst
reports. (Published Friday, Jun 26, 2015)
Escaped Prisoner David Sweat in Gun Battle With Authorities
NBC's New York affiliate, WNBC, has reported that Sweat has engaged in a
gun battle with authorities following the death of Richard Matt.
Published Friday, Jun 26, 2015.
Published Friday, Jun 26, 2015.
Friday, June 26, 2015
White House Guest Denied Access, Details Incident in an Open Letter to President Obama
June 25th, 2015
Dear President Obama,
I write to you as a national leader, criminal justice reform advocate, and
founder of JustLeadershipUSA, a bold new organization dedicated to cutting the
US correctional population in half by 2030 on the guiding principle that those
closest to the problem are closest to the solution.
Recently, I had the honor of participating in a strategic planning initiative
that addressed both the intersection of, and possible remedies to, the issues
of gun violence, policing, and mass incarceration in the United States.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015, George Washington University Law School served as
host to a select group of civil rights and religious leaders, scholars, elected
officials, law enforcement officials and foundation officers brought together
by The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and The Joyce
Foundation.
Our day culminated with an
invitation to join members of your domestic policy staff in the Eisenhower
Executive Office Building for a discussion about their work on these
issues. A day of thoughtful and inspired dialogue, however, quickly
turned into one of needless humiliation and stigma for me. As each of
my colleagues received green passes granting them immediate access, I received
a pink ID bearing the label: "Needs Escort." Its inspiration
was quickly and unsurprisingly confirmed: anyone with a criminal conviction
requires an escort at all times on the White House grounds. The
staggering symbolism of the ordeal was not lost on me, Mr. President. In a
country where 65 million people have a criminal record on file, being
selectively barred from entering the White House for a discussion about those
very same people was as insulting as it was indicative of the broader problem.
Along with millions of others, I have watched with tremendous pride and optimism as your administration has stated that our carceral policies are patently counterproductive. Further, those policies disproportionately target communities of color, running roughshod over our declared principles of justice, fairness, and proportionality in the process. I submit to you that the treatment I received as an invited White House guest, and by extension all others with prior convictions, further erodes the life of those principles. In your letters of commutation you have concluded, “Remember that you have the capacity to make good choices. By doing so, you will affect not only your own life, but those close to you. You will also influence, through your example, the possibility that others in your circumstances get their own second chance in the future.” This counsel is as applicable to our nation’s corridors of power as it is to our most travailed citizens. The work of the mature democracy is to organize itself in such a way that best enables that process without undue hardship.
Along my journey to national
advocacy, I’ve disabused myself of several of our national delusions, the most
poignant being the myth of the voiceless masses who require the spokesmanship
of a noble and courageous few. I never met any of the alleged voiceless
during my incarceration, only the deliberately silenced. In the
corridors of our nation’s highest office, I found my voice and my person
restricted in an agonizingly similar way to that which I encountered in prison.
Rather than being debilitated, I walked away further emboldened and hopeful
that when guided by a commitment to justice, power might listen.
There is strong evidence to believe that is the case. In your March interview
with David Simon you stated rightfully: “Part of the challenge is going to be
making sure, number one, that we humanize what so often on the local news is
just a bunch of shadowy characters and tell their stories.” There is no
expression capable of fully capturing how uplifting these remarks are for
millions of our country’s men and women. In the spirit of that conviction, I
humbly request a meeting with myself and a select group of other formerly
incarcerated leaders at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Glenn E. Martin
Founder and President
JustLeadershipUSA
Glenn E. Martin
Founder and President
JustLeadershipUSA
“The Charleston Massacre, the Confederate Battle Flag, and the Coming Second Civil War”
The
Charleston Massacre means many things.
Most importantly it means that the Doctrine of White Supremacy that
drove the Institution of Slavery, and drove what became the Confederate States
of America to secession from the Union, is still alive and quite well, in the
citizenry at large. (The seemingly
increasing succession of white cop/black victim murders of course has been
raising the poisonous topic in the public consciousness in the past year or
two; see my column “Ferguson Worked as Intended.”) But now here it is, writ
large, in the person of a violent, young, openly and proudly defiant, white
supremacist. Interestingly enough, Dylann Roof manifesto not only reflects the sentiments of the native US white supremacy movement, but of its international relatives as well. (The Southern Poverty
Law Center is a very important source of information of
right-wing hate/potential terror organizations in the United States.)
I have written previously on the topic of “how the South
won the Civil War” and the coming Second Civil War. This particular horror has been perpetrated,
not by a “lone gunman,” not by a “whack job,” as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina would have us think, but by a self-conscious representative of the hate
groups to be found all over the United States. (Interestingly enough, when the Department of
Homeland Security, at the beginning of the Obama Administration, attempted to
start an investigation of potential, domestic, right-wing terrorism, it was shut down fairly quickly by the Republicans in
Congress.) The principal element in the
victory of the South in the Civil War has been the spreading throughout the
land of the Doctrine of White Supremacy (invented in the 17th
century to justify white-on-black slavery) from the South.
This
outrage was immediately responded to, as is by now well-know, by the Right’s
Propaganda Central as an “assault on Christians,” which would be funny if it
itself were not so outrageous. Much more
importantly, it has brought the conflict over the Doctrine openly back onto the
national agenda. In the current debate,
it is symbolized by the Confederate battle flag that flies on the grounds of
the State Capitol of the Home of the Confederacy, South Carolina. The most laudable, apparent removal of the flag from the
grounds of the South Carolina state capitol, as well as other governmental
removals of various types throughout the South, will not remove the Doctrine
from the minds of oh-too-many U.S.
That flag
it turns out, is indeed a most apt representation for the Doctrine that drove
slavery and the Confederate States of America, and has now, as I said, spread
across our land. In my previous columns
on the South, the Civil War, and what it really was about, I regularly quoted
the well-known “Cornerstone Speech” by the CSA
Vice-President Alexander Stephens, justifying slavery, on the basis of the
Doctrine. What has very recently come to
wide public attention is the statement by the designer of the aforementioned
CAS battle flag, which was created only in 1863. That designer, one William T. Thompson, said:
"As a people, we are fighting to maintain
the heaven ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored
race; .... we still think that a battle flag on a pure white field would be
more appropriate and handsome [than its predecessor]. Such a flag would be a suitable emblem of our
young confederacy, and sustained by the brave hearts and strong arms of the
south, it would soon take rank among the proudest ensigns of the nations, and
be hailed by the civilized world as THE WHITE MAN'S FLAG."
Thompson
also noted that the flag’s white
border, unusual as flags go, was not placed there by accident. Many Southerners, in justifying its continued
use and display, refer to it as some kind of “historical reference,”
representing the “heritage of the South.”
Well, in the words of the flag’s designer himself, to the extent that
that “heritage” is the institution of slavery, secession, and White Supremacy,
it does.
And the
flag and what it stands for are central to the heritage of the modern
Republican Party. That heritage stems,
not from its beginnings, of course, but from the Compromise of 1877 that ended
Reconstruction and brought on the White Racist Southern “Reclamation” that
eventually led to Jim Crow and 100 years of the denial of civil rights of any
kind in the South. As it happens, that
process was led by the Southern Democrats until the mid-1960s, when the
national party seriously took up the cause of Civil Rights. And then the Doctrine found its modern home,
through Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” and what has followed it. Which brings us once again to the topic of
the “Second Civil War,” which we shall continue to return to over time.
The First
Civil War, at its beginning was a clash between the two dominant branches of
the U.S. ruling class, Northern and Southern, over A) the expansion of the
institution of slavery into the Western territories and B) over the role of
government. The growing Northern
manufacturing sector did not want slavery in the territories. For one major reason, it is difficult to grow
industry without some modicum of education for the workers, while it is
difficult to maintain slavery if the slaves are educated.
Also,
they had already figured out that the doctrine of “free labor” which was well
under development at the time, meant that they needed to take little or no
responsibility for the living conditions of their wage-slaves,
whereas
if one owned real slaves one had to at least clothe, house, and feed
them. Also, the nascent manufacturing class loved
“big government,” especially in the arena of massive public works, like
the
construction of the trans-continental railway and the establishment of
public
“land-grant” colleges, both favorites, as it happened, of Abraham
Lincoln. The slaveholders did not. The Southern ruling class wanted to
maintain
and advance slavery, both to expand agriculture and to sell more slaves,
and
also wanted as little “government interference” in anything except such
matters
as catching and returning runaway slaves (sound familiar?)
And so
came the War, and then the originally unanticipated Abolition. But once the war was over, the Northern
ruling class realized that with the disappearance of formal slavery but with
the return of the South to a system similar to it in many ways, through “Reclamation,” it did not need to be concerned at all about
maintaining true freedom for the Freedmen.
They could just “get on with it,” with the two branches of the ruling
class for the most part eventually becoming one. In our time, the ruling class appears on the
surface to be represented by the Republican Party alone, but in fact its
overall interests are fully protected by the reigning political Duopoly.
As noted,
in our time the Republican branch of the Duopoly does make special use of the
Doctrine of White Supremacy. As a rising,
white, border state politician once said about the Republicans on the subject
of race and racism:
“For 12 years, Republicans have tried to divide
us - race against race - so we get mad at each other and not at them. They want
us to look at each other across a racial divide so we don't turn and look to
the White House and ask, why are all of our incomes going down, why are all of
us losing jobs? Why are we losing our future?
Where I come from we know about race-baiting. They've used it to divide
us for years. I know this tactic well and I'm not going to let them get away
with it.”
Yes, Bill Clinton actually said that when he announced for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency in
1991 (and, knowing nothing at the time
about the Democratic Leadership Council of which he had been the head, and what
it really stood for, it was on the basis of that statement that I decided to
support him in his campaign). Of course,
we never heard that sort of statement from Clinton again, but that’s another
story.
The
Doctrine of White Supremacy remains a major factor in U.S. politics, courtesy
of the self-same Republican Party. Its
existence will once again be a major issue at the center of a Civil War in our
nation. But this time around, the ruling
class is generally united. And so while
the Second Civil War will be over, on the one hand, the Doctrine and its uses,
very much on the other it will also be about the authoritarian state which the
ruling class is having to develop as so many workers see their incomes dropping and so many U.S. are slipping into poverty or near-poverty. But more on the particulars of this subject
anon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Senior Editor, Politics, Steven Jonas, MD, MPH is a Professor Emeritus of Preventive Medicine at Stony
Brook University (NY) and author/co-author/editor/co-
FCC Chair Tom Wheeler on Broadband Policy
Federal Communications Commission Chair Tom Wheeler delivers remarks
at the Brookings Institution on the ways technology is changing
broadband network economics and policies aimed at maximizing the
benefits of high-speed Internet access.
The White House: 'We Stand with These Nations as They Respond to Attacks on Their Soil...'
Statement by the Press Secretary on Attacks in France, Kuwait, and Tunisia
The United States condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in France, Kuwait, and Tunisia today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of these heinous attacks, their loved ones, and the people of all three countries. As the President has discussed with his French, Kuwaiti, and Tunisian counterparts in recent weeks, we are resolute and united in our shared effort to fight the scourge of terrorism.
We
stand with these nations as they respond to attacks on their soil
today, and we have been in contact with appropriate counterparts in all
three
countries to offer any necessary support. Terrorism has no place in
any society, and the United States will continue to work closely with
our international partners to combat terrorist actors and counter
violent extremism around the globe.
Source: The White House Press Office
Source: The White House Press Office
Biden: 'This Day is For Them, Their Children, and Their Families
Statement by the Vice President on the Supreme Court Decision in Obergefell v. Hodges
All marriages, at their root, are about love.
Today, the Supreme Court affirmed that simple proposition—supported by a majority of Americans and a majority of our states—by recognizing that men marrying men and women marrying women are guaranteed the same civil rights and equal protection under our Constitution afforded to Jill and me, and to anyone else.
We couldn’t be prouder. Over the years—in their homes, on our staff, on the frontlines of war, and in houses of worship—Jill and I have befriended countless gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans who share a love for their partners constrained only by social stigma and discriminatory laws. But today, their love is set free with the right to marry and the recognition of that marriage throughout the country.
This day is for them, their children, and their families. And it is for generations of advocates—gay, lesbian, transgender, straight—who for decades fought a lonely and dangerous battle. People of absolute courage who risked their lives, jobs, and reputations to come forward in pursuit of the basic right recognized today, but at a time when neither the country nor the courts would protect or defend them.
And this day is for history to remember as one where, as a nation, our laws finally recognize that all people should be treated with respect and dignity—and that all marriages, at their root, are defined by unconditional love.
Today, the Supreme Court affirmed that simple proposition—supported by a majority of Americans and a majority of our states—by recognizing that men marrying men and women marrying women are guaranteed the same civil rights and equal protection under our Constitution afforded to Jill and me, and to anyone else.
We couldn’t be prouder. Over the years—in their homes, on our staff, on the frontlines of war, and in houses of worship—Jill and I have befriended countless gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans who share a love for their partners constrained only by social stigma and discriminatory laws. But today, their love is set free with the right to marry and the recognition of that marriage throughout the country.
This day is for them, their children, and their families. And it is for generations of advocates—gay, lesbian, transgender, straight—who for decades fought a lonely and dangerous battle. People of absolute courage who risked their lives, jobs, and reputations to come forward in pursuit of the basic right recognized today, but at a time when neither the country nor the courts would protect or defend them.
And this day is for history to remember as one where, as a nation, our laws finally recognize that all people should be treated with respect and dignity—and that all marriages, at their root, are defined by unconditional love.
Cuomo: 'Today, Progress Marches On'
Governor Directs Port Authority to Light Spire of One World Trade Center in Rainbow Colors This Sunday
“New York has been a leader in the fight for
marriage equality, and today’s Supreme Court decision affirms what we
have fought so hard for – that marriage is a fundamental right that
should be afforded to everyone, regardless of whom they love. When we
passed the Marriage Equality Act in 2011, New York sent a message to the
nation that it was time to end one of society’s greatest inequities,
and I am thrilled to see the Court join us on the right side of history.
Dividing people into first and second-class citizens is not only wrong,
it runs contrary to who we are as a nation. From Stonewall to Edie
Windsor, New Yorkers have always been on the front lines of the fight to
ensure equality and fairness for all. Today, we are proud New Yorkers
and proud Americans. Today, progress marches on.”
In recognition of this decision and New
York City Pride Week, the Governor has directed that the lights on One
World Trade Center’s 408-foot spire will light up in rainbow on Sunday night, June 28.
Sharpton on Gay Marriage Ruling: 'We Still Have a Long Way to Go..'
Rev. Sharpton Statement on Supreme Court Decision Legalizing Gay Marriage Nationwide
NEW YORK – Rev. Al Sharpton, president and founder
of National Action Network (NAN), released the following statement
hailing this morning’s U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing gay
marriage nationwide by ruling that the U.S. Constitution
bars states from denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples:
“Today we can celebrate that the principles of
justice and equality under the law won. This a huge milestone for our
nationwide journey for equality for all, and loving couples across this
country can finally have their love and unions
recognized.
“We still have a long way to go, and as the tragedy
in South Carolina last week devastatingly showed, the march toward
progress and civil rights nationwide continues. As a nation, we must
carry the momentum from the highest court in the
land and fight against discrimination in all its forms and make sure
that all Americans – no matter whom they love, their class or color –
can exist freely and equally.”
"Flashback Friday': The Attempted Assassination on President Ronald Reagan
Warning! Many may find the footage extremely disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
Rose McGowan Dropped by Agent for Calling Out Sexist Casting Note
The "Charmed" actress tweeted a message from a casting director asking her to "show off cleavage."
California Passes Bill to End Vaccination Exemptions
California lawmakers voted on Thursday to
substantially limit vaccine exemptions for school children, an
initiative prompted by last winter's measles outbreak at Disneyland that sickened 147 people.
The bill, which would make California the third
state to eliminate religious and other personal vaccine exemptions,
passed the state Assembly in a form that would give some parents years
to comply, compared with a stronger version of the bill that was earlier
approved by the state Senate.
The measure sparked angry opposition from
parents who fear side effects from vaccinations as well as from some
religious conservatives.
Full article available here: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/measles-outbreak/california-passes-bill-end-vaccination-exemptions-n382396
Source: NBC News
French President Hollande: Never Give In to Fear
Speaking from a European summit, President Francois Hollande sounded
defiant as investigations began into attack at gas factory in southeast
France.
Vatican Signs First Treaty with ‘State of Palestine,’ Israel Angered
Reuters, 26/06 14:52 CET
By Philip Pullella
VATICAN CITY
(Reuters) – The Vatican signed its first treaty with the “State of
Palestine” on Friday, calling for “courageous decisions” to end the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and backing a two-state solution.
The treaty, which made official the Vatican’s de facto
recognition of Palestine since 2012, angered Israel, which called it “a
hasty step (that) damages the prospects for advancing a peace
agreement”.
Israel also said it could have implications on its future diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
The accord, which concerns the Catholic Church’s
activities in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority, also
confirmed the Vatican’s increasingly proactive role in foreign policy
under Pope Francis. Last year, it brokered the historic resumption of
ties between the United States and Cuba.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign
minister, said at the signing that he hoped it could be a “stimulus to
bringing a definitive end to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, which continues to cause suffering for both parties”.
Full article available here: http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3028486-vatican-signs-first-treaty-with-state-of-palestine-backs-two-state-solution/
(Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Source: Euronews
Suicide Attack Kills Many in Kuwait City Mosque
A suicide bomb attack at a Shi’ite mosque in Kuwait City has left several people dead.
The group calling itself Islamic State says it was behind the attack.
The group calling itself Islamic State says it was behind the attack.
Full article and video available here: http://www.euronews.com/2015/06/26/kuwait-suicide-attack-kills-many-in-mosque/
Source: Euronews
At Least 27 Dead in Attack on Hotel in Sousse
By Catherine Hardy | With AFP
At least 27 people, including some foreigners, have been killed during an attack on a tourist hotel in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse.
Local media and security services say at least one gunman was also shot dead in an exchange of fire.
Sousse is a popular tourist destination.
Tunisia
has been on high alert since March when Islamist militants killed 22
people, mainly foreign tourists, in an attack on the famous Bardo museum
in the capital Tunis.
This is a developing story, so visit http://www.euronews.com for updates.
Man Decapitated, Several Wounded in Chemical Plant Attack in France
At least one person has been found decapitated, two people have been
injured and 40 have been evacuated after what has been described as an attack at a “strategic” factory site near Lyon in south-eastern France.
One man has been arrested and identified as police continue to search for other attackers.
A loud explosion was heard at Air Products at
Saint-Quentin-Fallavier. Details are still coming in.
Follow live updates here: http://www.euronews.com/2015/06/26/france-explosion-at-factory/
Source: Euronews
Thursday, June 25, 2015
The President Speaks on the Supreme Court’s Ruling on the Affordable Care Act
President Obama delivered remarks in the Rose Garden after the Supreme
Court upheld a critical part of the Affordable Care Act, ensuring
millions of Americans could keep their quality, affordable health care
coverage.
Putin Places Call to the President
President
Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation called President Obama today.
They discussed the necessity of countering ISIL and developments
in the Middle East, as well as the situation in Ukraine. President
Obama reiterated the need for Russia to fulfill its commitments under
the Minsk agreements, including the removal of all Russian troops and
equipment from Ukrainian territory. The leaders
discussed the increasingly dangerous situation in Syria, and
underscored the importance of continued P5+1 unity in ongoing
negotiations to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Monaco Meets with UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed
Lisa Monaco
Today,
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism,
Lisa Monaco, met with United Nations Special Envoy
for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, to discuss his efforts to secure a
negotiated political settlement for Yemen. Ms. Monaco underscored the
importance the United States places on Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed's mission,
noting his work in convening consultations
in Geneva and broader efforts to resume Yemen’s political transition
process, consistent with
the Gulf
Cooperation Council Initiative, the outcomes of the comprehensive
National Dialogue conference, and relevant UN Security Council
resolutions. Ms. Monaco
emphasized the continued U.S. support
for Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed and the work of the UN. The United States
strongly believes that all of Yemen's communities have important roles
to play in the country's peaceful governance.
They
also discussed the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. Ms. Monaco
expressed U.S. determination to support the unimpeded
delivery of badly needed food, medicine, and other supplies to the
people of Yemen who are suffering. She emphasized the strong U.S.
support to ensure access for the urgent delivery of humanitarian
assistance to those in need and to accelerate the delivery
of commercial imports, including food, medicines and other essential
goods, to Yemen. Ms. Monaco and Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed agreed on the
need for the international community to continue working together to
seek ways to de-escalate the ongoing violence, implement
humanitarian pauses, expand political dialogue, and serve the needs of
the Yemeni people. Finally, they discussed the importance of bringing a
halt to the conflict in Yemen in order to prevent al-Qa’ida in the
Arabian Peninsula from exploiting the crisis.
Final Agreement on Major Priorities for End of 2015-16 Legislative Session
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced details of a final agreement on
a number of major priorities for the end of the 2015-16 legislative
session.
Governor Cuomo said: “Today, we have reached an agreement on robust, comprehensive reforms that put the people of New York first. We are strengthening rent laws and extending them for four years in the New York City area to protect more than two million tenants. We are also extending the property tax cap and creating a $1.3 billion property tax rebate program to provide significant relief to homeowners across the state. And we are providing $250 million to support the education of roughly 400,000 students in the state’s non-public schools. These are the kinds of reforms that keep New York moving forward, creating a better life and livelihood for people in virtually every corner of the state, and I am proud to have fought to make them a reality.”
Governor Cuomo said: “Today, we have reached an agreement on robust, comprehensive reforms that put the people of New York first. We are strengthening rent laws and extending them for four years in the New York City area to protect more than two million tenants. We are also extending the property tax cap and creating a $1.3 billion property tax rebate program to provide significant relief to homeowners across the state. And we are providing $250 million to support the education of roughly 400,000 students in the state’s non-public schools. These are the kinds of reforms that keep New York moving forward, creating a better life and livelihood for people in virtually every corner of the state, and I am proud to have fought to make them a reality.”
Audio file of the announcement available here:
https://soundcloud.com/nygovcuomo/governor-cuomo-senate-majority-leader-flanagan-and-assembly-speaker-heastie-make-an-announcement-1
https://soundcloud.com/nygovcuomo/governor-cuomo-senate-majority-leader-flanagan-and-assembly-speaker-heastie-make-an-announcement-1
Rev. Sharpton and Gov. Haley Agree to Meet
The Leaders Will Discuss a Range of Issues
New York, NY - Today, Rev. Al Sharpton, President
and founder of National Action Network (NAN), participated in the
funeral services of Ethel Lance and Sharonda Singleton, two of the nine
victims of the tragic South Carolina shooting last
week. Rev. Sharpton also spoke to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
and both agreed to meet to discuss a range of issues in the future. Rev.
Sharpton released the following statement:
“Today, I had a chance to celebrate the lives of
Ethel Lance and Sharonda Singleton and praise the way their families
have handled such a tragic situation with dignity and grace. I also had
an opportunity to speak with South Carolina Governor
Nikki Haley and we both agreed to meet in the future to discuss a range
of issues, including healthcare, criminal justice reform and voting
rights. It’s time for us all to come together and have a serious
conversation about racism and inequality which remain
central challenges facing our great country.”
OGS to Award New Construction Contracts
RoAnn Destito, New York State Office of General Services Commissioner, today announced that new construction bids have been awarded in the below counties. The awards are described in the listing below. The contracts are expected to be awarded to the apparent low bidders following review and approval by the State Comptroller's Office.
ERIE COUNTY
CONSTRUCTION WORK:
Awarded To Maximum Security Products Corp. of Waterford, NY
Description Upgrade Observation Cells, 1st Floor, Building No. 35
Location Wende Correctional Facility, Alden, NY
Low Bid $500,139
ELECTRICAL WORK:
Awarded To South Buffalo Electric Inc. of Buffalo, NY
Description Upgrade Observation Cells, 1st Floor, Building No. 35
Location Wende Correctional Facility, Alden, NY
Low Bid $32,500
PLUMBING WORK:
Awarded To Numarco, Inc. of Elma, NY
Description Upgrade Observation Cells, 1st Floor, Building No. 35
Location Wende Correctional Facility, Alden, NY
Low Bid $48,600
SUFFOLK COUNTY
CONSTRUCTION WORK:
Awarded To GGG Construction Corp of Hicksville, NY
Description Provide Concrete Slabs Nassau & Suffolk Counties
Location Region 10 Various Locations, NY
Low Bid $963,900
The
Office of General Services requires the participation of minority and
women-owned businesses in its procurement and construction programs and
requires that minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) and
minority and women employees be given the opportunity to participate.
Additional information about OGS Construction and Consulting opportunities is available on the OGS website at www.ogs.ny.gov under the Empire State Builder Newsletter link. The Empire State Builder Newsletter is the Design and Construction Group's public information service. It provides information on construction and consultant contract bidding opportunities, including: construction
plans and specifications currently available for purchase; consultant
procurement documents available for downloading; a listing of plan
purchasers for contracts to be bid or procured; a listing of interested
subcontractors, suppliers, and sub-consultants, and bid and procurement
results.
Governor Bobby Jindal Presidential Campaign Announcement
Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) announced his intention to seek the 2016
Republican presidential nomination. He spoke at the Pontchartrain Center
in Kenner, Louisiana. Earlier he had made an announcement on
Twitter. Governor Jindal talked about his parents' decision to move to
America and how he had transformed the state of Louisiana during his
time as governor.
House Debate on Resolution to Remove State Flags with Confederate Symbols
Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS) pushes forward a resolution,
introduced Tuesday, which would require state flags with Confederate
symbols to be removed from the House side of the U.S. Capitol and office
buildings. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House
Administration Committee Chair Candice Miller (R-MI) also speak. The
House then votes to refer to her committee.
Speaker Boehner/Minority Leader Pelosi: Weekly Briefings
Video link of Boehner briefing: http://www.c-span.org/video/?326798-1/house-speaker-john-boehner-roh-weekly-briefing
Video link of Pelosi briefing: http://www.c-span.org/video/?326793-1/house-minority-leader-nancy-pelosi-dca-weekly-briefing
Take Sides Coalition: 'Congress Sides With Polluters'
Organization Says Anti-Climate Legislation Votes Show Who Sides with Industry
Albany
– Just days after the release of an environmental encyclical by Pope
Francis, the U.S House of Representatives passed anti-climate
legislation introduced by Congressman
Ed Whitfield (R-Kentucky) that is aimed at blocking the Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of the Clean Power Plan.
The following joint statement is attributable to the Take Sides Coalition:
“While
we thank those representatives who have stood with science and voted
against this egregious legislation, there was far too much support for
big polluters. It is
inconceivable that so many climate deniers continue to hold influential
positions within the federal government. The Washington bureaucrats who
vote with the corporate polluters who take advantage of low income
communities of color are far removed from the
most vulnerable in our population who are most affected by the impacts
of climate change.
The
human, environmental, social and economic tolls of climate inaction are
too great to ignore. Pope Francis has called climate change ‘a global
problem with serious
implications,’ calling it ‘one of the principal challenges facing
humanity.’
Representatives
John Katko, Peter King, Elise Stefanik and Lee Zeldin have taken the
wrong approach by standing with polluters instead of constituents. It’s
time for voters
to take sides and hold their elected leaders accountable.”
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