Friday, August 19, 2016
New Legislation Helps Families of Homicide Victims with Funeral Costs
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation
that will make it easier for families of homicide victims to get help
from New York State to bury their loved ones.
“Families experiencing a sudden and tragic loss should not have to also face the burden of burial costs,” Governor Cuomo said.
“This legislation will help give the family members of homicide victims
some peace of mind as they say their final goodbyes. I thank the
sponsors of this legislation for their work in getting this passed.”
Under current law, only an individual who
paid or incurred the burial expenses – a family member or person who
owned a funeral home – can be eligible for reimbursement from the New
York State Office of Victim Services. Funeral homes, however, are often
associated with larger businesses operated by boards instead of
individual owners, and are prohibited from filing claims.
The bill (S.7191/A.9762) changes that,
allowing funeral home businesses to pay for burial costs on behalf of a
family and then recover those expenses from the Office of Victim
Services, which provides a financial safety net for innocent crime
victims and their family members. The Governor signed the legislation
yesterday.
The Office of Victim Services can provide up
to $6,000 for burial expenses. Those costs covered by the agency
include funeral services, burial plot, the deceased’s burial outfit,
clergy fees, transportation costs for the deceased, obituaries, head
stone, flowers, death certificates, church fees for religious services
and flowers.
By law, a homicide victim’s family must
utilize any existing insurance or funeral expense protection before
seeking assistance from OVS. Between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016,
the agency approved 501 death claims. During this same period, OVS paid
more than $1.8 million in funeral expenses.
Senator Patrick Gallivan said, “The
loss of a loved one is devastating, especially when that person falls
victim to crime. These changes give the families of crime victims peace
of mind and takes the worry of funeral expenses off their shoulders
during their time of mourning. They also ease the regulatory burden
funeral home operators face when trying to meet the needs of these
families. I thank the Governor for signing this bill into law, and
Assemblywoman Peoples-Stokes for her partnership.”
Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, “The
amended statue allows funeral homes – whether owned by an individual or
a corporation – to take on the burden of financial arrangements
associated with a burial so families can concentrate on healing. This
change to the law will bring relief to a family still reeling over the
unexpected death of a loved one. I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this
important piece of legislation into law and I thank co-sponsor Senator
Patrick Gallivan for his work in getting it passed.”
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
National Security Council Notes: World Humanitarian Day
On World
Humanitarian Day, we honor humanitarians across the globe for their
compassion and their courage. We remember the 22 UN and relief agency
staff who died in a Baghdad bombing on
this day 13 years ago as well as the nearly 4,000 other aid workers who
have been killed, wounded, or kidnapped in the past two decades.
Humanitarians deserve our support, respect, and praise not just for
their work, but for what they represent: our capacity
to help those who are suffering, regardless of where they come from,
what language they speak, or how they worship.
Humanitarian
crises are not distant tragedies. Today, there are a record 65 million
people displaced inside their own countries, living as refugees or
seeking asylum. More than 130 million
people across 40 countries are in need of humanitarian aid. The
scourges that many flee - political repression, chronic violence, and
natural disasters - cannot be defeated by building barriers but only by
building hope and compassion. These are global challenges
that demand collective action.
And as world
leaders gather at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly,
President Obama will convene a Leaders' Summit on Refugees, highlighting
the United States' continued leadership
on humanitarian assistance. The Summit aims to significantly increase
humanitarian funding, to double the number of refugees who benefit from
resettlement or other humanitarian admissions programs, and to help
empower refugees in countries of asylum - building
on our commitment for a stronger, more accountable international
humanitarian system capable of meeting today's unprecedented needs.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Meeting
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held its August 2016 meeting, during
which members discussed and voted on statements on a number of civil
rights matters, including a recent settlement regarding Texan birth
certificate issuance.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Aetna's Involvement in Health Insurance Marketplaces
The Hill's Peter Sullivan joins by phone to discuss Aetna’s
decision to scale back its involvement in the Affordable Care Act’s
health insurance marketplaces.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Trailblazers in Black History: Alfred Masters, USMC
Alfred Masters was the very first African American to serve in the United States Marine Corps. He was sworn-in on June 1, 1942, at 12:01am in Oklahoma City. His first training camp was Montford Point in North Carolina. He went on to obtain the rank of Technical Sergeant.
Click here for additional information.
Source: Wikipedia
U.S. Says $400 Million Payment Was Used to Guarantee American Prisoners' Release
The Obama administration acknowledged Thursday that a $400 million
cash payment to Iran in January was used as leverage to ensure the
release of four U.S. prisoners.
The payment, part of a $1.7 billion settlement
of a decades-long legal dispute before an international tribunal in The
Hague, was announced on Jan. 17, a day after Tehran freed the four Americans and on the same weekend that U.N. sanctions against Iran were lifted.
The White House and the State Department have strenuously denied Republican accusations that the transaction amounted to paying ransom, insisting that the timing was coincidental.
Click here for the full article.
Family Sues School Alleging Special Needs Student Forced into Terrorist Confession
The family of a special education student is suing a Long Island,
New York, school district for $25 million, alleging their 12-year-old
son was forced to falsely confess to belonging to ISIS and to planning
to blow up the school.
The federal lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S.
District Court in New York's Eastern District, accuses East Islip Middle
School administrators of violating Nashwan Uppal's constitutional
rights when they allegedly coerced him into saying he was a terrorist
and had bombs, searched through his belongings and locker, and for a
period of time refused to let him contact his mother.
Zika Infects 5 in Miami Beach, Governor Rick Scott Says
Zika is now spreading in two places in Florida — in Miami Beach as
well as an area north of Miami, Governor Rick Scott confirmed Friday.
Five people have been infected by Zika locally in Miami Beach, Scott said at a news conference.
Florida health officials had earlier denied reports
that Zika was spreading locally in Miami Beach. The local spread —
meaning none of those infected had traveled to Zika-affected regions —
strongly suggests that mosquitoes in the area have become infected with
the virus and are biting people and spreading it.
Click here for the full article.
NY Firefighters Dispatched to Help Battle West Coast Wildfires
A crew of 20 employees and volunteers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are heading to western states to assist in the containment of wildfires burning throughout the West Coast.
“Historically, New Yorkers seek to help whenever and wherever crisis looms and this crew upholds that important tradition by assisting in the control of these devastating wildfires,” Governor Cuomo said. “I commend these individuals for their bravery, and I look forward to their safe return home.”
The Department of Environmental Conservation employees and volunteers deployed will join crews from other states and will be assigned to fires where they are most needed. Earlier this year, the Department of Environmental Conservation sent two additional state forest rangers to assist in fighting western fires.
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “The work of DEC’s firefighting team serves as a great example of how states can work together and share resources during times of adversity. I watched the staging operation this morning to wish our crews a safe and successful trip out west and will welcome the team home with much gratitude for their courageous work.”
The New York team is expected to be active in firefighting for two weeks. All personnel travel and administrative costs for the crew will be paid directly by the U.S. Forest Service or reimbursed to the state.
New York first sent a firefighting crew to assist western states in fighting large wildfires in 1979, and, on average, one or two crews have been sent to assist each year. In addition to helping contain the western wildfires and minimize damage, these crews also gain valuable experience that can be utilized in fighting wildfires in New York.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
More Nursing Homes in Western New York are Receiving Lowest Possible Federal Rating
One in three nursing homes in Western New York received the lowest
possible score in the latest ratings from the federal government, a
marked increase from a year ago.
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services gave a
1-star rating to 26 of the region’s 74 nursing homes. The agency uses a
5-star scale to measure how well nursing homes deliver care to their
residents.
One in five nursing homes in the region received a 1-star rating a year ago.
Statewide, one in five nursing homes received a 1-star rating in the latest ratings.
A Buffalo News analysis of the data found:
The region’s nursing homes, as a group, earned an average overall
star rating of 2.5, compared to 3.11 for all nursing homes in New York
State and 3.16 for all facilities in the nation.
The ratings for 26 nursing homes dropped in the past year: two
facilities by three stars, eight facilities by two stars and 16 by one
star.
Nine area nursing homes received the highest 5-star rating. Four of
them – Harris Hill Nursing Facility in Williamsville, Autumn View
Health Care Facility in Hamburg, Briody Health Care Facility in Lockport
and the New York State Veterans’ Home in Batavia – have held the
highest rating in each of the last three years.
Three of the 26 facilities with a 1-star rating have received the
same score since 2014: Emerald North Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
in Buffalo, Niagara Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Niagara Falls,
and The Pines Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Olean.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Buffalo News
Prisoners’ Voices Blocked and Censorship in U.S. Prisons
By Jaan Laaman
The United States is often called the
country of prisons because we are five percent of the world’s population, but
the U.S. holds 25 percent of all the prisoners in the world. Recently we have
heard talk from the White House and Congress about the need to reduce this huge
prison population, which is costing the taxpayers billions.
Occasionally you might hear a prisoner’s
voice on some media platform, usually a Human Rights or community outlet. These
present words are written by Jaan Laaman. I am a long held political prisoner
presently locked up in the U.S. Penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona. Let me be very
clear, prisoners have a hard time getting our words and thoughts out from
behind America’s many, many prison walls. While prisoners do have a legal right
to express their thoughts and report on issues and abuses, actually getting
your words out is often very hard or impossible.
All incoming and outgoing prisoner
communication, postal mail, phone calls and some restricted email services that
some prison systems allow, are all opened and monitored. This is authorized by
regulations and law. Further censorship and outright blocking of communications
and publications, also routinely occurs in prisons throughout this country.
Letters, magazines and books critical of
government policies and wars are often not delivered, even if official policy
states that prisoners are allowed these materials. Sometimes a prisoner has all
his or her phone or email communications arbitrarily shut off for months. While
an official appeal channel is usually available, these are biased at best and
could easily be labelled a kangaroo court process. Communications would be shut
down for months, even if the prisoner ultimately wins appeal and has his or her
communications restored.
Censoring, restricting and flat out
blocking communications, especially of political prisoners, is a harsh and
dangerous reality going on now, in prisons all across this country. My own
voice, which has previously been heard on radio and in print over many years,
has been almost totally cut off since February. No official explanation has
been given, other than, that prison authorities do not like my commentaries and
essays. Freedom of speech---Freedom of expression, for America’s prisoners is a
constant struggle!
Source: PrisonRadio.org
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Nina Simone on 'Blackness'
This video was published on YouTube on February 29, 2016.
Born
on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone received a
scholarship to study classical piano at the Juilliard School in New York
City, but left early when she ran out of money. She turned her interest
to jazz, blues and folk music and released her first album in 1958. In
the ‘60s, she became identified as the voice of the civil rights and
wrote songs about the movement. She died in France on April 21, 2003.
Source: Same Passage
Baltimore’s Law Department Fires Well-Known neo-Nazi Lawyer
After the Southern Poverty Law Center revealed that Glen Keith Allen, an attorney with neo-Nazi ties,
was hired by the Baltimore City Law Department, the city terminated his
contract. Allen was hired to defend the city in a lawsuit alleging that
police officers withheld and fabricated evidence to wrongfully arrest
and convict an African-American man for a murder he apparently did not
commit. News of Allen’s work with the department comes just one week
after the Department of Justice’s blistering report documenting deep
racial disparities in policing in the city.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center
Donald Trump, Poll Watchers and Voter Fraud
By Richard Cohen
Donald Trump has in recent days raised the specter of massive voter fraud, saying that he could lose in Pennsylvania only if “in certain sections of the state they cheat.” And he’s proposed a remedy: volunteer poll watchers.
It’s a remedy that’s now being trumpeted by white supremacists and far-right conspiracy theorists.
The great irony here is that we have far more to fear from efforts to
combat voter fraud, including the potential for an army of Trump poll
watchers, than we do from any actual voter fraud.
The claim that the integrity of our electoral system is threatened by
people voting more than once, by pretending to be someone else, or by
voting when they are not eligible has been a favorite of right-wing
politicians and pundits in recent years.
As is well known by now, there is virtually no evidence to support the claim. Nonetheless, 15 states
this year will have new voter restrictions in place to combat the
phantom problem, just in time for the presidential election. The total
would have been 17, but federal judges this summer struck down North Carolina’s law – possibly the harshest in the country – and blocked another in North Dakota.
Courts also have ruled against all or parts of voter restriction
laws in Texas, Wisconsin, and Kansas in recent months. But those remain
largely in effect pending further court action.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center
Rare Zika Complication Hits 30 in Puerto Rico; CDC Expects More
Thirty people have been diagnosed with a rare paralyzing condition
caused by Zika virus infection in Puerto Rico, the territory's health
department said Thursday.
And Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
director Dr. Thomas Frieden says he expects even more cases of
Guillain-Barre syndrome in Puerto Rico because the virus is infecting so
much of the population.
"We think there will be as many as 200 additional cases, given the overall number of infections there," Frieden told NBC News.
Click here for the full article.
‘Meant To Be’, by Rabbi Marvin Hier
In an excerpt from 'Meant To Be', the founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its Museum of Tolerance remembers growing up on the Lower East Side.
It has been more than 50 years since I left New York City’s Lower
East Side. But that immigrant neighborhood of crowded tenements,
synagogues, kosher delis, and Yiddish theaters has never left me. The
people and places I first encountered on its bustling streets did not
just form a backdrop to my childhood; they shaped my view of the world
and my place in it. Every decision I’ve made, every project I’ve
undertaken, can be traced back to those endearing characters on Cannon,
Columbia, Grand, Delancey, Essex, and Henry streets.
There was our family dentist, Dr. Celnicker, who cut costs by making
temporary fillings from yesterday’s newspapers. “Moishele,” he said to
me one day as I looked past my scuffed saddle shoes and out the window
to Clinton Street from his reclining dental chair. “Do you want me to
use the sports section, or would you prefer the movie section?”
“I wouldn’t mind Joe DiMaggio’s box score!” I answered.
Across the street, the Syd and Howe Candy Store sold chocolate syrup
that made the best egg creams in the neighborhood. Every Friday, cars
lined up on Houston Street, trunks opened wide, waiting to be filled
with two-gallon glass bottles. One afternoon as I was sipping an egg
cream at the soda fountain, a Chassid barged in waving a bottle
overhead. “It’s just milk and chocolate—it’s kosher, right?”
“Absolutely,” replied Joe the Fountain Man. “Just don’t drink it with a fleishig [meat] kugel.”
Harry the Pickle Man was a fixture of the neighborhood. My buddies
Willie Lehrer, Sheldon Miner, and Seymour Brier and I would sometimes
meet at his stall between Sherriff and Columbia streets, and tussle for
the best positions around Harry’s stout wooden barrel. Convinced that
the bottom of the barrel yielded the most flavorful pickles, every woman
had the same request for Harry, better known by his Yiddish name,
Hershele:
“Please Hershele, zei a zoy gut [be so kind] and give me nor fin hintin [only from the bottom].”
As I watched Hershele submerge each glass jar—and the sleeves of his
heavy wool coat—into the dilled brine, I decided it must be the wool
that gave his pickles their unique flavor.
Some of the great Jewish sages of our generation lived on the Lower
East Side. Strolling down East Broadway, you might overhear your
neighbor offering, “A gutten tag, Rebbe” (Have a good
day, rabbi) to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, the world-renowned Lithuanian
rabbi and scholar. Or you might see a young mother waiting outside the
famous Boyaner Rebbe’s shul to beseech him to say a special prayer for
her sick child.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Tablet Magazine
Cuomo Signs Legislation Authorizing Teens to Make Organ Donations
Governor Andrew Cuomo today signed legislation (S.5313-A/A.4990-B) authorizing sixteen and seventeen years olds to make organ donations upon their death. The legislation includes appropriate safeguards that enable parents or legal guardians to rescind the decision if the minor dies before age 18.
"With thousands of New Yorkers still waiting for the gift of life, we continue to focus on making organ and tissue donations available to all those in need," Governor Cuomo said. "By authorizing 16 and 17 year olds to make the selfless decision to become an organ donor, we take another significant step to grow the state's Donate Life registry and create opportunities to save lives."
Current law provides that the minimum age to make an anatomical gift in New York State is 18. As such, New Yorkers who apply for a learner's permit at age 16 or 17 cannot register for the New York State Donate Life Registry. By allowing 16 and 17 year olds to register, New York is opening up the registry to an entirely new population which will subsequently increase donation rates.
Senator Kemp Hannon said, "I want to thank Governor Cuomo for signing this important legislation into law and ensuring that 16 and 17 year olds throughout this state are able to take the heroic step of becoming organ donors. Right now, there are so many New Yorkers in need of this lifesaving gift and this law plays an important role in expanding New York State's Donate Life Registry so ill New Yorkers can be connected with the organs they so desperately need."
Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix W. Ortiz said, "Many young adults would like to be able to become an organ and tissue donor. This law will allow New Yorkers 16 years and older to enroll in New York's Donate Life Registry. Parents will, of course, still be able to provide final authorization. New York is in the midst of a public health crisis where the need for organs for transplant far exceeds the supply. The state can now reach out to more people and do a better job to promote organ donation. One single organ donor can save the lives of 8 people. I am pleased that this will now become state law."
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
President Obama to Travel to China and Laos
President Obama will travel to China and Laos September 2-9, 2016. This trip will highlight the President’s ongoing commitment to the G-20 as the
premier forum for international economic cooperation as well as the U.S. Rebalance to Asia and the Pacific.
In
China, the President will participate in his final G-20 Leaders’
Summit, where he will emphasize the need to continue building on the
progress
made since 2009 in advancing strong, sustainable, and balanced global
economic growth. He will underscore the importance of G-20 cooperation
in promoting a level playing field and broad-based economic
opportunity. The President will also conduct in-depth
meetings with President Xi Jinping of China in Hangzhou, where the two
leaders will discuss a wide-range of global, regional, and bilateral
issues.
President
Obama will be the first U.S. president to visit Laos, where he will
participate in the U.S.-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit.
Additionally,
he will have bilateral meetings with President Bounnhang Vorachith and
other key officials to advance U.S.-Lao cooperation on economic,
development, and people-to-people ties, among other areas. The President
also will participate in the Young Southeast Asian
Leadership Initiative Summit, where he will hold a town hall meeting.
During the ASEAN Summit, the President will discuss ways to strengthen
our economic cooperation with the countries of Southeast Asia, which
collectively represent America’s fourth largest
trading partner and further enhance our collaboration on regional and
global challenges. At the East Asia Summit, the President will
coordinate with the region’s leaders on efforts to advance a rules-based
international order.
This
visit also will support the President’s efforts to expand opportunities
for American businesses and workers to sell their products in some of
the world’s fastest-growing markets. Central to this effort is the
Trans-Pacific Partnership, the high-standards trade agreement that will
unlock key markets to American exports and cement America’s economic
leadership in the Asia-Pacific.
This is the President's eleventh trip to Asia since taking office in 2009.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Progressive Issues in Campaign 2016
Demos Action President Heather McGhee discusses how progressive issues are playing out in campaign 2016.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
The Republican Party and Climate Change
Former Representative Bob Inglis (R-SC), who has embraced the concept of
global warming, discusses why he believes his fellow Republicans should
work with Democrats on efforts to reduce climate change.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Printed Biblical Verses Is A No-No To Have On Your Military Desk
Marine Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling
By Ryan Velez
In a decision called “ridiculous” by
her representative, a Marine has lost her federal appeal after being
court-martialed for refusing to take down biblical verses from her desk,
reports The Daily Mail.
Marine Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling
lost a 2014 court-martial at her base in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina,
largely after her refusal to remove said verses. While she challenged
this action in federal court, on Wednesday, she was told that she had
lost after it was ruled that the order was not a “substantial burden” on
her First Amendment rights.
“We reject the argument that every
interference with a religiously motivated act constitutes a substantial
burden on the exercise of religion,” said the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Armed Forces, the highest military court, in a 4-1 decision.
“In this case, the record does not
clearly address whether (Sterling’s) conduct was based on a ‘sincerely
held religious belief’ or motivated by animosity toward her chain of
command,” it added. “Military orders are presumed to be lawful and are
disobeyed at the subordinate’s peril.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: AllChristianNews.com (via Your Black World News)
Can Christian Colleges/Universities And The LGBTQ Community Work Together?
By Victor Ochieng
Christian colleges and universities
outline specific policies that they believe provide the foundation for
their respective educational missions. Some of these schools strongly
oppose same-s*x romantic relationships. There are some private religious
academic institutions allowed to enforce their unique policies, some of
which include not employing gay or lesbian teachers. In some cases,
these schools refuse to provide housing for students in same-s*x
relationships.
Ironically, many of these private academic institutions accept tuition fees from government loans and
grants. This has led many critics, including some human rights groups
to claim that the government is supporting discrimination in the name of
religion, with some saying that by providing loans and grants to
students in these institutions, the government is subsidizing
discrimination.
Because of such policies, students
whose beliefs that contradict those of their schools go through painful
experiences. In fact, it pushes some of them to consider transferring to
other academic institutions or even reconsider their religious belief,
their future, or relationships. Fear of being reprimanded by the
administration forces some not to openly talk about their s*xual
orientation or beliefs.
Click here for the full article.
Source: AllChristianNews.com (via Your Black World News)