This video was published on YouTube on September 3, 2013.
Source: Relax. It's on YouTube.
Friday, April 20, 2018
'Flashback Friday': General Wesley Clark Reveals US Plan to Attack 7 Countries in 5 Years (2007)
This video was published on YouTube on September 3, 2013.
Source: Relax. It's on YouTube.
Former President George H.W. Bush Greets Mourners
Former President George H.W. Bush greets mourners at Saint Martin's
Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, where his wife, former first lady
Barbara Bush, lies in repose. Mrs. Bush died April 17 at age 92.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Police Militarization and State Surveillance
Author Chris Coyne discusses his book, Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of U.S. Militarism.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Hillary Clinton on Election Night: ‘They Were Never Going to Let Me Be President’
A new book from Amy Chozick has revelations and rumors about a doomed campaign.
By Gideon Resnick
By Gideon Resnick
“No one in modern politics, male or female, has had to withstand more
indignities, setbacks and cynicism. She developed protective armor that
made the real Hillary Clinton an enigma. But if she was guarded about
her feelings and opinions, she believed it was in careful pursuit of
a dream for generations of Americans: the election of the country’s
first woman president.”
That would have been the nut graf of The New York Times
story about Hillary Clinton’s historic victory that would have run
under the headline “Madam President” spread across six front-page
columns, according to reporter Amy Chozick’s new book, Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling.
Chozick
writes that the Clinton campaign, which she covered from the beginning,
had reacted furiously to the prospect of a Joe Biden run, as floated
first in an August 2015 Maureen Dowd Times column and then in a
reported story by Chozick. In the book, she writes that “Biden had
confided (off the record) to the White House press corps that he wanted
to run, but he added something like ‘You guys don’t understand these
people. The Clintons will try to destroy me.’”
Throughout the
book, Chozick refers to her fellow journalists in the small pool that
flew on the campaign plane as “Travelers,” while referring to many
Clinton staffers collectively as “The Guys.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
How IBM Is Quietly Pushing Out Aging Workers
by Ranjani Chakraborty and Ariana Tobin
Last month, we reported that over the past five years, IBM has targeted its older U.S. employees for layoffs. The numbers are staggering: Since 2013, we estimated IBM eliminated more than 20,000 American employees ages 40 and over. We’ve collected the stories of over 1,400 former IBM employees and learned about their experiences during these job cuts. So exactly how does one of the country’s largest tech giants quietly push out this many older workers? Don’t we have laws to protect people at the end of their careers?
Click here for the full article.
Source: ProPublica
Investigation Confirms Black Mothers and Babies in the U.S. Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis
This report was broadcast on April 19.
Source: Democracy Now!
Federal Civil Rights Prosecutors Recommend Charges for NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the Killing of Eric Garner
Click here for the article.
Source: The New York Daily News
Rev. Al Sharpton, National Action Network Call Upon
AG Sessions to Pursue Civil Rights Charges Against Pantaleo
AG Sessions to Pursue Civil Rights Charges Against Pantaleo
New York, NY (April 20, 2018) - - - Rev. Al Sharpton and National Action Network (NAN) are cautiously hopeful that federal civil rights prosecutors have recommended charges against New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo for the killing of Eric Garner and are calling upon Attorney General Jeff Sessions to follow the recommendations.
Rev. Sharpton and the National Action Network (NAN) have crusaded on behalf of the family of the
unarmed Eric Garner since his death by chokehold
in 2014 and have called for the Department of Justice to charge NYPD
officer Daniel Pantaleo with civil rights charges.
Rev. Al Sharpton will discuss this further on the final day of NAN’s convention on April 21 during NAN’s live broadcast, which will be livestreamed
at www.nationalactionnetwork.net.
Source: Mercury
David Buckel: Dying So Others Will Live
"Future Hope" Column
By Ted Glick
“I’ve no doubt he wanted his actions viewed optimistically. He wanted this to be viewed as a positive act of love for the planet. I have no doubt in his mind he believed what he was doing was a way to effect positive change.”
- Marisa DeDominicis, executive director of Earth Matter NY, on the self immolation death of David Buckel, quoted from The Guardian
On April 14th David Buckel, who I’ve never met or even heard of, took his life as a protest against climate disruption and environmental degradation caused by fossil fuels. In an email to the NY Times right before he set himself on fire, he said: “Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result – my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.”
According to news sources, he was passionate about the environment. In his last years he worked effectively to develop a composting project at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Prior to that he had a long history of fighting for causes he believed in. He was a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society and Lambda Legal, and he helped to win important legal victories for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
As far as I know, this is the first death of a U.S. American by self immolation since the deaths of five people during the 1960’s in protest of the Vietnam war—Alice Herz, Norman Morrison, Roger Allen LaPorte, Florence Beaumont and Ronald Brazee.
I hope there are no more self immolation deaths. It is not a tactic I would ever suggest to anyone or encourage them to consider.
However, I fully understand why, in the world we are living in today, someone who gets it on what is happening to our severely wounded planet, its people and all of its life forms, and who wants to do something about it, would consider it.
I’ve never considered self-immolation, but more than once I’ve taken action that involved the risk of serious injury or even death. For example, in 1972, I took part in what became a 40-day, water-only hunger strike to try to stop the Vietnam War.
Click here for the full article.
Source: tedglick.com
New York Implements Measures to Protect Children from Sex Traffcking
A
multi-prong effort has been launched to further protect children from
sex trafficking, including legislation to strengthen prosecutors'
ability to seek justice on behalf of child sex trafficking victims.
While federal law recognizes no child willingly becomes a prostitute,
New York law requires prosecutors to prove force, fraud or coercion was
used to make a child participate in prostitution. Frequently, the only
way to do this is through the testimony of the child victims sought to
be protected. The Governor's legislation would effectively remove this
requirement, and give prosecutors the ability to seek proper justice for
these victims without the need to put them through the trauma of
appearing in court.
"This is nothing short of a modern day slave trade that preys on children and the most vulnerable among us and it must be shut down once and for all in New York and beyond," Governor Cuomo said. "These reforms will close dangerous loopholes in the law that allow these human misery agents go free and will give law enforcement more tools to help protect victims and bring human traffickers to justice."
Aside from the fact that the idea of children being able to consent to prostitution contradicts other aspects of the law protecting children from sex crimes, the requirement to prove force, fraud or coercion creates a number of problems for prosecutors seeking to convict child sex traffickers. Often times, meeting this standard requires victims to testify against their trafficker which can lead to additional trauma for an already-traumatized victim.
Further, these victims are frequently convinced that they are in a loving relationship with their trafficker, leading to their refusal to testify or their provision of testimony that they engaged in prostitution out of love and not because of force, fraud or coercion. In these cases, this can result in downgraded charges with lesser sentences than those penalties associated with sex trafficking and the child may then return to the trafficker for the abuse to continue. This program bill adopts legislation previously advanced by Senator Andrew Lanza and Assembly Member Amy Paulin.
As part of this administration's ongoing commitment to these efforts, the Governor has worked with the Legislature to pass new laws and introduced several initiatives to help prevent, identify, and address sex trafficking and forced prostitution in New York State. These measures include legislation that has been enacted to protect the privacy of survivors by sealing records from future employers, providing mechanisms for survivors to vacate past prostitution related convictions by creating an affirmative defense for survivors who were compelled into prostitution, and the creation of improved guidance for police departments and sheriff's offices to follow in cases involving human trafficking.
"This is nothing short of a modern day slave trade that preys on children and the most vulnerable among us and it must be shut down once and for all in New York and beyond," Governor Cuomo said. "These reforms will close dangerous loopholes in the law that allow these human misery agents go free and will give law enforcement more tools to help protect victims and bring human traffickers to justice."
Aside from the fact that the idea of children being able to consent to prostitution contradicts other aspects of the law protecting children from sex crimes, the requirement to prove force, fraud or coercion creates a number of problems for prosecutors seeking to convict child sex traffickers. Often times, meeting this standard requires victims to testify against their trafficker which can lead to additional trauma for an already-traumatized victim.
Further, these victims are frequently convinced that they are in a loving relationship with their trafficker, leading to their refusal to testify or their provision of testimony that they engaged in prostitution out of love and not because of force, fraud or coercion. In these cases, this can result in downgraded charges with lesser sentences than those penalties associated with sex trafficking and the child may then return to the trafficker for the abuse to continue. This program bill adopts legislation previously advanced by Senator Andrew Lanza and Assembly Member Amy Paulin.
As part of this administration's ongoing commitment to these efforts, the Governor has worked with the Legislature to pass new laws and introduced several initiatives to help prevent, identify, and address sex trafficking and forced prostitution in New York State. These measures include legislation that has been enacted to protect the privacy of survivors by sealing records from future employers, providing mechanisms for survivors to vacate past prostitution related convictions by creating an affirmative defense for survivors who were compelled into prostitution, and the creation of improved guidance for police departments and sheriff's offices to follow in cases involving human trafficking.
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Cardi B Inspires GGE’s April #MOOD
The following statement was submitted by Girls for Gender Equity (GGE).
When Cardi B took to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival stage,
pregnant and feisty, tongue out and twerking, she lived in her whole
truth. A screen behind the popular rapper revealed the homemade videos
that propelled her into stardom.
From Instagram to Cosmopolitan, Cardi B creates space for herself and for women who defy respectability politics. She has defended the legitimacy of sex work -- stripping in particular -- condemned sexual abuse in the music industry, and applauded the ‘me too.’ movement. This April, as we recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we celebrate our fight to be unabashed, unpoliced, unharmed, and unstoppable.
From Instagram to Cosmopolitan, Cardi B creates space for herself and for women who defy respectability politics. She has defended the legitimacy of sex work -- stripping in particular -- condemned sexual abuse in the music industry, and applauded the ‘me too.’ movement. This April, as we recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we celebrate our fight to be unabashed, unpoliced, unharmed, and unstoppable.
Click here to access the GGE newsletter.
Arlington National Cemetery: Major Development in the Wake of 'From The G-Man' Report
On January 29, 2018, From The G-Man published a special report on Joan Flowers and her nearly 25-year effort to have her father's remains transferred
from an unmarked grave in Chicago to Arlington National Cemetery.
On March 8, C-SPAN reported the following: "Arlington National Cemetery Superintendent Katharine Kelley, Army National Military Cemeteries Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera, and veterans service organization leaders testified before a House Armed Services subcommittee on the future of Arlington National Cemetery. They assessed the current eligibility criteria for burial and potential expansion at the military cemetery. Superintendent Kelley said if no changes are made at Arlington National Cemetery, it would run out of space by the early 2040s."
Click here for video of the hearing.
On March 8, C-SPAN reported the following: "Arlington National Cemetery Superintendent Katharine Kelley, Army National Military Cemeteries Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera, and veterans service organization leaders testified before a House Armed Services subcommittee on the future of Arlington National Cemetery. They assessed the current eligibility criteria for burial and potential expansion at the military cemetery. Superintendent Kelley said if no changes are made at Arlington National Cemetery, it would run out of space by the early 2040s."
Click here for video of the hearing.
SPLC Lawsuit: Private Prison Company Uses Forced Labor to Boost Profits
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed suit this week against a private prison company that's
maximizing profits by forcing detained immigrants to work for as little
as $1 a day. Immigrants who refuse to clean, cook and maintain the
detention center are threatened with solitary confinement and the loss
of food, clothing, toilet paper and phone calls to loved ones – items
they must purchase with their "earnings."
Click here for the full article.
Source: SPLC
North Korea Talks: Koreas Install a First Telephone Hotline Between Leaders
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Syria: Anti-Government Forces Give Up the Strategic Town of Dumayr in the Outskirts of Damascus
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Governor Cuomo Signs Middle Class Recovery Act
This video was published on YouTube on April 19.
Source: NYGovCuomo
Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange Says It Will Not Comply with New York Inquiry
By Evelyn Cheng
The head of a major cryptocurrency exchange will not comply with the New York attorney general's request for information.
"The resource diversion for this
production is massive. This is going to completely blow up our roadmap!"
Kraken co-founder and CEO Jesse Powell said Wednesday on Twitter.
"Then I realized we made
the wise decision to get the hell out of New York three years ago and
that we can dodge this bullet," Powell said. "Ordinarily, we're happy to
help government understand our business, however, this is not the way
to go about it."
Click here for the full article.
Source: CNBC (via Empire Report New York)
Upstate NY Farmer Says ICE Officers Stormed His Farm Without a Warrant, Cuffed Him, Threw His Phone
This video was published on YouTube on April 19.
John Collins was standing outside the milk house at his dairy farm this
morning when he heard yelling coming from inside. He ran in, he says,
and saw his worker, Marcial de Leon Aguilar, pinned up against the
window by armed men. Video provided by Lillian Wheeler.
Source: Syracuse.com
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Special Counsel Protection Bill Markup Delayed Until Next Week
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s plan to mark up the Special Counsel
Independence and Integrity Act, which is aimed at protecting Special
Counsel Robert Mueller and his probe into Russian interference in the
2016 election, is pushed back by a week.
Democrats Won't Back Farm Bill, Leader Pelosi Says
During her weekly briefing at the U.S. Capitol, House Democratic Leader
Nancy Pelosi says Democrats cannot support the Farm Bill reported out of
the Agriculture Committee on a 26-20 party-line vote Wednesday, in part
because of the SNAP changes.
Saving Our Youth: 'The Big Gang Theory' with Danya Perry
This video was published on YouTube on October 23, 2017.
Youth gang involvement and anti-social behavior has a devastating impact
on our families and communities at-large. However, the enormity of the
problem and fear of these "big, bad gangs" should not preclude our
efforts to find a solution. The solution - well, it's as simple as
looking into the mirror.
Danya Perry currently serves in the capacity of
Vice President of Youth Development for Communities In Schools of NC
and has served as a youth / education advocate for the past 20 years. In
this capacity, Perry has spearheaded statewide initiatives aimed at
school violence prevention, focusing specifically on bullying and gang
prevention / intervention.
Source: TEDx Talks
Trailblazers in Black History: William Grant Still
This video was published on YouTube on November 13, 2017.
Source: TheWascos1
Power in Puerto Rico Largely Restored After Islandwide Blackout
by Daniella Silva
Power was restored to more than a million customers in Puerto Rico on Thursday — a day after an islandwide blackout crippled the U.S. territory seven months after the devastation of Hurricane Maria.
More than 1.1 million customers had electricity as of 7 a.m. Thursday morning, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority said on Twitter.
Governor Cuomo Announces Deployment
of Resources and Support for Puerto Rico
of Resources and Support for Puerto Rico
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
No Criminal Charges in Prince's Overdose Death, Prosecutor Announces
by Daniella Silva
No criminal charges were filed in music legend Prince's drug overdose death in 2016, a Minnesota prosecutor announced Thursday, saying the artist died after consuming counterfeit Vicodin pills laced with the powerful painkiller fentanyl.
"Prince
had no idea he was taking a counterfeit pill that could kill him,"
Carver County Attorney Mark Metz said in a news conference in Chaska,
Minn., early Thursday afternoon.
Despite an intensive law
enforcement investigation, "there is no reliable evidence showing how
Prince obtained the counterfeit Vicodin laced with fentanyl" or who was
involved in him procuring those pills, Metz said.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
'We'd Never Be Able to Smuggle the Migrants Without the Help of the Authorities'
Source: FRANCE 24 English
North Korea Talks: Donald Trump Setting the Stage and Terms of What Could Be a Historic Summit
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Eye on Africa: Violence in DR Congo's Ituri Province Forces Thousands to Live in Camps
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Macron Faces Spreading Anger of Students, Railworkers as Protests Continue
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Assemblyman Michael Blake's Statement on Injunction Regarding NYCHA Lead Inspections
The following statement was issued on April 18 by New York State Assembly Member Michael Blake, who represents District 79.
For the people living in NYCHA apartments, justice was served yesterday.
I
applaud Manhattan Judge Carol R. Edmead of the State Supreme Court for
her decisiveness in issuing a preliminary injunction ordering the New
York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to perform lead inspections in
apartments 400,000 New Yorkers call home. This injunction requires NYCHA
to inspect thousands of apartments within 90 days. Those apartments were originally supposed to be inspected for lead from 2013-2016. The injunction comes after it was discovered
that some NYCHA staff falsified federal government-required lead paint
paperwork during the three-year time period and reported that
inspections had occurred, when in fact, they had not.
When I think about the tenants in the Melrose Houses who are still waiting on answers for weeks on whether their development is lead-free, it is unconscionable and just disrespectful. This decision by Judge Edmead will help provide justice.
I
applaud Danny Barber, my friend, constituent and President of the
Citywide Council of Presidents. Mr. Barber’s leadership demonstrates the
power of activism and resistance to injustice.
I
applaud the tenant leaders and NYCHA residents who have bravely
committed to fighting for their rights by filing a lawsuit against NYCHA
to ensure safety, health and improvement for families who deserve equal treatment.
My
commitment to advocating for NYCHA residents is unwavering. My team
works daily to advocate for improvement in living conditions for those
who dwell in unsafe and often dangerous apartments. An inhumane and
unconscionable 80 percent of NYCHA residents were without heat or hot
water at some point in 2017. The continued health, social, mental and
emotional challenges resulting from living in conditions with mold,
water leaks, rats and insufficient security must come to an end. NYCHA
must be held accountable.
This
action is a positive step forward, and, we will continue to advocate
for each and every woman, man and child who lives in NYCHA. We will not
stop until every New Yorker is afforded the rights, protection and
housing equality that they deserve. Housing justice should know no zip
code or skin color. Everyone is entitled to a safe place to rest at
night and a safe place to raise their families. #BuildingABetterBronx
includes ensuring a safer, cleaner and rehabilitated New York City
Housing Authority.
New York Cares: Free Statewide Naloxone Training Sessions
The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) today announced that it will conduct a series of free naloxone training sessions to be held across the state. The trainings are supported by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. During the sessions, participants will learn how to recognize, respond to, and reverse an opioid overdose using naloxone.
“Individuals and families who experience the tragedy of an overdose can save lives by being trained and prepared,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Co-Chair of the Heroin and Opioid Task Force. “These naloxone training sessions are vital for people to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose. As someone who has been trained to administer naloxone, it's a simple process but has the potential to save a life. That's why I encourage people to take advantage of these opportunities to learn the proper protocol. We are ensuring New Yorkers have the resources and education they need to prevent another loss from the opioid epidemic."
“Naloxone has helped thousands of people across New York State, and these trainings are an important way that we can help more people learn how to use this medication,” OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said. “With events like this, we are giving people the tools they need to save lives and make a difference in their communities.”
The dates, times, and locations of each training session are listed below:
Erie County
April 30, 6:00pm: Amherst Senior Center: 370 JJ Audubon Parkway, Amherst NY 14228 (Contact Cathy Sommer at (716) 636-3055 x3106 to register)
Greene County
May 2, 6:00pm: Catskill Public Library: 1 Franklin Street, Catskill, NY 12414 (Contact the library at (518) 943-4230 to register)
May 16, 6:00pm: Catskill Public Library: 1 Franklin Street, Catskill, NY 12414 (Contact the library at (518) 943-4230 to register)
May 16, 8:15pm: Windham Civic Center: 5379 NY 23, Windham, NY 12496 (Contact Jonathan Gross at (914) 523-3766 to register)
May 19, 11:00am: Cornell Hook & Ladder Company: 77 Gill Road, New Baltimore, NY 12124 (Contact the fire company by email at nbcommunityoutreach@gmail.
Niagara County
April 19, 12:45pm: Niagara University: 5795 Lewiston Road, Niagara University NY 14109 (Contact Myrla Gibbons-Doxey at (716) 439-7527 to register)
April 19, 3:00pm: Niagara Falls Housing Authority: 3001 9th Street, Niagara Falls NY 14301 (Contact Myrla Gibbons-Doxey at (716) 439-7527 to register)
April 19, 7:00pm: Wilson Fire Hall: 250 Young Street, Wilson NY 14172 (Contact Myrla Gibbons-Doxey at (716) 439-7527 to register)
Orange County
April 24, 3:00pm & 6:00pm: Town of New Windsor Town Hall Complex: 555 Union Avenue, New Windsor, NY 12553 (Contact Colin Schmitt at (845) 563-8800 to register)
April 25, 4:00pm & 6:00pm: Cornwall Public Library: 395 Hudson Street, Cornwall NY 12518 (Contact Cornwall Library at (845) 534-8282
April 30, 7:00pm: Cronomer Valley Fire Department: 296 Plank Road, Newburgh NY 12550 (Contact Juan Moreno at (845) 647-5513 to register)
OASAS is also seeking partners for similar training events in other areas. Communities and organizations looking to arrange additional trainings can email OpioidSTR.General@oasas.
New Yorkers are encouraged to carry naloxone to help when someone is experiencing an overdose. Under the New York State Department of Health’s Naloxone Co-payment Assistance Program (N-CAP), individuals can access low-cost or no-cost naloxone at pharmacies across the state. At participating pharmacies, individuals with prescription coverage as part of their health insurance plan can receive up to $40 in co-payment assistance for the purchase of this lifesaving drug. Most pharmacies have standing orders to distribute naloxone to individuals at risk of an overdose, or their families, without a prescription. Uninsured individuals and individuals without prescription coverage can also receive naloxone at no cost through New York's network of registered opioid overdose prevention programs.
New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).
Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, community residence, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.
Visit CombatAddiction.ny.gov to learn more about the warning signs of addiction, review information on how to get help, and access resources on how to facilitate conversations with loved ones and communities about addiction. For tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing alcohol or drug use, visit the State’s Talk2Prevent website.
Source: OASAS
The Arts Contribute More Than $114 Billion to New York State Economy
New York, NY – New York State’s arts
and cultural industries generate $114.1 billion to the state economy,
employ 462,584, and award $46.7 billion in compensation, according to
new data released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
Produced by the NEA and BEA, the Arts
and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA) quantifies New York’s
role as a national leader in economic output through the arts. Of the
total $760 billion generated by the arts nationwide, New York’s $114.1
billion accounts for 15 percent. At the state level, the cultural sector
accounts for 7.8% of the value added to the state’s economy – more than retail, construction or transportation. New York ranks second among all states in arts and cultural value added to the economy and in arts and cultural employment.
With the support of Governor Cuomo,
the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) cultivates the state’s
thriving creative economy through 15 grant programs and the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative.
In 2018, NYSCA awarded $41M through direct grants and regrants to 2,400
organizations and artists across New York State. This funding included
$5M in dedicated REDC support to initiatives that drive economy through
the arts.
New York’s top ACPSA industry by value
added is motion pictures, which alone contributes $28.15 billion to the
state economy. Among top ACPSA core industries – originators of ideas
and content associated with the creation of arts and culture – are
performing arts companies ($3.8 billion) and independent artists,
writers, and performers ($3.2 billion). These figures reflect New York’s
value on creativity as a pillar of both identity and economy and the
state’s role as home to Academy Award-winning films; world-class
theatre, museums, music and dance; and hundreds of thousands of artists.
To support New York State’s top
creative industries, in 2018, NYSCA awarded $2M through the
agency's Electronic Media & Film Program, $3M through its Theatre
Program, and $1.35M through its Individual Artists Program. An
additional $750,000 through its State & Local Partnership Program
supported the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship.
NYSCA funding has also supported the
creation of new works by Pulitzer Prize, Academy Award, Tony Award and
MacArthur Award winners whose successes continue to grow New York as a
global cultural center.
NYSCA support strengthens New York
State’s creative culture and fulfills a critical role in New York
communities in all 62 State counties. The agency advances cultural
organizations and artists of all disciplines and spurs the creation of
workforce investment programs and public arts events that further grow
New York’s economy, stimulate tourism and benefit local businesses.
Source: The New York State Council on the Arts
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Cuomo Executive Order Restores Voting Rights to New Yorkers on Parole
Governor Andrew Cuomo today signed an executive order to restore voting rights to individuals on parole. This reform will restore the right to vote upon release from incarceration and reverse disenfranchisement for thousands of New Yorkers. Parole voting restrictions have a disproportionate impact on New Yorkers of color, with African Americans and Hispanic New Yorkers comprising 71 percent of the population so disenfranchised. Civic engagement is linked to reduced recidivism and this action will promote access to the democratic process and improve public safety for all New Yorkers. The executive order is available here.
"I am issuing an executive order giving parolees the right to vote. It is unconscionable to deny voting rights to New Yorkers who have paid their debt and have re-entered society," Governor Cuomo said. "This reform will reduce disenfranchisement and will help restore justice and fairness to our democratic process. Withholding or delaying voting rights diminishes our democracy."
This executive action will reverse New York's current disenfranchisement of individuals released from prison who are under post-release community supervision. New York joins fourteen other states and the District of Columbia that restore the right to vote upon release from incarceration. There are roughly 35,000 individuals currently on parole in New York who cannot vote. These individuals are participants in society at large, despite the limitations placed on them by parole conditions. They work, pay taxes, and support their families, and they should be permitted to express their opinions about the choices facing their communities through their votes, just as all citizens do.
Additionally, the current law keeping people on parole supervision from voting is internally inconsistent with New York's approach to voting for people serving sentences of probation. People on probation never lose the right to vote, but many county election officials are unclear about the distinction between those on parole and those on probation, often resulting in illegal disenfranchisement. A 2006 Brennan Center study reported that one-third of all New York counties incorrectly barred people on probation from registering to vote, while another third of all counties illegally made individuals show proof of their voter eligibility status.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
WISDOM to Sen. Nass and Rep. Ballweg: 'Hold a Committee Hearing on DOC Rule 302'
Senator Stephen Nass and Assembly Rep Joan Ballweg
The following statement was submitted on April 16 by David Liners, Executive Director of WISDOM.
The
Department of Corrections (DOC) is proposing to change its internal
rule, DOC Rule 302, that governs classification and movement of people
in prisons. By law, they had to take public comment on the rule, and
many WISDOM people offered written and verbal comments, calling for some
common sense changes that would help parole-eligible people and people
eligible for "compassionate release."
The DOC ignored the comments and basically made their new rules harder for those people.
When the Administration tries to change rules, they are overseen by the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules. It is the only body the DOC is accountable to, other than the Governor. But, if the Co-Chairs, one from the Assembly, and one from the Senate, decline to look at the rule or to hold hearings, the new rules automatically become official policy: they are, essentially, the law.
The Co-Chairs of the Committee have chosen so far to ignore DOC Rule 302, and if they do nothing, it will become law on April 28.
We need to ask Assembly Representative Joan Ballweg and Senator Stephen Nass to hold a Committee hearing on DOC Rule 302.
All you need to do is click here and here and ask them to hold a hearing on Chapter 302 of the Administrative Code before April 28.
The DOC ignored the comments and basically made their new rules harder for those people.
When the Administration tries to change rules, they are overseen by the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules. It is the only body the DOC is accountable to, other than the Governor. But, if the Co-Chairs, one from the Assembly, and one from the Senate, decline to look at the rule or to hold hearings, the new rules automatically become official policy: they are, essentially, the law.
The Co-Chairs of the Committee have chosen so far to ignore DOC Rule 302, and if they do nothing, it will become law on April 28.
We need to ask Assembly Representative Joan Ballweg and Senator Stephen Nass to hold a Committee hearing on DOC Rule 302.
All you need to do is click here and here and ask them to hold a hearing on Chapter 302 of the Administrative Code before April 28.
Thank you!
Note: On April 16, From The G-Man invited Senator Stephen Nass and Rep. Joan Ballweg to discuss this issue and respond to the claims made by Mr. Liners. They did not respond
The Company Michael Cohen Kept — 'Trump, Inc.' Podcast
Long before Donald Trump’s attorney paid Stormy Daniels or had his office raided by the FBI, a pattern was established: The associates of Michael Cohen have often been disciplined, disbarred, accused or convicted of crimes.
Sources: ProPublica and WNYC
Unarmed Black Man Killed In ‘Mind-Boggling,’ Unjustified Barrage Of Police Gunfire: Lawyer
A lawyer representing relatives of an unarmed black man killed in a hail of police bullets in a California Walmart parking lot accuses officers of profiling, stalking and unjustifiably shooting him.
Diante “Butchie” Yarber, 26, who had been driving his cousin and friends to a Walmart in Barstow, died when police fired what witnesses told The Guardian sounded like more than 30 bullets. A passenger was seriously wounded.
“They saw a car full of black people sitting in front of a Walmart, and they decided that was suspicious,” Lee Merritt, an attorney representing Yarber’s family, told the paper. “They just began pouring bullets … It’s irresponsible. It’s dangerous. It’s mind-boggling, the use of force.” He said Yarber was hit “an estimated two dozen times.”
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said Barstow officers opened fire after the driver of a black Mustang, wanted for questioning in a recent crime involving a stolen vehicle, suddenly reversed in a getaway attempt, crashed into two patrol cars and “accelerated toward the officers.” Police had been sent to the Walmart lot to investigate “a call of a suspicious vehicle,” the sheriff said in a statement.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Huffington Post
'She Has Nerves Of Steel'; Pilot Safely Lands Jet With Blown Out Engine
This video was published on YouTube on April 17.
Passengers on a Southwest Airlines jet that blew an engine at 32,000
feet are commending one of its pilots, Tammie Jo Shults, for her
cool-headed handling of the emergency.
Source: CBSDFW
Rep. Steve Russell Discusses Congress' Role in the Syria Conflict
Representative Russell (R-OK) talked about the need for a congressional vote on a new Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in the Syria conflict.
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