Friday, September 27, 2019

$2 Burgers in Harlem: Mo Robinson Jr., Street Food Icon


This video was published on YouTube on September 26. 

Munchies: Mo’s Burgers in Harlem is a neighborhood staple. Mo Robinson Jr. has been serving the greater Harlem community for over 30 years, whipping up burgers, hot dogs, sausages, and punch right outside the barbershop that he owns. Everyone in the neighborhood knows Mo, and as one customer said, he's like a "mayor of Harlem."

Camp Hollywood 2019: Advanced Mix & Match National Jitterbug Championships, Final Spotlights


This video was published on YouTube on September 8, 2019. 

Taken at Camp Hollywood and the National Jitterbug Championships over Labor Day weekend. 

Video by Brett Dahlenburg

9 Reasons the Military Changed My Life


This video was published on YouTube on September 2, 2019. 

Source: Military Journeyman

Happy Rosh Hashanah: A Song for the New Year


Sung by Communities Around the World #5780

Source: 92nd Street Y

Lexie Alford: Life Lessons from the Youngest Person to Travel to Every Country


TEDx Talks: Do you know how many countries there are in the world? 21-year-old Lexie does because she took on the adventure to visit them all. She broke the Guinness World Record for the youngest person to travel to every country in the world. To give this achievement some context, more people have been to space than have traveled to all 196 sovereign nations and approximately less than 20 of those people are women. In this TEDx talk, Lexie shares her stories from around the world to inspire others, especially young women, to follow their dreams, to get out of their comfort zone and to stimulate personal growth. 

Click here for additional information. 

Rep. Schiff Says He Will Be ‘Guided by the Evidence’ on Whistleblower Complaint


PBS NewsHour: Rep. Adam Schiff, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said he would be “guided by the evidence” when deciding what next steps to take regarding the Trump whistleblower complaint. Speaking to reporters after a hearing featuring Acting Director of National Intelligence Director Joseph Maguire, Schiff said there is the possibility that Trump committed a crime when he asked the president of Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden and his family.

Pelosi Says Trump Undermined National Security with Ukraine Actions


PBS NewsHour: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump undermined national security when he asked the president of Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden and his family. Speaking to reporters on Sept. 26, Pelosi said the White House engaged in a “cover up” by locking down the information about the call, including the full transcript.

New York State Surplus Vehicle & Equipment Auction Scheduled in Brooklyn


The New York State Office of General Services (OGS) today announced that a surplus vehicle, highway equipment, and miscellaneous property auction has been scheduled in Brooklyn on Wednesday, October 2

The auction, which starts at 9:30 a.m., will be held at the Kingsboro Psychiatric Center, 681 Clarkson Avenue.

For a listing of other New York State auctions to be held throughout the state later this year go to www.nysstore.com.  

For information on specific items and terms of sale, visit www.ogs.ny.gov, email state.surplus@ogs.ny.gov, or call (518) 457-6335.

Source: NYS OGS

Census: US Inequality Grew, Including in Heartland States


Click here for the report.

Source: The New York Times

Statement from Jennifer Jones Austin on U.S. Census
Bureau's Survey of Poverty and Inequality in New York City

Jennifer Jones Austin, a child and family advocate, is Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA).

“Today’s release by the U.S. Census Bureau of local poverty statistics indicates that New York City residents experienced reductions in poverty and increases in median household income from 2017 to 2018. Any reduction in the number of people living in poverty is heartening; yet a cursory look at the data reveals that we are only at the beginning of the journey to economic equity for all New Yorkers.

"As expected, increases in the minimum wage have improved economic conditions for workers of color and across boroughs: Black, Asian, and Latinx residents experienced meaningful increases in median household incomes. Yet Black and Latinx workers incomes are nearly half that of White workers. Moreover, income inequality has not budged, and remains higher than in 2006, prior to the Great Recession. New York state has the highest income inequality in the nation, and New York City’s level exceeds that of the State.

"The progress that has been made is critical, but let us not allow it to define our aspirations. If we are to achieve lasting economic progress for all, we must press on. In many ways, New York City is leading the nation in progressive public policy, but Washington is in need of a dramatic course correction. That is why we at FPWA are working with the City’s congressional delegation to right-side a decade of federal budget austerity, to advance the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit through the Working Families Tax Relief Act, and to increase investments in affordable housing.”

FPWA is an anti-poverty policy and advocacy organization committed to advancing economic opportunity and upward mobility for low-income New Yorkers. Having a prominent New York presence for nearly 100 years, FPWA has long served New York City's social service sector, providing grants to help individuals and families meet their basic needs, and advocating for fair public policies on behalf of people in need and the agencies that serve them. FPWA’s member network of 170 human-service and faith-based organizations reach more than 1.5 million people in New York’s communities each year.

Source: Mercury

The Power of the Pen: S.6532A/A.8228B Signed in New York

Legislation Expedites Party Enrollment Changes
to Make It Easier to Vote in Primary Elections

Governor Andrew Cuomo today signed legislation (S.6532A/A.8228B) expediting party enrollment changes to make it easier for voters to participate in the upcoming primary elections. Until now, changes to party enrollment did not take effect until after the November general election, requiring voters to wait as long as a year for changes to take effect. The new law will remove the October 11 deadline and give voters until February 14 to make changes to party enrollment and still vote in the April presidential and June congressional and state primaries. The change will go into effect immediately.

"While the federal administration continues to look for new ways to disenfranchise voters across the country, in New York we are making monumental changes to break down more barriers to the ballot box and encourage more people to exercise this fundamental right," Governor Cuomo said. "This measure will make it easier for New Yorkers to have their voices heard in presidential, congressional and state primaries, which builds upon the many reforms we've made to strengthen New York's election system and increase voter access once and for all." 

Senator Brian Kavanagh said, "With the change we're enacting today, we're significantly diminishing an obstacle that has prevented many New Yorkers from joining the party of their choice and participating in our primary elections. Having worked to reform our extremely restrictive party enrollment law for about a decade, I'm gratified that we're able to add this voter friendly reform to the many we have already enacted this year to protect and expand the right to vote and bring New York's election laws on par with the best in the country. I thank Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senate Election Committee Chair Zellnor Myrie, Speaker Carl Heastie, and Assembly sponsor Jonathan Jacobson for their leadership, and of course Governor Andrew Cuomo for signing this bill today and continuing to build upon his strong record of reform."

Assembly Member Jonathan Jacobson said, "Voting should be simple and easy. During this year's session, the Legislature passed many significant voting reforms, including early voting. The bill that Governor Cuomo signed today dramatically extends the time for voters to change their party enrollment. Voters can now change their enrollment status up until a mere 10 weeks before the Presidential Primary. I applaud the Governor for signing this bill and continuing to support the expansion of voter rights in New York State."

Changes of enrollment made by voters after February 14 will take effect seven days after the succeeding June primary. 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo 

$500,000 Awarded to Provide Supervised Parental Visits with Children

 
The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance today announced that more than $500,000 in federal funding has been awarded to six organizations to provide supervised visitation services to help noncustodial parents spend more time with their children, and to improve outcomes for children. The funding will be used to support Access and Visitation programs, designed to help separated and divorced families improve parenting skills, reduce conflict and establish or restore an environment to assist parents in fulfilling their responsibility to raise their children.  

“Children raised in healthy, co-parenting families develop better life-coping skills and have a greater chance of success in becoming self-sufficient adults,” said Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Mike Hein. “These Access and Visitation programs provide vital services in a safe setting that can help participants meet their children’s needs, emotionally and financially.”

Services being provided include mediation, counseling, parent education, development of parenting plans, and assistance with monitoring or supervising visits with the children.

Nearly 40 percent of children are born out of wedlock in New York State, with most being raised in single-parent households. The ongoing emotional and financial needs of children in separated families can sometimes be overlooked if parents are in conflict over access to, and visitation with, the children, and over decisions regarding parental roles, including the payment of child support.

Recipients include the following organizations, the areas they serve and the amount of funding they will receive:Rochester Society for the Protection and Care of Children, Monroe County; $115,387; Catholic Charities of Buffalo, Erie, Niagara counties; $87,601; Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country, Clinton, Essex, Franklin counties; $87,291; EAC, Inc., Suffolk County; $87,291; New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, New York City; $87,291; and Family Services, Inc., Dutchess County; $44,395.

Children benefit significantly when they have consistent emotional and financial support from both parents. Through access and visitation program services, separated parents can improve communication and co-parenting skills, increase a noncustodial parent’s time with his or her child, and have a positive influence on a child’s well-being and development.

Source: The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance 

Happening in Harlem: A Free Screening of 'Claudine'

With surprise special guests!

Click on the flier to increase its size. 

Source: ImageNation

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Gov. Cuomo Calls for State Probe Into Alleged Gouverneur Hate Crime


By Diane Rutherford


ALBANY, N.Y. - Governor Andrew Cuomo is weighing in on the alleged hate crime on a Gouverneur school bus.

"I am appalled by the reports of the horrendous, 20-minute racist assault on a 10-year-old African American girl in the town of Gouverneur. That this was allegedly perpetrated by her own classmates, on a school bus with an adult monitor present, makes this incident even more shocking and troubling. When we put our children on the bus to school, we are entrusting others with our most precious resource and this was an egregious and inexcusable violation of that trust," Cuomo said in a news release.

The governor went on to say that he's directing the New York State Division of Human Rights to investigate the incident "and, if applicable, to take legal action to the fullest extent of the law against the perpetrators."

Earlier this week, Gouverneur village police charged two girls, ages 10 and 11, with second-degree harassment. The 11 year old was additionally charged with third-degree assault as a hate crime.

Police received a complaint on September 10 from a parent, who reported her 10 year old daughter was on a school bus when she was beaten and subjected to racially motivated language.

Click here for the full report.  

Source: WWNY

Trump: 'Absolutely No Pressure' Put On Ukraine To Investigate Biden And Son


MSNBC: President Trump spoke to reporters after the White House released notes of a phone call he had with the president on Ukraine and said he put "absolutely no pressure" on Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden's son. Aired on 9/25/19.

Senator Chuck Schumer News Conference


C-SPAN: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer holds a news conference on Capitol Hill to discuss the memorandum of a July 25 phone call between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart.

Click here for video. 

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Bring Baby Archie to Meet Tutu on Africa Royal Tour


Global News: Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan brought their son Archie to a meeting with retired archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka at their foundation in Cape Town on Wednesday, the third day of their African tour. 

Archie, on his first royal engagement, sat on his mother's lap obediently while his father chatted with the 87-year-old Tutu, a veteran of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Governor Cuomo Announces $1 Billion Partnership with Cree Creating Facility at the Marcy Nanocenter


This video was published on YouTube on September 23.  

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a major public-private partnership between the State of New York and Cree, Inc., the global leader in silicon carbide technology, to invest approximately $1 billion over six years to construct and equip a new, state-of-the-art, highly-automated world’s-first, 200mm silicon carbide wafer fabrication facility. This investment also includes a $30 million research and development commitment by Cree, with plans to create over 600 full-time highly-skilled technician and engineering positions at the Marcy Nanocenter on the SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus near Utica.

Source: NYGovCuomo 

Dr. Merryl H. Tisch and Cesar Perales Appointed to SUNY Board of Trustees

 
Click here for details. 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo 

Statement From Student Assembly
President and SUNY Trustee Austin Ostro

“On behalf of SUNY’s 1.4 million students, I congratulate Dr. Merryl Tisch on her appointment as Chair of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Throughout her years of service to the State of New York, including as Chancellor of the Board of Regents, and as Vice Chair of the SUNY Board, Chair Tisch has always prioritized supporting the needs of students and enhancing their educational experiences.

Since I joined the Board in June, Chair Tisch has served as a mentor and has made a point of warmly welcoming the student perspective into discussions on key policy matters. I look forward to seeing SUNY continue to grow and thrive under the leadership of our new Chair.

SUNY students also extend their congratulations to Cesar Perales on his appointment as Vice Chair of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Vice Chair Perales’s experience in federal and state government, and his dedication to public higher education in our state, make him an ideal pick to lead the SUNY Board with our new Chair.

We are grateful to Governor Cuomo for identifying such strong leaders to build on the legacy of Chairman-Emeritus H. Carl McCall. I am looking forward to working with both Chair Tisch and Vice Chair Perales, as well as Chancellor Johnson and her team- to propel SUNY forward in the years to come.

Source: SUNY SA

Winners of the 76West Clean Energy Competition Announced

 
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced the six winning companies of the 76West Clean Energy Competition, one of the largest competitions in the country that supports growing clean energy businesses to foster economic development. Pittsburgh-based Optimus Technologies, which manufactures biodiesel fuel systems for diesel trucks that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel costs, was named the $1 million grand prize winner, and will expand its operations to the Southern Tier. The competition supports Governor Cuomo's Green New Deal, the most aggressive climate change program in the nation and complements "Southern Tier Soaring," the region's comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development.

"We cannot successfully combat climate change without innovative technologies such as those being developed by 76West winners," Governor Cuomo said. "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and increasing energy efficiency in our buildings are critical strategies in this fight. I congratulate Optimus Technologies and all of the 76West winners for their commitment to a cleaner future and new economic opportunity."

Click here for the full announcement.

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Did Cuomo Rig a Commission to Sabotage His Political Foes?

Governor Andrew Cuomo

The governor says he created the panel to deal with money in politics, and suggestions otherwise are delusional.

Click here for the report.

Source: The New York Times 

He Didn’t Abuse His Daughter. The State Took Her Anyway.


What does it mean to be a parent? One man hopes his case will change how a decades-old New York law treats unwed fathers.

Click here for the report. 

Source: The New York Times 

Monday, September 23, 2019

Reporters Should Stop Helping Donald Trump Spread Lies About Joe Biden and Ukraine


Robert Mackey: "Journalists at Leading American News Organizations — Including CNN, the New York Times, Politico, ABC News, and MSNBC — Have Helped Weaponize This Disinformation."  

Click here for the article. 

Source: The Intercept_

Schumer Wants Senate to Investigate Trump Over Ukraine

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Click here for the report. 

Source: Associated Press

U.S. Court Deals Setback to FCC Push to Revamp Media Ownership Rules

Reuters: The Federal Communications Commission suffered a setback on Monday in a long-running legal battle when a federal appeals court struck down its latest effort to loosen U.S. media ownership rules.

Click here for the report. 

NYPD Confidential: Racism Still Exists

 
By Leonard Levitt

Despite what some may naively think, racism still exists here, as the following two examples illustrate.

In the first, Virgil Mitchell, a 34-year-old native of Trinidad, was freed last week from Rikers Island, where he had spent two years awaiting trial for a murder he didn’t commit. The Daily News reported his release last week.

His arrest stemmed from a shooting near a Caribbean music festival in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx in 2017, when a man died and a woman was wounded. Mitchell was sucked into the case by an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers. A witness then picked him out of a photo array and a subsequent lineup.

What was the tip? It was that he had traveled to Trinidad right after the festival, says his attorney, Murray Richman, who took over the case in May. Richman says the trip had been arranged before the shooting. “He had asked his boss for time off to attend a relative’s funeral. He was working in same job for 10 years. He had no previous arrest record.

“This happens all too often. People don’t have the wherewithal to fight the system and nobody does a goddamn thing about it. The police work was superficial. For two years, nobody even looks at the file. If he [Mitchell] were white, this never would have happened.” 

Click here for the full article. 

Your Subway Was Delayed by 1930s Signals. A Fix Is Finally Coming.


To upgrade signals, the M.T.A. plans to spend $7 billion. But the much-needed repairs could mean fewer trains on nights and weekends.

Click here for the report.

Source: The New York Times