Friday, November 22, 2019
Make-A-Wish® North Texas: Anderson's Wish to Be a Hockey Player
This video was published on YouTube on October 31, 2019.
Trump Presents National Medals of Arts and Humanities
This report was published on YouTube on November 21.
America Strong: The Teacher Who Opened Her Home to a Student
This report was published on YouTube on November 21.
Son Continues Late Dad's 'Mountain Santa' Tradition, Bringing Thousands of Toys to Kids in Need
This report was published on YouTube on November 21.
Boy with Autism Gets Magical 'Polar Express' Experience After Missing Train
This report was published on YouTube on November 20.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams Speaks at 2019 Women Leaders Global Forum
This report was published on YouTube on November 20.
The Power of Self-Love: 2019 Women Leaders Global Forum
This report was published on YouTube on November 21.
CBS News: Mama Cax, a disability & body positive advocate, talks about the
power of self-love at the 2019 Women Leaders Global Forum in Reykjavik,
Iceland.
8-Year-Old Girl Denied School Photos Due to Hair Extensions Gets Empowering Photoshoot
This report was published on YouTube on November 20.
Meet 90-Year-Old Photographic Legend James Barnor
This report was published on YouTube on November 21.
Irish Musician Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich on Being Inspired by the Sea
This report was published on YouTube on November 20.
William Shatner, Donald Sutherland Receive Order of Canada
This report was published on YouTube on November 21.
Global News: Gov. Gen. Julie Payette is honouring 39 people with the Order of Canada
Thursday, including actor William Shatner, writer Ann-Marie MacDonald
and lawyer James Lockyer.
Brooklyn Educator Wins $25,000 Award
This report was published on the PIX 11 News website on November 21.
Window Displays Across the New York City Signal the Kickoff of the Holiday Season
This report was published on the PIX 11 News website on November 21.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Syracuse University Protesters Demand Chancellor Syverud’s Resignation
This video was published on YouTube on November 20.
Source: syracuse.com
The Trump Impeachment Hearings – Day 5
PBS NewsHour: Fiona Hill, former National Security Council senior director for Europe and Russia, will testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Nov. 21, in the impeachment probe into President Donald Trump. Hill told lawmakers in closed-door testimony last month that then-national security adviser John Bolton expressed concerns that the Trump administration was trying to pressure Ukrainian officials. The focus of the impeachment inquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukraine's president to investigate 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden. Lawmakers are seeking answers on whether Trump tied that investigation to U.S. aid for Ukraine.
30,000 Respondents Offer a Complex Picture of Race and Gender with Serious Implications for the 2020 Election
NEW YORK - Today the Black Futures Lab released Beyond Kings and Queens: Gender and Politics in the 2019 Black Census, an analysis of more than 30,000 Black people that are usually not represented or are underrepresented in conventional surveys, such as homeless people, incarcerated people, LGBTQ+ people, Black Republicans and conservatives, Black immigrants, and mixed-raced people with a Black parent, among others.
This report takes a closer look at where and how gender affects the lives and perspectives of Black Census respondents. The report finds that all genders contend with racism throughout the economy, the criminal justice system and society at large, but it also reveals the diversity of experience in the Black community across lines of gender. Beyond Kings and Queens sheds much needed light on the complex relationship between race, gender, and politics.
”Understanding how to reach and move Black voters in 2020 requires a deeper and more inclusive look at how gender impacts our lives and shapes our participation in politics,” said Black Futures Lab Principal, Alicia Garza. “This report shows cisgender Black women ways that feminist coalitions could be stronger when the concerns of transgender women are included and prioritized. And it shows cisgender Black men how to show up in solidarity with Black women across the gender spectrum. This is essential reading for politicians who want to earn the support of Black voters and advocates who want to mobilize our communities to the polls in 2020.”
Beyond Kings and Queens: Gender and Politics in the 2019 Black Census deconstructs the often monolithic view of the Black community by looking beyond the gender binary to surface undervalued political participation and aspirations. “Beyond Kings and Queens shows that people on the margins of society are at the very center of social change,” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. “This understanding can help bridge differences and form new coalitions to build power within Black communities and inform 2020 candidates on how to most sincerely and effectively engage Black communities ahead of the election.
Many stories told today about Black people’s civic and political engagement miss the full picture. “To build the political power needed for real liberation, we need to appreciate how gender and gender identity shape the daily lived experiences and perspectives of Black people in this country,” said K. Sabeel Rahman, President of Demos. “This report shines a light on how transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary Black people are mobilizing for a better world in the face of dire economic instability and pervasive harassment and violence. It illuminates how race and gender intersect in the lives of cis- and transgender Black men and women in the workplace, at the ballot box, and in the streets. And it shows the necessity of fully engaging and including Black people of all genders.”
Cisgender women responding to the Black Census describe the highest rates of voter registration and report “always” voting in a variety of elections — from congressional midterms to local races to ballot referenda—more often than any other gender demographic. Although transgender and gender non-conforming/non-binary Black Census respondents are somewhat less likely to report voting, they are more civically engaged than cisgender Black Census respondents in key ways outside of electoral politics. 49 percent of transgender and non-conforming/non-binary Black Census respondents attended a protest meeting or demonstration in the last year, compared to 31 percent of cisgender women and 25 percent of cisgender men. "By allowing people to express their gender identities with various options instead of a binary, as is still the case for many surveys, the Black Census was able to capture a nuanced view of how gender identity affects the lived experiences of Black people,” said Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera, PhD Political Director and Managing Partner of Socioanalytica Research.
This report takes a closer look at where and how gender affects the lives and perspectives of Black Census respondents. The report finds that all genders contend with racism throughout the economy, the criminal justice system and society at large, but it also reveals the diversity of experience in the Black community across lines of gender. Beyond Kings and Queens sheds much needed light on the complex relationship between race, gender, and politics.
”Understanding how to reach and move Black voters in 2020 requires a deeper and more inclusive look at how gender impacts our lives and shapes our participation in politics,” said Black Futures Lab Principal, Alicia Garza. “This report shows cisgender Black women ways that feminist coalitions could be stronger when the concerns of transgender women are included and prioritized. And it shows cisgender Black men how to show up in solidarity with Black women across the gender spectrum. This is essential reading for politicians who want to earn the support of Black voters and advocates who want to mobilize our communities to the polls in 2020.”
Beyond Kings and Queens: Gender and Politics in the 2019 Black Census deconstructs the often monolithic view of the Black community by looking beyond the gender binary to surface undervalued political participation and aspirations. “Beyond Kings and Queens shows that people on the margins of society are at the very center of social change,” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. “This understanding can help bridge differences and form new coalitions to build power within Black communities and inform 2020 candidates on how to most sincerely and effectively engage Black communities ahead of the election.
Many stories told today about Black people’s civic and political engagement miss the full picture. “To build the political power needed for real liberation, we need to appreciate how gender and gender identity shape the daily lived experiences and perspectives of Black people in this country,” said K. Sabeel Rahman, President of Demos. “This report shines a light on how transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary Black people are mobilizing for a better world in the face of dire economic instability and pervasive harassment and violence. It illuminates how race and gender intersect in the lives of cis- and transgender Black men and women in the workplace, at the ballot box, and in the streets. And it shows the necessity of fully engaging and including Black people of all genders.”
Cisgender women responding to the Black Census describe the highest rates of voter registration and report “always” voting in a variety of elections — from congressional midterms to local races to ballot referenda—more often than any other gender demographic. Although transgender and gender non-conforming/non-binary Black Census respondents are somewhat less likely to report voting, they are more civically engaged than cisgender Black Census respondents in key ways outside of electoral politics. 49 percent of transgender and non-conforming/non-binary Black Census respondents attended a protest meeting or demonstration in the last year, compared to 31 percent of cisgender women and 25 percent of cisgender men. "By allowing people to express their gender identities with various options instead of a binary, as is still the case for many surveys, the Black Census was able to capture a nuanced view of how gender identity affects the lived experiences of Black people,” said Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera, PhD Political Director and Managing Partner of Socioanalytica Research.
Source: Christopher Collins-McNeil
Hong Kong Protester Recounts Terror of University Siege as Riot Police Encircle Campus
Global News: Michelle, a 20-year-old student who chose to stay behind, recounted the experience over the past several days on the battered campus of Polytechnic University: "Everyone was fighting to leave as soon as possible. And then at that moment I heard a guy shouting 'Let kids and women go first' which was so similar to the film Titanic."
Mayor de Blasio Presides Over Bill Signing Ceremony
This video was published on YouTube on November 20.
Mayor de Blasio signs Intros. 1574-A, 1573-A, 1083-A, and 1082-A, which establish commercial waste zones and reform the trade waste industry.
New York City’s First Line of Defense: Boarding Ships with the Coast Guard
This report was published on the PIX 11 News website on November 20.
WeWork Will Lay Off 2,400 Workers
The troubled office space company is slashing its total work force as it sells businesses and outsources some jobs.
Click here for the report.
Source: The New York Times
Proposals Requested to Develop Short-Term Residential Programs for People in Crisis in New York
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) today issued a
Request for Proposals that will provide $50 million to develop licensed residential crisis programs across the state for children and adults.
These programs offer short-term interventions in therapeutic settings to
help individuals facing a mental health crisis to stabilize and avoid
the need for psychiatric hospitalization or emergency room admissions.
The awards will help develop at least 250 new crisis residential
units in Central New York, Western New York, New York City, Long Island,
and the Mid-Hudson River region.
OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Crisis residence programs
maintain people safely in the community while they address and resolve
their crisis situation. In addition to avoiding unnecessary emergency
room visits and hospitalizations, they offer transitional services and
help to reduce the risk of future crises.”
Research shows that crisis residential care can be as effective as
inpatient care in improving symptoms and functioning. It also
demonstrates that patient satisfaction of these services is strong, and
the overall costs for residential crisis services are less than
traditional inpatient care.
The RFP will provide capital funding for acquisition, construction,
and/or rehabilitation for the purposes of developing crisis residential
programs.
Eligible applicants are not-for-profit organizations exempt from
federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Applicants must collaborate with and demonstrate the support of the
local county mental health departments in the region they will serve.
This will ensure that the providers are knowledgeable about the
coordinated behavioral health crisis response system in that region.
Allowable costs under the RFP also include architect, legal and
accounting fees, survey, appraisal and closing costs, permits, insurance
and other related costs.
Awards will be made to the best ranked applications. Targets for funding awards and units per region are: $30 million targeting 120 units within the New York City region; $6 million targeting 30 units within the Long Island region; $6 million targeting 40 units within the Hudson River region; $4 million targeting 30 units within the Central New York region; and $4 million targeting 30 units within the Western New York region.
More information about the RFP, including a timetable of important dates can be found on the OMH website here: https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/rfp/
Source: The New York State Office of Mental Health
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Trump Impeachment Hearings – Day 4
PBS NewsHour: Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, will testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, Nov. 20, as part of the impeachment probe into President Donald Trump. Sondland recently revised his closed-door testimony to state that he had told an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that U.S. aid would not be resumed unless Zelensky made "the public anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for many weeks.” Sondland is scheduled to testify in the morning. Afterwards, Laura Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary of defense, and David Hale, the under secretary of state for political affairs, will testify in the afternoon. The impeachment inquiry centers on a July 25 call in which Trump asked Zelensky to investigate former vice president and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Church Leaders React to Teen's Alleged Plot to Attack Gainesville Church
11 Alive: Police say a 16-year-old had detailed plans to commit murder at a Hall County church. A collaboration between Gainesville City School officials and Gainesville Police led to the discovery of a her plan to attack Bethel AME Church. The address begins at the four minute mark.
Statement from Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, National Security Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence
Beginning January 20, 2017, I was privileged to serve as Chief of Staff
at the National Security Council. Since April 23, 2018, I have served as
National Security Advisor to the Vice President of the United States.
In my role in the Office of the Vice President, Jennifer Williams, a
detailee from the U.S. Department of State, has reported to me since
April 1, 2019.
I was on the much-reported July 25 call between President Donald Trump and President Zelensky. As an exceedingly proud member of President Trump’s Administration and as a 34-year highly experienced combat veteran who retired with the rank of Lieutenant General in the Army, I heard nothing wrong or improper on the call. I had and have no concerns. Ms. Williams was also on the call, and as she testified, she never reported any personal or professional concerns to me, her direct supervisor, regarding the call. In fact, she never reported any personal or professional concerns to any other member of the Vice President’s staff, including our Chief of Staff and the Vice President.
Today, in her testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Ms. Williams also accurately testified regarding the Vice President’s preparation for and conduct during his September 1 meeting in Poland with President Zelensky. In her testimony, she affirmed that the Vice President focused on President Zelensky’s anti-corruption efforts and the lack of European support and never mentioned former Vice President Joe Biden, Crowdstrike, Burisma, or investigations in any communication with Ukrainians.
In my over 40-years in uniform and additional federal service, I am honored to serve this President and this Vice President as we advance the interests of the American people.
I was on the much-reported July 25 call between President Donald Trump and President Zelensky. As an exceedingly proud member of President Trump’s Administration and as a 34-year highly experienced combat veteran who retired with the rank of Lieutenant General in the Army, I heard nothing wrong or improper on the call. I had and have no concerns. Ms. Williams was also on the call, and as she testified, she never reported any personal or professional concerns to me, her direct supervisor, regarding the call. In fact, she never reported any personal or professional concerns to any other member of the Vice President’s staff, including our Chief of Staff and the Vice President.
Today, in her testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Ms. Williams also accurately testified regarding the Vice President’s preparation for and conduct during his September 1 meeting in Poland with President Zelensky. In her testimony, she affirmed that the Vice President focused on President Zelensky’s anti-corruption efforts and the lack of European support and never mentioned former Vice President Joe Biden, Crowdstrike, Burisma, or investigations in any communication with Ukrainians.
In my over 40-years in uniform and additional federal service, I am honored to serve this President and this Vice President as we advance the interests of the American people.
Source: The Office of the Vice President
Happening in Harlem: 32nd Precinct Community Council Meeting
Source: A. Smith, President/NYPD Civilian Volunteer, 32nd Precinct Community Council
From The G-Man Will Be on Hand to Pose Key
Questions Regarding Police Policy and Procedure
Questions Regarding Police Policy and Procedure
The site is urging all community residents and leaders to attend this meeting and others. It's the only way to obtain important information and find out what the precinct and department are doing to address crime in the area.
Additionally, the meetings provide details on community events and allow residents to convey concerns or pose questions to those charged with the task of protecting and serving.
You won't want to miss this meeting! Show up, stand up and be counted.
SUNY Student Assembly Responds to the Racist and Hateful Acts at Syracuse University.
"The Student Assembly strongly condemns the egregious acts of
racism and white supremacy at Syracuse University. The multiple incidents
within the last month have caused extreme hardship for students in Syracuse,
and we extend our sympathies and support to every person that has been affected
by these acts of hate.
Racism, white supremacy, and hate must be rooted out and combatted
at every turn. SUNY students pride themselves on the diversity of the student
body and faculty. These recent acts run contrary to the values that so many
SUNY students have: acceptance, diversity, kindness, and empathy.
We support the immediate allocation of any and all resources to
our students in Syracuse and across the system. We must ensure that white
supremacy and hate do not continue to invade our campuses. We call on
leadership in Syracuse, the State, and the Federal Government to investigate
these crimes and bring justice to the students who have been impacted by hate.”
Source: SUNY SA
Trump Impeachment Hearings: Vindman, Williams, Volker and Morrison Testify
ABC News: Two White House national security aides who expressed concerns about a July phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukraine's leader are appearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, becoming the first current White House officials testify publicly in the Democrats' impeachment investigation. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council's Ukraine expert, will testify alongside Jennifer Williams, a national security aide to Vice President Mike Pence, in the morning.
Atty Gen. James Announces JUUL Lawsuit Amid Vaping ‘Epidemic’
Source: PIX 11 News
Statement from Governor Cuomo
"It is undeniable that the vaping industry is using flavored e-cigarettes to get young people hooked on potentially dangerous and deadly products, and the predatory marketing practices used by these companies have no place in New York. We commend Attorney General James for joining us as we fight for the future of this state and for the health of all New Yorkers. We will continue using every tool at our disposal to protect young people from forming dangerous lifelong habits."
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Cuomo Urges Syracuse University Board of Trustees to Bring in Monitor to Investigate Surge of Campus Hate Crimes
Governor Andrew Cuomo today issued the following statement.
"This
nation faces many issues, but at the top of the list is the growing
racial, ethnic and religious division that attempts to make diversity a
weakness rather than a strength.
"We see it all across the nation and even across the great state of New York. Anti-Semitic, anti-African American, anti-Muslim American, anti-LGBTQ, anti-Asian American, anti-Italian American incidents and more have all increased.
"Hate groups like the Proud Boys (better referred to as the Bigot Boys) claimed responsibility for actions in New York City just this week. Our policy must be 'Zero Tolerance.'
"The hateful activities at Syracuse University are most disturbing, not only to the Syracuse University community, but to the greater community of New York. They have not been handled in a manner that reflects this state's aggressive opposition to such odious, reckless, reprehensible behavior. That these actions should happen on the campus of a leading New York university makes this situation even worse.
"Despite his efforts, I do not believe Chancellor Syverud has handled this matter in a way that instills confidence.
"I believe the Board of Trustees of Syracuse University should immediately bring in an experienced monitor with the relevant expertise to effectively investigate these incidents, clearly communicate the facts with the Board and to the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force and recommend a decisive strategy to address both the specific incidents and behavior. In the meantime, I am directing the Task Force to expand their previous investigations to include the recent reports of a white supremacist 'manifesto' being digitally disseminated to Syracuse University students in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.
"As we have learned repeatedly, these increasing exhibitions of hate and bigotry must be handled strongly, swiftly and justly. That must be both the reality and the perception. Syracuse University and its leadership have failed to do that. It is your obligation to remedy the situation immediately."
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
"We see it all across the nation and even across the great state of New York. Anti-Semitic, anti-African American, anti-Muslim American, anti-LGBTQ, anti-Asian American, anti-Italian American incidents and more have all increased.
"Hate groups like the Proud Boys (better referred to as the Bigot Boys) claimed responsibility for actions in New York City just this week. Our policy must be 'Zero Tolerance.'
"The hateful activities at Syracuse University are most disturbing, not only to the Syracuse University community, but to the greater community of New York. They have not been handled in a manner that reflects this state's aggressive opposition to such odious, reckless, reprehensible behavior. That these actions should happen on the campus of a leading New York university makes this situation even worse.
"Despite his efforts, I do not believe Chancellor Syverud has handled this matter in a way that instills confidence.
"I believe the Board of Trustees of Syracuse University should immediately bring in an experienced monitor with the relevant expertise to effectively investigate these incidents, clearly communicate the facts with the Board and to the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force and recommend a decisive strategy to address both the specific incidents and behavior. In the meantime, I am directing the Task Force to expand their previous investigations to include the recent reports of a white supremacist 'manifesto' being digitally disseminated to Syracuse University students in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.
"As we have learned repeatedly, these increasing exhibitions of hate and bigotry must be handled strongly, swiftly and justly. That must be both the reality and the perception. Syracuse University and its leadership have failed to do that. It is your obligation to remedy the situation immediately."
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
This video was published on November 17.
'White Supremacist Manifesto' Allegedly Sent to Syracuse University Students
The purported document was going to be shared via AirDrop to cellphones of people inside one of the libraries, university officials said.
Click here for the report.
Source: NBC News
Silicon Harlem Aims to Bridge the Digital Divide
Since 2013, Silicon Harlem has been working and partnering with the
private sector, academia, nonprofits and the community to build the next
generation of technological infrastructure to meet the challenges that
urban centers face today and will face tomorrow. Through its digital
literacy programs, broadband design and deployment, and cutting-edge
research projects along with scholarly conferences, educational
workshops and community outreach initiatives, Silicon Harlem reaches a
multi-generational audience with our technology expertise.
Click here for additional information.
Information and photo source: Silicon Harlem website
Four Companies Receive NY State Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Certification
Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito today announced that the following four businesses were recently certified by the Office of General Services’ (OGS) Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development (DSDVBD):
FYAH Works Inc., located in Springfield Gardens, NY, provides fireproofing services.
KB Federal Maintenance Inc., located in Great Neck, NY, specializes in facility and building maintenance support services.
GXC Inc., located in Huntington, NY, provides risk management and security services.
Iron Sword Enterprises LLC, located in Wallkill, NY, is a construction management and contracting consultant.
The Division was created by Governor Andrew Cuomo in May 2014 with enactment of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act. There are 737 certified businesses.
The Act promotes and encourages participation of SDVOBs in NYS public procurements of public works, commodities, services and technology to foster and advance economic development in the State. More information on the program and the certification process can be found here.
Source: OGS
$56.5 Million for New York's Homeless Individuals and Families
Governor Cuomo announced that $56.5 million in state funding has been
awarded to 15 projects that will provide housing for homeless
individuals and families.
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
The 2020 U.S. Census: NY Will Spend $60 Million to Make Sure Every Resident is Counted
New York State will spend as much as $60 million to make sure that every New Yorker is counted in the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census. The State will leverage resources across dozens of agencies, public authorities, CUNY and SUNY that regularly interact with millions of New Yorkers. Together, they will launch a wide-reaching campaign valued at up to $40 million from existing resources that will inform the public about the Census and support efforts to encourage residents to complete the questionnaire.
Additionally, $20 million from the FY 2020 Budget is being made available to support targeted efforts in hard to reach communities.
"Counting every New Yorker in the 2020 Census is critical to ensuring we are accurately represented in Congress and receive the federal funding we deserve," Governor Cuomo said. "While the federal government has thrown up road block after road block - spreading fear among immigrant communities in the process - in New York we will break through and make sure that even our most difficult to reach communities are counted."
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
The Equifax Data Breach and What It Means for New Yorkers
The New York State Division of Consumer Protection is alerting New
Yorkers affected by the Equifax data breach that deadlines are fast
approaching related to the recent settlement. On
July 29, 2017, Equifax announced it had succumbed to the largest data
breach in history, exposing the records of over 8.4 million New Yorkers
and on July 22, 2019, the settlement was announced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to settle all consumer claims related to the security breach.
To check whether you or your family were affected, click here.
Consumers affected by the breach have three options: opt in to the settlement; opt out of the settlement and file separate claims; or do Nothing.
Each option has a number of elements to
consider. To assist consumers with their choices, the Division has
created a comprehensive site here
summarizing the different options and possible choices consumers can
make. Depending on which option you choose, these are the imminent
deadlines:
November 19, 2019:
If you decide to opt out of the settlement and file your own claim, you
have to reserve your right to sue Equifax related directly to the data
breach by sending a letter of exclusion. For more details on what to
include in the letter and where to send it, click here and scroll down to the Opt Out section.
January 22, 2020:
If you decide to opt in to the settlement, you will need to decide on
settling for the cash or credit monitoring option by this date. For
more details on the options, click here and scroll down to the Opt In section. You can register your preference for these options by clicking here.
If a consumer chooses to “do nothing,” there are no date
limitations. Before finalizing on this solution, consumers should
review the details on the Division website here to understand all the options available.
For questions about the settlement or to file a consumer complaint
against a business or individual, please contact the Division of
Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 697-1220 or visit our website at www.dos.ny.gov/
Source: The New York State Division of Consumer Protection
Monday, November 18, 2019
First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Karen Pence Volunteer Visit to the Red Cross to Help Support Our Troops
On November 20th, First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Karen Pence will return to the American Red Cross Hall of Service to assemble comfort kits for American troops deployed overseas.
Comfort kits were developed by the Red Cross to provide transition and reintegration support to wounded warriors, veterans, troops deployed overseas, and military families.
Mrs. Trump and Mrs. Pence will assemble the comfort kits alongside Cabinet Secretaries’ spouses, military spouses, Red Cross leadership and volunteers.
Source: The Office of the First Lady
Comfort kits were developed by the Red Cross to provide transition and reintegration support to wounded warriors, veterans, troops deployed overseas, and military families.
Mrs. Trump and Mrs. Pence will assemble the comfort kits alongside Cabinet Secretaries’ spouses, military spouses, Red Cross leadership and volunteers.
Source: The Office of the First Lady
Mumia Abu-Jamal Case Update: A Hail Mary Pass by Philly’s Fraternal Order of Police
A King’s Bench Petition to the PA Supreme Court
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) promised big firms to fight Mumia’s freedom. They got George Bochetto, a pugilistic lawyer who owed the FOP a favor, and a weak petition full of vague inferences of bias. They are throwing random information up against the growing storm of accountability as a strategy of distraction.
George Bochetto
In this latest legal filing the FOP tried and failed to create a narrative that the new evidence, which was suppressed for 37 years, is irrelevant. The new evidence is, in fact, game changing. You know the kind of evidence where a key witness writes a note to Joe McGill, the prosecutor, and asks him, “Where is my money?” The Philadelphia Bulletin photographer’s pictures prove that this driver’s cab is not even at the scene. Yet somehow - after his testimony against Mumia - he is asking the prosecutor for the money he is owed. Sound bad? it is.
During an evidentiary hearing in the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, Joe McGill will try to spin this as an innocent request for “lunch money.”
It is all about credibility. That is why the PA and the U.S. Constitutions both call for new and previously undisclosed evidence to be heard in open court. This King's Bench petition actually declares that the new DA, Krasner, should have colluded with McGill to bury the evidence.
Don’t forget: soon McGill will have to explain that he did not not suppress African American participation in Mumia Abu-Jamal’s trial during jury selection.
Good luck with that, Joe! Because the DA’s office was not less racist before the ADA Jack McMahon made the training tape instructing staff to strike Black jurors. In justifying keeping young African-Americans off the jury, Jack McMahon said ''The only way you're going to do your best is to get jurors that are unfair.'' McMahon, when asked, explained, ''That's not being racist -- that's being realistic.'' (See this YouTube video for examples of these tapes and this New York Times account for more on this story.)
FOP Lodge Five President John McNesby
Once you begin to look into the deep racism of Philly’s past DA's office and police practices, you will see why they are so desperate to try to petition their way out of a fair fight. The longstanding pattern and practice of stepping on the scales of justice is being revealed.
This November 12, Bochetto, backed by the FOP, filed a self-styled King’s Bench petition asking the PA Supreme Court to intervene on behalf of Maureen Faulkner in a pending appeal before the Superior Court. The request seeks to remove Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner from prosecuting Mumia Abu-Jamal’s case. This unusual procedural move is extremely unlikely to succeed. In the petition they argue that Paul George, a lawyer on Krasner’s current staff, was an attorney of record, local counsel for Mumia, and that this creates an impermissible bias. George, as is common practice for potential conflicts, has been screened off work on the case. They argue other and even more tenuous and desperate six-degrees-of-separation biases.
As FOP is losing ground, politicians are abandoning them. At their recent press conference, the only politicians there were two recent losers: ousted City Council member Allen Tauberberger (“Looks like I’m cleaning out my office” Taubenberger told WHYY, “Numbers are numbers”) and Jack O’Neil, who placed a distant sixth to Krasner in the last election.
But remember, the FOP does not fight fair. Their members have been charged with hitting folks who are handcuffed. They are protecting decades of dirty cops and, yes, prosecutors who are guilty of misconduct and disbarrable offenses. Some of those folks who may be exposed are very well connected, like Ed Rendell and Ron Castille. So while the FOP are the foot soldiers, remember they represent and have been in bed with those who created and perpetuated the system of mass incarceration masquerading as justice.
Yes, Ed Rendell, former Mayor of Philadelphia and Governor of Pennsylvania, is in the same boat as the shock troops he allowed free reign to illegally arrest and incarcerate poor people of color in Philly for decades.
Joe McGill and Maureen Faulkner at the Lodge Five FOP event announcing their legal action.
How many scandals have to hit the front pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer before we all understand the prosecutors KNEW that cops routinely lied on probable cause? Lying why? Could be racism. And it could also be simply to increase their pay, padding their overtime. It is common knowledge in the courts and at city hall; everyone knows that is how the game of arrests and court appearances and police overtime is, and has been, played. They need an assembly line of Black and Brown bodies, vulnerable people, to pad their pay.
Voters are beginning to wonder: Who pays for that 6500-person majority-white police force with New Jersey mortgages and shore homes? Who is still paying for that? Who is paying now for all the indicted and un-indicted co-conspirator cops who are retired with full pay?
The protestations of the Fraternal Order of Police reflects their last futile effort and frustrations as they try to prevent justice from being done in Mumia Abu-Jamal’s case.
And they are losing. The FOP is losing the battle for public opinion, the battle in the courts, and the battle to keep the lid on the legacy of police corruption in Philadelphia.
The courts and the prosecution are finally open to hearing the crimes of the Frank Rizzo-led police force and the District Attorney’s office led by the likes of Ed Rendell, Lynne Abraham and Ron Castille.
Consider this: the real king makers in Philly need to cloud the issue to try and frame the issue. Talking about Krasner’s bias is a distraction and a ploy. Ed Rendell and Castille need to turn the focus away from explicit police and prosecutorial corruption and their complicity.
At the same time, we must remember that Larry Krasner and the DA’s office will fight to uphold the conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal.
The truth is that Krasner is only going to petition the court for Mumia’s release when the case is already won, if then. This is not only because he is a “big L liberal” but because the evidence of Mumia’s innocence has been suppressed by the courts and prosecution for 37 years and it needs to be fully heard. It will take a whole lot more organizing and diligent, steadfast and brilliant lawyering for Mumia’s case to unravel as it sits before a very entrenched and unfavorable Philadelphia court system.
The new hearing in the Common Pleas Court will be an adversarial one, and it will test the new evidence and the credibility of the police and the prosecution.
“The bottom line is this. We are at the end of our line with our case,” said Maureen Faulkner in the Philadelphia Tribune and Harrisburg Capital Star.
The next step is freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal, his family and his supporters.
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