Source: euronews
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Monday, October 23, 2017
A Song for the Soul: 'The Obama Song' by Joey Gallant
This video was published on YouTube on January 11, 2017.
Source: KStephon TV
Fraudulent Guardianships & Probate Courts (A Special Report)
The G-Man Interviews
(Rick Black)
National Investigator Alleges Attorneys and Judges Have No
Oversight and Are Making Millions from Families in Crisis
(Rick Black)
National Investigator Alleges Attorneys and Judges Have No
Oversight and Are Making Millions from Families in Crisis
My guest for this installment is Rick Black, Director for Americans Against Abusive Probate Guardianship (AAAPG). Mr. Black left his job as an executive of a global textile company in early 2015 and now devotes himself to volunteering for guardianship reforms on a full-time basis.
He has investigated over 400 suspected fraudulent guardianship cases throughout the country as the intake specialist for the organization and has coined the phrase “Isolate the victim, defame legitimate family, and liquidate the estate” to describe the hallmarks of fraudulent guardianships. He has also exposed corruption in probate courts across the nation and helped thousands that fell victim to fraudulent guardianships.
In March of this year, he spoke at the National Forum on Financial Exploitation by Conservators, which was sponsored by the National Center for State Courts and the Department of Justice.
Mr. Black actively lobbies in Washington, D.C. for improved protections for vulnerable adults and was pivotal in promoting S178, the "Elder Abuse Protection and Prosecution Act", the nation's first adult guardianship oversight bill.
He has investigated over 400 suspected fraudulent guardianship cases throughout the country as the intake specialist for the organization and has coined the phrase “Isolate the victim, defame legitimate family, and liquidate the estate” to describe the hallmarks of fraudulent guardianships. He has also exposed corruption in probate courts across the nation and helped thousands that fell victim to fraudulent guardianships.
In March of this year, he spoke at the National Forum on Financial Exploitation by Conservators, which was sponsored by the National Center for State Courts and the Department of Justice.
Mr. Black actively lobbies in Washington, D.C. for improved protections for vulnerable adults and was pivotal in promoting S178, the "Elder Abuse Protection and Prosecution Act", the nation's first adult guardianship oversight bill.
Information pertaining to this episode is available through the following links:
http://aaapg.net/
http://www.ncsc.org/services-and-experts/government-relations/guardianship-and-elder-care/elder-abuse.aspx
http://www.ncsc.org/Newsroom/Backgrounder/2016/Guardianship.aspx
http://aaapg.net/
http://www.ncsc.org/services-and-experts/government-relations/guardianship-and-elder-care/elder-abuse.aspx
http://www.ncsc.org/Newsroom/Backgrounder/2016/Guardianship.aspx
Photo credit: Rick Black
Cuomo and Schumer Oppose Repeal of State and Local Tax Deduction
Governor Cuomo and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Schumer today launched a
statewide push across congressional districts to urge New York's
delegation to stand up for this state's middle class and oppose the
repeal or reduction of state and local tax deductions.
Source: NYGovCuomo
Louna Dennis, Mother of Matthew McCree, Attorneys File Notice of Claim for $25 Million Against DOE and NYPD
On October 24 at 2 p.m., Attorney Sanford Rubenstein, representing the estate of the late Matthew McCree, and Louna Dennis, the mother of the late Matthew McCree, will gather in front of the Urban Assembly School For Wildlife Conservation to announce the filing of the Notice of Claim for $25 million in damages against the New York City Department of Education and the New York City Police Department for the wrongful death of the slain teen.
A Notice of Claim was also filed by Levine & Blit, Esqs. for injuries sustained by Ariane Laboy.
A Notice of Claim was also filed by Levine & Blit, Esqs. for injuries sustained by Ariane Laboy.
The Urban Assembly School For Wildlife Conservation is located at 2024 Mohegan Avenue, Bronx, New York.
“There was a recipe for disaster at the Urban Assembly School For Wildlife Conservation. First, metal detectors were not installed in a school in which, in 2016, 81% of teachers reported not feeling safe, 45% of students did not feel safe, and there were two incidents of harassment with weapons," said Rubenstein.
"Second, the school failed to follow the 'Dignity for all Students Act', a New York State statute which requires certain protocol to be followed regarding bullying which were not followed with regard to Abel Cedeno. Third, teachers were negligent in the supervision of students in the history classroom when Matthew McCree was fatally stabbed.”
Source: Rubenstein and Rynecki
First Lady Melania Trump to Kick Off the “Week of Inclusion” at Michigan Middle School
First Lady
Melania Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will visit Orchard
Lake Middle School in West Bloomfield, Michigan to kick off the “Week of
Inclusion,” part of National Bullying
Prevention Month.
During her visit, Mrs. Trump will spend time in the school’s Viking Huddle Class, a 6th grade classroom that focuses on social emotional learning. The First Lady and Mrs. DeVos will observe and participate in lessons about respecting others, kindness, and inclusion.
In addition to classroom participation, Mrs. Trump will visit with 7th and 8th grade students in the school's cafeteria in an effort to bring awareness to “No One Eats Alone,” a concept that seeks to reverse the trends of social isolation by asking students to engage in simple acts of kindness - such as making sure that no one is eating alone and students are making an effort to eat with new classmates and peers.
“As part of my ongoing commitment to the overall well-being of children, I am looking forward to today’s visit,” stated First Lady Melania Trump. “By our own example, we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit. We need to remember that they are always watching and listening. It is our responsibility to take the lead in teaching children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership.”
During her visit, Mrs. Trump will spend time in the school’s Viking Huddle Class, a 6th grade classroom that focuses on social emotional learning. The First Lady and Mrs. DeVos will observe and participate in lessons about respecting others, kindness, and inclusion.
In addition to classroom participation, Mrs. Trump will visit with 7th and 8th grade students in the school's cafeteria in an effort to bring awareness to “No One Eats Alone,” a concept that seeks to reverse the trends of social isolation by asking students to engage in simple acts of kindness - such as making sure that no one is eating alone and students are making an effort to eat with new classmates and peers.
“As part of my ongoing commitment to the overall well-being of children, I am looking forward to today’s visit,” stated First Lady Melania Trump. “By our own example, we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit. We need to remember that they are always watching and listening. It is our responsibility to take the lead in teaching children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership.”
Source: The White House, Office of the First Lady
Trailblazers in Black History: Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin Dungy is a former professional American football
player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach
of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the
Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008.
Click here for video.
Source: NFL
Presidents Obama, Bush, Clinton, Carter Speak at Deep from the Heart Hurricane Relief Concert
This video was published on YouTube on October 22.
Source: Reflect
Receding Waters in Houston Reveal Families’ Divergent Paths to Recovery
HOUSTON — The water burbled from the floors of Vickie Carson's
cottage in the semirural northern edge of Houston, saturating everything
she owned.
It seeped through the ceiling of Ebony
Harrison's apartment in the impoverished Sunnyside neighborhood, dousing
her newborn daughter as she slept.
It swept so swiftly into Lidia Peña's rental
home in the city’s north side that she and her young son fled without
taking any spare clothes.
It drove Rick Christie out of his midcentury
ranch house in the southwest Houston neighborhood of Meyerland, leaving
him to sleep on a couch above his garage.
Each of their homes was left uninhabitable by
Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm that plowed through southeast Texas
in late August. Its floodwaters capsized lives of the comfortable and
the struggling, black and white, Latino and Asian. Tens of thousands of
people across spectrums of race and income were left without permanent
places to live, inspiring a newfound saying: Harvey was the storm that
didn’t discriminate.
That may change now that the water is gone.
Click here for the full article.
Divided Democrats Seek Answers to Trump in the States
Progressive state legislators are trying to counter President Donald
Trump — by taking a page out of the conservative playbook.
A group called the State Innovation Exchange
(SIX) is raising its profile to lead efforts in Statehouses around the
country, supporting lawmakers in advancing progressive policies and
beating back Trump-influenced agendas locally.
Formed in late 2014 after the merger of three
smaller groups, SIX fashions itself as the liberal antidote to the
influential American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a well-funded
conservative machine for Republican state-level legislation.
SIX's goal is to become a policy shop of sorts
for progressive state lawmakers looking for proposals and solutions on
issues like climate change, paid parental leave, criminal justice reform
and the minimum wage — but its members are sharply divided on which
issues to purse and and whether a liberal agenda, focused on social
concerns, can fly in moderate states. Those differences spilled into
view at the group's recent annual conference.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
Mueller Now Investigating Democratic Lobbyist Tony Podesta
An NBC News Exclusive
WASHINGTON — Tony Podesta and the Podesta Group are now the subjects
of a federal investigation being led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller,
three sources with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.
The probe of Podesta and his Democratic-leaning lobbying firm grew out of Mueller's inquiry into the finances of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort,
according to the sources. As special counsel, Mueller has been tasked
with investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and
Russia.
Manafort had organized a public relations
campaign for a non-profit called the European Centre for a Modern
Ukraine (ECMU). Podesta's company was one of many firms that worked on
the campaign, which promoted Ukraine's image in the West.
The sources said the investigation into
Podesta and his company began as more of a fact-finding mission about
the ECMU and Manafort's role in the campaign, but has now morphed into a
criminal inquiry into whether the firm violated the Foreign Agents
Registration Act, known as FARA.
Click here for the full article.
A Look at the Cuban Missile Crisis, 55 Years Later
This report was broadcast on October 22.
Source: CBS News
FBI Undercover Sting Leads to Arrest of an Alleged Bomber in Miami
This report was broadcast on October 22.
New York City's Large Party of Third Parties
By Laura Nahmias
A candidate running for mayor on a ballot line called “Dump
the Mayor” may seem odd to the casual observer of New York City
politics.
But the designation — an invention of independent candidate
Bo Dietl — is part of a long and often weird tradition in city electoral
politics where ballot lines can be as varied and idiosyncratic as the
people whose names appear on them.
This year, city voters will have an overwhelming menu of 22
different ballot lines from which to choose. They range from Dietl’s
“Dump the Mayor,” to a party line called “Solutions.” There’s an “Animal
Rights” party line and a “No Rezoning 4 Ever” line.
This year’s crop of party designations does not even
comprise the largest group of ballot lines the city has ever put forth
in a single election, either. In the 2013 general election, there were
no fewer than 29 different party designations represented on New York
City ballots, including the “Flourish” line, “Dump the Dump” and the
“Civic Virtue” line, which is the name of both a concept and a
controversial statue that once stood in front of City Hall.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Politico (via The Empire Report)
Leaders Criticize City College’s Likely Choice for Next President
By David W. Chen
Describing
themselves as “extremely disappointed,” a group of prominent political,
religious and community leaders from Harlem is lodging an unexpected
11th-hour protest against the expected next president of the City
College of New York.
Former Gov. David A. Paterson, former Representative Charles B. Rangel and
former Assemblyman Keith L. T. Wright were among 20 people named in an
email sent to The New York Times over the weekend after a report
indicating that Vincent G. Boudreau, the college’s interim president,
would be given the permanent post on Monday.
The
email criticized James B. Milliken, the chancellor of the City
University of New York, the college’s parent entity, as well as William
C. Thompson Jr., chairman of CUNY’s Board of Trustees, for failing to
include their “input, insight and influence” in the search process.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Times (via The Empire Report)
Cuomo Reaches Out to Green Party as He Shores Up Liberal Credentials
By Kenneth Lovett
ALBANY — As he tries to mend fences with New York progressives, some of
Gov. Cuomo’s top staffers for the first time are regularly reaching out
to the minor Green Party.
Cuomo’s secretary to the governor, Melissa DeRosa, and Department of
Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos have been in more
frequent contact with leaders of the environmentally focused party,
Green Party officials say.
The governor himself popped in for about 15 minutes during one meeting between his aides and party leaders, officials said.
Some of Cuomo’s staff also attended a recent meeting of 350 Brooklyn, a
local activist group with ties to the Green Party that is focused on
climate change. One source said Cuomo Counsel Alphonso David was
scheduled to attend the meeting but was called away at the last moment.
In his place, Cuomo’s deputy secretary for the environment and others
showed up.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Daily News (via The Empire Report)
As Far Right Rises, LGBTQ Gun Group Hits Firing Line in NY
By The Associate Press
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The former pacifist pumped a shotgun at the firing line.
Lore McSpadden never touched a gun before the Trigger Warning Queer
& Trans Gun Club started this past year. Now McSpadden is among the
shooters routinely yelling, “Pull!” and blasting at clay pigeons angling
over a mowed field near Rochester.
Trigger Warning members are anxious about armed and organized
extremists who seem increasingly emboldened. Their response has a touch
of symmetry to it: They started a club to teach members how to take up
arms.
“It’s a way to assert our strength,” said Jake Allen, 27, who helped
form the group. “Often, queer people are thought of as being weak, as
being defenseless, and I think in many ways this pushes back against
that. And I want white supremacists and neo-Nazis to know that queer
people are taking steps necessary to protect themselves.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Daily News (via The Empire Report)
Holograms Enter the Classroom: Teaching Science Through Immersive Live Experiences
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Catalonia Referendum: Is Article 155 the Only Way Madrid Could Solve the Crisis?
Source: FRANCE 24 English
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Seeks Arab Help in US Effort to Isolate Iran
Source: FRANCE 24 English
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Legislation Delivers Health Benefits to Volunteer Firefighters Across New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo today signed legislation to deliver health care benefits to volunteer firefighters who have been diagnosed with certain cancers.
"New York is forever grateful to the 96,000 volunteer firefighters who selflessly put their own personal safety at risk in order to keep their neighbors and communities safe, Governor Cuomo said. "With this measure, we will provide these courageous New Yorkers the protections they need and the peace of mind they deserve."
Currently, volunteer firefighters are eligible for accidental disability and death benefits through Workers' Compensation if they are injured in the line of duty. Effective January 1, 2019, firefighters will also be eligible for health benefits to support treatment for life-threatening cancers.
Under the bill (S1411B- A711B), volunteer firefighters who contract certain cancers will receive access to tax free disability and death benefits. Specifically, volunteer firefighters diagnosed with lung, prostate, breast, lymphatic, hematological, digestive, urinary, neurological, reproductive systems, or melanoma cancer will be automatically eligible for health benefits if:
Upon entry to volunteer, a physical exam did not show any evidence of the cancers covered by this bill; individuals have at least five years of service fighting fire in the interior of buildings; and the firefighter is currently active or within 5 years of his or her last active date.
Senator Joseph A. Griffo said, "The brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day and volunteer to keep our communities safe should not be burdened with unexpected medical bills from illness they received while on the front lines of fire emergencies. Thanks to Governor Cuomo and the Legislature, these courageous New Yorkers will now receive the health benefits they deserve and the opportunity to lead a quality life in the community they have worked so hard to help protect."
Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther said, "To the New Yorkers who may have contracted an illness due to their bravery battling flames and smoke - help is being delivered. Thanks to the Governor's action to provide benefits to our volunteers, we are taking necessary steps to support our heroic firefighters and thank them for their dedication to protecting communities across New York."
Kenneth Pienowski, President of the Firemen's Association of the State of New York said, "This is a great day for New York State. Governor Andrew Cuomo and our elected representatives in Albany have acted to decisively protect those who protect the people of this great state. New York's brave volunteer firefighters now have the protections and help they need in the tragic event of a cancer diagnosis. We are tremendously grateful to the Governor for his action. We also thank State Senator Joseph Griffo, Assemblymember Aileen Gunther, Assemblymember Anthony Brindisi, and Assemblymember Brian Kolb for their leadership and support through this entire process. Because of them, the future generation of volunteer firefighters will not have to face cancer alone."
John P. Sroka, President of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs said, "All firefighters, regardless of whether they are paid or volunteer, fight identical fires. Because of this, all firefighters should be treated equally and receive equal benefits in the event of a cancer diagnosis. Thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, this is now a reality. New York's selfless volunteers, who sacrifice so much to protect all of us, now have the benefits that they need. The Fire Chiefs of New York applaud Governor Cuomo and the Legislature for their actions today and throughout this year's session."
Thomas Rinaldi, President of the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York said, "The Fire Districts of New York are grateful to Governor Andrew Cuomo and bill sponsors State Senator Joseph Griffo, Assemblymember Aileen Gunther, and Assemblymember Anthony Brindisi for protecting New York State's brave volunteer firefighters. Presumptive cancer coverage is an essential benefit for 21st century firefighters, and the signing of this legislation ensures that all firefighters in New York State will be equipped for 21st century fires. It is fitting that volunteers who sacrifice their time, safety, and health to protect their communities now have essential assistance available in their times of need."
Dr. Jacqueline Moline, Chair of the FASNY Health & Wellness Committee said, "Firefighters are exposed to an enormous variety of toxins and carcinogens in the line of duty and consequently are more likely to develop cancer than the general population. This is a medical fact. Because of this, it is necessary to offer additional benefits and protections to all firefighters so that if they do develop cancer, they are not left alone. The actions of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature will ensure that all firefighters in New York State will be recognized and assisted once they are diagnosed with cancer."
This legislation builds on a number of actions taken by this administration to protect the lives of both career and volunteer firefighters in New York State. Most recently, the Governor signed legislation expanding benefits for New Yorker's who participated in 9/11 response and recovery efforts. Under the bill, residents are eligible for unlimited paid leave at 100 percent of their regular salary dating back to the time of their diagnosis.
In 2015, the Governor announced the roll out of NY Responds, a universal approach to disaster response and recovery that connects emergency management agencies, fire and EMS responders with the New York State Emergency Operations Center in Albany.
Investments have also been made to upgrade the State Fire Academy, which provides critical training to first responders from communities across the state. Located in Montour Falls, the state secured $500,000 in federal funding in May, 2016 to support training efforts there, and since 2011, the Governor has invested $3 million to improve the facility and grounds.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
"New York is forever grateful to the 96,000 volunteer firefighters who selflessly put their own personal safety at risk in order to keep their neighbors and communities safe, Governor Cuomo said. "With this measure, we will provide these courageous New Yorkers the protections they need and the peace of mind they deserve."
Currently, volunteer firefighters are eligible for accidental disability and death benefits through Workers' Compensation if they are injured in the line of duty. Effective January 1, 2019, firefighters will also be eligible for health benefits to support treatment for life-threatening cancers.
Under the bill (S1411B- A711B), volunteer firefighters who contract certain cancers will receive access to tax free disability and death benefits. Specifically, volunteer firefighters diagnosed with lung, prostate, breast, lymphatic, hematological, digestive, urinary, neurological, reproductive systems, or melanoma cancer will be automatically eligible for health benefits if:
Upon entry to volunteer, a physical exam did not show any evidence of the cancers covered by this bill; individuals have at least five years of service fighting fire in the interior of buildings; and the firefighter is currently active or within 5 years of his or her last active date.
Senator Joseph A. Griffo said, "The brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day and volunteer to keep our communities safe should not be burdened with unexpected medical bills from illness they received while on the front lines of fire emergencies. Thanks to Governor Cuomo and the Legislature, these courageous New Yorkers will now receive the health benefits they deserve and the opportunity to lead a quality life in the community they have worked so hard to help protect."
Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther said, "To the New Yorkers who may have contracted an illness due to their bravery battling flames and smoke - help is being delivered. Thanks to the Governor's action to provide benefits to our volunteers, we are taking necessary steps to support our heroic firefighters and thank them for their dedication to protecting communities across New York."
Kenneth Pienowski, President of the Firemen's Association of the State of New York said, "This is a great day for New York State. Governor Andrew Cuomo and our elected representatives in Albany have acted to decisively protect those who protect the people of this great state. New York's brave volunteer firefighters now have the protections and help they need in the tragic event of a cancer diagnosis. We are tremendously grateful to the Governor for his action. We also thank State Senator Joseph Griffo, Assemblymember Aileen Gunther, Assemblymember Anthony Brindisi, and Assemblymember Brian Kolb for their leadership and support through this entire process. Because of them, the future generation of volunteer firefighters will not have to face cancer alone."
John P. Sroka, President of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs said, "All firefighters, regardless of whether they are paid or volunteer, fight identical fires. Because of this, all firefighters should be treated equally and receive equal benefits in the event of a cancer diagnosis. Thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, this is now a reality. New York's selfless volunteers, who sacrifice so much to protect all of us, now have the benefits that they need. The Fire Chiefs of New York applaud Governor Cuomo and the Legislature for their actions today and throughout this year's session."
Thomas Rinaldi, President of the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York said, "The Fire Districts of New York are grateful to Governor Andrew Cuomo and bill sponsors State Senator Joseph Griffo, Assemblymember Aileen Gunther, and Assemblymember Anthony Brindisi for protecting New York State's brave volunteer firefighters. Presumptive cancer coverage is an essential benefit for 21st century firefighters, and the signing of this legislation ensures that all firefighters in New York State will be equipped for 21st century fires. It is fitting that volunteers who sacrifice their time, safety, and health to protect their communities now have essential assistance available in their times of need."
Dr. Jacqueline Moline, Chair of the FASNY Health & Wellness Committee said, "Firefighters are exposed to an enormous variety of toxins and carcinogens in the line of duty and consequently are more likely to develop cancer than the general population. This is a medical fact. Because of this, it is necessary to offer additional benefits and protections to all firefighters so that if they do develop cancer, they are not left alone. The actions of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature will ensure that all firefighters in New York State will be recognized and assisted once they are diagnosed with cancer."
This legislation builds on a number of actions taken by this administration to protect the lives of both career and volunteer firefighters in New York State. Most recently, the Governor signed legislation expanding benefits for New Yorker's who participated in 9/11 response and recovery efforts. Under the bill, residents are eligible for unlimited paid leave at 100 percent of their regular salary dating back to the time of their diagnosis.
In 2015, the Governor announced the roll out of NY Responds, a universal approach to disaster response and recovery that connects emergency management agencies, fire and EMS responders with the New York State Emergency Operations Center in Albany.
Investments have also been made to upgrade the State Fire Academy, which provides critical training to first responders from communities across the state. Located in Montour Falls, the state secured $500,000 in federal funding in May, 2016 to support training efforts there, and since 2011, the Governor has invested $3 million to improve the facility and grounds.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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