Thursday, November 15, 2018
Navy SEALs, Marines Charged With Green Beret Logan Melgar’s Murder
A Daily Beast Exclusive
The victim allegedly discovered SEALs in Mali were stealing money from an informant fund and soliciting prostitutes.
By Kevin Maurer and Spencer Ackerman
The military has formally charged two Navy SEALs and two
special-operations Marines in one of the most grisly cases of fratricide
in recent U.S. history, The Daily Beast has learned.
Two members
of elite SEAL Team Six, Petty Officer Anthony E. DeDolph and Chief
Petty Officer Adam C. Matthews, along with two Marine Raiders face
charges that include felony murder, conspiracy, obstruction of justice,
burglary, hazing, and involuntary manslaughter in the strangulation death of a Green Beret, Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar. All four were charged with felony murder and with lying to investigators.
The
charges were proffered against the four on Wednesday, according to the
Navy. A preliminary hearing in military court is scheduled for December
10.
Melgar, assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group, was killed in the West African nation of Mali in June 2017, as first reported by the New York Times.
Click here for the full article.
NY Senator to Provide Assistance with Property Tax Exemptions and Utility Bill Reduction
Click on the flier to increase its size.
New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village, Far Rockaway) will be hosting a four-part event to provide his constituents with property tax exemptions and utility bill reduction assistance. Representatives from the following agencies will be present: NYS Comptroller's Office, NYC Department of Finance, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Margert Community Corporation and Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica.
Source: The Office of State Senator James Sanders Jr.
Judge Rejects Deal to Overhaul City’s Public Housing
By Luis Ferré-Sadurnà and Benjamin Weiser
A federal judge rejected a sweeping
settlement on Wednesday that would have appointed a monitor to oversee
the troubled New York City Housing Authority and required the city to
pump at least $1.2 billion into repairs.
The judge, William H. Pauley III, also strongly suggested that the federal government should take over the authority instead.
In
a scathing opinion, Judge Pauley deplored the “breathtaking scope” of
the squalid living conditions in the city’s public housing complexes. He
rebuked the city for its mismanagement of the agency, and said the
federal government had abdicated its legal responsibility to overhaul the nation’s largest stock of public housing that is home to about 400,000 vulnerable New Yorkers.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Times (via Empire Report New York)
NYC Public Advocate Candidates Debate, Clarify Mayoral Aspirations
By Gloria Pazmino
Candidates seeking to become New York city’s next public advocate
debated the powers and role of the office during a town hall on
Wednesday, with most agreeing it should be strengthened amid talk in the
City Council of abolishing the position altogether.
The race for public advocate is expected to be one of the most
crowded contests next year after Tish James, who currently holds the
post, is sworn in as attorney general. Council Members Rafael Espinal,
Eric Ulrich and Jumaane Williams were in attendance, along with
Assemblymen Daniel O’Donnell and Michael Blake, as well as first-time
candidates Dawn Smalls and Nomiki Konst.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Politico (via Empire Report New York)
MTA Proposals for Toll, Subway and Commuter Rail Hikes Revealed Ahead of Thursday Board Meeting
By Andrew Siff
The MTA plans to propose an 8 percent
toll hike -- double the usual percentage increase -- along with a 4
percent hike for commuter rail and express buses while keeping subway
base fare the same and eliminating the MetroCard bonus, sources familiar
with the plans tell News 4.
The agency plans to present its proposals at a board meeting Thursday.
Click here for summary.
Source: NBC News 4 New York (via Empire Report New York)
NYS Unemployment Rate Dips to 4.0%, Matching All-Time Low
ALBANY, NY — New York State’s unemployment rate
fell to 4.0% in October 2018, matching its lowest level on record (last
reached in May 1988), according to preliminary figures released today by
the New York State Department of Labor. In addition, the number of
unemployed New Yorkers fell in October, from 397,600 to 387,700, its
lowest level since April 2001. There was also a 26,600 person increase
in the state’s civilian labor force, the largest monthly gain recorded
since March 2004. Current labor force data extend back to 1976.
In addition, New York State’s private sector job count rose by
22,600, or 0.3%, to 8,218,800 in October 2018, a new, all-time high.
Since the beginning of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration, New
York State’s economy has added 1,124,700 private sector jobs and
experienced employment growth in 81 of the past 94 months.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NEWZJUNKY.com (via Empire Report New York)
New State Government Internship Opportunities for the Spring 2019 Semester
The New York State Department of Civil
Service today announced the availability of more than 400 new student
internships for the upcoming spring 2019 semester throughout New York
State government and encouraged students to apply before the December
21, 2018 application deadline.
The Student Intern Program is part of Governor Cuomo’s New
New York Leaders Initiative, which focuses on attracting new and
highly-skilled individuals to the State workforce through internship and
fellowship programs. More than 1,600 students have participated in the
Student Intern Program since its launch in 2012.
“Through Governor Cuomo’s Student Intern
Program, New York State is attracting and developing the next generation
of leaders interested in serving our great Empire State,” said Lola W. Brabham, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Civil Service. “I encourage all interested students to apply and to learn firsthand the value of a career in public service.”
“For SUNY students aspiring to work in
public service, the Student Intern Program is a valuable offering from
our partners at the Department of Civil Service,” said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson.
“This program opens doors to real hands-on experiences throughout New
York State government and a wide range of work in science, technology,
and humanities-related professions, which complements the education SUNY
provides on our 64 campuses.”
Student internships are available across a
wide array of state agencies – both upstate and downstate – with
opportunities in many professional disciplines such as information
technology, criminal justice, human services, and engineering. Through
this program, undergraduate and graduate students get valuable work
experience and mentorship from government leaders and policy-makers.
“During college and graduate school, I had
the good fortune to participate in a variety of internship programs
with New York State,” said Jessica Rowe, Staffing Services Program Manager at the New York State Department of Civil Service.
“It was through these internships that my interest in public service
truly blossomed. I have come a long way from my first job with the State
– planting flowers at a state park. Now, I have the opportunity to
effect positive change on human resources policies that impact New
Yorkers statewide.”
New York State has created a one-stop website – nysinternships.cs.ny.gov
– that allows applicants to view job descriptions, create profiles,
specify occupational interests, and upload resumes, writing samples, and
letters of recommendation. Students can apply for multiple internships
at the same time.
A current list of available internships for the spring 2019 session is available at: nysinternships.cs.ny.gov/nnyl/
Student internships are available to
undergraduate and graduate students at colleges and universities
throughout New York State, as well as New York residents enrolled
elsewhere. Each intern works in a particular area within an Executive
Branch agency or department.
Opportunities include paid and unpaid
positions, and internships may provide academic credit depending on the
policy of the intern’s educational institution.
Featured internships for the spring 2019 session include:
Enforcement Intern (Alcoholic Beverage Control Board - New York City): Student interns
will assist Investigators and other Enforcement staff in researching
data, summarizing police and/or investigative reports, taking phone
complaints regarding possible violations of the Alcoholic Beverage
Control Law, and other daily activities. Interns will also participate
in underage compliance checks and assist Investigators in the field.
Classification and Compensation Intern
(Department of Civil Service - Albany): As part of the Department’s
Division of Classification and Compensation, interns will gain an
exposure to human resource management, division operations, and how
budget considerations affect agency operations. Intern duties will
consist of a range of activities that include position classification
and reclassification, title allocation and reallocation, preparation of
Classification Standards, review and analysis of requests for salary
differentials, and occupational studies.
Bureau of Pesticide Management Intern (Department of Environmental Conservation – Stony Brook): The
intern will work with the Bureau of Pesticide Management’s Outreach and
Web committees to proactively promote program objectives. Tasks may
include drafting GovDelivery publications, updating program brochures,
publicizing pollinator protection, and videotaping program objectives
for training and social media promotion.
Youth and Young Adult Services Intern
(Office of Children and Family Services-Rensselaer): There are two
internships in the Office of Youth and Young Adult Services. One will
support the agency's Anti-Trafficking work, and the other will support
the Youth Development and Cross-Over Youth program areas. Duties include
research, supporting program initiatives and special events, creating,
reading, reviewing, and evaluating program materials, managing program
resources such as SharePoint, and other duties as assigned.
Three internship sessions are offered each year: spring, summer, and fall.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
The Republican Candidates Who Say Counting Votes Is ‘Stealing Elections’
In tight races across the country, some Republican candidates have sought to create a narrative without evidence that their wins are being stolen from them.
By Gideon Resnick
As a number of races have yet to be called throughout the country, a
number of Republican candidates in close contests have said that
standard vote-counting procedures are an effort by Democrats to steal
elections.
This has been most visible in Florida, where a messy
ballot process and a state-mandated machine recount have complicated a
razor-thin Senate race between Republican Gov. Rick Scott and incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. (The state’s gubernatorial race between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum is also under recount, though the initial margin there is larger for DeSantis.)
The senate election recount has involved lawsuits
and questions about how many provisional and mail-in ballots were
determined invalid because of signature discrepancies. It’s even
possible that a poor ballot design in liberal Broward County—where there were a lot of undervotes—could cost Nelson the race.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
Con Edison: Scammers Trying to Steal Money via Bitcoin Scheme
This report was originally broadcast on November 9.
Georgia Legislator, Arrested at Work, Says She Was ‘Singled Out as a Black Female Senator’
A white male colleague, who was not arrested at the same voting protest, agrees that state Sen. Nikema Williams was “treated differently.”
Georgia state Sen. Nikema Williams (D-Atlanta) was arrested along with more than a dozen other protesters at the Georgia State Capitol on Tuesday afternoon at a demonstration asking the state to “count every vote” from last week’s gubernatorial election. Protesters shouted “Let her go!” as Williams was handcuffed while the General Assembly was in session.
Williams, a civil rights advocate who organized domestic workers for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, was charged with misdemeanor obstruction of justice and spent about six hours at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.
“There are countless Georgians who cast their ballots and still don’t feel like their voices are heard,” she said in a statement after being released. “I joined them down on the floor, and I was singled out as a Black female senator standing in the rotunda with constituents.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Huffington Post
An Emoluments Suit Against Trump Is Moving Ahead. ProPublica Speaks to a Plaintiff About What’s Next.
“Trump, Inc.” Podcast Extra
Source: ProPublica
Vice President Pence Presses Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi on Rohingya, Jailed Journalists
Pence tells
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi in at a bilateral meeting in Singapore that
violence against Rohingya Muslims is “without excuse.” Suu Kyi replies:
“We understand our country better than any other country does.”
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Senate Republican Leaders Hold Press Conference
Following leadership elections, newly elected Senate Republican leaders speak with reporters.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Analyzing the Florida Recounts in Governor and Senate Races
Florida State University’s
Michael Morley talked about the ballot recount in Florida’s governor
and Senate races. He spoke via video link from Tallahassee.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Field for Public Advocate Special Election Comes Into Focus
Letitia James’ win in the race to become the next New York Attorney
General means there will be a special election early in 2019 to name New
York City’s next Public Advocate. The candidates for what will be a
roughly three-month race were just beginning to become clear when news
broke of planned City Council legislation calling for the position of
public advocate to be abolished, as reported by Politico.
Though the post of public advocate has had critics since it was
created during a massive 1989 New York City Charter revision process,
the Council bill faces an uphill path to passage, and the race to
replace James as one of just three popularly-elected citywide officials
will capture much of the city’s political attention over the coming
weeks.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Gotham Gazette (via Empire Report New York)
Cor Development Launches Thanksgiving Food and Clothing Drive
COR Development, is hosting a Thanksgiving holiday food and clothing
drive that will take place in COR’s shopping centers and other locations
around the Syracuse area.
From now through through November
20th, neighbors are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items and
toiletries, winter coats and jackets for adults and children, and
packaged white socks for adults and children.
The donations will be given to local non-profits In My Fathers Kitchen and the Dewitt Food Pantry.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Empire Report New York
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Stan Lee Created 'The X-Men' as an Anti-Bigotry Story
This video was published on YouTube on July 29, 2013.
Stan Lee answering a question at 2013 Fandomfest in Louisville, Kentucky on why he created the X-Men as diverse characters.
Source: Comicbook.com
CNN Sues Trump for Banning Journalist Jim Acosta from White House
Lawsuit names six White House and Secret Service staff, including the president
By Sarah Harvard, New York, and Chris Stevenson
CNN is suing Donald Trump and several of his aides after the network’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta was banned from accessing the building.
Last week, the White House suspended Mr Acosta’s press pass, after the reporter asked the president about his language surrounding the migrant caravan heading to the US border, resulting in a heated exchange. The White House accused Mr Acosta of placing his hands on an intern who was trying to take a microphone away from him during the press conference.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later shared an apparently distorted video clip of the press conference as evidence.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Independent
Senators Schumer and Nelson Call for the Recusal of Gov. Rick Scott
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Bill Nelson call for the recusal of Governor Rick Scott in the Florida U.S. Senate race and say all votes should be counted even if it takes longer than the current Sunday deadline.
Click here for video.
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