Click here for details.
Source: CBS 6 WRGB Albany
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Alabama Newspaper Publisher Calls on KKK to Get the Ropes and ‘Clean Up D.C.’
By Ed Mazza
An Alabama newspaper published an editorial calling “for the Ku Klux Klan to night ride again.”
The editorial in the Democrat-Reporter newspaper in Linden, Alabama, said the KKK “would be welcome to raid the gated communities up there,” apparently referring to where Democrats and “Democrats in the Republican Party” live in and around Washington, D.C.
The editorial blamed both for “plotting to raise taxes in Alabama.”
Goodloe Sutton, the newspaper’s publisher, told the Montgomery Advertiser that he wrote the editorial.
He was unapologetic.
“If we could get the Klan to go up there and clean out D.C., we’d all been better off,” he told the newspaper. “We’ll get the hemp ropes out, loop them over a tall limb and hang all of them.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Huffington Post
Are You One of the 380,000 Taxpayers Missing Out on Billions in Tax Credits?
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded New York State taxpayers to check their eligibility for earned income tax credits (EITCs). As some of the most valuable tax credits, EITCs can significantly reduce the amount of taxes owed or provide a substantial refund to low- or middle-income workers and families.
EITCs are refundable federal, New York State, and New York City credits for working taxpayers. For tax year 2018, the maximum total of federal, state, and New York City EITCs is $8,682 (for a family with three children). Income eligibility requirements are shown in the chart attached.
“As its name implies, you’ve earned this potentially substantial cash windfall by working,” said Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion, “so please review your eligibility and claim the credit you’re due.”
In tax year 2016, almost 1.8 million New Yorkers received the federal EITC. When the federal, New York State, and New York City benefits were combined, the benefit to working families and individuals was more than $5.2 billion, with an average benefit of almost $2,950 per household.
To view regional EITC data, visit Earned Income Tax Credits: Tax year 2016 Data.
Check eligibility requirements each year
Each year, thousands of New Yorkers qualify for the EITC for the first time as their filing status or personal financial situation changes. The IRS estimates that nearly 380,000 eligible New Yorkers fail to claim these valuable credits.
In addition to the specific income requirements, taxpayers must meet other criteria such as:earn wages from employment or self-employment; have a valid Social Security number; have a qualifying child living with them for more than half the year, or, if they don’t have a qualifying child, be at least 25 years of age and under age 65; and have investment income of less than $3,500.
Taxpayers must also file a tax return, even if they don’t owe any tax or aren’t otherwise required to file. Those eligible who prepare their returns electronically will be automatically prompted to claim this credit and others. Those who were eligible in previous years, but didn’t claim the credit, may still be able to submit an amended income tax return for up to three years.
The Tax Department also reminded those ineligible for EITC benefits to look for other possible tax credits that they might be eligible to claim, such as the child and dependent care credit.
Noncustodial parent earned income tax credit
In 2006, New York State became the first state in the nation to enact a noncustodial parent EITC. The refundable credit is one of the many ways the state encourages low-income noncustodial parents to work and stay current with their child support payments.
In 2016, almost 5,200 taxpayers claimed the noncustodial parent EITC, totaling almost $2.6 million in taxpayer benefits.
Visit the following for additional information.
Federal Earned Income Tax Credit
New York State Earned Income Tax Credit
Recordkeeping suggestions for self-employed persons
Source: The
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
Governor Cuomo Unveils 2019 Women’s Justice Agenda
Earlier today, Secretary to the Governor and Chair of the New York State Council on Women and Girls Melissa DeRosa, joined by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and actress and advocate Julianne Moore, unveiled the 2019 Women's Justice Agenda.
This bold, comprehensive set of proposals builds on the success of Governor Cuomo's 2018 women's accomplishments to improve reproductive, economic and social justice for all New York women.
The full 2019 Women's Justice Agenda is available here.
This bold, comprehensive set of proposals builds on the success of Governor Cuomo's 2018 women's accomplishments to improve reproductive, economic and social justice for all New York women.
The full 2019 Women's Justice Agenda is available here.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Chicago Tribune Columnist Clarence Page Discusses News of the Day
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Daryl Kimball on the Upcoming U.S.-North Korea Summit
C-SPAN: Arms Control Association’s Daryl Kimball previews next week’s U.S.-North
Korea summit and the future of the INF Treaty between the United States
and Russia.
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Roger Stone Ordered to Appear in Court After Instagram Post of Judge with Crosshairs
Note: From The G-Man published an editorial on February 18 urging Judge Amy Berman Jackson to hold Stone accountable for his actions.
Bernie Sanders Announces 2020 Run: Extended CBS News Interview
CBS News: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says he will run again for the Democratic
nomination. In this extended conversation with "CBS This Morning"
co-host John Dickerson, Sanders discusses taking another shot at the
presidency and why he believes this campaign will succeed. He also
discusses foreign policy, retail giant Amazon, and the bombshell claims
made by former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe on Sunday's "60
Minutes."
Monday, February 18, 2019
Why Judge Amy Berman Jackson Must Hold Roger Stone Accountable for Crosshairs Instagram Post
The following was published on BuzzFeed News by Ryan Mac and Zoe Tillman.
Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative and adviser to President Donald Trump who was charged with lying to Congress, posted a photo Monday on Instagram of a judge presiding over his case in which she appears to be next to a crosshairs symbol.
The
post comes days after the judge, US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson,
rejected Stone's effort to get his case reassigned to a new judge.
Jackson also previously ruled that Stone couldn’t talk to news outlets in front of her courthouse.
Click here for the full article.
From
The G-Man is publishing the following report for the benefit of Judge
Berman Jackson and judges at the federal, state and local level across
the country.
Blogger Hal Turner Convicted of Threatening Judges
Ah the joys of blogging -- the informal style gives bloggers the ability to comment on virtually anything. But virtually anything still means that the laws of the physical world apply to the cyber world. Case in point: right-wing blogger Hal Turner has recently been convicted of threatening judges based on some inflammatory blog posts he made on his blog.
The offensive post was in response to a 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that upheld a gun ban in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois. Not happy with the ruling by federal judges Richard Bauer, Frank Easterbrook, and Richard Posner, Turner took to his blog, writing: "The tree of liberty must be replenished from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots. Let me be the first to say this plainly: These judges must die. Their blood will replenish the tree of liberty," reports MSNBC. Turner also posted the judges' personal phone numbers and addresses.
The self-proclaimed "Conservative Internet Shock Jock" faces up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his cyber threat. This case shows the tension between free speech and threats. Although Turner has a right to publically comment on the ruling, he took his first amendment privileges too far by commenting on the rulers themselves. More than just fighting words, the threat against federal judges coupled with providing contact information was enough to seal the conviction in this case.
Whether online or in person, threatening language is not a form of protected speech. Unlike a verbal threat, comments made online are much easier to prove in a case like this because of the physical evidence of the statements. More alarming in this case were the number of comments posted by Turner's readers agreeing with his call for violence. Turner claims that his comments were part of a mission he was doing for the FBI. MSNBC adds the details behind his failed defense: Turner was acting as a paid informant by the FBI to find dangerous neo-Nazi and white-supremacist members of his audience for the government.
From The G-Man suspects Roger Stone was fully-aware of what he was doing when he published the judge's photo and crosshairs symbol on Instagram. It's called intent, and just because he decided to delete it means absolutely nothing. The fact that he issued a public apology is a clear indication that he knew what he did was wrong. Given the level of anger, bitterness and division in the country, incidents like the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, and his legion of rabid supporters, Stone's post must not and should not be taken lightly. Actions have consequences, and it's high time that Roger Stone, a man who acts as though he's untouchable, be taught a serious lesson on the dangerous and irresponsible use of social media.
9/11 Victim Compensation Fund is Running Out of Money
By Dominique Mosbergen
In a “devastating” blow to the victims of the 9/11 attacks and their families, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund says it will be slashing its payouts to claimants by as much as 70 percent because of its rapidly depleting cash pool.
The $7.3 billion fund, which was established in 2011 to compensate victims impacted by toxic exposure at the sites of the 9/11 attacks, revealed Friday that it had just $2 billion left in its coffers. According to the fund’s administrator, Rupa Bhattacharyya, this amount will need to cover almost 20,000 currently pending claims, as well as thousands of additional claims expected to be filed before the expiration of the fund in December 2020.
To provide some perspective on how thinly spread the fund now is, Bhattacharyya noted in a statement that the VCF’s first $5 billion was divvied up between about 21,000 claims.
Because of the lack of resources, the fund said any pending claims filed before Feb. 1, 2019, would be paid out at 50 percent of their original value. Those received after this date will be paid at just 30 percent.
Bhattacharyya expressed deep regret that such reductions had to be made but said there had been no way for the fund to accurately predict how many claims it would receive.
She told NPR that the number of claims had sharply increased since 2015. She said the long latency period for some cancers may be a reason behind the surge.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Huffington Post
Ivan Eland on Presidents' Use of Executive Power
C-SPAN: Independent Institute Senior Fellow Ivan Eland discusses President
Trump’s use of executive power in the border wall debate and how
presidents have used executive power in the past.
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Melania Trump Unveils New Healing Garden at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
MIAMI, FL – First Lady Melania Trump traveled to Miami this morning to
unveil the new “Morton and Linda Bouchard Healing Garden” at Nicklaus
Children’s Hospital. The healing garden will offer a place of comfort
and reprieve for patients and their families. The First Lady also
unveiled the new name of the “Esrick Dream Foundation Cardiac Intensive
Care Floor” which is also part of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children and is home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States. One of the fundamental pillars making up the First Lady’s Be Best initiative is the well-being of children. The addition of the hospital’s new healing garden is a prime example of how to help nurture, support, and strengthen children currently fighting diseases.
“It is because of the generous donations of people like Morton and Linda Bouchard, or Steve and Kiki Esrick of the Dream Foundation, that hospitals can offer more care and comfort to children who are already battling to get well,” said First Lady Melania Trump. “Thank you to all the generous donors for supporting the hospital and thank you to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus for inviting me to be part of this special occasion. I hope the new garden brings renewed strength to each child that visits.”
Following her remarks, Mrs. Trump participated in a butterfly release with Barbara Nicklaus, a young patient and her twin sister.
Mrs. Trump visited with a few of the children currently patients on the Cardiac Intensive Care Floor before departing.
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children and is home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States. One of the fundamental pillars making up the First Lady’s Be Best initiative is the well-being of children. The addition of the hospital’s new healing garden is a prime example of how to help nurture, support, and strengthen children currently fighting diseases.
“It is because of the generous donations of people like Morton and Linda Bouchard, or Steve and Kiki Esrick of the Dream Foundation, that hospitals can offer more care and comfort to children who are already battling to get well,” said First Lady Melania Trump. “Thank you to all the generous donors for supporting the hospital and thank you to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus for inviting me to be part of this special occasion. I hope the new garden brings renewed strength to each child that visits.”
Following her remarks, Mrs. Trump participated in a butterfly release with Barbara Nicklaus, a young patient and her twin sister.
Mrs. Trump visited with a few of the children currently patients on the Cardiac Intensive Care Floor before departing.
Source: The Office of the First Lady
How the Federal Government Undermines Prison Education
By Jordan Smith
Aaron Kinzel grew up poor in Toledo, Ohio, and from an early
age, he was pulled into a life of crime. He didn’t know his father, and
his mother’s partners encouraged him to break into houses, sell drugs,
and engage in various forms of violence. “I just grew up around a lot of
bullshit,” he says. “I was really groomed to be a professional
criminal.”
He was a teenager on probation in 1997 when he left the Midwest on an
ill-fated road trip to Maine with his girlfriend. He was carrying drugs
and a loaded gun when he was pulled over by a state trooper. With the
officer standing outside his car window, Kinzel panicked. He pulled his
weapon and fired at the officer, who fired a return shot into the air as
he dropped to the ground. That prompted the trooper’s partner to
unload: He fired 15 rounds from a 9 mm Beretta into Kinzel’s car.
Amazingly, no one was injured — not even the state trooper. Kinzel’s
shot had missed him completely. “It was miraculous,” he recalls.
After a high-speed chase and a night on the lam, Kinzel and his
girlfriend were apprehended. Kinzel was charged with the attempted
murder of a police officer and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Behind bars, his life changed. He earned a GED while awaiting trial,
and once in prison, that made him eligible to take college-level
classes. He was encouraged to do so not only by the teachers working
inside his Maine correctional institution, but also by the lifers he met
there. “They were scholars,” he recalls. “They have just been reading
for decades and had changed their lives.” They told Kinzel to eschew a
life of violence and pursue an education. While still incarcerated, he
scraped up enough money to take one for-credit college course. He was
hooked. Once he was released, at age 28, Kinzel kept going. He got
bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is currently working on a doctorate
at the University of Michigan, Dearborn, where he also teaches classes
in criminal justice. “I think about the dumb shit I did as a kid and
think, God, night and day as compared to how I am now.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Intercept_
Additional $15 Million Available for New Yorkers Faced with a Heating Emergency
A total of $15 million in additional funding is available to help eligible New Yorkers heat their homes following a spate of severe weather over the past month. Starting Tuesday, February 19, households in danger of running out of heating fuel or having their utility service shut off may apply for a second emergency benefit through the Home Energy Assistance Program.
In addition, Governor Cuomo announced the extension of the application period for both regular and emergency HEAP benefits until April 26.
"Families should not have to choose between heating their homes and paying for other essentials like food or medications," Governor Cuomo said. "With much of the state remaining in winter's icy grasp, the availability of this extra funding will help our most vulnerable New Yorkers stay warm and safe through the duration of the season. I encourage anyone who may need help paying their heating bills this winter to apply for assistance."
Households are ordinarily only eligible to receive one regular HEAP benefit each winter, and then one emergency HEAP benefit in the event of an energy crisis. Beginning Tuesday, households that have already received a regular and emergency benefit during this HEAP season will be able to apply for additional assistance if they are faced with the possibility of having a utility shut off or running out of heating fuel without the means to replenish it.
New York State's persistently cold temperatures and snowfall in recent weeks have been comparable to last winter - one of the coldest on record. The statewide demand for emergency HEAP benefits remains high, with more than 35,000 households seeking assistance so far this year.
Though temperatures remained seasonally mild to start the winter, a polar vortex plunged New York into a deep freeze in January, where temperatures in many areas of the state dipped below zero. Additionally, several winter storm systems brought significant accumulations of snow throughout the state, including a lake-effect band that set a daily snowfall record in Buffalo late last month.
The amount a household receives from HEAP depends on their income, household size and how the home is heated. A family of four can have a household income of up to $55,178 per year, or $4,598 per month, and still qualify for help. A household that heats with oil could receive more than $2,200 in total assistance this winter.
Overseen by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, HEAP is 100 percent federally funded. Applications for emergency HEAP are accepted at local departments of social services in person or by telephone. A list of offices by county can be found here.
New York State also provides other types of home energy support for low income families that can help them save energy, improve their home, and save money. EmPower New York, through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, provides no-cost energy efficiency solutions to nearly 135,000 income-eligible New Yorkers who either own or rent homes. More information is available here.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
New York State's persistently cold temperatures and snowfall in recent weeks have been comparable to last winter - one of the coldest on record. The statewide demand for emergency HEAP benefits remains high, with more than 35,000 households seeking assistance so far this year.
Though temperatures remained seasonally mild to start the winter, a polar vortex plunged New York into a deep freeze in January, where temperatures in many areas of the state dipped below zero. Additionally, several winter storm systems brought significant accumulations of snow throughout the state, including a lake-effect band that set a daily snowfall record in Buffalo late last month.
The amount a household receives from HEAP depends on their income, household size and how the home is heated. A family of four can have a household income of up to $55,178 per year, or $4,598 per month, and still qualify for help. A household that heats with oil could receive more than $2,200 in total assistance this winter.
Overseen by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, HEAP is 100 percent federally funded. Applications for emergency HEAP are accepted at local departments of social services in person or by telephone. A list of offices by county can be found here.
New York State also provides other types of home energy support for low income families that can help them save energy, improve their home, and save money. EmPower New York, through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, provides no-cost energy efficiency solutions to nearly 135,000 income-eligible New Yorkers who either own or rent homes. More information is available here.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
New Allegation Surfaces That Jussie Smollett Staged His Own Attack: Source
This video was published on YouTube on February 17.
Coverage of Protests Opposing Trump's National Emergency Declaration
Warning: The coverage may contain language not suitable for all viewers. Discretion is advised.
(Bonus Report)
Legal Challenges After Trump Declares National Emergency
Legal Challenges After Trump Declares National Emergency
'It Eats Holes in the Animals Brain': 'Zombie Deer Disease' Causing Stir in U.S. Midwest, SK, AB, QC
This video was published on YouTube on February 17.
Global News: Chronic Wasting Disease, now, better-known as 'Zombie Deer Disease' is
making-headlines across the U.S. midwest. The first case was discovered
in Colorado back in 1967. The deadly-disease has since spread to 23
other states and into the Canadian provinces of Alberta and
Saskatchewan. Other known cases can be in Norway, Finland and South
Korea.
Billionaire Richard Branson Announces Venezuelan Benefit Concert
This report was published on YouTube on February 15.
Federation of Black Canadians Demand Apology from Trudeau After Racial Profiling on Parliament Hill
This report was published on YouTube on February 15.
City Scoop: City's $92.2B Proposed Budget for FY2020, Education Council Elections, 50 Schools Join Bronx Plan
This video was published on YouTube on February 15.
New York City to Ban Discrimination Based on Hair
New guidelines out this week give legal recourse to individuals who have been harassed, punished or fired because of the style of their hair.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Times
Rubén DÃaz Makes Homophobic Remarks. Should He Be Expelled From the City Council?
Rubén DÃaz Sr. has had a long history of making offensive remarks about
homosexuals, and then ignoring calls to apologize or resign because of
them.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Times
Health Care in New York: Long-Term Help for Family Caregivers Exists. It’s Just Really, Really Complicated to Get it.
By Roshan Abraham
In July of 2017, Ken Carlino’s 86-year-old mother stopped eating. She
spent three days in the hospital, and lost 10 pounds, which left the
already frail elder even weaker.
Carlino and is siblings saw that their mother’s savings were scant
and that if she paid off her credit card debt she’d be eligible for
Medicaid. After some reluctance, she agreed to pay down the debt and
apply for Medicaid that August. Carlino sent in a request for the
expedited program on her behalf.
She received a letter of approval two
months later in late October of 2017.
“That’s when I started getting paid,”says Carlino, a consultant and
former city employee in his mid 50’s who effectively became a full-time
caretaker to his mother.
For family members who need long-term caregiving, programs like the
state’s Paid Family Leave will not suffice. “In general, long-term care
needs come up after some kind of trigger or illness,”says Maria Hunter,
Director of the Public Benefits Unit at New York Legal Assistance Group.
Click here for the full article.
Source: CITYLIMITS.org
Smashed Window at Brooklyn Synagogue Leads to Concerns About More Hate Crimes
By Tyler Pager
As the Sabbath entered the early morning
hours on Saturday, about 15 people remained at the Chabad of Bushwick.
Rabbi Menachem Heller, seated at the long dinner table, was talking to
some of the congregants. His wife was feeding one of their children, as
five others played in the storefront synagogue.
Then, around 2 a.m., the jubilant celebration was interrupted by a deafening sound.
Rabbi
Heller grabbed his children and hid in a corner, unsure of what caused
the noise. Then, he saw two faces peer through the broken storefront and
scamper away. The glass window had been smashed, leaving a gaping hole.
The police said they were investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Times
Statement by Governor Andrew Cuomo
"I am deeply disturbed by the apparent attack on the Chabad of Bushwick Synagogue, where a window was smashed during the Sabbath. This act of hate is shocking and abhorrent, especially at a time of great division in this country. I am directing the State Police Hate Crimes Unit to assist the NYPD in their investigation into this disgusting act.
"In New York, there is no place for anti-Semitism or hate of any kind. We will always stand with the Jewish community and we will never forget that the most powerful four letter word is not hate, it's love."
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo
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