Monday, April 20, 2020
New Yorkers Can Now Apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
The New York State Department of Labor today announced the launch of a new application for New Yorkers to apply for traditional Unemployment Insurance or the new COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. This one-stop-shop for unemployment benefits will connect New Yorkers with the benefits they deserve faster, without requiring them to call the Department of Labor.
Prior to today, due to cumbersome federal guidelines, New Yorkers were required to apply for regular Unemployment Insurance and be rejected before applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. With this new application, which aligns with updated federal policy, New Yorkers will be able to simply fill out one form to get the correct benefits.
In conjunction with this morning's rollout of the improved application, DOL has been deploying over 3,100 representatives solely dedicated to answering unemployment benefit needs seven days a week. This is up from 400 who previously manned the DOL call center prior to the pandemic.
Since the COVID-19 crisis began, DOL has paid approximately $2.2 billion in Unemployment Insurance benefits to 1.1 million New Yorkers. The application call backlog prior to April 8 has been reduced to 4,305 from 275,000.
"I have been unemployed before myself, and I understand the pain, fear and anxiety New Yorkers are facing. The DOL's mission is to help our neighbors through some of their toughest days, and in the last week we have made great strides in updating our systems," NYS Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. "While it appears the coronavirus pandemic is beginning to stabilize — at least from the public health perspective — we know that many New Yorkers are still facing an uncertain economic future, and the Department of Labor will continue to dedicate every resource available to helping New Yorkers weather this storm."
The updated unemployment benefits application system, available here, will determine which unemployment program — unemployment insurance or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance — New Yorkers should apply for and then prompt them to answer a specific set of questions. The application builds on the new online system the department rolled out on Friday, April 10th, in partnership with the State Office of Information Technology Services and Google Cloud, to help manage the exponential and unprecedented increase in new claims resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which was included in the Federal CARES Act, provides unemployment benefits for individuals who are ineligible for traditional unemployment insurance. Examples of those covered by PUA include:
Self-employed New Yorkers;
Independent contractors;
New Yorkers who worked for an app-based company (i.e. "gig workers")
Farmers;
Those diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have COVD-19 symptoms and are seeking a diagnosis;
Those living with a household member who has been diagnosed with COVID-19;
Those providing care for a family or household member diagnosed with COVID-19;
A primary caregiver for a child unable to attend school or another facility due to COVID-19;
Those unable to reach their place of employment due to an imposed quarantine or because they have been advised by a medical provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19;
Those scheduled to commence new employment that cannot reach their workplace as a direct result of COVID-19;
Those who became a major breadwinner because the head of their household died from COVID-19;
Those who quit their job as a direct result of COVID-19;
Those whose place of employment closed as a direct result of COVID-19;
Those with insufficient work history and affected by COVID-19; and
New Yorkers otherwise not qualified for regular or extended UI benefits and affected by COVID-19
In addition, New Yorkers concerned about food insecurity are reminded that resources are available across the state. Anyone looking for assistance can find a local food bank, including those supported by New York State, by visiting Feeding America's website here.
The New York State Department of Labor is dedicated to ensuring that every New Yorker who is entitled to unemployment insurance benefits will receive all benefits due. New Yorkers seeking to file an unemployment insurance claim can click here or call the Telephone Claim Center at (888) 209-8124.
Below are some resources that will assist New Yorkers in filing their claims:
Prior to today, due to cumbersome federal guidelines, New Yorkers were required to apply for regular Unemployment Insurance and be rejected before applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. With this new application, which aligns with updated federal policy, New Yorkers will be able to simply fill out one form to get the correct benefits.
In conjunction with this morning's rollout of the improved application, DOL has been deploying over 3,100 representatives solely dedicated to answering unemployment benefit needs seven days a week. This is up from 400 who previously manned the DOL call center prior to the pandemic.
Since the COVID-19 crisis began, DOL has paid approximately $2.2 billion in Unemployment Insurance benefits to 1.1 million New Yorkers. The application call backlog prior to April 8 has been reduced to 4,305 from 275,000.
"I have been unemployed before myself, and I understand the pain, fear and anxiety New Yorkers are facing. The DOL's mission is to help our neighbors through some of their toughest days, and in the last week we have made great strides in updating our systems," NYS Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. "While it appears the coronavirus pandemic is beginning to stabilize — at least from the public health perspective — we know that many New Yorkers are still facing an uncertain economic future, and the Department of Labor will continue to dedicate every resource available to helping New Yorkers weather this storm."
The updated unemployment benefits application system, available here, will determine which unemployment program — unemployment insurance or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance — New Yorkers should apply for and then prompt them to answer a specific set of questions. The application builds on the new online system the department rolled out on Friday, April 10th, in partnership with the State Office of Information Technology Services and Google Cloud, to help manage the exponential and unprecedented increase in new claims resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which was included in the Federal CARES Act, provides unemployment benefits for individuals who are ineligible for traditional unemployment insurance. Examples of those covered by PUA include:
Self-employed New Yorkers;
Independent contractors;
New Yorkers who worked for an app-based company (i.e. "gig workers")
Farmers;
Those diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have COVD-19 symptoms and are seeking a diagnosis;
Those living with a household member who has been diagnosed with COVID-19;
Those providing care for a family or household member diagnosed with COVID-19;
A primary caregiver for a child unable to attend school or another facility due to COVID-19;
Those unable to reach their place of employment due to an imposed quarantine or because they have been advised by a medical provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19;
Those scheduled to commence new employment that cannot reach their workplace as a direct result of COVID-19;
Those who became a major breadwinner because the head of their household died from COVID-19;
Those who quit their job as a direct result of COVID-19;
Those whose place of employment closed as a direct result of COVID-19;
Those with insufficient work history and affected by COVID-19; and
New Yorkers otherwise not qualified for regular or extended UI benefits and affected by COVID-19
In addition, New Yorkers concerned about food insecurity are reminded that resources are available across the state. Anyone looking for assistance can find a local food bank, including those supported by New York State, by visiting Feeding America's website here.
The New York State Department of Labor is dedicated to ensuring that every New Yorker who is entitled to unemployment insurance benefits will receive all benefits due. New Yorkers seeking to file an unemployment insurance claim can click here or call the Telephone Claim Center at (888) 209-8124.
Below are some resources that will assist New Yorkers in filing their claims:
Source: The New York State Department of Labor
Governor Cuomo is a Central Figure in the State’s COVID-19 Nursing Home Crisis
Industry Insider Explains Surge in Coronavirus Deaths at NY
Senior Care Facilities, Urges Trump to Send in Army Medical Teams
Senior Care Facilities, Urges Trump to Send in Army Medical Teams
(AN EXCLUSIVE)
THE G-MAN INTERVIEWS: JACK HALPERN
By Gary Glennell Toms
In an April 18 edition of the New York Daily News, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called nursing homes "the biggest concern for New York authorities battling the coronavirus pandemic, even as a lower overall total of 540 people died in the past day."
“The relatively lower death toll represents a dip of more than 25% from just a few days ago. But the governor said the still-raging epidemic claimed 36 elderly victims in nursing homes — and still poses a dire threat,” the report stated.
“Nursing homes are the single biggest fear in all of this,” said Governor Cuomo. “Vulnerable people in one place, it is the feeding frenzy for this virus.”
“The relatively lower death toll represents a dip of more than 25% from just a few days ago. But the governor said the still-raging epidemic claimed 36 elderly victims in nursing homes — and still poses a dire threat,” the report stated.
“Nursing homes are the single biggest fear in all of this,” said Governor Cuomo. “Vulnerable people in one place, it is the feeding frenzy for this virus.”
“Nursing homes are the No. 1 long term consequence of this disease,” he added.
My guest for this installment is Jack Halpern, Founder and Chairman of MyEdler, a New York-based elder-rights company. According to Halpern, it’s the only independent advocacy company in the world focused exclusively on the needs of elders. Mr. Halpern has made several appearances on The G-Man Interviews and is here to discuss the surge in COVID-19 deaths at senior care facilities in New York and other states.
The interview was conducted on April 17.
Photo courtesy of Jack Halpern
The interview was conducted on April 17.
Photo courtesy of Jack Halpern
Friday, April 17, 2020
Dr. Wayne Frederick on COVID-19 Racial and Health Disparities
C-SPAN: Howard University president Dr. Wayne Frederick talked about racial and health disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the SWC Archives: The Hitler Letter
The Hitler Letter,
on prominent display in the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of
Tolerance, is one of the crown jewels of the Museum’s vast archival
collection. The Hitler Letter, written over one hundred years ago by Adolf Hitler on September 16, 1919, six years before Mein Kampf, is the first letter in which Hitler outlines his plan calling for, “The uncompromising removal of the Jews altogether.”
This historic letter is a shocking reminder that the indestructible roots of anti-Semitism and hate are flourishing once again, only 70 years after the Holocaust. Since acquiring The Hitler Letter, it has been seen by tens of thousands of Museum visitors as well as by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; President Barack Obama; President Donald Trump; Prime Minister Tony Blair; German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier; Israeli President Reuven Rivlin as well as celebrities including George Clooney, Tom Cruise and Barbra Streisand.
This historic letter is a shocking reminder that the indestructible roots of anti-Semitism and hate are flourishing once again, only 70 years after the Holocaust. Since acquiring The Hitler Letter, it has been seen by tens of thousands of Museum visitors as well as by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; President Barack Obama; President Donald Trump; Prime Minister Tony Blair; German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier; Israeli President Reuven Rivlin as well as celebrities including George Clooney, Tom Cruise and Barbra Streisand.
The Hitler Letter, used as a teaching tool in the Museum's acclaimed Tools for Tolerance® program, as well as with students, educators, and adults, warns of the danger when hate and anti-Semitism go unchecked.
Source: The Simon Wiesenthal Center
Source: The Simon Wiesenthal Center
Detained Migrants Win in Federal Court
Judge Greenlights Nationwide Class Action Lawsuit
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A federal judge ruled today that a nationwide class action lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can proceed, greenlighting a challenge to ICE’s system-wide failure to provide standard medical and mental health care and disability accommodations for people in its custody.
Click here for the full report.
Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center
Could Africa Become the Next Disease Epicentre?
FRANCE 24 English: Healthcare workers with Doctors Without Borders are worried Africa could become the next disease epicentre. Natalie Roberts, emergency doctor with the MSF, says that risks include the overcrowded conditions, lack of access to basic hygiene measures, and minimal resources for intensive care and oxygen treatment.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
'Free the Vulnerable!': A Virtual Town Hall on Decarceration
The Event Will Be Held on April 21 from 6-8 PM
The Abolitionist Law Center will host a Virtual Zoom Rally/Info Session to
call on Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and legislators to do more to decarcerate seniors
during the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than 20% of the PA Department of Corrections inmate population is over the age of 50. Over 700 hundred "lifers" in Pennsylvania are over the age of 65. Statistically people aged 55 and over have the lowest recidivism rate and constitute the least threat to public safety if they were released. According to the ALC, "The Governor, the DOC and Legislature know this. It's time to demand they act in the interest of public health and public safety.
Click here for additional information.
Rudolph Sutton, the First Person to Die of COVID-19 at a State Correctional Facility
Rudolph Sutton, was the first person to Die of COVID-19 at a State
Correctional Facility, SCI Phoenix in Collegeville Pennsylvania. He was a
lifer who spent 30 yrs in prison, and had a pending innocence claim
with the Temple Innocence Project.
We at Prison Radio offer our deepest sympathies to his family.
We at Prison Radio offer our deepest sympathies to his family.
The Innocence Project put out an article reporting the death of Rudolph Sutton. Sutton's son, Rudolpho stated:
"My father always maintained his innocence and believed someday he would be free. Our family is devastated by his passing but hope his death will lead to quicker actions to release his co-defendants and others who do not belong in prison because they are innocent.”
"My father always maintained his innocence and believed someday he would be free. Our family is devastated by his passing but hope his death will lead to quicker actions to release his co-defendants and others who do not belong in prison because they are innocent.”
The Inquirer also reported the death of an inmate at the county jail Riverview on State Rd in Philadelphia this Tuesday,
48-year-old Yvonne Harris, who would've been eligible for release in
August and was serving a 13-28 month sentence for robbery.
Notably, she would not have been eligible for early release under criminally deficient "release guidelines" the Philadelphia judiciary is currently using to process release requests. Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner notes "her sentence for drug related crimes should not have been a death sentence". The Philadelphia Common Pleas court can release thousands of at risk inmates and is refusing to do so.
Make no mistake. These deaths and the coming nightmare of more deaths is and was avoidable.
Call out John Wetzel, Secretary of the PA DOC, who is still standing by and doing nothing. Governor Tom Wolf has failed to act. The PA judiciary has even more blood on their hands.
No one should die in prison, especially when the state and the prisons are ignoring the danger of Covid-19. A danger shared by prisoners, guards, and the community.
Notably, she would not have been eligible for early release under criminally deficient "release guidelines" the Philadelphia judiciary is currently using to process release requests. Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner notes "her sentence for drug related crimes should not have been a death sentence". The Philadelphia Common Pleas court can release thousands of at risk inmates and is refusing to do so.
Make no mistake. These deaths and the coming nightmare of more deaths is and was avoidable.
Call out John Wetzel, Secretary of the PA DOC, who is still standing by and doing nothing. Governor Tom Wolf has failed to act. The PA judiciary has even more blood on their hands.
No one should die in prison, especially when the state and the prisons are ignoring the danger of Covid-19. A danger shared by prisoners, guards, and the community.
Al Jazeera Close Up: Sister Angelique, 'The Hand of God'
Al Jazeera English: In 2013, Sister Angelique Namaika was awarded the Nansen refugee prize by the UNHCR. It was in recognition of her extensive work with more than 2,000 women in DRC. Many of these women are survivors of rape and abuse by fighters of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
The prize came with an award $100,00, allowing her to expand her Centre for Reintegration and Development in Dungu.
''Even though I can’t end poverty, everyone does what they can. Even if you save one life, it’s still a life'', says Sister Angelique.
Africans Getting Over Aversion to Face Masks
FRANCE 24 English: After experiencing Ebola in 2014 and 2015, West Africans are showing resourcefulness in ramping up testing and improvising solutions where self-isolation is not possible says Professor Stanley Okolo, director general of the West African Health Organisation.
NYC Comptroller Talks COVID-19 Relief Plan for Vulnerable Communities
PIX11 News: Scott Stringer speaks with PIX11's Dan Mannarino about his proposal to help communities of color hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis. The comptroller's multi-faceted strategic approach to protecting vulnerable New Yorkers includes using vacant hotels and dormitories to house homeless and alleviate overcrowding, providing PPE to all cleaning and maintenance workers and home health aides. Stringer is also calling for the creation of a victim's compensation fund for COVID-19 frontline families who have lost a loved one, similar to the 9/11 fund.
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