This video was published on YouTube on May 4, 2017.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation to Cut Property Taxes and Cost of Local Government
This video was published on YouTube on May 4, 2017.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Massive Phishing Attack Targets Millions of Gmail Users
The worm — which arrives in users' inboxes posing as an email from a
trusted contact — asks you to check out an attached "Google Docs," or
GDocs, file. Clicking on the link takes you to your real Google security
profile, where you're asked to give permission for the fake app posing
as GDocs to manage your email account.
To make matters worse, the worm also sends
itself out to all of your contacts — Gmail or otherwise — reproducing
itself hundreds of times any time a single user falls for it.
Google said in a statement late Wednesday
afternoon that it had "disabled the offending accounts ... removed the
fake pages [and] pushed updates through Safe Browsing."
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
Online Privacy Guide for Journalists (2017)
By Michael Dagan
Many veteran journalists, but not only these, surely noticed that we are all of
a sudden bombarded again from all-over with mentions of Watergate. Books like
George Orwell’s 1984 are on display at bookstores and an air of danger to
freedom of speech and freedom of the press is spreading slowly like a dark
cloud over the Western Hemisphere, raising old fears.
When
an American serving president accuses a former president of surveillance; when
he prevents central US media outlets access – so far always granted, and taken
for granted – to press conferences he holds; and when he incessantly knocks and
accuses the media of being the country’s enemy number one, it isn’t surprising
that memories of President Nixon surface up more with every self-pitying tweet
about SNL, and that even Republican Senators such as John McCain express fear
for the future of democracy.
And
McCain is not alone. Many journalists whom I have spoken with recently,
expressed concern for whatever lays ahead for the freedom of the press. At a
time when it’s possible to express the following statement – “Donald Trump
controls the NSA” – and not be held a liar, anything’s possible. Add that to
the fact that recent news on CIA taught us that almost all encryption systems
can be compromised, if someone has the perseverance to crack them – and you are
en route to envisioning an utterly Dystopian world, where you cannot even get
too comfortable laying on your sofa, in front of your own smart TV.
The
good news is that it is nevertheless possible to make it difficult for anyone
to try and intercept your emails, the text messages you’re sending or your
phone calls. You can take measures to make the lives of those who want to
uncover your sources and the information being revealed to you, much harder. Of
course, the degree of effort you’re prepared to take to protect your privacy,
your sources’ anonymity and your data’s safety, should be commensurate to the
likelihood of a real threat, be that hacking or spying.
“The
old-fashioned promises – I’m not going to reveal my source’s identity or give
up my notes – are kind of empty if you’re not taking steps to protect your
information digitally”, says Barton Gellman of the Washington Post, whose
source, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, helped uncover the scope of the
NSA’s and British GCHQ’s operations, to his interviewer Tony Loci. Loci herself,
who covered American judicial system for AP, The Washington Post and USA Today,
and was herself held in contempt of court for refusing to identify sources,
would probably endorse that.
So,
what is it that needs to be done to ensure that a journalist’s sources and data
are secure and well? Grosso modo, the tips can be described as falling within
the following categories:
1.
Securing on-device applications and functions- This is known as reducing the “attack surface”, i.e. limiting the installed
apps to the bare minimum, installing only from trusted sources, selecting apps
that require minimal rights, keeping the system fully patched and updated, and
having as many security controls (based on recent best-practices white papers)
on the device.
2. Isolating
your devices and/or their environment–
For example, the physical insulation of a computer for the purpose of checking
files, or the use of prepaid mobile devices.
3. Acting cautiously both in the digital and
real world- This has a lot to do with
common sense and a little less to do with software: For example, never write
down the name of the source, certainly not on any app or on any document that’s
stored on your computer – and most certainly not on anything stored on the
cloud.
Click here for the full article.
Michael Dagan is currently
transitioning to content strategy and content marketing for startups, after
some 25 years in senior editing positions in Haaretz group, the leading Israeli
media. In his last role, he was deputy editor of Haaretz, overseeing and
coordinating all operations: print, digital and Hebrew & English editions,
as well as related activity such as conventions.
Cuomo: 'The American Health Care Act Will Be Disastrous for New York'
Statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo
"The Republican health care bill is
an assault on women and an assault on New York. It would allow insurance
companies to discriminate against Americans based on pre-existing conditions,
force millions of New Yorkers to lose coverage, and slash Medicaid by hundreds
of billions of dollars.
"As a direct result of the amendment introduced by Congressmen Faso and Collins, this provision alone would cut Medicaid funding for New York by $2.3 billion and cripple hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities across the state.
"As a direct result of the amendment introduced by Congressmen Faso and Collins, this provision alone would cut Medicaid funding for New York by $2.3 billion and cripple hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities across the state.
"Most disturbingly, this bill penalizes New Yorkers because we believe in reproductive rights and ensure by law that medically necessary abortions are covered by insurance carriers. I’m calling on all of New York’s Congressional delegation—Republican and Democrat alike—to stand up for New York values and vote against this terrible bill."
The American Health Care Act will be disastrous for New York:
The
plan will leave 2.7 million New Yorkers without health care coverage
It
will cut $4.7 billion from the state’s Medicaid budget.
It
will put at risk 7 million people who rely on Medicaid services and other
programs created under the Affordable Care Act
And it threatens the entire New York
State health care system, which serves 19.5 million New Yorkers.
The Collins/Faso amendment, which
targets only New York, stops counties from paying a share of Medicaid. It would
have a devastating effect on New Yorkers:
It
will cut $2.3 billion in Medicaid funding to the State. When added to the $4.7
billion cost of the ACHA over the next four years, the total cost to the State
would rise to $6.9 billion
Steep cuts would force New York State to
increase taxes, slash coverage to millions of New Yorkers, or devastate health
care providers:
Nursing
Home payments would be cut by $401 million
Home
care payments would be cut by $360 million
Hospital
payments would be cut by $355 million
The bill punishes New York for its
support for women’s reproductive rights by threatening to take away citizens’
access to tax credits that are intended to make health insurance more
affordable:
New York requires that all commercial
insurance policies cover abortion services. In January, Governor Cuomo took new
action to ensure that contraceptive drugs and devices are covered by commercial
health insurance policies without co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles
The Republican health care bill would
prohibit the use of tax credits to support the purchase of insurance plans that
cover abortion services.
As a result, the bill would effectively
defund the Essential Plan, forcing 685,000 low-income people, half of whom are
women, to lose their insurance and denying them $1.5 billion in tax credits.
In addition, roughly 143,000
lower-income New Yorkers whose income is just above the threshold for the
Essential Plan, half of whom are women, would be denied $400 million more in
tax credits that help them afford insurance.
This bill also includes an amendment
that will enable insurers to charge more for people with preexisting conditions
in some states, rolling back a key achievement of the Affordable Care Act.
In New York, 8.4 million people under
the age of 65 have preexisting conditions.
The MacArthur amendment would allow
states to opt out of provisions that restrict providers from raising prices on
people with preexisting conditions.
Removing protections for people with
pre-existing conditions will result in the sick paying high premiums and would
force those who cannot afford it to lose coverage.
The health plan would also permit states
to charge older people more, which would also force people who cannot afford it
to lose coverage.
Source:
Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Food Truck Fundraiser at The Embassy of Peru (Washington, D.C.)
On May 4, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the entrepreneurs behind Washington, D.C.'s favorite Peruvian
Brothers food truck will be fulfilling their "gastro-diplomat" duties and
partnering with the Embassy of Peru to raise funds for relief efforts
all across Peru.
The fundraiser will take place at The Embassy of Peru, which is located at 1700 Massachusetts Avenue.
"We know that every little bit helps when you don't have much. This natural disaster left many Peruvians with next to nothing. Tomorrow, we're donating 50 percent of all proceeds to the Embassy of Peru Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims of the natural disasters that are currently affecting Peru and to help rebuild the country we love," said Giuseppe Lanzone, co-Founder of Peruvian Brothers.
"Gracias to Ambassador Pareja for his fantastic support, and we look forward to seeing you at the food trucks tomorrow for lunch," Lanzone concluded.
Source: Peruvian Brothers
Facebook Tries to Fix Streaming Violence Problem with 3,000 New Workers
By David Ingram
Facebook Inc (FB.O) will
hire 3,000 more people over the next year to speed up the removal of videos
showing murder, suicide and other violent acts, in its most dramatic move yet
to combat the biggest threat to its valuable public image.
The hiring spree, announced by Chief
Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday, is an acknowledgement by Facebook that
it needs more than automated software to identify and remove offensive posts
that have exploded online and made headlines in the traditional news media.
The problem has become more pressing
since the introduction last year of Facebook Live, a service that allows any of
Facebook's 1.9 billion monthly users to broadcast video, which has been marred
by some violent scenes.
Some violence on Facebook is inevitable
given its size, researchers say, but the company has been attacked for its slow
response.
Click
here for the full article.
Source: Reuters
Trump Administration's Approach to Wall Street
Bloomberg senior White House correspondent Margaret Talev talked about President Trump’s approach to Wall Street regulation.
Source: C-SPAN
Secretary Tillerson: 'Our Values' Should Guide U.S. Foreign Policy
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson addresses department employees for the
second time since taking his post in January. He says the U.S. is
leaning on its partners, including China, to put pressure on North Korea
and is preparing additional sanctions.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
House Democrats News Conference on Health Care
House Democrats criticize Republicans' latest proposal to repeal and
replace the Affordable Care Act. They speak about their opposition to
provisions in the bill related to coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Source: C-SPAN
The President and the Vice President Join Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at a School Choice Event
This video was published on YouTube on May 3, 2017.
Vice President Pence Participates in an Israel Independence Day Commemoration Event
This video was published on YouTube on May 2, 2017.
Judge Rips ‘Disingenuous’ Rudy Giuliani in Iran Sanctions Case
By Katie Zavadski
A federal judge called Rudy
Giuliani’s statements about his work in an Iran sanctions case
“disingenuous” at a hearing Tuesday, criticizing the ex-New York City mayor for
omitting any mention of Iran altogether.
Giuliani and former U.S. attorney general Michael Mukasey are working on behalf of a Turkish gold trader accused of helping Iran circumvent U.S. sanctions related to its nuclear program. In affidavits filed last month, Giuliani and Mukasey said they were working on extrajudicial resolutions for Reza Zarrab’s legal troubles. Instead of appearing in court, Giuliani and Mukasey said they have met with high-ranking officials in Turkey and the U.S.—including Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan—to work towards a diplomatic resolution.
The affidavits also downplayed the seriousness of the charges facing Zarrab. The criminal complaint against Zarrab accuses him of helping entities that work with the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps, and other organizations tied to its nuclear program, while the affidavits simply referred to Zarrab’s alleged misdeeds as ones involving “consumer goods.”
“Most respectfully, the Giuliani and Mukasey affidavits appear surprisingly disingenuous in failing to mention the central role of Iran in the indictment,” said Judge Richard Berman, adding that the affidavits omit any mention of Iran altogether.
Such an omission discounts the fact that the charges against Zarrab are serious felonies, Berman said.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
Giuliani and former U.S. attorney general Michael Mukasey are working on behalf of a Turkish gold trader accused of helping Iran circumvent U.S. sanctions related to its nuclear program. In affidavits filed last month, Giuliani and Mukasey said they were working on extrajudicial resolutions for Reza Zarrab’s legal troubles. Instead of appearing in court, Giuliani and Mukasey said they have met with high-ranking officials in Turkey and the U.S.—including Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan—to work towards a diplomatic resolution.
The affidavits also downplayed the seriousness of the charges facing Zarrab. The criminal complaint against Zarrab accuses him of helping entities that work with the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps, and other organizations tied to its nuclear program, while the affidavits simply referred to Zarrab’s alleged misdeeds as ones involving “consumer goods.”
“Most respectfully, the Giuliani and Mukasey affidavits appear surprisingly disingenuous in failing to mention the central role of Iran in the indictment,” said Judge Richard Berman, adding that the affidavits omit any mention of Iran altogether.
Such an omission discounts the fact that the charges against Zarrab are serious felonies, Berman said.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
11 Governors from Across the Nation Urge Government to Uphold Paris Climate Agreement
Governor Andrew Cuomo, along with
Governors from California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, today announced
strong support of the United States’ continued and active participation in
achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals outlined in the Paris Climate
Agreement.
New York is committed to exceeding the
nation's emission reduction targets and has established forward-thinking clean
energy programs, standards, and goals. Through programs like the Clean Energy
Standard, which will provide 50 percent of electricity from renewable energy by
2030, New York will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the State by 40 percent
by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.
"New York’s aggressive efforts to combat climate change are essential to protecting and preserving our state and nation’s precious natural resources for future generations," Governor Cuomo said. "New York cannot combat climate change alone and today I’ve joined my fellow Governors in urging continued U.S. participation in the Paris Climate Agreement – the United States must lead the charge in uniting the most powerful nations across the globe in the fight against climate change."
New York's example demonstrates that smart investments in advancing solar and wind energy and energy efficiency initiatives drive the clean energy economy forward, creating thousands of quality jobs.
The text of the letter is below:
Dear Mr. President,
We write as Governors of 12 states that are home to 107 million Americans and comprise approximately 38 percent of the nation’s GDP, to urge you to keep the United States in the Paris Climate Agreement. Given the progress our states have made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we are convinced that the United States’ goal of 26-28 percent below 2005 levels is readily achievable. Maintaining the U.S. commitment is essential to protect our residents, and indeed, all Americans from the potentially catastrophic impacts of a changing climate.
We see our climate changing today through rising sea levels, increasing flooding, drought, and decreasing snow cover. These changes are causing forest fires and water shortages, adding to air pollution levels, and accelerating the spread of disease-carrying pests and causing illness and death from extreme weather patterns, amongst other impacts. Our states stand to bear the brunt of these climate change impacts and the economic costs running in the tens of billions of dollars or more.
We stand ready as state leaders to continue to support the achievement of the existing U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement—and if possible to go further, faster. The policies we are implementing that support the U.S.’s achievement of its Paris commitment not only cut carbon pollution—they also create jobs, boost competitiveness, and bring clean energy and a cleaner environment to our citizens. These benefits can and should accrue to all Americans.
Collective action to limit emissions world-wide is critical; without collaboration, climate change will cost the world’s nations several trillion dollars in damages. Under the Paris Agreement, all the world’s major economies are taking action on climate change for the first time, including China and India, which have put forward their own commitments to cut their carbon pollution domestically. If the U.S. does not maintain global climate leadership through national policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to clean energy, China and India will. This would be a huge lost opportunity, putting us at a competitive disadvantage and potentially locking us into technologies and economic pathways that are increasingly obsolete while China and India reap the benefits of low-carbon leadership.
In each of our states, the path forward is clear. Our citizens demand the low-cost, clean-air benefits that a clean energy transition can provide. Our leading U.S. companies recognize the need to address business risks and opportunities through the Paris Agreement, and are wisely investing in low-carbon fuels and technologies to stay on the cutting edge of the global economy. Our track record—reducing carbon pollution while growing jobs and our economies—provides proof that we need not sacrifice opportunity for action. Indeed, we can secure that opportunity only by continuing to lead.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
The 'I Am Woman' Series: Senator Elizabeth Warren
This video was uploaded on YouTube on January 24, 2010.
The New York African Film Festival Turns 24
Two decades ago Mahen Bonetti set out to create an artistic hub for
African voices - enabling creatives from the diaspora to narrate and
star in their own stories. Now in its 24th year, the New York African Film Festival she founded continues to do just that, this year taking on the theme, "The People's Revolution."
This year's theme is born from the activist
climate percolating worldwide. As explained by Sierra Leone-born
Bonetti, the festival "taps into the pulse of protest and the calls for
change bubbling up throughout the peoples of the world, a reform charge
championed by a new wave of artists throughout Africa and its diaspora."
Bonetti describes the plethora of young people in Africa, dubbing them
"vibrant human beings" who are the "engines driving today's societal
transformations."
Click here for the full article.
Bipartisan Group of U.S. Senators Seeks Sanctions, Action on Venezuela
An influential group of Republican and Democratic U.S. senators will
file sweeping legislation on Wednesday to address the crisis in
Venezuela, including sanctioning individuals responsible for undermining
democracy or involved in corruption, Senate aides told Reuters.
The bill would provide $10 million in
humanitarian aid to the struggling country, require the State Department
to coordinate a regional effort to ease the crisis, and ask U.S.
intelligence to report on the involvement of Venezuelan government
officials in corruption and the drug trade, according to a copy seen by
Reuters.
It also calls on President Donald Trump to
take all necessary steps to prevent Rosneft, Russia's state oil company,
from gaining control of any U.S. energy infrastructure.
Click here for the full article.
Three U.S. Soldiers Injured in Deadly ISIS-Claimed Suicide Bomb
Eight Afghan civilians were killed and three U.S. soldiers are among
dozens of people injured by an ISIS-claimed suicide blast in Kabul.
North Korea Reveals Charges Against American it Detained
Overnight North Korea confirmed that Kim Sang-duk, an American professor
arrested at Pyongyang Airport late last month as he was about to leave
the country, was attempting to commit what North Korea called “hostile
acts.” Kim had reportedly been invited to the country to teach a course
in accounting.
Click here for video.
Source: TODAY
Trump to Meet Palestinian Leader Abbas and Wants Mideast Peace Deal
Donald Trump is convinced that the Mideast should no longer be riven by violence and that peace is within reach.
"I want to see peace with Israel and the
Palestinians," he told Reuters in an interview last week. "There is no
reason there's not peace between Israel and the Palestinians — none
whatsoever."
For decades, this goal has eluded world
leaders, including Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. That Trump has
tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner with negotiating peace and longtime
lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, to be his on-the-ground envoy deal are signs
of the importance the president places on the issue.
A possible step in the direction of peace will be his meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday.
Click here for the full article.
Legislation Signed Investing $25.8 Billion in High-Quality Education in New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo today signed
legislation investing a record $25.8 billion in high-quality education across
New York State. The new legislation boosts education aid by $1.1 billion,
including a $700 million increase in Foundation Aid. The bold investment builds
on the Governor’s commitment to strengthening educational outcomes, including
an increase in education aid of $6.2 billion, or 32 percent, over the last six
years.
The Governor also announced the second round of the Empire State Excellence in Teaching Program, which recognizes 60 teachers across New York who are successfully preparing a new generation of learners for the future. Winners will receive an award from the Governor, the opportunity to advise education policy makers, and a stipend of $5,000. The funds can be used for continued learning and professional development.
"By investing more in education than ever before and more than any other state in the nation, we are expanding access to quality education from pre-K through college and helping all New Yorkers build a stronger foundation to pursue the American dream," Governor Cuomo said. "Each and every New York student needs and deserves access to a world-class education to ensure a bright future, and we must continue to invest in our schools, our teachers and our students to ensure a stronger state for generations to come."
Investing Record $25.8 Billion in Education
The FY 2018 State budget makes investments at every level of the educational landscape in order to improve student success. This includes:
Prekindergarten: The Budget
includes an $800 million investment in prekindergarten to support and expand
high-quality half-day and full-day prekindergarten for three- and four-year-old
children in high-need school districts.
Community Schools: The Budget
provides $150 million ‐ an increase of $50 million ‐
to support the continued transformation of high-need schools into community
hubs. This funding supports services that are unique to each school’s
individual needs, including before-and-after school programs, summer learning
activities, medical and dental care, and other social services.
Empire State After-School
Program: The
Budget invests $35 million in new funding for public after-school programs in
the state’s 16 Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative as well as in
communities in the state with high rates of child poverty. This new funding
will create an additional 22,000 spots for students in after-school programs.
Smart Schools Bond Act: The Smart
Schools Bond Act provides $2 billion in funding to districts to reimagine the
state’s classrooms and provide New York’s students with the technological
resources, skills, and learning environments necessary to succeed in the 21st
century. Funding supports enhanced education technologies including
infrastructure improvements, high‐speed broadband
internet access, and active learning technologies.
A regional breakdown of the funding is available here.
Empire State Excellence in Teaching Awards
To recognize and honor excellence and innovation in the classroom, the Budget provides $400,000 in funding for a second round of Empire State Excellence in Teaching awards. The program recognizes teachers from 10 different regions of New York, spanning from the North Country to New York City. The program honors outstanding individuals who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, working to foster creativity, instill a love of learning, and inspire independent thinking and student initiative.
Public school teachers are eligible to apply for recognition. Any member of the public can recommend a teacher by filling out a recommendation here by May 11, 2017. Teachers who are nominated will be notified via email and asked to submit an application.
New York teachers are invited to submit an application for final consideration by a panel of leaders from several New York professional education associations. Applications are due by May 18, 2017.
Members of the panel include: School Administrators Association of New York State, Dr. Paul Fanuele, President and Principal of Arlington High School, New York State United Teachers, Jolene DiBrango, Executive Vice-President United Federation of Teachers, Michael Mulgrew, President New York State Council of School Superintendents, Dr. Charles Dedrick, Executive Director New York State Parent Teacher Association, Gracemarie Rozea, President SUNY, and Dr. David Cantaffa, Assistant Provost for Educator Preparation.
For more information on the Empire State
Excellence in Teaching Program, please visit: www.ny.gov/NYSTeachingExcellence.
Source:
Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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