Edited by: TJVNews.com

New York Attorney General Letitia James recently issued a consumer alert urging New Yorkers to be cautious of potential discriminatory pricing practices at car washes in advance of Passover. In previous years, there have been reports of car wash businesses in predominantly Orthodox Jewish communities in New York City raising prices by as much as 50 percent for Jewish customers seeking cleaning services close to Passover.

In the days leading up to Passover, many Jews clean their homes, cars, and other spaces to remove “chametz” (leavened products). According to reports provided to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), some companies have advertised “specials” for car washing services related to Passover, but instead, charged higher prices to customers. To protect New Yorkers from these practices, Attorney General James has previously sent letters to organizations representing car wash owners in New York to remind their members that any such business practice is illegal and should be reported to OAG.

“Taking advantage of someone’s religious observances and practices is offensive, discriminatory, and absolutely unacceptable,” said Attorney General James. “For millions of observant Jews in New York and beyond, Passover is an important holiday, and their preparations should be respected, not manipulated for profit. I urge any New Yorker who is concerned that they have been a victim of discriminatory behavior because of their religion, race, or background to contact my office immediately.”

“Last year, we brought this matter to the attention of Attorney General Letitia James and she swiftly issued a consumer alert for which we are grateful,” said Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein. “As Passover approaches again, the Attorney General is being proactive and has issued another consumer alert. Let’s be clear. Car wash establishments who shamelessly overcharge their Jewish customers for services before the Passover holiday are clearly discriminating against one religious community. That is unacceptable and illegal. Car wash operators, you have now been warned. Don’t do it.”

“The holiday of Passover is a joyous time for those celebrating,” said Assemblymember Daniel Rosenthal. “It can also be a stressful time as there is often a lot of preparation that goes into it. Unnecessary financial pressure should never be placed on any religious community by those seeking to profiteer. I commend Attorney General James for proactively protecting the people of New York from discriminatory price gouging.”

“Scammers constantly try new methods to trick consumers, even during religious holidays,” said Assemblymember Nily Rozic. “As the Jewish community prepares for Passover, it’s essential that consumers are cognizant of scammers and look out for holiday-related price gouging. I’m thankful to Attorney General James for her continued efforts to crack down on discriminatory practices.”

Anyone who is aware of businesses using discriminatory practices or believes that they were charged more for services because of their religion, race, or background is encouraged to file a complaint with OAG online or call 1-800-771-7755.

(AP) — A grand jury was hearing from final witnesses Monday in the investigation into Donald Trump as law enforcement officials accelerated security preparations in advance of a possible indictment and as fellow Republicans staked out positions in a criminal probe expected to shake up the 2024 presidential race.

Robert Costello, a lawyer who had a falling out with the star government witness in the Trump investigation, arrived Monday afternoon at the building where the grand jury has been meeting after being invited to appear before the panel. His testimony was expected to give the former president an indirect opportunity to make a case that he shouldn’t face criminal charges over hush money paid to a porn star during his 2016 campaign.

Costello was asked to appear by the Manhattan district attorney’s office after he said he had information raising questions about the credibility of Michael Cohen, a key witness in the investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss secret legal proceedings.

Costello’s appearance is yet another indication that prosecutors are moving to wrap up their probe, with grand jurors presumably being offered an opportunity to consider any testimony or evidence favorable to Trump that could weaken the case for moving forward with an indictment. It was unclear whether Costello’s testimony has any potential to change the course of a grand jury probe that seems close to concluding.

Cohen’s lawyer said his client was available for another appearance but was not needed.

The testimony is coming two days after Trump said he expected to face criminal charges and urged supporters to protest his possible arrest. In a series of social media posts through the weekend, the former Republican president criticized the New York investigation, directing particularly hostile rhetoric toward Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.

It’s not clear when prosecutors might wrap up their work, but law enforcement in New York has been making physical preparations for any unrest surrounding a possible indictment. In the morning, a New York Police Department truck began dropping off portable metal barricades that could be used to block off streets or sidewalks.

Even as the New York investigation pushes toward conclusion, Trump faces criminal probes in Atlanta and Washington that, taken together, pose significant legal peril and carry the prospect of upending a Republican presidential race in which Trump remains a leading contender. Some of his likely opponents have tried to strike a balance between condemning a potential prosecution as politically motivated while avoiding condoning the conduct at issue.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an expected GOP presidential candidate, criticized the investigation but also threw one of his first jabs at the former president in a move likely to intensify their simmering political rivalry.

“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some kind of alleged affair,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Panama City. “I can’t speak to that.”

But, he added, “what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about porn star hush money payments, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office. And I think that’s fundamentally wrong.”

Mike Pence, the former vice president who’s expected to challenge Trump for the Republican nomination, castigated Trump in an ABC News interview last weekend as “reckless” for his actions on Jan. 6 and said history would hold him accountable. Even so, he echoed the former president’s rhetoric that an indictment would be a “politically charged prosecution.”

“I have no doubt that President Trump knows how to take care of himself,” Pence said. “And he will. But that doesn’t make it right to have a politically charged prosecution of a former president.”

Costello briefly acted as a legal adviser to Cohen after the FBI raided Cohen’s home and apartment in 2018. At the time, Cohen was being investigated for both tax evasion and for payments he helped orchestrate in 2016 to buy the silence of two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Trump.

For several months, it was unclear whether Cohen, a longtime lawyer and fixer for the Trump Organization who once boasted that he would “take a bullet” for his boss, would remain loyal to the president.

Cohen ultimately decided to plead guilty in connection with the payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal, which he said were directed by Trump. Since then, he has been a vociferous Trump critic, testifying before Congress and then to the Manhattan grand jury.

Trump, who has denied having sex with either woman, has branded Cohen a liar. Costello broke with Cohen before he pleaded guilty, after it became clear he was no longer in Trump’s camp.

In the years since, Costello, a veteran New York attorney, has represented Trump allies including his former political strategist Steve Bannon and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

NYC Council Considers New Laws Aimed at Long Term Abuse of Sidewalk Scaffolding

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Scaffolding on pedestrian walkways throughout New York City has long been considered a grotesque eyesore, especially due to the excessively long periods of time that they are up for, but now the New York City Council is considering a new legislative package aimed at overhauling the long-term abuse of sidewalk scaffolding, according to a recent report in the New York Post.

Manhattan City Councilman Keith Powers, who introduced some of the bills, said, “Scaffolding shouldn’t be one of the first things people associate with NYC. It’s time we reclaim our streets,” the Post reported.

The Post also reported that among the nine bills introduced Thursday were measures to establish a drone-inspection program to help property owners speed up the scaffolding-removal process; to raise scaffoldings’ minimum height to at least 12 feet; and create stricter timelines for removal when construction stalls.

Councilman Erik Bottcher (D-Manhattan) also added a measure to the legislative package that would require property owners to apply for work permits within six months of installing scaffolding or face hefty fines, the Post reported. He also called for mandating brighter lighting where the sheds are up, to help deter crime.

The Post also reported that according to the Office of Management and Budget, there are more than 9,000 scaffolding sheds in the city, three times as many as there were two decades ago, the Post reported. Councilman Bottcher said that some of the sidewalk sheds have been up as far back as 2006.

For New Yorkers, the issue of sidewalk scaffolding and the inordinate amount of time that it is up for has been a thorn in the side of many city dwellers and those in the outer boroughs as well. Some of this scaffolding has been up for more than a decade and its prolonged appearance has many people scratching their heads and asking why it takes so long for the monstrosity to be taken down.

In December 2019, the Post ran a story about sidewalk sheds that have been around the city since before smartphones appeared on the scene.

In 2019, the Post reported that a building on Edgecombe Avenue in Harlem has had the same work scaffolding up for more than 13 years. Another nearby on 115th Street has had one up for nearly 12 years.

Even the Department of Buildings’ own office on Broadway is a culprit, as it has had scaffolding up since 2008, the Post reported in December 2019.

The city says it’s been cracking down, but it’s barely put a dent on the unpopular structures, which just continue to gather trash and rodents. The Post also reported that it’s driving the people who have to live near the scaffolds crazy.

“I can’t picture this building without it there,” said Kaniesha Davis, 21, who grew up at 409 Edgecombe Ave., which is the building with New York’s longest-standing work scaffolding. The Post reported that the sheds there have been up since April 2006.

The Post also reported that Nikki Berryman, president of the board of directors for the building, said the scaffold has remained up for so long because of bad luck. After completing $1.2 million in restoration work to comply with Local Law 11, the building was struck by lightning, which caused more damage and required more repairs, Berryman said.

The city first approved a permit for a 220-foot-long “heavy duty sidewalk shed” at the address during “remedial repairs” on April 26, 2006, Department of Buildings records show, according to the Post report.  But the work never seemed to end: There were another 13 permits issued for additional work at the building through February of 2019.

The 13-story Harlem building is among thousands issued permits by the Department of Buildings to erect scaffolding to protect pedestrians from falling debris.

Also in December of 2019, the Post reported that City Councilman Ben Kallos had proposed a bill to put a timetable on sheds but the legislation has lingered in committee for three years.

At the time, Kallos said, “It’s a quality of life problem for people who live in the buildings in the shadow of these sheds. There’s no reason we should have 300 miles of sidewalk sheds. We are the only city that does this. No one wants to walk under that scaffolding unless it’s raining.”

The unsightly structures have become an unwelcome part of the city landscape, with critics complaining they have evolved into dark, trash-strewn havens for vagrants and criminals and hurt local businesses who struggle to draw new patrons with their facades concealed by wood and metal, the Post reported.

“It’s a quality of life problem for people who live in the buildings in the shadow of these sheds,” said city Councilman Ben Kallos, whose bill to put a timetable on sheds has lingered in committee for three years.

Also in December 2019, Post columnist Miranda Devine noted that the city has been “uglified” by the jungle of sidewalk sheds. She wrote that, “No other big city in the world is as blighted by scaffolding as New York. Not Paris nor London, where buildings are older. Not Chicago, which has more inclement weather.”

Devine added at the time in her opinion piece for the Post that “like frogs in boiling water, we put up with it, buying the excuse that these structures are necessary for our safety, although they proliferate uniquely in New York, and have safety problems of their own. Scaffolding has turned the sidewalks outside our homes and businesses into unsightly slums, obliterating natural sunlight and providing an open invitation for homeless encampments. When it encloses sections of the sidewalk on all sides to form a narrow tunnel through which pedestrians are forced to walk, it also becomes a haven for muggers.”

Offering a background on why scaffolding became such a ubiquitous sight in the Big Apple, Devine in 2019 also wrote that, “the problem began in 1980, as a well-meaning response to a tragedy on the Upper West Side. Grace Gold, 17, a Barnard College student, was killed by a falling piece of masonry that came loose from a building at Broadway and West 115th Street.

The goal of Local Law 11, enacted the following year, was to prevent another such incident, but as usual, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Regulations were tightened under Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Mayor Mike Bloomberg instituted the uniform green color we have today, as a nod to the permanent nature of the structures. Mayor Bill de Blasio boasted in 2015 that he had removed more than eight miles of scaffolding from NYCHA buildings. but that was less than 5 percent of the total suffocating the city.”

Devine gets to the heart of the matter by writing, “Now, any building higher than six stories has to inspect and repair its facade every five years, rather than a more realistic eight to 10 years. The short turnaround gives landlords an incentive to keep scaffolding in place, because the biggest cost is the original installation, which runs to a reported $12,500 for a 200-foot-length shed. If the structure is up for an average of three years, why bother removing it for the next round of inspections?”