By Ilana Siyance

On Friday January 31st, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) admitted that it failed to secure a program that could give judges a powerful tool to keep tabs on potentially violent defendants released under NYS’s infamous new bail reform law. Eight months ago, the measure was passed by the Albany legislature nixing cash bail as an option for judges in most misdemeanors and other non-violent crimes. The law did, however, allow judges to order that anyone charged with a felony or in connection with domestic violence and sex-related cases be tracked with electronic ankle monitors to ensure that they return to court. The GPS-enabled ankle monitors would act in lieu of bail to safeguard a criminal’s reappearance in court and ensure their whereabouts pending an upcoming court appearance.

As reported by the NY Post, now, despite the lapse of several months since the law was passed, City Hall admits that it has not launched any program and has not yet established a system for use of the ankle monitors. MOCJ officials admitted that though the system was set to begin on Jan.1, they still don’t even have a set timetable for when the system will come online. Manhattan prosecutors and judges expressed their consternation and disgust. “I feel sick,” said one Manhattan judge, who wished he still could require ankle bracelets for release. “I’m releasing defendants who are dangers to their community.”

The Post already cited five NYC criminal court cases in which judges or prosecutors sought ankle monitors, but were dismayed to learn that they have not yet been procured by City Hall. Previously, the individual bail bondsmen would be responsible for the GPS monitoring, and could charge the defendant up to $10,000 a year for the service. The new law, set in April, mandates that only a governmental agency or non-profit can handle the placement and tracking of the devices. The for-profit companies that traditionally handled this service can no longer do so. Moreover, the new electronic monitoring service cannot be billed to the defendants, as they had been previously. Advocates also pushed for that change following an expose by the New York Times/ProPublica investigation which revealed that the costs of the monitoring service left some defendants immersed in debt. “I think the legislature thought they were freeing poor minorities, but instead they handed a gift to a predominantly wealthy elite,” commented one Manhattan prosecutor.

City Hall declined to provide a statement, but did say that officials are “moving ahead” with the program and that they are “seeking to roll this out on the fastest timeline possible.”

By: Ricardo Kotkin

Deaths continue to climb in China as the new coronavirus that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan has already killed 81 people in China, as of press according to the N.Y Times

Infections have been confirmed in many other countries.

But of the nearly 3,000 people who have so far contracted the virus, the vast majority live in China, the Times reported.

Locally, it was reported by the NY Post: “Three possible coronavirus cases in New York were proven to be negative by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while results on four others are pending”

“While experts still believe the risk of catching this novel coronavirus is currently low in New York, I want all New Yorkers to know we are prepared and continue working closely with the CDC, the World Health Organization, our local and federal government partners, and New York’s health care providers to ensure we stay ahead of this situation,” Cuomo said in a statement.

The N.Y Times reported: “Thailand and Hong Kong have each reported eight cases of infection; the United States, Taiwan, Australia and Macau have five each; Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia each have reported four; France has three; Canada and Vietnam have two, and Nepal has one”

These numbers and data will constantly change.

Meanwhile, Zero Hedge reported “US stocks are deep in the red Monday morning, on track for their worst day in four months, thanks to the fact that the market and the world realized over the weekend that the extremely infectious novel coronavirus has overwhelmed China’s capacity to contain it”

President Trump tweeted shortly after the market opened: “We are in very close communication with China concerning the virus. Very few cases reported in USA, but strongly on watch. We have offered China and President Xi any help that is necessary. Our experts are extraordinary!”

Zero Hedge News blog also reported: “Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the Director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), spoke on behalf of the CDC. During the press conference, she said that the US had identified 110 people who are under observation and being tested for the virus. While 5 cases have already been identified in the US, another 32 have definitively tested negative.

Though a vaccine remains elusive, the Messonnier said the CDC had developed a diagnostic test that can quickly confirm cases of the virus. So far, CDC researchers have seen no signs of “mutation” in the virus. If the virus does mutate, as Chinese scientists suggested it might, that could create problems for those trying to develop the exam. On Friday, a “blueprint” for the test was uploaded and shared with the world. All governments can now follow this blueprint to develop their own tests

The CDC has also uploaded the entire genome of the virus from the first two cases. From what the CDC can tell so far, the virus doesn’t appear to be “mutating”, as some Chinese officials had suggested”

By: Ilana Siyance

New York City Officials have been working to release a sweeping overhaul of the property tax system, which would mean changes for 90% of homeowners. Residents such as Mayor Bill de Blasio, who owns properties in Brooklyn’s Park Slope, face weighty property tax increases while many in the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island would benefit from tax cuts. “There are going to be winners and losers,” said Marc Shaw, chair of the commission which rolled out the proposal.

As reported by the NY Post, on Thursday, the preliminary report on property tax reform was released, by the Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform, after being mulled over for close to two years.

The commission was launched after a still-pending lawsuit was filed by plaintiffs who claim the current system is unfair. The suit points to the owner of a $9 million Carrol Gardens, Brooklyn building saying he pays the same $4,300 in annual taxes as the owner of a $500,000 Elmhurst, Queens, split-level home. And so the overhaul began. The last time that the infamously opaque property tax system was reviewed by a government commission was in 1993. An actual change in the code would require state legislative approval which may take another few years. Those changes would then be eased into place over five years with gradual annual increases capped at 20%.

The reform would bring tax breaks for low-income residents, as opposed to owners who don’t live in NYC year round. All residential properties, including single-family homes, co-ops, condos and small rental buildings, would be treated the same for tax purposes, bringing “simplicity and fairness to the system,” according to Shaw. Currently, co-ops and condos are taxed at a higher rate. Additionally, properties would start to be taxed at their full-market values rather than the current method of calculating payments via a complex valuation derived from the assessed and market values. In a nutshell, high value home owners will start paying “significantly” higher taxes, while low-end condos and co-ops in the Bronx will get a massive property tax relief. One percenters, at the very top of the property ladder, will be hit especially hard. For instance, the owner of a $100 million penthouse at One57, must have paid roughly $500,000 in property taxes last year, but under the proposed reforms he would be charged $2.5 million, Shaw said.

“I applaud the commission for its work – but it’s not done yet. The commission should brief the legislature on its recommendations and give us a roadmap with specific details so we can finally take action after 40+ years of inaction,” said Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn), noting that crucial issues still need to be deliberated.

Martha Stark, Policy Director for Tax Equity Now New York said the commission’s report and recommendations “expressly recognize that the current system is unfair, opaque, and arbitrary.”

“As such, the commission’s conclusions vindicate many of the criticisms that led us to bring suit 3 years ago,” Stark said. “But talk isn’t enough. Commissions have come and gone in the past with no action. And the commission’s recognition that the current system is deeply flawed makes even more critical that New York’s courts should rule on TENNY’s claims, and thereby provide crucial guidance on what the law requires – guidance critical to achieving the reform the report makes clear is essential to achieving a property tax system that is transparent and just,” said Stark.

By: Veronica Kordmany

New York City has started 2020 with a bang. In the two months of 2020, official NYPD statistics show that there have been nearly 30% more shootings and a significantly higher overall crime rate in the Big Apple. Serious crimes have been marked as ‘increasing’ in five out of seven general categories; murders and rapes are the only types of crimes that have gone down, compared to the same time last year. The murder rate dropped by almost 20%, while the rape rate decreased by a steady 30 people.

In auto theft crimes, the percentage rose 70% to a massive 617 vehicle-robberies. That’s 20 cars every day. Robberies in general rose approximately 35%, with 1,355 people reported being attacked by muggers and other thugs. Burglaries, grand larcenies and felony assaults were also up by 18.3%, 10.6% and 8.5%, respectively.

NYPD sources say that New York State’s controversial new bail-reform law, which mandates the release of most defendants charged with misdemeanors and felonies considered “non-violent, is to blame. “Criminals now know there are no consequences for their actions, and they are causing havoc for innocent people of New York City”, one citizen said. The law was adopted on Jan. 1st, 2020.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea also tied bail reform to “significant spikes” in crime during the first three weeks of the new year. “If you let out individuals that commit a lot of crime, that’s precision policing in reverse and we’re seeing the effects in a very quick time, and that is why we’re so concerned,” Shea commented. A famous instance is when Tiffany Harris, 30, allegedly slapped three Orthodox Jewish women in Crown Heights one Friday, and was rewarded by being released, without bail, the next day. She then went on to allegedly punch another woman on Sunday.

To combat the stigma against the bail-reform law, Gov. Cuomo suggested that amendments could be coming around soon, during his annual budget address. “It’s not that you reform a system once and then you walk away. You make change in a system, it has consequences. And you have to understand those consequences,” he said.

Despite the overall rise in crime rates, the total number of arrests made this year are, so far, at least, down by a whopping 20%; in subway stations, that number is 30.1%. A source from the NYPD credited the drop to “…the hands-off approach that comes from City Hall”. A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “This administration has had the same approach to policing since January 2014, and the longer term trends reflect the city’s safety.”

By: Smythe Carson-Goodall

A warning went unheeded, and as a result, according to reports, a child is dead.

Justyna Zubko-Valva says that she warned authorities about her husband, NYPD police officer Michael Valva, but no one took action. According to published reports, the Long Island mother alleged sexual abuse, starvation, brainwashing, beatings and possible child pornography, and desperately sought help for herself and three sons.

Rather than getting help, however, she was herself arrested, deemed to be mentally ill and largely dismissed. A judge in Nassau County awarded custody of the three boys to their father, who is now suspected of having killed one of them, his eight year old autistic son named Thomas, by leaving him to freeze to death in a garage overnight on January 17th.

Valva and his soon-to-be wife, Angela Pollina, were both charged with the child’s death.

Autism expert Kimberly Berens, who worked with Anthony and Thomas, told the New York Post, “I don’t know if it’s because he’s a cop. I don’t know if it’s because he had powerful friends in powerful places. It made zero sense to me.”

The lack of evidence of child abuse, Berens told the newspaper, “was key to her losing custody, the lies Mike said about her. There were a number of professionals that a judge could have reached out to, to judge our experience with Justyna as a mother. Not one person contacted me, as a professional before Justyna lost custody of her kids.”

Young Thomas Valva’s body temperature “was just 76 degrees when he was rushed to the hospital—after his father claimed the boy had fallen while waiting for the school bus,” reported thedailybeast.com.

“They caused my son to die because they did absolutely nothing to prevent this from happening,” Zubko-Valva said last week. “God only knows the severity of the abuse. They’re going to need long-term therapy with a good specialist.”

County Executive Steve Bellone said in a statement: “As a parent, I am horrified by what happened to this beautiful boy. As County Executive, I want to know if there’s anything else that could have been done under existing law to prevent this from happening. Beyond that, I want to know if anything in this case suggests that changes should be made to existing policy or law.”

According to NBC News, the possible abuse may go even deeper. “Meanwhile, a family advocacy group began calling for discipline or dismissal of the judges the group says were negligent in Thomas Valva’s case. A man who is the father of one of Pollina’s three daughters said he has been trying to warn people for “a long time” about the abuse Pollina would do onto the girls. The three girls lived in the same Center Moriches house as the Valva boys. “I would watch Angela physically abuse her twin girls before the boys were involved, before my daughter was even involved,” Gino Cali said.”

By: Kenneth Kovlossky

Legislation that would protect civil liberties by banning the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement is, inevitably, stirring controversy.

State Senator Brad Hoylman (D/WF-Manhattan), chair of the New York Senate Judiciary Committee, said he will introduce new legislation to prohibit law enforcement from using facial recognition and other biometric surveillance technology, which poses a serious threat to the privacy and civil liberties of all New Yorkers.

Multiple instances of law enforcement abusing facial recognition technology have been uncovered in recent months, including strong evidence that law enforcement manipulates images, stores photos of minors, and uses the controversial app created by Clearview AI, according to his office.

Said Hoylman, “Facial recognition technology threatens to end every New Yorker’s ability to walk down the street anonymously. In the wrong hands, this technology presents a chilling threat to our privacy and civil liberties – especially when evidence shows this technology is less accurate when used on people of color, and transgender, non-binary and non-conforming people. New York must take action to regulate this increasingly pervasive and dangerously powerful technology, before it’s too late.”

The legislation would prohibit any police agency, police officer, peace officer, or member of the state police from acquiring, possessing, accessing, installing, activating or using any biometric surveillance system while in the use of their job duties or with regard to any information obtained, processed, or accessed in the course of those duties. The bill does not restrict the use of other existing lawful practices involving the use of biometric information by law enforcement, such as the state’s well-regulated DNA index and fingerprints used in the state identification bureau.

In addition, the bill would create a Task Force to study the issue and recommend standards for use of the technology if it were to be allowed in the future.

Former police commissioner Bill Bratton told John Catsimatidis on “The Cats Roundtable” on AM 970 in New York, “That proposal up in Albany is insane Being quite frank with you, I don’t think they know much about facial recognition or the current state of it.”

Others, of course, disagree Jerome Greco, Supervising Attorney of the Digital Forensics Unit at The Legal Aid Society, said: “Facial recognition technology and other forms of biometric surveillance are inaccurate, pervasive, easily abused, and a direct threat to New Yorkers’ privacy and civil liberties. Our clients and other underserved communities have long suffered from the harmful effects of surveillance. New York State must prevent law enforcement from using advances in technology to further this disparate impact. The Legal Aid Society thanks Senator Hoylman for introducing this important legislation and we urge Albany to enact it immediately.”

Michael Sisitzky, Lead Policy Council at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said: “Biometric recognition systems like face surveillance are unethical and wildly inaccurate, and they have no place in the hands of law enforcement. There’s overwhelming research showing facial recognition’s inability to accurately identify women, young people, and people of color. And when these tools are used by law enforcement, the consequences can be devastating. This legislation provides critical protections for New Yorkers against harmful and discriminatory technologies that do little more than subject communities of color to wrongful targeting, interrogation, detention, and conviction.”

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Masked anti-police Antifa protestors staged violent protests during the Friday public transit commute in New York City, calling for a cop-free New York.

Protesters across the city vandalized turnstiles, trains and stations with anti-cop messages, according to a NY Post report.

The Police Benevolent Association of New York City issued a strong warning ahead of Friday’s Antifa demonstration, urging New Yorkers to “pay close attention.”

“This is [the] true endgame of the anti-police movement, an end of all policing & destruction of public order,” the group said in a tweet. “Our members have spent their careers — and in some cases given their lives — to bring public safety back to NYC. We can’t go backwards.”

Last week, an Antifa-backed social media account shared a video of three masked individuals accompanied by a tweet that read: “The streets are ours. The trains our ours. The walls are ours. This moment is ours,” according to a report on FOX News.

The minute-long video showing individuals vandalizing public property and jumping subway turnstiles, calls for supporters of the group to “meet up” and rally against law enforcement and transit fares, as was reported by Fox.

“We encourage you to link up with your friends, your family, and think of the ways you can move in affinity to build and f— s— up on J31 all day long,” an unidentified individual said, referencing Friday’s date.

Fox News reported that a Facebook group run by the same account shared an event that argued that the addition of 500 more MTA police officers is “a declaration of war against our communities.”

“That money should not be invested in the harassing and brutalizing of Black and brown folks. It should go toward making the MTA free, well maintained, and accessible to all.”

Protesters also amassed at NYC’s Grand Central Terminal at the start of rush hour Friday in an attempt to shut down the commuter hub, according to a NY Post report.

Following a skirmish between NYPD officers and the far-left radical protestors, MTA police arrested 12 people who refused to remove their masks when repeatedly instructed to by law enforcement officers.

The protesters then left Grand Central and headed into the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, according to police sources,

Some of the protestors held aloft homemade signs with such messages as, “Money for elevators not more cops,” and chanted “F–k the police, fight the power” and “No fare no cops.”

The NY Post reported that the Friday afternoon protest was part of an anti-cop, anti-fare full day event that was organized by the group Decolonize This Place, whose goals include “no cops in the MTA, free transit and no harassment.”

The Post also reported that two women were also arrested, summonsed and released at around 11 a.m. after posting “F—k the police” signs inside Bronx Criminal Court, cops said.

As of 5 p.m., police were also looking for an unknown individual who used a metal chain to shatter the screen of one of the MTA’s new OMNY fare machines at West 50th Street and Eighth Avenue, according to the Post report.

MTA Chief Safety Officer Pat Warren said the protests “divert valuable time, money and resources away from investments in transit services that get New Yorkers to their jobs, schools, doctors and other places they need to go.”

“This demonstration activity follows the dangerous pattern of previous activities that have resulted in vandalization and defacement of MTA property – clearly violating laws,” Warren said in a statement.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The first person in New York City has been identified for the Coronavirus, which has emanated from China.

A woman, who is believed to be under the age of 40, and has recently traveled to China has been hospitalized at NYC Health + Hospital/Bellevue and is in stable condition, according to a VIN report. Testing to determine whether this is a confirmed case of the Coronavirus will take a minimum of 36-48 hours and depends on CDC testing capacity.

She was brought to the hospital by EMS workers after it was reported that she was suffering from symptoms that mirrored those of the flu.

According to a WPIX report, physicians conducted a rapid test that ruled out 26 common illnesses. Because of her travel, she was placed in a suspected Coronavirus protocol.

“An individual with a travel history to China felt unwell and sought help from a medical provider who promptly contacted the Health Department. This is exactly what we prepared for and we thank everyone for taking all the right steps,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “Reports of the first person being tested in New York City demonstrate that the system is working as intended.”

“The patient is in stable condition and is receiving care in the appropriate level of infection control,” she added.

The Health Commissioner said that the suspected patient did not have a lot of contact with others and does not have family here in New York City, as was reported by WPIX.

There are now eight confirmed cases in the United States and over 12,000 worldwide. At least 259 people have died.

Samples are now being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. It can take 36 to 48 hours to get the results, according to the WPIX report.

“We clearly have the capacity here,” said Barbot. “I know the CDC has its hands full and it would actually help the CDC to authorize New York City to do this testing.”

Mayor DeBlasio has said that anyone who has traveled to China and is feeling sick should immediately go to the nearest medical facility. “The most important thing is you don’t infect anyone else.”

For those who feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and traveled to Hubei province China—or been in contact with a confirmed case nCoV— within 14 days of symptom onset, the CDC recommends:

1–Seek medical care right away. Before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about recent travel and symptoms.

2–Avoid contact with others.

3- Do not travel while sick.

4–Cover mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not hands) when coughing or sneezing.

5- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

By: Anson Claypool

The wrangling continues over who will pick up the high cost of Medicaid continues, with Governor Andrew Cuomo trying to shift more of the burden to New York City.

When Cuomo outlined the FY 2021 Executive Budget, it included provisions to reform the current Medicaid system with a new Medicaid Redesign Team co-chaired by Michael Dowling of Northwell Health and labor leader Dennis Rivera. The MRT II will work to reform the program and identify $2.5 billion in savings this year by finding industry efficiencies or additional industry revenue with zero impact to beneficiaries.

The state government’s view of who should pick up how much of the tab has met stiff opposition from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who projected that the proposal could force New York City to spend an estimated $1.1 billion. A spokesman for the state told Crain’s New York Business, however, that under the plan New York City would only pay approximately $221 million in the case of overruns at a 2% property tax cap.

In 2011, Governor Cuomo created the Medicaid Redesign Team–or MRT–after unsustainable Medicaid spending contributed to a $10 billion budget deficit. The MRT developed a series of recommendations to immediately lower costs and revamp and improve the program. Today, 95 percent of New Yorkers now have health insurance and 6 million New Yorkers are covered under Medicaid.

“Although the State shoulders more than the $20 billion cost of Medicaid, local governments are responsible for determining eligibility and administering certain programs,” Cuomo noted. “Because local governments are no longer responsible for the cost of their programs, there is no financial incentive to control costs and localities have failed to adequately monitor their programs, leading to overspending. Other factors, such as the cost of managed long term care, the $15 minimum wage, increasing enrollment and support to distressed hospitals, have also contributed to the increasing costs of the Medicaid program.”

The MRT II will work to find industry efficiencies or additional industry revenue with zero impact to beneficiaries and report its findings in time for the April 1st budget deadline, the governor’s office confirmed. Additionally, the Governor will empower the Medicaid Inspector General to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system.

The state will commit to paying the entire increase in Medicaid costs for local governments as long as the local governments stay within the 2 percent property tax cap and control Medicaid costs to 3 percent growth per year–Medicaid growth for 2021 is projected to be 3.0 percent, allowing localities to increase without cutting State funding. Any local government that does not stay within those limits will be required to pay the total spending growth.

By Tom Roberts

What would New York be without public monies going where they shouldn’t?

The latest example involved a massive amount of much-needed state education money going instead to posh private schools to help pay for teachers’ salaries.

An investigation by the New York daily news shows a state program that provides monies for Math and Science teacher salaries somehow went to some of the most expensive private schools in the city, some of which charge more than $50,000 a year for tuition.

“In 2017, the first year of the state-sponsored grant, the Upper West Side stalwart Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, which charges north of $52,000 a year and where President Trump’s son Barron attended class, got nearly $100,000 in state money to pay for teachers of science, technology, and math — known as “STEM” programs, according to state records,” the Daily News reported. “The pot of gold has only grown since then – from $5 million in total funding in 2017, to $15 million in 2018 and $30 million last fiscal year. Gov. Cuomo proposed $35 million for the program in his latest executive budget.”

“It’s outrageous that a number of these wealthy schools are getting this money,” City Councilman Danny Dromm (D – Queens) told the Daily News. “We have plenty of students in the public schools who would benefit from that type of investment. It’s short-changing our public school students.”

It is worth pointing out that New York City’s public schools have yet to be given more than a billion dollars that the state said it would be sending.

The New York State Education Department received over 1,700 applications from nearly 400 schools in the 2017-2018 school year for the state subsidy, which is labeled the Math, Science & Technology Teachers in Religious and Independent Schools Grant.

Ironically, a major part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2020 State of the State report focused on requiring transparency to ensure districts distribute state aid in a more equitable manner. He said he would continue to close the funding gap between poor and rich schools by requiring that state education funds go to the neediest schools. “These requirements will ensure that districts are funding the neediest schools. Although the state distributes 70 percent of its funding to the neediest districts, the districts do not always distribute funding to their schools in an equitable manner. In fact, some school districts have schools with significantly higher needs receiving less than the average school in the district. New York will continue to drive funding equity by requiring school districts to disclose, by building, where their funds go.”

By: Igor Shereshevsky

Children’s Community Services (CCS) has been placed in receivership in the wake of a raid that resulted from an alleged billing scheme.

Daniel Tietz, a one-time official of the Department of Social Services, has been tapped by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Lyle Frank to oversee CCS’s ongoing operations.

Part of those operations includes a $600 million contract to operate one of New York City’s biggest hotel/shelter operations.

New York City Department of Homeless Services spokesperson Isaac McGinn told the New York Post, “Today, as a result of our action and petition, the court appointed a temporary receiver for this provider effective immediately.”

McGinn said that the ruling by Justice Frank was “a win for families receiving services at these locations who don’t have to worry about being left high and dry because of the alleged improprieties of management.”

It has also become public that a pair of executives at CCS we’re fired soon after the Department of investigation’s much publicized raid. Their names are reportedly Thomas Bransky and Ruth Mandelbaum.

Children’s Community Services provides what it describes as a “holistic array of social services and community linkages to provide a supportive environment for the most vulnerable families in our community. In this way, we empower these families to be contributing members of society. Our sites are equipped with security, maintenance and a dedicated social service team, consisting of case managers, childcare personnel, housing specialists, and other direct-care staff.”

The alleged scam has been reportedly on extensively. Here’s how the New York Times described it: “One company was supposedly based in a vacant house in New Jersey. Another company had no office; its address was a post office box inside a shipping store in Nassau County. A third operated out of a Harlem apartment. The companies were all listed in paperwork as subcontractors for Children’s Community Services, a nonprofit that the city has paid about $500 million since 2017 to provide roughly 1,900 units for homeless people, including families with children. Authorities believe that the nonprofit defrauded New York City through a network of at least six subcontractors that did not appear to provide the supplies and services listed on invoices, according to a lawsuit the city filed against the nonprofit on Wednesday. The fraud could be millions of dollars, but the lawsuit was not specific.”

An estimated 11,750 New York City residents experiencing homelessness currently live in hotel rooms that the city funds due to the fact that its traditional shelter system is severely overloaded. Nearly 60,000 people, many of whom are families with children, sleep in DHS shelters each night, according to daily census reports.

By: Chris Sandersberg

Word has gotten out that presidential hopeful Mike Bloomberg’s daughter Emma has secretly gotten hitched to a man described as a “disgraced charter school advocate.” It is her second marriage.

The groom in question is Jeremiah Kittredge, one-time chief executive officer of an organization that was decidedly pro-charter school.

In fact, it appears the couple enjoys secrecy. The wedding has been nobody’s business for a year. In fact, she also did not make public her divorce from her previous husband.

The nuptials were handled by Rabbi Daniel Gropper of the Community Synagogue of Rye in Westchester County.

Before, the only hint of Emma’s re-marriage came in a previously unnoticed January 2019 synagogue newsletter. It welcomes the couple and Emma’s daughter from her first marriage, Zelda, as new members, and wishes them “Mazel Tov,” or good luck, on their marriage,” reported the New York Post. “Kittredge led the once prominent Families for Excellent Schools, which spent nearly $10 million on TV ads and lobbying for charter schools in 2014, after Mayor de Blasio succeeded Bloomberg as Mayor. Kittredge was an outspoken critic of the city’s public schools.”

Nearly two years ago, in 2018, Kittredge was canned by Families for Excellent Schools-Advocacy, in the wake of sexual harassment allegations that stemmed from an incident that occurred in November 2017.

Politico reported that the female in question wrote about the incident on social media, leading to the eventual investigation. “At the time, the woman wrote: ‘Just three weeks ago, at the single ed reform conference I attend each year, another attendee, a guy much younger than me, sticks his head in my chest, tells me my boobs are supple (seriously? Who uses that word?) and then rides up an elevator with me late at night commenting on how big my boobs are.’ The post was immediately sent to members of Families for Excellent Schools’ board. He was fired nearly two months later,” reported The Daily Mail.

Bloomberg has had some rough going. Progressive filmmaker and activist Michael Moore blasted the Democratic National Committee for allegedly lowering the standards allowing candidates to participate in the next primary debate, saying that the rule change is an effort to help Bloomberg buy the nomination without demonstrating popular support.

“I watched the debate in Iowa here two weeks ago — the all-white debate — and the fact that the Democratic, the DNC will not allow Cory Booker on that stage, will not allow Julian Castro on that stage, but they are going to allow Mike Bloomberg on the stage? Because he has a billion (blank)ing dollars!” Moore told Real Clear Politics.

By: Hellen Zaboulani

Crown Heights has been at the center of New York City’s disturbing and mounting anti-Semitic attacks. These frightful incidents have led to feelings of despair and uncertainty in the lives of many Crown Heights residents. Thankfully, all it takes is a small group of heroes to challenge the hate. Only a little light is needed to break through the darkness.

A small group known as the Guardian Angels, has risen to the spotlight in recent weeks to become that hero. As reported by Collive, the individuals in this group have undertaken to keep Crown Height’s community safe. Since the Monsey mass stabbing attack on Hanukkah, they have begun to physically patrol the neighborhood, not only thwarting attempts against the community but also bringing peace of mind and tranquility to those residents who cannot defend themselves. The volunteer group is also providing training in defense techniques to 40 to 50 mostly ultra-orthodox Jews teaching them to defend themselves and make citizens’ arrests, said Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa. By late summer or early fall, he says the trainees should be able to staff their own neighborhood patrols. Reuters reported, the instructions focus on “bring a person into submission without really hurting them,” said martial arts master Milton Oliver, 51, a construction supervisor and Guardian Angel since 1982.

The Guardian Angels were recently honored by Aliya Girls, who invited and honored them at a dinner. Aliya Girls is a local organization dedicated to creating a supportive space, encouraging the physical, emotional and spiritual growth of teenage girls. As per the organization’s website, it offers a full range of programs, one-on-one mentoring, therapy referrals and many other services, for high-school and post-high school girls in their turbulent teenage years. Aliya Girls aims to create relationships to lead the girls to a healthy path in life.

As part of the Aliya’s weekly activities, the girls discussed their growing concerns for safety with in-house therapist Chaya Kagan. In the talk, Chaya told them about the Guardian Angels and how they had stepped up to protect the community. The girls were able to achieve a sense of calm and were warmed at the thought of individuals who were taking matters in their own hands to protect the Jews of Crown Heights. The girls wished to convey their heartfelt thanks and pay the kindness forward. Aliya reached out to the Guardian Angels and invited them to a dinner in their honor.

Guardian Angels visited Aliya Girls on January 2nd, were the girls prepared a home-cooked meal for them. The girls also took the opportunity to personally thank the Angels in person for their selfless acts.

As per Collive, at the dinner, Dovid Margolin, Chabad.org journalist, gave a speech, based on the Rebbe’s message about how best to battle anti-Semitism. Chassidic singer Eli Marcus graced the event by singing three songs connected with the Angels’ mission and thanking them. To top off the night, each Guardian Angel received personal thank you letters from the Aliya Girls, as well as a small gift, chamsa keychains, courtesy of Judaica World.